Lyra POV

I glared long and hard at the note that Quilt Head sent. They wanted to meet face to face finally. They said that they’d tell me everything and stop their killing spree. Of course, that was an obvious lie. I was told to go alone, with no phone, and to not alert the authorities. A classic move from criminals.

It’s not like the police want to help anyways. It took a group of college students, one forensic intern, and a S.W.A.T. team newbie to even solve the basics. Opal was right though, I was obsessed with catching this killer. I wish we hadn’t fought because then, maybe, she’d be here to help.

_No_, I thought, _she’s right. You’re obsessed with stopping someone who you has hurt you and your friends._

But they have hurt my friends. They’ve ruined families and caused fear. They probably laugh at it every night. This is where it ends. Even if I have to die trying. I won’t let this killed cause anymore chaos.

I took a deep breath, put the keys in the ignition, and started the long drive to what was possibly my execution.

_________

(Put in description of the abandoned warehouse and inner dialogue here. OH! And describing the inside of the warehouse).

I heard a long, painful wail echo through the building. Quilt Head must have found their victim.

There was a light shining from a door to my left. It was dim and almost yellow looking. I could only manage to hold my breath as I ran into the room and down the stairs. Taking almost no time to make sense of my surroundings. I had to stop Quilt Head.

Once I reached the bottom, and made a sharp right, I saw them. Athena and Jiselle. Athena was holding a gun and Jiselle had a simple kitchen knife. Her mascara ran down her cheeks and her lipstick was smudged. Her head had a huge goose egg on it. While Athena was sweating through her shirt and blood smeared her right arm. They both looked absolutely crazy.

“What the—“ I started, but Jiselle quickly interrupted me.

“Lyra!” A creepy yet desperate smile showed across her face. “Help me! She’s the killer!”

“Don’t listen to her,” Athena calmly chimed in. “She’s Quilt Head. She wrote both of us notes to come here so she can kill us.”

Jiselle shot her a look of shock, mouth hanging slightly open like she wanted to scream. “What?”

Athena never took her eyes off Jiselle and raised the gun higher. “She’s the one who started all the fake rumors about Gracie. Her jealousy drove her so crazy that she ended up killing her on top of it all.”

“And then she had so much joy in killing that she kept going…” I mumbled to myself. I thought back to the phone call from Quilt Head where they admitted to doing most of this for fun. _Most_ of this was for fun. It was finally starting to make sense.

“Please,” Jiselle desperately shouted, “She’s lying to you! She texted me that we were having a party here and then she smashed me over the head with a rock.”

“Absolutely not!” Athena countered. “You sent both of us a letter and then you came at me with the knife so I threw a rock at you! Don’t turn one of my few friends against me like you did with Gracie! Why do you even have a knife anyways?”

“You literally have a table of weapons in the other room! Maybe next time you shouldn’t keep your tools out in the open!”

I looked at the two of them and felt my heart racing. I didn’t know who to believe. On one hand, Jiselle was beyond rude and passive aggressive most of the time, but so was Athena. Yet, Athena was helping us with the investigation. She was attacked by Quilt Head and we all witnessed it. However, I do remember Jiselle missing from that night. So many people were, though, and it wouldn’t be fair to only pin this on her.

“You’ve been in my apartment several times,” Athena exclaimed. “You know I have nothing to hide. I’ve never lied to you! Why would I suddenly do that now?”

“And she’s been to the house!” Jiselle shouted back. “Lyra, please, help me. I know I can get mean, but I’m here for you. You’ve become a good friend to me when it felt like everyone else moved away.”

I looked at Jiselle and saw the sincerity in her eyes. I was about to tell her I trusted her when I saw it… a piece of the mask was hanging out of her back pocket. Sweet, beauty queen Jiselle. She had it all, but she still wanted more. She was a lead in every stage show, a 5 time winner of Miss Star pagents, one of the brightest people in school, and she was jealous over a friendship. Then she killed my friends, and even her cousins.

As much as I wanted to pass out, the anger took over me instead, and I did the dumbest thing I could have ever done. I walked up to her like she wasn’t a monster, like she wasn’t a beast, and I pulled the fabric out of her back pocket.

“What the hell is this?” I could feel angery tears well up in my eyes.

She looked down at the blood stained fabric in my hand. It used to be tan with brown flowers, now it almost looked black.

Horror spread across her face. “No…” was all she could say.

“How could you?” A tear rolled down my cheek. “Your cousin didn’t do anything to you! She did everything to help you! To make you feel less lonely.”

“No no no no no…” Were the only words she could manage.

“It’s all piecing itself together now,” an angry laugh, bitter and cold came out of me. “You used to have a fling with Dakota. You ended it thinking that you didn’t want him. Then he dated Bea, got married, and lived happily ever after. But that’s when you realized you wanted him.”

Jiselle began to cry again, “That’s not true. You knew how happy I was for her. Why would you accuse me of something like that.”

I shook my head. “I’m done with the gaslighting. Athena,” I turned around and headed towards her to show the fabric I found. There was a slight surprise in her eyes. “We need to tie her up and call the police. I’ve got the evidence.”

Jiselle cried louder and harder. “I swear that’s not mine! She must of planted that on me while I was passed out.”

“No,” she said sternly, “that wasn’t me. Stop making up lies.”

“Put the knife down,” I said angrily, “Or I’m going to make you wish that this interaction never happened.”

Jiselle was hysterical. “Please! You’re making a mistake! She’s the killer!”

“Put down the knife!” I yelled.

She shook her head and made an ugly sniffling sound.

“Do it or I’ll shoot!” Athena yelled.

Jiselle’s breathing became heavier. She took a few steps back and then screamed at the top of her lungs, “Damn you both to hell then!”

All of the sudden she was charging at us. Jiselle used to be on the track team so I know she wasn’t slow. She was coming at me quickly. She was ready to stab me and do who knows what for a form of torture. If I was going to die, it wasn’t about to be by the hands of a former Prom Queen who seemed stuck in high school.

I grabbed the gun from Athena, pulled the trigger, and watched as Jiselle’s brains fall to the floor. I wanted to gag at the sight, but I sunk to the floor instead, feeling the relief of it finally being over, dropping the gun in front of Athena’s feet.

I killed Quilt Head. She was lying on her back, with her gray eyes staring at the heavens. A place she’d never reach.

Athena picked up the gun and took a sigh of relief. “That was easier than expected.”

What?

“I told you guys she had it in her.” A man’s voice came from the shadows in front of me.

I looked up at Athena who was looking down at me with a wicked grin. “Oh Lyra, you’re so easily persuaded.”

Another girl’s laughter echoed through the shadows.

“What…?” I couldn’t process what just happened.

The guy stepped out from the shadows to pick up the body. “I still think she could join the team.”

“Cass?” I stared at his outfit. The big clunky boots, a tattered black overcoat, black leather gloves, and a black turtleneck.

I shook my head in disbelief. “No… I didn’t… Jiselle…” She was innocent. I killed a sincere friend and saved Quilt Head. Worse, Quilt _Heads_.

“Of course you want her to join.” The other girl stepped out of the shadows. Delilah was wearing the exact same clothes as Cass. “You just want a new play thing because you’re bored.”

I was getting lightheaded. I killed an innocent person.

“I don’t know which one of you put some of your mask in her back pocket but it was a nice touch.” Athena applauded.

“Duh!” Delilah exclaimed. “I’m the brains behind the operation. Who else do you think could have done it? Meat head over here? Please! He was too horny watching _her_ from the shadows.”

She pointed at me when she said “her.” I could tell she was bitter about his feelings towards me. Which makes sense because I know she’s madly in love with him, but what do you expect from psychopaths?

Athena grabbed my arms and hoisted me up. I was too much in shock to fight back when I felt her put my hands behind my back and bound them with rope.

What had I done?