Chapter 1: The Murderer

KAYLEEN

I almost never wanted to open my eyes after being stocked on a dreamless sleep. Every time it happens, something unpleasant surprises my eyes. The last time I did, I just saw a stranger dead in front of me. Tears started crawling down my cheeks with my eyes still tightly closed.

“Kayleen? Are you okay?” I immediately open my eyes and hug my mom when I heard her voice. She is sitting at the side of my bed and is waking me up like always. It makes me feel like it’s just a normal day.

“Where were you last night?” she asked while caressing my hair. Wiping my tears away, we parted from the hug. I tried to remember anything but I’m just blank. The last thing that I knew I did is that I had a fight with my best friend. After that, I don’t know anymore.

“I don’t know. I’m sorry mom,” I said. She smiled bitterly. “I need to go to Shaira,” I added walking straight to the door. She failed to stop me as I storm off the house.

The place where we first meet each other is where I am heading right now. I was right, she is there sitting on a bench under the shade of the tree.

“Shaira,” I whispered and walked slower until I’m near.

“What are you doing here?” she coldly asked not even throwing me a single glance. I sat at the other end of the bench. This is the exact position that day we met. She is the only girl who talked to me and became my friend. 

She is Shaira, the complete opposite of me. She is taller than me, having a shiny long copper blond hair, porcelain skin and a pair of blue eyes. She looks like an angel while I look like the opposite. I look horribly and naturally mean when I’m relaxing my face. I have black long hair with dark brown eyes and a bit tanned skin. 

This playground is my favorite spot to stare at the other kids playing. The moment I met her, she became my only playmate but my parents doesn’t look happy about it. They always wanted to take me to the doctor but I hesitated. It’s just confusing.

“Are you still mad at me?” I asked her to break the awkward silence.

“Don’t worry, we fought about something useless. He doesn’t like me too,” she said and took her hoodie off her head to finally look at me. I almost cried when she did.

“I’m sorry,” I apologized but then her face doesn’t look like her at all. When I blinked, a memory flashed against my eyes. That night when we had a fight on Carlo’s birthday party. The music is very loud but I can hear her voice clearly shouting in front of me.

“We can’t like the same person!” she furiously shouted at my face.

“What? You like him too?” I asked with brows furrowing. She pushed me.

“Carlo is mine!” she screamed and lost her angelic face looking like a demon attempting to kill. “He knows about both of us liking him and he is not choosing one. He knows we are best friends maybe that’s why he doesn’t want to choose anyone!” she added. 

I got mad from the inside but I hid it from her. Ignoring me, she walked to Carlo and pull him somewhere. I was tailing them trying to stop her of what she might be thinking.

“It’ll be useless if there’s no way he could be mine!” Carlo looked confused and took her hand off him. The next thing happened widened my eyes. Carlo didn’t even have a chance to fight back since it’s all unexpected. I can’t believe my best friend could actually do it. I went back to reality after blinking twice.

“So you remembered what happened last night?” she asked with a demonic smirk. 

“You killed him,” I said remembering her stabbing him not just once but countless times until she’s satisfied. I was frozen that night and couldn’t do anything. Watching her do it is making me tremble in fear that she might do the same to me one day.

“I didn’t,” she confidently uttered still looking at me still wearing a smirk. 

“I saw you do it.”

“Well, let’s just see.” She once again wore the hoodie and stand up. 

“Kayleen!” I look at my mom from the side, she tailed me. When I look at Shaira again, she already blended up with the crowd on the street. I tried chasing her but I can no longer find her presence.

“Kayleen!” My mom called my name again and I have no choice but go back to her.

Thinking too much about what happened last night, I became unaware that we finally reached the house. I sat at the couch still bothered by the conversation we had with my best friend. 

“Are you sure you didn’t really remember what happened last night?” My mom asked and it took my attention. My dad is there too sitting on the couch opposite to mine with my brother who looks scared at something.

“W-What do you mean mom?”

“Can’t you remember what you did?” she continued asking wearing a worried face. Now things are making me crazy. 

“I had a fight with my best friend,” I said. When my mom cried covering her mouth, I got even more confused. My heart started to beat louder than a drum almost popping out of my chest. 

“Do you know what happened to Carlo?” My body jolted after hearing Carlo’s name. 

‘What’s going on?’

“Shaira—she—she did something terrible,” I tried explaining. My mom started sobbing while my dad is caressing her back. 

“Kayleen, are you sure about it? Or are you just lying?” dad asked. I looked at my brother who can’t seem to look back at me. My dad’s eyes look depressed and it’s making my heart ache. At the same time, I don’t understand what’s going on. Are they doubting on my words?

“Yes. I saw her do it!” I insisted.

“Then why? Why did you have that knife in your room?” My world seems like to crash on me hearing what my mom just said. I ran to my room and searched for it and yes it was there. It is inside my drawers, still stained with blood in it. I gasped walking backwards.

“How can she do this to me?” I screamed my lungs out crying.