Chapter Forty-four

You Have Got To Be Kidding Me

The wind rushed inside the cabin making the atmosphere eerier, and the brightness of the moon was covered with thick clouds making the room darker. These elements combined with Richard, who froze in disbelief, standing in front of their archenemy was the perfect moment for the reveal. He was clueless on what was about to happen. Sweat started to roll down from his head and his hands got clammy as E was standing two feet behind the front doorway. E purposely dropped Jude's jacket and shut Brittany's phone.

"What have you done to them?" Richard bellowed. He couldn't see E's expression for it was covered with a ski mask. But he could feel that E was mad.

Richard analyzed E's proportions: E had a built, but maybe it was because of the thickness of the black overalls. The stance was man-like, so he was sure that E is a man.

E did not respond. He just twitched his head a little to the side and the other side. Then, E moved a little closer to him as if he was ready to attack.

Richard watched E's movement. Cleverly thinking, he quickly showed the diary before E could touch him. "I have what you need! Now give me Brittany!"

He thought of E bargaining Brittany first to him before surrendering the diary and the footage.

E suddenly burst into laughter. "You're not gonna fool me with your fake diary."

The unrecognizable lowness and distortion of E's voice freaked the hell out of Richard. He could talk? Of course he could, he's human! But his actions weren't. But how did he know it was a fake diary? Wait a second...

Suddenly, E jumped and ran outside.

Richard's mind was in turmoil about E's sudden fleeing. Suddenly, he heard a woman screamed. The voice was familiar. It was his girlfriend. After that, another person screamed. It was a man. The voice was also familiar. It was Jude.

Now both people were screaming.

"Brittany!" Richard started to run. When he was about to reach he doorframe, a body suddenly dropped from outside. It made him almost peed in his pants. "Holy shit! Jude!"

Jude looked like he was attacked or pushed. He was drenched with sweat and was terrified. He rapidly helped himself up. Richard watched him staggered his way inside to him.

"I think Brittany might be dead," Jude's lips were quivering. "What's happening?"

"No, no! That can't be!" Richard protested. He started emerging outside but Jude pulled him back.

"Are you nuts? The killer is outside!" Jude cried. "I saw what happened!"

"No!"

Jude shush him up. "Did you hear that?"

Richard sharpened his hearing. "Hear what?"

"SHH!" Jude turned around and walked slowly towards the door. He peeked outside for a second.

Richard waited. All he could hear was his heart palpitating. That gave him a massive perspiration.

Then, Jude glanced back at Richard. His scared face morphed into something sinister. Then, he proceeded walking outside.

"Where're you going?" Richard asked.

"Stay there. Don't move." Jude commanded.

Richard waited for two seconds. Then, he heard something. A thump. The sound came from upstairs. Then, another sound came. It was something being dragged on the granite floor. He got curious on what it was. Then, he saw a slouchy shadow figure getting nearer on the doorstep. Suddenly, out came Jude pulling a body.

"Jude?"

The body that Jude was pulling was... BrittanySchoenfield.

Brittany was bounded from mouth, to hands, to feet. She was perfectly alive in contrast with what Jude had said, however, she looked helpless, yet she was retaliating but she couldn't fight for she was all tied up.

"Brittany!"

Richard was about to go to her aid when Jude pulled a knife and pointed it to Richard. His hazel eyes were looking dark and strange.

Richard was dumbfounded. Will Jude cut the ropes? "What are you doing, man?"

"Don't come closer or I'll slit her throat," Jude threatened as he placed the blade on Brittany's neck.

Brittany started to sob.

"Dude, what's wrong with you?" Richard growled.

"Zip it!" Jude pointed the blade to Brittany's neck which made her flinch.

"Don't! Please! Don't hurt her!" Richard begged. He couldn't help but to witness the agony of his girlfriend.

"I told you not to move!"

Richard followed his orders. "You told me the killer is outside."

"The killer was outside," Jude said as he pulled Brittany inside the cabin. "And now, the killer is inside."

Richard witnessed Jude's grin transitioning wickedly. His smile was pure evil. "You're E."

Jude smirked and glared at Richard. He shoved his hands in his pocket and pulled a voice app, then started talking. "Mind-blown."

"But why? I thought we were friends."

"Friends?" Jude humphed. "Puh-lezzee... We were never friends". He put back his voice app into his pocket.

Richard breathed heavily. His shirt was soaking with sweat. He couldn't believe that this was happening right now so he pinched himself.

"You're too gullible, Grayson. Too gullible! Everything was just an act!" Jude laughed, proud of himself. "Bravo to me! I should be given an Oscar after this!"

As Jude relished his madness, Brittany tried grappling away from him. It pissed Jude big time, so he pulled her hair.

"Ahhh!" Brittany screamed in pain.

Richard was about to retaliate when Jude placed the knife across Brittany's neck again. "Ah, ah, ah! One move or throat slit!" He pressed the blade on her Adam's apple.

"Please. Don't do this!" Richard begged. "Why are you doing this?"

"Well... it's fun!" Jude joked. "It's fun killing people and stalking people! It's more fun than hunting animals; than fucking girls, actually! Well, kinda... I still love to fuck."

Disgusted, Richard stopped abruptly.

"You're looking for a motive?" Jude asked. "Motives are overrated."

Richard saw the tears in his girlfriend's eyes. Then, he looked back Jude, unflinching.

"Do you think all serial killers in the US have motives?" Jude continued with his monologue. "Most of the time, they're just plain psychos! But what if I tell you that this is all because of revenge?"

Richard squinted. "Revenge?"

"Hah!" Jude stood up pulling Brittany's hair as he slammed the doors shut. "Remember that Friday night?" Jude reminded. "You and your stupid gang went to sneak in and prank ClintWhitman in his house!"

Richard remembered. He tried to utter a word but nothing came out from his mouth.

"You think you got away with what you did? I saw what you did to Clint!" Jude protested. "You injured poor ClintWhitman! I even caught you on tape!"

So he was the one who caught them on tape! Richard felt guilty: so ashamed of what they did. He was even more ashamed that Brittany was hearing this. He looked at Brittany. He could see her crying. Her tears were flooding her surface.

"What does all these have to do with you?"

"Clint and I were partners in that Shop Class of Mr. Mackenzie's." Jude narrated. "That evening, I needed to go home because we had a visitor. When I was heading home, I saw five guys behind the bushes. I thought they were burglars but I recognized those assholes. It was Richard, Louis, Ismail, Travis and Edward. I was like, 'what are they up to?' so I grabbed my camcorder and started recording because y'all looked so sketchy. Then, I saw you all went inside Clint's garage rearranging the platforms."

Richard pressed his lips. He looked at Brittany again but she wasn't looking at him.

"...I hid on a huge plant box beside the patio door." Jude continued. "Then, you all went back to that big man-made bush where you were all hiding from. Edward looked so fucked up laughing wickedly. I even heard what you were talking about. Then, I saw Clint getting injured and I was terrified. I didn't know what to do, then you... you all fled! You did not take full responsibility!"

Richard was being eaten by his guilt.

"I didn't help him because I might get all the blame, so I ran away as well. I admit that I'm a bully but I would never do such a thing like that! What you did made me fail in Shop Class! I was also questioned by his parents... by my parents! Clint never talked to me after that. And what's worst was being humiliated by your dipshit leader during football practice. He blamed me. He twisted the story! Made stories that convinced everyone that it was my fault!"

"Why didn't you just tell the truth?" Richard looked sympathetic. Maybe with that method, Jude could change.

"I just kept my mouth shut and waited to shut him up because I know my time will come," Jude answered. "And this is it: the world would know what a lying old jerk, Edward Lawson, really is along with his dipshit minions!"

"Look," Richard said. "I'm really sorry. Really! I am."

"You're not sorry," Jude smirked. "And if you are, it won't change anything. For all the things that Edward did to me and everyone, I finally just snapped!"

"It's better to prank than to kill!" Richard said.

"Fuck up, Grayson!" Jude hollered. "I'm doing this for Clint."

"Is this the way you understand 'justice'?" Richard asked.

Jude paused and did not respond. "Don't question me, you jerk! You should thank me 'cause I did not release that video. If I did, your life might have been miserable right now. Oh wait? It kinda is!" Jude laughed again.

"You're not gonna get away with this."

"Everything is planned perfectly," Jude confidently said. "Even if I fall, everything is planned. But my goal is to not fail because after this, I will be more popular than ever. I'm gonna make the media think that I'm a victim and a survivor..."

"LIAR!" Richard cried pointing at Jude.

"Who's the liar?" Jude pulled Brittany's hair again and gave Richard a sinister stare. "You were also the reason why Edward went missing that night! You were jealous!"

"I may have been jealous to Edward but at least I've learned one thing from him," Richard confessed. "And that is to stand up for yourself."

Jude burst out to laughter. "Only one thing? Your years of friendship and you've only learned one thing? What a leader!"

Richard looked downcast. He realized that they shouldn't have lied that night. It was definitely his idea. He regretted for the lies they have told. "You got what you wanted: to get revenge on Edward. Why do you still want us? You already killed Edward."

Jude shook his head no. "That's the thing that I did not lie about."

"What?"

"I did not kill him!" Jude answered.

"You're a liar too!" Richard protested.

"Technically true," Jude said. "But I never lied to Louis and Travis about Edward."

Richard was confused. Suddenly, he remembered. "You're Wad Rosenwald?"

"With a little knowledge from mommy teaching me how to make prosthetic masks, yeah, I am. Your yakking, little, emo, British friend figured it was an anagram. That sure is another mind-blown, isn't it?" Jude was so proud of himself. "I told you I should be given an Oscar for this. Genius!"

"You have always been one-step ahead of us." Richard said.

"Pretty impressive, eh?"

"How?"

"E is everywhere," Jude said. "If you just told the cops the truth, maybe Edward would have never been gone!"

"What are you talking about?" Richard wrinkled his eyebrows.

Then Jude pulled again Brittany's hair and he was so pissed. "Enough with the chat! You're here to die!" Then, Jude swings his knife to Brittany when...

"Wait!"