Mona. Bad bishop. Charlotte.
BadBishop: So how about a real life game?
Mona hesitated. They'd been at this a while now and naturally, Mona had thought about it. About who this person was. She wouldn't admit it but she'd done all searches she could think of of the name – BadBishop. She couldn't even find a reference point. She'd stopped herself at tracking the IP address. She had learnt some restraint since she was a teenager.
Sure, let's do it.
Mona placed the chess piece on the table. She took a sip of her coffee before she ran her hands through her hair and looked around. It was late and the diner was on the outskirts of town. It was quiet. She checked her phone and pulled her book out of her bag. And waited…
"Did you miss me?"
Mona felt her body tense. She slowly looked up from her book before it fell from her fingertips.
"You… this isn't possible," Mona felt her heart thumping hard against her ribs, "I killed you myself."
Charlotte Dilaurentis smirked, "You know nobody stays dead in Rosewood… You fled the scene too soon."
"But you… you're… "
Charlotte sighed impatiently, "You think some piece of metal could stop me? Really? Sure, the fall hurt like hell and broke a few bones but luckily the good doctor was nearby."
"I saw your body," Mona said, still barely able to comprehend the scene unfolding before her.
Charlotte shrugged, "You saw Hanna's once too. Hanging in that same church, in fact."
Mona shook her head, "You've been BadBishop this whole time?"
"Of course. You really think anyone else could keep up with our game?" Charlotte's eyes glinted as she laughed, "Don't look so surprised, Mona. How many people have we seen come back from the dead? It might not be Rosewood but it's still - "
"Is it you? Are you blackmailing those kids – "
"Oh, come on," Charlotte scoffed, "That Hotchkiss crap? Totally amateur."
Mona surveyed the other woman for a moment before deciding to let that issue rest. She believed the older woman. She wasn't here for some random kids. It was something bigger. She looked around the diner nervously.
Charlotte sat down and lent back in the booth casually, "Thanks for bringing Ali here by the way. Being halfway across the country has made things so much easier. Nobody knows me here, I could finally come out of hiding."
"She knows everything now. Your bullshit lies. Your fake love. She's – "
"You've grown soft, Mona," Charlotte drawled, rolling her eyes, "It was Alison that started all this and now you've fallen at her feet just like everybody else. Never thought I'd see the day you'd forgive her for everything she did. For everything she made you feel. I thought maybe you had game when I saw you in Paris, it was a pretty cool set up but security was lax…" Charlotte grinned, waiting for Mona to catch on, "Alex says hi by the way."
Mona remembered the way she had frozen on the stairs as the glass crackled beneath her feet. She'd known instantly something had happened. Something bad. She'd checked the whole building but the only traces of her prisoners were glass and broken teacups. The resentment returned with a ferocity.
"Well, at least you've got one sister that loves you," Mona said sourly, "And I guess mom 2.0."
Something flashed behind the bravado in Charlotte's eyes. It was only for a split second… but that was all it took for Mona to recognise that she'd found the blonde's nerve.
"Though I wonder how your mommy would feel knowing you were consorting with her murderer," Mona continued as she lent in close, a smirk creeping onto her lips.
Any hint of a smile vanished from Charlotte's face as she lent in, glaring at the woman before her, "Don't test me, Mona. I made you my doll once and you know I can do it again," she sighed and put the mask back on, shaking her head and plastering on a grin, "Mary's sweet. So eager to be the perfect mom. She'd really do anything for her long lost daughters," she flicked her gaze down to the coffee in front of Mona before meeting her eyes, a new smirk on her face as she looked at something behind Mona.
Mona turned away to see Mary in a waitress uniform. She waved.
Mona's heart thumped harder as she felt her head swimming as she turned back to Charlotte, "You're never going to get away – "
Charlotte chortled, "Of course I am. Dead girls can't commit crimes," she winked.
"Ali will – "
"You really think you were my first visit?" Charlotte rolled her eyes, "Don't worry. You'll have company."
Mona could feel her muscles seizing up, she looked around the now-empty diner and tried to push herself out of the booth, swaying on her feet.
"You don't look too well," Charlotte chuckled as she pulled Mona's arm around her shoulder and supported her, "Let me help you, doll."
"Did you miss me?"
"I killed you myself."
