March 30th, 2018. 5:50pm

It's been exactly one week and two days since Vanessa, died? Murdered? Let's go with died.

If the whole thing about my parents setting me up and Vanessa dying wasn't already screwing with my mind, this past week drove it home.

It started two days after the Purge. Vanessa's brother, Sammy, cornered me at school to start interrogating me on Ven's where abouts.

….

"Where the hell have you been Rose! Vanessa has been missing since the Purging!"

I feel my eyes go wide in shock nestled in fear. Instantly my mind takes me back to that night, and my body responds. A slow tremor starts to take ahold of me, my tongue grows numb; preventing any sort of speech.

Sammy grew frantic at my silence and slams his hands on the wall beside me. Shouting his frustration and worry at me, "SAY SOMETHING! Did she make it to your house? Did you even see her that night?"

The panic in my belly starts to roll, crashing all around trying to break through. I shoved past him, trying to walk away before I break. But Sammy wouldn't let me go, he reached out and snatched my hand, firmly holding me in place.

"Don't walk away Rose. Why aren't you talking?"

I bit my tongue to prevent the sobs threatening to spill out of my mouth, turning my face to the side so he wouldn't see the tears threatening to spill. Sammy mistook my actions as rejection instead though.

Taking a deep breath he rubs his face before talking, "Look, I'm sorry for yelling at you. I'm just stressed and worried. You know how dangerous Purge night is; especially for families like ours."

I almost lost it there; of course I've always known how the purge night was for Vanessa and her low class family. Every purge wondering if my best friend had made it through the night as my family held freaking purge parties down stairs. But what the hell can I say to him, "oh, sorry, but my parents tricked me into killing your sister on the Purge. No hard feelings right?"

Lie to him

I can't do that….

Yes you can

What if he finds out…..

Then I'll fix it, sweet rose

Wait….. WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT! I thought that was my subconscious trying to speak up, but that was something different. Haven't I heard it somewhere else before?

"Rose?"

Ah! Sammy, I forgot about him…. I still don't know what to say.

….

…..

"I haven't seen her… I've been trying to deal with my parents lately, so I've haven't been able to contact her." My voice cracks in the beginning with the weight of the lie. I don't look at him, afraid he'll see the truth dancing in my eyes.

It takes a few minutes but Sammy slowly releases my wrist, sliding his hand into mine. "Sorry Rose, I didn't realise your parents are still pressuring you about Purging."

Tears that have been toeing the line finally spill over. I can't believe he's trying to understand my situation while looking for his dead sister. I almost gave myself in, right there, but he started to speak again.

"If you see her anywhere, please tell her Ma and everyone is waiting for her."

"Sure…" I manage to whisper.

Squeezing my hand gently he begins to walk away, "See yah Rose."

Sammy was long gone after I choked out a hoarse good bye. My silent sobs robbing me of my voice and strength. I manage to stagger into a dark hallway to finally collapse into a weeping ball of flesh, letting the pain of everything rake through my body and leave me breathless and empty.

While I was slowly coming apart, somewhere deep inside of me, where light never reaches, I could feel that thing inside of me tentatively stretching the space it occupied. Testing to see how strong its boundaries are, before finally settling back. But just before it settled down, I swore I could feel it smile at me, AT. ME. Like as if it was apart from me.

…..

Everything was going smoothly after that. For five days I was able to fool Sammy whenever we talked about Vanessa, my parents weren't pressuring me about Purging next year, I was finally starting to sleep a little again. Everything was starting to settle somewhat. But then Jacklyn Moorn opened her disgusting fat mouth.

It was in the only class me and Sammy shared, the only one. I wouldn't put it past Jacklyn waiting for that class just for that reason, putting a sharper edge to her attack. Just as the class was about to begin and the students had turned quite for the instructor to speak, Jacklyn asked in her high sniveling bitch voice, "Rose, is it true you stab that low birth friend of yours to death last Purge!?"

The whole class let out a collective gasp while all the blood in my body pooled to my feet. The teacher tried to regain control of the room, but it's too late, the flood has been released. One student, I don't know who since I was starting to see stars from the lack of blood circulation in my body, tried to stand up for me. "You're lying Jacklyn Moorn! Everyone knows how anit-Purge Rose is."

"OH YEAH!? Well why don't you just ask her then, hmmm?" She hisses at the poor kid.

I feel all of their eyes drilling into me, expecting me to adamantly deny it. Oh and I so want to, but I couldn't. My body had physically shut down and betrayed me, my lungs became bound by steel cables, preventing little air through. All of my muscles turned into useless jelly, and what use to be my throat had closed to the point of a pinhead, choking all of my words before they even reached my mouth. My vision starts to grow dark and tunneled, allowing me to only hear my thundering heartbeat in my ears with Jacklyn screeching like a strangled bird about how she told them so in the background. The darkness continues to grow when I notice there was another sound in between the heartbeats and Jacklyn; it sounded like hysterical giggles bounce between the beats. I was thinking about following the source of that sound, but suddenly another voice cuts through it all.

"Is she telling the truth Rose."

Reluctantly I drag my eyes to that dame voice, the only human I was willing to acknowledge, needed to acknowledge. Sammy, poor sweet Sammy. It snapped in place then, why Jacklyn was so adamant on sharing with the class on what I did. No, not the class, just Sammy. Sammy who I grew up with along side Vanessa, Sammy who was known for only talking and acknowledging Vanessa and I in this prestigious school, Sammy who was rumored to have had a crush on me. The Sammy who Jacklyn fucking had a crush on.

I don't really know what happened after that, but according to what was written in the police report witnessed by other students:

Rose Milton was attending history class regularly on March 28th, 2018 at 1426 hours. Just as class was to begin, Jacklyn Moorn, fellow classmate, accused Rose Milton of killing Vanessa Silverthrn on The Purge of March 21st 2018. Several classmates report that Rose Milton may have been having a panic attack shortly after being accused of murdering Vanessa Silverthrn. It was then witnessed that Sammy Silverthrn, Vanessa Silverthrn's younger brother, proceeded to ask Rose Milton if said accused statement was true.

There are several conflicting statements reported, but the most recurring report is Rose Milton seeming to "awaken" out of her panic attack shortly after Sammy Silverthrn questioned her, and proceed to giggle hysterically at nothing. After a period of giggling she stopped. Turning to Jacklyn Moorn she stated, "That was very, very mean of you JaCkiE DEAR!" in a warped childish voice that ended in screaming. It was then reported that Rose Milton ran towards Jacklyn Moorn and kicked Jacklyn's legs from underneath her. Where Rose Milton proceeded to pounce on top of Jacklyn Moorn and repeatedly punch Jacklyn Moorn in the face. It was then several classmates tried to help Jacklyn Moorn by pulling Rose Milton off of her, but Rose Milton was then reported to have grabbed fist fulls of Jacklyn's hair and ripping them out when pulled away from her. Classmates report her screaming at Jacklyn Moorn, "HOW DARE YOU HURT ROSE! FILTHY BITCH!" She was then reported to have another fit of giggles before whispering to Jacklyn Moorn, "Ooooh Jackie dear, I hope lil' ol Thorn didn't cause too many boo boo's. Come here and let lil ol Thorn BITE YOUR FUCKING THROAT OUT CUNT! BAHAHAH AHA AHAHAH HAHAHAHAHA!"

It was then stated by witnesses that Sammy Silverthrn walked up to Rose Milton and struck her in the stomach, hard, successfully subduing the girl.

It wasn't the exact report word by word, but pretty dame close.

Ever since then Sammy hasn't been to school and the voice in my head is starting to change. I don't know what it is becoming or what triggered the change, but I'm scared.

It's whispering things, saying I should do things that shouldn't be thought of. But what's worst is sometimes I have blackouts at random times and don't remember anything; it can be any day for a short period of time, but lately they feel like there getting longer. I also sometimes find traces of blood under my nails, like I tried washing it off but missed a bit here and there. I don't remember anything, and the neighbors have been reporting animals going missing recently.

I'm scared but I don't know who to talk to….. someone, ANYONE….. Help Me.