CHAPTER 8

7 DAYS EARLIER

"They've found Emily's body"

"We already know that Jack"

"No, I mean, it's on the news". The other three quadled up to take a peek into Jack's phone.

"Huh, they probably exhausted all evidence in the autopsy". Chris snickered

"It's not funny Chris, we need to do something about this. The police can't just illegally carry out an autopsy on a body"

"Think about it Vivian, how did we find out that they are carrying out illegal autopsies if we hadn't pried into their files? We will get into a lot more problem than the police".

Max replied, he had become the voice of reason in their group, always trying to keep others in line since their revelation on the police tactics.

It had been three weeks since their last meeting and hoarding this big secret was taking a toll on them. They were exhausted physically and mentally, mostly Max who still stayed up late into the night going through the files trying to find some loose threads to pull.

The police had been faced with brick walls, hindering any means of furthering the case. There was no new evidence meaning there was nothing for them to leach off.

They felt the Police were relenting in the amount of effort and man power invested in the case, in three weeks there was nothing to break open a new niche.

"Max?" Jack stuffed the stale fries the cafeteria served. The only time one found the cafeteria food appetizing was when hunger gripped your heart. Jack was in that state.

"Yeah?" Max yawned causing slight tears to pool around the edges of his eyes.

"I think I'll sleep over at your place tonight, there are somethings I want us to go over"

"Oh it's cool" Max gave a tired but genuine smile.

"Ok let me text my dad and inform him that I won't be coming home" Jack said to no one in particular as he started scrolling his call log for his dad's contact.

He found it, swiped it to the left and began to type. "Shit". "What?"

"My phone just went off, I forgot to charge. Chris Can I borrow your phone?". Chris touched his pockets, he sighed "I think it's at home".

"You can use mine" Vivian recovered from her internet frenzy as she opened her messages for Jack. "Thanks".

He took the phone and inserted his dad's number on the contact section. Hints popped up suggesting previous conversations

"this is weird" Jack's eyebrows furrowed and closed up, his forehead filled with wrinkles. "What is?" Vivian asked as the other two looked at Jack with keen interest.

"It shows that you've already conversed with my dad?" Jack looked confused.

Vivian's eye bulged, if it were possible that blacks turned pale, she would have been milk. There was awkward silence as three pairs of eyes were fixated on a sweating Vivian, Jack shook his head,

"I must have used your phone to messaged him or something since there's no conversation here just a date and time".

Vivian released a breath she didn't know she was holding. Jack returned the phone after texting his dad not waiting for a reply.

The bell went signifying the end of lunch. Jack lifted his tray and dumped the remaining food in the trash, and left his tray in the pile of used trays.

He came back to the table as the remaining three stood up to go for their next class.

*. *. *.

The last bell for the day went, students spilled out of their classes filling the hallway. The quad met at the front of the school.

They walked a little away from the entrance to avoid being pushed or shoved by the emerging students,

"Don't you find it weird that it's been three weeks and nothing has happened?" Max started a conversation.

"What?" Chris pulled the straps of his bag as they all walked out of the school gate. "There's always something bothering you" Vivian laughed "haha, I'm just saying it's been three weeks and there's no sight of that thing".

They three stopped walking as Max trudged forward. He looked behind when he didn't see anyone beside him .

"Max we need to stop talking about... IT" Vivian rubbed her temples, talking about this thing was both scary and exhausting.

"Let's just believe that it has gone... for good" Chris started walking again not liking the theme of the conversation.

"You know it was two weeks before they found Reina's body according to the news" Max tried to relate sense into his friends.

"Two weeks but this is the third week" Vivian was fed up with the talk about the thing.

It had stolen her sleep for a week leaving her as a temporary insomniac, she was constantly on pills for a week in order to sleep healthier without the gruesome nightmares.

They were once again cloaked in silence as they walked on. Jack was silent, if not for the haphazard movements of his eyes, Max would have assumed he blanked out.

" What are you thinking about Jack?" Max asked, Jack looked up abruptly and flushed, "W..When did Emily get missing?"

It was a weird question to ask but a question nonetheless. "I think the day they found Reina's body by the river bank?, Why?"

"And they found Emily's body today?"

" Where are you going with this Jack?" Chris was giving Jack a Stern look. Vivian was in her world, texting someone.

"All I'm saying is that we should just be careful, Emily got missing when they found Reina. If this thing is after u..us like Max said, then we should be careful".

It still scared Jack than there was something out there after them, it scared all of them. A being lurking in the shadows waiting for your weakest to snatch you into the darkness.

They quietened after that, absorbing the information, even though they tried to dispute the fact, Jack was right, they had to be careful.

"Are you coming to the house or you'll grab a few things from your house?" Max tried to ease the tension oozing from them.

"Don't worry, I have all I need" Jack smiled "I knew you'd say yes so I packed" both of them laughed.

Chris was still lost in thoughts while Vivian was scrolling through her news feed. She looked up, "this is my stop guys" she began to cross the road.

"I thought your house was down the road?" Chris awoke from his temporary trance. Vivian looked behind.

"Uh, I'm going to see my... Aunt?" She sounded unsure

"Aunt?" Jack asked " but you said you had no relations in this town"

"Well, my mom's sister just moved into town for a few days".

"Oh, we should go visit her then" Max began to drag the two boys in Vivian's direction.

"No" the sharpness in Vivian's tone startled both her friends and herself.

"She hates univited visitors"

"Maybe next time then" Max shrugged his shoulders to show that he didn't really care.

"Yeah, bye" Vivian speed walked and crossed the road with subtle glances behind to see if they were following her. "Something is definitely not right" Chris squinted his eyes at the retreating figure of his friend.

" What is?" Max and Jack asked simultaneously.

"Her mom is the only child, remember when we attended the burial of her mom's sister?"

"Oh shit"

"Maybe she meant her dad's sister instead "

"Hmm".

Chris wasn't still convinced. "Come on, I'm tired of standing by the sidewalk, my feet hurt" Max pulled Chris as they continued their walk towards his home.

*. *. *

"What's the time?" Chris asked after pausing the game. "A quarter to ten" Jack responded from his comfortable position on the bed eating chips and drinking soda.

Junk food was his love language. "What the?" Chris turned his wrist to look at the watch he immediately remembered he had on, his eyes widened in surprise.

"My parents will kill me" Chris hurriedly packed his bags and ran out of the room while yelling at Max to change his deceptive curtains.

Max's curtains were always down making it impossible to know if it was day or night due to the thickness of the material. Max laughed .

He dropped the controller and turned towards Jack.

"Did you bring changeovers?"

" My pyjamas? Yes I did"

Max mentally face palmed " I'm talking about for school tomorrow".

"Ugh" Jack rubbed his forehead, "I knew I was forgetting something".

Jack dropped his chips, pocketed his fully charged phone and headed for the door.

"Where are you going to?"

" To get clothes duh"

"I could give you mine"

"You're fat Max, your clothes won't fit" Jack said in a matter of fact tone. Max laughed, "you're just too thin".

"Whatever" Jack rolled his eyes with a smile plastered on his lips, "I'll be back, set up the game for the next round".

As Jack stepped out of Max's house, the cold air hit his face, he took a deep breath and began his walk. The moon illuminated his paths thwarting every thought of rainfall.

It was a ten minutes walk to his house but it would be lesser if he ran. Jack began to Sprint, the second thing he loved apart from binging on junk.

He loved the feel of air against his face, and the hypnotic sounds of the impact of feet against the ground. He slowed down when he approached his house.

"Vivian?" Jack called out as he squinted trying to identify the figure coming out from his home. The figure turned so fast that it made lightning look slow.

"What are you doing here?" The figure gave a nervous laugh "I live here Vivian, what are you doing here?"

Jack was fully convinced that it was Vivian, he was close enough to see her moon lit features. He came to a stop a few feet from her , crossed his arms and had a determined look to get his answer.

"Uh, I came to.. see you?" It came out as a question rather than an answer "me?" Jack was surprised "I was having a sleepover at Max's house and you knew that"

"Yes... I .. uh... texted Max? And he said you stepped out to get something from your house so I came to your house since I was already near it, that was like 2 minute ago.

There was no one home and I was feeling uneasy so I was leaving when you came"

"Oh what did you want to tell me?"

Jack asked uncertain about Vivian's excuse but not furthering the interrogation

"What?" Vivian looked confused

"You came all the way to see me so you just have had something to say" Jack pressed on

"Oh yeah that, I wanted to ask what could be a perfect gift for my...boyfriend for his birthday". She needed to take lying classes Jack thought in his mind, not wanting to call her out on her lies he played along

"Boyfriend?" Jack asked amused with a knowing smirk plastered on his face

"Yes boyfriend, don't look so surprised Jack, people are interested in me".

Even though he couldn't see it, Jack knew she was blushing at this point.

"And you walked all the way down for that?"

He was at the verge of laughing

"It's today and I kind of forgot so I was heading to the store but I didn't know what to get".

"Hmm". Jack was still not convinced but she was a persistent liar. "Get him whatever he likes?" Jack tested a theory.

"Oh thanks" Vivian turned and walked in the opposite direction with speed in her feet. Jack was sure that gifts were meant to be what you like, so why had Vivian walk all the way to hear him say that?,

He snickered when she was out of his sight. He entered his home, the lights were turned off. He turned them on, there was a low guttural sound coming from the sitting room, he tip toed only to see his dad asleep on the couch snoring.

Jack was startled, he thought Vivian said no one was home. He made a move to shake his dad when his ringtone accompanied his dad's snores in a cacophony. He pulled it from his pocket and checked the caller, Max. He picked.

"Jack, can you try and reach Vivian? I'm on my way to her house right now"

"Why? She just left here"

"What? How but I just received a text"

"A text from who? What does it say?"

"From it, She's next".