THE NOTE { DISCONTINUED }

IX. On the run

"Be on guard. The silent killer's goal is to kill"

- Marie Violene Mertilus

. . . . . . . . .

ACT 2, Scene 4

THIRD PERSON POV

The word sounded vaguely familiar to her, sweeping across her troubled mind as Ava stared out of the usual square-shaped window of the dorm room and into the lifeless world before her that appeared all gray. She knew she'd heard this word before, 'Rache', not from Ryan but from another source quite a long time ago. And again her mind buzzing with thoughts of fear and mild trauma wouldn't allow her to think clearly. It was hard to return to a fairly normal life again when you know too well that there's a killer out there who's completely ruthless.

She knew she had to do something about it, if the police wouldn't do it in time then it would be her, to catch the killer before things get worse, before it gets too late. And whatever it was, she had to be quick and precise for time was always cruel to her, it always was.

Her disturbed mind was interrupted when she heard the door swing open from behind and quickly turned around to see who it was. A cheerful Thea walked in with a smile spread across her thin lips and a faint glow in her blue eyes. The smile faded away in less than a split-second the moment her eyes met with Ava's face with mixed emotions, both deeply troubled and concern. Thea rushed over to squeeze Ava's arm, hoping it would ease the tension around them, hopefully.

"Where were you Ava? Hannah and I expected you to turn up halfway," Thea addressed brightly, "I believe you received the note I left behind". "I did" Ava replied bluntly, the word almost sounding like a croak as it escaped her dry throat. "I-I wasn't feeling very well. I...have a stomach ache" Ava lied, forming a painful expression of sorrow on her face. She didn't want Hannah or Thea knowing about what she and Ryan had dug up at the terrace. She'd do anything for them as long as it kept them out of trouble, not after they almost got themselves killed at the orchestra.

"You alright? Do you need me to come to the clinic with you?" Thea offered, sounding slightly worried. "Not really, It isn't that bad but I'd make it to class as soon as it's over, I promise" Ava coughed out, plastering her face with a fake reassuring smile that softened Thea's face. "Alright then. Hannah and I should get going to class now. See you later" Thea called out with a wave as she left the dormy, the door slamming shut behind her.

Ava heaved a sigh of relief, glad that she hadn't put anyone's lives at risk, that is everyone except for her and maybe Ryan. Her eyes stole a glance from the fancy little clock that stood proudly on a slanting wooden shelf on the wall. Five more minutes it told her, as if the little clock could speak. It was a gift her Dad had brought her back from his trip to Venice which Ava kept as a souvenir and a memory of her family back at the city.

Things would only simmer down once they found out who the killer was, just like Campbell had told her. The face behind the mask.

* * * * *

Her heart slammed loudly in her chest as Ava ran, sprinting on both her feet with her brown hair fluttering behind her in the wind. And as always, she was late. She was supposed to meet Ryan at the entrance of the abandoned garden shed, where only moments ago was the hangout spot of Thea, Hannah and James. The brown leather boots she wore stomped against the dry brown and orange leaves that lay in discarded piles near the area.

"You're late" Ryan stated coldly, the moment Ava appeared in front of him, breathing heavily. "I know" Ava shot back at him almost immediately between ragged breaths. "There's something I want to show you" Ryan told her, clearing his throat as he pushed open the door of the garden shed with loose wooden planks hanging over beside the translucent windows.

Through the door they went, and into the claustrophobic little area around them mostly stuffed up with bags of soil, rusty wheel barrows and old metal shovels that hadn't been used in a while. The smell of cookies lingered around the interior of the shed while tons of other things too like piles of old papers and other trash surrounded them.

Ryan bent over a wooden crate to pick up a book and blew of a thin layer of dust, handing over the book to Ava who accepted it, completely confused. "What's this?" Ava questioned him, raising a confused brow. "See it for yourself" Ryan answered distracted, his eyes searching the abandoned shed as his boots stepped against tiny little cookie crumbs that Hannah, James or Thea would've left behind.

"Sherlock Holmes, A Study in Scarlet?" Ava read out puzzled, her confused eyes meeting with Ryan's. He seized the book from her and flipped a few pages, telling her to read them and that's what she did, her eyes scanning the pages word after word. "Rache" Ava said immediately as if she'd finally figured it out.

"It came from here?"

"Yeah, I guess that's what motivated the killer to write that word on Mrs. Rachel's arm. So whoever it might be, is a fan of Sherlock Holmes. Any guesses?" Ryan asked with a little bit of hope.

"Not really. I know way too many people who read Sherlock Holmes, it's going to be impossible" Ava felt useless that she couldn't make out who it was. But this was obviously the killer's because at the end of one of the pages were words written in pencil in a handwriting Ava or Ryan couldn't make out.

"Revenge will come to all of you"

"This too.." Ryan handed her a handful of photographs that Ava recognized almost immediately. "The Scream movies?" Ava questioned dumbfounded beyond words. "I found them inside the book, scattered across the crate," Ryan replied, carefully showing here the photographs of the Ghostfaces from previous Scream movies that would've also added to the killer's motivations.

Sounds of loud footsteps trodding against piles of leaves that cracked against the footsteps. A figure was seen through the translucent window that shaped as a figure dressed completely in black but neither of them could make out who it was due to the window's foggy texture that was supposed to be a designed piece of glass acted as both a disadvantage and a shield. Because they weren't able to see who it was clearly nor could this person see them.

"Shit. Ava" Ryan whispered as he quickly bent down, squatting on his feet behind a huge pile of stacked crates as he pulled Ava down with him who didn't understand a thing.

"Who's that?"

"It might be the killer"

Time's running out and there's a mission to complete

I wouldn't be posting for a few weeks but I'd get to it soon.

@ahlanazarx ⛓