Black Hill High

Chapter 20

Misfortune has become common in Black Hill. As have funerals. It's become a monthly event. The town has become cursed and tainted with bloodshed. The Lurker has seized the town with a catastrophic vengeance. A volcano doesn't stay dormant forever. The town is on the verge of eruption.

Amelia watches in horror as Abigail's casket is lowered into the ground. Her final resting place. She almost envied the dead girl. She could rest while the living was left with unease. She shook her outrageous thoughts away before glancing at Jake to her left. She'd made sure to stay by his side the entire time in case he needed a shoulder to cry on, but he'd remained emotionless throughout the ordeal. He hasn't shed a tear.

He hadn't spoken a word to her, or anyone, since he'd seen her body. It's as if his cerebral cortex had shut down.

He'd disappeared in the crowd as everyone dispersed after paying their respects. Amelia tried her best to find him in the torrent. She found him sitting on a bench under an olden willow tree. He stared, unblinking, at a patch of dying grass. If he'd noticed her presence, he made no recognition of it. Even when she sat next to him, so close their knees touched with the slightest of movement.

She watched as the mourners strolled to their vehicles in haste to escape the morbid atmosphere. However, it would follow them home. It wouldn't leave them until they'd found the culprit.

"I'm sorry about Abigail." She broke the tense stillness. "I know you loved her."

His finger twitches.

"I didn't love her." His voice is hoarse from remaining silent for such an extended period.

She nods her head.

"I forgot, only Seth." She speaks and stops herself from saying more.

He places his head in his hands. His slouched body was like a cocoon.

"Not only Seth." His voice is muffled by his hands, but they were coherent to her ears.

He sits upright before slouching against the back of the bench, not caring about damaging his suit.

"I care about you too." For the first time during their conversation, he locked eyes with her. "I'm not going to let anything happen to you or Seth."

His nose scrunches as he scopes the vast lost lives.

"Neither one of you is ending up in this place anytime soon if I have anything to do with it."

Amelia hasn't spoken to Lillian in days. She never showed up to the funeral and her unseemly silence has raised concern. She'd been to her home and all her local hangouts, but it was as if she'd been avoiding her. She tried to think back if she'd done something that might have upset her, but nothing sprung to mind.

Something has Lillian in a chokehold of paranoia and Amelia won't stop until she figures it out. Lillian couldn't avoid her forever. No brutal murder would stop her from the Biology pop quiz. Lillian's overachievement has always been her downfall.

Amelia would have to be patient.

The gloomy fog invaded the town as if attracted to the dread and lifelessness. The rain plummets to the ground like asteroids. A ghastly bolt of lightning strikes with a vengeance in the distance as Jake gazes out his bedroom window. The storm seems to have been attracted to the darkness of the town as it hasn't eased for days. It only got stronger.

His mind kept thinking back on the threatening text he'd received. How he would be the next victim, but it had been Abigail all along. He wishes he knew the reasoning behind it. Was it a game of cat and mouse? Made him so afraid of his own shadow that he practically died from paranoia. Or, was it all to distract him from figuring out that Abigail was the intended target the entire time?

Seth hasn't left his room in days. Losing all his friends has taken a toll on his emotional well-being. He's suffered so much loss in a few short months and it's started to worry Jake. He'd vowed to protect his younger brother from the moment he was born and failed him countlessly.

His phone chimes in his hand. He'd expected it before even looking. Unknown.

Don't think I forgot about you ;)

Lillian never realized how late it was until she glanced out the library windows. The sun had slowly faded away to be replaced by the glimmering moon and stars. She'd spent so much time trying to distract herself with homework that she'd forgotten to return to reality. The burdening silence elicits chills down her spine as she gathers her books.

The eerie hallway unsettles her stomach. Each footstep is like thunder in her eardrums. Her hastened steps echo as she grips her books tighter to her chest. She reaches for the door but her phone chimes, the noise amplified by the silence. A mini squeal escapes her mouth as she reaches for her phone with bated breath. She knew who it was from, but hoped she was wrong. Unknown. She reads the text.

Run all you want. Your deadly secret will still follow you.

Seth woke up with an overbearing migraine. He'd slept for longer than anticipated. He'd been doing that a lot recently. He'd hoped the more he slept, the less time he'd have to worry about his problem. It worked until he'd woke up and the burden of paranoia and fear hopped back on his shoulders. He'd been cooped up in his home for days. He couldn't seem to get himself to leave as if he'd abruptly been struck with Agoraphobia. Everything about the outside world terrified him.

He found Jake in the kitchen hastily typing away on his phone. His back was turned to him, so when Seth cleared his throat Jake nearly jumped out of his skin.

"Sorry," Seth shrugs. "Didn't mean to scare you."

"It's okay." Jake clears his throat. "I've been a bit on edge lately."

Join the club. Seth glumly thinks before pouring himself a cup of freshly brewed coffee. Perhaps the caffeine buzz could keep him awake.

"How've you been holding up?" Jake questions him.

"Just great." He sarcastically replies before taking another sip.

He'd known his brother long enough to know there was more he wanted to say but decided it best not to question him. Seth exited the kitchen without any acknowledgment to return to his bedroom - until the doorbell echoed through their home.

He groans as he stomps towards the front door, not caring about his disheveled appearance. He was ready to verbally chew out the disturbance but found it best not to.

"Sheriff Beckett," He rasps. "What are you doing here?"

"Is your brother home?" He questions.

His formality leaves no room for discussion. Seth is too tongue-tied to speak and opts for a nod. Jake, having heard hushed voices, steps into view.

"Can I help you, sheriff?"

"I need you to come with me to the station." He firmly states.

"May I ask why?"

Sheriff Beckett clears his throat and squares his shoulders. He means business.

"Because," He begins. "We have reason to believe you were the last person to see Abigail Westcliffe alive."