The Shadow's Game

Chapter 2~ The Beginning of the End

The music starts. The loud techno beat leaves a slight ring in my ears. I concentrate on the figure that struts confidently onto the stage. The face is easily recognizable. Channing Tatum. I begin to yell incoherent words at him. He stops centre stage waiting for the right moment. The beat drops and so does he. He drops to the ground and lays on his stomach. He starts to move his hips in time to the music and then suddenly Abraham Lincoln suddenly appears out of thin air and tips his hat to the audience collecting money. Channing Tatum rolls over and looks me in the eyes and whispers "Marley you're in-"

Splash!

I sit up immediately. Cold water drips off my face and onto the comforter that surrounds me.

"What the hell!" I yell. I turn to see a tall figure standing beside my bed with an empty cup in his hand. Jace. My boyfriend. His tall 6'1 frame towers over my petite 5'2 frame. His chestnut hair is messy on top of his head. His emerald green eyes are filled with amusement as he watches me furiously wipe off my face.

"You're late. We have 10 minutes until school starts. Hurry up! Let's go," he says impatiently. My eyes widen. Crap!

I hop out of bed and frantically run around my room collecting articles of clothing from different places. I run into the bathroom and change and brush my teeth. I exit to see Jace sitting on my messy bed.

"You talk in your sleep. A lot of mumbled crap that doesn't make sense, but I heard Channing Tatum's name in there. Are you cheating on me in your dreams? And don't even get me started as to why you were dreaming of Abraham Lincoln. Do I want to know?" He questions playfully.

I glare at him before sarcastically replying, "Yes, I have been. Sorry you had to find out this way. Ever since I watched Magic Mike he's captured my heart and appears in all of my dreams."

His eyes widen and gasps. "What are the odds that we'd be dreaming of cheating on each other with the same person. However, my secret crush started when you made me watch Step Up," he teases and smirks at me.

I laugh and pick up my bag that's on the floor and throw it at him. It bounces off his chest and lands on his lap. He examines the packed bag and stands up. He goes across the room and picks up a floral scarf.

"Jeez woman! Do you have no sense of fashion? That bag doesn't go with my outfit! It looks so much better with this scarf," he exclaims while waving the scarf and bag dramatically in the air above his head.

I smile and then smirk back, "Nice try. I'm still mad at you for throwing water on me. It's going to take more than humor to win me back."

He puts his head down in defeat and I giggle. I take his arm and usher him out of my room and out the front door. We take his truck like we do everyday. I climb into the passenger seat and drop my bag on the floor.

My house is in the country and it will take some time to get to the school. I watch in the rear view mirror as my house becomes enveloped in the surrounding trees. I lean back in the chair. Jace notices I'm not going to talk to him because I'm playfully pouting, so turns on the radio to the local station and the female radio announcers voice films the silence in the Chevrolet Silverado's cab.

"The couple that has been missing for nearly 5 years have been discovered. A local sent in a report to the police early this morning alerting them he found the bodies. Marie and Henry McGill, both aged 38, were found in the woods with bashed in skulls. The police are ruling this as a murder. The couples child is still missing. More on the story-"

I sat in my chair processing the information. A murderer in our small town. Nothing ever happened in our small town. The family kept to themselves in the first place, but the town was still a wreck when they suddenly disappeared.

I didn't realize Jace had already pulled into the school parking lot. He opened my door and handed me my bag I had forgotten in the truck. I left him in the hallway and immediately went to my locker. I entered the combo and opened the lock. A small white piece of paper fell onto the floor.

I brushed it off as one of my school notes that had fallen outpand shoved it into my binder. The first period been rang and I went into my home room. I opened my binder and tuned out the teacher as they began the lesson. It was math who wouldn't? Something about polynomials.

Instead I pulled out my phone. Four notifications from Vicky my best friend.

From Vicky: 8:15am: Where are you?
8:19am: Tonight is your 10th anniversary with your dad celebrating your adoption. Did you forget?
8:23am: I swear if you're still asleep or skipping without me I will drive myself to your house and drag you to school by your hair. I'm not joking this time!
825am: Forget it I'm to lazy to drive. But seriously get over here. I don't want to be alone all day!

I sigh. I send a quick reply letting her know I'm here. I shove my hand back into my bag and put it away. Another hour of class I say to myself when I notice the time on the clock. I open my binder to the first page and see the folded paper.

I take the piece of paper and unfold it. I want to put it in is original place in case it had an important note on it. The words on the page are Crimson red. It appears as if someone had dipped their finger and written it and not with a pencil or pen. The handwriting is sloppy, but the words are still easy to read.

This was not a note from one of my classes. The words in the centre of the page instantly make my stomach churn.

I am the puppeteer and you are the puppet. You do what I want. I'm in control now

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