Chapter 1: Prologue
Chapter Text
In a small town, there are no strangers. Everyone knows everyone — their names, their families, their sins. Secrets don’t stay buried long here; whispers travel faster than the wind.
So when the crash happened, it wasn’t just one life it shattered. It tore through the whole town like a blade, leaving scars no one could ignore. Sixteen-year-old Axel Gustavo, the kind of kid who lit up every room, was gone in a blink. Bright future, big dreams, a smile you couldn’t forget. He still had years of growing up ahead of him. First love, late-night drives with friends, dreams of graduating, of becoming someone. But he never got the chance.
One selfish drunk driver stole it all. His future. His dreams. His life ripped away in a single, screeching instant.
Axel lay in the hospital that night, hooked to machines, his chest rising and falling like a clock winding down. Meanwhile, the driver and his passengers walked away with nothing more than scrapes and bruises.
Once the police came, they arrested the driver and put him on trial. The whole town wanted blood. But justice? Justice never came. The court handed down a sentence that felt like a slap in the face: eight months of community service. Eight months for a life. No jail. No real punishment. The town seethed with rage, especially Axel’s family. His mother sobbed outside the courthouse. His father shouted until his voice went raw, calling the driver a murderer, a coward, a monster.
And then… silence. The news stopped talking about it. No updates. No follow-up. It was like the whole tragedy had been erased, swallowed by time. The town moved on, like it always does. People don’t want to live in grief forever.
But I can’t.
I can’t move on. I can’t escape that night, no matter how hard I try. I hear the tires screech when the roads are quiet. I hear the screams in my sleep. And every time I close my eyes, I see Axel’s face; pale, broken, staring at me from the gurney.
I know I’ll never forget… because that drunk driver — was me.
And someone out there hasn’t forgotten either.
Chapter 2: The Start of the End
Chapter Text
“Yo, what movie should we put on tonight?” Jay asks while flipping through the various options of horror movies on Netflix.
Amelia's face lights up with a large smile “We should watch saw again! That's my favorite” she says with excitement.
“No, we literally just had a saw movie marathon last week. I'm all sawed out.” I say leaning back into the couch.
Cici groans, “Yeah I can't watch another Saw movie for a while. What about Midsummer?”
Ameila recoils as her face twists in disgust “No! Are you kidding me? I’m still so grossed out by it!”
Every week, my four roommates—Cici, Jay, Amelia, and Richard—and I watch a horror movie after a long work week. It’s kind of our thing, just a way to squeeze in some time together even though we’re all busy with our stuff. I’ve been friends with most of them for pretty much my whole life. Well, most of them anyway.
We met Cici a little over two years ago, after one of her family members passed away. She doesn’t like to talk about it much, which I get. She’s about 5’2, with long blonde hair and these big round glasses that make her look like a total nerd—in a good way. She’s the typical nice girl who wants to know everything we’re doing and always wants to be included in whatever’s going on. It can be a little annoying at times, but honestly, we love her for it.
Cici’s energy is kind of like a dog that won’t stop trying to be your best friend. She’s always asking questions, making sure she’s not missing out. I think it’s because she’s still figuring things out after losing her brother. It’s like she’s scared if she’s not around us, she’ll disappear or something.
So yeah, every Friday night, no matter how tired or stressed we are, we all get together—pile up blankets, grab some snacks, and watch whatever horror flick we can find. Sometimes we yell at the screen when the characters do something stupid, sometimes we laugh, and sometimes we just sit quietly. It’s our way to keep connected.
Jay looks over at me then over to amelia “yeah im not the biggest fan of that movie”
That's Jay Teeler, my best friend since diapers. He was my neighbor for 16 years of my life. I watched him grow from a small, skinny, adhd, white kid to a buff, 6 '2, adhd white man. Ever since I was a kid I had a crush on him and it still stands today. It's gotten harder to resist him, but unfortunately he dosent like men. If he wasn't straight I would totally date him. But unfortunately I can only dream of the things he could do to me.
“Oh!” Richard blurts out. “Why don't we watch scream?”
“Yeah! That sounds good! An oldie but a goodie, I like it.” Amelia says while kicking her feet.
Ah, the twins. Ameila and Richard Stone. Fraternal of course, but always on the same wavelink. Some crazy twin telepathy, I think. But what do I know, I don't have a twin. Only a younger brother. They share a lot of similarities but the major difference between the two of them is their hair. Richard has short, straight, brown hair while Amelia has long, curly red hair. To be honest, I'm completely baffled that they still wanted to live together since they fought a lot during their childhood. Like all the time as kids. I met both of them back in middle school when their family moved due to their father getting a new job. So they really didn't have any new friends.
“I guess we are watching scream.” I say with a shrug.
Jay gives a short nod before searching for scream in the search bar, clicking the movie, and pressing play. The movie starts and Jay sits down right next to me. God, I just want to wrap my arm around him or lie down on his lap. I hate that I still have this crush on him after all these years. I continue to stare at Jay as he's fixated on the movie. Not breaking this gaze I have on him.
A few minutes later I hear a scream coming from the tv as Amelia scoffs. “I still can't believe she died like that. That's horror 101 girlie. If I was there, that wouldn't have happened.” she says, shaking her head in disapproval.
“Oh yeah?” Cici says looking over at Amelia. “What would you do then?”
“I would obviously lock the doors and call the cops. If we're talking stereotypical character roles however, I would be the character that knows something is wrong but nobody believes her until it's too late." Amelia says with an eerie smile like she's been waiting for someone to ask her that question.
Cici sits there looking at Amelia with a perplexed face before shaking her head “well I would be the blonde cheerleader that everyone thinks will die first but ends up making it in the end.” she says, looking between all of us.
"Bullshit," Richard scoffs. "You’d be the dumbass who trips over nothing and dies in the first five minutes. I’d be the secret killer and I’d make sure you go out screaming."
“Richard!” Ameila says, punching Richard's arm. “That's not nice! Apologize!” she says in an angry tone.
“Oh! Ameilia there is no need to get like that. I don't take any offense to it. It's just make believe right?” Cici says in a snarky upbeat tone.
“See!” Richard says gesturing his hands forward “she's fine.” he says looking at amelia.
I let out a small chuckle while watching this chaos go down. I turn my attention back to the tv only to find myself completely lost. I got so distracted by the conversation that I have no clue where we are in the movie.
“Leo would be the main character for sure. Cute, chaotic, and just the right amount of smarts to keep the audience invested.” Jay says, wrapping his arm around me. “Right man?” he says looking into my eyes with a smile.
Oh my god, oh my god. Don't get flustered. Don't get flustered. “I mean.” I say pausing for a second. “I don't think that's true.” I said nervously. “I think I would be the first to die. I don't really have the best survival instinct.”
I'm nothing special when it comes to looks. I'm only 5 '10 with semi long dirty blonde hair and brown eyes. I'm not fat yet I'm not skinny. Im just an average gay guy. If you could describe me in just one word it would be twink.
Jay's face turns to shock “Nah man! Don't sell yourself short! You totally would survive!” He pauses and thinks for a second. “You know i probably would die first cause i would be the stupid jock!” he says with a laugh.
“Of fucking course you would be!” Richard says under his breath.
“Hey!” Jay says, snapping his head in Richard's direction. “I heard that jackass.”
Richard quickly lifts his hands upward to show his hands. “Hey you're the one who said that you would be the jock.”
“I mean Jay, That just means that you're the handsome jock that everybody swoons over. And trust me” Cici says looking jay up and down “you definitely play the part.” she says in a flirty voice.
I slowly shift my focus to Cici. What the fuck girl. You knew I liked Jay and now you're flirting with him?! God! I just want to blow her up with my mind right now. She looks me dead in the eye and gives me a snarky smile as if she was taunting me.
“Thanks Cici.” Jay says in a monotone voice while not breaking eye contact with Richard.
My eyes flick back to the TV, but I can’t focus. All I can think about is how Cici was flirting with Jay. Was she actually into him? Or just being friendly? And why do I even care so much? … Okay, I know why. I just don’t want to admit it. God, the thought alone makes my chest tighten. I can already feel the irritation bubbling up. If I stay out here any longer, I’m going to start looking pissed. I should just slip back into my room before someone notices. Even if it means ending the fun early.
“Guys i'm going to be honest, im super tired right now.” Lies, I'm wide awake. “I think I'm just gonna hit the hay.” I say getting up from the couch.
“What dude! We basically just started the movie!” Jay says, crossing his arms in an angry manner.
“Yeah dude! We're supposed to be bonding.” Cici says in an annoyed tone.
I look over at Richard then at Amelia who seems to be concerned about the situation before speaking up for me. “Hey, give him a fucking break. He worked over 50 hours this week trying to keep this fucking apartment for everyone. He's got a right to be tired." She says annoyed with the way Jay and Cici were acting.
I can tell that Richard is annoyed that I'm going to bed but he understands. However, Cici doesn't seem to understand. It's not like she works as much as we all do, she barely works 25 hours a week, so she seems the most pissed off.
“You're such a party pooper Ameila.” Cici angrily says. “He can stick it out for horror night.” her eyes lock onto mine, piercing my soul with her eyes like daggers.
“I don't think I can, I'm just too tired.” I say walking to my room. “Goodnight.”
Amelia shakes her head in disapproval. “I'm also gonna go to bed. I'm not physically tired, but I'm tired of the way you guys are acting." Amelia says getting up from the couch and following me to our room.
We live in a 3 bedroom apartment on the first floor. I share a room with Amelia, Jay shares a room with Richard, and Cici gets her own room. I hate that she gets her own room cause she basically threw a fit once she learned she wasnt getting her own room. I almost cut the lease with her when she pulled that stunt. Plus I think Amelia didn't want to bunk with her, which is valid. We live pretty nicely for 5-19 year olds living on their own for the first time.
Ameilai stops at the doorway and trunks around, “have fun watching the movie. Goodnight.” she says annoyed before slamming the door.
I'm glad someone stood up for me, even if I was lying about being tired.
I walk into my bedroom and crash onto my bed, face first. I hear Amelia pacing around the room angrily, “God, what crawled up Cici’s ass tonight?” she says before sitting down on her bed.
I let out a small laugh before rolling over to meet her gaze. “I know right?! Also was it just me or was she totally flirting with Jay tonight?” I say sitting up on my bed.
“I know! Oh my god, I thought I was just overthinking it! I'm glad someone else saw it.” she says with a spark in her eye
Ameila has always loved to gossip about things. No matter what the tea was, she loved it piping hot. I mean I don't mind whatsoever. I love the tea too, plus Amelia is always the first one to debrief it with me. Its always good to air out all the information together.
“Now, be honest with me. Are you actually tired or did I defend our ass for nothing.” she says with a snarky tone.
One thing about Amelia, is she can read someone like a book. “Fine you got me.” I say with a defeated smile. “Being tired isn't the main reason why I skipped out on the movie tonight. I was also extremely upset.”
“It's the cause of cicis flirting isn't it.” she pauses for a brief moment before cracking a smile. “Cause, you know since you have the fattest crush on jay.”
I quickly snap my neck towards Amelia in shock. I've never told anyone about my crush on jay. How does she know about that? “I don't have a crush on jay, what are you even talking about?” I am trying to hide the fact that I am lying.
“Oh be fucking for real leo, anyone can see from a mile away you like jay.” she says smiling ear to ear. “Come on, stop lying to me.”
Is that true? Have I been way too obvious? “Do you think he knows?” I said nervously.
“I knew it! I wasn't crazy!” she says with a smile so bright it shines the whole room.
I roll my eyes “Oh come on stop it. I'm being serious.”
“Fine, fine.” Ameila shifts her weight on her bed and her voice becomes more serious. “Personally from what I've seen, he has no clue about your crush on him. I think his mental capacity has really gone down since the accident.” she lets out a sigh while looking through the dark window.
“That's true.” I say in a somber tone. I really hate talking about the accident, it's nothing I'm proud of and I hate admitting it. I look over at Amelia to see her face in complete disarray. “You ok?” I ask.
“I don't know, I swear I just saw someone looking into our room.” she says, staring into the dark void of night.
“What?” I say getting up from my bed. “Let me see.” I cuff my hands around my eyes to look through the window and only see the dark of night with its critter moving through it. “I don't see anyone amelia. Are you sure it wasn't just like a racoon?
“I'm like 95% sure that I saw someone out there. I swear i saw an outline of a person.” she says with a hint of fear in her tone.
I turn around to meet Amelia gaze. “I think you just saw a raccoon Amelia. Everything is fine.”
Ameila sighs before sitting down on her bed. “Are you sure you didn't see anything outside?”
“I swear I didn't see anything.”
“If you say so.” she says lying down on her back. “Could you turn off the light?”
I nod, “yeah of course.” I walk over to the light switch, flick it off, and walk back over to my bed. I sit down on my bed before lying down on my side. “Stop worrying so much, Amelia. You're probably just tired.”
“You're probably right, Today was a lot. Work kicked my ass.” she says with a small laugh. “Goodnight Leo.”
“Goodnight amelia.”
I lift my covers over my body and close my eyes. I feel my eyes get more and more heavy as my body melds into my bed. I take a deep breath in and let it out. My mind begins to wander with the events of today. Does Cici really like jay? Was she just doing it to piss me off? Does Jay really know I like him? Was I just down playing what Amelia saw? I don't know. I swear I didn't see anything outside. Its probably nothing.
…
CRASH
The sound erupts throught the room. Filling my head enough to wake me up. I sit up in fear and quickly look over at Amelia who is still asleep. Why didn't she wake up from that? I check my phone and see the time is 2:47 am. I feel like I only slept for 10 minutes but was out for 4 hours.
I grab my phone and turn on my flashlight. I get up from my bed and head towards my door, slowly opening it to not disturb her. The door slowly opens as I enter the living room. I ever so slowly walk towards the couch to see Richard lying face down on the living room floor with a needle sticking out of his neck.
I drop my phone and cover my mouth. “Richard!” i shout before rushing to his side.
I quickly roll him over and check his breathing. I let out a small sigh of relief as I felt his breath. Weak, but still there. I need to call the police. I turn around to grab my phone to call the cops but are stopped in my tracks by a pair of black boots. I look up to see a hooded figure hovering over me before I feel a sharp pinch in my neck followed by something entering my skin. Was that a needle?!
I stumble back, clenching the injection site intensely. What was that?! The faceless figure drops the needle. I need to get out of here, i dont know what they could do. I rush to the door attempting to flee when my vision starts to blur. No no no, I can't go under. I have to get help. I have to get out of here. My legs begin to feel weak as I start to black out.
Is this where I die?
…
I blink my eyes open, head heavy and vision blurry. I’m in a small, rundown roomwoth staned walls and gritty flooring. It reeks of metal and mold. What the? Where am I?
Across from me is an automatic door with a large red 1 painted across it, smeared and uneven like it was done in a hurry. A strange keypad blinks faintly next to it.
I glance around, disoriented. There’s a rusted vent near the ceiling, and then—
I freeze. Right in front of me stands the same hooded figure who drugged me and Richard.
Instinct takes over and I lunge toward them slugishly, reaching out—anything to grab them, to do something, to figure out who the hell did this to me. But I don’t get far. The chains snap tight, yanking me back. Cold metal digs into my wrists.I’m stuck bound to this wall, completely helpless.
“Oh good morning sleepy head!” they say with an annoyed tone “you were supposed to be awake yet! Everyone else is still asleep!”
“What..” I say attempting to move my hand to my face but being stopped by the shackle.
“‘You still have some time till our little game starts.” their annoyed tone turns to cheery when talking about this so-called game.
I try to lift my head but the weight of it feels like a bowling ball. “Game? You're not Jigsaw...” i say slurring my words
They let out a thunderous laugh “no im not. He wanted his victims to escape and better themselves.” They pause. “I dont want that. Now I have to prepare the rest of your little friends.”
“What about me?...”
"Don’t worry," they say, already turning away. "Your time will come."
They disappear through the door, leaving me in silence.
I let my head fall as I'm attempting to sober up from whatever was administered into me. What did they mean by game? Are my friends ok? Does anyone know where we are? I just hope they're alright.
Chapter 3: The Missing Half
Chapter Text
I grip my steering wheel as I take a quick glance at the GPS system on my phone. Alright Leo's apartment should be in this apartment complex. I haven't seen his new apartment since he moved out, well more like kicked out since the crash. I know, I've been a terrible brother. I should have come over sooner but I've just been way too nervous about what my parents would think if I tried to contact him. Atleast im trying to be better now.
Ah, how rude of me. I forgot to introduce myself. I’m Brandon, Leo’s older brother. Between working and school, I’ve barely had time for my own family. Or even friends for that matter. I’ve been going to Oklahoma State University for the past 2 years trying to get my master’s in engineering. I know it’s a long way from home, but it’s the best fit for me right now. I just have to finish up the year then ill be finished. There's still the midterms and the homework and the lectures… Nope stop thinking about that, that's for future me. Right now, I just want to spend some time with my brother.
I make a hard left turn into the gated community and quickly try to put in the gate code. What was it again? I take a glance down at my phone and see the text from Leo. “I can't wait to see you! The code for the gate is 3629.” I put that into the keypad and the gate opens with a creek. Alright now just for me to find some parking. I make my way around the whole apartment complex and still havent found a spot. Frustration bubbles inside of me. Dude this is the worst place to find parking ever. I do one more lap around the complex before I find someone pulling out of a parking spot. Bingo! I stop the car and put my blinker on. I sit there and watch as the blue toyota tacoma backs out of the parking space before speeding off. Leaving a small cloud in its wake. Come on man, kids could live here. I shake my head before pulling into the open parking space.
I put my car in park and quickly pull out my phone to text Leo. “Hey Leo, I just arrived. I'll be walking over shortly.”
I place my phone back into my pocket before opening my car door and stepping out. He said his apartment was number #225 in building 103. I look up at the building number and see I'm parked right outside of building 100. I look to my right and see 110. So it must mean that I have to walk further into the complex. I go around the back of my car and to the stairs leading up to the sidewalk. As I look down I see 101 then 102, then 103! There it is, at least I know I'm on the right path. Now I need to find his apartment. Shouldn't be hard since this is the only building labeled 103. #221 ,#222, #223, #224, Ah! #225! Perfect.
I walk up to the door and give it a firm but quick knock, “Leo! I'm here!” I shouted through the door. But no answer. Knock Knock Knock. “Leo, you can't keep me hanging out here!” I say at the door once more.
Why is Leo ignoring me? I finally had time to come into town and this is how he treats me? He just ghosts me. Is it because I've been a bad brother? I so desperately want to see him, does he not see that desperation? What did I do wrong?
Maybe I'm just overthinking all of this. Maybe he's just not home at the moment. Maybe he just ran out to the store before I got here. Or had slept in. Maybe work was long and tedious and he didnt set an alarm. That's probably it.
I pull out my phone from my pocket and shoot Leo a quick text. “If you don't let me in soon I'm just going to use the key!” keeping my grip on my phone.
Leo did tell me about the spare key he leaves on top of the door frame in case he locks himself out of the apartment. Which has already happened a lot, i know cause he has texted me every time it has happened. He once had to wait 4 hours outside on his porch waiting for one of his roommates to come home because the leasing office wouldn't let him inside. I remember that phone call. It was only 30 minutes cause i had to go, but Leo was so distraught the entire time. I felt so bad when I had to hang up the phone.
I reach my hand up high and begin patting the door frame to try and find this key. I keep moving my hand around the top and cannot seem to find it. Where is this damn key? I should have felt it by now. I stop for a second and take my hand down. I wish I was tall enough to see the top of it. I bend my knees and push up off the ground. The jump launches me into the air just enough to see the top of the door frame. There it is. Of course it was in the one place I couldn't reach.
I stretch my arm as far up as I possibly can and move my hands around the frame. I brush my fingers against a cold, hard object. Finally. I grip the key and look at it in my hands. Just one small gold key, nothing special. I place the key in the hole and push it in. I turn the key and hear the locking mechanism unlock. I grab the knob and turn it slowly before pushing the door. The door creeks open.
Once the door opens I'm greeted by a pitch black room “Leo?” I asked nervously before stepping inside. As I step inside the door closes behind me leaving me in total darkness.
I need to turn the light on, but where is it? I move my hand up and down the wall but have no lock in finding it. Where is this damn light switch? Fuck it, im just gonna use my phones flashlight.
I turn on my flashlight and hold my phone up. The dark room fills with the faint glow of the flashlight. Just enough for me to see the room faintly. “Leo iif this is a prank, it's not a funny one. You’re really scaring me man." I say with a somewhat shaken voice.
I walk further into the apartment and search each bedroom only to find myself completely alone. Where did everyone go? Usually at least one person should be home. What is happening? I'm so goddamn confused. He should be here, why isn't he here? I make my way back into the living room when something shines in the corner of my eye. I turn my head to see what had gleamed. Thays when I spot it.
A small needle sitting on the ground, surrounded by blood.
“What the fuck..” I say dropping my phone resulting in the room going black again.
Blood?! Was that really blood? I quickly pick my phone back up and search for the light switch. Surely I'm just seeing things. There is no way something happened to my brother. I move my way around the room and find the light switch, quickly turning it on. I turn back around and notice that the living room seemed to be moved around quite a bit. Like someone had struggled with something, or someone. I moved back over to the place where I saw blood, low and behold I wasn't hallucinating. There it was, the crimson puddle drowning a needle. Something happened to them.
Oh no, no no! Something happened, something bad.
I quickly open my phone and dial 911. I need to get the police here to investigate. I might just be over reacting, but I'd rather be safe than sorry. I place my phone up against my ear and eagerly await for someone to pick up.
Ring, Ring. Ring, Ring.
“911 what's your emergency? “ The older sounding woman asks in a monotone voice on the other side.
As I hear the woman's voice I become ever so nervous, this is actually happening. This isn't just a dream. “Hello! Um, I think my brother went missing. He hasn't returned any of my texts and when I came over to his apartment I found it empty with blood on the ground. I'm very worried something happened to him and possibly his roommates.” I say with a panic.
“Ok sir, when was the last time you heard from your brother?” The voice asks in my ear.
I take a deep breath and let out a shaky exhale. “Yesterday, I talked with him on the phone before work. I've been trying to text him all day but there hasn't been a response. He's never left me on read ever." I say with a shaken tone.
“Ok sir, i send a unit over to the scene” she says while i hear some typing coming from her end of the line before i hear her voice coming through once again. “Stay on the line with me, the officers should be there soon.”
“Alright.” I say walking around in circles waiting for the officers to show up.
Seconds turn into minutes as I anxiously await the officer's arrival. What happened? Why was there blood? Why was there a needle? What was in that needle? Why won't he answer his phone? Is he ok? Am I just being paranoid? Where are his roommates? Are they also missing? As my mind continues to wander from the paranoia my soul leaves my body as a knock rings through the apartment.
“Hello? This is Officer Anderson from the Beaufort Police Department. We got your call about your brother, may we come in?” I hear the male voice from the otherside.
“Yes, yes I'm coming.” I say quickly making my way over to the door then opening it.
In front of me stood two large police officers, one looked to be carrying a camera with them. I step out of the way of the door and let both the officers into the apartment. I move my way to the corner to not get into the way of them while they inspect the apartment. I watch Officer Anderson move his way from room to room while the second officer lays out some numbers on the ground. I cross my arms and try not to cry. While I wait, I hang up the phone on the operator.
As I stood there for what seemed like an eternity, Officer Anderson moved his way over to me. “Hello, I just need to get some information from you if that's fine with you.” he said, pulling out a notebook and pen.
“Well. When I got here I tried to text my brother, but he didn't respond. Which was strange since he always replies to my texts.” I pause for a second while the officer writes that down in his notes. “So when he didn't answer me multiple times and left me waiting outside, I used his spare key to let myself into his apartment. That's when I found his apartment like this”
“And you're absolutely sure that he didn't ghost you and went partying after taking drugs?” he says with a raised eyebrow.
What? Is that what they think happened? Some fucking cops these asssholes are “im sure of it.” I say with a small voice crack. “Hes not that kind of kid.”
He lets out a small sigh “Alright, if we don't find him within 24 hours this will become a missing persons case.” officer Anderson says, closing his notebook.
“What about the needle and blood?” I ask looking over at the other officer as he snaps a few more photos.
“We'll take the needle and analyze the contents of it. For now, we will be on the lookout.” he says with a small, subtle smile.
I give him a small nod before I feel my phone buzz. Both me and officer Anderson looked down at my hands which held my phone. Our faces lit up with the screen's light. Who just texted me? I lift my phone up near my face and read the name on the notifications.
Leo?
Chapter 4: The Hunt Begins
Chapter Text
“Leo?” I say out loud as curiosity takes over my body.
The cop looks down at my phone, “Is that your ‘missing’ brother?” he says with annoyance. “See, I knew this was just a case of drugged up teens.” he says with a sigh. “Did he say where he's at?”
I may not have been around all that much with my brother, but I know he would never do drugs. Hes not like that. I look over at the cop, "I-I havent even read it yet…” I say with a small stutter.
I click on the notification from my brother.
“Hello Brandon, I want you to be a part of my little experiment. As you can see your brother has gone missing, but dont worry ive got him safe and sound for now. He has his own problems to deal with, like you will as well. You may know why I've taken him and his friends. They were the cause of a deadly crash that killed someone. That someone was a part of my family. Someone who I keep very dear to my heart. I don't take lightly to the murder of loved ones. Especially if their perpetrators don't receive their proper sentence. So I've taken that issue into my own hands, I've thrown them into a prison of my own making. And their sentence is death. Their game has already started, and so has yours. I have some errands that need to be done. I need you to run them for me, if you want Leo and his friends to live. It's like a fun trip down memory lane. The pieces are already set for you to find, find the thing that doesn't belong. You have 1 hour and 30 minutes before your brother seals his own fate. Are you willing to do anything to save your brother?” The cryptic message reads.
I stare down at this text message, completely in shock “What the hell is this?”
What do they mean by they took Leo? What do you mean errands? What do you mean I have a time limit? Are they going to kill my brother if I don't do these errands? And what do you mean find the thing that doesn't belong?
Who would do something like this…
“What is it?” The officer asks with confusion.
“Someone is texting from Leo's phone. I-It seems like they are threatening me? They're telling me to save my brother but they are the one that kidnapped him. I don't understand.” I say looking up at Officer Anderson.
His face warps into confusion, “What do you mean threatening?” He pauses for a brief moment. “Here let me see.” He says, extending his hand towards me.
I flip my phone around and hand it over to the officer. I watch Officer Anderson begin to read the encrypting message on my phone, “This…” he says under his breath. “This isn’t the case I thought it would be. This is a kidnapping and not some regular kidnapping, no no, this is some serial killer type shit.” he says, re-reading the text in horror. He continues to read the text trying to understand what the text is implying “but why tell you…” he says under his breath. He stops and quickly lifts his head to speak to the second officer who has stopped what he was doing and has shifted his attention to Officer Anderson. “Connor, call for backup. Detective Ryan should know about this.”
Officer Connor nods before he pulls out a radio from his belt and begins to speak into it. “This is officer Connor demanding back up at 147 Oakview Crescent, Apartment 225 Requesting detective Ryan Holt. We have a 10-47. I repeat, we have an urgent 10-47.” he says frantically into the radio.
“Copy on route.” the staticy voice says over his radio.
Officer Connor pauses for a second, “ETA?” he asks into the radio.
“5 minutes” the voice says.
“Fuck thats 5 minutes wasted.” Officer Anderson says nervously. “Alright, what was your name again?” he says looking back over at me.
Is this truly as bad as there making it out to be? This is freaking me out. More than I already am. “My name's Brandon." I said nervously.
Officer Anderson gives me a small nod “Ok Brandon, I'm going to be completely honest with you. I've never seen this type of crazy in a person before. This is some lunatic who has your brother and I don’t know what they're doing to him. From what this text says, you're a part of this game he's running. Which means, like your brother, you're also in danger.” He says trying to give me the news as lightly as possible, even though that wasn’t light at all.
“Are you guys able to track the phone's location from my phone?” I ask with concern in my face.
Officer Anderson shakes his head “Unfortunately it would take longer than 2 hours. We don't have 2 hours.”
I sit there for a minute trying to process the words that came from this man “how do we know that this is real though?” I ask with a nervous tone
“We don't” Anderson says before someone cuts him off.
“But it’s better to be safe than sorry,” a tall man says, stepping through the door. His dark brown hair falls over his glasses, and he pushes it back, quickly adjusting them as his eyes begin to scan the room.
Well I’m guessing that's detective Ryan.
The detective and I lock eyes as he gives me a small smile. He walks up to me, extending a hand. “Please to meet you..” he pauses waiting for my response.
“Brandon,” I say, taking his hand lightly and giving it a gentle shake.
“Nice to meet you Brandon,” he says, giving me another smile. “Wish we were meeting under other circumstances.” he lets go of my hand and turns around to address the two other officers. “Why have you requested me?” he asks.
“Brandon got a text from his ‘brother’ that turned into a threat made by someone who kidnapped his brother.” Officer Anderson says with my phone in his hand, handing the device to the detective.
Detective Ryan grabs my phone, looks down at the message and begins reading. His eyes followed every line, back and forth. I watch as his face grows into one of worry. “Ah, I see.” he says, still staring into the cellular device. “Well then, let's play his game then.” he lifts his head and looks straight into my soul “and it looks like you're a part of this too.”
“Me?” I say taken aback. “But I'm not a detective or an officer. I'm just a college student whose brother was kidnapped by someone.”
Detective Ryan holds up his left hand into the air “i dub thee, for the day, an honorary detective for this case.” he says lowering his hand on each side of my shoulders. The other 2 officers let out a small chuckle. “Welcome to the team.” he says with a sincere smile.
That was cringy oh my god.
“But why me?” i ask curiously.
“Because this person specified you in their text. I'd rather you be around an officer that can protect you than be kidnapped like your brother.” he says handing me my phone back. “Now do we want to stay here and chat or do we want the game to start so we can get your brother back?” he says with a serious tone.
This is clearly a no brainer, why would they even ask me this question. “I clearly want my brother back safely.” I say grabbing the phone from him, concern fills my shaky voice.
“Good.” He pauses. “That second to last line of text is stuck in my brain… ‘Find the thing that doesn't belong..’ Do you know the house pretty well?”
I shake my head in disapproval, “Not really.. I’ve only seen photos before.” I take a pause thinking about what ‘the thing that didn’t belong’ was. But nothing comes up. All I can think about is that damn bloody mess on the ground. “I don’t know what it could be, but that needle has to have some sort of clue”
“Well then let's start there” he says, turning around and swiftly makes his way over to the center of the living room. Officer Connor moves out of his way and stares at him.
Again, why am I roped into this? Why did this person choose me? I didn't do anything to deserve this. My brother was the one who killed their family member, not me. I shouldn't be punished for this. God that's terrible of me to think. I clearly don't wish death upon my brother, but the reason why we're in this mess is because he caused that damn crash.Why did he have to throw that damn party? Why did he have to drink then drive?
My eyes follow detective Ryan as he squats down and looks at the needle before pulling out some blue rubber gloves, like those you've seen in doctors offices, from his pocket.
He picks up the needle with two fingers and looks at the entire tube closely. Twisting it around until he stops in his tracks. Staring at one spot for a very long time. “What is that?” he says under his breath but just enough for me to hear. He takes his free hand and plunges it into his pocket, pulling out a small magnifying glass. “Oakwood,” he says before turning to me. He gets up and comes over to me, showing me the needle. “Does the word Oakwood mean anything to you?”
Etched into the needle is the word 'Oakwood,' its jagged letters scratched unevenly across the surface. The engraving looks almost hastily done, with sharp, irregular edges that seem out of place, as if someone had carved it in a rush. There's no way the manufacturers put that on there intentionally.
“Oakwood..” I say pausing. Why would the word Oakwood be on the needle? I think back to the text that was sent, this has to be linked to the crash… Is Oakwood a place… Wait. It is. Oakwood drive. “Yeah it does, the accident happened at Oakwood drive and Parkside Boulevard. “
“Alright then let's go there.” Ryan says heading out the door in a pace that seems like he vanished in an instant.
I chase after him, down the stairs and down the sidewalk while he leads the way “wait we're going there right now?”
“It's the only lead we've got.” He picks up his pace until we're at the parking lot of the apartment complex. The blinding lights of the 3 police cars on the street flash my vision. “This first car is mine, hop in. i'll drive.” he says going around the front of the car. I open the door and climb inside, sitting in the passenger's seat. “We don't have much time, how far is the intersection?”
“It's like 10 minutes from here.” I say, quickly putting on my seatbelt before closing the door.
Detective Ryan smirks. “I can get us there in 5.” he says starting the car.
Ryan turns on his sirens and begins driving around the complex before getting out onto the street. I grab the door handle for dear life. As we speed down the street my mind races with thoughts. What if we are too late? What if leos already dead? What is this person planning with me? Will I die? Am I just fuel for the fire?
I regret not visiting my brother sooner. Perhaps I should have taken leave from my job. Maybe things would not have turned out this way if I had made an effort and reached out. Maybe he wouldn't have felt secluded. Or maybe there would have been no change at all. Then I wouldn't have to live with this never-ending guilt, wondering if I let him down when he most needed me.
In the corner of my eye I see the detective glance over at me before looking back at the road .“You're quiet, what's on your mind?” He says quickly
I let go of the door handle and begin to fidget with my fingers. “Oh uh. Just this whole situation has me worried, stressed and scared. Making me overthink about my relationship with my brother." I pause for a moment, “I should have been a better brother.” I say under my breath quietly while looking out the window.
The car goes quiet as I continue to look out the window. Trying not to make any eye contact.ive already made this car ride uncomfortable within the span of 2 minutes, I should have kept my mouth shut. The street seems so quiet since all the cars are parked off to the side for us.
He lets out a little sigh “I don’t know what happened between you too but we all make mistakes, life happens you know. Maybe not in the way you want it to, but it happens.”
I turn back around to look over at detective ryan. “That's a good way to look at it.” I say with a small smile before that smile soon fades. “But it's hard to think that way when you haven't seen your brother in 3 years because you've been so busy.”
“Even if you haven’t been there for your brother, it’s not your fault. Life moves in strange ways. I bet your brother is proud of what you’ve accomplished. Plus, none of this is your fault. Nobody asks to be put in this kind of situation.” he says pulling off to the side of the road and putting the car in park. I sit there taking in what he just said, but before I can fully process it Ryan speaks up. “Ok, we're here. We should spread out and start looking for any sign of the next clue.”
“Ok” I say, still slightly stunned.
I unbuckle my seatbelt and open the door to the car before stepping out onto the sidewalk. I look around at the people who are just passing by only to realize that all eyes are on Detective Ryan and I. I guess there's nothing better to do than people watch today. Or maybe the flashing lights caught people’s attention.
“How about you search that side of the street and I'll search this side.” I say shifting my attention to Detective Ryan.
“Spoken like a true detective.” he says, with a proud smile. “Sounds like a plan.” He begins to walk across the road to the other crosswalk.
Alright, time to search. I begin by walking around the side of the street seeing if there's anything on the side of the road that could lead to Leo. But after a few seconds of searching, I don't see anything. Maybe it’s on the other side of the street…
My phone vibrates and I take it out of my pocket. Who is texting me? I pull up the notification and see it is from the person texting on Leo's phone “1 hour and 15 minutes left .” it reads. I put my phone back into my pocket.
Fuck time is going by so quickly. I have to find this thing quickly. Maybe it's in the bushes. I move my way over to the bushes that are next to the sidewalk and move aside the branches to see a strange sight. “Hey, I think I found what we're looking for!” I shout out.
In front of me were 2 toy cars. One ramming itself into the other, the other completely toppled over. At the base lies a doll, face down in the dirt. I see a small white speck lying under the doll. What is that? I carefully lift up the doll and see a folded up piece of paper.
I swiftly grab the paper and quickly unfold the it reading, “For whom they killed”
What the hell?
Sarsi_draws on Chapter 1 Fri 05 Sep 2025 10:09PM UTC
Last Edited Fri 05 Sep 2025 10:10PM UTC
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