The List

2

The rest of the school day passed by normal as ever, leaving me at my house alone to get ready for a party I didn't even really want to go to. I was so caught up in the research about this mystery murderer that I'd honestly lost most contact with everyone who either wasn't on the list or wasn't Ryleigh. I lethargically got up out of bed noticing that it was 5:30. Practically forcing myself unenthusiastically to get around. Walking over to my closet I pick out an outfit for the night. I walked into the bathroom to start getting ready and out of nowhere my phone started blowing up with text messages from Ryleigh.

"Where are you?!" "Are you home" "Answer me Karlie!" I took a deep breath before answering her. "Yes I'm at home, and yes I'm okay" "Okay good, because there's been an accident". "Wait what?! What do you mean there's been an accident?" before she started talking again. I immediately ran over to my laptop pulling up the local newspapers website seeing article upon article about a girl from my school that was in the accident. "Bella died, Karlie" at that moment I just sat there completely frozen in disbelief. Although her and I weren't best friends, we still knew each other, I started reading one of the articles and I noticed a part where they mentioned what killed her.

The words stuck in my brain like gum on the bottom of a shoe "texting and driving". If it weren't for the picture they had included in the article, everyone would have just assumed that it was her fault. My eyes kept grazing the screen trying to find any possible information other than what I'd already read. Looking at the picture I notice a big black truck in the background. Immediately I connected this truck to Rio's cliff diving accident, I think she was set up. I get another message from Ryleigh "So I assume you're looking into this and doing even more research on all of this?". "Yes I most definitely am, Ryleigh I don't think you understand, Bella was fourth on the list so that means that I'm next if we don't figure this out in time".

"Okay I get it, but right now I know we should at least go visit Izzy to make sure she's okay" she sounded genuinely concerned. "Alright fine, but can I at least bring my laptop?" "No absolutely not, you have your phone plus we need to be there for Izzy" "Fine". Ten minutes later I hear Ryleigh's car outside my house waiting to take me to Izzy's house. "Hey" she smiles at me faintly and I respond the same way she did. "You ready to go?" "Yeah, let's go" we pulled out of the driveway and started down the busy road. Pulling up to the intersection an hour away from Izzy's house. "H-Hey Karlie, isn't that" she paused shaking my arm pointing out the huge black truck coming to a stop to the right of us. "Oh my God" thankfully the light turned green letting us continue driving down the road.

"Ryleigh, drive, drive now!" I started to panic a little bit as she floored it. She drives ahead about to go under the light, just as we feel our bodies being thrown to the left. Everything going to black.