Page 131 of Tag

“It’s just… in slasher movies, they go after people one by one or in tight groups. It’s not like they can pick off everyone at once.”

“Are you seriously applying horror movie ethics to this?” Roxxi questioned with a laugh.

Ari shrugged, tugging at the hem of her sleeve, her cheeks tinged pink. “Ever since Layla brought it up, it’s all I’ve been able to think about. Statistically, the odds are in our favor.”

“Unless we’re dealing with a copycat freak actually taking notes from horror flicks,” Cloe reasoned, eyes on the road. “Then we’re all screwed. Cue the creepy soundtrack and start working on your final monologues.”

“On that topic,” I toyed with a damp strand of hair. “What’s your favorite scary movie?”

Roxxi perked up instantly, flashing a grin. “Easy.The Blair Witch Project.That was found footage done right. You don’t even see the monster, and it’s still so ominous. That whole ‘lost in the woods, no escape, something’s watching’ vibe? Classic.”

Cloe gave a slow nod, eyes still on the road. “I have to go withCreep.That one hit way too close to home. A guy who gets that close without setting off red flags? Terrifying. You keep giving him the benefit of the doubt and then—boom. You’re dead.” She shivered a little, then rolled her shoulders like she was trying to shake it off physically.

Arianna tilted her head, thoughtful. “Grave Encounters,for me. I couldn’t imagine being trapped in a space that should feelfamiliar but twists against you. The whole haunted asylum thing creeps me out. Plus, the supernatural-psychological combo is nightmare fuel.”

I hummed, trying to land on my own favorite.

It was better than sitting in silence, pretending we weren’t all a little bit freaked out by whatever Sunday-turned-Monday was going to bring.

The texts I could handle. Sort of. Even the anonymous ones laced with passive threats and too-specific undertones. The Polaroid almost got me when I realized where it had been taken from. Deep down, I knew The Hunt was going to test us in ways none of us were ready for.

Roxxi turned her head and looked at me. “You have to say one too.”

“That movie where Sydney shits in the cat’s litter box.”

Cloe burst into laughter. “You meanScary Movie?”

“That doesnotcount,” Roxxi said immediately, trying—and failing—not to laugh. “A total classic, yes, but that is not a real horror movie.”

“Okay, okay. Let me think.” I chewed the inside of my cheek, my smile fading as I mulled it over. My mind sifted through titles—ghost stories, bloodbaths, masked killers. Most of them felt too far removed from my reality until one came to mind.

“The Strangers,” I answered finally, the words slipping out quietly. “That one always stuck with me.”

“Oof. Yeah, that ending fucked me up,” Roxxi quipped.

“Why that one?” Cloe asked.

“It wasn’t random, but it was. If that makes sense. They picked a house, wore masks, and played with their victims just because they could.Just because they were home.And then they walked off at the end and got away with it.” I looked out the window. “Killing for kicks freaks me out the most because there’s nothing that can be done to save yourself.”

“That is worse than anything else, now that I think about it,” Cloe mused.

Roxxi made a sound of annoyance as her phone went off for the hundredth time from not muting the group chat, we’d all been Tagged into. She dug it out of her bag and started thumbing through the chaos. “It’s a constant flow of conversation in here. Do people not have classes like we do? It’s like watching a digital train wreck in real time.” She paused, lips curling into a smirk. “People are really shooting their shots in this chat, by the way. Someone just asked Rook out directly. No shame. Our precious baby is so adored.” She mock-sniffled, hand pressed over her heart. “They grow up so fast.”

Cloe hit her blinker and turned onto the road leading to the student lot. “This chat puts some of us who never talk in direct contact for the first time ever. Only catch? Our moderator might be one of our future stalkers.”

“Make that plural,” Arianna corrected, eyes flicking up from her screen. “There are at least four moderators I’ve counted so far. All masked by different numbers.”

“So that’s at least four Huntsmen… and we know there’s plenty more based on the number of people marked.”

“Well, that isn’t good news, but Layla’s alive and still being Layla,” Roxxi announced.

“She just added a message that says, and I quote,‘A rewrite? Who gets to be the lead?” She scrolled down. “And one of the admins replied:‘Careful what you wish for, Layla. The lead doesn’t always make it out alive.”

“We can’t trust her,” Cloe leveled.

“I’vebeensaying that,” Roxxi gestured with her hand.

“No. I mean it. She’s the one who told Ryder about your bathroom window.”

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