It's All Fun and Games Til Somebody Dies

Chapter 14

Three days after ending up in another dimension, and Mikayla was still on edge, wondering if the ground was going to open up beneath her feet again.

She took several deep breaths before opening up her closet door. The creature from the other dimension was curled up on one of her school vests, and he appeared to be about halfway through eating a shoelace.

"Seriously?" she said. "You can't keep eating all my stuff."

She and Vanessa had grown sort of fond of him despite his apparent ability to eat anything and everything. They'd even taken to calling him Monty, short for Monster.

Mikayla pulled a pack of rubber bands out of her pocket. Monty liked eating them, and if he filled up on those, there was less chance of him eating something else of hers. She figured if they were going to hurt him to eat, he'd be dead by now. Instead, he was still gobbling them down.

Having fed her unexpected new pet, Mikayla headed up to the greenhouse. Sadie and Jess weren't there yet so she started watering some of their plants. Best to keep up appearances. And she actually sort of liked growing things. It was relaxing, even if it was just their cover.

Mikayla froze when she came across a note nestled in a bed of petunias.

Congratulations on your win. You're the most fun I've had in a long time. Can't wait to play again.

The killer's handwriting, of course. Mikayla felt queasy. The last thing she wanted was to get stuck in that place again. When Jess arrived, shockingly, before Sadie, Mikayla showed him the note.

"So we need to figure out the tether thing," Jess said. "I've been thinking about it. Maybe some thin wire or fishing line or something that you can put on a bracelet and attach to something when you're in your room or somewhere else alone. I don't think they'll attack you in a crowd."

"Right," she said. "Attack in a crowd, get caught, game over."

"​Exactly," Jess said. And as long as you had something that you cold hold onto that could stay attached to this side, I could pull you back."

"That might work," Mikayla said.

Jess pulled something out of his bag. "I brought you something."

He handed her a flash drive, and Mikayla turned it over in her hand.

"They fixed the security cameras," Jess said. "This is the footage from the hallway your room is on the day you were attacked."

"Have you watched it yet?" Mikayla asked.

Jess shook his head. "Haven't had time. Just managed to steal it earlier this afternoon."

"Thanks," Mikayla said. And really, she was touched. For all his claims to the contrary, Jess did care. They were friends, and this is how he showed it.

Sadie came in a second later. "Sorry I'm late. I got held up on practice. You know, I really think we should consider getting some poinsettia plants. We could sell them at Christmas as part of a club fundraiser."

Mikayla was trying to figure out what Sadie was talking about until she saw someone standing behind her. Quinn.

Quinn sheepishly peeked into the greenhouse. "Is this where Botany Club meets?"

"Um, yeah. It is," Mikayla said.

"I wanted to join," Quinn said.

"Botany club?" Mikayla asked.

"Yes?"

Mikayla glanced to Sadie who gave an almost imperceptible shrug. The whole point of creating a botany club was that they didn't think anybody would actually want to join.