Burning Fury

XXI

The last day of the fair brought a parade and fireworks. We spent the whole day riding rides, only taking a break for the parade, then we were back at it. We recreated the first picture we took with each other from eight years earlier and all posted it to Instagram, tagging Gavin and Houston in the spots we left open for them. The day was slowly turning into night and we parted from the rides to get some food and find a place to watch the fireworks. We crowded into the back of Ryder's truck and settled in. The fireworks started with a loud bang and I leaned back against the cab, staring up into the sky.

We were about twenty minutes into the show when something launched over the side of the truck and landed at our feet.

"Who's there?" Ryder asked, earning a few weird looks from people around us. We looked all around the truck but spotted no one lurking.

"Guys." Callum's voice sounded like he'd seen a ghost.

In his hand was a black envelope with silver calligraphy on front. It was addressed to The Breakfast Club again. We watched as Callum carefully ripped it open and he began to read.

"Since you did not heed my request to attend a party the last time, I'll try once more with this fair warning: if you do not attend, your families will begin to feel my wrath. Beginning with Clover's beloved father. I eagerly await your presence."

The fireworks cracked over our heads, but we stared at Callum, expecting more.

"That's it. Besides the address of the party."

"Do we go?" Niko asked.

"Of course we go, Niko! He's going to hurt my dad!"

"Okay, calm down. How do we know it's true?"

"He's been in my house, guys. If he can do it around the alarms, he can do it with my dad home. Sure, my dad is a big guy, but if you catch anyone off guard you'll have the upper hand. Not to mention, we don't know what we're dealing with. It could be some huge giant of a man."

"Okay, Clover. I think your imagination is getting the best of you," Griffin said.

"I'm sorry, but I'm going with or without you. I'll walk if I have to. I'm not knowingly going to put my dad in this psycho's sights."

"Okay, we'll go," Callum said. "We aren't letting you go alone."

We jumped out of the bed of the truck and got in the cab. When Ryder started his truck, we got a chorus of complaints as the noise split through the night, but everyone quickly went back to watching the firework show. We pulled out of the fairgrounds and made our way towards the edge of the county. Just before the county changed into the next one, we turned left and continued on a gravel road.

We turned into a driveway that disappeared in the trees and went maybe one hundred yards before the road ended. Ryder turned off the truck and the headlights cut out, the ink black darkness falling around us. It was silent as we listened to the truck cool down.

"Now what?" Ryder whispered.

"I guess we walk," Griffin answered.

We piled out of the truck and gathered together at the front. I reached out and found Ryder's hand in the darkness, grasping it hard as if I would lose him.

"Okay, the GPS says to keep going this way. It's about a ten minute walk."

We walked slowly through the woods, following Ryder, hardly daring to breathe.

"Either I'm going insane, or I see lights up there," Emily finally said, breaking the silence and pointing just in front of us.

"No, I see it too," I answered.

Ryder put his phone away, the glow from it disappearing, allowing us to see the lights better.

"Is-Is that a cabin?" Griffin asked, tripping over a stick on the ground.

"A cabin in the woods. How pretentious." I could hear Niko's eye roll.

"Who's knocking on the door?" Emily asked. One by one, they all touched their fingers to their noses. I sighed.

We walked up to the cabin together. The windows were boarded up but we could see a soft light shining through. Ryder squeezed my hand twice, essentially giving me the courage to raise my free hand and knock. The door swung open as if the person behind it were waiting right there for our knock.

I felt my jaw drop at the same time Ryder stiffened beside me.

"Alice?!"