Dancing On The Razor's Edge, Together

IV. Sometimes The Past Isn't Really Dead

5am, a few hours after the encounter with Ruby at East Union Medical Center.

As much as Shay hated to admit it, things were beginning to look bleaker than she wanted. But in a way, she expected as much. Maybe not so much for Ruby to lash out like she did, but for something to be wrong. Now, reunited with the rest of the group, they had made it back to Deena's place in mostly one piece.

For now though, the group was in temporary disarray; Simon, Kate and Deena were all trying to figure out what had happened to Simon in town, after he himself had also been attacked.

"Look, I hate to break it to you, but normal bitches don't bleed black fucking blood!" Deena exclaimed, holding her arms up in frustration.

"I know! Look, she was hot and normal, until she attacked me with a fucking razor blade." Simon shook his head sheepishly. Josh immediately looked up from where he was sitting on the sofa, as Shay's ears pricked up at the mention of a razor blade.

"Wait... a razor?"

"Yeah, y'know, like for old timey shaving! Or I guess in this case for slitting-"

"Wrists... She slashed her wrists." Josh admitted. Simon and the rest of the group, barring Shay, all looked at him as he continued.

"Was she singing something? Was she singing a song, like an oldie, like an oldie song?" Josh asked.

"Jesus, Rain Man. How the fuck do you know that?" Simon asked slowly, his face genuinely shocked.

Josh said nothing, before heading to the evidence board he had next to his computer. A good chunk of the wall was covered with old newspaper clippings, a map of Shadyside and Sunnyvale, and other pictures relating to the murders across the town's history. Grabbing one clipping in particular, he brought it back to the group, now sat together around the table. Slamming the paper down, he began.

"This is Ruby Lane. The girl who attacked you. She sang as she murdered her boyfriend, her friends, then she killed herself. Slashed her wrists." Kate then interjected.

"Jesus. Yeah, why didn't I see this on the news?"

"Because it happened 30 years ago. 1965." He answered, before walking back over to the wall, ripping off more of the clippings, before bringing them back to the table.

"Ruby is one of Shadyside's killers, just like Skull Mask. I mean, Ryan Torres. Or look here. 1978. Sixteen years ago. 'Masked psycho murders kids at--'"

"Camp Nightwing. Yeah, my mom's sister was there. That screwed my family up for a long time." Kate interrupted. Josh proceeded to continue back in time.

"1950, Harry Rooker, local milkman slashes a bunch of housewives. 1935, Humpty Dumpty Killer. 1922, Billy Barker. 1904, Grifter guts girls, and on and on. It happens in Shadyside over and over. Normal people turn into psychos." He was about to continue, before Simon noticed one graphic image in particular. It appeared to be of a male with a forlorn expression, with vast empty eye-sockets, and what looked like black streaks of blood coming from them.

"Jesus... Look at this guy." Josh picked up on the expression that he had, before answering the silent question that he'd proposed.

"That's the pastor, Cyrus Miller, 1666. He was the first one recorded. He, um... killed kids and cut out their eyes." At that mention, Sam had evidently heard enough gory details, as she walked away from the table towards the bathroom, where after a few seconds, the sounds of her retching filled the air. Deena got up from her seat, as she went to go and check on her.