In a suburb just outside Sunset City we see a black female high schooler wearing a gray sweatshirt and navy-blue booty shorts curled up on her couch reading a book. She had her dyed blond curly hair tied up in a bun and a thick pair of glasses hanging off her nose. Her peace was disturbed by a piercing ring tone.

With a yelp the young woman picked up the call, “Hello?”

“Do you like horror movies?” the electronically distorted voice asked.

“Go f*ck yourself a*shole.” She told the person on the other end of the call annoyed at the pointless interruption before ending the call with a click.

*Ring Ring*

*Ring Ring*

*Ring Ring*

She decided to turn her phone on to silent and ignore the call hoping that the person would get bored and stop.

The call picked up and was put on speaker by itself.

“You did not answer my question.” The voice stated.

With a growl and a snarl, “what do you want?!”

“For you to answer my simple question.”

“Fine then. I hate them. They’re all so dull. There is only so many ways you can kill someone with a knife. There’s no artistry. No creativity. No passion. I prefer Rom-Coms, I so love seeing idiots stumbling around in futility searching for something so ephemeral and meaningless as love.” The young woman ranted with passion and zeal.

“that’s too bad…” the voice started before trailing off. “CAUSE YOU’RE IN ONE!!!!!” the voice, that now emanated from a figure rushing into the room, shouted.

The figure rushing the young woman, who I guess can now tell you is named Sally, was wearing a crimson hooded cloak and a bright silver mask. The figure held a large bowie knife made of the same material as its mask.

When the masked figure entered arm’s reach of Sally, she shoved them into the kitchen island located in the open concept kitchen connected to the living room. The figure picked themself out of the created divot and rushed the young woman again.

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The figure tackled Sally to the ground while knifing her in the gut. As the figure held her down Sally drove her nails into their shoulder and threw them off her into the kitchen island widening the divot.

“Come on, you’re really wrecking my pad here.” Sally taunted with a mocking sneer before stalking towards the fallen masked figure.

As she stood over her defeated opponent, the figure lashed out with its knife and slit her throat. Light smoke followed the knife through the young woman’s neck.

“F*ck.” Blood followed the word. “You.” Sally got out before dropping to the ground.

The figure stood over Sally this time. They tilted their head while taking in the corpse before going off into the kitchen to grab something. The figure came back with a bottle of bleach from under the sink. They proceeded to pour bleach all over the place while focusing on Sally’s bloodied nails and any other blood found around the room.

With that the masked figure’s work here was done and they walked away.

***

The next day we see a group of high schoolers eating lunch together discussing the previous night’s events.

The line up included: Chad, Samuel, Harry, Eli, Gabrielle, and Henrietta.

Chad was a refrigerator of a man at six and a half feet tall and two hundred fifty pounds. He was also a linebacker.

Samuel was the stereotypical star quarterback: rich, blond, athletic, and handsome.

Harry was a running back that was little more than Sammy’s shadow. He just went along with whatever Samuel said or wanted.

Eli was a nerdy kid that only got an invite to the table due to being Sally’s brother.

Gabrielle was the brunette cheerleading version of Samuel: rich, athletic, and beautiful.

While Henrietta was the Harry to Gabrielle’s Samuel.

“Harry know anything about what happened to Sally?” Samuel asked his court.

With a shake of the head Harry replied, “Nothing.”

“What about you Chad?” Samuel asked the large man.

All he got in return was a negative grunt in between shoveling food in his mouth.

Samuel then turned his gaze to the last male at the table, “How about you Eli? She is your sister after all.”

“I was at a sleepover maintaining relationships.” Eli sheepishly replied with his head down.

“Girls?” Samuel asked the females at the table while trailing his eyes over them. Both young women shook their heads

“So, no one can tell me anything. Not who did it. Not why they did it. If our plans are at risk. If all that we have done is for nothing. If our plan to party the night away is naught but smoke. NOTHING!” Samuel said while getting increasingly animated, near screaming at the end.

The shout at the end in addition to him pounding the table with his fists drew unwanted attention. Noticing this Samuel calmed himself by taking a deep breath and running his hand through his hair.

“Sorry about that people. Just a little dispute among friends. Nothing to concern yourself with.” With that and a smile Samuel waved off concern.

As he sat back down the smile slipped from his face, “There cannot be a repeat of this. Stay on your toes. Kill on sight. Failing that, run. He will try to pick us off one at a time. Try to stay in groups as much as possible. If you’re not with one of us, be with at least two other someone elses. Is that clear?”

Everyone knew the only response was in the affirmative.