Murdera

Chapter 9: Where darkness Fall

Indie turned to Elijah, her eyes narrowing. "Why did your news company assign you to follow me?"

Elijah licked his mint ice cream, unfazed. "You're the news of the city, weirdo. Everyone wants to know about you, what you're doing...there's been rumors that you've left your uncle's home and no one knows your whereabouts."

Just then Ryder slurred, "You didn't even ask what information I have, guess you don't want it."

Indie replied, "Oh, I forgot about that. What is it?"

Ryder held out his hand, "Ten pounds."

Indie refused, "No way."

Ryder persisted, "The information would be helpful for you."

Indie just pulled out her knife, and Ryder immediately backed off, "Woah, chill... Okay, then at least five pounds."

Indie raised the knife slightly, and Ryder quickly reduced the price, "One pound."

Indie handed over the money, and Ryder revealed, "I told you it was a bracelet with a red stone, right? Actually, it was blue."

Emma accused, "Looks like you intentionally said it was red to get money from her."

Ryder shrugged, "Maybe, maybe not."

Indie stared intensely at Ryder, who defended himself, "No, no, it wasn't intentional."

Then, Indie turned to Elijah and demanded, "Give me your camera."

Elijah handed it over, and Indie scrolled through the photos until she found one taken at the tavern. Emma asked, "What happened?"

Indie showed them the photo, and Ryder joked, "Eww, man, why do I look like that?"

Indie zoomed in on the corner of the photo, revealing a hand wearing a blue stone bracelet. The group realized that the person was sitting opposite Elijah at the same table where he had taken Indie's photo. All eyes turned to Elijah, filled with a mix of surprise and suspicion.

Elijah smiled, his dimples deepening, and asked, "What's going on?"

Indie's eyes narrowed, "Who is this?" She pointed to the hand in the photo.

Elijah shrugged, "How could I know?"

Indie pressed him, "Tell me, who is this? Who is this friend of yours?"

Elijah's smile faltered, "Friend? I don't know what you're talking about. I don't know him."

Indie's gaze intensified, "Don't lie. You took this photo, didn't you?"

Elijah explained, "The table was empty, except for this guy. It was the only vacant table near you, so I sat down and took the photos."

Indie's voice was firm, "You know how he looks, don't you?"

Elijah hesitated, "I...I didn't look at his face. I was focusing on getting the shot."

The group exchanged skeptical glances, unsure if Elijah was telling the truth. Indie's eyes remained fixed on him, her expression unreadable.

Indie took a deep breath and warned, "Don't lie, you've been suspicious from the moment I met you."

Elijah snapped, "Why are you threatening me, weirdo? You've been getting on my nerves from the beginning."

He stood up, ice cream in hand, and said, "I can't stand here anymore. I have things to do."

Indie was furious, but Emma caught her arm, "Let it be, Indie. Just relax."

Indie struggled against Emma's grip, "Let it be? No way! How could this kid disrespect me like that?"

Ryder chimed in, "Kid? He's a year older than you, girl. He was our senior in school."

Indie's and Emma's eyes widened, "What? Him? I've never seen or heard of him before."

Ryder explained, "We met at a school program about computers and hacking. We became friends, but I failed miserably. He was a total nerd, but a genius."

Indie raised an eyebrow, "So he's a hacker too? Then I shouldn't let him out of my sight."

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Indie crept through the dimly lit room, her eyes adjusting slowly to the darkness. She had told Ryder and Emma to wait outside, promising to call if anything went wrong. The air was thick with the smell of dust and decay.

As she moved deeper, she stumbled upon a tangled mess of wires and cables. Her heart racing, she slowly made her way through the maze, her grip on the rod tightening.

Suddenly, a faint noise came from the corner, where the shadows seemed to writhe like living things. Indie's senses went on high alert. She edged closer, her breath caught in her throat.

Just as she turned the corner, Elijah sprang out, a cooking pan clutched in his hand. But when he saw Indie, he froze, his eyes wide with surprise. "You weirdo? You scared me! I thought it was...someone else."

Indie's gaze narrowed. "How pathetic. Hiding with a pan. And you are calling me a weirdo?"

Elijah shrugged, lowering the pan. "You could have at least called out my name. I would have come. But it's scary when you come in breaking the doors..."

Indie's eyes flashed. "I didn't break it. The door was already open."

Before she could continue, a wooden object crashed down on her head, sending her crashing to the floor. Pain exploded through her skull, and her vision blurred. She struggled to breathe, her chest heaving, as dizziness washed over her.
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Indie's world went dark as the wooden object struck her from behind. She felt herself falling, her body crumpling to the ground. As she struggled to remain conscious, she heard the sound of scuffling feet, Elijah's grunts, and muffled screams.

The noises grew fainter, fading into the distance like whispers in the wind. Indie's vision blurred, her thoughts disjointed. She tried to call out, but her voice was trapped in her throat.

Elijah's voice echoed in her mind, "You Bastards, get away!"

The words grew distant, indistinct, as Indie's consciousness slipped away. She felt herself being pulled into a dark abyss, unable to resist. The last thing she remembered was Elijah's desperate cry before everything went black.
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