Page 63 of I Dare You
I quickly turn up the volume and stand in front of the TV, watching footage of the taped-off crime scene.
“Oh my God…” I gasp, placing a trembling hand over my mouth because the crime scene is the theater Kit and I were at last night.
“The police have yet to confirm if this is the work of the XY Killer, but they can confirm it does appear to be the same MO,” says the reporter, standing in front of the ticket booth.
“Oh my fucking God!This can’t be happening.It’s not her,” I whisper, quickly turning off the TV.“It’s just a coincidence.”
But deep down, I know that this is too close to home.
This is Jupiter’s way of speaking to me—via a dead body.
She doesn’t need time to blow off steam.
There’s no changing her mind.
She’s going to continue doing this until she gets caught.Perhaps that’s what she wants.Perhaps that’s the only way she can stop.
I feel uneasy on my feet and slump into the wooden rocking chair.I never thought this far ahead, which was naive of me.I guess I didn’t care.
But now, I do.
If Jupiter gets caught, the police will eventually piece together that she wasn’t working alone.She doesn’t owe me any loyalty because after last night, she likely sees me as nothing but a traitor.
I deserve to be caught.
Then a thought hits me—should I turn myself in?
This would stop Jupiter, and we both will be rightfully punished for our crimes.
But the thought of never finding out the identity of Legs and Jack is a reality I can’t accept.I realize how selfish that is.
Jupiter is right.Just because my demons are slain doesn’t mean hers just go away.Truth be told, I won’t rest until Legs and Jack are punished for what they did.But I won’t accomplish that here.
To do that, I need to go back to where this nightmare began.It would be a lot easier if I had Jupiter’s smarts, since I’ve exhausted what I could online.She’s the internet sleuth.
“What a fucking mess,” I mumble under my breath, massaging my temples.
I don’t know what to do, and the person I would usually go to for advice is the person I need advice about.
Peering up at the wooden crucifix on the wall, I wonder if maybe this is my karma.Everything seems to be happening at once.
I’ve felt alone in my life before, but this is different.I’ve lost the only person I could truly be myself around.All because I grew a conscience.
Texting Jupiter seems pointless.She’s spoken to me loud and clear.Now, I must decide what to do next because if this was indeed Jupiter, then she followed me.Therefore, she knows about Kit.
She wouldn’t hurt him.
But I soon realize that it’s not Kit she would want to hurt.But rather, me.And the way to do that would be to tell Kit who I really am.
I would be the one to destroy myself.
Not Jupiter.
She would be merely telling the truth, something I should have done from the very beginning.
I want to run away.
But that has only brought me more trouble.
