Chapter 7

"I'm home!" shouted Callie, throwing her school bag aside. Mariana came, too.

Nobody answered.

"Hello, Jude?" asked Callie.

Mariana frowned. The silence worried them.

"Jude, are you home?" asked Mariana, hoping that Jude may come downstairs and relieve them.

It didn't happen.

"Where did he go?! Didn't he talk to you like an hour ago?!" she asked Callie.

"He did!"

A look of guilt washed over Callie's face, tears filling her eyes.

"I... I wanted to go with him... but he refused, so... I let him go. Alone."

Mariana gave her a look. Are you crazy?!

"This is only my fault... I shouldn't have let him go without me..." mumbled Callie.

"I'll call him." said Mariana, taking her cell phone. Callie watched her, worried and hopeless.

At the abandoned amusement park

The kids were in shock.

Connor stepped back from the ferris wheel, alongside with Jude. Taylor was in a corner, throwing up.

"Man, this is so fucked up! So fucked up!" exclaimed Connor, holding his tears.

Jude was speechless and pale.

"What should we do now?" he asked Jude.

Jude couldn't move nor say anything. He was just staring at Daria's lifeless body, which was like 15 centimeters away from them. He didn't hear Connor calling his name. He didn't hear his cell phone ringing.

It was pretty clear: Jude was in a shock state, until Connor snapped him out of it.

"Jude, your phone!"

Jude startled and looked at Connor with what looked like confusion.

"Your phone's ringing!"

Jude started sweating, his heart beating faster and faster every second, expecting the killer to call and laugh at him.

He took a deep breath and took his phone out of the pocket. "Mariana"

Jude let out a deep sigh of relief.

"It's Mariana..." he said.

Just then, he received a new text message. "Don't answer the phone."

Connor looked at the phone screen.

Jude thought a little.

"Are you going to answer?"

"No."

He let the phone ringing.

In the house

"He's not answering!" exclaimed Mariana, panicking.

"Oh my god... I'll text him."

Callie took her phone and messaged Jude. Her shaky fingers were typing like crazy. She pressed the "Send" button. They impatiently waited for his answer. Callie was really starting to freak out.

At the abandoned amusement park

Jude received the message. "Jude! Where are you?! Are you ok?! Please call me as soon as possible! This is only my fault, I'm so sorry."

He received another message. From the killer. "Don't answer that neither. Answer my call instead."

Jude and Connor's eyes widened in fear.

A few seconds later, Jude's cell phone rang. "Unknown"

Without any hesitations, Jude answered. He didn't say anything. He waited for his response.

"You didn't play by my rules. I thought I told you to come here alone." chuckled Ghostface.

"You bastard, you tricked me! I played your game, I did what you told me to!"

"Now now, don't get too angry, Judicorn. I hate to see you so upset. Unfortunately, you lost the game. But I have another one, just for you."

"I'm not playing, asshole."

"I DON'T FREAKING CARE, JUDE!" snapped Ghostface.

Jude startled in fear.

Ghostface calmed down:

"Now be a good boy and play my game. There are no rules this time."

Jude let out an angry sigh.

"What game?"

"It's simple. You choose who lives and who dies."

"You can't make me do that."

"Choose or I choose."

"No. I'm not doing this."

"Tick tock, the clock's ticking."

Jude started breathing heavily and hung up. Connor placed a hand on his shoulder and looked at him worried.

"Jude, are you ok?"

A new message. "BAD CHOICE. Then I'll choose."

Jude gasped. Connor frowned, scared.

"What is that supposed to mean?!" he asked Jude.

It took a few moments for them to register.

Taylor stopped puking. She started coughing. She covered her mouth with a palm. She was still pretty pale and exhausted, dark circles under her eyes.

Jude and Connor turned around to her. She was kinda far from them.

"Taylor!" Jude exclaimed.

Taylor turned to them. She looked horrible.

Just as she was about to answer...

A GLOVED HAND WENT OVER TAYLOR'S MOUTH FROM BEHIND HER!

TAYLOR GROANED IN FEAR!

"OH MY GOD, TAYLOR!" shouted Jude.

Ghostface took his knife and STABBED TAYLOR IN THE STOMACH! The knife blade went plunging into her stomach. Taylor's eyes widened as the blade cut through her flesh and muscle.

"NOOOO!" they both screamed. Jude covered his mouth with his trembling palms.

Her muffled screamings of pain could be heard. Her face was red from crying.

Jude and Connor SCREAMED.

Ghostface shoved the knife deeper, cutting organs as blood began to ooze out.

In one split second, Ghostface slid out the knife and let her fall on the ground, her breathing getting slower and slower as seconds passed by.

Almost falling into unconsciousness, Taylor watched in fear as Ghostface raised his knife, prepared to finish her off.

Drawing her last breath, Taylor's eyes rolled back in her head and she slowly closed her eyes.

"YOU PSYCHO!" shouted Jude, crying.

They ran to Ghostface. Connor tried to punch him, but Ghostface striked with the knife and scratched Connor's left cheek.

He screamed in agony and fell down to his knees.

"CONNOR!" cried Jude.

Ghostface turned his head to Jude.

"TAKE ME, YOU BASTARD! LET EVERYONE ELSE ALONE! JUST TAKE ME ALREADY!"

Ghostface leaned his head amusingly and raised his knife.

Jude was ready for it. He felt indirectly responsible for all the murders that were happening and this seemed like the only way to stop them. He closed his eyes, shaking, waiting for the killer to slit his thorat and strangle him with his own intestines.

Five seconds. Ten. Fifteen. Nothing happened.

Jude opened his eyes. The killer was gone.

WTF?!

He heard police sirens approaching the park. He turned around and saw two police cars stopping right in front.

Stef, Adams and Steve got out.

'JUDE! OH MY GOD, IT'S JUDE!" shouted Stef.

They ran to him.

Stef hugged him tightly and caressed his hair with both her hands. Jude couldn't hold himself from crying. He was happy that they came. Stef was crying, too.

"It's okay, baby, it's okay... I'm here, don't worry... It's okay..." she kept saying.

Just then...

Adams and Steve heard some foot steps coming from behind the Merry-Go-Round ride.

They didn't waste any time. They drew their guns, ready to shoot.

Stef took notice of that and stopped hugging his adoptive son.

"What's going on?!" she asked the deputies.

"Somebody is there." said Steve, pointing with the finger from where the noises were coming.

Stef acted immediately.

"Step back, Jude." she said, pushing him away from her.

She drew her gun and joined the deputies.

Jude went to Connor.

"Connor... oh my god... are you okay?!"

Jude took Connor's hand and helped him get up.

"Y-Yeah... I'm fine..." he said, still in pain, groaning and breathing heavily.

Jude couldn't help it. He hugged him.

"Who is there?" asked Stef.

They were slowly approaching the ride, and the steps were getting closer and the noises clearer.

Suddenly...

WYATT EMERGED FROM THE BUSHES!

Everyone jumped.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, calm down!" exclaimed Wyatt.

Jude approached Stef.

"Wyatt? What are you doing here?!" asked Jude.

"I was taking a stroll and I heard screamings and police sirens. I didn't know what happened. What is going on here?! And what happened to her?!"

He pointed his finger at Taylor, who was laying unconscious on the ground.

Wyatt ran to her. He kneeled down to check her pulse.

"Her heart is still beating. I'll call the paramedics."

Everyone looked at him. Jude didn't know what to think of this guy. The way he has been acting lately made him grow suspicious of him.

"Don't touch her! Stay away from her!" exclaimed Jude, clenching his fists.

Wyatt stood up and turned to Jude.

"Jude, what the fuck?! I'm just trying to hel..."

"GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM HER OR I SWEAR TO GOD I WILL PUT THE COPS ON YOUR ASS!" snapped Jude.

Wyatt did as he was told. He backed away, still not taking his eyes from Jude.

"I know what you are thinking. But this is a misunderstanding. I didn't kill her. I barely know her. I have nothing to do with the..."

"Go home, kid!" exclaimed Stef.

Jude looked at her. What?!

"Go home, now!"

"Okay! Okay..."

He left.

"Mom, why did you let him go?"

"We interrogated him and everyone from the high school already. He was free to go. We couldn't get anything on him."

Just then, another police car stopped. Mike got out of it and ran to them, worried.

"What happened?!" he asked.

"Jude, Taylor and Connor were attacked." said Stef.

"Oh my god..." Mike approached Taylor and kneeled to her.

"We need to call an ambulance or Taylor is going to die!" exclaimed Jude.

Stef nodded.

Later, Jude and Connor were at the police station, sitting on chairs.

"What were you thinking?!" asked Mike, arms on hips.

"Yeah, what were you thinking?!" asked Stef.

Jude took a deep breath.

"The killer told me to go there."

"You should've called us instead!" said Mike.

"He said I shouldn't call the cops or someone will get gutted. And he was right. I called mom, and then he told Connor and Taylor to go there, too. He tricked me. I lost his sick game."

Stef and Mike didn't say anything.

Then, Lena, Callie, Mariana and Brandon entered the police station.

They ran to Jude.

"Jude!" exclaimed Callie.

Jude stood up. They hugged him tightly.

"I'm so sorry for being such an awful sister..." Callie mumbled, tears falling from her eyes. "If only I could've been there..."

"Callie, don't say that! You are not an awful sister! I know you would do everything to know I'm safe. This is not your fault! Don't blame yourself for it! If there's anyone to blame, that anyone is me. I am the target here. I am the reason people are dying right in front of me. Everything is my fault. If he hates me so much, why doesn't he kill me already?! I don't want anybody else to die!"

They stopped hugging him and looked into his eyes, shocked of his words. Touched.

"Sweetheart, what are you talking about?!" asked Lena.

"How can you think of such things?!" asked Mariana.

"You don't have to think like that! You dying isn't a solution." said Brandon.

"It seems like the only way to stop these crazy and twisted murders."

It took a few moments for Jude to say something.

"Brandon?"

Brandon raised an eyebrow.

"Hm?'

"Where were you when Taylor got attacked?"

Everyone looked at him and then at Brandon.

"I was at my dad's house."

"Again?!"

"Yeah. Why?"

"I was just asking."

Jude could feel that something was fishy about Brandon. He wasn't really himself these days.

Brandon could smell him.

"Jude, why are you asking me this? Seriously."

Jude shook his head.

"For no reason. Doesn't matter."

"You think I did all of these?!"

Jude looked at Brandon and didn't say anything.

"Please tell me that I'm wrong."

Jude opened his mouth:

"I... don't know..."

Brandon scoffed.

"Seems pretty clear to me."

"Brandon... wait... I didn't mean to..." Jude said, lost on his own words.

He messed up, didn't he? It really seemed like he hurt his adoptive brother's feelings.

Brandon turned around and headed to the exit of the police station.

"Son, wait!" exclaimed Mike.

Brandon didn't even react. He continued walking until he left. He closed the door shut, angry.

Callie watched him dissapear with tears in her eyes. The things Jude said to him affected her on the same level as they affected Brandon.

"If you think your brother- our brother killed Jesus and your friend, then prove it!" exclaimed Callie to him, upset. She was about to have a breakdown.

Callie stormed out of the police station, sobbing and wiping her tears.

They all looked at her. Jude looked down. What has he done?! He was close to crying. Lena patted his shoulder.

"Hey, baby, don't cry... Don't feel bad about it, they will forgive you after a while, you'll see. Just give them some time, okay?"

Jude took down Lena's hand and said in a clear and unimpeded voice before storming out of the police station himself:

"I just wanna fucking kill myself right now."

After he left, Lena and Mariana followed him.

Stef went with Mike in the office.

She sat on a chair and leaned her head, placing it on her palms.

Mike took a chair and sat next to her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey... are you okay?" he asked.

"No, I'm not okay..." Stef answered, before bursting out crying.

Mike snuggled her.

"Sssh... it's okay..."

"I just want everything to be over. I want my family safe again. I want Jesus back. I want everything back to normal!"

"Stop that mourning, won't you?" Mike said to her, serious.

Stef looked at him.

"We need to stay strong, Stef. If this is how we will cope with the situation, then whoever the masked killer is won. We need to be prepared and brave."

Stef cleared her throat and nodded.

"You are right. That's what we have to do."

"How's the girl?"

"Taylor is gonna be alright. The doctor said that her stab wounds weren't deep enough to kill her; however, she has a bit of amnesia, and she'll have to eat through a straw for a while."

Mike nodded and then shook his head, feeling mercy for her.

"Poor girl, poor girl..." he mumbled.

"I know."

"Who would do that to her? Do we have any suspects?"

Stef thought for a few seconds.

"No. Not for now."

"We need to find who the killer is as soon as possible, before anyone else gets hurt."

Stef nodded.

Connor was still sitting on the chair.

Just then, his dad entered the police station.

Connor stood up and ran to him. His father hugged him. It seemed like the first time when Connor was happy that he saw his dad.

"Connor! I'm so glad you are okay! Come on, let's go home."

He took his hand and they left.

Later. It was 23:00. Jude was in his bedroom, dressed in his pajamas. He looked down on the window.

He saw a police car in front of the house. Adams and Steve were in it. He sighed and laid down on his bed.

He tried closing his eyes, but he just couldn't sleep. He was thinking of everything that happened in just a few hours.

He was staring at the ceiling, trying to calm himself down, but failing. He felt so guilty.

Daria was brutally murdered, Monte, the school principal was attacked, his adoptive brother, Jesus was killed, and finally... Connor and Taylor were injured... during a risky adventure he is responsible for.

Jude teared. It was just too much for him. Too much...

He put everyone, including his whole family in danger.

He kept thinking: why doesn't the killer just take him and kill him if he hates him so badly? Why does he keep hurting other people somehow connected to him instead of getting him? Why is he the main target? Why was the killer doing all of these?

So many unanswered questions were running around Jude's mind that night; questions that couldn't let him fall asleep.

He ran a hand through his hair and sat up. A knock on the door.

Jude startled, frightened.

A knock on the door wasn't just a knock on the door anymore for him; it was a life-threatening action.

"Who's there?!" he asked.

"Jude, it's me."

Jude sighed in relief. It was Callie. Thank God.

He stood up and opened the door.

"May I come in?" she asked.

"Yeah, sure."

He let her inside and closed the door.

Callie sat on the bed alongside with him.

"What is it, Callie?"

"Jude... I just wanted to say that... I'm so, so sorry for how I acted tonight, it's just that..."

"I told you already. You don't have to apologize. I am the one that should be sorry. I am the main victim of this Scream copycat killing spree. I let this happen. I am really, really sorry, Callie. I'm sorry for risking your life, it's just that..."

Jude took a break and started crying uncontrollably:

"...it hurts so much when I think that people are dying every day because of me, and most of the time, I can't do anything to stop it!"

"Hey, Jude..."

Callie snuggled him.

"You are a brave boy, Jude. Don't forget that. Don't let that sick bastard ruin your life and you. You are a survivor, a fighter."

Jude stopped Callie from hugging him.

"No, I'm not!"

He wiped his tears and continued:

"If I really was a brave fighter, Taylor wouldn't have been suffering from a deep stomach stab wound now."

"But at least she is alive! That's all that matters!"

Jude just looked at her and didn't say anything else for a few moments. He sighed.

"You are right..."

"Of course I am. Don't forget that, Jude."

She caressed Jude's hair and kissed him on the forehead.

"Try to sleep, okay?"

Jude nodded.

"Good night." she said.

"Night."

Callie stood up and left the room.

Jude sighed again. Suddenly...

...his phone rang.

Jude gasped. He took the phone and saw: "Taylor"

He smiled, relieved that she was the one calling and not the killer. Jesus. This guy is really paranoic. He needs to chill a little.

He answered almost immediately.

"Hey, Taylor!" he happily said. "How are you doing?"

He heard Taylor chuckle.

"I'm fine. That's why I called you. My throat is still sore from the blood loss but I think I'm going to make it alive." she joked.

Jude laughed.

"I'm... almost okay... I think. And don't joke about that again."

Taylor chuckled again.

"Okay, okay... How's Connor doing, by the way?"

"We can say that he is the one doing the best."

"I'm glad to hear that. Oh, I think my parents came. I'll call you tomorrow, ok?"

"Yeah. Good night."

"Good night!"

Jude hung up and placed his phone on the bedside. He closed all the lights from his room and went to bed. He finally fell asleep.

At the hospital, Taylor was in her bed, dressed in a white gown.

A knock on her door.

"Come in!" she shouted, expecting her parents.

However, it weren't the parents who entered her room, but somebody else, somebody else like...

GHOSTFACE!

Taylor SCREAMED!

Ghostface closed the door shut and didn't waste any time doing nothing.

He hurried to her bed, fast on his heels.

Taylor kept screaming, when she saw Ghostface raising his knife. She gasped.

"NO, OH NOOO! HEEELP! SOMEBODY, HELP MEEE!"

He stabbed Taylor multiple times. Blood was everywhere, some of it even on his mask.

When he was done, he looked at the bloody Taylor: she was dead.

From head to toes, she was covered in blood, her eyes wide shut and her mouth opened in speechless horror.

Just to make sure that she won't make it alive, he stabbed her deeply in the heart, making Taylor's body to tremble in horrible spams.

Ghostface stormed out of the room.

A/N: Well that was chapter 7. I'm really sorry for the huge break but as I said, I restarted the story all over from this chapter, because the story sucked lol. Also, I kinda improved my writing skills. I hope you liked this chapter. What did you think of Taylor's death? Who do you think is the killer? Stay tuned for more ;)