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𝔈𝔭𝔦𝔰𝔬𝔡𝔢 𝔱𝔴𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔶-𝔣𝔦𝔳𝔢 ✔️

Of the dozen or so people crowded into the Stonehenge area, Andy recognized only one as a worker. The rest were people he knew from school, but none he knew well. One of them, a boy dressed as a pirate, spoke to Emilio.

"You mean... you think somebody in here did it?" 

"Somebody in here did it, all right," said Emilio. There was a queer, excited sound to his voice, as if he were almost enjoying this. He gestured to the pool of blood on the rock. "That's still liquid; it can't have happened too long ago. And look at the way his throat's cut. The killer must have done it with that ." He pointed to the sacrificial knife.

"Then the killer might be here right now," whispered a girl in a kimono.

"And it's not hard to guess who it is," said Emilio. "Somebody who hated Tanner, who was always getting in arguments with him. Somebody who was arguing with him earlier tonight. I saw it." 

So you were the werewolf in this room, thought Andy dazedly. But what were you doing here in the first place? You're not on staff.

"Somebody who has a history of violence,"Emilio was continuing, his lips drawing back from his teeth. "Somebody who, for all we know, is a psychopath who came to Fell's Church just to kill." "Emilio, what are you talking about?" Andy's dazed feeling had burst like a bubble. Furious, he stepped toward the tall, husky boy. "You're crazy!" 

He gestured at him without looking at him. "So says his boyfriend-but maybe he's a little prejudiced." 

"And maybe you're a little prejudiced,Emilio," said a voice from behind the crowd, and Andy saw a second werewolf pushing his way into the room. Brooklyn.

"Oh, yeah? Well, why don't you tell us what you know about Beaumont? Where does he come from? Where's his family? Where did he get all that money?"Emilio turned to address the rest of the crowd. "Who knows anything about him?" 

People were shaking their heads. Andy could see, in face after face, distrust blossoming. The distrust of anything unknown, anything different. And Rye was different. He was the stranger in their midst, and just now they needed a scapegoat.

The girl in the kimono began, "I heard a rumor-" 

"That's all anybody's heard, rumors!"Emilio said. "No one really knows a thing about him. But there's one thing Ido know. The attacks in Fell's Church started the first week of school-which was the week Rye Beaumont came." 

There was a swelling murmur at this, and Andy himself felt a shock of realization. Of course, it was all ridiculous, it was just a coincidence. But what Emilio was saying was true. The attacks had started when Rye arrived.

"I'll tell you something else," shouted Emilio, gesturing at them to be quiet. "Listen to me! I'll tell you something else!" He waited until everyone was looking at him and then said slowly, impressively, "He was in the cemetery the night Lisa Gibbson was attacked." 

"Sure he was in the cemetery-rearranging your face," said Brooklyn, but his voice lacked its usual strength.Emilio grabbed the comment and ran with it.

"Yes, and he almost killed me. And tonight somebody  did kill Tanner. I don't know what you think, but I think he did it. I think he's the one!" 

"But where is he?" shouted someone from the crowd.

Emilio looked around. "If he did it, he must still be here," he shouted. "Let's find him." 

"Rye hasn't done anything!Emilio-" cried Andy, but the noise from the crowd overrode him.Emilio's words were being taken up and repeated.Find him... find him . . .find him . Andy heard it pass from person to person. And the faces in the Stonehenge Room were filled with more than distrust now; Andy could see anger and a thirst for vengeance in them, too. The crowd had turned into something ugly, something beyond controlling. "Where is he, Andy?" said Emilio, and he saw the blazing triumph in his eyes. He was enjoying this.

"I don't know," he said fiercely, wanting to hit him. "He must still be here! Find him!" someone shouted, and then it seemed everyone was moving, pointing, pushing, at once. Partitions were being knocked down and shoved aside.

Andy's heart was pounding. This was no longer a crowd; it was a mob. He was terrified of what they would do to Rye if they did find him. But if he tried to go warn him, he would lead Emilio right to him.

He looked around desperately. Mikey was still staring into Mr. Tanner's dead Body.

He was looking confused and angry, his blond hair ruffled up, cheeks fluhed and sweaty. Andy put all his strength of will into a look of pleading.

Please, Brooklyn, he thought. You can't believe all this. You know it isn't true.

But his eyes showed that hedidn't know. There was a tumult of bewilderment and agitation in them.

Please, thought Andy, gazing into those blue eyes, willing him to understand. Oh, please, Brooklyn, only you can save him. Even if you don't believe, please try to trust... please...

He saw the change come over his face, the confusion lifting as grim determination appeared. He stared at her another moment, eyes boring into hers, and nodded once. Then he turned and slipped into the milling, hunting crowd.

Brooklyn knifed through the crowd cleanly until he got to the other side of the gym. There were some freshmen standing near the door to the boys' locker room; he brusquely ordered them to start moving fallen partitions, and when their attention was distracted he jerked the door open and ducked inside.

He looked around quickly, unwilling to shout. For that matter, he thought, Rye must have heard all the racket going on in the gym. He'd probably already cut out. But then Brooklyn saw the black-clad figure on the white tile floor.

"Rye! What happened?" For a terrible instant, Brooklyn thought he was looking down on a second dead body. But as he knelt by Rye's side, he saw movement. "Hey, you're okay, just sit up slowly... easy. Are you all right, Rye?"

"Yes," said Rye. He didn't look okay, Brooklyn thought. His face was dead white and his pupils were dilated hugely. He looked disoriented and sick. "Thank you," he said.

"You may not thank me in a minute. Rye, you've got to get out of here. Can't you hear them? They're after you." 

Rye turned toward the gym, as if listening. But there was no comprehension on his face. "Who's after me? Why?" 

"Everybody. It doesn't matter. What matters is that you've got to get out before they come in here." As Rye continued simply to stare blankly, he added, "There's been another attack, this time on Tanner, Mr. Tanner. He's dead, Rye, and they think you did it  ." 

Now, at last, he saw understanding come to Rye's eyes. Understanding and horror and a kind of resigned defeat that was more frightening than anything Matt had seen tonight. He gripped Rye's shoulder hard.

"I know you didn't," he said, and at that moment it was true. "They'll realize that, too, when they can think again. But meanwhile, you'd better get out." 

"Get out... yes," said Rye. The look of disorientation was gone, and there was a searing bitterness in the way he pronounced the words. "I will... get out." 

"Rye..." 

"Brooklyn." The green eyes were dark and burning, and Brooklyn found he could not look away from them. "Is Andy safe? Good. Then, take care of him. Please." 

"Rye, what are you talking about? You're innocent; this will all blow over..." 

"Just take care of him, Brooklyn." 

Brooklyn stepped back, still looking into those compelling green eyes. Then, slowly, he nodded. "I will," he said quietly. And watched Rye go.

___________________

Hey:)

It's been a while but I'm back at writing on this story. I hope you liked this part. Now it's getting intense. What happend to Tanner? Can Mikey fix this with magic? Or is Rye the killer? You know you can only find it out when the next part is online.

Love ya, Lele

Draft: September 2021
Final Edit: 05 September 2023