| M Y S T E R Y - S H O T S |

15th September 2023:Blakley cruised down the highway in her brand new car, a lavish gift from her longtime friend Mia. She had been living this way for quite some time, or rather, serving this way. Being the ever-devoted companion to Mia often meant reaping the rewards of her wealth.Today, however, there was a radiant smile on Blakley's face. It was her birthday, and after years of unwavering loyalty to Mia, this was her first extravagant gift from her friend. Her dedication had finally paid off.So tonight she planned to celebrate her success. As Blakley drove through the night, she received a call from an unknown number. She frowned. It was odd. All of her contacts are already updated. Then who could this be? Maybe, it was Mia or Tony or someone else, since she left the party early tonight, as she has a nerve-wrecking, mind-blowing hook-up with Tony's friend. Well, she always liked Tony, but he didn't give her much attention. So, tonight, she settled with his handsome friend. She accessed the car's Bluetooth system and received the call."Hello?""Hey babe, where are you?" the man asked. She sighed rolling her eyes. She knows the voice. "Levi?""Yeah, it's me." the man replied. "Where are you?""Wait, whose number is this? Why are you calling me from a private number anyway?" she asked in a little confusion.Levi laughed an awkward laugh. "Uh, I'll tell you that later. But I have a surprise for you, Blakey. Can you come over to my place tonight? We're going to a party.""What's the occasion?" Blakely inquired. "Don't tell me you're actually throwing a party on my birthday, huh?" she teased. Levi comes from a mediocre background, her childhood crush turned boyfriend. But she was a grown-up now, and Levi was nowhere near like her current friends. Rich."Come over, and I'll tell you all about it, okay?"Blakley's smile broadened as she replied, "I have a surprise for you too, Levi." She said, "I'm coming over." Well, tonight she planned to finally break up from her past. Everything that doesn't belong in the rich category."Sounds cool," Levi replied before ending the call. "How far are you, by the way?""I'll be there in about twenty minutes, babe," Blakley replied. "I am on the highway.""Oh, why don't you take the shortcut to the town?""Uh..." She thought for a bit before replying. "But that place is...""Ahh, right," he sighed. "I understand you would probably be scared to be alone over there." He teased.Blakely's brows frowned with his taunt."Oh, come on, Levi. Don't you forget who I am now. I'm Mia's best friend. Give me some credit. I am no longer the girl you used to know. Even the devil himself would be afraid of me now," she boasted with a taunted laugh."Is that so?" Levi teased. "Then I'll see you in ten minutes? Is it?""I'll see you in a few minutes." She confirmed before disconnecting the call and turning left, taking the forbidden road.Blakely's car roared down the road, the wind whipping through her hair as she neared her destination. For her, this was a significant achievement. She had successfully earned the title of Mia's best friend on campus, even surpassing Gweneth in the process.Tonight was special. A party, hosted by Mia in honour of her birthday, brought together an array of famous faces, including Oliver, Tony, Ben, and many others. Blakely had even been given a figurative crown for being the one to bring Lara and Lorenzo's downfall today.Mia was delighted, especially to see Ana's apparent defeat.The party had been a wild celebration, with alcohol flowing freely. Though she was somewhat inebriated, Blakely was thrilled and determined to meet her boyfriend, Levi, and share her triumph, before finally breaking up with him.Levi had always underestimated her, and tonight, she planned to prove him wrong. This was her moment of pride.Tonight was hers.With determination, she pressed the accelerator, speeding through the dark night to reach her destination as quickly as possible. Even in the darkness, she felt no fear tonight; she felt empowered, like a queen or at least close to it.From her first day at Preston, Blakely had been striving to get closer to Mia, to become one of her inner circle. She coveted the fame and power that came with it. However, due to her less privileged background, it hadn't been an easy journey in her high school.That changed today. She willingly lets Mia take control of her life, becoming her loyal follower. She did everything Mia asked, from bullying innocent students to subjecting them to torment until they broke or worse. There was not a shred of remorse in her. All she had ever craved was power and fame.Suddenly, a loud burst reverberated in her ears, followed by the screeching of tires. Blakely had to bring her untamed car to a sudden halt. Peering out, she saw that one of her brand-new tires had somehow burst."Shit, Fuck." she muttered under her breath, frustration gnawing at her. Her perfect night had hit an unexpected snag.Blakely hurriedly exited her brand-new car, a frustrated look on her face. She glanced around the road, discovering a few iron spikes strewn across her path, which had caused her tire to burst. "Oh, come on! It's a brand new car!" she yelled, irritated by her misfortune.Surveying the area, she realized the road was eerily empty, devoid of any potential help. Frustration boiled over, and she pulled out her phone to dial the same number for help. However, her call couldn't connect to Levi due to a lack of network.A gush of wind past her.She looked around but everything was as it was. Yet something looked utterly wrong.An uneasy feeling began to creep over her.The road was unusually quiet, like the calm before a storm. Her senses tingled with an unexplainable apprehension. Something felt off. She glanced around once more, and an eerie sensation crawled beneath her skin. She knew she had been drinking, but she was still coherent enough to sense that something was amiss.Suddenly, a shadowy figure darted past her, making her spin around in alarm. Looking carefully she found nothing again.Am I hallucinating now? she thought.But she wasn't hallucinating at all. Another flashed by, and she turned back to the same eerie empty road.Then yet another and another.Her fear intensified. Blakely couldn't tell if someone was playing a cruel joke on her. "W-who's there?" she stammered into the air, hoping for a response from her unseen tormentor. But silence was her only answer. "Come out... Y-You don't know who you are playing with," she threatened, her voice trembling.Still, there was no reply. Another gush of eerie wind past over her.Her heart raced like a horse. She sensed the trouble around her. probably not so good idea to take this road. She should never have listened to Levi. Her anger for Levi only boiled every second.She attempted to call the number again. She held the phone to her ear, only to hear the same technical beeping before the call disconnected. "Shit," she muttered under her breath.Then, akin to a nocturnal specter, a shadow materialized behind her. Through the glass of her car window, Blakely could only glimpse a fleeting figure, a petite form wielding an axe. It appeared smaller than herself, swathed in darkness, its petite frame casting an alluring yet ominous charm, akin to the beauty of a devil under the shroud of night. Before she could even turn around to scream, the shadow struck her on the head.****As Blakely slowly regained consciousness, her eyes fluttered open with a jolt. A deafening ring echoed in her ears as her vision remained blurry and faded. Her head throbbed with pain, and she had a sinking feeling that blood was pooling around her. She struggled to make sense of her surroundings.Through her bleary eyes, she could see a shadowy figure looming over her, gripping her leg with a strong, cold grip and dragging her. In the figure's other hand, she glimpsed the glint of an axe. Panic surged through her veins as she realized the dire situation she was in. She knew she was dying, her body giving up on her.That's when the sound of revving engines reached her ears. A new hope accompanied her. Maybe Mia or Tony came for her. Perhaps there was someone out there who could help her. Save her. However, she was far ahead on the road. The figure dragged her through the rocks and sticks of the rough forest, causing her pain.Her heart pounded in her chest as she drew deep, shallow breaths. She attempted to scream, but her voice only came out as muffled cries. She fought desperately to break free, but her last battle was in vain. The shadowy figure continued to drag her deeper into the darkness of the forest, engulfing her in its eerie embrace.Until, a sudden, piercing scream emanated from the depths of the forest, a cry of anguish that pierced the night.The only witness to her gruesome ending was the night itself, and within that darkness, a shadow observed her demise with cool composure, leaning against a tree. A grin adorned his face.Blakley had met her gruesome end. Tortured and murdered in the unforgiving darkness.****The news report detailed the events of that fateful night. The discovery of a body near the forest, brutally mutilated and with some parts missing, sent shockwaves throughout the town.NEWSFLASH:Once again, LarksVille is in a shocking turn of events, the lifeless body of Blakely Livy, a senior at Preston University, has been discovered on the southern border of the notorious Edenfell woods. The details surrounding her tragic demise are shrouded in mystery.Preliminary reports suggest that Blakely may have been under the influence of alcohol, while apparently driving at the time of the incident. Her body bore the telltale signs of a violent struggle, with numerous bruises and cuts, pointing to a grim and uncertain cause of death.However, there are unsettling factors that demand further investigation. The vehicle Blakely was driving reportedly had a system malfunction, raising questions about whether this malfunction may have contributed to the tragic accident. Additionally, her tire was mysteriously flat, adding yet another layer of intrigue to this already perplexing case.In the backdrop of Edenfell woods, infamous for a string of unusual disappearances and deaths, the community is left grappling with the unsettling question: was this a tragic accident or a sinister act of murder?Stay tuned to LarksVille News as we delve deeper into this enigmatic case and bring you the latest updates.****The students of Preston gathered somberly in front of the memory hall, their eyes fixed on Blakely's smiling picture displayed there. A quiet, mournful atmosphere enveloped the hall, with flickering candles casting a soft, ethereal glow and fresh flowers placed as a final tribute.Blakely was no more. Her presence, both feared and despised, had come to a sudden, tragic end.While the students had never dared to challenge her openly, they had silently borne the brunt of her bullying and manipulation. Her passing served as an unexpected lesson, a stark reminder that the darkness would come to an end, one day.Ana, Lara, and Hardin stood together with Nandini and their peers, reflecting on the complex web of relationships they had navigated. On the other side, Mia, Gweneth, Oliver, Tony, and Ben clustered together. Gweneth portrayed an act of grief, her facade seemingly affected by the loss. Mia, however, remained nonchalant, engrossed in her phone, flanked by Tony and Oliver.Amidst this sea of emotions, Lorenzo and Mark also paid their respects before the memory hall along with Betty. For them, it was the last glimpse of Blakely, and a sense of closure washed over them. Perhaps, with this chapter ending, things would finally change for the group. The balance had been disrupted, a coma in their midst, leaving the future uncertain.----X----A/N: Thank you for reading this book. If you so far liked the story, can you please share a review on Amazon and GoodReads?