On The Verge

Chapter 12- Action Plan

——————Maddie——————

⠀⠀The wind ran it's long fingers through my hair, caressing it momentarily before sending it streaming behind me as I ran through the night.

⠀⠀The SOS text from Chloe had arrived just a few minutes ago, triggering my hasty escape from the window above my dresser. It was not a long walk to Chloe's house from mine, and running that distance halved the time it took me to sprint down the cement sidewalk, my feet pounding against it with my every step until I arrived at the front door of her maroon home.

⠀⠀Due to the closeness of Chloe and I's friendship, never did we knock when we entered the others home. We knew we were always welcome, and now was no exception. I let myself in through the heavy oak door and carefully crept up the steps to the second floor of the house, were Chloe's room was located. The silence of the house made my step ring out like gunshots through the tranquil atmosphere.

⠀⠀Once on the second floor, I turned left; the direction of Chloe's room. A few short moments later, I was standing in front of Chloe's door. As I turned to enter the room, a blood curdling scream erupted from the room.

⠀⠀"You scared me!" Chloe shrieked, holding a hand to her heart in shock.

⠀⠀"Sorry." I smirked. I was about to follow up with a smart remark until I saw the blood trickling freely from her right ear.

⠀⠀"Chlo, What happened?" I exclaimed worriedly, my brow knitting together.

⠀⠀She wordlessly pointed to her pillow, where a knife lay on it's surface, contrasting with the seemingly safe feel of the bed. There was a cut in the pillow, as if the knife had once been embedded in it, ready to cut anyone who laid their head down.

⠀⠀Kendall and Nia then entered the room and Chloe told the story of how the bloody wreckage of her ear came to be. Chloe's face was pale as she handed us a piece of paper. The paper had three bloodied fingerprints staining it's exterior, assumably from Chloe's crimson fingertips when she had retrieved the paper from its refuge.

⠀⠀"This is getting serious." Nia stated worriedly, voicing the most obvious of thoughts.

⠀⠀"We need to do something. We're not going to let this person walk all over us," Chloe began. "We know the person is in the Sanitarium. I say we skip school tomorrow and go talk to some of the patients. Someone must know something..."

⠀⠀I nodded slowly, considering her idea and the outcome of her last devious plan.

⠀⠀"I'm in." I decided finally. We needed to put an end to this before anyone else got hurt.

⠀⠀"Me too." Kendall spoke up.

⠀⠀"Same here." Nia confirmed.

⠀⠀We planned to meet outside the Sanitarium at 9am, the time school would normally start at. After the details were discussed, Kendall and Nia left. Leaving Chloe and I alone.

⠀⠀I helped her clean the deep gash in her ear and bandage the wound to avoid infection.

⠀⠀"I don't want to sleep here alone tonight." She admitted, her lip trembling. Her parents were out of town with Clara for the week, leaving her and her now seemingly daunting house alone.

⠀⠀"I'd stay with you, but my parents don't know I'm gone." I answered sympathetically.

⠀⠀"It's fine." She shook her head and forced strength into her voice but worry still shone in her brown eyes.

⠀⠀"First Kendall, now you." I muttered after a moment. She looked up at me, her face so innocent and scared that I reassured her; "We'll end this."

⠀⠀Chloe sighed, wanting nothing more than to believe me.