𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐞: Part 1

Chapter 1: A Walking Target

Have you ever relived a nightmare? not a dream, something that really made you feel like a monster, something that made you forget yourself. Did you?

I never knew things can go this far or what it felt like to be a walking target, In public you try to hide the guilt and walk with innocence but i was no longer innocent. I was the predator. Just walking out the door and looking at a newspaper felt like you were on the front page. A huge secret that if slipped out we all would go down and our futures destroyed.

Even if they didn't know who we were it was like I was a walking criminal underneath the blinds eyes. Everyone tried they're hardest to act like nothing happened but behind those closed doors we were afraid of who we have become.

I knew the secret of what happened that night, I knew it would be let out soon if we don't clear things away. They were onto us, we were being watched. A promise, to keep the secret among us and to move forward with our lives, but things were getting out control. The gruesome rumors and the cops getting closer to the actual story afraid of what will happen next. That night took our entire purpose and left us hopeless and scared.

We all looked out for ourselves after that we didn't know who to trust. We were all the suspects, it was our choice to tell the truth or stay silent. Though I knew the truth wasn't gonna spare our lives nor will the silence protect it...

Missing Persons: Dawn Atkinson

"My name is Sandra Hadley and this is Channel 6 news, A small town girl born and raised right here at Serendipity Hill by the name of "Dawn Atkinson" age 17 was reported missing just a few days ago, after attending a high school party late friday night and never returning back home. Witnesses that left the party that night say that was the last time they heard and seen from Dawn. Both her parents William and Charlotte Atkinson is hoping and praying that anyone has any information on Dawn and where she can possibly be. This is Sandra Hadley and you're watching Channel 6 news and we'll be right back with more."

This was my nightmare.

They plastered her face everywhere around town. Windows, posts, newspapers and television she was everywhere. Seeing her parents on Tv, seeing her mother cry out hoping her daughter is still alive was sickening to my stomach. All that hope and faith she's carrying, counting on the town to find her but what if she's dead. I wonder what it would be like if she was here, maybe the party would have never happened or maybe her face wouldn't be haunting me in my dreams.

It was like this was what she wanted.

Friends since the second grade all the way up to now I honestly was just numb to it all. Pills couldn't stop anything not guilt, numbness or pain, it was as if my emotions were a stiff sensation what they call cold blooded. Like a innocent body with a diabolical soul.

November 3rd

Ever since that night I couldn't keep her face out of my mind, it was as if she was permanently printed into my brain. It terrorized the shit out of me. It was a nightmare that this time I couldn't wake up from, it kept me up all night. Sometimes I just wish the decision was different maybe I wouldn't feel guilty maybe things wouldn't have been worse than it already is. Now it just feels like hell has fallen into my world. I just keep hearing the screams and pleads but I ignored it all, I completed what was discussed now I was accountable like the rest. Its numb everything is still but the story is still in motion and you can't turn back time because you only make one choice and than follow through. That's the way of this sick world you can only choose one time and whatever choice you choose you live with the consequence. So what is it anyway you ask? What makes me think I'm this monster? I'll tell you...

I killed Dawn Atkinson.

The contentment to admit to your sins while alone but the shame and guilt when admitting to the world that your guilty for it all. We don't get second chances, no matter what anyone tries to say a second chance is impossible. You live with the pain and sorrow and you can't erase that because there's no backspace in this world, you get judged for it even when you had no choice but they choose who to judge. That's the fucked up part.

I couldn't sleep so I decided I'd stay up and admit what I have done maybe it take some of the regret away, but it didn't. I admitted but still this entire situation feels unreal. I asked for forgiveness but another part just tells me fuck the worlds forgiveness. Who the hell was the world to judge anyway, why do they deserve the power to judge?

It all didn't make sense it was just the worst feeling eating at my flesh. I bet that's whats going on to her right now, bugs and rats getting at her dead flesh chewing away her identity. I loved her....

Funny words coming from one of her murderers but its true. Dawn was never hated everyone loved her, but she chose bad instead of good. She fucked around with fire and got burned. No one deserves to die no matter what, they don't deserve to have they're life ended while the other lives happily on (Well at least the good ones don't). Dawn was way different from any other Serendipity Hill, girl even if she was from here. She viewed life so different and that's how we clicked so well. She was a bright but lost soul even though she was light she carried much more demons than angels.

I remember she would say "A girl can always get what she wants as long as she looks like treasure, but a hurt and silenced woman builds laughter and torment". Referring to herself but she always took the description of both referring to how pretty she was like gold but destroyed on the inside. I use to hate when she'd complain because no ones life was easy but she thought things was better when handed to her. "A slut" I remember when Jamie Backer put her on the spot 2 years ago exposing her and Dawns love affair but Dawn cheated on her with Rylan Bradley. No one cared about what Dawn did because she was one of us "T.S.T's" (The School Threats). A group of stereotyped popular kids just because we were jocs and captains.

Everybody knew a lot about us so when Dawn went missing the whole school was talking....

November 3rd

"How the hell do we even show our faces" Hailey was right. How do we show our faces in such bad timing. "What will people think, they seen her stay back with us, for god sakes we are suspects" said Reese, you can tell she was afraid. They all were. They were scared of what will happen to them, they're minds spiraling hoping for a way out. my mind was everywhere but it definitely wasn't racing, I guess you can say I was more spaced out.

Ethan - "Has anyone heard from beck, Jesse?

I let my mind wonder out, kept me from going nuts and wanting to rip everyone's heads off. I'd try to think of good thoughts just to forget it all.

Cally - Jessie?

"Um yea, no I haven't heard from him" I lied. I knew exactly where Beck was but I wasn't gonna let them know all of that. We might have all participated but I didn't trust a single soul there, not even Keith.

Hailey's Truth -

I was scared, alone and disgusted with myself. For gods sake I killed someone that was like a sister to me. Jesse was out of it like no other, I love her but for some reason I feel she's hiding something. Dawn's death was more than a crime, it was something that hit more close to home. Nobody knew anything or found anything but they left the story as a "Missing persons". I knew the truth of what happened to her and I followed through with it all. I ask God so many times to forgive me for what I have done but right now I don't even think forgiveness can help what we've done. This was our choice, this was the fate we chose. We chose the easier route once again but the easier route has a whole lot of karma headed for us.

Though I owed it to Jesse, I loved both her and Dawn but Dawn was dead and Jesse was the only one right now. I owed it to her because even though she hurted someone. we all knew Dawn would have done the same thing to one of us. She was always the selfish one and what she pulled was beyond selfish. My parents want to send me off to live with my grandparents because they feel it'll all be to much for me to handle. Little do they know its already a lot and I made my own bed. I could have walked away or did something to stop it but I didn't because I wanted her dead. We all did. That is what we're all afraid to admit, that we had a evil thought that we acted on and we're to in shock to admit we are responsible.

I have nightmares about it all the time and I knew that one day or sooner the police would identify us but I pushed it to the back of my mind. I knew that showing fear and innocence would put me as a target not to the police but to Jesse, I was afraid of her. We all were.

Ethan asked me to meet him around Serendipity Creek after he got back from the station with his mom. He said that he had some shocking news that he wasn't yet ready to share with the others. He didn't know exactly how to come about it but it was about Dawn.

Hailey - "Why the hell are we here Ethan, what did you want to talk about"

Ethan - "I thought it be better if we were out here you know away from the peoples eyes"

Hailey - (Scoffs) yea this seems pretty away I guess

Ethan - "Look, I brought you here because when I was at the station I over heard a deputy say putting you under interrogation. There's more though, When I was sitting in one of the offices I seen this file with Dawns name written on it. It looked like a rape report.

Hailey - "Wait what, did you see the date or something?

Ethan - "I couldn't, at least 2 officers were in the room with me"

Hailey - "I don't get it, why would Dawn make a rape report and not let us know what the hell happened.

Ethan - See that's where it gets a little twisted, at least a year ago David Chapel had a party at his house where almost the whole school was invited. News were going around that something happened but nobody exactly knew what it was and David moved away.

Hailey - What does this have to do with Dawn and the report ?

Ethan - "When David left it was a rumor going around that he was accused of rape along with several other guys but it was never confirmed of the incident being true"

Hailey - "Ethan how can possibly rape be top of murder thats what we did and using rape to help us out of this it wo-

Ethan - YOUR NOT FUCKING LISTENING HAILEY, that night when we were all drunk Dawn wanted to expose a video that was took, Jesse and Carter tried to shut her up .

Hailey - "Yea I remember that but your not insinuating Jesse had something to do with the rape report"

Ethan - "As far as I can see it Jesse knows more than she's letting on and everyone else. For god fucking sakes Hailey they wrapped us into this bullshit and now we are guilty of murder this was not our fault.

Hailey - But it was, we all had something to do with it because we were drunk and there was this part in us that all wanted to kill her. So what did we do Ethan we murdered her all seven of us and we got rid of her that's what we did so this is our fault as well.

Ethan - "What about your future Hailey we can find a way out of this"

Hailey - FUCK MY FUTURE ETHAN, there's nothing for me and I chose to stay by Jesse's side because for god sake she's the only one who has been there for me. so no I will not put my best friend future on the line to save me or yours. You should be thinking the same for Carter, Beck and Keith.

(Although Hailey tried to stick by my side through all the evil I knew how much she wanted to get away from the nightmares. For her it was like living in my dark shadow and putting up a fight with her and my demons.)

1 week later...

Jesse -"What did you call me here for"

"I just wanted to talk, that's why I called you here and I had a few questions as well"

I knew that people were watching my every move and had lots of questions for me and some just didn't fucking care. Yet I still had to keep my mind on the curiosities watch my back and the people I trust. The way things were looking was as if I was the bad guy but I seem to wear the bad guy look pretty well.

Jesse - "Look I can't help you with any of your curiosities. You follow me here and want me to follow through with your little fucking piece of shit interview I can't do it right now.

"I don't have questions about Dawn I have questions about who raped her"

Jesse - "How the fuck do you-

"Maybe if you sit and answer some of these questions you may find out how I know what the hell happened at that party that night"

Jesse - "What do you want from me"

"I know you were there the night of the party and I know police took you into interrogation when Dawn filed that police report"

Jesse -(Laughs) Who the hell even are you?

"Why didn't you tell the police Dawn was raped why didn't you ca-

Jesse -"I don't have to explain shit to you"

"And now she's dead...

Jesse -"You don't know a goddamn thing to be trying to question me like your some sort of officer this conversations done"

The more and more answers I had to give to a question I knew the walls were closing in on me I couldn't allow this to be my life. Things were just settling and if the wrong thing or a piece of evidence even shows up to the station the more people will be invested in the case. She haunted me a lot not just in my head but the people that adored her friendship, I did something to save everyone but now everyone has to go through hell before being saved. Oh shit the fucking report. What have you fucking done Dawn....