A/N: Two more chappies my lovelies! This is where everything gets explained, and maybe the next chapter too, but we're not there yet. xx
Chapter Thirteen: Real Life
Icing drove down the highway, Harley silent beside her. They knew they weren't doing wrong by the law, as the others were dead, they were the victims. And they weren't doing wrong by themselves, either, they wanted to go home, and be rid of the vacation, so they were.
It was about half past eleven and Icing couldn't be sure if Harley was asleep or just quiet beside her. She began to hum a tune, one of her favorite songs and she drove down the road, unnoticed. Or so she thought.
Harley, was asleep beside her, every now and then she'd give a little grunt or a sigh and roll over a bit, in her seated position. Icing looked down at her, she was all Harley had now, her and her mom, Harley's mom had died years ago, when Harley was only small, months after her dad left. She had no parents around, her brother and sister had both died, all she had in the world was Icing and her mom. And yet she looked so peaceful, Icing thought, as she looked down at her, as if there was nothing on her shoulders, the world was her oyster, and she had the happiest family of all behind her, supporting her. The reality was different, and Icing fully understood the difference between sleeping Harley and waking Harley. She could lose herself in her dreams, she could anything she wanted, she did have the family she so wanted and needed, it was just a rough bump back into the real world.
The news came on the radio in Clementine's car as she turns into the road up to the house. She listens out for any news on the missing and dead teenagers. A report comes on.
"LAPD are today revealing that a fourth teenager has died in California, he has been identified as Blakeney Wells, brother of Cedar Wells, and cousin of Blossom and Easton Hemmings who all died a few days previously. The remaining two girls, Sissy Wells and Minnesota Hemmings are being held by police for their own protection in Los Angeles. There are no leads and no clues to the deaths of what has been a very tragic family accident."
"Oh God, stop it Mort, stop," Clementine mutters under her breath as she pulls up outside the house on Tashmore Lake, the car has only just stopped as she gets out and runs into the house.
"Mort! Mort!" she shouts, as loud as she can up the stairs. Mort, oblivious to all the news, leans over the banister and gives her a cheery smile.
"Hey, nearly finished my story, got about three chapters left," he says, sitting back down. Clementine jumps up the stairs.
"Mort, you can't finish the story," she says, going over to the laptop.
"Why not? I'm at the end, the end's the most important part of the story," he says.
"How many of the kids have you killed off?" Clementine asks in panic.
"Five," comes Mort's confused reply. "Why?"
"Oh God. Something's happening Mort, there's four dead teenagers in California who's lives are following your story, they've got, the unusual names, they're from Texas they were going to Hollywood, everything. Mort, you can't kill off the last girl, you've got to let her live."
"What? That's crazy, it's just a story," says Mort.
"Mort! Look, watch this," Clementine says, almost dragging her husband down from upstairs and she turns on the TV, flicking onto the news channel.
"This is financial news, what's going on Clementine?"
"Wait," Clementine ordered. And Mort waits, and as Mort waits, the report comes on.
"No more news has been discovered about the California vacation killings. Today Sissy Wells and Minnesota Hemmings were moved to a secure building, we cannot disclose the location. The two girls have been through the tragic loss of two siblings and two cousins each. Cedar Wells disappeared at the rest stop at the California Arizona state line, Blossom Hemmings then disappeared in Hollywood, followed by her brother Easton Hemmings who was looking for her. Today, another of the family has been discovered, strangled, just like the others, Blakeney Wells was found in Arizona yesterday, police reveal today. There are no clues and no leads for the case and the police are drawing a blank. We'll keep you informed as soon as we find out any more news on this case."
"So there's only one left now? Who did I kill? Harley. She'd be, Sissy Wells, they break out of the secure location and are on the road home, Icing doesn't watch the road and she crashes and blacks out, when she comes round Harley's gone. This has already happened," says Mort, panic fleeting across his face also.
"Alright, how does the story end, how have you planned it to end?" asks Clementine.
"The last one, Minnesota's going to die at. . ."
"No. We can't do that, the last one's got to live, we can't kill the last one. Lets get writing," says Clementine, turning off the TV and dragging Mort back upstairs. She opens the laptop and sits him down in the chair. "Alright. They're on the road, she's crashed, Harley? Harley's gone. Then, this is what's going to happen. . ."