"Please, just listen, it will be much easier if you calm down."

I was frantic. He wasn't going to take me like he took her.

"Please don't make a scene, Al." It was Josh this time, who stepped toward me slowly. I eyed his movements closely and chose mine even more carefully.

"Wait, you, Josh!" He was in on it too!

"Just let us explain." They were both getting agitated, moving closer to me with every word. We were in a public place, surrounded by officers; I still felt defenceless. They were much bigger than me, stronger too.

"Get in the truck." The stranger said sombrely. I did as I was asked.

********
I was stuck in a truck with two possible murderers. It surprised me how quick I was to judge, maybe I owed it to Josh to hear his side of the story. I probably wouldn't believe him, but we've been best friends ever since I can remember.

I was deep in thought when we pulled up to a very familiar place. I wondered why they hadn't tied me up or stopped me from seeing where they were taking me. That's usually how it goes in movies when people are kidnapped; but then again, life was nothing like a movie. It never has been.

The old arcade was just the same as it was when we left it earlier today, but something about it felt different. Less like a haven. More like an old abandoned arcade. Then I noticed something. A rusty old sign was half way into the ground near the entrance, slowly being consumed by greenery nearby. The words etched into it read "Mor". It took me a while, but I eventually joined the dots.

"Mortem." I said it so quietly that I was surprised either of them heard me. But they did.

"It means death, in Latin." The tall stranger walked past me, carrying a handful of rope in his right hand, a small knife in his left.

"What's your name?"

"Zander."

"Allison."

"Yeah, I know." The corners of his mouth curled into a small smile. Something about the gesture made me forget (temporarily) that I was in the middle of the woods with two killers.

Josh hadn't talked to me since the crime scene. If I wasn't mistaken, I think he was embarrassed. He couldn't face me. I had to find out what was happening here.

"I think you understand why I'm a little confused." I was surprised at how calm I sounded.

"What am I doing here, why did you two kidnap me, why are we at the arcade and are you going to kill me like you killed Haley?"

"Umm, you want me to explain it all in one?"

"Yup."

"Wow...umm...okay. Well, we are here to explain what happened that night, we didn't kidnap you, we are at the arcade because it's the only safe place where we aren't being watched and we didn't kill Haley."

It took me a while to process all that, but when I did I had even more questions then I had to start with.

Following Josh and Zander into the arcade, I was met by a very cheery, very much alive Haley Bennet.

"What...but you're...de-"

"I know!" She laughed like it was a hilarious prank she had pulled on me. I wasn't laughing.

"But you were stabbed. You were bleeding. They said you died."

"Did they find my body?"

"But the police, the paper? They all told me,"

"Hey, Allison. It's okay, I know what it feels like to be lied to and feel helpless. But you have to trust me. Trust us."

She pointed to Zander and Josh and I couldn't help feeling like a school child who was being taught a valuable lesson in life.

"Come on, I've put the kettle on, I know how much you like hot chocolate."

I found myself being led by Haley to a little room I had no idea existed till now. It was bright and airy, filled with expressionist paintings and fluorescent sofas. Not what I was expecting.

"Wait, do you own the arcade?"

"Yeah!"

I sat down on the large green sofa in the corner and eyed Haley suspiciously. 

"It's...it's just...I feel like I'm seeing a ghost."

"Don't worry Al, I'll explain everything."

She took my hand and began to explain everything that had happened since that night, and why she had to fake her death.