Alissa

ARMIS

Kevin looks over his shoulder as Lucas gets back up on his feet, blood pulsing out of the cut, right on his cheekbone. Holly—who went from reading about the drawbacks of her vices to full medical journals—knows it's not possible to open a cut that easy, especially with bare knuckles.

Lucas considers, then backs off. Kevin has won, again.

He turns back to Alissa, who's looking at him with soft eyes, almost sympathetic. She has probably read the messages already, he thinks. She hands out the phone to him as he approaches her, it's broken screen splitting across the letters.

This task is for the school's favourite—Kevin Sterling.

I like to call it, 'Armis'.

"Armis...as in weapons?" Sarah interrupts. Everybody's looking at her with blank eyes as if there's no life in them, so she continues. "It's latin for weapons."

Kevin's eye widen in horror as he reads out the next few messages:

Go to Classroom 209.

There will be some weapons waiting for you. Choose whatever you want.

Then I want you to hurt your best friend Derek with it while YOUR favourite, Alissa records you do it. Then I want her to post that video on MHConfessions.

I WANT YOU TO INFLICT DAMAGE.

You've taken so many beatings for that loser best friend of yours.

Maybe he can take some damage for you, for once?

You know what happens if you refuse to do it.

Gathering up the courage, he looks up at Derek. Unlike other's appalled eyes, there's something else in them. Something dark and dangerous.

"Kevin," he says, his voice cold. "I'm sorry, but I can't let you do that."

"Dude, there's no way I'd do that," Kevin says. "It's not even about making a decision, that was never an option. I'll reveal my secret," he says, without a degree of regret.

Right then, the sound of footfalls on the white marble floor, echos the hallway. Lucas is already walking down the hallway to room 209. As he walks past the rows of classrooms on either sides, locked shut, Cody calls out for him, "hey! You heard the man. He said he won't do it."

Lucas whirls towards Cody casually, walking backwards. "Doesn't hurt to take a look at the weapons. Also, it's not like I'd stop just because you asked me to," he winks at him then turns around. The white t-shirt under his leather jacket is now stained with blood, making it's way down his cheeks, then dripping off his chin.

Lucas examines a padlock, it's handle sliced open, hanging on the door. He takes it out and drops it on the ground. Then takes a step back, waits for something or someone to walk out of the room, as if HEL was inside that room all this time, and when nothing (or no one) comes out of it, he kicks open the door, making it creak in it's hinges.

He walks in, while others are only halfway through the hallway. "You know, leaving Lucas alone with weapons isn't the smartest thing to do, right?" Sarah hurries off to the room as others follow her.

As they walk in, they see eight weapons placed on one desk each. A chef's knife, with it's broad blade pointed at the end, sits neatly in the middle of the first desk, right in front of the teacher's desk. It's tip pointing towards the door.

On the desk right behind it, is a razor blade, placed such that it's one end is facing the door, just like the knife in front of it.

The third weapon is a brass knuckle, doused in Holly's flashlight, almost seeming gold in colour. It's circular ends, facing the door.