Made of Ice

Chapter 21 - Tainted love

"Somehow, you were both the best and the worst thing that has ever happened to me."

Madison was having her worst nightmare play over and over again. On repeat.

She was standing in front of a crowd of people, including Logan's family and all of her friends.

Speaking at Logan's funeral was something she had nightmares about for weeks. Only it wasn't a nightmare this time. It was real.

She had no speech prepared, so she just had to wing it.

"We walk through life knowing that one day it will come to an end. Unfortunately, sometimes it is cut short. Logan Bradley's life was cut short and we may never know why or how. Something I have had to come to terms with." Madison paused for a moment, catching Liam's eye in the crowd.

Both secretly knowing the why and the how.

"I first met Logan Bradley on the first day of high school. We instantly connected and became friends. Then, soon after, he asked to me to be his girlfriend. We had a relationship for two years."

Madison noticed Mrs Bradley's eyes shine at the sound of their relationship being mentioned.

"Love is complicated. There's no denying that. Me and Logan, we had many ups and downs in our relationship. We certainly weren't perfect."

Madison bowed her head, thinking back to the night she killed Logan. Someone, she once thought, she would spend the rest of her life with.

"I know that you can't go and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending. You can change your fate. You just need to try and do better." Madison finished, stepping down from the podium and back to her seat.

After she spoke at Logan's funeral, she felt at peace. Saying goodbye to her past and looking to the future, whatever it may hold.

Unfortunately, her past will always come back to haunt her, as long as she lived in Graycott.

Nicole Bradley, of all people (Ashley's twin sister), walks up to her after the funeral service was over.

"Thank you for what you said up there today." Nicole told her.

"You're welcome." Madison replied, not sure what else to say.

"I know it can't have been easy to say good things about my brother." Nicole sighs.

"He wasn't always good to you. But he should have been." She continues.

"Why did you come back to town?" Madison asks her.

"My family need me here. I'm the only child they have left." Nicole says, before walking away and leaving Madison feeling guiltier than ever.

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Back at home, Madison sat on her desk chair, behind her closet, staring at the murder board. She hadn't made much progress, apart from adding more names to the list of the dead. She wondered how soon it would be, before her name was added.

Lexi. Jade. Alex. Elena. Logan. Carter.

How many more? The killer had murdered 5 people so far. How many of her friends were still left to die?

She had lost so much. In such a short space of time. But most of all she felt the loss of her childhood friend, Lexi. Someone that she missed most of all.

She fell from her chair, without warning, and crumbled to the floor, tears streaming down her face.

She didn't bother to wipe away the tears. She wanted to feel the pain she was feeling, and not run from it like she always did.