Chapter 30: The Death

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"Sit down, honey," Kathrine's mom turned the television off and patted on the space next to her on the couch.

Kathrine dropped her head and rubbed her sweaty palms together. She tried to rub it off onto her jeans but her nerves were getting the best of her.

"You have to promise not to be mad at me..."

"I can't promise that, Kat. You need to tell me what you did. I'm here for you..."

Kathrine let the memories rush back. All the things they said. All the things they did to her. She wasn't those things they called her. She didn't deserve the things they did to her... then she took matters into her own hands.

"Remember those people that wouldn't leave me alone... they wouldn't leave us alone."

"I won't forget them, Kat. I can't."

"I wanted to get back at them... so I took their pets. Their sweet dog, one of their cats, and really anything I could get my hands on."

"So, you stole their pets?" her mom looked at the ceiling with her eyebrows scrunched together. "I'm confused..."

"I killed their pets. All of them."

Kathrine's mom let go of her hand. "Why did you do that? That's not okay, Kathrine."

"That's not all..."

She didn't respond. She just ran her fingers over the plaid couch fabric. What did my daughter do? she thought.

"I fed their pets to them," Kathrine stared at the ground. She was filled with shame, but it used to be pride.

"You... fed these bullies their own pets? Like, they ate their own pets?" There were so many questions. "What? Why?... How did you do this? How did they just now find out?"

"I think Heather told them. She knew and helped me take one of the pets. She had the cookout at her house and I replaced the meat with their pets. She knew I did it, but she turned a blind eye. She felt sorry for me, and she helped me. She must have told them." Kathrine stuck her fingers into her pocket and slipped her phone onto the couch, "Here."

"Kathrine... this is beyond twisted. This is too far. I know they bullied you. They made you want to end it all... but that was wrong and you're about to pay for it."

"I don't want to go back," she hid her face. The tears would drop to the couch from behind her hands.

"We have to... but I'm going with you. I'll never turn my back on you," she leaned in and held her daughter the way any mother should.

-----

Fayetteville was closing up. Curfew was just minutes away before the cops would come and patrol the small-town streets searching for the person in the red hoodie. This town was ready to fight back against RED. They wanted to do whatever it took to stay safe.

RED had caused a new sense of fear in every household in the town. Genni's father sat in his truck in the parking lot behind McDonald's. He couldn't keep his eyes off anyone walking by. He never thought he would catch RED, but he would do whatever he could.

With tears still in his eyes, he reached into the glove box and put the pistol on his lap. He leaned back in hopes that RED would come to him. So he could fling the hoodie of their head and pull the trigger himself.

The Thompson boy fumbled his keys in the air as he made his way to his car. When he found Genni's body in the river with his dad, he thought he'd never be the same. He had nightmares about that day in the cold river... he even thought about seeing a counselor.

He wasn't thinking when he left his house to go to the store... Why that hoodie? Why today?

Genni's father popped the door open and stormed over the yellow parking spaces to meet him at his car.

"Hey!" he yelled.

He looked up, letting his face hit the light. His red hoodie flopped back to reveal his identity. If only Genni's dad knew who this kid was and what he had done for the Fisher family.

"Hey?" he said. "Ummm, can I help you?"

"Yeah, you can, actually."

Genni's dad rose the pistol from the inside of his jacket, set the boy in his aim, and pulled the trigger.

***I am going to reveal some of Kathrine's story from Florida that matters for the story of RED. I am interested in writing her spin-off Flordia story called "Fathrine." If you would be interested in that, let me know! (This would be after RED is complete)

**Do you think Kathrine will be in legal trouble for killing the pets? How will she defend herself? What did they do to her? Is it connected to the RED murders? How will the town react to another teenage death... this time for wearing a red hoodie? The paranoia is starting to run wild...

*If you like this chapter, please hit the star to vote. This would really help me out. Also, comment your thoughts! I respond to all.

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