When 17-year old Scarlett Adair is found dead, having been brutally attacked with an axe, at a house party, the local police find themselves in over their heads. Now, nearly a year has passed and no new leads have been discovered and they have no su...
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Song of the Chapter: Dear Reader- Taylor Swift
6 MONTHS BEFORE THE MURDER...
Carly lay weakened in the hospital bed, haunted by the doctor's words. "Get her off the alcohol and get her to eat something otherwise her organs will shut down and she will die." It had been three days since the last time Carly had eaten. Three days of her life where all she did was drink alcohol and cry for hours on end, locked away in her room. Her parents' concern had grown to the point where they thought it necessary to bring her to the ER, and according to the doctors, it was the right call. Carly's behavior had spiraled out of control and this wasn't an isolated incident. She had been doing things like that for months.
Of course, her parents' concern, for the most part, was just to cover their reputations. So, as any good image-obsessed parental figure would do, Adelaide decided it would be best to send Carly to a juvenile rehab center without anyone's knowledge. As far as the other residents of Harborough were concerned, Carly was off visiting relatives in Spain.
Or she would be. But as she lay in the bed, she dreaded her future. A "juvenile rehab center in the mountains" as her mother had described it, didn't sound very pleasant to Carly. But knowing her mother, she didn't have many options and so off to the rehab center she went.
~~~~~~
Carly's heart raced as she headed down the hallway. The only thing on her mind was making sure Winter and Pierce couldn't confront her. Luckily, the next bell would be ringing in about twenty minutes and the girl's restrooms were right there at the corner. Pierce couldn't enter and no one in their right mind would confront someone while they were actively using the restrooms.
She dashed inside before Winter or Pierce could see where she'd gone. As she sat on the bathroom floor, the reality of what she'd witnessed sunk in. What if they killed Scarlett?! Her thoughts swirled inside her head like a tornado. Could Winter be capable of that? What if Pierce did it? Would Winter still be involved? Could she? The only things she could think were unanswerable questions.
She closed her eyes tight and hoped for it all to go away. For it to be some sick dream and she'd wake up soon. Luck was never on Carly's side, though. And soon enough there was a pounding on the bathroom door.
~~~~~~
Upon arrival, Carly noticed the cold atmosphere of the center. From the outside, it looked like a prison, or an institute for the criminally insane. Something out of a cheesy crime movie. The walls were dark grey with large windows. At least there was a source of natural light, unlike a prison. However, it appeared that the windows were only near doors and the room she'd be staying in would have small windows, if any.
She was greeted by a man who appeared to be somewhere in his twenties. He introduced himself as Carlos and led her inside. The inside of the building was much different than what she had expected. It looked halfway between a therapist's office and a school. Maybe it wouldn't be that bad after all.
