The New Liar ❁ pretty little liars

18- Pointing the Finger

Chapter 18
pointing the finger

Waking up on a Saturday morning does not usually consist of my phone consistently buzzing, message after message coming through. It's my Mom,; worrying because she just watched a news report about Alison on the news and wants to know that I'm safe.

She doesn't trust Rosewood and never has. She used to come here when she was younger to see Aunt Ashley and her Mom. They used to go to the park together at the age of 10 without any parents because, back then, Rosewood was the type of town where you were safe. Nobody was ever kidnapped. Nobody ever went missing. Nobody was ever murdered. That all changed the day Alison Dilaurentis went missing. Rosewood's bright sun that shone on its angelic town was covered with dark, angry, grey clouds that have never left.

Interrupting my thoughts, my door swings open and Hanna storms in as she is in the middle of putting a top on: "You need to come downstairs."

I frown, "What is it?"

Hanna looks afraid or suspicious. I can't tell which one because her facial expression keeps alternating between the two, "Come on."

I roll my eyes and grab a white pull & bear t-shirt and throw on a pair of shorts.

As I walk down the stairs of the Marrin household, my slipper gets stuck on a rough part of the bottom step, causing me to fall and slam my face onto the ground.

"Ow." I wince, that's going to hurt later.

"Shit, you're so clumsy." Hanna rolls her eyes, laughing almost at my close call to death.

"Tell me about it." I can't help but chuckle at my own idiocy.

I walk into the kitchen where Emily, Spencer and Aria stand with concerned looks on their faces.

"We didn't want to open it without you." Spencer says, her voice shaking, as a box wrapped in pink ribbon and flowers is laying in front of us.

"Who is this addressed to?" I knit my eyebrows together in complete confusion as to why this requires all 5 of us to open.

Aria and Spencer exchange looks with each other, "You."

"Me?" I repeat, in shock and disbelief.

Who would have sent me this? Jayden, maybe? Maybe he's sending it to apologise for being such an asshole. Regardless, he's still an asshole no matter what's in this box.

I look back at Hanna before she hurries me to open it, "Open it then!"

"Okay. Okay." I shake my head to prepare me for the embarrassing gift Jayden has probably sent me. I wish it was that girls head he sent me. What a delight that would be.

I slowly untie the pink bow, placing it down next to the box neatly, thinking about how it would look nice on future Christmas gifts.

I hesitate when I go go lift the lid. I count down in my head whilst the fear causes a rush of adrenaline to run through my body. 3. 2. 1.

Emily gasps. Spencer looks like she has seen a ghost. Aria bites her lip in fright causing it to almost bleed. Hanna gags. Me? I freeze in disbelief.

"You don't think that's..." Emily gulps, "Alison's?"

In front of us is a single finger inside of the box with pink nail varnish neatly applied onto an acrylic nail. I gag when I notice the veins and tend-ants sticking out from where the finger has been dismembered from a body. The finger, however, is not rotted like it should be if it is Alison's so we expect it had been frozen for a long time. Or it's not Alison's.