the EDGE OF THE KNIFE [original]

chapter twelve

Lily runs out of the room, frantically.

"Kim?! Rory?! Casey?!" She looks around, breathing heavily as she spots Casey leaving the bathroom with Anna. She runs over to her, grabbing her hand and carrying her away.

"Hey! I was just about to get some really good weed."

Lily ignores her, hyperventilating. "Something's wrong with James, he's like...bleeding from his head. I think he's-"

Casey's smile drops. "Wait, what? Do you think?... Wait here, man!" Casey comes back to Lily, a very real ax from a wall in the corridor in her hand.

"What the hell is that?" Casey frowns, lifting it up slightly so she can see it.

"Isn't it obvious?" Talia enters the house, moving to the microphone. She taps it and the feedback catches everyone's attention.

"Hello, everyone! We are currently out of beer, someone put a beer bottle in my tire, and I am freezing my ass off, so...I'd recommend leaving because I don't know how cold it's gonna get when the air cuts off." There are annoyed and frustrated protests, making Talia roll her eyes.

"No! Ya know what? Get out! All of you, like I'm so serious. Now! This is my house, y'all aren't arguing with me in my house."

Lily pulls Casey over into the hallway as other kids push past them to leave.

"You too, Cassidy! Buh bye!" The boy she was speaking to on the couch flipped her off, leaving through the door. Once everyone is gone, she moves further into the house.

Lily and Casey exit into a bathroom, and she clasps both of Casey's shoulders.

"We have to tell Talia about this right?" Casey nods with a face that says "no shit.".

"Ok, well...this is bad..." They move in front of Greg's door.

"I'm gonna find Kim and Rory so we can get the fuck out of here. Just...don't go in there, okay?" Casey curtly nods, not following Lily as she ventures down the hallway. It's obvious she's about to disobey her, so she walks into the room.

James is still lying there, motionless. Casey puts her hand on her chest, shaking her head sadly.

"RIP James."

Her eyebrows raise in curiosity as she stares at the bottom of the bed.

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Lily looks through every other room in the house for them, before finding Talia's room. She tries to open it, but it's locked. Rory notices the lock moving as Kim is under the covers. At the sound of the knocking, Kim rises from the covers and looks at Rory who groans.

She rises from the bed, quickly puts on her clothes, and walks towards the door. Kim sighs, crawling off of the bed and onto the floor for her clothes. Rory opens the door annoyed, and notices how frantic Lily seems.

She frowns, looking at her friend with wary eyes. She looks into the hallway, noticing how empty it is now. "Hey, what's wrong?" Lily shakes her head, sighing as she attempts to breathe steadily.

"It's James, he's dead, I-"

This makes Kimberly look up as Rory looks over at her, shocked.

"What?!"

"I-I don't know what happened, but we were...ya know, and he just froze. Like...there's I don't know how but he couldn't have gotten shot in the head, because I would've heard it, but he was bleeding. And we need to go...now."

Kimberly's eyes widened.

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Casey kneels by the side of the bed tilting her head slowly as she looks under it.