Everyone for Themselves

Chapter 17

February 3rd, 1991

Chapter 17-

"SERENITY! NATALIE!"

That was the only voice that could be heard as Trevor and Reed sprinted back up the path, certain that either Serenity or Natalie... Or both... Had been murdered. But maybe they could CATCH the murderer. Or maybe it was one of the girls...

"SERENITY! NATALIE!" The two boys called their names over and over again, until they reached the girl's dorm.

"Come on!" Reed yelled as he started to run inside.

"Dude! Wait!" Trevor shouted and grabbed Reed's shirt collar, pulling him back harshly. "That's not where the gunshot was!"

"Then where WAS it?!" Reed countered hysterically.

"Over there." Trent pointed towards a vast copse that looked like no one had been in for a while, but of course, it was night, and, on top of that, also very hard to tell whether someone has walked inside a group of trees, anyway. They dashed inside it without hesitation, bursting through the small opening that the girls stood in. And gasped at what they saw.

Two girls were lying dead on the ground, and one was holding a gun, still pointing it at the dead bodies, breathing hard, as if the prospect of killing two people was either exciting or terrifying for her. But although one of the dead girls was, in fact, Natalie... The other was NOT Serenity. No, Serenity held the gun. The other dead girl was tilted so that the two startled boys could not see her face. Raising their arms as if in surrender, Trevor and Reed backed up against the trunk of one of the trees.

"Serenity... Are you-?"

"No!" she gasped, dropping the gun. "I swear, I'm not the murderer! She... She ATTACKED us!" Serenity pointed towards the dead girl that they couldn't see. "With a knife! She killed Natalie... But... The one item I brought with me was..."

"The gun?!"

"Well... Yeah..." This took Trevor and Reed by surprise. Why would Serenity, the poised, beautiful, angelic-like girl bring a GUN to the island? "It was my dad's," Serenity admitted softly. "I knew I'd need some protection, and... I did." she gestured towards the girls again. "But when she killed Natalie, I... I took out my gun, and..."

"Yeah... We know," Trevor said quietly. "You killed her."

Serenity nodded, silent tears streaming down her face. They stood in complete silence for a moment, both boys taking in the story they had just heard. Did they think it was true? Of course they did.

Suddenly Reed's eyes lit up. "Wait... So if she attacked you... Could she have been the murderer?"

Serenity gasped. "Maybe!" she chirped, clapping her hands excitedly.

"But if she WAS the murderer... Who is she?" Trevor asked curiously.

"Oh, you don't know?" Serenity asked in surprise.  

And she walked over to the body... And slowly turned the head so the boys could see her...

"Quint?!"

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Trent's Comments: This has been a riot, let me just say that. But SERENITY? Bring a GUN? Oh dear... Doesn't she know that's cheating?