[The earlier version of this chapter got this story removed due to having chat format. I've corrected myself now, so there should be no more of a problem.]

Prologue: The Last Messages

A text message conversation between Rachel Wilson and Patricia Gavin, recorded on May 14, 2014, 17:26.

Rachel Wilson sat along the length of the couch in the living room of her house, watching one of her favorite mystery shows, Law and Order. She enjoyed trying to notice all the miniscule details that could pinpoint the episode's culprit. As dangerous as it was, she wanted to pursue a career as a detective, thanks to this show.

Rachel started to feel bored, though, and the desire to go somewhere with one of her friends slowly grew inside her. She got up and went to ask her mother, who was in the master bedroom reading a book, a collection titled Alone in the Dark (credit goes to EvelioandZgroup), if she could go to the mall this evening. She had completed her homework for the day, so there wasn't much reason for her request to be denied. Her mother gave her approval, but she had to be back by 8:30. Rachel thanked her mother and went to her own bedroom to grab her wallet, and she pulled out her phone to invite someone via text message. She clicked New Message and addressed it to Patricia Gavin, one of her friends.

"Hey," typed Rachel.

"What's up?" asked Patricia a few seconds later.

"Wanna go to the mall?"

"Sorry. I can't. I'm going to the Henderson's to babysit."

"Oh."

"And I'll say it for her now: Erin can't come either. She's with me."

"She's driving?"

For some reason, Patricia didn't reply as quickly as she had been doing so. Rachel waited for two minutes before checking.

"Hello?" Still nothing. Possible scenarios started running through her mind. Rachel felt relaxed a little when she considered that Patricia might have just gotten out of the car and had put her phone away. Still, worse things could have been going on, and as the possibilities grew in mortality, she grew more agitated.

"Hello?!"