cherry bomb ▸ k. anderson ✓

dead end justice

If I don't wake up from this dream
I think I'm gonna, gonna, gonna die

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CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN: THE EPILOGUE OF PART I

It had been a year, now and Angeline had finally moved on.

After therapy, Angeline had been able to live a normal life. To be happy.

The Kai saga was over. Now, Angeline works as a junior lawyer at Lizabeth's law firm in Detroit. Everything seemed to be over. No weight was on her shoulders from the whole thing. No murder was pinned on her. Kai let her off.

Though she didn't charge Kai for attempted murder, she still got a cut of the settlement. To the courts, she was a victim.

That was suspicious, though. Why didn't he prove she was behind Elio's death? He could've done it so easily, too.

Why hadn't he?

After the court date, there was no attempt to make contact. He never called, she never wrote. It was like they had never even met. They were strangers again.

Ally had started running for mayor and with the election, she milked off of the Kai thing to win the vote. Angeline knew Ally would win even if the election wasn't for another month. She was a survivor.

Angeline had decided to stay in Michigan. A big change wouldn't be very helpful, here. It'd be best if she stayed in a comfortable environment with a good friend by her side.

It had been a year since court and Angeline had gotten a letter from the prison.

With a heavy breath, Angeline opens the envelope and unfolds the paper. She had decided to read it after staring at it for a good five minutes. There were so many possibilities of what it could say. Did she really wanna know?

'Dearest Angeline,

              I hope this letter finds you right. Given my calling and visitation privileges have been revoked due to a small misunderstanding via the asshole guards here.
               I know we aren't on the best note. I overreacted the night I stabbed you and I realize that. We've always had that kind of relationship, huh? Anyway, prison is fine. Not that you'd care but I've formed another group here. A stronger, better one. I was gonna go after you and kill you when I escape, but I'm not sure.
              How about you? Do you hate me? How's life? Do you have a boyfriend or girlfriend again Are you banking off of my killings?
              Most importantly, did you appreciate my covering for you?
              I won't lie, I expected some thanks for that. I mean, I didn't cover for Elio, but I covered for the Reynolds' and that trailer trash hick chick you killed. Don't worry, I won't tell.
              Angeline, my pretty baby. Always so sweet and so frisky. I miss the thrill that came along with you. I've missed you dearly the past year. And I feel bad for what I have done and I've never felt that kind of guilt.
             Who am I kidding? I still want my revenge with you. I want your blood. I want to fuck you one last time and right as I dump my load, I wanna kill you.
             Sweet dreams, Angeline. I hope to see you again.
             Very soon.

K. Anderson'

Finishing the letter, Angeline reads it over again before tearing the ink-coated paper up into tiny shreds. Kai was speaking out of his ass like he always does. And plus, she knew the kind of games he'd play with those pathetic groupies who send him letters. She wasn't dumb.

And then, that next day, Kai's body was found dead and mutilated beyond recognition at the prison. Murder, officials say.

Angeline knew that "body" wasn't him.

There was something coming.

-

"Jesus. It looks like Halloween threw up in here." Angeline says as she enters the apartment. Liane hangs white gauze from the corners in the living room to make it look like spider webs. "It's nice, right?" Liane replies with a smile.

Angeline shrugs. "Never cared much for Halloween. It's been gentrified."

"Eh, whatever." She hops down from her step stool. "I love it. I think it's the best. Which is why I'm doing this."

Angeline shrugs off her coat, grabbing her phone from the pocket. "More power to you, L."

Liane grins, moving to work on hanging the lights over the window. "They're little ghosts, Angie. Little ghost lights." She says happily, starting to staple them up on the wall. Angeline smiles, enjoying Liane's childish love for the holiday.

"I see. They're cute." Angeline says.

Angeline walks into her room and sits down on the bed, checking her phone. She saw a text from her boss at the law firm saying she needed to come in to check out a murder case.

"Hey, Liane!" Angeline calls as she walks back out of her room. Liane works on stapling the lights to the wall, watching the Halloween movie she had put on out of the corner of her eye. "I gotta go into the office. Some strange case."

"It's so late, though." Liane sighs, turning back to face Angeline. "Yeah, but Mr. Boss Man said it was urgent and I have to go." She explains. Liane nods and Angeline leaves the apartment with her keys and phone in hand.

-

It wasn't until three in the morning that Angeline returned.

She figured Liane would be asleep, so she crept into the apartment quietly. Setting her keys and phone down, Angeline flicks the light switch on. The apartment was fully decorated now.

Walking down the hall, Angeline finds that Liane's door was cracked. Liane always slept with the door closed. Finding it odd, Angeline pushes open the door and finds that a deep, distant nightmare of hers as returned.

A cry leaves her lips, a blood curdling scream as she saw the bloody crime scene. Liane had been butchered. Dead, with her head basically decapitated and a simple 'K' carved into her naked chest.

Angeline stumbles back, bumping into the hallway wall. From the living room, Angeline hears her phone ring. With a scared sob, Angeline walks to answer it.

"He-hello?" She chokes, holding the phone to her ear with a shaky hand. A deep exhale comes through the other line and Angeline feels her whole body shut down. Her heart stops, her lungs stop, her brain stops.

"Miss me?"

And suddenly, all over again, Angeline felt that phantom, horrible feeling of a shard of glass cutting into her forearm.

THE END??