Riptide

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟐 : 𝐓𝐀𝐊𝐄 𝐌𝐘 𝐖𝐇𝐎𝐋𝐄 𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄 𝐓𝐎𝐎

Daisy approached the common room, a quizzical look crossing her features. "What happened?" She asked, a freckled brunette. The girl's trembling hand, pointed to the body sitting on the couch, Daisy raised an eyebrow at first confused, then understanding what was happening. The girl had been killed.

Her head lolled back on the couch as if she was sleeping or relaxing, but instead it was from the wire deeply embedded in her throat, blood had dried around the wound, leaving a deep red mess. The girl's eyes were open, blood vessels burst in them. But, to Daisy, the most chilling part of it was the note pinned to her body.

" He is back . . . "

Daisy feels the bile rise up in her throat, leaving an acidic taste in its wake, she shakes her head, making her way over to the body, she carefully unclips the note from the girl's tattered clothing. Leaning forward, she closes the girl's eyes, pausing to tuck a piece of ash blonde hair behind her ear, she gives her fellow Ravens an exasperated look.

" Don't just stand around and act stupid, we should be calling security or um I don't know, trying to give this girl some dignity in her death. . . "

She shook her head and gave a small annoyed huff, then she turned to Max, who was carrying a load of books, " Max, please fetch me some clean clothes for this girl and a wet towel... she shouldn't be left like this, it's inhumane. "

Max nods and hands his books over to the Raven captain, before heading into the girls dormitory, slightly surprising Daisy when he heads into her dorm room.

" Great, my roommates dead... " she mutters under her breath, drawing a slight look from the freckled brunette. Who gives a weak wave.

"Actually I'm your roommate and I would say it's lovely to meet you, but due to these circumstances it's not a good time. '' Hayley said, turning back towards the girl. A sad look crossing her features, she starts blinking fast, alarming Daisy who moves towards the girl.

"Sorry, it's just Maya used to be my roommate and when she went missing, well we all just hoped that maybe she was taking a break from school, or had to start late. She told us, she wanted to support her family... w-we," she took a slight shaky breath, wiping her eyes before continuing, "never assumed she would have been murdered, why would someone do this to her?" She was a great person..." Hayley swallowed and this time couldn't quite contain her emotions, a sob broke loose.

The Raven captain, who Daisy yet had to be introduced to, went and put his arms around Hayley, drawing her close to him and rubbing her back, offering words of comfort.

Daisy nodded sympathetically towards Hayley, before turning back to the girl, well no not the girl. But Maya, her name was Maya. She swallowed hard as she looked at her, the wire had been cut deep into her neck, almost as if someone had let her go, then only to pull the wire back into her throat. . . a cruel game, almost giving someone the chance to breathe, but then taking it away. Someone's idea of a sick game, the girl's clothes were torn and muddy, looking as if she had been dragged through the sewers. Her face swollen on one side, the capillaries in the eyes burst.. This hadn't been a quick death, this had been a long, agonizing death, drawn out for someone else's amusement.

Max slightly out of breath, ran up towards Daisy, handing her the items she requested, she gave him a small smile and a quick, "Thanks."Before once again, turning to Maya and cleaning her up, just like she had her mother two years ago, almost as if in a dream, Daisy started to think about that day.

------

It had been raining that day, that's the first detail Daisy always remembered, the rain. Almost as if nature had known what was going to happen. Daisy and her father had gone out to grab some groceries, mom had promised to make their favorite food, chicken fajitas but they had to gather the groceries. Daisy stared out the window, watching the rain pour down, rainy days always made her happy.

Daisy's father made a left turn, then pulled into the driveway. Mr. Everhart turned to his daughter,

"Mind grabbing the groceries ?" He asked.

Daisy smiled and got out of the car, " Yeah no problem. " She hummed as she grabbed the cloth bags and headed inside, confused as her father stood as still as a statute in the living room, his face an ashy grey.

"What, what's happened papa!" Daisy grabbed her fathers arm, gasping at the sight laid before them.

Her mother sat in the rocking chair, motionless, Elvis playing "I can't help falling in love with you. " In the background, Daisy shook her head, unable to comprehend the sight before her. A gruesome smile had been poorly carved onto her face, distorting her features, her neck was brutally massacred, a silver wire cut deep through the neck, severing the tendons. And a single note left on her body.

" He is back. . . "

Daisy's hands trembled, her lip quivered, she stood imobile as her father screamed, a guttural broken sound, the sound of a man, who had lost one of the best things.

Daisy was shaken out of her daydreams as Max gently nudged her with his hand, pointing out the security guards who had come to take the body away, she gave a small apologetic gesture towards the security, then moved back to stand by Max, a tremble running through her body, it was happening again. He was back and this time he wasn't leaving.