Ke$ha begins to tell her story. She attempts to recall details, appearing dazed and confused.
"How do you know all of this, Ms. Sebert" Mike questions "How do you possibly know everything related to the murders?"
"They were all my fans. Then one of the survivors met up with me after the incident. It was heartbreaking to hear about, but they told me everything… everything they knew, at least." Her voice cracked.
"So what you are telling me is the honest truth, nothing but the truth, and you are aware it can be used against you in a federal court hearing." Ke$ha looked up at Mike, staring at him.
"Yes." she replied.
"Very well. Continue."
"Did you get the DM?" Alex shouted downstairs to Christine, who was folding her McDonalds uniform and hanging it in the closet. Alex and Christine were roommates, sharing a house Alex's mother had allowed them to rent. Both paid their wages to the standard price, but it came with it's nuisances. Christine was always talking about her job. It drove Alex crazy to the point that he refused to drive her one morning and Christine broke into sputtered tears, begging that he bring her. Alex wasn't such the easy one either, and would frequently take up hours in the bathroom, much to Christines annoyance, to make sure he looked presentable for the day. While their lives ran parallel, they were best friends in the most simple sense of the phrase – loyal, forgiving, and tolerant.
"What are you going on about" Christine yelled, as she was too exhausted to take the trip up the stairs.
"Viv, Jane, Steven, and Jan all sent me one. They want to take all of us on a trip."
Claire sat at the local café, waiting impatiently for her friends to arrive. "They're always late" she mumbled, looking at her phone, waiting for a text or message from Lauri or Michelle to appear. She was so utterly bored at that moment that she had wished even Jan would text her. What she got instead surprised her.
"What the hell does she want?" Claire's mind spat, looking at the Direct Message from Vivian St. Clair, a good friend of hers. More messages popped up from Jan, Steven, Jane, and now Alex and Christine.
"Looks like I'll be going on a trip" she sighs aloud as Michelle and Lauri arrive.
"Did you get the –" Claire is interrupted by Lauri.
"Yeah", Lauri quipped, running over Claire.
"We both got it" Michelle chimed in.
"Are you excited?" Claire asked, with a sense of retreat in her voice.
"Sure. Cabins aren't my thing, but hey, Lana always talks about the open road. I need to find that road and take it." Michelle followed her idol Lana Del Rey like a bible.
"Sky stays inside a lot. I don't think she'd like it if I did this" Claire said, biting into Michelles logic.
"You both sound like fucking idiots" Lauri interjected, rolling her eyes.
Miles away, in a college classroom, Vivian St. Clair's phone lit up. A text from Jane displayed on her bright screen. 'Who's replied so far?' questioned Jane. Vivian sent back - 'the usuals: Peter, Kevin, and Mark haven't though'
'What did Jan and Steven say' Jane questioned, her messages lighting up Vivians screen like a strobe.
'They're both in. Jan's mom is going to pay for him. Steven says he's unsure about whether his parents will be ok but I'm thinking they'll let him go' Vivian texted back.
'They better' Jane sent.
It had been Vivian, Jane, Jan, and Stevens idea to organize a trip for all of their friends on twitter. They would spend the week at a lush Cabin in the woods of California, provided free of charge by Vivian's wealthy family. 'The house is like a mansion' Vivian mentioned in her DM to the group. She was just as excited as they were. The only requirement her parents had was 'not to make a mess' – something Vivian and the group could easily follow (with the right amount of Febreeze, trash bags and vacuums)
"I don't think you realize how serious this is for me" Jan argued with his mother. "I'm going on a school retreat to fucking California! Do you know what this will look like on my college applications, coupled with all of my AP advanced classes and my superior intelligence?"
Jan had managed to convince his mother that the "trip" he and his friends were taking was a school-sponsored event. His friend had aided him in forging a letter, laden with the schools official logo, accompanied by a "signature" from his principal. The plane ticket was $120 dollars, and Vivian said that if everyone agreed to go, she'd have her father cover the tab.
"I just want to have fun" he said to his mother, pulling out his AP calculus book.
Peter and Mark were exchanging messages over twitter.
"You going?" sent Mark, hoping his friend would reply with a defiant "yes."
"I'm unsure," Peter said. "I don't feel 'close' enough with the entire group and my plane ticket will be like $80."
"Meh, mines gonna be 110. Just ask your parents. All of us can afford it except Miranda and Kevin," read a message from Mark.
"I thought Kevin was paying using the suffrage money he got from his great-grandparents slave owners?" Peter quizzically replied.
Far away, Kevin reads the message on his phone. "Better get that check in fast" he thinks.
"Yeah. And Miranda is taking some money out of the #YOLO foundation." Mark replied back.
"I though that she started that 'foundation' herself?" Peter questioned.
"Yeah. She's taking the $200 she used to start it to pay for her trip. She also started a sub-foundation called "#swagthisway", where she offers classes to teach the art of 'college swag'."
Miles away, Miranda's phone lights up. She reads the message from Vivian. "Swaggie", she yelps.
Steven sits at home, waiting for a reply from Vivian. He had visited Jane and Vivian in their dorm room the other day to find a mess, but it didn't bother him much. He only lived 20 minutes away from the college, attending the local high school and waiting to graduate.
"Who said yes so far?" Steven sends Jane, since Vivian has yet to reply.
"Everybody" Jane quickly replies. "Vivians dad cancelled the whole 'I'll pay for it' deal, so everyone has to come up with the funds. She said if we can prove to him that we treated the house responsibly, he'd pay for our flights back."
"Sweet" replies Steven. "When should I book my flight?" he questioned, anticipating her response.
It was spring break, so Steven's parents had no problems with him leaving the house, and none of the other parents contested the trip much either.
"Me and Viv already booked everything. You just have to pay for the tickets at the gates." Jane sent back, a rush of adrenaline pulsing through her veins.
"We're leaving this weekend."
At the resort-like house in California, the wind whips the padded shingles. It whizzes around the four-story home, and troughs up waves in the infinity pool overlooking the lake. The large glass windows remain intact, showing a view into the living room, adorned with Indian-print rugs, lavish wooden cabinets and fine-cushioned furniture, and a TV the size of the average dinner table.
The Cabin is set apart from everything. The forest remains alive with the sounds of animals; hawks hunting for prey, raccoon's scavenging for food. The sound of the human race is void. No voice is heard, no laughter is tangible. A vast wilderness of nothing awaits.
Outside the house, a figure shifts through the darkness.