**_Chapter 26 <3_**

Flicker… Flicker… Flicker…

Lights out.

Astrid wasn’t ready for it this time. She’s still in her heavy bunny costume. The parade went wonderful today. She made lots of kids happy, no body died, no kids got kidnapped, and she even got a small nibble of the special slogan cookie. It wasn’t that special. It was just a normal chocolate chip cookie with a picture of the girl in our slogan, but that pride vanished once she went back to the ‘Smiles & Parades’ old building. Sometimes she wondered how it’s still even holding up.

_So dark. . ._

I gasp as i feels a tap on my bunny head. I spin around, barely making out who’s there, but it’s a bear costume. Suzie’s costume. It’s kinda comforting to know I’m not the only one who didn’t change yet.

_“Suzie you scared me.”,_ I whisper. She takes off her massive bear head, I have to dodge it so it doesn’t hit mine.

Suzie comes closer, _“I need to switch costumes with you Astrid.”,_ her voice urgent. My eyes narrow. _“Why?”,_ I ask._ “Please just switch with me. Do me a favor. I’ll return it.”,_ her voice cracking slightly.

After switching with Suzie, I go around trying to find the meeting room. That’s where everyone gathers after the light goes out. Last time…Zoey died and we found out after the lights came back. We didn’t know who did it since we were all separated…. If everyone’s there, they’re gonna suspect it’s me….

I can’t see anything. I don’t even know where I am. I think I’m in the storage room…I feel boxes everywhere. _“Eek!”,_ I screech as someone pushes me onto the ground. Oof. I roll onto my back and notice another figure looming over me. _“Snooping isn’t good, Suzie.”,_ the person’s voice is deep. Pretty hot now that I register it. _“Snooping?”,_ I manage to mutter. Hold up. Suzie? _“I’m not Suzie-“,_ I get cut off by a sharp blade.

Aak! A stab to my upper thigh. The figure removes my costume head, muttering something about Suzie. My eyes flutter as the head comes off, showing a person looking down at me. He’s frozen. _“You..”, _he starts. I want to push my sweaty black hair out of my eyes so I can try to see better, but I’m frozen too. My mind isn’t registering what’s going on. What did Suzie do that I’m getting punished for….? Is that why she switched. She knew she was next on the killer’s list.

_That traitor…_

__

_“Fuck!”, _I hear that person shouting loudly, pulling out the knife aggressively, making me cry out in pain. _Their real voice._ Almost sounds like…Elijah…but he’s already dead…. Did he come back from the dead to kill me? I didn’t mean to ruin his life… I wince, my mouth gaping in a silent groan, when his arm presses against my stab wound. He dashes off. How is he not bumping into walls right now? How did he even see me? Why did he run away? Isn’t he gonna finish me off?

Maybe he got scared when he realised that I’m not Suzie…but that still doesn’t answer how he knew I wasn’t his next meat chop.

I’ve been at it for 30 minutes…lying there, bleeding silently. I feel sorry for the janitors that will have to clean this puddle…oh wait…never mind. They’re already gone anyway. I’ll get to thank them for their service in heaven…. _Hopefully. _Maybe I won’t get my chance to clear my criminal record and get my dream job after all….

Flicker flicker….the lights are back. I open my eyes slowly, looking around. Above me is the edge of a wooden table. To my side some boxes filled with documents. I’m in the office. A shakey breath escapes me. I wanna cry. But I don’t feel any tears. Only pain.

The door creaks loudly. Mason walks in and finds me on the floor, his eyes widen in horror. _“Astrid?!”,_ his rushed footsteps crunching the paper on the floor. Why is he so terrified? He was never that terrified when Zoey was murdered. He helps me out the rest of my costume, muttering words about that it’ll be okay. Words of encouragement. But I already feel my eyes closing.

…

_To be continued…_