A Deadly Sorority (Book #1 Sorority Horrors)

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As September unfolded, the evidence of Halloween's eminent arrival could be seen in the orange-tinged leaves. The once bright and sunny days were now dark and eerie, leaving little to the imagination. 

As we lounged in the student common area, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee and the faint smell of textbooks filled the air.

"Hey guys, you know we should be shopping for our Halloween costumes right about now," Lorean announced as she glanced up from her laptop, finishing up the last of her homework.

Mark's eyes ventured up from his phone, his eyes lit up with keen interest. "That's a great idea!" He replied, "Plus, I have a big frat Halloween party I'm supposed to attend." 

"Well, let's go down to that Costume Shop at the Garden Bush Plaza downtown." Lorena's gaze shifted between Mark and me. 

"I'll tag along, but I'm unsure if I'll dress up this year," I commented. 

"Aww, c'mon. You'd be a beautiful butterfly." Lorena teased, a playful grin on her face. I giggled.

"I'd rather be anything than a butterfly. Hell, I'd be a witch before I'd be a butterfly. It just sounds so elementary."

We all rose from our seats and left the student lounge, heading down to the parking lot where Lorena had parked her car.

While I wasn't exactly thrilled about the idea of costume shopping, the thought of returning to my apartment seemed even less appealing. So, I decided to tag along with them.

Lorena slid into the driver's seat while I called shotgun. Mark slipped into the back; we were all settled in on the comfy cloth seats.

"I think I'll be Superman this year," Mark announced as he sat in the backseat, bobbing his head to the music that emanated from the speakers.

"I'm gonna be a Geek Goddess," Lorena replied excitedly.

I still didn't know what I wanted to be or if I even wanted to be anything at all. My twentieth birthday was in December, and I felt I was getting "too old" to dress up. But helping my friends shop for costumes was fun nonetheless.

"I'm not dressing up this year." I stared out of the window as Lorena drove.

Lorena quickly looked my way, "Why not?"

I shrugged, "It's not as exciting as it was when I was a kid. I feel too old now."

"You're never too old to dress up!" Mark exclaimed. "My mom still dresses up every year just to hand out candy."

As we headed into town, I spotted the Halloween Shoppe in the middle of the shopping plaza, squished between two grocery stores.

Lorena navigated her car into the parking lot.

"So, what happened to that guy you met at the bar?" Lorena's eyes honed in on me with a mischievous stare, "Did he call you yet?"

"No," I replied disappointedly.

All three of us exited Lorena's vehicle. We walked side by side, with me in the middle as we strolled across the pavement.

"Hey, what's that over there?" Mark pointed as his eyes were glued on the dumpster on the store's side.

Lorena and I both shifted our heads, gazing in the direction where Mark was pointing. A pool of red liquid was growing beneath the dumpster. Drops of red dripped from it like a leaky faucet.

"That looks like blood!" Lorena announced in a fearful tone.

I nodded. "It definitely looks like blood."

Mark made his way over to the dumpster. Lorena and I both stopped midway in our tracks, afraid of approaching the potential crime scene. Suddenly, Mark's facial expression turned to one of disgust as he placed his fingers on his nose, pinching his nostrils shut.

"Guys! It stinks so bad over here!" He announced with a plugged nose. 

Slowly, he lifted the lid of the dumpster. The metal sound creaked as it hit the wall. A woman's body came tumbling out, along with a few pieces of trash. Her skin was a dull gray, and her eyes were bulging, evidence of her death.

Lorena let out a bloodcurdling scream as she took in the devastating sight. Passersby halted in their tracks. Curious stares gazed our way and penetrated our group but seemed to be honed in on Lorena.

An elderly woman's eyes veered our way, and slowly, they shifted down to the body lying at Mark's feet. She closed her eyes, her body swaying, and then slowly fell to the ground like a deflated blow-up doll as she fainted.

Mark's eyes widened, and he shot a terrified look in my direction. "Call the cops!"

***

Police cruisers veered toward the scene in haste. Cops scattered about with flashlights in their hands, surveying the pavement and the dumpster for clues. The shopping plaza had suddenly morphed into a scene straight out of an episode from CSI.

While I was scanning the area, still in shock, a heavyset officer approached us, gripping a small notepad and pen in his hands.

"How are you kids holding up?" He inquired, squinting against the sun's rays.

"Not so good." Mark offered. "I mean, we just discovered a dead body." He replied matter-of-factly.

The officer cleared his throat, "I'm sorry you all had to witness that. I know that must've been terribly traumatic."

"To say the least," Mark added sarcastically, folding his arms in front of his chest.

"What's your name?" The officer's beady eyes peered into mine.

"Kayla," I responded firmly. "Kayla Collins."

He jotted my name down as I spoke. Then he proceeded down the line, ending with Lorena.

"You all attend Cal State Irvine?" The officer inquired.

We nodded simultaneously in confirmation.

I furrowed my brows and asked curiously, "How likely is it that the Crimson Lake Killer committed this murder?"

The officer's eyes widened as he spoke, "I can't answer that question," he stated definitively.

"Why not?" Lorena spoke up, "Isn't it obvious it's the Crimson Lake Killer?" She asked while folding her arms across her chest.

"I have no idea who committed this crime yet. An investigation, lab analysis, and autopsy must be completed first."

"Here's my card." The officer pulled a white card from his pocket and handed it to me. Peering down at it, I saw it was imprinted with the Irvine Police logo. "If you remember anything else, please give me a call." He then retrieved two more cards, handing them to Mark and Lorena.

"Will do," Mark replied.

The officer gave us a nod and stepped away.

"Please move back! We need to protect this scene!" a female investigator yelled at us.

"Let's go to the consumer store now. It looks like they don't need us anymore," I said.

Mark trailed behind me as I stepped away, with Lorena following until we were all walking shoulder-to-shoulder down the front of the plaza.

"I'm so disgusted. I don't think I want to celebrate Halloween anymore." Lorena's lips curved into a frown.

"It has to be the Crimson Lake Killer!" I declared. "There hasn't been a homicide in Irvine in over twenty years, and suddenly, bodies are popping up like dead flies sprayed with Raid on a summer's day."