Pretty Little Liars: The Final Lie

Shades of Millwood

Night fell upon the wooded area outside Millwood, a town scarred by its second mass murder in less than a year. The shadows seemed to whisper secrets as two senior high schoolers, Kaleigh and her boyfriend Colin, ventured hand in hand into the thick of the trees, eager to escape the horrors of the past summer.

"I can't wait for our lives after school's finally out," Kaleigh murmured, pressing her lips against Colin's.

"Maybe we should run away early then," Colin joked, awkwardly maneuvering his hands around her, trying to match her rhythm.

Kaleigh giggled, pulling him closer. In such a small town, his sense of humor was her beacon of happiness.

Their laughter was cut short by the sound of snapping branches. Footsteps. Colin quickly threw his shirt on, but as his head emerged from the collar, Kaleigh let out a blood-curdling scream.

Colin's head popped through just in time to see a masked figure with a long, scraggly brown and gray wig and a dark blue jumpsuit. Then came the piercing pain as a large knife lodged into his chest. Kaleigh's screams echoed through the forest as Colin fell, the knife swiftly withdrawn from his body. His vision blurred, and as life faded, he heard Kaleigh's desperate struggle against their attacker.

Everyone in Millwood knew who that was, yet it was impossible. The news had reported his death in a prison riot over the summer. Colin's final thoughts were a panicked repetition of the name as he left the mortal coil.

"Archie Waters."

---

The bells rang through Millwood High School, signaling the start of Senior Year. Six girls, each bearing the trauma of two mass murders, entered the school to complete their final stretch of compulsory education.

"I really hope this year will pass by quickly," Imogen remarked, scanning the other students in the halls.

"Yeah, this feels rather uncomfortable," Faran cringed, noticing two students laughing at them in a corner.

Over the summer, Wes Fitzgerald, the man who orchestrated their torment, had radicalized several students to assist in his sick game. His goal was to create a real-life horror film, with the girls as his targets. When the police raided his apartment, they discovered journals detailing his rage against his elder brother, Ezra Fitzgerald—the very man who had tried to adopt Imogen's child not long ago. Wes resented Ezra's success and the ease with which he manipulated a younger girl, while Wes struggled at a dead-end job in a movie theater.

"I really wish Karen were here," Kelly blinked, feeling insecure under the same scrutinizing looks as her friends. Karen, her twin sister, had been murdered by Archie Waters the previous year.

"Mouse!" Ash called out to his girlfriend from across the hallway, approaching with a comforting embrace and a kiss.

"Thank you, I really needed that," Mouse smiled appreciatively.

"I better go find Jen," Noa said, hoping her friend could ease the tightness developing in her gut.

"I should go find Christian too," Tabby decided, as it was his first day at their school after previously being homeschooled.

"Meet up at our table during lunch?" Imogen asked. It was a safety protocol they'd grown accustomed to.

"Sure thing," Kelly replied, echoed by the others as they parted ways.

Imogen headed to English, feeling the weight of countless eyes on her. In the back, she noticed Johnny, her summer boyfriend she had mistakenly accused of being the antagonist. She nodded slightly at him as she took her seat.

The classroom faded away as her mind drifted back to the summer's horrors. Wes and Mrs. Langsbury had gone to sickening lengths, even creating a mask of her dead mother to torment her further. Davie Adams hadn't been innocent, but the depths they sank to tarnish her legacy hurt deeply. Imogen had fought for her life against Archie, discovering her mother's role in his sister Angela's death. Though she survived, the victory was hollow, overshadowed by the new tormentors who took over the game.

A sudden announcement broke her reverie. "Can Imogen Adams, Tabitha Haworthe, and Noa Olivar come to the principal's office? Thank you."

Imogen hurried to the office, her heart pounding. In the hallway, Noa and Tabby joined her, equally anxious.

"What do you think they want?" Noa's voice trembled.

"Please don't be another Archie murder," Tabby whispered, fingers crossed.

"Nothing came up on the news blogs this morning," Imogen reassured them. She checked the news every morning, a habit born from necessity.

Inside the principal's office, they found three police officers and Mrs. Haworthe, who had taken in Imogen after her mother's death and promised Noa's mother, recovering from addiction, to support her daughter.

"Please, ladies, sit down," Principal Smithee said, but an officer with dark curly hair cut him off.

"No, this won't take long," she said, addressing the girls. "Imogen Adams, Tabitha Haworthe, and Noa Olivar, you are under arrest for the second-degree murder of Wes Fitzgerald and the bodies found near his in the woods, and for hijacking a vehicle to carry out these murders. Anything you say can and will be held against you..."

Three heartbeats pounded wildly as officers moved behind each girl, cuffing their hands. The girls let out cries as they were marched through the school grounds. Their friends—Mouse, Faran, and Kelly—watched in horror, having left class after hearing the announcement.

Mrs. Haworthe screamed, pleading with the officers, but to no avail. The doors of Millwood High slammed shut, and the three friends left behind exchanged wide-eyed looks, knowing they had to come up with a plan immediately.

---

As evening fell in Millwood, three women stepped out of a vehicle. Blonde, brunette, and black-haired, they walked arm in arm toward the dingy Red Ranch Motel. It was a far cry from their usual accommodations, but they had a mission, so residing temporarily in the shabby place would just have to do.