what a ghostly scene - kate schmidt

(8)

the plan was simple.

they set the bait.

the killers follow the blood.

then, they meet their shared, explosive fate.

the hallways of shadyside high were never spick nor spam, but something about the shiny floors being dulled with sam fraser's blood, made the place feel even more unpleasant than usual.

the light at the end of the tunnel was starting to grow brighter and brighter. any doubts that the teenagers had once had were starting to dissolve like sugar in coffee.

it was easy work – the killers follow a trail of sam's blood to the bathroom, where they will find themselves swimming in gasoline, shortly followed by a shower of flames.

''smile, you son of a bitch!'' simon exclaimed, as they doused the bathroom floors in another gallon of gasoline.

the final empty bottle was discarded as the group was satisfied with their bathroom renovations. they swiftly made an exit, ready to end whatever it was that was happening to them. lisa was about to follow josh out when she felt a gentle tug at the wrist.

''aren't you sad? this bathroom housed so many memories, and soon it's gonna be gone'', kate said with a frown. she manoeuvred their hands so that they were knitted together, and looked into lisa's eyes as if they were two magnets being pulled together.

''we'll always have this bathroom stall'', lisa joked, gesturing to the cubicle furthest from the door, wearing a grin. kate rolled her eyes, but failed to conceal her wide smile, her eyes sparkling and cheeks blushing. she stepped towards lisa and connected their lips in one swift motion. short and sweet. that familiar feeling engulfed the girls, as they exited the bathroom and received a deadly dose of déjà vu.

the trap was set.

it was only a matter of waiting.

deena, josh, kate and lisa leaned against the wall, frozen with anticipation. lisa felt a whole new level of sick, as they waited for their fate to be decided. she couldn't imagine how sam felt, alone, with a target on her back.

kate and lisa's shaky hands temporarily intertwined, and as the world around them erupted into chaos, time stopped for a second.

the calm before the storm.

soon enough, simon bounded down the hallway shouting, ''dude! she's here! i saw her!'' lisa and kate gave each other an alarmed look, ''she was...she was so sexy, but fucking crazy still!''

lisa recalled simon's previous infatuation with a psycho killer, and concluded that it was ruby lane who was roaming the halls.

''its working'', kate said whilst taking a deep breath, ''skull mask freak, three o'clock''.

at the other end of sam's blood trail, stood the figure who had terrorised them multiple times that night. lisa was glad to be avenging heather that night.

on the other side of the group, ruby lane's patronising song rung out, bouncing off of every wall.

lisa shuffled closer to kate.

ruby strutted towards the group, heels as loud as shotguns.

it was then that it dawned on them- if the plan didn't work, their faces would be in the newspaper the next day. another shadyside tragedy. another failed attempt at saving this town.

''this is so dumb'', kate spat, ''if this doesn't work, i will murder you'', she fired at a horror-stricken deena.

before they could string another thought together, a slamming door echoed through the halls. heavy, angry footsteps got closer and closer. nightwing.

''they're all here'', deena stated, through gritted teeth.

lisa sharply inhaled and snapped her eyes shut, as each killer bypassed her. when she'd open her eyes again she'd be smiling. in real life, or on her memorial photo.

as she felt each one pass, her skin burned and her shoulders tensed, half-expecting some sort of one-sided battle.

despite her predictions, the psychos fell for the bait. kate slammed the door shut and anxiously waited for sam's re-entrance.

after a few seconds of fearing the worst, sam burst through the vent from the death trap and gave the signal.

the door was reinforced with a makeshift lock, as each of the teenagers armed themselves with a fire extinguisher.

lisa dropped a match at the entrance of the fuel-covered room and took cover. this was it.

this was going to end. there and then.

screams and groans erupted from the walls as the group winced and fidgeted, waiting to receive their fate.

kate held lisa's arm so tightly that ordinarily, she would've pulled away in pain, but this time, her body was completely paralysed with fear.

one final explosion signalled to the group that the sequence had ended. they each released a breath.

stepping into the battlefield, the group held their breath again as they turned the corner to face their fate. before they could prepare for it, clouds of smoke engulfed them like a shark catching prey. the swirl of snow flowed around the room, as the teenagers were left hopeful.

before they knew it, the dust had settled and they saw no movement.

they had done it.

''come back from that, motherfuckers!'' simon said what they were all thinking.

the group looked around in awe at the wreckage of their favourite hang out spot. kate sent simon a grin and spun around to do the same to lisa, but she was met with a pair of familiar lips. if simon's suspicions weren't already proven, they were now.

this moment didn't last long, however. they were foolish to think that they could ever get a happy ending in shadyside.

''guys?'' josh mumbled.

charred pieces of dead maniac matter began to collect in a pile on the ash-covered floor. it grew and grew, until a hand reached up and almost took josh down with it.

''run! run!''

''go! go!''

lisa felt an overwhelming sense of déjà vu.

this wasn't over.

it wouldn't ever be.