12 Part 11

[Present-Lara]

She woke up with a start. She was in her bed, still in her clothes. The events of last night came rushing to her. She wondered if all that was a dream. But it had been so real.

Did she faint in real life?

Did she imagine Lucien's voice?

Was she that scared that she had started hallucinating about a dead person?

She needed to get up and get ready for college but her brain was not working. Her phone dinged with a text.

See you in college today, sweetheart.

So whoever it was, he/she went to her college, she noted.

The next few days were spent in silence. Michael and Lucas didn't laugh around like before and most of the students stopped coming to the college because they were afraid of getting stabbed. Michael had once exchanged a smile but that was it. Maya came back however – and it surprised Lara. Lara had seen her at Nora's party and even after she had survived an attack and could be the killer's very next target she still decided to come to college and attend classes like before.

"There's no point in hiding, is there?" she said with a smile when Lara voiced her thoughts. "I don't mind dying in the killer's hands if that means I get to at least have a chance to strangle that bastard to death."

"So you plan on fighting him when he comes for you? Assuming, it is a 'he'." Lara looked at Maya and she laughed. "I might not look that strong but yes. I do plan on doing exactly that. Wish me luck."

"Best of luck," Lara said.

She and Maya actually became close and they even spent their lunch times together with Lucas and Michael. Maya had apparently taken a liking to Lucas and it didn't go unnoticed by anyone. Lara for once actually felt like she had been able to make friends. She was usually the antisocial one – everyone she met were too boring or reminded her of Steven, the only friend she has ever had.

She wondered where Steven was now. She wanted to contact him but she had no idea how to. She had called the orphanage from where he was enrolled into the school they went to but they couldn't tell her about his whereabouts. She sighed.

"What are you thinking about?" Michael looked at her and she looked back at him. He was a handsome, shy sort of person and Lara realized she had actually begun to like him but before she could say something to him the teacher entered.

She was zoning out as usual when another text lit up her phone.

If you are thinking about some other guy I must warn you, I don't like it and I will not allow it.

The text irritated her. Who was he to dictate her thoughts? She knew it was time she did something. She had her own suspects and the last few days she had dug up information of her own. She decided as soon as college ended for that day she would either confront the person she thought was the killer or go to the police and tell them everything she knew.

But what if she was wrong all along and what if… it was Lucien?

But he is dead. Don't be ridiculous, she scolded herself.

But she couldn't deny the dream she had had the other day felt too real. Could he really be alive? What were the chances?

The last class for the day was biology. All four of them had that class together. The teacher slammed the books down on the table the moment the clock struck four.

"Okay everyone if you have noted down everything you may leave. I need to grab a book from the stuff room – can someone help carry the tubes back?"

"I can!" A girl named Julie volunteered.

"Sir give me two minutes more to write down." Lucas was quickly jotting down the things written on the board. He was always slow. He scribbled on his notepad as quickly as he could.

"Do it quickly," Maya walked out the room smiling.

Lara went out to keep her coat back in her locker was when she heard the sound of glasses breaking. Julie – who was previously carrying the experimentation tubes which now lay broken on the floor was staring open mouthed at something in the lab. A dude walked towards him and then screamed. "OH MY GOD."

The police arrived and Parker and Ria were among the troop. His eyes met Lara's and she gave no reaction.

Lucas was hung from the ceiling. His shirt was torn open and he was apparently stabbed to death. The knife was still embedded into his chest and blood dripped down to the floor where once again a message was written.

WON'T YOU LOVE ME LARA?

The words were bone chilling for everyone who saw them but the one those were meant for – she felt nothing. Lara was sure of one thing by now. It wasn't Lucien.

It couldn't be him.

Though he loved drama he would never take a risk and put her in trouble. He wanted her as a partner in crime not as a sacrifice.

Her heart ached for Lucas. He was nothing but a tool for whoever the criminal was. And he had actually been a friend to her. A tear rolled down her cheek as she realized she would never see him smile again. They were only out for a few minutes but it was enough for the killer. He had his entire life ahead of him, he was going to become an doctor, maybe Maya and he would have started going out together– but he was no longer alive to experience any of that.

Her mother ran towards the lab and broke down as she saw her child. The sight was so painful that Lara looked away. Her phone chimed with a text.

Say Lara, won't you love me?

The tears dropped down her cheek as she looked at the wailing mother. She didn't deserve that. He didn't deserve to die that way.

She looked around and her eyes landed on him. He was standing near the vending machine looking directly at the lab's entrance with air pods plugged into his ears.

I know who you are. Look at me.

She needed to know for real if it was the person she suspected. The reply would settle things once and for all. She didn't know what she would do but she knew she had to prevent him from killing someone else.

Her eyes met his and he realized she was far smarter than he had originally thought. She would finally be his and nothing could stop that. Not even God himself.

She smiled. She finally knew who the killer was.