"Let's discuss what our next lives will be like." 

 Their usual hangout had been completely overcrowded by a massive group of partygoers as the entire college celebrated their liberation from college exams— undergraduate exams. These exams— or so they were told— would only get worse the higher the education they pursued. The Twisted Root was a hole-in-the-wall bar with good food, better beer, and an atmosphere that somehow sobered the soul despite the fact that most college students were looking to get drunk and forget their troubles. There was an air of calm that seemed to exude from the worn down wallpaper, the cushy chairs with more than a few stains that almost seemed to be war trophies against years of sophomore shenanigans, and the bartender Barney who looked like he should have retired with the marine vets in Kawaii instead of pouring shots for a bunch of dumb Clodders. That's what they called the freshmen who ended up in Claudwell's common core (much more stress inducing since the woman was a retired drill sergeant down in Jersey at one point). Clodders was a term that explained itself when you saw their state after quizzes, exams, and tests. Rena Martinez, William Cormack, and Caleb Gallows were all Clodders. Ren and Cal excelled at her heinous core standards and quickly became her prized pupils. Poor Billy had been doomed from the start. He was an art major stuck in the lawyer program because of the expectations set by generations of the Cormacks that came before him. As for Theodore Twalle, Cassandra Clare, Lucy Snow, and Ellenore Swanson, they got the common core from the opposing faction led by Arnold Palm, who was as laid back as it got. Theo and Cal spent most of their time trying to help poor Billy out of the abyss. Exams had been especially brutal this year, as Claudwell had insisted they needed even harder questions, procedures, and test prep. "You gotta want it" seemed to be her recurring statement. Billy would have been crying into his cup at the Twisted Root by now. Elle swayed a little as she managed to bring the bags carrying the snacks from the corner shop up the hill. Rutter's Hill sounded a lot worse than it was. It was not a place where couples came to do the dirty, but was actually named after Alfred Rutter who had done some sort of protest here… or something. The older generations all fawned over this place, as it was a huge part of their childhood— it was what defined their time. Elle had trouble keeping up with the history and lore of this town, but nonetheless managed to diligently listen to her elder's fond memories of their youth. Rutter's Hill would be their tavern on this night, it would be where Billy would cry into his cup, where they would all make merry after a long testing period, where they would plan where to go over break, and where they would drag Cass and Billy home after they had one too many. 

 "Our next lives?" Elle repeated Lucy's statement. Billy had already been hiccuping with his jaw on top of the aluminum tin can probably already deprived of its contents. He needed a reprieve from the hellish college life that seemed to drain away their youth instead of excite it. Lulu grinned.

 "Yep! I already have your life planned out, Elle." she put her arm over Elle's shoulder, and wobbled with her as she stumbled the last couple steps. Cal came up and smoothly extracted the plastic bags packed with snacks from her hands, nodding to her. Elle smiled and mouthed a polite 'thank you'. 

 "What did you plan out for my next life?" Elle asked. Lulu laughed.

 "You'll be an awe-inspiring beauty!" Lulu exclaimed.

 "Pft! Bull! She's already an awe-inspiring beauty!" Billy slurred, crushing his can of beer. Theo and Cass snickered into their cups, and Rena laughed out loud. Billy angrily slurred a few insults and snagged another can. Elle blushed, and took the can out of his hand, replacing it with a bottle of water.

 "Enough of that!" she sighed.

 "I'm not done. You'll be an awe-inspiring beauty and a man!" The group went silent. Elle stared at her, unsure of what to say.

 "I'm going to be a boy in my next life?"

 "Not just any boy: an unbelievably beautiful pretty boy, and a total uke." Lulu grinned. Cass and Ren lifted up their bottles.

 "Yes! Need to loose that virginity to a badass swordsmen!" Cass laughed.

 "He has to be kind to her— him— like a total gentleman but only to her."

 "Him." Lulu corrected, "But I agree, Elle has to melt that ice!" 

 "Are you guys telling me that I'm going to die a virgin?" Elle asked, puffing up her cheeks. Theo sighed.

 "Nobodies dying!" he growled.

 "Who said we were?" Cass challenged.

 "Isn't that the whole point in planning your next life? Otherwise why bother?" Theo asked. 

 "You girls have been reading too much BL." Billy sighed, glumly sipping the water Elle had given him. 

 "We've moved on to Daimei." Elle said, drinking some of her orange cassis out of the can. 

 "Danmei?" Cal asked. 

 "Chinese BL." 

 "Of fucking course!" Billy groaned. 

 "Oooooo! Good idea! It has to be the cultivation world. It must!" Lulu bounced. Cal shook his head and cleaned up some of the bottles and cans, before finding something to eat in the bag from the corner store. Elle sat down next to him and listened to the back and forth about her next life. 

 "I will rule the motherfucking world!" Billy stumbled a few steps forward, "All of you will rue the day you underestimated William Cormack! I a fucking Cornsnack, bitches!" 

 "Will you shut up?!" Theo hissed, nursing his own pre-hangover as he hauled Billy back to the dorms. Elle giggled lightly.

 "Are you seriously laughing? I'm going to have to take care of this dumbass all night to make sure he doesn't kill himself!" Theo snapped. Elle grinned,

 "That's why I'm laughing!" 

 "Don't laugh too much." Cal motioned to an equally inebriated Cass and Rena. Elle giggled and shook her head. Theo sighed. He looked up at the stars.

 "How the heck did we get this sloshed?"

 "Not us." Lulu laughed, bouncing ahead of them. Lulu had drank the most out of all of them and had somehow managed to stay completely sober. 

 "I've got a history with alcohol." she grinned. Elle smiled softly. 

 "Good thing I have you to help me nurse these two tonight." she looked at Cass and Rena. Lulu gave her a thumbs up. 

 "Tonight was a lot of fun." Lulu smiled, looking up at the stars. Elle nodded. Lulu sighed, "I hope we can always be together."

 "Me too." Elle nodded, "All of you need to promise me something; no matter what, I love all of you. So, so much. No matter what happens in the future, please, always be safe, happy, and healthy." 

...

Wind whistled passed his ear as he trudged through the forest, the mud clinging to his shoes. Moonlight slid through the canopy and bathed the undergrowth on the forest floor in an eerie glow, the red, flashing lights, the buzz of the police radios, and the hum of voices all discussing, all assessing what had happened to the poor kid. Caden Owens had seen a lot since he joined the force ten years ago-- well, when one starts off trying to shut down illegal drug rings, one already has seen a lot more than they bargained for-- however, looking at the bodies of Jane Does and John Does never got easier. Here was a kid that should have been enjoying life, drinking with friends, getting laid, and doing all the stupid things you do in college. Not laying crumpled at the bottom of a cliff in a bloody heap. According to the ones who had been on the scene first, someone or something had done a number on the kid. Jonny Kash-- no, not the singer-- stood off to the side wrestling with dry heaves, and trying not to make a mess on the crime scene. Baron (Johnathan Awns) looked over at him grimly, and Caden knew that this really was going to suck. Good thing he had skipped out on the greasy pizza at Mario's. He strode over to the victim and lifted the sheet.

"Holy fuck." he hissed, looking away. This girl had been put through the wringer. Cuts, bruises, scrapes, bare feet that had the skin torn off of the soles, and she was only wearing a big shirt with nothing underneath. There was glass in the cuts, and some sort of light colored dirt. Her body was cold and pale, the life long gone from her flesh. The clouds shifted and the moon shone down on the body, some wild dogs had gotten to it too...

A week later, Caden stared down at the autopsy report in disbelief...

"A... suicide?" he echoed the cause of death out loud, trying to see if this was reality. This girl had committed suicide? Really? Baron shrugged his shoulders, and leaned in close,

"The higher ups decided that." he whispered. He gave him a meaningful look and left Caden stewing in the reality of this job. He was just as unable to bring justice to the people as he was before he joined the force.

...

Sitting alone at night, a beer still clenched in his hand, staring blankly at the tv screen going over the news about his victim, Ellenor Swanson, he took the second sip out of the glass only to find it had long gone from icy, refreshing cold to lukewarm. He sighed, finally putting the glass down only to find that he was sweating. He ran a shaking hand through his hair, sighing. He stood and shut off the tv, trudging to the bedroom in his one bed, one bath apartment. So much for the glamorous, exciting lifestyle of a police officer! Only exciting part was pulling over a car for a speeding ticket. He shut off the lights--

"And in other breaking news, the body of a girl that was found at the bottom of a cliff a week ago was declared a suicide..." Donna, the late night anchorman's, matter-of-fact tone grated passed his ears. He looked over to find the remote where he left it, on the arm of the chair. He walked over and turned it off. The minute he turned his back however,

"...the body has been identified as former college student Ellenor Swanson..."

"Yeah, thanks, Donna. I know." Caden cursed a few times under his breath, and shut off the tv again. He threw the remote on the couch cushion and stalked off. He washed his face in the sink, feeling the misery only become more pronounced the wetter his face got.

"Many students have accepted Swanson's death as a suicide, but there are quite a few who remain unsure." Donna's voice carried again from the living room, causing Caden to bristle.

"I fucking know, the kid's case has been mine for the last week! I would know better than anyone!" Caden strode into the living room and looked everywhere for the remote. It wasn't on the cushion anymore, or under the couch, the armchair, the coffee table, or anywhere in the living room. Caden growled, running his hand though his hair. His eyes landed on a message scratched into the tacky wallpaper that came with the apartment-- the type that the landlord wouldn't allow him to remove...

You're not finished yet... We're all waiting...

...

Investigation into the death of Ellenore Swanson

by Elijah Keith

Ellenore Swanson, age 25, born in Chappaqua, New York was found dead in the woods two days ago. The police are looking into the likelihood of foul play, but it remains unlikely as Miss. Swanson is believed to have committed suicide. Ellenore Swanson was a seemingly bright girl with good grades, a great personality, a strong community leader, and had a positive outlook on life. Her overall popularity on campus might be as high as campus queen, Lilianna Brookes. Unlike Miss. Brookes, Swanson's popularity was due to her gentle nature rather than looks, making her the sweetheart on campus. Always helping others and supporting people however she could, she will be sorely missed. However, what is the truth behind her death? Why would such a girl just suddenly commit suicide, some claim that she didn't not have a high opinion of herself, others argue she was not the type to commit suicide. The bigger question is why was her body left in the woods? It was found two days ago by some backpackers under a cliff and eaten by wild dogs. It does make someone think that she could have jumped from the cliff, but what about the sawdust? The body has been left in pretty bad shape and therefore it is hard to determine what exactly happened to it. Animals have almost completely devoured what was left of her under the cliff, all that police can say is she died from falling off the cliff. But did she necessarily jump to her death from the cliff? There are a number of strange wounds on her body that seem to suggest that she actually died from falling in another area… if that was the case, why move the body? And did they throw her off the cliff again?

...

 "Keith really did it this time!" Theo raged, ripping the paper to shreds. The Twisted Root had been reserved just for them tonight— curtesy of Barney, who knew Elle very well. The group had been getting drunk for hours now before they found the paper posted on the wall. Billy was still crying into his cup.

 "So what if he has?" Cass slammed her glass down, eyes red.

 "She's being turned into some sort of celebrity and for what? Possibly committing suicide?" Theo growled. Lulu whimpered, sinking into another wave of sobs. Rena rubbed her back awkwardly.

 "At least he doesn't think she did! At least he's investigating!" Cass yelled.

 "And for what? Will that change the police department's opinion?" Theo's face was turning red. 

 "Well, maybe it should! Do you want her death to be just called a suicide after being investigated all half assed like this?" Cass stood up.

 "Of course not!"

 "Then what the hell are you complaining about?"

 "I just am so tired of a bunch of idiots getting their five minutes of fame claiming to 'know all about her'. A lot of his interviewees were pulling random shit out of their asses. The media has them all riled up. Didn't have much self worth? She was the stars and moon of this group!"

 "…are we sure she knew that?" Billy whispered.

 "What? You actually think she committed suicide?" Rena hissed at him.

 "No. I don't. This is all your fault though!" Billy lunged at Lulu, sending beer, bottles, glasses, and soaked tissues flying through the air.

 "What?" Cass jumped in front of Lulu. Lulu whimpered, crying into Rena's chest.

 "You heard me! 'Let's plan your next life'! Bullshit! You jinxed her and for what?!"

 "Calm down, Billy." Cal stood up, massaging his head.

 "Fuck you! None of you cared as much as I did!" he turned back to Lulu, "You getting off on it? Huh? All excited that she could possibly have been reincarnated and might be getting screwed by a swordsman up her ass? Fun, right? Right?!"

 "That's fucking enough, idiot." Theo grabbed him by the collar, "You are way out of line." Billy laughed.

 "Oh yeah? You wanna tell me more about where the line is, huh, big brother?" Billy wretched himself free, "You are so full of it! None of us asked you to take care of us!" 

 "Maybe that's what you fucking need." Cass snarled, "Instead of acting like a fucking idiot and having a bitch and sobbing into your damn cup like usual."

 "I don't need to have a fucking bitch, I'm already surrounded by them!" Billy yelled. 

 "Enough! Elle wouldn't like this!" Lulu screamed, "She made us promise! Remember?" The bar went silent. Billy cursed under his breath and grabbed his coat, leaving. Lulu sobbed a few more times, "It's really my fault. It's not good luck." 

 "Nonsense. That idiot got worked up and grabbed onto something random." Rena sighed. They all followed Billy out.

...

Looking out from her vantage point, she could see everything. Elle had lived her life averagely. She got average grades, was decent at art, could read, write, do math in an average way. She had average looks, no real talents that stood out. The unremarkable eldest sister who was an utter disappointment to her younger brother Nathan, and a major eyesore. There was no way she could stand out, and it graded on her everyday. One day she was thanked by an elderly lady who lived a little out of the way on her way home. She had helped her get home when she had bought too much groceries. That may have been what started it, maybe she could just help by being there. However, doing random acts of kindness wasn't a job, she knew that. Her parents needed her to be something, and so she followed her father's expectations without another word and entered law school. What else could she do? Luckily, she wasn't the only one in that boat. Her friends had all been there with her— trying to abide by some sort of norm. What was her life? Was she destined to live like this for her entire life? There was no reason anymore why she should complain. There was no one to complain to. However, this act would be— as she looked death in the face from high above— her one, final attempt to find her own way. She allowed her exhausted body to plummet, and could feel a sense of triumph just as she hit the ground…