In their eyes, I see death.
The famous boys of the Skull & Serpent Society sit on a makeshift throne of chopped wood stacked high in front of the bonfire in the middle of the woods.
Dylan Caruso, the one in all black with silvery-white hair and black roots, rings and tattoos all over his hands, seductive hooded eyes covered in kohl, and a killer smile, flicks a lighter on and off.
Alistair King sits next to him in his black netted outfit covered in thick jewelry, his curly, light-brown hair softly swishing in the wind, and a devilish smirk on his pale face as he looks down at the girls.
But worst of all is Felix Rivera … a brown-haired guy with a face so sharply cut and intense sanpaku hazel eyes so deeply sunken in that it does honor to his society’s name.
Not a pretty boy, but a chilling boy.
And definitely not one you’d want to cross paths with.
Around those boys, several other students and society members hang on their lips, listening to their wicked stories of blood and mayhem.
It could be lies. Or it could all be the truth.
No one will ever know.
They make sure of that.
Or so I’ve been told by my sister.
The mossy ground contains alcohol and drugs scattered everywhere. People smoke pot and cigarettes, and mix different kinds of alcohol, while some go crazy on the music, dancing like they’re summoning an old God.
Beyond the main area, some people huddle close to the trees, smooching. I spot a hint of skin, and moans erupt from the area. Clearly, people are fucking around, and I’m not about to find out.
I walk through the party searching for my sister, keeping my head down, but I can’t find her. Panic begins to build. “Eve, are you here?”
I yell out her name again and again.
No response.
All I hear is the crispy fire and the loud music blasting into my ears from the speakers atop the wooden tables. The distraction is too much, but I won’t give up. I know she’s here somewhere.
I check my phone again, reading her text for the fiftieth time.
I can’t do it anymore, sis. Please don’t be mad at me. I’ve done everything I could and more. It’s never going to be enough. And I refuse to go through life … broken. Split in half by a decision that wasn’t mine to make.
So I will stop it now.
This bonfire near The Edge will be the last night spent at this godforsaken university for me.
I love you, sis.
And whatever you do, don’t ever get involved with those boys of the Skull & Serpent Society.
xoxo
Eve
The Edge. A set of gloomy rocky cliffs just beyond Priory Forest with a huge, beautiful waterfall cascading into the deep.
Or so I’ve been told.
I’ve never been here until today, but the scene matches my sister’s description.
Before her texts turned eerily dark.
What happened to her? Before she came to the university, she was the prime example of a happy student. And now … these texts she’s been sending me lately are riddled with pessimism and hopelessness.
God, I hope she’s okay.
Laughter erupts from the bonfire area, and I tuck my phone back into my pocket.
The guys of that Skull & Serpent Society chug a whole flask of liquor with ease, sharing it among one another.
One girl lunges at Dylan and hugs him tightly around the neck, throwing her boobs into his face while also twirling her fingers through his platinum-blond hair like he’s a plaything. Another girl tickles Alistair’s bulky arm, making him look at her while he’s trying to tell the rest of his story.
But the worst of all is Felix and the girl on his lap, playfully toying with his short hair while he looks like he wants to kill her.
I’m not sure he’d pass up the opportunity if given the chance.
I push through the sea of trees, moving farther and farther away from the party. The more distance that’s created, the quieter it gets, until nothing but the sound of the waves softly hitting the cliffs is heard. Beyond the horizon, there’s only water and a moon shining brightly above.
I pass the last line of trees and come to an abrupt halt, grabbing one of the trunks as my breath falters.
There, on the edge, my sister stands with her arms wide open.
Her eyes turn to me, the glossiness in them heart-shattering.
A single tear trickles down her cheeks.
And then she jumps.
