The First Day

The sharp buzz of my alarm dragged me out of sleep, and for once, I hadn’t hit snooze. That was a win in itself. I sat up, rubbing my eyes as sunlight filtered through the edges of my curtains. The memory of last night’s red sky hit me instantly, and I tossed off my blanket, shuffling to the window.

The sky was normal. Clear, bright… boring.

I sighed, my breath fogging the glass before I shook off the thought and got moving. A quick shower, a passable job brushing my teeth, and I was out of my pajamas and stuffing my books into my bag. I paused for a second, wondering if I’d even finished my math homework. Shrugging, I figured I’d deal with it later and slung my bag over my shoulder.

I headed for the door downstairs, but my mom’s voice stopped me. “Wise!”

I turned, one hand on the doorknob. “Yeah?”

She walked over, holding out a neatly packed lunch bag. “You almost forgot this,” she said with a small smile.

“Oh, right,” I mumbled, taking it and tucking it into my bag. I wasn’t used to this—her routines being so… normal.

Before I could leave, she pulled me into a quick hug. I stiffened for a moment, then relaxed as she gently placed an ointment-soaked eyepatch over my black eye. “There,” she said, stepping back to inspect her handiwork. “That should help it heal faster. Now get going, or you’ll be late.”

“Thanks,” I muttered, adjusting the scarf around my neck as I headed out.

The ride to Belle’s place was short and uneventful, at least until I saw her rushing out of her house before I’d even stopped my bike. Her hair bounced in loose waves, and she looked flustered but radiant as usual.

“Morning,” she said quickly, throwing on her bag. “We should leave. Now.”

I tilted my head. “Why? What’s the rush?”

“Bella woke up early today,” she replied, her tone laced with urgency.

I raised an eyebrow. “And that’s bad because…?”

Belle gave me a sideways glance as we started pedaling. “The person who usually takes her to school is—”

The screech of tires on asphalt cut her off. We both turned our heads, but the matte black BMW was all the confirmation I needed.

“Dez,” I muttered, dread pooling in my stomach.

Belle nodded. “So, uh… can you pedal really fast?”

I didn’t bother answering. I took off, my tires skidding slightly as I hit the sidewalk. Behind me, Dez’s voice bellowed from the car window. “Thanks for the detention, Harrington! Real generous of you!”

I could hear the roar of his engine, and I didn’t trust him to stay on the road. Belle’s laugh rang out as she sped ahead, glancing back at me.

“You’re really unlucky, huh?” she teased.

“Yeah, thanks for the sympathy,” I called back, keeping my eyes on the path ahead. When Bella finally appeared, hopping into Dez’s car, I’d already managed to put a safe distance between us. My heart pounded, and Belle’s laughter didn’t help my bruised ego.

We reached school without further incident, chaining our bikes and heading into the building. Luca wasn’t around yet, so after a quick stop at our lockers, Belle and I went straight to class.

By lunch, Belle and I were heading to our lockers to grab some books when we spotted Luca strolling down the hallway, his usual cocky grin in place. He waved lazily when he saw us, but the moment he got closer, he stopped and squinted at me.

“Dude,” he said, pointing directly at my face. “What’s with the eyepatch?”

Belle blinked, tilting her head to get a better look. “Wait, you’ve been wearing that all day? I didn’t even notice!”

I rolled my eyes, adjusting the strap. “It’s not a big deal. My mom gave it to me for the black eye.”

Luca snorted, shaking his head. “You look like a wannabe pirate.”

“I think it’s cool,” Belle said quickly, clutching a stack of books to her chest. She smiled up at me, her voice playful. “Actually, I think it makes you look sexy. More than usual.”

I stiffened, caught completely off guard. “What?”

Before I could step back, Belle slipped closer, intertwining her arm with mine. “I mean it,” she teased. “The patch adds a certain… charm.”

“Okay, that’s it,” Luca said, groaning loudly. “The sexual tension between you two is way too much. Why don’t you just fuck each other already?”

I froze, staring at him. “What the hell are you talking about?”

Luca grinned, but Belle tilted her head, the mischievous glint in her eyes returning. “Hmm,” she mused, pretending to think. “I would, but I’m not sure Wise could, you know… satisfy me.”

She raised a hand, her fingers tracing a slow line up my chest and to my chin. My brain shut down completely. I couldn’t tell if she was serious, but my body moved on autopilot. Before I could stop myself, I leaned forward, placing a hand on the locker behind her and pinning her gently against it.

“What makes you think I can’t?” I said, my voice lower than I intended.

Her confidence crumbled instantly. Her cheeks flushed red, and her wide eyes darted between mine. She stammered, barely able to keep eye contact, then turned her face away, burying it behind her books.

Luca’s exaggerated “Ooooooohhhh!” echoed down the hallway, loud enough to turn a few heads.

The boldness that had overtaken me vanished just as quickly, replaced by a wave of embarrassment. I stepped back, laughing awkwardly. “Uh, got you,” I mumbled, rubbing the back of my neck.

Belle didn’t reply, still hiding behind her books. Luca seized the moment, throwing an arm around my shoulders and putting me in a headlock. “Dude, that was smooth. I didn’t think you had it in you.”

“Neither did I,” I muttered, my gaze flicking back to Belle. She stayed quiet, her face still pink as she adjusted her books and walked a step behind us.

The back of the school was quieter than the rest of the campus, filled with patches of grass, clusters of trees, and neatly arranged flower beds. A few picnic tables were scattered around, most empty save for ours. The air was crisp, carrying the faint scent of the flowers and the distant hum of students’ chatter drifting from the building.

We sat at one of the tables, our lunch trays spread out in front of us. I adjusted the eyepatch over my black eye, scanning the trees to make sure Dez wasn’t lurking nearby.

“Why are we even out here?” Luca asked, tearing into his sandwich. “The cafeteria has better seats and better vibes. This place feels too… peaceful.”

“It’s so Dez doesn’t find me,” I said, leaning back against the table. “I’d rather not give him round two in front of everyone.”

Luca nodded. “Fair. If that guy catches you, it’s lights out. Again.”

He clapped his hands suddenly, making both Belle and me jump. “Oh, right!” he said, leaning forward. “I almost forgot—I had something I wanted to tell you guys. Got thrown off earlier.”

“What is it?” I asked, taking a bite of my apple.

“There was a murder in town,” Luca said, his tone casual, like he was announcing a new movie release.

I nearly choked, jerking back in shock. “What? Are you serious, or are you just screwing with me?”

Belle’s expression darkened, her usual lighthearted demeanor replaced with something more solemn. “It’s true,” she said softly. “I heard rumors about it too. A woman got killed.”

Luca leaned closer, his voice dropping slightly. “It’s all over the news. They found her in her backyard, impaled on her tree. And get this—her skin was… picked off. By partridges.”

The words hung in the air like a dark cloud. My stomach turned, and I felt my appetite vanish. “Partridges?” I echoed, glancing at Belle. “Is that…?”

Belle nodded, her lips pressed into a thin line. “That’s what they’re saying.”

Luca wasn’t done. “That’s not even the worst part,” he added, his tone dipping lower. “They said her mouth was stuffed with a pear. Like, jammed in there so hard it dislocated her jaw.”

The image hit me like a gut punch, vivid and grotesque. My mind raced as I processed what he’d just said. The partridges. The pear. It was too specific, too deliberate. My head started buzzing with connections, my thoughts snapping into focus.

Luca tilted his head, watching me carefully. “You’ve got that face again,” he said. “What’re you thinking?”

I didn’t answer him right away. Instead, I turned to Belle, who seemed lost in thought, her brows furrowed as she stared at her tray. “Belle,” I said, breaking her out of her daze, “did you bring the book? The one from the festival?”

Her eyes snapped to mine, and she fumbled with the books clutched to her chest. “Uh, yeah,” she muttered, pulling them apart and fishing out the tattered volume. She handed it to me, its cover now clean but still weathered from years of neglect.

I flipped through the pages, skimming each one for something, anything, that could connect to what Luca just told us. My heart pounded as the words blurred together, none of them making sense until—

“Here,” I said, stopping at the back of the book. The words leapt out at me, bold and ominous: Sacrifices Required for the Trials to Begin.

Belle and Luca leaned in closer as I read aloud: “It says each trial will require a human sacrifice. A total of twelve murders will occur on each day.”

I looked up slowly, my gaze bouncing between the two of them. Belle’s face had gone pale, and Luca’s brows shot up so high they practically disappeared under his hair.

“No way,” Luca said, shaking his head. “This can’t be real. That murder had nothing to do with this.”

“The timing, the description…” I trailed off, glancing at Belle. “It’s too close to ignore.”

“It could just be some deranged serial killer,” Belle offered, though her voice lacked conviction. “Maybe they’re using the song for inspiration. It doesn’t mean it’s… this.”

“But why use that song?” I countered. “It’s too symbolic. Too specific. Partridges and a pear tree? Come on.”

Belle didn’t reply, her lips pressing together as she dropped her gaze to her lap. I sighed, pulling out my lunch and taking a reluctant bite of my sandwich. Luca followed suit, though the usual banter between us was absent. The three of us ate in silence, the weight of what we’d just uncovered hanging over us like a storm cloud.

In my gut, I knew the answer. I didn’t want to believe it, but I couldn’t deny it. The murder fit too perfectly with the first verse of the song. If this was the curse at work, then the next murder would follow the next verse.

My chest tightened as another thought crept in—what if it’s someone I know? Someone close to me? A small part of me almost hoped it would be Dez, but the serious, terrified part of me wondered: What if it’s my mom?

The questions swirled in my head like a whirlpool, but one thing was clear: I was missing a piece of the puzzle. I didn’t know how these events were happening or who was making them happen, but I was going to find out.

No matter what