by L. L Hunter
“I… I don’t know. I was just walking by, but I tripped on an empty bottle and then I fell on her. I thought it was the old woman, but then Ashlea was staring back at me from the old woman’s body…” I was shaking now.
“It’s okay. Guys, I think we need to call the cops and leave,” said Dane.
“I’ll call my dad,” Bobby said.
Everyone almost forgot Bobby’s dad was the sheriff in town. We all nodded, and Bobby walked out of the room to call his father.
While we waited, I tugged Dane aside to speak to him quietly.
“She’s missing,” I told him.
“Who?”
“Wendy. She wasn’t in the room we put her in. And the old woman in place of Ashlea’s body is gone too.”
Dane looked around with fear and concern on his face.
“O…kay. That’s bad. And creepy.”
Bobby came running back in.
“Guys, my dad’s coming, and he’s bringing backup. He told us not to touch anything else and wait outside.”
Kelsey had been standing beside Dylan near Ashlea’s body. She stood up and walked over to us.
“What are we going to tell them? They’re gonna think we killed Ashlea,” she said.
“Don’t worry,” said Bobby. “We say we got drunk, and we were making out and dancing, among other stuff. You know, partying. And we didn’t see or hear anything. I think our parents finding out we snuck into the insane asylum to have a party is the least of our problems right now. But it’s the truth.”
While the others headed outside to wait for the police to arrive, I ran through the hospital in search of the real reason I came here tonight. I had told Dane I was coming, but seeing as he was distracted, helping Kelsey and Dylan, and consoling them, I snuck back inside and away from the group.
I made my way to the opposite side of the hospital, away from where we had thrown our little illegal soiree and headed into one of the treatment rooms.
I had a gut feeling I would find my answer in one of the three treatment rooms.
And I was right.
In the second one, strapped to one of the tables by her arms and legs, was Wendy.
She was alive and looking around the room with a frightened expression on her face.
When she saw me, her eyes widened, and she began to laugh like before—the way she always did with me.
I stood before her and crossed my arms over my chest.
“Well, isn’t this poetic,” I said. “The abuser becomes the victim.”
“Hello, you little witch. I always knew you’d show your face again soon. You can’t help yourself, can you?”
“Just like you. But it seems you received your just desserts at last. The same punishment you used to dish out to the children under your so-called care.”
She cackled.
I glanced over at the wall of shiny metal surgical instruments and grabbed a scalpel blade.
I walked toward her, holding it in front of me.
“Who did this to you and the others?”
“Darcie, Darcie, Darcie. Little Witch.” She sneered. I hated how she used to say my name, hated how she said it even now. It was like dirt in her mouth. She practically spat it out like poison. “You know. You’re a smart girl, too smart for your own liking. That’s why I had to do what I did.”
“Shut up!” I told her. “You choked me, whipped me, abused me. Beat me. Tied me to the bed. Starved me, as you did to all the other children. You don’t belong here. You belong in hell.”
She cackled again, but this time louder.
“It’s better than being out there.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“With the killers.”
“Killers?” Darcie gasped. “As in more than one?”
There was a loud bang, and then several voices shouted in the distance, followed by footsteps.
“Get out of here while you still can, Darcie.”
I looked at her, dropped the scalpel on the floor, and ran out of the room.
I didn’t know whether she meant out of this place or out of this town.
Chapter Eighteen
Among Killers
It was called the perfect murder. Swapping the body of an old lady with that of a recently murdered girl was smart. No one paid close attention to a little old lady sitting slumped in a chair or a wheelchair staring into space in the middle of the psych hospital.
In the days that followed, Ashlea’s death was ruled as suspicious and then homicide.
Dane, Kelsey, Bobby, Ashton, Stacey, Dylan, and I were all questioned but were quickly ruled out as suspects.
But the fact that one of our friends was murdered near us while we we’re in the vicinity didn’t bode well for our reputations after that.
Especially Stacey.
Stacey Miller became the town’s pariah after that night. Her parents’ reputation was surely in tatters. Only time would tell whether people would still turn up at the church. However, they’d probably only turn up to gossip.
And me? I became a hero of sorts.
I became the butt of all jokes and the topic of all rumors for months.
But I didn’t care about that.
They could talk.
They didn’t know what I knew.
There was more than one killer out there. And it was probably one of the people in the hospital that night.
It was probably one of my friends. Or two.
But I didn’t tell anyone that.
After all, who would believe the ramblings of a crazy older woman?
I didn’t get the evidence or destroy what I had planned to destroy when sneaking into the hospital, but I got something far more important.
The only problem was telling my dad what I did and didn’t do.
That night, when he came home, he smelled strongly of wine and woman’s perfume. He also seemed joyful. I didn’t want to ruin his mood.
I had ordered myself a pizza earlier and left a few slices in the fridge, if he wanted it later, then headed up to my room to read, a can of soda in my hand.
Only a few minutes after I parked my butt on my bed and leaned back against the pillows, something hit my windowpane. I jumped out of bed, heart rate skyrocketing. I set down my soda can and book and headed to the window.
Dane was standing below. He waved up at me.
I opened up the window, and he climbed up the tree that stood between our houses, between our bedroom windows, its branches creating a bridge between them, between us.
It had been two weeks since Ashlea’s murder and the party at Summervale Cove Psych hospital.
He landed on my floor with a thud.
“Shh. My dad’s downstairs,” I whispered.
“Sorry. I just had to see you.”
He walked toward me and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me into him. I leaned up and kissed him.
“What’s wrong?” I asked him.
“Your dad’s been out with my mom tonight.”
“Yeah, I figured.”
“He, um… he proposed.”
I froze in place, my heart leaping into my throat.
I just stood there frozen in place, staring up at my now forbidden boyfriend.
“Oh.”
To be continued in
book 2 of the Summervale series,
Kiss and Tell.
Acknowledgments
The idea for this series came to me through a dream, like many of my stories.
And like with every book I finish and release, I find it easy to draft the actual book, to write the blurb (sometimes—haha), create the marketing copy, but impossible to come up with words to properly thank the people who helped this book make it to release. Acknowledgements never get easier, and you may have noticed that some of my books don’t even have them.
That doesn’t mean I am any less thankful for my team’s help. I love you all to the moon and back.
To my editor, Rogena, for being my cheerleader and deciphering my
nonsense. And to her wife, Karen, for help with the geography and research.
To my PR, now PA, Amber, thank you for all you do. I’d be lost without you, honestly.
To my writers’ group, for the advice and support, the roundtable input and the chats over wine and video.
To my family, especially the new additions, thank you for supporting me and giving me the time to work. One day, Otis, Rosie, and Mabel, I will pen a book for you.
And finally, to my readers, I hope you enjoy Darcie and Dane’s story as much as I do.
Other Books by L.L. Hunter
* * *
The Eden Chronicles
The Garden of Eden
The Garden of Death
The Garden of Fate
* * *
The Aqua Saga
The Aqua Secret
The Aqua Lie
The Aqua Promise
The Aqua Truth
* * *
The Adelaide Paige Saga
First Glance
Second Sight
Third Eye
* * *
Standalone Books
Treacherous (18+)
The Molten Heart Saga
Molten Heart
Wounded Heart
Rebellious Heart
* * *
The Dragon Heart Series
The Dragon Heart Keeper
Crave
Hunger
Thirst
* * *
The Dragon Heart Series Omnibus
* * *
The Legend of the Archangel Series
The Chronicles of Fire and Ice
The Chronicles of Blood and Stone
The Chronicles of Silver and Gold
The Chronicles of Rain and Dreams
The Chronicles of Light and Dark
The Chronicles of Heart and Soul
* * *
The Hidden Magic Series
Burn
Illuminate
Obliterate
* * *
Angels of London Series
Angel of Hope
Angel of Song
Angel of Night
Written in the Stars Series
Woman in the Photograph — Part 1
Man amongst the Stars — Part 2
Girl with a Dream — Part 3
A Touch of Sparkle — A Christmas Short
One Year in Hollywood — A Bonus Novella
Boy Behind the Camera — Part 4 (Novella)
Girl in the Spotlight — Part 5
Midnight Ball Series
Reign of Secrets
Crown of Lies
Queen of Midnight
Summervale Series
Truth or Dare
Ebony Angel Series
Daughter of Darkness
About the Author
L.L. Hunter
L.L. Hunter is the author of over twenty published works, including The Legend of the Archangel Series and The Eden Chronicles. She has studied everything from veterinary nursing, forensic science, and dramatic arts, but has always known her true calling was to be an author. She has been writing since her teens - everything from fan fiction to song lyrics, to plays and musicals. When not working on her next paranormal romance, she can be found at home in Australia, reading somewhere comfortable with one or both of her fur babies.
* * *
Follow her on Facebook
& Twitter @llhunterbooks
Instagram @llhunter
Blog: http://llhunter.blogspot.com.au.
* * *
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