The Devil In Disguise

Murder In a Small Town

Gianina Holloway had never been one to enjoy mornings. The light slipping through the sheer curtains of her bedroom felt intrusive, as if the day was already demanding more than she could handle. She groaned, rolling over to bury her face into the plush pillow her parents had bought her for her last birthday. It still smelled faintly of lavender, just one more reminder of them—though they'd been gone for a while now.

She stretched and reached for her phone. The screen lit up with the usual messages and notifications—nothing out of the ordinary at first glance. The normal morning chatter from her friends, a few unread emails from college admissions. But then one headline stopped her cold.

Murder in a Small Town: First in 25 Years

Her thumb trembled as she clicked the link. The details loaded slowly, but the opening line hit her like a punch to the gut.

"Destiny Howard and her parents were found dead in their family home late last night, marking the first homicide in the town of Ashford in over two decades."

Destiny. Destiny Howard—her friend. The one she had just texted the night before, laughing about some silly high school drama. Gianina sat up, her pulse racing, her mind trying to wrap around the impossibility of it. How could someone like Destiny—so full of life, always talking too loudly, always planning the next big thing—just be... gone?

Her breath quickened as she skimmed the rest of the article. "The cause of death remains undisclosed," it read. "Authorities are investigating, and the small town of Ashford is in shock."

In shock? That barely covered it. Ashford was a quiet place, where crimes were more like traffic tickets than anything truly dark. Twenty-five years without a murder, and now Destiny, of all people, was gone?

Her phone buzzed again. It was Marcus, her boyfriend.

Marcus: "Baby, have you heard about Destiny?"

Gianina stared at the message, her hands numb. What was she supposed to say? That she didn't believe it? That it felt like a nightmare she'd wake up from any second?

Before she could reply, the phone rang. It was Mary Barnett, one of her closest friends.

"Gianina, are you awake?" Mary's voice was panicked, breathless.

"I saw it," Gianina whispered, still barely able to process the words.

"What are we gonna do? This doesn't happen here!" Mary sounded like she was on the verge of tears. "It's... it's Destiny. She was with us yesterday."

"I don't know," Gianina replied, shaking her head as if Mary could see her. "I don't know."

They sat in silence for a moment, both trying to absorb the enormity of what had happened. Destiny wasn't just a face in the crowd—she was part of their group. The idea that she was gone left a hollow, aching feeling in Gianina's chest.

"Jordan and Cal are freaking out," Mary said quietly. "None of us know what to do."

Gianina nodded, still unable to find the right words. "We need to meet up."

"Yeah," Mary agreed. "Jamie's on his way over to my house. We'll figure out what to do next, okay?"

"Okay," Gianina said, though nothing felt okay anymore. She hung up and stared at her phone for a long moment, her thoughts a mess of grief, fear, and confusion. Destiny had always been there, a constant presence, and now she was just... gone.

Before she could dwell on it further, another notification appeared. This time, it was from Rufus Cameron. He'd always been around, hovering just on the edges of her life, lingering even though he knew she was with Marcus.

Rufus: "If you need someone to talk to, I'm here."

Gianina sighed. Rufus had always been there, offering support, even though it made Marcus uneasy. Rufus and her had been friends since kindergarten. There was something about Rufus that made her feel safe, like he'd protect her no matter what. But right now, she didn't have the energy to deal with him.

She didn't respond to Rufus, her mind still locked on Destiny, on what could have happened, and how everything in Ashford suddenly felt unsafe.

A new message popped up.

Cal: "Hey GG, I'm worried about you."

Gianina replied quickly that she'd be okay, though she wasn't sure if that was true. Cal had been her best friend for the past two years. When her parents died Marcus joined their group and had been there for her since then. They got close and had started dating in soon after. She was drawn closer to him as it felt like he understood her pain. He made her feel normal again. Cal used to third-wheel all the time with her and Marcus, until it felt like she was the third wheel because of how well Cal and Marcus got along. He always knew how to make everyone laugh, with a sly comment or joke. He'd been the one to start calling her GG, and now everyone did it.

She had felt something for him once, a long time ago, but she'd never acted on it. Instead, she'd set him up with her best friend, Jordan. Now it was always the four of them—Jordan and Cal, Marcus and her. But lately, Jordan and Cal had been showing too much PDA, making her uncomfortable every time they were all together.

Gianina shook off the thoughts and got up to get dressed. As she did, her eyes drifted to the old family portrait hanging on her wall. Her parents' faces smiled down at her, frozen in time, rich, powerful, gone before they ever got to see her graduate. They'd left her with so much—money, security, but no guidance for something like this. Their loss still stung, but today, the sharp, fresh pain of Destiny's death made everything else seem distant.

She threw on a hoodie and jeans, grabbed her keys, and headed out the door. Marcus was already waiting in his car, his face pale, his eyes wide with disbelief.

"We'll get through this," he said as she slid into the passenger seat. He grabbed her hand, trying to reassure her, but the words felt hollow.

She hadn't felt grief like this since her parents died. And now it was happening all over again.

How do you get through something like this?