Page 74 of Soul of a Psycho

But no one shares her skepticism, and whispers start echoing down the hall as the vine of communication spreads. An uneasy air quickly settles like a thick dust, coating everyone in fear until we are all grouped together. I listen to the symphony of bickering and hypothesizing, desperate for someone to mention that they’ve seen this guy before. That they know who he is. I can’t be the only one that’s had a run in with this guy. But no one has any idea, and I bite my tongue so hard that I taste blood.

Words likerapistandghostandax murderswirl around, making me dizzy, and I lean against the wall for support. Knots form in my stomach as I blink back the tears in my eyes. It just doesn’t make any sense. Unless I’m the only one he wants.

The staircase suddenly rattles, and we all swing our heads to the right, freezing in place. One step rings out, and then another. Ruby clutches at me. We wait in hushed silence as someone ascends. Even Britney backs up—with no one to cling to—as they get closer and closer. When the final step clanks, my breath is held so deeply that my heart hammers for oxygen.

But when a slipper crests the floor, we all sag in unison and exhale. Martha is clad in a fuzzy peach robe, two curlers in her fringe, and brandishing a scowl that could make a general cower.

“What on God’s green earth areyou all doing?” She stomps toward us.

* * *

Dawn is bleak and bitter as I huddle next to Ruby on the steps of Lamb Hall. The sheriff of Angel Point still has sleep in his eyes, and I don’t think he’s aware that his mustache is curling up his nose. He doesn’t even write in a little notepad as Ruby repeats what she saw to him, but the headmistress next to him is rapt with attention.

I’ve never met her before, and I’m surprised to see that she’s younger than I thought she would be. The pitch black hair and fair skin puts her at no more than forty, and she wears a trendy pea coat over flannel pajamas. She’s pretty. And something about Cade blackmailing her seems… odd.

“How tall was he, sweetheart?” she asks Ruby, seemingly doing the sheriff’s job for him.

“Tall,” Ruby supplies, giving the sheriff an up and down. “Taller than him.”

He tiredly rolls his eyes and turns to the headmistress. “Probably one of your admirable young men playing a prank.”

The headmistress purses her lips and shakes her head. “Our boys know better, Hammond.”

He sighs. “With all due respect, it was either them or someone on your staff. Hillcrest has enough gates that no one is getting in here without tearing themselves up on those finials.” He points into the distance, referring to the entrance with its iron behemoth of spikes.

I too think that it was someone already on campus, but the sheriff is mistaken if he thinks this was a prank. I bite my tongue, though, and keep my mouth shut. At first, maybe it could have been a prank, but couple this with that I had to run for my life in those woods, knives whizzing past my face…. No. Perhaps if I told him, he would change his tune. But I can’t. Not without having to explain and face further questioning, especially about why I never came forward before. It’s bad enough that theheadmistress has already assured us that Dorothy is calling our parents.

My father is going to be livid and probably insinuate that I brought this upon myself somehow. I don’t know what’s worse, his wrath or this skull person’s presence. All I can hope is that my father is too busy to pay a visit and I only have to deal with one of them.

“I disagree,” the headmistress says. “We have plenty of woodland that isn’t—”

“What the fuck is going on?!”

I jump at Cade’s roar and turn to see him climbing the steps, two at a time. He’s in my space so quickly that I stumble backwards and he has to catch me.

“What happened?” He grabs my cheeks, twisting left and right, eyes scanning me. “Are you okay?”

He’s not wearing his hoodie, and his hair is awry, like he just climbed out of bed. I glance behind him, pissed if he made the trek from the shack with no jacket, but when I glance back, I notice deep bags under his eyes, almost as black as his irises. The thin skin beneath his lashes is almost translucent, and I reach up, concern for myself melting like snow in the summer. His cheek is hot, too hot, and a bit clammy. His eyes are red too, and I wonder if even slept at all. Maybe he’s getting sick from sleeping out there in the winter?

“Areyouokay?” I ask him.

“Ahem,” Sheriff Hammond clears his throat.

I blush, remembering we aren’t alone, and try to step back. But Cade pulls me into his side and spins on the sheriff.

“What the fuck happened?”

“Cade.” the headmistress reprimands him.

“It doesn’t concern you,” Hammond tries to raise his chin, but it’s a pathetic attempt at dominance when Cade towers overhim. “Unless…” The sheriff looks between me and him. “You have something to do with this.”

The headmistress and Cade speak at the same time.

“Something to do with what?”

“I can assure you Cade had nothing to do with this.”

The sheriff makes a grunt, ignoring both of them to hone in on Ruby. “What do you think, little miss? Maybe your roommate’s boyfriend spooked you. You were asleep, your dreams blended in with reality, conjuring this ‘skull’ face, and it was all a misunderstanding, hm?”

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