My alarm clock jerked me from sleep the next morning. A throbbing headache began in my temples, making me wince. I bit back a cry, trying to ignore the knot growing in my stomach. The house was quiet as I got dressed. Dad walked into the kitchen as I was just sitting down to eat.

"How are you feeling?" He asked, walking over to me and gently grabbing my hand. The party last night was a blur in my mind.

I swallowed past the lump in my throat. "I honestly don't know what to feel. Where's Dan now?"

Dad avoided my gaze, instead walking to the fridge and grabbing a glass of water. My heartbeat sped up, fear coating my bones at his hesitation. "Dad. What happened?"

He took a breath as he sat down across from me. "Tara's missing. Zach hasn't seen her since yesterday and he's really worried." The full weight of his statement hit me like a ton of bricks.

My phone buzzed a heartbeat later, making me flinch. I opened it to see a text from Tara- or, half a text, really. It looked like she'd hit send before she finished typing. Bella, please. He's coming. Run. Before it's too late. He'll kill-

The text ended abruptly, but the meaning- and fear in the words- was clear. My hands shook as I took off at a run, fear and adrenaline fueling my steps. I reached the edge of the forest and was about to enter when I heard it- a high-pitched, ear-shattering scream. "Tara? Where are you?" My voice trembled as the words hung in the air.

"Bella- please- run-" Her voice was halting and strained. I followed the sound, confusion filling me as I beheld the scene in front of me. Tara, standing a few feet away, seemed perfectly fine.
Smug, in fact.

I shook my head. "W-what's going on? I-I heard you..." I trailed off, brows furrowed in confusion. "Where's Dan?"

She smiled, but there was nothing kind in it. "He's doing something he should've done a long time ago. I'm surprised it took him this long to work up the courage to do it."

My head spun as I struggled to process her words. Then I recalled bits and pieces of a conversation Grandma and Mom had had a long time ago. "He's hated me ever since we met."

Dread and fear warred for control as I stared at Tara. "No. You wouldn't... He wouldn't..." I trailed off, fear creating a large knot in my stomach.

She grinned, the sight sending chills down my spine. I couldn't get enough air as I ran, my lungs straining. A sob broke from my throat as I reached Grandma's house.

So much blood. The tang of it stuffed itself up my nostrils, bringing tears to my eyes. The floor was covered in it, as if she had been dragged across it repeatedly. I caught a movement out of the corner of my eye and stopped dead.

Grandma's hands were hanging over her head attached to a chain in the ceiling; the tips of her shoes barely grazed the floor. Her clothes were bloodstained and torn, her head lolling on her shoulder. My entire body was trembling as I reached for her. I placed two fingers on her neck, feeling for a pulse. A sob broke from my throat as realisation hit me like a ton of bricks: there wasn't one.

I couldn't breathe as my eyes focused on her neck, the red marks encircling it. Choking. She choked to death.

My body was numb. I couldn't focus on anything as I turned away from her body, my legs barely able to hold me up. I found my way back home purely from muscle memory. My mind was stuck on that image. Before I could so much as put my hand on the doorknob, the door swung open.

Dad didn't say a word; his confused expression spoke volumes. I flew into his arms, unable to contain the sobs that had been building inside me. My heart felt like it had been broken clean in half. This was almost as bad as hearing what had happened to Mom. Only this time I'd actually been there when it happened. "What's wrong? What happened?" He asked, concern in his voice.

"Grandma... she..." I trailed off, at a loss for words. I swallowed hard, forcing the words out. "She's dead." I nearly collapsed on the floor as the words left my mouth, exhaustion slamming into me like a rogue wave.

Dad didn't say anything, but I could practically see steam coming out of his ears. He walked out the door, slamming it so hard the whole house shook.

I put my head in my hands, shoulders shaking with the force of my tears. Sleep overtook me as soon as my head hit the pillow. I barely even noticed as Dad quietly walked back inside hours later, his knuckles bruised and a cold look on his face. If only I'd known what was to come.

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