Kirstie knew there was no hope left. Darien was in no shape to fight, and her small frame was easily dwarfed by the six foot man looming over her. Scott and Avi were both lying unconscious, blood pooling around them from their wounds. She didn't know if Kevin had heard the commotion. She doubted it. He was probably still in the stairwell with Avi's sister, Esther. There was no hope, no opportunity for escape.
"My precious Kirstin," the evil man whispered to himself. "At last."
Kirstie closed her eyes, prepared for the worst. She silently prayed for someone to help, for some sort of relief from this living nightmare. Hands grasped her chin and pulled her face up. She refused to open her eyes, even when warm breath fanned her face. A grimace bloomed across her face, her mind coming up with horrible, dark thoughts of the possible outcomes of the situation.
Luckily, those thoughts were futile, for her prayers were answered. Someone above was watching over her this night.
Sirens sounded in the distance. Feet pounded up the stairs. Doors slammed with extreme force, reverberating off the walls and slicing through the silence. Beams of light shown down the long, dark hallways, offering comfort to those who were still alive. For those who weren't, they were a beacon of peace, of rest.
Officers quickly restrained the man with the knife. He was taken into custody and taken from the scene. Avi and Scott were lifted from the floor and placed on a stretcher. They were immediately carried out of the building. A team of forensic scientists entered shortly after the men had been removed. A medic was working on Darien in the corner, trying to make sure the man was stable before he was escorted out of the building. Kirstie told the officers of Kevin and Esther's location, and the two were retrieved from the stairwell.
Many questions were asked. Interview after interview was conducted. Kirstie, Esther, and Kevin only wanted to see their hurt friends. They needed comfort after such an ordeal. A good night's sleep wouldn't hurt either, but the three doubted they would be able to sleep deeply for a while. The officers said they had called their parents, who were near-hysteria and on the way after hearing that their children could have been murdered.
The trio was led outside after the scene had been correctly mapped out. Esther rushed to Darien. She hugged him lightly and lathered his face in kisses. Kirstie went to Scott while Kevin checked on Avi. When Kirstie approached Scott, she noticed a man standing by the blonde already. He was taller than her but just as think and slight.
"Hello," she said when she was close enough to see who the person was. He had black hair that laid stylishly across one half of his face and dark brown eyes. She briefly recalled the murderer had dark brown eyes, but this man's was more warm and expressive than the killer's.
"I'm Mitch," the young man stated. "Are you okay? Were you with Scott when this happened?"
Kirstie nodded. "He found me and offered to protect me. I couldn't say no. We met up with the others along the way. He was looking for his roommate."
The man gasped. "He was looking for me the whole time? Why? He should have just gotten out as soon as he discovered what was going on."
Kirstie shrugged. "He didn't want you to get hurt. Your safety mattered more than his, I guess."
Mitch gazed adoringly upon Scott's face. He had always cared for the man as more than a friend but had no idea how to approach him. Scott had returned his flirtatious comments, but Mitch wondered if he meant them or said them jokingly. "How did he get hurt?"
"The killer knocked him on the back of his head with the hilt of the knife. I had spoken to him, and he was distracted long enough for the murderer to hit him. He passed out instantly. I wasn't worried until I noticed the blood coming from the area he was hit, but I was trying to help save someone else. Plus, I wouldn't have been able to fight the man."
"Who was it?" Mitch asked. He brushed his fingers across Scott's cheeks. The medics had told him that he might have a slight concussion, but other than that and some bruising, the blonde would be fine.
Kirstie shrugged and glanced at Kevin as he approached. "They're taking Avi to the hospital. His wound is deeper than we originally thought. They want to reduce the risk of infection. And with the blood he's lost, they don't want him to slip into a coma."
Tears slipped from the corner of Kirstie's eyes at the news. She had grown to care very much for the bearded man, and she hated to know he was extremely hurt. She hated to know any of the people she just met were hurt. They might not have known each other for long, but going through an experience such as theirs brought them closer together than any of them thought possible.
"Will he be okay?" Mitch asked.
Kevin glanced at the petite man. "There's no guarantee right now. Esther, his sister, is traveling with him. They're taking Darien as well due to his injury. Scott seems to be in the best shape of the three."
All attention was then turned to the black body bag some large men carried out and into a vehicle. It was Alex's body. It was too much for Kirstie. The night's events had taken its toll on her especially. She found herself in Kevin's warm embrace, soothing words flowing into her ear from the man.
Mitch focused his eyes on Scott. He was his only ray of sunshine in this dark, abysmal night. As if his gaze had some sort of effect, the taller man began to stir. "Scott?" Mitch asked meekly.
At hearing his name fall from his roommate's lips, Scott sat up abruptly. He instantly regretted it when his ears rang and his head pounded. With a loud groan, he lowered himself back down in a resting position. "Mitch? Where are we? Are you okay? Where were you? Are you hurt?"
Mitch laughed in relief. "No, you brave man. I'm not hurt, but you are. You have a bump the size of a golf ball on the back of your head and a bunch of bruises and scrapes. We are currently outside of the building. This whole time, I was hiding on the first floor. I never even saw the murderer."
Scott was confused. "How did you get to the first floor?"
Mitch blushed. "I wanted a snack from the vending machine."
Scott started to laugh, but then pain wracked his head again. The sound turned into another groan. "That hurts like a bitch." Then realization came to him. "What about the others? Kirstie, Avi, Kevin, Esther, and Darien? Did they find Alex's body? What happened to the murderer?"
Mitch rubbed Scott's arm soothingly. "Kirstie and Kevin, I believe, are right over there. Avi was taken to the hospital with Darien, and Esther went with them. They just took out Alex's body, and the killer is in custody."
Scott sighed. "Do they know who it is? How did they learn of this?"
Mitch flinched. "I came across Alex's body on my way back up to find you. The darkness scared me, and when I stumbled across him I called the cops right away. They identified the murderer as Jeremy Lewis from his college identification card. Apparently, he's a senior that lives in the next dorm."
Scott slowly leaned up into an upright position. He pulled Mitch into his chest. "I was so worried about you."
"I know. Your friend, Kirstie, told me that you were trying to find me to make sure I was okay. Why?"
"I care about you," Scott stated confidently.
Mitch pulled back. "How do you care about me?"
Scott was puzzled. "What do you mean?"
"Am I just a friend or something else?" Mitch prompted.
Scott kissed Mitch, then. Slowly and carefully, as if the smaller man would disappear again into the night. They were both smiling when the kiss ended. "Does that answer your question?"
Mitch smiled and leaned into Scott once again. He rested his head on Scott's shoulder while Scott's arms when around Mitch's waist.
The nightmare had ended, at long last.
"Happy Halloween," Mitch murmured into Scott's chest, realizing what the date was.
Scott placed a soft kiss to the top of Mitch's head. "Happy Halloween," he muttered dryly in return.
And cut! This is the end of the Murder series. I hope you all enjoyed it!
Happy Halloween! Have fun, but please stay safe!
Love you all, my darlings!
