6 Chapter Six: Felix's Message

Chapter Six

Felix's Message

The moment Tristan said those dreadful words, I told Tim that we ought to go to Felix's house. He asked me why, but the expression I have in my face, shock and fear combine, was enough for him to know what the phone call was all about.

He said some white lie to my dad and assured him that I will be back before eleven and with my father's nod, although a little hesitant, we rushed outside. Both of half walked and half sprinted. We could have taken my dad's car, but we're thinking the same thing. None of us knew how to drive properly.

Felix's house was a few streets away from my house and Tim's. I knew that because this is a small town although I only knew him a few weeks ago. And in those few weeks, I knew a boy that would have been a better man if only we weren't stuck in this horrendous situation. We turned to the street where Tim said Felix's house is located. Even though we were only a few yards away, we could make out the red and blue lights coming from the police car and the ambulance that were parked in the house I knew was Felix's.

I can feel my heart beating so loud in my chest. It is so loud that I feel like it is pulsating in my throat as Tim and I were getting nearer to the house. A woman's loud wail echoed inside the house and a police line were drawn to keep out the neighbours who were curious to what was going on. My eyes quickly scan the crowd for any sign of Wren, Marlene, and Tristan. I stopped searching through the small crowd and turned to look at Tim when he tapped my shoulder.

"There they are," he said, he pointed towards the house and I followed where his forefinger was pointed. Wren along with Marlene, Tristan, and a white faced Josh was standing near the front door.

Tim held my hand and we both plunged into the small crowd muttering a quiet excuse me to everyone who's blocking the path. Once we were in front of the police line, a police officer put his hand in front of Tim.

"No one's allowed to go further," said the police officer. Tim opened his mouth to say something to the police officer when we saw Wren walking towards us.

"Their with us, sir," said Wren in her most polite and calm voice. The officer nodded and lifted the police line to let us through. Tim went first and I followed while I keep a firm hold on his hand.

"Did they already remove his body?" Tim whispered. Marlene shook her head.

I wanted to ask what happened, but when I open my mouth, the words die up my throat. I don't understand why this happened. We all agreed that when we see something strange we'll contact each other and stay together.

A police officer stopped in front of us. He look at the notepad he was holding before meeting our eyes. "Are you Felix's friends?" We all nodded. He gestured to us to follow and we did. Felix's mother was moved to their living room as she cried hard. Felix's father sat beside her and cried silently. The officer continued to walk and led us upstairs.

In my position, I can see an open bedroom door and several people who were clearly working with the police either enters or steps out of the room. We stopped in front of it and the officer who led us here handed all of us gloves.

"We don't want your prints tampered the crime scene," he said.

Once we wore it, we were able to get inside. There were yellow cards with numbers scattered all around, but nothing seems to be suspicious around here. It just looks like a normal room of a young man. The officer picked something from Felix's desk and handed it to Wren, who was standing in front of us. She took it and quickly examined it.

"We reckon that he wrote it before he died. It's not a suicide note, but more like a message and he addressed it to all of you," the officer said. Wren handed the paper to all of us.

Tris, Mar, Tim, Josh, Wren, and most importantly Han,

A woman in a high-necked black silk gown.

Her father and brother.

Victoire.

The photographs.

"Why would he leave a cryptic message for all of you?" asked the officer. No one answered him.

And most importantly, Han.

Why did it seems like he was addressing the cryptic message to me?

I lifted my head and meet the officers eyes.

"Where is he?" I asked. I can feel my friends' eyes on me but I didn't dare avoid the officer's eyes.

"Follow me."

I removed my hand from Tim's hold and followed the officer. I thought we were about to enter the bathroom, but he stopped in front of the drawers near the bathroom. He pointed his forefinger above us and with my heart pounding hard against my chest, I looked up.

There he was. Dangling from a hole in ceiling was Felix's head. His mouth agape and a terrified look in his unseeing eyes. His head was twisted so much that the skin in his neck looked like a rubber band being stretched.

"Oh God. Oh my God," I heard Josh's voice behind me. A pair of hands found their way on my shoulders and spinned me around to face them. My eyes automatically focused on to the person in front of me.

Tim was saying something, but I can't understand every word he says. Felix's face was engraved in my mind. The terrified look in his eyes was enough to fuel up the guilt looming in my chest.

First Borris and now Felix.

None of them would be dead if I just didn't moved in my spot when we were in that manor. None of them would be haunted by an unknown thing that followed us out. None of them would suffer this horrible fate.

I didn't say anything. Using the strength I have in my arms, I removed Tim's hands in my shoulders and pushed my way out. I can hear them calling my name but I didn't looked back. If this is because of me, I should be the one to stop this. No one should experience any of this. All of them were innocent. All of us are innocent.

I ran out of the house. I ran and ran until I reached my home. Ignoring my dad's calls, I proceeded upstairs to my bedroom. I opened the door harshly and entered my room. I took four strides towards my desk and lifted the old camera.

"What do you want from us?" I shouted while looking at the camera. A lone tear escaped my eyes. "Why are you doing this? WHY?" I threw the camera forcefully to the wall but it didn't get smashed to pieces. No. It was floating mere inches from the wall. My sobs stopped completely.

"Hannah."

A gasp escaped my throat and I turned around to see who whispered my name in my ear. No one was there.

Tim emerged from the doorway and behind him stood Wren, Marlene, Tristan, Josh, and my dad. All of them have worried expressions on their faces. I turned around to see if the camera's still floating but it wasn't there. It was placed back to my desk like I didn't even laid a hand on it.

I turned back around and saw my dad entered the room. He placed his hands in my cheeks as his eyes scanned my face.

"Why were you shouting?" he asked. Without leaving his eyes, I pointed to the camera in my desk.

"I tried to throw it at the wall but it just floated and then a woman's voice whispered my name in my ear," I said.

"You're just in shock, sweetheart. Your friends told me what had happened to your friend," said dad. I shook my head violently. I feel like I'm going crazy.

"No. I'm not imagining it. It was real and I know it."

"Sweetheart," dad pleaded.

"Something followed us out and it's killing us one by one," I said in a bare whisper.

The photographs.

I removed my dad's hands in my face and faced my desk again. I took the photographs lying there and searched for our photo. Dropping the other in my desk, I held the one photo that may have started this.

From the left, Borris was smiling from the camera. Next to him was Felix, Josh, Marlene, Tristan, me, Tim, and Wren.

Felix gave us a clue. The one clue that will help know which one of us is next.

Josh is next.

*

The news of Felix's demise circled the entire school the next morning. All of them were gobsmacked by the sudden news. It was not long before Borris' death then all of a sudden, there's one more dead.

After my sudden outburst last night, dad made sure that he'll drive me to school and pick me up when my classes are over. He said that I'm just shocked because of my friends' deaths. I haven't spoken to any of my friends after what had happened last night. They didn't know what I have realised. They didn't know that Josh will be the next victim. And I would never let him die. Not now that Felix might have left us important information that can stop this. That can save us.

After my morning class, I weaved my way out of the classroom to find all of them. Marlene was the first I have seen and then Wren and Tristan, Josh, and the last was Tim. We all entered the empty auditorium and each of us took a seat. The lights were dimmed since no one was expected to use this room.

"What's the thing you wanted to tell us, Han?" asked Marlene. Tristan snorted and lifted his feet to rest it on the seat in front of him. "Don't attack her so suddenly babe. She might freaked out like last night."

"I might hold that sharp tongue if I were you," said Wren warningly, she set her eyes to Tristan who was not intimidated in the slightest but didn't said anything again.

I took out the old camera and our group photo out of my bag and placed it on my lap. All of their eyes were focused on the object that started all this fiasco. I held the photograph tightly and glued my eyes there to avoid their gazes.

"Felix's cryptic message shone a light to our path. He gave us the information he must have collected right before he was killed," I said. I took a deep breath before shutting my eyes. "He wrote 'the photographs' and in the house I realised that he meant to say the photographs I developed. The photographs that the camera took."

I opened my eyes and met their gazes head on. I handed the photograph to Josh and he took it with a confused look in his face.

"Look at the photo," I said. He did what I said but he still looked confused. Wren joined him since she was close to where he was seated. Tristan, Marlene, and Tim got up from their seats and walked towards Josh to take a look too.

"We all know that the silhouettes are the only thing unusual here, right?" said Tristan, his voice was full of skepticism and sarcasm.

"Don't look at the silhouettes. Notice our positions. The line up," I said.

After a moment, Josh's head snapped up and he met my gaze. His face illuminated what he was feeling. Incredulity and fear. There's always fear in our chest now. It was also the last look of Borris and Felix and if we don't stop this, it might as well be our last expression too. The last thing that we will feel. The last thing our parents will see once they see us.

"What are we-" Tristan's words were cut midway when Josh suddenly stood up and he moved towards me. Placing his hands on my shoulders, he bent down and stared at me. His eyes wide with realisation.

"Tell me that what I'm thinking is wrong. Tell me, Hannah," he begged and I only shook my head. He let out a deep sigh and his hands slid down from my shoulders as he sat down on the back of the chair in front of me.

"What's wrong? What in the hell were you two talking about?" asked Wren, she flailed both of her hands in the air.

"Tell them. At least tell them," Josh whispered, his eyes were closed tightly.

"The photograph is the dead giveaway for what is happening," I said. Wren was about to say something but I interrupted her. "Borris was the first of us to die and he was standing on the left side. After a week, Felix was next and he was standing beside Borris. The photo is a pattern. The thing that followed us must be counting on this photo to kill us-"

"One by one," Tim finished my sentence.

Silence followed it and it was only broken by Tristan's humourless laugh that echoed through the quiet room.

"Why would you think that this thing," he took the photograph from Wren's hand and waved it in front of us, "this harmless thing, is the sole clue to who will be the next one to die?"

"Felix gave this to us, idiot," Wren retorted, her eyebrows furrowed.

"Felix must have been driven by his fear. We don't even know who killed them!"

"Tristan," Marlene put a hand to his arm and whatever snide remark he was about to throw, he swallowed it back.

"Let's not be in denial about this, all right? Felix might be right. He must have known something before he died and he didn't have enough time to tell it all. His message might saved us from whatever thing that wanted to wipe us all!" Josh exclaimed.

A flicking sound had us all turn our heads to the source of the sound. Tristan was holding a lighter.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" asked Wren, her voice was higher than her usual tone.

"It's not worth it, man," Tim said but Tristan was turning deaf ears to them. Marlene was also saying something to him but he didn't budge. Tristan's eyes focused on me and Josh. The two of us were not saying a word unlike all of them.

"If what you're saying is true, if there is no photograph, none of us will die anymore," said Tristan. He flicked the lighter and the small fire caught the end of the photograph he was holding.

The small fire turned bigger until it enveloped the whole photograph. Tristan dropped it to the floor and we all watched it burned. Tim, Wren, and Marlene were all silent. Once the fire has nothing to burn now, it died instantly.

And the most impossible thing happened.

It's as if the whole scenario was reversed. The ashen photograph turned back to its original form like it wasn't even damaged.

"How is that even possible?" Marlene whispered, I looked up and saw shock in her face and the fear in her voice made her voice quiver.

I crouched down and picked up the photograph. "It doesn't want us to destroy it that easily," I said.

"Why?" asked Josh.

"Last night I tried to throw the camera in the wall but it only floated in the air," I let out a shaky breath, "We need to find out how to defeat this thing as soon as possible."

No one said anything except for Josh who was shaking his head as he pace back and forth. I placed a comforting hand on his arm but he moved away from me. Fear was shining in his eyes and I noticed how his chest moved up and down faster.

"I'll be long dead before we finally find out how to stop this fiasco we put ourselves into," he said rather hysterically. I shook my head at him. "No. That's not true, Josh. All of us will survive this time," I said gently but he only shook his head.

"If we want to survive long, we need someone to take our burden."

Before I could even process what he said, he turned around and grabbed the old camera that I placed on the chair I settled on to.

"I want to live longer. I want to help all of you in finding answers to this situation, but I can't do it if I'm next in line," said Josh.

"Josh, what are you going to do?" asked Tim, his voice was suddenly firm and serious. Josh didn't said anything to us. He quickly turned round and dashed out of the room. All of us grabbed our bags and followed him.

We saw him stopped in his tracks. He was talking to someone and we took that chance to stop at whatever he was about to do. Josh looked behind him and saw us. He looked back to the person he was talking to and position the camera in his eyes.

A flash went out of the camera as Josh took a photo. We stopped a few metres away from him and Cato and Penelope's faces were facing Josh. A look of utter confusion in their faces as Josh kept saying, "I'm sorry. I'm really sorry, but I needed to survive longer."