SYNOPSIS: A YEARS-LONG ABUSE SCANDAL IS REVEALED AND ENDS IN DISASTER. AMONG THE COLLATERAL DAMAGE IS CONNER CLEMSON, YOUNGER BROTHER OF KATHERINE CLEMSON. THEY SHOULD’VE PICKED SOMEONE ELSE’S BROTHER TO KILL.
I. The news continued to blare on the television, but it had become nothing but background noise. All we could do was stare at Katherine. I couldn’t tell you why. For the same reason you can’t help but stare at a car crash when you drive by, I guess. She looked at us looking at her, and then finally, she said, “I want a drink. Or a cigarette. I don’t care which, and I know one of you’s got something.” She waited. None of us moved. “A drink,” she repeated. “Or a cigarette.” Finally, Lee pulled a flask out of the pocket of Russell’s jacket that was hanging off a chair. Nobody said anything as he gave it to her.
II. I blinked and the Katherine from moments ago who was sobbing uncontrollably had suddenly vanished, replaced with a different Katherine, one burning with hot, livid rage. “I want to burn the whole place to the fucking ground. That’s what I want.” Russell took a long drag from his cigarette. “Then let’s.”
III. “I… I can’t believe we just did that,” I said numbly. “It doesn’t even feel real.” But it was, of course. So, sickeningly real.
IV. “So,” Aria said, “what next? Who next?” A pit of dread opened up in my stomach. “What do you mean?” I asked, although I knew perfectly well.
V. “This is absolutely insane.” I looked at them, each of them–Russell, then Lee, then Aria, and finally, Katherine, who I barely recognized anymore–hoping to see anything that indicated any of them knew where I was coming from. “Hasn’t this gone too far? When do we stop?” “When do we stop?” Aria repeated. She pondered on the question for a moment, and then she looked right at me, staring at me with those cold eyes of hers. She gave me one of her airy, careless shrugs. “When this goes up in flames, so to speak.”
GENRE: YA; DARK ACADEMIA
STATUS: PLANNING
PROJECT BLOG: @ UPINFLAMESWIP
tagging some friends ↠ @ellfewritings @zagreus-eats-your-bread @ethereal-november @islaaries