Lies In The Dark

Nothing Says 'Great Party' Like a Murder Cleanup Plan

 Miri

The bass pounded through the mansion, reverberating in my chest, but I felt distanced from it all. Too loud, too many people, and the stench of alcohol made my stomach churn. It was the perfect distraction—everyone caught up in their own world, too focused on the night to notice anything else.

I slipped through the crowd, dodging the red Solo cups and drunken laughter, finding refuge near the massive floor-to-ceiling windows. The moonlight filtered in through the glass, casting a pale glow on the floor, an odd contrast to the chaotic scene behind me. I could see everyone—Emma, Poppy, Tessa, Mel—all enjoying themselves. They were my friends, but sometimes it felt like I was just on the edge of the circle, watching from a distance.

Emma had been dragging Poppy around all night, clearly plastered, while Mel looked like she was playing the long game with Colton, their flirting bordering on obnoxious at this point. I envied them. I envied the way they seemed so carefree. I wasn't like that. Not anymore. Not since...

I shook my head, pushing the thought out of my mind. No one needed to know what went on inside my head.

I needed air. Real air, not the thick, alcohol-laden mess that filled the mansion.

Stepping outside, the cool breeze hit me like a slap in the face, waking me up from the haze that had settled over me inside. I walked toward the edge of the property, where the trees cast long, dark shadows, and let the cool night wrap around me. It was peaceful here, just the sound of the wind rustling through the trees and the distant hum of the party inside.

But even here, alone, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. That something was coming.

I glanced back at the house. Emma had disappeared again, probably off with Jake, and Poppy was nowhere to be seen either. The others were scattered—some dancing, some talking, all oblivious to the storm that was brewing.

And then, like a knife slicing through the quiet, I heard it—Emma's voice. A yell. Panic.

I froze, my heart leaping into my throat as I turned toward the sound. My legs moved on their own, carrying me back toward the house, my pulse racing. As I pushed my way through the crowd, my mind was already racing, thinking of all the possible reasons for Emma's sudden panic. But none of them prepared me for what I saw when I reached her.

Emma stood in the hallway, her face pale, her wide eyes fixed on something in the room behind her.

"Emma, what the fuck?" I called, breathless. She didn't answer. And then I saw it—the body, lying crumpled on the floor behind the couch.

Lara.

"Oh shit," I whispered, feeling the ground tilt beneath me. My stomach lurched as I stared at her lifeless form, memories flooding back all at once. Lara, with her bright smile and infectious laugh. Lara, who had been our friend. Who had disappeared without a trace.

And now she was here. Dead.

Emma turned to me, her face a mask of fear. "Miri... what do we do?" Her voice trembled, and I could see the panic rising in her eyes.

I took a step forward, my mind still struggling to process what I was seeing. Lara. After all this time. "We need to call someone," I said, my voice shaky. "The police. We need to tell someone."

"No," Emma snapped, grabbing my arm. "We can't. Not yet."

I stared at her, confused. "What are you talking about? We can't just leave her here—"

Emma's grip tightened, her eyes wild. "We don't know what happened. We need to figure it out first. If the police get involved, everything's going to fall apart."