Detective || Scream1996 x M!reader

A killers promise

Lunch had finally arrived, and you found yourself heading toward the usual chaos of the school cafeteria. As you turned the corner, you bumped straight into Billy and Stu, who were laughing about something—probably something twisted, knowing them. Both of their gazes landed on you at the same time, and their grins widened in sync.

"Hey, man, where were you this morning?" Stu asked, his usual over-exaggerated excitement barely contained.

"Yeah," Billy added, his voice more casual but with a note of curiosity. "You usually meet us before first period."

You shrugged, trying to sound nonchalant. "Just decided to lock in today. Stay focused, you know? Had to catch up on some stuff."

It wasn't entirely a lie, but it wasn't the whole truth either. Your mind was preoccupied with the investigation you'd been piecing together, and the last thing you needed was to be distracted by their shenanigans—or worse, to let them catch on that you were starting to suspect something.

You tried to slip past them, making a move to head off on your own, but before you could take more than a couple of steps, Stu threw an arm around your waist, pulling you back. "Oh no, you're not getting away that easily, dude. We're eating lunch with the others. C'mon!"

Billy shot you a look—a mixture of amusement and something darker—but he didn't say anything. He just followed as Stu dragged you toward the lunch spot where you all gathered yesterday. You internally sighed but didn't protest. It wasn't like you had any other concrete plans for lunch.

When you arrived at the familiar spot, Tatum, Sidney, and Randy were already there, sitting in a semi-circle, munching on their lunches. Tatum gave you a wave as she leaned back against the tree, while Sidney sat quietly next to her, picking at her food.

"Hey, guys," you greeted them with a nod and a small wave, doing your best to keep things normal.

Randy scooted over slightly, making room for you next to him, so you took a seat beside him, letting out a small sigh as you set your backpack down.

"Look who finally decided to show up," Randy teased, nudging your shoulder. "Avoiding us or something?"

You shook your head, offering a smirk. "Just trying to stay out of trouble for once, Randy. You know how it is."

"Trouble follows you, man," Randy chuckled, leaning back with a grin. "Besides, you'd miss all the drama if you didn't hang out with us."

Stu, who had plopped himself down next to Tatum, started to stuff his face with chips as he joined in the conversation. "Drama? More like the highlight of the day. You gotta keep things exciting, you know?" He winked at you, and for a brief moment, you wondered if he knew more than he let on.

Billy sat down across from you, eyeing you for a second before looking at the rest of the group. "So, what's the topic of the day?" His tone was light, but there was always something about Billy that seemed to have an edge to it.

Randy immediately perked up, clearly ready to dive into more horror movie talk. "The killer, obviously! I'm telling you, it's only a matter of time before they slip up. All serial killers make mistakes eventually."

Stu leaned forward, mouth full, and tried to speak through his food, "Or maybe they're smarter than you think, huh? Maybe the killer's right under our noses."

You glanced at Billy, who was listening to Stu with that same, unnerving calm he always had. For just a second, you thought about confronting them—about asking if they knew anything more about the killings than they were letting on. But instead, you just stayed quiet, playing along with the conversation, still keeping your cards close to your chest.

After all, if your suspicions were correct, you didn't want to make any sudden moves—not yet.

You turned your head to glance behind you, half-expecting to catch someone lurking in the shadows, but there was no one. Just empty sidewalks and the soft rustle of the wind through the trees.

'Probably just nerves,' you thought, trying to convince yourself that your overactive mind was playing tricks on you.

But then you heard it—footsteps. Faint, but distinct enough to make your heart race. You stopped in your tracks, blood pumping louder in your ears. Slowly, you turned around, ready to confront whoever was tailing you...but again, nothing. Just air.

"Okay, this is ridiculous," you muttered to yourself, trying to shake off the paranoia.

You picked up your pace, practically speed-walking now, determined to get home as quickly as possible. But just as you crossed a particularly isolated part of the street, the footsteps returned—this time louder, closer.

Before you could turn around, you felt an arm wrap around your neck from behind, the force yanking you off your feet and pulling you into a brutal chokehold.

"Mmgh!" you grunted, your hands immediately going to the arm constricting your throat. You struggled, clawing at the vice-like grip around your neck, trying to pry yourself free.

"Shh...easy there, cupcake," a voice whispered in your ear, sending a chilling wave of dread down your spine.

You knew that voice.

"I told you we'd meet again," the voice continued, a sinister lilt to his tone as he loosened his hold just enough to let you breathe.

You gasped for air, trying to wrench yourself away from him, but his grip was too strong. You were almost free, your fingers had nearly slipped under his arm, but just as you thought you'd break away, he switched tactics.

The arm around your neck shifted, and in the blink of an eye, he pulled a knife from somewhere in his coat.

Before you could react, before you could shout or call for help, the knife plunged into your stomach with brutal precision.

The pain hit you like a freight train, sharp and overwhelming, stealing the breath from your lungs. Your knees buckled beneath you as your hands instinctively went to the wound, warm blood quickly seeping through your fingers.

"See?" he whispered, his voice dripping with mock affection as he leaned in closer. "I told you we'd see each other soon, cupcake. Did you miss me?"

You groaned in agony, trying to push him away, but your strength was fading fast. The knife twisted slightly in your gut, sending fresh waves of pain radiating through your body.

"Don't worry," the voice continued, almost soothing now. "This is just a warm-up. We've got plenty of time to play later. Just think of this as a little...reminder."

You groaned again due to the pain "Shh, shh," he whispered, almost mockingly. "You're tougher than I thought, hotstuff. I would love to see how much more you can take."

Tears blurred your vision, pain radiating through every nerve in your body. You tried to fight, to push him off, but your body was growing weaker by the second, blood soaking your shirt and dripping onto the ground.

The killer leaned in closer, his breath hot against your ear. "Remember...I always keep my promises. "See you soon, cupcake."

With one final twist of the knife, he pulled it out, As your vision blurred and your legs gave out, he let go, allowing you to crumple to the ground.

You turned around to see who the attacker is but all you saw as the silhouette of your attacker, retreating into the shadows, his laughter echoing in your ears.