Always and Forever

Chapter 42: The Man in Black

(Sweet Pea's POV)

Now days have passed, Dani has received calls from Jughead and Archie, keeping her updated on where they were headed. She tried to content my Betty, but she was not answering and no one answers at her Mom's house, no human was in it. During those days she have barely talked to anyone, she missed the entire week of school, but Toni, Cheryl, Fangs, Carson, and I stop by her trailer to see how she was doing. I know now that she has been putting up a murder board. As far as I know, her prime suspects were Ms. Blossom, Mr. Copper, both Lodges, and Mr. Blossom as well. When I walked into her trailer I saw her standing in front of the board, in her cheer shorts, a sports bra, hair up in a messy bun. 

"Mr. Cooper is a serial killer," I heard Dani say to herself. "Currently locked up, but he did have an affair with Ms. Blossom, who has an odd obsession with poisons...That still doesn't explain where the game originated from." 

"Nor does it explain why you needed to miss a week of school," I said, which startled her, she turned to see me, standing in the door frame of her bedroom. She looked at me weirdly like she saw something on me. I noticed she had bags under her eyes, her hair was all over the place, I'm don't want to say it but she's a mess. "You've been silent all week except when I am here."

"I know, sorry. I've been busy," Dani corrected as she turned back towards her board. "Mr. Lodge has ties with Warden Norton who was in charge of L&L, but Warden is dead. He also introduced the game to Joaquin, but he is dead too." 

"Dani," I breathed.

"Big question of the day...Who introduced Dilton, Ben, and Ethel to the game?" Dani asked, mainly to herself. 

"You need to get some sleep," I ordered as I got in front of the board. 

"I'm fine," she assured. I then picked her up and over my shoulder. "Put me down!" 

"Okay," I said as I placed her on the bed. "I am going to go get you some food, and when I get back you better be asleep." I then left to the kitchen to make her a sandwich. "I made you a peanut butter and jelly." I saw that she was missing. I looked to the side to see that she had left my phone behind. "She is going to be the death of me." I then put the sandwich on her bed, before going after her, hopefully, she did not go too far. 

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(Dani's POV)

Once Sweet Pea left the room, I climbed out the window and ran for Fox Forest, I had information stored there as well. When I got into the bunker, I lit a candle or two before closing the bunker. I then started to examine the pictures. 

"If Jughead and Betty were here, it would be so much easier," I told myself. I then studied all the markings that were on the picture of Dilton's back. I saw them at Sweet WaterRiver swimming hole, all over the janitor's closets, on people's backs. But nothing was giving me answers about the runics, I had a hard time finding them in the scripture. I looked over and saw the manual laying out, I grabbed it, took a picture of Dilton's back, sat down on the bed. I searched through the manual looking for the symbols. 

"Together it spells out T, G, and K, I think," I said to myself. 

"Which you shall find out in the morning," a voice said, I jumped looked up, and saw Cheryl and Toni. 

"How did you find me?" I asked. 

"Your boyfriend sent out a text," Cheryl answered. "And he is on his way now." Cheryl pressed a button on her phone before putting it away. 

"Shouldn't you two be co-leading the Serpents?" I asked. 

"Serpents look out for each other," Toni answered. "And you are clearly a mess."