Kevin rushed over to Kerry, trying to comfort her, glancing over his shoulder at Diana. She stood like a statue, a shocked expression spreading across her face. Jack came rushing into the room.
“What’s happened…?”, he broke off. He had seen the body. The four friends sat bewildered, silently hugging each other.
Kerry couldn’t concentrate. Everyone had thought it best if she went to her lessons and tried to forget about it, but she couldn’t. Her mind kept going back to that morning when she had opened her eyes. The first thing she had seen was the body. The bloody image flashed before her. Finally, after what had seemed like hours, the end of college bell rang. Kerry slowly made her way over to the café where she was going to meet Jack and Kevin.
When she arrived, no one else was there, so she pulled a magazine out of her bag. As she did so, a plain envelope came with it and dropped to the floor. Curiously, she tore it open and jerked the paper out. “You’re next”, it spelt out, in carefully cut out letters from a newspaper headline. Kerry crammed the paper back in the envelope, as Jack and Kevin came through the door.
“You feeling any better?” asked Jack, concerned. Kerry nodded her head and had to force a smile.
“You know, this murder also sounds like an urban legend, don’t you think?” Jack continued, ignoring Kevin’s warning look. “Who do you suppose is behind it?”
Drew, the class swot, came over. “Have you not heard? The police are looking for a man with the name Aidan, round about 20 years old”, he recited, sounding like a news reporter.
“Why?” asked Kerry, turning her head towards Drew.
“The name has been found at both the murder scenes, so it’s likely it was left by the killer”
“But I don’t know anyone called Aidan”, said Kerry puzzled.
“Could be an outside job, it doesn’t have to be anyone on campus. Do you know anyone that would do something that sick?”
“I suppose it makes it more likely to be some lunatic,” half-whispered Kerry, but Drew had already turned away and had started telling the news to the table next to them.
“Hey guys.” Their conversation was interrupted by Diana’s arrival, which was always noticeable. Her slim figure and blonde hair made her popular with the boys. She joined them at the table.
“So has everyone has a nice day?” she said with a smile. The others just looked at her. Kerry looked as though she was about to cry.
“Oh sorry, I forgot about this morning,” she answered cheerfully. Kerry’s chair scraped back as she got up to go. She pulled her bag onto her shoulder and left without saying a word.
“What’s up with her today?” questioned Diana.
“Well maybe she’s upset ‘cos one of her friends was murdered right underneath her nose and she found the body!” exclaimed Jack.
Kerry had gone to the library. She couldn’t stand being in her room after what had happened. As she sat, staring at the open book infront of her, but not taking one word in, a voice called out her name. Turning sharply around, thinking it could easily be the killer, she saw, to her relief, it was Jack.
“I just came to see if you were all right.” He muttered his apology for scaring her.
“Yeah. I’m okay… well sort of,” she smiled back.
“I just thought, well Diana wasn’t exactly being sympathetic before and when you walked out, you looked upset to me. I though someone had better come after you.” He paused and looked at her, “You sure you’re all right?”
Kerry looked away and sighed. “Well not exactly, I got this letter, someone must have planted it in my bag.” She handed over the letter to Jack.
His eyes scanned the letter and his expression turned into that of alarm.
“You really should take this to the police,” he said, his eyes piercing her own with serious anxiety.
She turned her head so she wouldn’t have to stare into his hazel eyes, so caring, so tender, so…
“What’s the point?” her voice shuddered, “It doesn’t mean its necessarily from him. It’s probably some dumb kid playing a sick joke to upset me”
“Well, if you’re sure. But come on, don’t you think you should call it a day?” Jack said, standing up and taking Kerry’s bag.
“Where am I going to sleep? I mean, I don’t want to sleep in my room tonight,” she shivered.
“I’m sure you can share Diana’s room. Come on we’ll go up there now.” Kerry followed Jack and together they walked up the three flights of stairs to Diana’s room.
Ten minutes later, Kerry sat on the spare bed, while Jack said his good byes. Finally they were left alone.
“Look I’m really sorry about before you know. I really shouldn’t have said that,” apologised Diana, humbly.
“Its okay,” said Kerry smiling at her friend and laying back on the bed. A large sigh rose from her chest. She looked around the room, so much different from her own. The walls were a soft shade of purple with various famous prints dotted around. Cream curtains hung at the windows, drawn back gracefully, allowing the orange, golden sunlight to stream in.
Her eyes moved around the room and stopped at the desk placed in the corner. There, lying on a pile of schoolbooks, was a newspaper, maybe a day or two old. Kerry could clearly see off-cuts and torn pages nestled on top.
“Have you been working on a project?” she asked, the sarcasm stung her words.
“What do you mean, project…?” Diana’s eyes followed her gaze. Her laugh rang through the room.
“Yeah, it’s a project all right.”
Kerry instantly sat up on the bed and turned to face Diana.
“You…” she spat accusingly.
Diana let out a jeering laugh. “I wondered how long it would take you to realise,” she half laughed, half spoke.
“Realise what exactly? That you sent me that letter? How could you be so cruel?” cried Kerry, scrambling off the bed and onto her feet to face Diana.
“Cruel? You don’t even know the meaning of the word, cruel!”
“What…What precisely do you mean?” questioned Kerry, her throat tightening.
“When I saw that girl and boy in the car, I though that it was you and Jack…”
“You mean, you…you didn’t, did you?” Kerry stared in disbelief.
“Yeah, I followed them, then killed them, if that’s what you’re trying to say. The stupid thing was, I didn’t realise it wasn’t Jack until he was dead. And of course the girl had to go in case she saw anything,” sneered Diana, boasting about her serial killing. She quickly strode to the door and locked it before Kerry even had a chance to move. Kerry noticed for the first time, that even though Diana was pretty, she was tall, fit and could probably easily manage to hold someone in a struggle.
Kerry caught her breath and inhaled deeply.
“But why did you kill them because you thought they were Jack and I? Why did you want to kill us?”
Diana hesitated. “You don’t understand anything? Do you? Well… I suppose we have a few minutes before I have to kill you.”
Her hand rose from behind her back. The sharp point of the knife sparkled in the autumn light, sending spears of the reflected spark, dancing on the walls. With the knife poised, ready for action, she continued.
“I thought I could have anyone I wanted. But I didn’t want anyone I wanted Jack.” Her eyes flashed, dangerously. The knife still held, it’s flickering gleam reflected into Kerry’s eyes, dazzling her. Kerry swallowed, her heart beating faster, yearning to escape this torture.
“I wanted Jack badly,” Diana continued, walking in circles around Kerry, as though she the predator and Kerry the prey.
“But, he didn’t want me, did he? Oh no, he wanted you!” she hissed.
“Me?” stammered Kerry, “I didn’t know.”
“Of course, you, wouldn’t, spat Diana, “so I thought, well if I can’t have him, no one can. Especially you! So I came up with a nice, simple plan to kill you both. You could rot in hell together for all I cared.”
“So when you killed Stacie, you thought…”
“I was killing you,” Diana finished. “Yeah! Stupid mistake really, but I made up for it by making it look like it was to scare you. Funny really how urban legends can come true, isn’t it.”
By now Diana was stood face to face with Kerry. “Anyway, enough talk! Now you get what’s been coming to you.” She laughed and thrust the knife down infront of her, ripping the air apart. Kerry stumbled backwards to the other side of the room. Her sweaty palms clambered at the door handle.
“Looking for this?” taunted Diana holding the key out.
Staring blindly around, Kerry picked up a chair and threw it at Diana. It narrowly missed her and smashed into the wall. Diana was moving forward, knowing that Kerry didn’t have anywhere to go. Only the bed stood between Kerry and her attacker. Diana drove the knife into the bed, ripping the duvet and shredding the sheets. In the commotion of feathers from the pillow, Kerry ran to the door and started banging and shouting for help. Surely someone would hear.
In the meantime, Diana continued to pursue her. Kerry grabbed at anything; books, furniture, pens went flying. Some managed to hit Diana, obstructing her. Trying not to get injured by the knife, Kerry attempted to take it off Diana. Diana stood up, her eyes blazing like the fires of hell.
“One thing I don’t understand,” said Kerry, trying to buy more time, “is why the name ‘Aidan’ was found at the murder scenes.”
“Ever though of rearranging my name?” panted Diana, ”Diana spells ‘Aidan’. No one was clever enough to guess that. It even managed to put the police off. Now stop this idle chit-chat and let me kill you, nice and slowly,” her voice cackled as she flew at Kerry, the knife close to her throat. Kerry tried to push her arm away. She couldn’t keep her off for much longer. She battled with Diana and they both lost their balance. Tumbling over Diana had the better position, holding the knife inches away from Kerry’s neck. “Goodbye Kerry…”
The door to the room flew open. The surprise stopped Diana as she looked up. Jack and Kevin stood gaping in horror at the scene. Rapidly, they ran over and pulled Diana off Kerry. The knife dropped to the floor with a clang.
Five policemen were standing in the entrance and with Kevin’s help, carried the screaming Diana away. Jack was left helping a very shaky Kerry to her feet.
“I heard screaming,” he mumbled, “I rushed to help with Kevin.” Kerry didn’t say a word. Tears swept from her eyes, as she realised the terror was over, and she was still alive. A far away shriek disturbed the comforting silence surrounding Kerry and Jack. The wail of sirens echoed into the distance.
“It’s all over now, I promise you,” Jack, holding Kerry, “I promise”
