Rushing over to her friends, she pressed the lid back down on Ryan’s drink. “Lexy, hold onto this. Don’t let it spill, and don’t drink it. Brittany, can you drive Andi down to the pay phone? Call your uncle, the sheriff, and get him down here, okay? I’m not sure what’s going on, but we might need him.”
“Do you think it’s that serious?” Lexy asked as the other two started to move.
“Maybe. I don’t know.” Beth didn’t have any more time to talk about it. If Ryan really was in trouble, she should’ve already been moving.
She took off running, not sure of where she was going, but instinctively, she thought the creek would be the most logical place for Halley to take him if she was really trying to injure him. She hadn’t given him enough of whatever it was floating in his drink to kill him, Beth didn’t think. Or at least it wouldn’t kill a normal person with a normal heart. But if Halley wanted this to look like an accident, then the creek seemed to make the most sense.
She could see Michael’s flashlight off in the distance, heading north of her, toward the tree line. Maybe she’d go up there. Maybe she’d say he just collapsed on their walk, but the creek rushed through the park here before dumping into the lagoon, and if someone’s heart wasn’t working properly, it would be difficult to swim even in the waist high water.
Beth saw the fence in front of her, the moonlight glinting off of the twists at the top. There was a break here, somewhere. She remembered from when she was a kid. The two sides overlapped so that no one could accidentally run into the creek, but there was a way to get through if you just went around the first panel. She looked closely for a moment, trying to remember exactly where it was. And then she heard the yelling.
There was no time. All of it seemed to speed up and slow down, to move backward and forward at once. Beth could hear a struggle, somewhere in the water, and she recognized Ryan’s voice even though it was strained and groggy. She couldn’t make out what he was saying as every word was clipped by the sounds of splashing and gurgling. Frantically, she hunted for the entrance in the fence and was just about to give up and climb over when she spotted it—and spotted them.
Beth could see Halley in the water. It was deeper here than Beth had expected as it hit her above the waist. Either that, or the girl was on her hands and knees. Her face was lifted to the sky like she was praying, and though it was difficult to see, in the light reflected off the surface of the water that swirled past her, Beth could tell Halley’s eyes were closed.
At first, she was confused, not understanding where Ryan might be, but then his hand came up just a bit in front of Halley, from beneath the current, and she realized Halley was holding him under. Normally, he would be much stronger than the petite brunette, but since she’d apparently drugged him, and his heart was malfunctioning, it looked as if she was winning. While the shouts from earlier would indicate that there had been a struggle, presently, it appeared as if Ryan was completely submerged in the creek.
Beth spotted a thick tree branch on the shoreline and picked it up, not really knowing what she might do, only understanding that she needed to act quickly if she was going to have any chance to save her friend. Hoping the element of surprise would be an asset, she leaped into the water, wielding the branch, but being as quiet as possible as she ran through the steadily moving current.
The water was warm, and though it was moving at a good rate, it wasn’t enough to knock her off balance, until she stepped on a slick, moss covered rock. She lost her footing, making a bit of a splash, but regained her stability just as Halley’s golden eyes flickered open. She didn’t look surprised at all. In fact, it was almost as if she were waiting for Beth. A snarl spread slowly across her face as her eyes narrowed. “You’re too late, Elizabeth. He’s already mine.”
Ryan’s hand shot up slightly again, and Beth could see that he was still struggling, even though it wasn’t as forceful as the first time she’d seen him break through the water. “Let him go, Halley!” she shouted, approaching slowly so as not to slip again.
“Go away, Elizabeth!” The voice that came out of Halley’s lips was nothing like the petite girl Beth had known for the past few weeks. It was a low growl, with a raspy quality to it. A flicker of fear pulsed through Beth. If Halley was capable of poisoning Ryan and attempting to drown him, what might this lunatic do to her? Beth didn’t know if she could overpower her or not. Halley was slight, but clearly she was stronger than she looked, and whatever it was that fueled the rage burning in those golden eyes, it was enough to create the monstrosity Beth saw before her.
But she couldn’t give up on Ryan. There was no doubt in her mind that if the roles were reversed, Ryan would fight for her. Beth drew in a deep breath and shouted, “Let him go now, Hannah, or I’ll bash your head in!” She hoped the quiver in her voice sounded of resolve and not fear.
Halley let out a shriek at the mention of her real name, but it quickly morphed into a maniacal laugh as Ryan went still in the water. “You can’t hurt me, Elizabeth. You trashy little whores are all the same. Wanting to be something you aren’t. We can’t hide what’s deep inside of us, Elizabeth—no matter how painted and pretty the outside is.”
Cautiously, Beth took another step forward, watching as Halley lifted her hands slightly off of Ryan so that he floated to the surface. She didn’t let go of him though, and Beth thought she saw movement in his eyes. “I don’t understand why you would do that to Ryan, Halley?” she began trying to keep her voice even. “He liked you. He was your friend. Maybe more.”
“My friend?” Halley spat. “None of you are my friends! You have no idea what it’s like to be constantly ridiculed, to be doubted and shamed. To be hated for who you are!”
“Of course I know!” Beth shouted back, anger growing inside of her now. “That’s my whole life, Halley!”
“No, it’s not, Elizabeth! That’s just what you chose to hear. You don’t really know anything! All of you are the same. ALL OF YOU!” She moved forward then, toward Beth, her hands outstretched, and Beth did the only thing she could think of to protect herself, swinging the branch in a wide arch, the way she’d watched Kyle and Shane swing for the fences for years. Halley’s arm came up to block the blow, but Beth put enough muscle behind it to still make contact with the side of Halley’s head. She screamed in pain, and splatters of blood mingled with the churning water.