Grace

Cicadas chirped through my window, their endless annoying squeals only slightly dampened through the pink window shades that kept them from view. The lamplight outside barely peaked through. Without it, my only salvation, I feared the number of bugs that’d try to make the light from my computer their one and only hope.

Yet all that buzzing was akin to a single fly.

With a bit of help from the internet, I’d isolated the gift Grace had so graciously installed on my phone, yet all I could do was stare, stare at the bit of code that’d made my life hell these past few days.

With just one click, it’d all be gone. But I could not help but wonder if that was the right move.

They knew about my mother, they knew about my past. From the red-robed cultist's words, it felt clear to me that they’d been eyeing me since before I and Grace had ever crossed paths. People that committed wouldn’t change their minds from a single setback.

I bit my lip, what to do… These weren’t the kind of thugs I could simply beat up, or ignore as some passing fad.

With a clatter, I tossed my phone on my desk–scrolling through my computer. Luckily, it appeared they hadn’t been able to touch that as well. At least something had gone right for once.

What could I do to end this once and for all? I needed a plan, one they’d not see coming, that would get them off my backs once and for all. Or maybe something that would end the entire shebang.

They didn’t seem that big, at least if they were there wasn't much effort to show it. I’d seen middle school gans with more members.

My phone sounded like a foghorn as I typed in Chiyo’s number. From the little my computer-illiterate brain could tell, what Grace had installed could access my texts and location, but phone calls were still a go. Still, I couldn’t risk anything falling into her hands.

She answered immediately.”Hi hi! Can’t sleep again, Mari?”

“Yeah... hey I know it's weird, but could you come over like, now?”

“Now? I’ll take any excuse not to do my homework, see you in a few!”

“Yeah, see you.” I couldn't help but have a twinge of pain in my heart. That wasn’t a small drive for Chiyo’s parents, especially at this time of night. But I had to march on.

* * *

Thirty minutes later, her parent's car pulled up, dropping one singular Chiyo off at our doorstep.

Her simple blue t-shirt seemed to glow in the porch light as I rushed down to let her in. A smile broke out on her face as our eyes met. “Glad to see your legs aren’t covered with blood anymore.”

“It was a passing fad, and besides, we both know I'm not the kind of girl to fall behind the times.”

“If blood is in fashion then I’m behind the times,” She chucked, entering my room and lying down on my bed. “So, what’s urgent enough to call me all the way here at this time of night?”

“Am I not allowed to just want a friend over?” I asked, nonchalantly picking my phone up and shoving it in a spare pillowcase, before tossing it out of my room like a football.

“Did… did your phone do something or…”

“Long story,” I collapsed against my chair, spinning round and round like a top. “I called you here because I need some help. We’re going to catch those robed freaks once and for all.”

“How!” Chiyo sat up, suddenly on alert.

“That, Chiyo, is a great question. But I know how to bait them somewhere, it's just what to do next that worries me.”

“Hmm,” she pursed her lips. “What do you have to bait them?”

“Grace put a tracker on my phone, and she spent the entire day at school trying to convince me about how their philosophy wasn’t absolutely insane. If I call her up and say she’d convinced me, they’ll come.” Even I was surprised at how confident I sounded. Try as I might to change it, there wasn’t any way to know they’d actually go anywhere near our meeting spot.

“So that's why you threw your phone out!”

“Well, what do you say, you have any idea how to get them all rounded up? I’d go to the police, but there's no way anyone would believe me, much less bring enough people to actually round everyone up.”

“Well, if you're fine with stretching the truth a bit, I do have an idea, Mari…”