Masks

Chapter 4- Wreckage

Tara ran as fast as her bare feet could carry her. She knew that the gravel and stones on the road were probably scratching at her flesh but she couldn't care. At least not for a while. Emily had sounded worried. Tara expected the worst and hoped for the best. She reach Fern Street. Police sirens were blaring through the air. Red and blue flashed around. People who were still in their night gowns had come out to see the commotion. Tara felt a rough hand grasp her shoulder. She turned around only to see a wide- eyed Emily.

"Thank gods you are here! It's his sister!" Em practically yelled. 

Tara recalled her brief encounter with Todd the other day. He'd mentioned that he was protecting his sister; his twin. Tara felt tears stinging her eyes and a boulder blocking her throat. She walked closer to the scene. There was a medic- team, carrying a stretcher into the ambulance. The body had been covered with a white cloth but Tara saw the girl's hand hanging out of the cloth. Blood dripped from it in rivulets. Tara looked away. 

The lights of Todd's house were still on. There was a couple, talking to the police. The woman was silently staring into nothingness. The man was crying. Just outside on the front porch of the house, two brawny police men were restraining a hollering Todd. His face was blotchy and red. Blood was smeared across it. His screams were heart- breaking. Tara couldn't handle it anymore. She sprinted towards Todd and hugged him. He stopped fighting against the police and sobbed. Tara pulled away. 

"Sh, it's okay," she tried comforting him. Then she noticed dampness of her shirt. She looked down to see that it was smeared with fresh blood. She looked at Todd's shirt and gasped.

"He needs the medic! He'd been stabbed!" Tara hollered at the top of her lungs. The police glanced at each other in confusion and sprinted away to get the medic team. Tara helped Todd walk towards the medics. 

"She isn't dead. She'll live. You'll see," he was mumbling. Tara's heart ached. After depositing Todd near the medics, she headed back towards Em. Clarkson stood with her. 

"W-where's huff Jake?" Tara asked between breaths. Clark shrugged and looked at Em expectantly. She was his best friend after all. However, she too shrugged. As if on cue, they heard footsteps behind them. 

"Hey guys. What happened?" he asked. He looked like he'd run here too; just like Tara. He looked worried. That was when his gaze was caught by the police lights. His eyes widened as he took in the ambulance.

"Ah, hell no!" he swore as he took in the scene again. "Is he okay?"

"His sister just died. Do you think he's okay?" Tara snapped, immediately regretting it. "I'm sorry. It's just... so surreal right now."

"I can vouch for that," Clark said.

"Poor Todd, he seemed so..." Tara struggled for the right word.

"Heartbroken," Em finished sadly.

"Who found the girl's body?" Tara asked.

"It was him," Em replied. Tara's eyebrows shot up. No wonder Todd was so...heartbroken. Tara couldn't even begin imagining how he must've felt. 

"The police were guarding this area. They have been keeping a 24/7 watch on each of the girl's houses. So the killer must've been someone they trusted. Or someone they knew," Jacob presented. Tara just nodded silently.

"So what do we know up till now?" Clark asked.

"Number one: Rye was murdered in cold blood in the woods.

Number two: Cheerleader- Veronica was murdered with a single bullet to the forehead in the school.

Number three: Rose Quartz was assaulted in the second floor girl's bathroom. Thankfully, she escaped alive because the killer ran out of time.