Faith's POV
As I slipped into worn jeans and a faded t-shirt, my mind lingered on the strange summons from Sindy. It was already 10pm, an odd hour for a meetup, and a nagging unease had taken up residence in my chest.
Something didn't feel right.
My instincts screamed at me to stay in the safety of my apartment, to burrow under the blankets and forgett the whole thing.
But Sindy's plea for my presence had been insistent, and I couldn't shake the feeling that she needed me for reasons she hadn't yet revealed.
I stepped out of my apartment and the chilly night air hit me. I was glad I'd grabbed a jersey without it, I'd be freezing. I made my way to Family Church.
I got the creepy feeling that someone was watching me, but when I turned around, the street was empty. It was unnerving.
I arrived at Family Church, and it was quiet. People didn't go there anymore. The church was abandoned and sat on a really quiet street.
"Sindy" I called out as I stepped into the church. "I'm here," she replied, her voice calm. She was sitting in a chair, facing away from me.
I hesitated, my words stuck in my throat as I took in the state of the church. The dim lights made it hard to see, and the broken glass and general disarray made it look like a disaster zone.
Sindy smirked at me. "I've been waiting for this," she said, standing up from her chair. Matthew was sitting next to her, and I was confused. 'What's going on?' I thought to myself.
Sindy smirked at me. "You know, Faith, I've always wanted to do this to you," she said, her voice low and menacing. Matthew sat next to her, and Amanda was there too, watching me with an unreadable expression.
The door slammed shut, and I flinched. "What's going on?" I asked, taking a step back.
Amanda stood up and approached me, her voice barely above a whisper. "We've got a surprise for you, Faith," she said, her eyes glinting with a mixture of excitement and mischief.
I stared at Sindy, and she nodded. "Amanda wants to apologize" she said. Matthew's eyes narrowed, his gaze cold and hostile.
Wait, what's going on? Matthew was the one Sindy told me abuses her, wasn't he? Before I could process anything, Amanda grabbed my hair and yanked me back, making me cry out in pain.
"What the fuck?" I screamed at Amanda, my hand raised to slap her. But before I could strike, Sindy grabbed my hair too, holding me in place.
"What's going on here, Sindy?" I asked, trying to struggle free. But she held tight to my hair. Matthew stood up, his eyes blazing with hatred. "Killing Jared was your biggest mistake," he spat. "You stupid whore, you killed my mate," Amanda chimed in.
Sindy's voice was low and menacing. "And you made my love angry." I was taken aback. Love? What was she talking about?
"What the hell are you talking about, Sindy? Let me go" I shouted, trying to wriggle free. I was still reeling from the accusation. Killing Jared?
I had no idea what they were talking about. And to think Sindy had called me at 10pm, supposedly to talk and now she's yanking me around by my hair. This was insane.
Matthew's eyes bulged with rage. "You could have just played along, and everything would have gone according to plan," he spat. "Sindy had it all set up, perfectly orchestrated to get you eliminated. You were supposed to end up like your pathetic parents, but instead, you killed my brother" His voice rose to a frenzied pitch. "Tell me, how did you do it? How did you manage to ruin everything?"
"What? You want to kill me? Sindy, my best friend, more like my sister ?" I trailed off, horrified. "I didn't kill him!" I screamed, desperation creeping into my voice.
I was completely lost, with no idea what they were talking about. Before I could process anything, Amanda's fist connected with my face, sending a shockwave of pain through my head. Sindy grabbed my hands, holding me in place as Amanda raised her fist again.
Tears streamed down my face as I struggled to break free. Amanda finally stopped pummeling me, and Sindy released her grip. I took advantage of the momentary reprieve to make a run for it, but Sindy was too quick. She yanked me back, her fingers digging deep into my arm.
I stumbled, my legs trembling beneath me.
Sindy sneered. "Where do you think you're going?" Amanda chuckled. I glanced at Matthew and saw he was holding a gun. He sat back, looking calm, the gun resting on his knee.
"Why are you doing this?" I asked, wincing in pain. My body was still sore and bruised from this morning, and now this was making it worse.
Sindy's eyes flashed with anger. "I've always hated how my parents fawned all over you, taking you in and treating you like their own. It was like I wasn't even their daughter anymore."
"What?" I said, confusion etched on my face. Sindy's words made no sense. Her parents adored her, and Mrs. Smith was always kind to everyone. I had never seen either of them show favoritism.
"But," I said, but Sindy's hand flew up, slapping me hard across the face. Amanda sat down, her voice cold and detached. "End her." I stared at Sindy, shock and betrayal written all over my face.
"Sindy, stop," I said, my voice weak. I didn't have the energy to defend myself.
Sindy's eyes flashed with anger, but for a moment, I saw a flicker of something else uncertainty, maybe. But then her expression hardened again, and she sneered at me.
I looked away, my eyes welling up with tears. "Sindy, don't do this," I said, my voice shaking. I thought of all the times we'd hung out, laughed together, and trusted each other. Now, she was pointing a gun at me.
"I hate you," Sindy said, her voice cold and detached. Amanda giggled, a sound that sent shivers through my veins. It was a weird feeling, like my whole world had been turned upside down. Sindy, of all people, was standing in front of me, telling me she hated me. It was hard to wrap my head around.
"Sindy, I was going to tell you how much you mean to me," I started to say, but she cut me off midsentence. "You should have died the day your parents died," she spat.
"You should be lying next to their worthless bodies. But here you are, annoying me and ruining my life." Her voice dripped with venom. "And you killed Jared. We found his body in the woods, headless. Where's his head, huh?" I felt my eyes well up with tears, confused and horrified by her accusations.
"I didn't do anything," I protested, but before I could even react, Amanda sprang up and slammed her fist into my stomach. I doubled over, gasping in pain. "Just end her already," Amanda growled, her eyes blazing with anger.
I felt like I was trapped in a never-ending hell, praying for a wake up call that never came.
This was my reality, and it was a brutal one. Sindy, the girl I trusted, had tried to destroy me. Her words still echoed in my mind, "You should be lying next to your worthless parents." The thought of forgiving her seemed impossible.
How could I ever forgive someone who had tried to take my life, who had spoken about my parents with such hatred? The pain and anger still simmered inside me, refusing to subside.
The sudden barrage of gunfire made me instinctively duck for cover. I saw Sindy's eyes widen in terror as the bullets ripped through the air, and then
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!