❝ I genuinely thought the worst of this nightmare was over ❞
Halle Brewster told a lie, and the secrets kept growing. After slaying one stalker, another reared its nasty head, and Halle was starting to wonder if she'd ever be free from the friendshi...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
ONE MONTH LATER
Rosewood was always a small town, but it wasn't obvious how small it was until an annual holiday rolled around. Each year, with every holiday, the streets were decorated to celebrate. At Christmas, it was twinkling fair-lights and paper snowflakes; and when Halloween came, trees were draped in fake cobwebs and pumpkins were laid to rest at the door of every home, carved out uniquely by each household. At this time of year, it was the buzz of the whole town. Everybody was excited, and that including the five friends.
The girls were walking home from school, heading towards Emily's first, when their chatter moved onto the Ghost Train, an event put on for their town. Halle gathered it was to re-examine focus — push it far away from the horror of the lighthouse and the murder trial that never was.
Hanna, however, was focused entirely on costumes. "Give me a hint," she urged desperately. The blonde was never any good at patience.
"I will not give you a hint," Spencer said, confidently shooting her down. "We made a deal, you'll see my costume tonight at the party."
"But what if we end up wearing the same thing?" Hanna asked her.
"We are not gonna wear the same thing, I promise you," replied Spencer.
"Look, I'll give you hint if you give me a hint," Hanna persisted.
"Nu-huh," said Halle, shaking her head as she chuckled softly. "That ain't how it works, Han, we agreed."
Aria tagged in, "No hints, okay? We said we're gonna pick somebody from a movie, and we're all gonna surprise each other."
"Yeah, and whose stupid idea was that?" Hanna irritably fired out, causing both Aria and Spencer to answer over one another.
"—Yours."
"—Yours."
Noticing Emily was drifting behind, Halle looked back and asked, "Em, you sure you wanna do this thing?"
"I wanna do this," replied Emily, rather determined. "I need to do it." She remarked next, "I want something big and splashy to mark the whole before and after of everything."
"Symbols and ceremonies?" Spencer questioned understandingly.
"And plus there's mystery live entertainment," Aria put in afterwards, which Spencer hummed at.
A loud, blissful sigh left Hanna as she voiced, "I have to get to the dentist."
"All about that oral care, baby," Halle quipped back, teasing the blonde. Both wore playful smiles with Hanna shooting her back over her shoulder at Halle.
