River of Blood

Chapter Fifteen

Aquila sets up the whiteboard in Zelda and Evangeline's dorm, and Zelda leans back on her couch as she watches the girl begin pinning things on the white board. She watches as it quickly begins getting filled up with the incidents that have occurred on campus. The two deaths, the wolf, and Freya – the mysterious president's daughter.

Zelda stands as Aquila begins connecting all of the lines with a red marker. "What are the differences with colors?" Zelda asks.

"Green is solved, yellow is about to be solved, and red is no clue." Aquila sets the markers down. "We know that these attacks," She points to the top where the two dead bodies and the lobby rest, "Were the results of the hunters."

"We don't know about Freya."

"Right. And since they are so close to campus that must mean the hunters is either staying close to campus or have a spy on the inside. Where did all of these incidents occur?" Aquila picks up her blue marker and draws a circle. "They were all close to the lake."

"Are you saying the lake is the secret hideout of the hunters?" Annalise asks, sarcasm dripping in her voice.

"No." Aquila caps her pen. "I'm saying that the hunter's hideout is likely in the woods somewhere."

"But where? There's nothing in those woods but more wild animals." Annalise says.

"Have you ever been in those woods?" Aquila sits down heavily, her heated gaze on Annalise.

"Well, no, but they told us at orientation-"

"And you believe everything you've been told?" Zelda's voice is like shot in the middle of a silent night. After the ringing dies, it is back to silent but nowhere nearly peaceful anymore. All eyes are everywhere except for on each other. Zelda's are the only ones that are still watching the others. Zelda sighs deeply before standing. "Alright, listen up. Evangeline, Judi, and the twins are missing. Are they dead? Possibly. Are the hunters responsible? Of course. If they're alive, we have to save them. What are we still doing here sitting around on these couches?" Zelda's voice has raised a few octaves. "They need our help. They're not going to make it out of there on their own."

Zelda feels exhausted as she sits back down, her head in her hands. Her body shakes from the tears as she takes slow breaths.

"Zelda is right." Sarafine whispers, causing Zelda to look up.

"What are we still doing here?" Annalise asks, her eyes wild looking.

Zelda could feel the pride for herself swell in her stomach as her friends start to make a plan. Lynn's eyes have gone hazy, however, causing Zelda to not hear a word the others are saying. Zelda settles down next to Lynn, looking all over her features. Lynn seems lost in her own world as Zelda snaps her fingers in front of her face.

Startled, the girl's eyes focus on Zelda. "Are you alright?" Zelda whispers.

"I just had a weird sense of déjà vu." Lynn answers, voice tight.

Zelda blinks a couple of times. "Do ghosts have déjà vu?"

Lynn laughs lightly, a smile adorning her pale lips. "Of course we do, but ours kind of relates to times when we were alive. Like, I've felt like I've been in this position before because I have when I was alive. Granted, it was likely different people and not about hunters, but I've been in this place before."

Zelda smiles at her ghost friend. "Maybe that means you'll remember soon."

"Maybe..." Lynn trails off, her eyes going wide.