Callum and I had been swaying like the others for the past twenty minutes. It's nearly midnight now, I have no idea how much longer the party will last.

"Aren't you getting tired?" he asked.

I shook my head, grinning widely like I had been this whole night. "Not at all. I'm enjoying this too much to feel the shoe bites at my feet. I'm enjoying you," I whispered, pecking his lips yet again.

We kiss a lot, Jesus.

"Just not enough to not have to use the bathroom," I chuckled, pulling away from him.

"I'll take you, come on."

I kept my hand in his, both of us walking out and to the nearest bathroom. I went inside while he stood outside, waiting for me. I came out of the stall and washed my hands, sighing and staring at myself in the mirror. "How did I get so lucky to find someone like him?" I asked myself while grabbing two tissues and drying my hands, tossing the crumpled-up tissues away.

I ran my fingers through my hair and touched my flushed cheeks to cool them down a little before adjusting my dress and leaving. "Do you think they have any iced—" I cut myself short, frowning in confusion at the empty hallway. "Callum?" I called out, my voice echoing off the walls of the empty space. "Callum?" I asked a little louder, looking at the boys' bathroom. I waited for three minutes, by the time on my phone, but he didn't come out of there either.

Where did he go?

Then I heard a bunch of screams coming from the gym. I started heading there but stopped when two students came rushing out. "What happened?" I asked, watching as they ran past me.

"Nate cut his arm!"

"What?!" I yelled after them.

"Go check it out!"

I huffed in frustration. How could he possibly cut his arm? There are no knives or food up here. I clicked my tongue in frustration, watching as the two ran downstairs, rushing to the nurse's office.

I picked up my dress, ready to head back to the gym but someone grabbed my arm, yanking my back and clamping a hand over my mouth. I grabbed his hand, trying to throw it off while letting out muffled screams. But then I froze when I felt the cold steel of a dagger on my throat.

"Shh, be quiet."

I took shaky breaths, trying to calm my raging heart. It must be a joke. It has to be.

"You're going to come with me now, understand? And you won't make a single noise. If you do..." He pressed the dagger deeper, my skin burning at the sharp edge.

I nodded frantically, my eyes tearing up almost immediately.

He walked backward, dragging me with him before turning around and forcing me down the staircase. I knew his voice when he opened his mouth. It's Atticus. "Keep moving," he scolded when I tried slowing down. We got to the auditorium where he opened the double doors and shoved me inside.

I exhaled, putting my hand to my chest and catching my breath.

"Get on the stage."

"What the hell are you—"

He held the dagger up, under my chin. "Get. On. The. Stage."

"Okay, okay," I mumbled, turning around and climbing the small steps in the corner, getting on the stage.

"Sit down."

I sat on the single chair that was in the dead center.

"Throw your phone to me."

"Atticus, please—"

"Throw it!" he snapped. The tears were falling freely now. He's really going to do it. He'll kill me.

Where the fuck is Callum?

I stared at my screen. I thought of dialing the number quickly. But then Ethan, Finn, and Isaac came up, standing to my left, right, and behind me. "Don't even think of calling him."

I sighed in defeat, holding my phone out for one of them to take.

Finn took it, scoffing at my lock screen. "How cute."

It's a picture of me and Callum from the day I went to see his parents. We took one in the library.

He shoved my phone into his pocket, from the sounds of it. Atticus walked over while Ethan walked away.

The spotlight above my head flickered on, blinding me immediately. I squinted, looking down at my lap.

"What do we do now, boys?" Atticus asked, his finger tracing the blade of the dagger.

"Please just let me go. I didn't even do anything to you," I sniffled, wiping my cheeks with the back of my hand.

"She's right," Isaac nodded.

"You are," Atticus agreed. "You didn't do anything. But your pretty little boyfriend... He did a lot now, didn't he?" Then he sighed, sitting down on the floor, crossing his legs. "I'm sure you have questions and we have all the time in the world. Ask," he nodded.

I let out a sob I was trying my hardest to hold in. I didn't want him to think I scared so easily. But I was terrified right now.

"Ask," he said through gritted teeth.

"Does this," I sniffled again. "Does this have to do with Kiara?"

"Mm-hmm," he confirmed.

"I didn't even know her," I cried. "Why are you doing this to me? I never even said anything to you."

"This has nothing to do with you and everything to do with Callum. It's payback. I'm just doing what he did. Kill the girl I loved."

"But he doesn't love me!" I groaned.

"Yet," he smiled in response. "Ask more."

"What do you want?" I sighed.

"Well, first we're going to kill time until he finds you. Then I'll kill you right in front of him. Then we'll beat him up a little so he can't save you. That's all. See, I even told you everything. Honesty is the best policy, right? It's not like you'll live to tell anybody else. Ask more."

"What else do you want me to ask?" I couldn't help but feel angry.

He is dragging me into this for nothing. He chuckled, clearly amused. "You seem angry."

"You're fucking crazy, Atticus!" I tried standing up but Finn pushed me back down. "Killing me won't get you anywhere! Seriously, what the fuck is wrong with you?!" I kicked my heels off, grateful that he couldn't see it under the dress.

The spotlight turned back off and we fell into an abyss of darkness. There wasn't a single light on now. I heard shuffling and I could feel the guys moving away from around me.

Should I run? All I have to do is run left, even if I fall off the stage. I held my breath, feeling him right in front of me. I just knew he was standing right there.

"We've got loads of time. Let's play a little."

I let out the loudest scream I ever have. I've never been in this kind of pain. Not even in the accident. The spotlight came back on and I looked at my stomach where there was now a huge slash. I cried, pressing down on the wound, the sobs coming out uncontrollably now.

He went and sat back down in front of me. "Every two minutes he isn't here, we'll torture you a little more. Sounds fun, right?"

I groaned, tilting my head back and flinging one foot forward, my heel hitting him straight in the chest.

It knocked the air out of him. He glared at me, throwing it off the stage. "Don't piss me off. I'm the one cutting you, remember?"

I whimpered, letting out strangled breaths.

Atticus turned to the door when footsteps rushed past. But nobody came in.

He isn't here. He hasn't found me yet.

"Just fucking call him, please!" I let out more screams, the pain getting worse. It felt like poison was being poured onto the wound. "What is on that?" I asked through gritted teeth.

He grinned, "Salt and rum." I closed my eyes tightly, letting out another yell in response. "Tick tock, Callum," Atticus sighed, standing up again. "Where are you?"

The light turned off again and I started trying to get up. But he already cut me too deep. I couldn't even move my upper body. I grabbed onto whatever I could hold when I felt the sharp sting of another cut right above this one. I yelled even louder, he had to muffle it this time with his hand. I kicked around, more tears falling. I'm bleeding everywhere. I'm losing so much blood. The light came back on and he sat back down.

"Do you-" I winced, sitting upright again. "Do you really think you'll get away?"

"No, I plan to turn myself in, actually, now that you ask. Once I'm done here, I have to reason to stay."

If he cuts just a little more to the center, it'll hurt less. The corset will cushion the blade.

"Where the hell is your boyfriend, don't you think he's taking too long?" He came back over. I shifted in the seat when the light dimmed and he slashed again. It hurt. It really fucking hurt. But it hurt a little less. I cried even louder, trying to throw him off as the lights came on.

Then I felt Finn and Isaac grabbing my arms. "Sit still, newbie."

I should have just listened to Nate. I should have listened to Callum and stayed out of this party. But where the fuck is Callum now?

My vision started getting hazy. The bottom half of my dress was most certainly dripping blood now, staining the wooden floor.

"You're making a mess," Atticus glowered at me.

"Why don't you fucking lick it clean then?" I asked through gritted teeth, pressing down on the cuts.

He laughed, "Save your energy. Don't waste it in words. You'll be out like a light soon anyway."

I blinked slowly as it became harder to keep my eyes open. I was going into the abyss again. The abyss of complete darkness. Not just in my head. The light turned back off. I let out the loudest cry yet when he stabbed me instead of slashing me this time.

"That's better," he laughed. Pulling the dagger out, causing more pain than it did going in.

I kicked the other heel at him, hitting his nose and lips, making him bleed.

He spat the blood out. "I'll ignore that, you fucking bitch."

Callum, where the fuck are you?

I need you.

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