The 3

Chapter Two: Search Party

WARNING:

THIS BOOK CONTAINS EXTREME VIOLENCE, GORE, SEXUAL CONTENT, DRUG ABUSE, AND LANGUAGE. READER DISCRETION IS ADVISED.

"Where was the last place you saw her?" Ryan asked. Jasmine was still sitting on the pavement in front of the gate, covered in blood. "I- I don't know. It all happened so fast." She said fearfully. "Well, were you?" Tyson chimed in. "We- we were looting a gas station. I heard her scream. I came running, but she was gone." Jasmine told them. Suddenly, tears filled her eyes. "She can't be dead. She can't." Jasmine cried "Our last conversation was about cocaine." Naona helped her to her feet. "It's gonna be alright. Go get washed up." Naona said, trying to calm her down. Jasmine limped over to her house, still crying. Leah walked toward them from down the road. "What's going on?" She asked. Everyone hesitated for a moment. "Um... Emily is missing." Tyson told her. Her face dropped. "Shit. First Ally and Brooke, now Emily?" She said in disbelief. Ella and Nick came out of their house to see what was happening. They looked very angry at each other. "Everything alright?" Nick asked. "No. Emily's gone. I'm guessing Jasmine was talking about the gas station on route thirty-seven." Ryan said "Nick, Tyson, and Kiefer. Why don't you guys head out there and see if you can find her?" Tyson and Kiefer nodded and then went to grab some weapons. "Anything to get away from this bitch." Nick said. "I hope you get ripped apart by cucksters and choke on your own intestines." Ella said angrily. "Alright then." Ryan said awkwardly.

Tyson, Kiefer, and Nick drove one of the old cars down route thirty-seven. "You think we'll find her?" Kiefer asked. "I don't know. If Jasmine couldn't, I doubt we'll have better luck." Said Tyson, keeping his eyes on the road as he drove. "Hey, I'm just happy to have an excuse to get away from Ella for a little while." Nick said. "What is with you two?" Asked Tyson. "Ugh, I don't know. We've just been at each other's throats lately I guess. She's been so bitchy recently, it's like she's on a permanent period." Nick explained. Tyson and Kiefer glanced at each other. They saw a gas station on the side of the road up ahead. Tyson pulled the car over next to the pumps. "We may as well siphon some of this out while we're here." Tyson suggested. "Let me guess, I have to do it again?" Kiefer asked, annoyed. "Sounds good to me." Tyson answered, handing him a bucket from the trunk of the car. Kiefer grabbed the gas pump and put the nozzle in his mouth. He began sucking until gas started pouring out. He spit it out of his mouth and lowered the nozzle into the bucket. "Fuck. I hate doing that." He said angrily. All three of them walked inside the gas station. There was a small convenience store area at the front. There were blood splatters on the carpet. "This must be the place." Tyson said. They opened the door to the woman's bathroom and saw a huge pile of dead cucksters. "Damn. I guess that's how Jasmine got covered in so much blood." Kiefer guessed. Nick walked over to the counter with the cash register on it. There were racks with small trinkets and goodies on it. "Holy shit! Guys, come check this out!" Nick shouted. Kiefer and Tyson ran over to him. There was a sticky note on the bottom of the counter. There was a bloody finger print on the corner of the note. Nick pulled it off and held it up so they could all read it.

I'm sorry I had to do this. I just couldn't take it anymore. Goodbye, Emily.

-Jasmine

Tyson, Kiefer, and Nick parked their car just outside the gates of Cuckluck Acres. Naona and Ryan let them in. "Did you find anything?" Leah asked, who had been waiting by the gate. Tyson reluctantly handed her the note they had found at the gas station. She stared at it in disbelief. "This isn't real." She said. "It looks pretty real to me." Tyson said solemnly. "Jasmine would never do that!" Leah argued, starting to shout "She wouldn't just murder our friend! She may be quirky and weird but she's not a psychopath!" Tyson saw tears begin to fill Leah's eyes. Suddenly, Jasmine emerged from her house. Her hair was wet. It seemed like she had just gotten out of the shower. "Did you find her?" She asked. Nobody knew exactly what to do. "Jasmine... you're under arrest." Ryan told her. Everyone looked at him, they weren't sure if what he said made any sense. Leah began crying even more. "No! No! You can't do this!" She screamed. "W-why am I under arrest?" Jasmine asked, sounding scared and confused. "We have reason to believe that you killed Emily." Ryan stated. "What? I would never do that!" Jasmine yelled. "This note says otherwise." Tyson chimes in. He handed her the note. "I didn't write this!" Jasmine said. But it was no use. Ryan brought her into the basement of one of the houses. He tied her to a pipe with a rope. "What are you gonna do to me?" She asked, starting to cry. "We aren't gonna hurt you. But there's a real possibility that you could be a danger to this group." Ryan explained. "I didn't do this. Please, you have to believe me." Jasmine pleaded. Ryan hesitated for a moment. "I wish I could." He said. He turned around, walked up the stairs, and locked the door behind him. He headed back outside and saw Tyson, Kiefer, and Nick sitting at the picnic tables in the park. He joined them. "Did she say anything?" Tyson asked him. "No. She seems to be very distraught. I doubt she would admit to this anyway though." Ryan responded. "Well, that's just fucking great. What are we supposed to do now? Keep her tied up in a basement forever?" Kiefer asked angrily. "No. I- I don't know. We'll think of something. We always do." Ryan said, trying to make himself and everyone else feel better. "Why not just kill her?" Asked Nick. "Woah!" Everyone said in unison. They all stared at him. "Seriously. What's the big deal? This isn't a fucking court. Let's just shoot her and be done with this whole thing." Nick suggested. "We are not doing that." Ryan told him. "Agreed." Kiefer said. They both looked at Tyson, waiting for his response. "I mean... we've done worse, haven't we?" He said nervously. "What the fuck!" Ryan shouted. Kiefer looked at him in shock. "I'm not saying we should kill her! But Nick's right, we can't just have her tied up in a basement for the rest of her life. Why not exile her?" Tyson suggested. Kiefer and Ryan considered this for a moment. "That's better than killing her, I suppose. But, what if she really didn't do this?" Said Ryan worriedly. "Yeah. We exiled you for something you didn't do. And then you killed my girlfriend." Kiefer agreed. "Then we find more proof." Tyson said "We find Emily's body. We interrogate Jasmine. We see if we can get a confession." Ryan and Kiefer glanced at each other. "Okay." Ryan said finally "Let's do it."