TILL YOU COME BACK HOME: somethin's in the water. (Book one)

CHAPTER ONE: GLOOMY, GLOOMY TOWN.

UNEDITED.
In the cold night glow, unusual for a small town like Carmel Indiana, was a mystery, another  story longing to be. If you turned through the soft forest claimed town — onto tender roads and gentle night air — onto the cozy street, claimed Carmel - By - The - Sea. Towards a flower caressed garden and a pretty white house, towards hidden memories. Towards loyal friends, a popular round - town band, a daring 'n trepidation filled life. What would you find? Who would you find; Malora Lune. A story through that life, through that band and through those friends — a story through that house, through that garden and on that street .. through tender roads, through that soft forest - covered town. A story, beautiful yet melancholy, simply waiting to be told.
Waves crashed over rushing water as miss mysterious Malora Lune stretched her tired limbs.
"My god.." she glared at her alarm clock. It reeked of the rotting, pungent scent - "too early". She threw her bed covers aside, carefree. It was misty and warm outside, the orange glow from the sun cascaded down onto the house.
"HEYYY! MALORA! GET OUT HERE!!" Steven Criss, her best friend yelled, singsonging. She could hear him from her upstairs window. She snickered, knowing that Stevie must have annoyed her other friends poorly. She opened her window.
"I'm comin'!" She yelled back. Chief Dave Lune popped into her room. He looked around for a second; as every concerned dad does for their teenage daughter.
"Good morning to you to, child." He sighed and laughed.
"Have you eaten yet? I'm assuming Isbell brought you something. That boy is amazing, I tell ya. Almost more amazing than me." He moved his shoulder length hair to the side.
"He probably did, and honestly Bailey probably nagged him about it too." Another laugh from her dad.
"Good, good. I love you. Now go get ready girl, unless you want angry friends and a tardy."
"Yeah yeah, love you too dad."

As soon as Malora threw on her signature bellbottoms and a random sleeveless band shirt, she dashed towards the dark blue Camaro camping in front of her house. Steven had his fluffy, blonde head of long hair sticking out the roof window. He was waving with that big big smile as always, the one with all teeth and all gum. She smiled back - also waving back, as always. Jumping over the car door, she sloppily kissed Duffley's cheek. Duff smiled, turning on "Everybody Wants To Rule The World" by Tears For Fears.
Malora Lune, Isbell "Izzy" Ringo, Bailey Romacle, Seth Ryland, Duffley "Duff" MacLaven, and Steven Criss. They were an absolute family, a force to be reckoned with. Malora loved them with all of her heart, but of course, they felt the same.
The group passed through the warm town, basking in the orange glow. They passed 'The Ivy', Mrs. Ringo's flower shop, they greeted her and waved. Decorated in fringy purple flowers and sparkling roses - the shop always felt like home. Like 'The BathBun Tea Shoppe', and the Record Shop nearby, they were all some of Malora's favorite places to be. Suddenly a yank on her dark brown hair pulled her back into reality.
"What the fuck?" she glared at Bailey as he cackled.
"We're here, space cadet," He teased and jumped out of the car. She groaned loudly.
"DUFF! Duffley! Why would you leave me with .. them ?!"Amoura MacLaven yelled, running up to the gang of six. She thrust her thumb behind her, showing Billy, Frankie, and Gus, who followed close behind her.
        "All the Maclaven's, that's so cute." Seth cooed, teasing Amoura. She scowled. Malora immediately took her best friend into an arm wrap.
        "Well sorry, Moura, I had to pick these guys up, you know the drill. Who knows where they'd be without me." Duff muyed his head back, referring to the remaining four standing behind him.
        "Could've taken me." Amoura mumbled.
    Annette Bakersfield appeared and slapped Malora on the back, grinning softly. Malora couldn't blame the eyes following them through the hallway.
"Repay me with a chocolate milkshake?" Amoura said, her fuzzy purple sweater touching Malora as she talked.
"..Fuckin' fine."
He did end up repaying her with that milkshake, twice.

Malora plucked at her guitar, running her fingers over the fine navy blue paint. Steven was carding his soft fingers through Izzy's hair.
"Guys," Seth started, "We should totally go to the pool this weekend, it'd be slammin'." Malora shrugged.
"I honestly think that would be nice. Ooh - with the kids, and the rest of the group too?" Steven rambled, bouncing up with newfound excitement. Seth nodding in agreement. Steven looked over at Izzy for approval, for some reason.
"I don't see why not." Izzy murmured.
Steven looked over at Duff's painting, smiled. Ax stood up, grabbing his old record player
"Duff, that's really good. You jive around painting all the time or what? There's no way I could EVER be that good." Steven giggled. Duff's skillful hands created a red galaxy, full of dazzling stars and misty red clouds. It was entrancing — mesmerizing, even. Malora tilted her head. She'd felt like she had seen such a place before —
"Oh, well, y'know those crazy physic people that have visions or whatever?" Duff started. Steven nodded attentively, and it was at that point that Izzy started listening in.
    "I had a dream about this place and it was too beautiful to just . . Forget." Duff replied — wrenching Malora out of her thoughts.
Izzy decided to turn on the TV, his reasoning being that he was "bored as fuck, leave me to it". He switched to a news channel that no one was paying attention to. Seth was too busy beating Duff over the head with a pillow, and Ax and Steven were too busy arguing about Steven's drumming pattern.
"Three hours ago, Carmel was shocked with another vile act. A murder. Sixteen year old Carol Perkins, found at Reanden beach, mutilated. Ripped apart. Now, police say Perkin's injuries were very similar to —"
Ax perked his head up, scrunching his face together with discomfort. Steven and Duff shared a look.       
    "What the hell? Can you turn that off?" Malora rose her eyebrow, Seth nodding in agreement. Izzy did not.
    "—another case that goes way back ... it has been sixty three years since that horrifying day of Hancock Coutu's death."
    "Izzy." Duffs voice intervened.         
    "The good news is police do not think this murder is related to the gruesome crime. Meanwhile, down at Jameso—"
    "IZZY!" Duff and Malora both exclaimed. The reporter's shaken voice was cut off by Izzy. He turned off the TV, facing everybody's wide eyes.
    "Sorry, sorry. That was my fault." Izzy exhaled — moving beside Steven.
"Jesus fucking christ ... and Carol? Why Carol of all people? Everyone loves her. Actually, I do think — did think she was kinda annoyin'." Ax exhaled. Malora, standing behind him, was showing the same shock.
"Why would someone — okay Ax, she was annoying, sure, but not annoying to the killing extent! No one is annoying to the killing extent!"
    "Except for that damned Chris Hargenslut." Seth chimed in.
"Whoever did this, maybe they did it to scare people. To make people think that kid's killer is back or somethin'." Duff voiced as he bit his fingernails. Steven shrugged, seeming unbothered.
"It happened years ago. It's not very relevant now. Carol ... she ... her death is. Well, Anyway, I'm sure my ma would want me back at this point .. I'm gonna head out." He said, showcasing his bright smile again.
"Me too. We should all get home. Bails, do you wanna sleep at mi - " The redhead cut Malora off, shaking his long mane.
"I'm good. Don't want to make my mother worried or anything," She nodded.
"So uh ... the pool date." Seth said whilst packing up. "Are we still doing it?" He looked up. They all nodded, deciding collectively.
"Okay then. We can tell everyone at school tomorrow or something." Izzy shrugged.
"What about tomorrow night? It's Thursday so I could pick everyone up, Malora could use her car for the other half of the group?" Duff said, peeking through his curtain bangs. Once again, they all agreed.

"I hate you. I really really hate you." Amoura spat out to Duff, who was so obviously dying of laughter next to Malora.
"Don't focus on Bailey squeezing you to death, focus on the putrid granny suit that you're wearing to the pool today!" Malora laughed, putting her seatbelt on and pulling out a cigarette. Amoura gasped playfully.
"Granny suit?! Really, Lora?!"
School passed by in a blur, as did Malora and Mandy Petondrie's daily lunch argument. Olyvia Smith, Cristopher (Cris) Rockwood, William Johnson, Ellie Montgomery, Frankie MacLaven and Chase Lune sauntered into the lunch room. Malora and her older friend Sidney Hawke referred to them as 'the satanic panic group.' Them and a bunch of other friends were coming over to the local pool, which was actually very packed for a late Friday night. Malora looked up at the stars, looking back around. The world was filled with laughter and fun — plus, pretty women gawking at the damn lifeguards (who were NOT at all hotshots). Unfortunately, one of those lifeguards intensely stared down poor little Frankie, making Duff and Billy cause a whole scene. Expected — Duff and Billy seemed to always be protective over their siblings. Especially Amoura — as they saw her as helpless little angel. Malora smirked. Being Amoura's best friend came with its perks, including knowing that Amoura was nothing short of Lucifer HIMSELF. Everyone started jumping into the pool, screaming and laughter wove through the air. Annette — Anna, per say, was busy forcing one of their friends onto a huge ass slide, while another girl was laughing. The satanic panic gang of children were terrorizing other kids, parents came over and scowl. Duff shuddered at their sour - pinched faces. This was the way of life, and no one in Carmel wanted it any other way. Too swept up with her daydreams, Malora felt a soft fleeting touch to her arm.
"Hey, Sweetheart, why don't you try the diving board?" Duff grinned evilly.
"Funny. There is NO WAY on earth I'm doing that, you're so far outta sight man," Malora shivered. A flimsy piece of bouncy plastic launching her into a fourteen foot deep pool? Not very appealing.
Before the dark haired girl could say anything else, the light haired boy picked her up, ignoring her screams of fear and joy. He giggled, an unnaturally adorable sound for such a .. trepid situation. She tried yanking on his long hair, but of course, the giraffe incarnation didn't react in the slightest.
"PUT ME DOWN RIGHT NOW AND MAYBE, JUST MAYBE, YOU WONT GET THE BEATDOWN OF YOUR LIFE!" Malora screamed, Amoura and Gus laughed as Duff ran past them with the girl in his clutches.
"You can kill Izzy, this was his idea," Duff remarks, hoisting Malora up the ladder onto the diving board. She stared into the clear water below, almost not being able to see the bottom.
"Duff." She let out a strangled noise. His amused smile turned into a deep frown.
"Hey hey hey, Lora, if you don't want to do this then you don't have to. I thought you were just - never mind it, come on." Duff started to pick her up again, attempting to let her down. She stopped him and gave him a sudden mischievous smile. He raised his eyebrow. Whenever she smiled that .. that abomination of a smile ... as he liked to say, she was up to something. Nothing good ever came out of that something.
"I'm gonna do it." She smirked. Duff laughed and stepped back.
"....Do it. Do it. Do it! Do it! Do it!" He started to chant. Everyone chanted along with him, over the course of a minute. Malora laughed loudly
"Okay, okay!" She took a deep breath, stepped back, and jumped.
Her body hit the water. She sprawled into the water, squealing with obscene excitement and unease. To her elegiac surprise, she did not land in a clear - watered pool. She was thrown into a black void, reminiscing upon  She opened her eyes and silently screamed.
She was thrown out into a body of water, waves crashing over her.
She gasped for air as she came up.
It was dark, stormy, and the sky seemed to be a shade of purple.
Purple lighting cracked across the darkening sky as she came across that notation.
She looked around just as sparkling purple clouds flashed with a glowing light.
It would be classified as beautiful, if only she wanted to be there.
Something out of the corner of her eye started to move towards her.
Confused, she slowly turned her head.
She screamed.

This harrowing scream crossed the waters of the pool.
Everyone was still laughing, cheering even, but Duff stepped closer to the edge of the pool after a minute. Malora hadn't come back up - and as he looked into the water, there was no trace of her. Worry flashed across his pretty features as he jumped into the water.
Their friends started to slowly realize something was wrong. Duff swam through the water with his eyes open - a cool trick he loved to show off - that was being put to use. Nothing. Not a single thing.
He started to panic, coming back up. It couldn't be. You don't jump into a pool and disappear into thin air, it does not happen. It cannot happen. Everyone started coming closer to the pool.
"SHE - SHE - " Duff stumbled upon his words. The boy was aghast, in despair.
"HELP! SHE'S GONE, SHE'S GONE! SHE IS GONE!"