"It's like I'm running away from me,
it's like I've taken the puzzle in me
and left it scrambled for all to see."
__________________________________
When Arden Danvers' parents split when she was eight years old, she moved away with her dad from her...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
"Tell them something is coming. There's blood in the water. Give them a warning, let it all come crashing down."
Gallows - Katie Garfield
_______________________________
III. \\ ULTIMATUMS //
As Arden arrived at school a day later, she yawned tiredly while she walked across the parking lot. She didn't get much sleep the night before because one, she was still getting used to being in a new bed, in a new room. Two, she couldn't stop thinking about that video...and the reflection of the monkey mask. Why was it sent to them? Was this even real? Or some sick joke meant to scare them?
That question only strengthened when her phone chimed on her walk to school that morning, with a message notification.
A message from Monkeyman.
Feeling uneasy, Arden walked towards the school, not wanting to open the message until she was with the others. It wasn't until Rowan, Hailey, and Elisia approached her near the wall mural outside of the school that she realized that she wasn't the only one who had gotten a message.
"We all got tagged in private photos by monkeyman." Rowan told her, "Did you?"
Arden nodded slowly, taking her phone out to open the message she was sent.
Rowan took out her phone, holding it up for all of them to see, "Today's date."
Then Hailey held up her screen, showing a digital clock, "Twelve am, midnight."
Elisia held up hers, which showed a picture of what appeared to be an old motel. Arden frowned a little, not recognizing it.
"Where is that?" Hailey asked curiously.
Rowan shook her head, "I don't know."
Arden shrugged herself, still unfamiliar with where the local grocery store was, let alone where the creepy motel in the photo was.
"I do," Elisia sighed, "It's this really old motel in South View."
Rowan frowned, looking at them wearily, "That's a really, really bad part of town. My dad's always getting called down there."
It was then that all of their photos put together started making sense in her head, and as the realization grew, Arden started to feel sick to her stomach.
"Wait," Rowan looked up at her, "What did monkeyman send you, Arden?"
Taking her phone out of her pocket, Arden opened the message and she turned the screen so they all could see.
