CHAPTER 3: Horse Drawn Carriage

The group sat in Troy and Casey's apartment, heads hung in grief, Gabriella the most.

"It's my fault. I should've called the police as soon as she told me Jason was dead." Gabriella said.

"It isn't your fault. It's just… bad timing." Casey said.

"Bad timing. That's your reason, bad timing." Chad said.

"It was so weird finding them exactly how they died in the game." Gabriella said.

"Coincidence." Casey stated. "Simple coincidence."

"You think that somebody killed Jason and Kelsi, just like they died in the game." Chad said.

"Well, they were killed with shears. In the game, Jason was stabbed in the head, the police said that he was stabbed in the head. Kelsi, was stabbed in the neck. Sorry Gabs." Casey said. Gabriella shook her head. "So, I'd say that someone is stalking this game, or following it."

"Where do you come up with this shit?" Chad asked.

"Where do you get that hair from?" Casey asked.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"GUYS!!" Ryan shouted, causing both guys to stare at him. "Come on. We just lost two friends. Can't you stop your usual arguing for a while."

Casey nodded and sat down in front of his TV.

"What are you doing?" Troy asked.

"Well, I need to think. So what do I do when I need to think?"

"Do not play that game. You could be right about that stalker dude."

"True as that may be, I cannot die in these videogames. I am the master." Casey said, with a smirk on his face. "Besides, I have a theory I need to test."

"There's no use trying to get him out of that idea." Troy said.

"How can you sit there and play that game after what happened yesterday?" Taylor asked, shocked.

"He's a robot. He has no emotion." Troy said, jokingly.

"Shut up. Hey, were the mirrors in Kelsi's house broken?" Casey asked.

"Yeah, why?" Gabriella said.

"Nothing. You'll think I'm crazy. I think I need more evidence."

"Spill it!" Sharpay said, standing up.

"No need to get violent, Sharpay. Elizabeth Bathory, the women from the game, didn't like getting old. So, she broke every mirror in her house and I-"

"Your crazy." Chad said.

"And you need evidence." Taylor said.

"This women thought that the blood of young girls made her skin look more younger, made it more soft. And your calling me crazy. Taylor, you're not playing are you?"

"No, why?" Taylor asked.

"Your characters walking around." Casey said.

"Don't they usually do that when you're not playing?" Sharpay asked.

"No." Ryan said.

"Well, some games play themselves if you leave them alone long enough." Troy pointed out.

"Yeah. But that's when you have the game on and have been playing it."

"But your playing it."

"But I'm not playing her character." Casey said.

"I think I know what's wrong with him." Kira said.

"What?"

"Perceptive reality."

"What the hell is that?" Sharpay asked.

"Perceptive reality it's like a condition. The longer you play games, the more your mind perceives the game to be a reality. It's just a theory though."

"Wow. She's smart and cute." Casey said, causing her to blush.

"I'll see you guys later, I've gotta work." Taylor said, getting up.

"See you later, Tay." Gabriella said.

"Be careful, Babe." Chad said, as Taylor walked out the door.

"Ok, I can't focus. I quit." Casey said, turning of the game.

"He'll be back at it in a few minutes." Troy said.

MEANWHILE

Taylor drove down the countryside road. She wondered why she had a job so far away from the city. Then she remembered that the all the close jobs were already taken. She groaned and turned up the hip-hop on the radio. The sky got dark suddenly. Taylor looked up at it, when she looked back down, a girl was standing in the middle road. Taylor screamed as she hit the breaks and turned the wheel sharply. She stopped inches in front of a tree. She stepped out of her car, to see nothing. No little girl, just the road and trees.

BACK TO THE OTHERS

Chad and Sharpay had left when the phone rang.

"Hello." Troy answered.

"Troy, put me on speaker." Taylor commanded.

Troy put her on speaker, "What's wrong?"

"My car got stuck on River Road. I need a lift." Taylor said.

"I'll drive." Ryan said.

"Kira, when you where talking about that perceptive reality trash, did you mean hearing things or seeing things?"

"Both."

"Listen, I'm freaking out down here."

"Relax, Tay, we'll be down there in a second." Gabriella said.

"You didn't die in the game remember." Ryan said.

"That's right." Taylor said, hanging up.

BACK TO TAYLOR

Taylor heard galloping. She walked to the middle of the road and looked around hopping to find a person riding a horse, but no such luck. She looked around again, the galloping was getting louder. A horse neighed. She turned around to see the horse a little to late. She was knocked over and was trampled by the horses feet and the wheels of a carriage.

"Ok, look for her car." Troy said.

Gabriella spotted it. "Wait. Stop." She jumped out of the car and ran to Taylor. The others slowly followed. Troy pulled a crying Gabriella away from the bloody corpse of Taylor.

AN if you wanting to know why I'm updating so quickly for, it's because I did something to my foot so I'm stuck around the house all day. Who do you think so be offed next? R&R