Quinn wanted to tell Phoenix and Eric everything as soon as she had found out, but she couldn't bear herself to do it.
"Hey guys!" Eric opened the door to an angry Phoenix and a disappointed Quinn.
"Can we come in?" Phoenix asked.
"Yeah. Of course." Eric cocked his head at Quinn trying to talk in code but Quinn put her head down.
"So what is it?" Eric questioned as they sat down at Eric's kitchen table.
"Quinn and I were playing truth or dare when I found out that she was keeping secrets." Phoenix didn't sit down.
"Secrets? Everyone has their right to secrets." Eric sighed.
"Not when you have a best friend and a boyfriend. You lose that right. Now Quinn is going to tell us everything. Right Quinn?" Phoenix asked.
"Yeah." Quinn and Phoenix took truth or dare very seriously. If you didn't carry out a dare, you were banished to play ever again.
"Okay. What is it?" Eric yawned.
"You know Daniel." Quinn started. Phoenix and Eric nodded. "The first part of this mega secret is that Daniel's dad is Henry." Quinn stopped while Phoenix gasped. "That's why he sleeps at the theater sometimes, and why we never see his dad. Because his dad is Henry and Henry's always at the theater. Henry is known for being this cheerful guy, but he's not. He has killed. Many many people. Multiple times. And he's never been caught."
"How did you find this out?" Eric twiddled his thumbs under the table.
"Eavesdropping. Going to theater early. There's more. Just wait. You know how every summer Daniel goes away on a ski trip, Disney, Ohio. I think last year it was to check out a Florida house?" Quinn asked Phoenix.
"Yeah. Why?" Phoenix swallowed.
"Daniel has never been to Ohio or Disney or on a ski trip. Whenever he leaves town with his father, they kill people. They kill innocent people for fun. As target practice. Daniel isn't who he says he is and neither is Henry. They have been deceiving us. And the last time we were at theater I heard Henry and Daniel talking before I went to check on you Phoenix. They said that this was the year to destroy Wonderlust Theater and everyone in it. They were going to kill all of us and blame it on a burning building." Quinn whispered as if someone was listening.
"Oh my god." Phoenix put her hand up to her mouth.
"That's why I asked my dad to shut down the theater. Henry wouldn't have gotten a chance to do anything, and we would all be safe." Quinn looked at Phoenix apologetically.
"Wait. So the petition. All of it. It was fake?" Eric asked.
"No, it was very real. I just knew that not everyone loved the theater as much as we did." Quinn told Eric.
"That jerk! I let him into my house! I kissed him, I told him everything! And all this time it was fake!" Phoenix shouted.
"I let that bastard drive my car!" Eric stood up abruptly.
"Wait. Shut up. Do you hear that?" Quinn stood up and heard rustling from outside.
"Someone's been listening." Eric paused.
Gunshots were fired through the windows. Eric covered Quinn and Phoenix and brought them upstairs into his room quickly.
"What is going on?!" Phoenix shouted.
"Daniel and Henry!" Quinn yelled over the gunshots. "They know we know who they are!"
"We have to get out of here!" Eric pointed at his window. Phoenix and Quinn started tying blankets together as Eric found more blankets and sheets in random cabinets.
"Almost done. Two more big blankets should be enough." Quinn hastily knotted a flower printed blanket to a striped bed sheet.
"Here." Eric handed Quinn one last blanket. "That's all we have." Eric said as the gunshots grew louder.
"We're just going to have to jump!" Phoenix yelled.
Quinn tied the first blanket to Eric's bed post and let the other end fall out the window. "We only have to jump two feet!" Quinn shouted.
"Do you think we'll be okay?" Phoenix cried.
"Yes Phoenix. We will all be okay. I promise!" Eric yelled as the gunshots grew nearer.
"I don't know about this! Daniel wouldn't hurt me!" Phoenix shouted.
"We don't know that!" Quinn screamed as the gunshots came even closer. They were moving up the stairs. "You need to go first!" Quinn told Phoenix.
"Why?" Phoenix asked.
"For all we know, it's you they're after! Just go! We'll meet you down there!" Quinn shouted as Phoenix lowered herself out of Eric's window and shimmied down the blanket rope.
Quinn stared at the door wondering when Henry and Daniel would be busting through, and if her and Eric would make it in time.
Eric watched Phoenix get to the bottom, and Daniel grabbed her and put his hand over her mouth.
"No!" Eric shouted out of his window. Daniel looked up greedily and started to run away with Phoenix.
Quinn turned around, saw Phoenix gone, and instantly started going out the window. She jumped off about halfway, and started to run after her.
"Quinn!" Eric yelled as he started to climb down the rope. "What are you doing?!"
"Getting Phoenix back!" Quinn shouted over her shoulder. Daniel was picking up his pace.
"This guy has asthma." Eric whispered as he chased after Quinn.
Quinn and Eric were no match for Daniel's skinny legs. Daniel disappeared into the forest and Eric held Quinn back.
"No! Let go of me!" Quinn shouted desperately trying to get to Phoenix.
"They're gone Quinn. We need to find another way or else you'll get pulled in too." Eric told Quinn.
Quinn nodded, and looked out into the forest. There was no sign of either one of them.
Eric hugged her tightly, and Quinn instantly began to think of some ideas.
