Song of the chapter is Still Here by Digital Daggers

-15-
-Kartik Malhotra-
-Present-

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Delmore High
14 November, 2030
9:34 pm

Sirens filled the air and red , blue, white lights surrounded the entire place.

Yet again.

The detectives took charge and secured the area, taking the rest of the crowd that was still in the school to the playground for safety, along with securing the entire stage with caution tapes. Forensic experts were busy collecting evidence and clicking pictures of the deceased.

As we all sat on the far end of the bleachers, none of us spoke a word. The fear of the unknown had once again managed to make us all numb and speechless.

As Siya huddled closer to me, I softly grazed her hand with mine. There wasn't any kind of comfort I could provide her with right now.

Once again, I was left feeling helpless.

"I'm.... having a diabolical sense of deja vu." Zoya was the first to speak. She hugged her knees closer to her chest, her face having an unnatural pallor to it.

"This isn't supposed to happen again." Saina's voice ached with distress. "Why is it happening again?"

Nobody had an answer to her question.

"There's never a logical reason behind this, Saina." I replied, looking at her and then at the others. "Whoever this is...is not normal. They never are."

"But why after all these years?" My wife spoke, her voice strained and defeated.

A minute passed before Veronica, who had her head hung low all this time, looked up.

"Kartik....." She began, a terrified look surpassing her features. "What's the date.... today?"

My brows knitted.

"November 14th." I uttered, dubiously. "Why?"

Her face lost the remaining of it's pallor.

"Veronica....what?"

She visibly gulped, her breathing becoming heavier by the second.

"It's the day.....they....the police....found her body."

It took me less than a millisecond to realise what she was saying. And as soon as the realisation hit me, I felt like throwing up.

"Before the song.....started playing,..... I had checked my watch. The time.....was 8:30," Veronica continued, her voice laced with fear. "..... exactly the time....the police found her body...at the Oakwood beach eleven years ago."

I closed my eyes, unable to take it in. How could I have forgotten?

When I opened them, I found the rest of the gang looking at me already. Siya softly rubbed her thumb against the crevice of my hand.

"So...do you think the psycho is doing this to commemorate her death anniversary?" I asked, a question to no one in particular.

Veronica lowered her gaze, shaking her head. "I don't know....but it's too much of a coincidence."

I inhaled a shaky breath. If Siya hadn't made me quit smoking, I probably would have been on my 5th cigarette already.

A moment later, Himanshu walked up to us and stood beside me.

"I know it's a stupid question,....but how are you guys holding up?" He asked, a similar look of distress on his face.

"If you know it's a stupid question, why are you asking it?" Siya gave him a glare, and looked away. I sighed.

"I'm sorry, Siya.... I didn't mean to. I just.... didn't know what to say." Himanshu apologised, clearly confused at the response to his question. And I couldn't blame him.

"It's fine, Himanshu." I said, exchanged a look with my wife and looked back at him. "We're all....just...a little at edge."

He nodded. "Of course."

"How's your fianceé doing?" I asked, glancing at her as she sat a few feet away from us, clutching her purse and coat for dear life. Her face clearly showed the vicarious terror that she had had to endure just a half hour ago.

"She's...." He trailed off, looking at her. "Coping."

I nodded.

"I need to deal with the situation in hand anyways." He continued, looking back at us. "So I've told my dad to pick her up. He's gonna be here soon."

A moment of silence followed.

"So do we tell the police..... about the text?" Saina began.

"You know what happens if we do." Zoya answered on everyone's behalf.

"Yeah, but we don't know that yet." Himanshu reasoned. "For all we know....this could just be a copycat killer.... someone trying to gain publicity of it."

"The brutality with which those boys were killed.... doesn't make me think that it's a random person doing this." Veronica spoke, her eyes grounded to her feet. "Whoever did this...." She looked up. "....had proper planning. They didn't just want to kill. They wanted to send a message. They knew.... we'd be there. The six of us."

I didn't know if it was the cold November air or her words which caused shivers to run down my spine.

"Do you think it's someone taking revenge for Yash?" Zoya voiced her concern.

"Maybe." Veronica worded. "Maybe not. We have never been right about these things."

Zoya sighed exhaustively.

"So what do we do now? We just wait for another text? Or a body?" Siya asked, her voice hoarse. "Are we seriously thinking of playing this sick game again?"

"That's the thing, Siya." Veronica uttered, her words laced with obscurity. "It's not us who decides if we want to play this game or not. It's he who does."

As the utter severity of the fucked up situation finally settled down on us, all of us could see clearly what they had meant with the words ; The beginning of the End.

"Fuck this." Zoya stood up in her place. Jogging the two steps down, she turned to us. "I'm out of here. I'm not dealing with this shit again. I'm taking the first flight back to Pune. And you guys should too."

I exchanged a glance with my wife.

"Give your witness statements or whatever they ask you and let's just get out of here!" Zoya pressed.

"I'm with Zoya." Saina voiced her agreement. "Guys, let's just leave. If we aren't in this town, nothing will happen."

"But we're risking the entire population's life by doing that." Himanshu reasoned. "The killer is not going to stop if we just leave."

"Himanshu, get over your messiah complex for once and think about this!" Zoya retorted. "Would you rather risk your own and your friends' life for saving a town full of people you don't have any relation to?"

"My parents live here too, Zoya."

"Well, take them and get the fuck out of here!" Zoya hurled back. "There are two months left to your wedding. Do you want to die before that?"

I watched as he and Veronica exchanged a look before Veronica looked away.

"I'm sorry but I am not the philanthropist kind. I choose myself before anyone else." Zoya phrased.

I exchanged a glance with Siya again. She looked torn.

"Maybe you are right, Zoya." I uttered, looking back at her.

"Maybe we should just....go back. I mean....this is our real lives we're talking about. We're not kids anymore."

Siya nodded beside me.

"Exactly." Zoya asserted. "We need to get out of here before-"

But she was interrupted by a voice.

"Mr. Malhotra?"

We all turned to look at the source of the voice, only to find a detective cladded in his blue uniform, standing with two other officers behind him.

"Ravi?" Zoya questioned. I looked back and forth between them, ultimately realising that it was the same police officer from two days ago.

"I'm sorry we couldn't meet under better conditions, Ms. Afreen." He uttered, looking at her before moving his gaze towards me. "But I need to ask your friend some questions."

"Me?" I asked, standing up. Siya huddled closer instantly.

He nodded. "Yes, Mr. Malhotra. I believe that the black bentley parked in the lot, with the number 6053 on the number plate is yours?"

"Yes. It is." I narrowed my gaze.

His brows creased as he lowered his gaze and then looked back at me.

"Mr. Malhotra, I'm afraid we've found some evidence in the trunk of your car, that connects you to the killer."

My eyes widened. So did everyone else's.

"What?! That's impossible!" Siya shrieked.

"Sir, we'll need you to come to the station with us." The officer beside him announced.

Siya clutched my hand tighter. "No...no."

"Ms. Malhotra, I suggest you let the police do their job. We're just trying to help you." The detective uttered in a polite tone.

I drew a deep breath and looked at my wife. "Siya, it's okay. They're just doing their jobs."

Her eyes had a glint of fear in them as she looked at me.

" Fine, I'll accompany you. I'm not leaving you alone." She said and grabbed her purse.

"Yeah, me too." Veronica said and got up.

"Guys-"

"No, they're right. In fact, we're all gonna come with you. Right guys?" Himanshu interjected before I could finish.

"Yeah."

"Yeah."

The detective nodded, "Good. Please follow me."

Saying that, he started walking away. As we followed his tracks, I could feel everyone's eyes on us. The whispers, the sneers, the start of a raging wildfire.....

And in that moment, those same feelings of dread and trepidation rushed back into my system. Nothing had changed. We were once again, the same scared, defenseless kids at seventeen.

We were back to square one.

___________

ah shit, here we go again-

the nightmare gala has officially begun once again and this time,
it's worse than before.

don't say i didn't warn you ;)

make sure to vote, comment and share the book as much as possible!

till the next update,
keep your friends close,
but your secrets closer.

love,
Bosedisha