A Deadly Sorority (Book #1 Sorority Horrors)

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Coach Williams pulled me aside and swiftly slid his black sunglasses up onto his forehead. His deep-set, chocolate-colored eyes bore into mine with concern and a hint of sorrow.

"Kayla, you've endured so much over these past few weeks. Are you certain you're up for this run?" he inquired.

I plastered on a confident grin. "Absolutely, Coach. Nothing can hold me back!" I replied, the optimism in my voice masking the unease that had settled within me over the past few days.

Coach Williams's smile mirrored mine. "Remarkable," he murmured, patting my back in a gesture that felt reassuring.

With a swift movement, he lowered his sunglasses back over his eyes and stepped away from the track.

Stretching my right leg forward, I positioned my foot below the starting line and mentally prepared for the race.

Adrenaline flooded my veins, and excitement surged through me.

"On your mark!" Coach Williams yelled. "Get set!" With his finger on the trigger, he pointed the starter pistol into the air and gazed our way.

Then, with a quick fire of the starting gun, we all set out on our run. Striding against the afternoon's autumn air, I ran as fast as my feet could carry me, bathing in the delicate calm winds.

Suddenly, my mind crafted an image of me running away from the Crimson Lake Killer. My speed shot up, and to my amazement, I realized I was ahead of all the other runners, including Kennedy. I kept my momentum as I broke into a sweat, swiftly running forward with the finish line in the near distance.

"Collins!" I heard the coach yell. "You did it!"

I immediately turned and gazed out into the stands. Steve was jumping up and down while simultaneously cheering and pumping his fists in the air. A loud chant of my name spread throughout the field.

"Kayla! Kayla! Kayla!"

Blushing, I smiled and made my way over to the bench, grabbing an ice-cold water bottle. Twisting the cap, I took a large swig, and the cold water drizzled down my throat and into my chest, sending a refreshing wave of relief through me.

"Excellent job, Collins!" Coach Williams complimented me with a wide-toothed smile as he stood before me, sporting a zip-up hoodie with shades still covering his eyes.

"Thanks, Coach!" I replied with a grin.

"You did absolutely amazing!" Coach Williams continued, his voice full of pride. "After everything you've been through, you still gave it your all."

I nodded, a sense of accomplishment swelling within me. "Yep, I gave it my all, Coach."

Coach Williams raised his hand for a high-five, and I eagerly slapped it, sharing a laugh with him.

"See you at the next practice," he said before trailing off to greet the other runners.

Lifting my water bottle up to my lips, I was ready to take another swig when I suddenly felt a pair of hands clamp tightly around my shoulders, sending a jolt of panic through me. My heart pounded in my chest as I froze, the hands feeling eerily familiar, reminiscent of the person who had nearly kidnapped me at the station the other day.

I quickly turned around, losing my grip on the water bottle, which spilled over onto Steve.

"Steve?!" I questioned, taken by surprise.

His eyes drifted down onto his water-soaked white t-shirt, and his smile faded into a near-frown. "I didn't mean to scare you," he said apologetically.

I sighed. "I'm sorry, Steve. When you grabbed my shoulders, I had no idea who you were. I'm still kind of recovering from the near-kidnapping incident I told you about."

Steve slapped his forehead. "I'm so sorry. I totally forgot about that." He bent his head, shamefully gazing at the pavement beneath us. "I should've never grabbed you."

"Don't worry about it, Steve," I shrugged it off, knowing Steve meant no harm. However, I wanted him to be aware of my boundaries, as I wasn't comfortable with anyone coming up to grab me since the scary encounter I had with my possible kidnapper.

"It won't happen again, I promise," Steve smiled reassuringly.

In the near distance, I spotted Kennedy heading our way.

"Congrats, Kayla!" she exclaimed with a wide smile while huffing and puffing, trying to regain her composure.

"Thanks, Kennedy!"

"You did so great out there. I'm proud of you!" Sweat dripped from her pores and trailed down her face as she smiled.

"She did awesome!" Steve chimed in.

Kennedy nodded. "I have a question for you, Kayla."

"What?" I asked, grabbing a small towel to wipe the sweat off my forehead once more.

"Rumor has it that you've agreed to be a guest on the Crime Ladies Podcast," Kennedy said, squinting against the sun's harsh rays.

"Yeah, I did," I admitted. "But I'm sort of regretting it."

"The fact that you've agreed to be a guest is not bad at all," Kennedy assured. "However, I'm really worried about their intentions and why you have to meet them at South Lake. That's horrifying!"

***

After my discussion with Kennedy about agreeing to be interviewed by the Crime Ladies Podcast in the middle of South Lake, I became more terrified of my decision. I racked my brain, contemplating the pros and cons, and realized there were more pros than cons, which made me feel a tad bit more confident. But honestly, underneath it all, I was a nervous wreck.

Putting the thought aside, I tuned in to the 6:00 PM Crime Ladies episode.

"Welcome, ladies and gents, to the Crime Ladies Podcast, your go-to for in-depth discussions on true crime stories. Nothing is off-limits here—we delve into the darkest details of each case. If you're not prepared for the intensity, consider yourself warned. Tune out now if you must, but remember, we won't hold back." An eerie breath is blown into the mic, "And don't say we didn't warn ya!"

Dunn, da-da-dun

The chilling sounds of horror emanated from the speaker of my phone, signaling the beginning of a new true crime story narrated by the Crime Ladies themselves.

"Today, we're delving into the harrowing case of the Crimson Lake Killer and their latest victim, Brianne Wilcott," Monique announced.

Brianne Wilcott?

I had never heard of her.

"Brianne met a gruesome fate, viciously murdered by a stabbing to the chest—right through her heart—and another to the abdomen. Her lifeless body was then callously dumped in a dumpster at the Garden Bush Plaza."

Oh! That's the girl we found in the dumpster.

"Tomorrow, we'll delve deeper into Brianne's tragic demise as the individual who discovered her body joins me for an exclusive one-on-one discussion. Plus, we'll uncover further details on the perplexing case of the blood inexplicably dumped on the car of Cal State Irvine student Kayla Collins."

I gulped. Tomorrow was the big day. I was slated to appear on the podcast to talk about the blood discovered on my car and the body Mark, Lorena, and I found in the dumpster. But I was having second thoughts.

As the day wore on, a sense of uneasiness began to settle in, causing seeds of doubt to sew into my mind. I began to consider canceling my appearance on the Crime Ladies Podcast as the chilling images of the Crimson Lake Killer flooded my mind.

In my mind's eye, the infamous killer loomed tall and menacing, a sadistic smirk plastered on his face as he ventured toward me with a dead body slumped over his shoulder, dripping blood. His evil gaze fixated on Monique and me as if we were mere prey waiting to be devoured.

I clenched my eyes shut and shook my head vigorously, attempting to rid the horrifying vision from my mind.

"You're gonna be fine, Kayla." I muttered, "Everything is gonna be just fine."