INTRODUCTION

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"When people are watching shows or when people are watching tv, or movies, and they see a psychopath- you know, they picture certain people and they picture mass murderers who go out and kill everyday without caring. You know, they picture people that do all these things... bad things... and just don't care."

"I think the public have a real misconception as to what and who a psychopath really is and how they act...

Rain poured down from the sky, the droplets clattering manically against the concrete as Alice walked through the front gate of her school. Other students ran past her, squealing in playful distress as the water soaked their clothes, drenched their hair and dripped into their bags. Summerland hadn't seen a storm like this in a long time, and the sound of the loud raging thunder seemed to fascinate Alice, so instead of running like the rest of the student body, she walked peacefully, letting the rain drops slide down over her bright yellow raincoat. There was something about such unpredictable chaos that ignited something inside her, bringing a sense of calm across her usually busy and fast moving mind.

With books hugged to her chest, and her small black leather backpack hanging limply from her back, she climbed the steps to get towards the main entrance of the tall looming building that stood confidently underneath the weight of the storm like the arc preparing for the great flood.

The main hall was busy with students recovering from the weather, many voices complained about the state of their clothes and books, some couldn't believe the school had forced them to attend classes on such a horrible day, but Alice didn't mind. In fact, learning whilst listening to rain sounds was something she did constantly. She unloaded her damp books into her locker and pushed down the hood from her bright yellow rain coat to reveal her similarly brightly coloured blonde hair that flowed down her back to her waist in a thick wave. She hung up her coat, her face blank and emotionless as she organised her books in accordance to her schedule, and suddenly noticed the smear of blood on her wrist.

She stared at the stain for a moment... then slowly, she licked her thumb and wiped it away without changing her vacant expression. The bell for class rang, pulling her out of her muffled subconscious separation from reality. Alice put on a small, warm yet subtle smile and grabbed her books, flicking her golden hair over her shoulder just as a close friend of hers appeared at her side to walk to class together. They walked with humble confidence to their first class with their arms linked and a thick AP Psychology book poking out from the left arm of Alice.

"-only 1% of the general population are estimated to be psychopathic. So there have to be some who aren't in prison... They don't have any obvious signs... they just look like everyone else, behave like everyone else... the only difference between us and them is, well, nothing. Nothing at all. And they know that. They use that knowledge very carefully."

- - -

"So what comes to mind when you hear the word psychopath?"

"Uh... a mass murderer."

"Psychopath? Uh... somebody whose crazy, loves to kill people."

"Someone who is completely obsessed with themselves, and will kill anybody to get what they want."

- - -

... Her eyes were locked on the screen, her lips slightly parted as she chewed softly on the end of her pen. Alice listened with intensity, drinking in every word with complete fascination as the documentary continued throughout the class, the room dark and eerie looking as the rain storm continued to rage outside the big glass windows. Around her, Alice was surrounded with students that didn't care. Some were on their phones, some were talking quietly to the person sat next to them. Others were asleep.

AP Psychology was considered one of the easiest AP classes for Junior year. Yet, it was also the most interesting. Alice couldn't understand why none of her classmates seemed to care about what was being said on the old box television at the front of the class... Understanding the human psyche was such a complex task as it is, but understanding the behaviour of a psychopath was a task so challenging that even to this day, questions are still being asked and not answered. Here in this class, they were beginning to learn about just that... the mind of psychopaths and what they know so far.

"Okay, I think that's enough for today." The teacher, Mr Brightman, said as he switched off the monitor and turned the lights on, causing a flash of irritation inside Alice's chest since she hadn't finished making notes. "Uh... let's see..." he continued, glancing at his class schedule for that day, "For your last assignment of this semester I want you write an essay on what it means to be a psychopath. And I don't mean regurgitating whatever you find on Wikipedia... do some genuine research. Think of this as a smaller version of a dissertation. No less than five thousand words."

"What?" Someone asked as Alice smiled discreetly to herself and wrote down the assignment in her school journal.

"You have a month, Susan. That's plenty of time. And I want it printed and bounded, please. No excuses this time, i've told you in advance."

The bell rang for the end of class just as Mr Brightman finished speaking. Almost immediately books began to get packed, and some students were already getting up to leave. For a few moments Alice took her time to finish her notes, her mind already ticking away to how she would ace this assignment, like she had aced every other assignment before this one.

After class she made her way back to her locker to exchange her books for new ones, the halls were empty... excusing the few passing students who were running in from outside to escape the rain. Alice watched a pair of them hurry past before she opened her locker, and then looked over her should to see where they went out of pure interest. They were in the sports gear, but surely all physically activity would have been cancelled due to the state of the field after weather like this.

Her locker opened with a click and she felt something slip out and gently brush past her chest as it floated down to the floor. Her eyebrows furrowed as she looked down, seeing a red envelope with her name written on the front. Alice Murphy. She didn't recognise the hand writing but picked it up and opened it without hesitation...

To

You have been invited to Veronica Green's annual Christmas Party at the lake house.

: 11 - 59 - 4 - 7

Send your code to the number at the end of the invite and wait for the address to be sent to you.

Happy holidays!

Love, V

xoxo

Alice's eyebrows raised as she read the invite again. Veronica Greens's annual Christmas party invite was something people anticipated throughout most of the first semester.... and this year Alice had received one. She was confused as to why she was invited, since never in her life had she spoken to the schools biggest socialite, but here it was... the red envelope that seemed heavy with importance in her hands.

She looked up and down the hallway just in case anyone had seen her open it or even receive it and quickly stuffed it back into her locker. It was classed as an honour to be invited, and usually jealousy poured from peoples veins that hadn't been.

This school worked in interesting ways, but behind the closed doors of the school social elite, was a whole new world that Alice was about to be brutally introduced to...