A Never Ending Nightmare

By Danielle Kathleen

Carmen and her friends are running out of time. The parents of Summersville can no longer keep their secrets. 

The death of Miss Summersville has yet to be resolved. Moments in time have escaped Carmen. Could her memory loss, and Samantha being the only eye witness hold the keys to the tragic night of New Year's Eve?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Danielle Randol
• Release date: Jun 17, 2022
• ISBN: 9798885909563

Book preview

New Year’s Eve: Samantha

My body sensed the tension in the room. The atmosphere of change. I have always been sensitive, but the shifting eyes, stiffened bodies, and thinned lips told me enough as I walked away from Carmen and Crystal. Deep down, I knew they both were hiding a secret. The discreetness in their voices of unknowing and yet the tone of hinting toward something—I picked up on it.

My mind raced. I wanted to jump on my cell phone to tell my sisters; they would know how to handle this situation. But they would be here later. I glanced to my left and saw April Sanderson’s expression of concern for her best friend, Tiffany Carter, who was the girlfriend of the hotshot Ryan Monroe. Problem was, I overheard Carmen tell Crystal it was true, Tiffany was pregnant, or something to that nature. Hearing the shocking story, I slowed my pace. This couldn’t have been true, there was too much at stake.

One person at this New Year’s Eve party would have a straight answer or would crush the rumor. After all, it wasn’t too long ago these two were named homecoming king and queen. Carmen was careless about information. This leaking out would make the whole town gossip about them and their reputations. They’d be the town shame.

This information weighed on my conscience heavily. My heels felt the heavy burden as I calmly walked toward April. The energy in the room was electric as everyone else was excited to see one another. They complimented each other on their appearance as the drinks flowed around the room.

As my feet glided me closer and closer, the words I wanted to say gave me enough energy as they pulsed through my body. I wanted to nearly burst out all the words before I got to April, but I was held back by a few parents who stopped me to compliment my appearance and give me hugs. I saw Tiffany approach April, looking frustrated, and then march away. Something clearly upset her, I saw as I read her lips. She needed to cool down.

I glanced over in Ryan’s direction on my left and saw Amber hand him something and smile. There was something in that smile that made the hairs on my body stand on end. April went to walk past me, and I was able to grab her gently by the arm and catch her attention. Real quick… I said. April saw the eagerness in my eyes. I leaned in and whispered the simple question. Is Tiffany pregnant?

April’s shocked expression gave me the verification she was not aware. She of all people in Amber’s circle would be aware. As much as she wouldn’t admit, she was terrible at acting. Her wide eyes and gaping mouth showed me she had no idea what I was talking about. I knew right then and there that for some reason, Carmen and Crystal wanted to start a rumor that would be so damaging. But why?

Where did you hear this? April asked me, very concerned, her eyes darting around, making sure no one else heard. We were distracted When a few other girls from the cheer squad approached us and wanted to know if Tiffany was all right. Why? she snapped.

They were immediately intimidated and dumbfounded at having said anything. One of them spoke up. Sorry, she stormed off in the back and looked very upset, she confessed and lazily pointed toward the back of the house behind the bar.

Hang on. April excused herself and headed in Ryan’s direction. The girls were shocked at her behavior, and I asked them to forget about it and go have a good time. I blamed it on the alcohol. I lied and said she was probably already a bit drunk. That seemed to work better than any other lie I could have come up with.

Off in the corner, I saw Carmen and Crystal putting away the coats and carrying on their own conversation, not paying attention. Ryan and April seemed to be having a heated conversation. Amber wasn’t too far away, having a conversation with a teacher but keeping her eyes on Ryan and April. I heard the whispers of others wondering curiously why Amber and Tiffany were wearing the same dress. I didn’t understand Amber’s game, but looking at her, I could tell she was clearly up to something.

I felt the closeness of someone behind me. Gently I was pulled back. I need you to confirm the rumor when asked, Jason whispered into my ear. Whatever you hear, just confirm it. Tiffany needs you to. He released his fingers and walked away from me.

Jason approached his brother, Ryan. They began to speak to one another quietly. I saw the girls that had approached April earlier and made my way over and began my job that Jason and the rest of them needed me to do. I walked over and played along, telling them Tiffany was pregnant.

While the lie left my lips as easy as smiling, a part of me felt the knot in my throat. I felt guilt the second I said anything and was annoyed at allowing myself to get wrapped up in another Monroe drama. The girls took it as the juiciest gossip of the year. Even when I swore them to secrecy, I knew my job was done, and the rumor would soar around the room. I shook my head as I walked away, disappointed because I wasn’t strong enough and had felt the need to blurt it out like a town crier. This was New Year’s Eve, and this was about new beginnings.

My eyes wandered away from Jason and to the guests walking in, eager to get their night started. On the other side, the drama was silently unfolding. Heads leaning in, shocked expressions, gasps, eyes wandering over to the Monroe family.

I caught a pair of eyes staring at me and gleaming. My eyes caught his. It was the way his smile grew across his face that made the sound drown out around me. He was leaning against a booth with the other football players and paid no attention to them. His eyes were only on me. My skin flushed with excitement, and I immediately flirted back with a grin.

There was no doubt, Ardin was the tallest man in the room, easily noticeable. For a split second, I felt silly and embarrassed enough to look behind me to see if he was looking at someone else. There were the Housewives of Summersville, toasty from their old sorority days. When my eyes glanced back at him, he shook his head, knowing what I was thinking about.

Ardin raised his drink and mouthed if I wanted what he was having. I nodded, and he quickly headed toward the bar. I couldn’t tell if it was because at this moment, I felt the need to be saved or that he was a familiar face, but I couldn’t help but see him differently tonight.

Like all the other kids in this town, we had known each other since grade school. Even though he was two years younger, it never stopped him flirting with me. As a kid, he’d joked I was going to be his girlfriend. I would run away or tell him he was gross. Over the course of this summer, there was something about him that was different. He was obviously taller and stronger and had grown into his big features. He was the talk in the girls’ locker room when he would walk by on the field without a shirt, and most of the girls blushed at his new build and chiseled physique. I was among the ones who would blush.

He would stop by my house now and then to borrow tools from my father’s garage. In my kitchen, I caught him glancing upstairs toward my bedroom, to see if the curtains were drawn back to signal, I was home. I caught myself as my lips thinned, trying not to smile.

I snapped out of random thoughts. Ardin made his way toward me in his tailored tux. The broken-in steampunk half-mask glued to his face made him appear vintage and yet dashing. Someone approached him halfway, and he stopped to lean over and listen to what this young guy said, someone with blond hair. Ardin had to bend down as he was nearly six inches taller than everyone.

My guess he was talking with RJ. They had formed a friendship when Ardin was the only one on the football team who treated him with respect. He shared with me once he didn’t care who RJ’s father was, he was a decent guy. It was long ago that both my parents forbade me to hang out with him. Since both of my parents worked at the high school, I had to do what I was told. They had eyes and ears everywhere.

I saw those beautiful green eyes from across the room. Ardin handed me the drink with a cheesy smile. My blue raven-feather mask tickled under my eyes, and My long false lashes made my vision a bit compromised. Instead of blushing, I couldn’t help but roll my green eyes, my usual gesture when he flirted with me. Don’t start, I teased.

Why not? he playfully argued. It’s New Year’s Eve. Do you have a midnight kiss? It was the question he asked each year.

My eyes drifted away for a second to watch Amber storm off toward the back. She was probably looking for Tiffany. I almost felt obligated to chase after her. Ardin shifted and blocked my view. I had to admit, Ardin was a lot more intriguing, and I didn’t want to leave his side. The Tiffany, Amber, and Ryan drama would have to be solved another day. It was a quick decision I made for a situation that truly had nothing to do with me.

The sudden thought popped into my mind, and I wanted Ardin to be my midnight kiss. Glancing at the ten-minute countdown from the DJ, I excused myself for the restroom and asked him to hold my drink. I wanted our first kiss to be perfect, and that meant nothing on my face could be amiss. Ardin didn’t hear me fully and took short strides behind me. Across the dance floor, the regular restrooms already had a line on the other side of the bar. I grunted with annoyance.

Remembering where Tiffany and Amber had stormed off to—the back of the bar for the restroom—I decided to take my chances and see if there was a line. I asked Ardin to wait for me and said I would be right back. In return, as I walked away, he said loudly he would wait all night if he had to. I didn’t look back, I’m glad he didn’t see the immediate grin grew on my face.

I bumped into April as both of us were headed in the same direction. Urgently she grabbed a hold of my hand. With a worried face, she mentioned needing to check on Tiffany. She said something wasn’t right. Each hand pushed open the swinging doors. The long hallway smelled of wine and beer. The kegs lined the hallway for tonight, and the supply closet was open. A chill ran through my body, and my teeth chattered.

April carefully pushed the door open to the bathroom and found a teary-eyed Tiffany. She was distraught at Amber’s appearance. Tiffany blew her red nose into a tissue. We couldn’t get a word in as she asked us to please let her be and give her a minute to freshen up. April immediately agreed, but I almost hesitated, mouth agape to say something. The door was closed. I didn’t have any words of encouragement to say to her face.

April felt the chill on her arms and wanted to go back into the bar. She said she would be on the other side of the swinging doors, and I should be down here to keep an eye. She wanted to see if she could find Amber before Tiffany did. I agreed without a second thought.

She was about halfway to the swinging doors when I thought of Ardin and how he would wait. My heels clicked and shuffled on the cement ground. April swung the door open toward the party scene and asked me to stay. I hesitated and agreed only for a few minutes. The pulse and beat of the music vibrated into our bodies. I felt as though I were seeing double. It was Amber about to run us over to enter the hallway. She almost pushed her way through when we gave her pause.

Just leave her alone tonight, I said with a sour attitude. Truthfully, I had never been a fan of Amber to begin with. She always thought she was better than me and my sisters on the cheer squad. She rubbed me the wrong way with her persistence and holier-than-thou attitude.

She asked to see me. Amber nudged by, almost knocking me to the ground. I wanted to swing back and rip at her pretty styled hair, but April put one arm out to stop me and shook her head and asked me not to cause a scene. Amber continued and didn’t look back.

They need to hash this out, April warned me.

We said we would be her lookout, I said.

April shook her head. We will make sure no one else goes to try and bother them.

I was in utter shock that April was allowing this to happen. The door slowly closed behind us as we both stood guard. From across the room, I felt eyes on me. When I calmed myself and took notice, I saw Ardin waiting for me to come back to him. He tipped his glass of soda at me and nudged his head for me to come join. I held up my index finger to have him wait for another minute.

The door swung back open as Jason, Carmen, and their parents came out of her dad’s back office not far from the bathroom. I apologized for being in the way. They all looked a bit disheveled themselves, but I couldn’t understand why.

Shockingly, I didn’t have to wait long, as Amber pushed both doors open and came storming out of the back. She brushed past me, and April immediately followed her. She looked back and asked me to check on Tiffany. As much as I wanted to ignore and move on, I did what I was told.

I felt my phone vibrate in my black crystal clutch purse. I fumbled to get it out, as I’d shoved my large phone in there earlier. I needed a quieter place to be able to take the call, so I backed myself into the double doors and into the chilled hallway.

The pulse and vibration of the music faded as the doors closed. I slowly turned to feel the ice-cold draft on my chest that stopped me dead in my tracks. My body tensed for that split second. I didn’t recall it being this cold. Something wasn’t right.

My eyes drifted up toward the end of the hallway. I froze, and the hairs on my body stood on end. I saw the dark figure standing in the middle of the hallway with a knife in Tiffany’s stomach. I even heard the rip of flesh when he pulled out the knife, and I saw dark blood on the weapon.

The man was tall, with soft blondish brown hair, but he wore a mask. Tiffany stared at him, then they both shot a glance in my direction. I must have made a noise. I don’t even remember making a sound. The man straightened up and quickly ran off in the other direction toward the back door, which was propped open.

In that moment, something inside me made my legs run toward Tiffany as she collapsed on the floor. She was on all fours trying to gather the strength to get on her feet. Her voice was muffled in what I know now was her attempt to gasp for air. One hand held her stomach. My eyes quickly scanned the area. When I looked down at the end of the hallway toward the back door, I saw a dark, shadowy figure in the dim lights. For some reason I cried out