I got to 4512 at two o'clock in the morning. I wasn't the only one, either. One car and one motorcycle; the car with its tires slashed like mine once were. I dial Triple-A, thankful for the 24/7 service. A dispatch is on their way, but they won't be here for hours. I know that from experience.

 I know the car belongs to Kellin. What was she doing out here? And who was she with? 

 In the distance, I see a bouncing light from a phone or something shut off. I pop my trunk and reach inside for my crowbar...my good ol', trusty crowbar. Twirling it in my hand, I head towards where the light was. Trepid, I remember the last time I had beenhere. I found Makai, killed a man, and lost Makai again. 

 If I kill anyone else, it'll be the killer. Not some high school weasel. 

 Okay, Reyna...just taking a stroll by a house where Kellin seems to be missing andsomeone just turned off a flashlight. No big deal, right?

Wrong. It's a huge deal. Walking through the grass, my footsteps on something solid. 

Bending down and picking it up, I realize what it is: a phone. Clicking the home button, Isee the lock screen is some anarchical banner. Definitely Kellin's.

 I put it back in my pocket and continue to the light; right around the corner of the house. Raising my crowbar, I tiptoe around, when a blinding light makes me see spots. Though I screamed, I hear that I'm not the only one. 

 Backing up and raising a hand to my face for protection, I try to make out who's here."Who the hell are you?" I frantically inquire. "And why are you here?" 

 "It's me! It's Adriano the Epic. Kellin texted for help and now she's gone. Why is thevictim of attempted homicide here?"

 "Kellin texted me, too. She dropped her phone. Maybe there was a struggle? Also, canyou lower the light?"

 "Oh..." he says like he forgot, doing as requested. "Sorry. Where could she have gone?" 

 Almost as if answering my question, the door to 4512 creaks open, inviting us into thedarkness which holds secrets...or, at least my secret. "You game?" 

 "I'm game for parties. I'm game for doing risky dares. I'm not game for this hauntedhouse shit."

 "So you're not going in there?" I ask, wondering how this guy can act as he lives on the edge but chicken out when a door opens without reason to a house. 

 "I mean...are you?" he questions, voice wavering with fear. 

 Well, if you think I'm going to let another innocent person die in the house of 4512, then you're insane. This isn't total redemption for murdering Freddie, obviously. But theadded pressure of Kellin dying wouldn't help my mental health. 

"Um, yes?" I exclaim.

"Do you want to die?" Adriano freaks.

"Yeah, totally," I bite. "I'm going in."

"Shit, I'm in," he reluctantly agrees. "Lead the way."

"On it."

We creep to the stairs, one of which is brand new: the product of Enzo covering for mycrime. I wish I could say I didn't care if he did it for his own benefit or mine. But now that I have a suspicion that he's still involved with Type, I can't quite say that I don't. Every day, I find myself more and more in love with Enzo but ever since my mother's funeral, Isuspect that he's still doing some stranger's dirty work. But could he be killing my friends? 

"One new board? Weird..." Adriano notes.

"Yeah," I agree.

We creep inside, where the room hasn't even changed. There's still rotten cribs in thecorner and baby toys on the ground. "Freaky..." Adriano says in a sigh. 

 "Am I going to be getting commentary all night or can we have a moment of silence?" 

 "Geez," Adriano huffs. "No wonder you're friends with Kellin..." Of course, Kellin is nowhere in sight. I know where she is. She's in the basement. Where else would she be? 

 Using the light on my phone, I find the door and heft it open, where a stairwaydescends into darkness. "How did you know where -?" I shoot the jumpy boy an evil eye. 

"Never mind." 

 Crowbar raised, I sneak down, remembering the last time I did this. A rotting smellwafts over and ruins my sense of smell. It's a shame that I can identify the scent as acorpse. I thank the Solaris hospital lockdown for that. 

 The light in the centre of the basement flicks on, where a man is tied up in a chair. From here, I notice the flecks of dried blood in his hair. "Who is that?" Adriano whispers,eyes wild with unsettling dread. 

 "Freddie. Well...Freddie's corpse." 

 Holding the crowbar in this situation seems disrespectful; criminal. How dare I standhere with the weapon I used to kill him. How dare I stand here and act as I've never evenharmed a fly when I've killed a man. So I lower the weapon. Before I take another step,audio plays through speakers that consume the room. 

 "Welcome to conscientiousness, Kellin Kodiak," the classic automated voice greets.

 "Come on, she's in here!" Adriano hisses, eager to get Kellin and run. Who can blamehim? 

 "No, stop," I prohibit, staying in place. "We have to see why they brought us here. Just wait."

From in the back, Kellin steps towards the light. I remember she told me that they hadseriously dated for a year. If she finds out I had killed Fred, what would she do? 

 "Freddie..." she whispers, reaching out to touch his face but stopping when she realizeshe's an old corpse with a funky smell. Beside me, Adriano fidgeting beside me. We'reconcealed in the pitch blackness of the night. "Why am I here?" Kellin questions the all-knowing force we've been dealing with for about four weeks. 

 "He loved you, Kellin," the voice announces. "And then he was brutally murdered. 

Wouldn't you like revenge? Wouldn't you like to use the weapon against your enemy thatwas used against Freddie?"

"We should go," I whisper to Adriano, backing up.

"No, we need to find out why we're here."

"We found out, let's go."

"Reyna," Rio protests. "The Solaris killer murdered Freddie. If they're offering revenge,we need to help get it." 

 "It's not that simple," I argue, face heating up with the fear of the next five minutes. 

 On Freddie's lap, there's a tool. Kellin picks it up. A crowbar. Eerily, Adriano's eyes dart between Kellin's crowbar and mine, slowly piecing the scenario together. 

 Kellin answers the voice with, "I guess." Though the phrase doesn't sound too strong,the look on her face is one of iron will and resilience. She wants revenge. Bad. Standing,she calls, "So you're letting me end your killing spree for a resolution? That doesn't sound right." 

 "Oh, Kellin," the voice says, pretending to be sympathetic. "You wish I killed yourboyfriend!"

 "What?" she whispers, looking around the room. 

 "Step up to the light, Reyna," the killer entices. "If you don't face what you've done, I'll kill you all." 

 "You killed him?" Adriano gasps, stepping away from me and blowing my cover fromKellin. "How could you?" 

 "Yeah," Kellin adds. "How could you?"

 Coming down, I let the crowbar lay limp at my side. I'm not going to fight Kellin.

 "When I found Makai, someone came for him. It was Freddie in a cloak and mask,threatening him. I thought that he was the real killer, so I did anything before he could. Not a day goes by that I wish I couldn't take it back," I explain, feeling hopeless yet happythat I can admit the truth. 

I come to the light, where I can clearly see the hatred flaming in her eyes. The only thing between her and me is the body of Frederick. Faster than quicksilver, Kellin slaps meacross the face. "You bitch!" she spits, spinning the crowbar in her hand. "I mean, look athis head! It's concave because of you." 

 "I'm sorry," I whisper. "I'm terribly, truly sorry." 

 "Is that all you know how to say?" Kellin questions, tears shining in her eyes. "You justknow how to apologize for death?" 

 "No," I manage. "I also know how to confront a psychopath who tortured my half-twinbrother, Makai. I know how to face the fact that my mother cheated on my father andargue with her about it, and then live with knowing that our last conversation was anargument. I even know how to live with the suicide of my boyfriend's uncle that occurredwhen I was three years old."

 "Oh, grow up," Kellin snaps, flinging the words in my face. "You had a tough life. Deal with it. Things happen and you live with it."

 "You should listen to your own advice." 

 "Don't tell me what to do," Kellin orders. 

 "Kell," Adriano whispers, finally coming into the light. "Kell, it's okay. Put the crowbardown."

 Dropping my crowbar, it clatters to the ground and echoes through the basement. "The killer wants us to fight. If you want to hate me: fine. But don't give the sadistic loser what they want." 

"You're the sadistic loser who killed Frederick," Kellin corrects. "You know, all of this shit going on seems to revolve around you. Maybe if you finally died, this would all end and no one would have to die like Freddie." 

Biting my lip, I clench my fists to keep them from shaking. "You don't think I knowthat? What if I died, so would the chaos? Surprise, Kellin. You're not the only one with abrain." 

Rapidly, she swings her crowbar into my side and empties all the air from my lungs. Gasping, I double over to catch my breath.

"Kellin, stop. This isn't you," Adriano coaxes.

"Who are you to say who I am?" Kellin roars, outraged.

"No one, Kell. Just, stop and think about what you're doing, okay? You're freaking me out."

As I stand up, Kellin brings the crowbar back to hit Adriano. Instinct kicks in and I reach out to block the hit. My left arm absorbs the shock and I hear a distinct crack.

"Reyna, are you okay?" Rio inquires, backing me up so I don't fall from the force.

"Fine, I'm fine," I muster. Although when I look at Kellin, I see that rage still inhibitsher actions. I dig into my pocket and hand Adriano my phone. "Call Enzo and get himover here," I request. "Don't get involved. This isn't your fight, okay? But the killer will take anyone so don't leave the basement; stay near."

"Okay, but what are you gonna do?" he inquires.

"Not say sorry, that's for sure..."