Teagan

Run!"

"Run Tiff, run as fast as you can." He urged her.

Dinner had just been concluded, and the 16-year-old Tiffany had plans to meet her friends at the grand opening of a new karaoke spot. She ascended the stairs with her gentle twin sister. Teagan, her twin, has always had a more introverted nature, which made it challenging for her to make friends.

"Tee, I'll be back before you know it. I just really need to check out that new place." Teagan simply nodded in response.

"Are you so engrossed in your game that you can't wait for me to be out of your hair?" Tiff asked Tee.

"What do you want from me? You can be quite a handful. Go. Enjoy yourself with your friends and leave me in peace with my game. I don't have the energy for your endless chatter and rants tonight." Tiff glared at Tee as if she could strangle her on the spot, but she just walked away, arranging her bed to give the illusion that someone was sleeping under the covers.

Tiff slipped out the window and onto the streets where her friends awaited. Tee, relieved at her sister's departure, eagerly continued her game, anticipating the thrill of advancing onto the next level without any disturbances.

* * *

Just as Tiff and her friends were about to enter the bar, a woman burst out of the entrance, knocking them aside and causing Tiff to fall and injure her leg. Her friends swiftly helped her up and attempted to chase the woman, but she was too quick.

They left the bar past midnight, parting ways, with Tiff heading home. The path was dark and foreboding, and her injured leg made it even more daunting. All she wanted was to get home safely and quickly. She knew of a shortcut that would hasten her journey.

In the distance, she spotted a man hunched over on the ground. He was clad in black pants and a black hoodie, and wore military boots. As she passed him, she glanced back to see why he was bent over, only to spot a bloody blunt weapon. The man was severing the fingers of the woman who had shoved her earlier in front of the karaoke bar.

Overwhelmed with terror, she screamed and tried to flee, but her leg betrayed her. The man rose to his feet and began to approach her.

"Help!" Tiff cried out at the top of her lungs, trying to escape, but failing. "Stay back, don't come any closer!" she repeated, still attempting to distance herself from the man. Then, he grabbed her.

"You?" She was taken aback by the familiar face before her.

"Yes, sweetheart, it's me," the man replied, chuckling at her feeble attempts to outrun him. "You know what? I'll give you a chance. Run. If you can outrun me, you live. If not... well, I tried."

Her house was just a few minutes away. She could make it, she convinced herself, and staggered to her feet to run, tears streaming down her face.

"Run!"

"Run Tiff, run as fast as you can," He called after her, but Tiff was struggling. She had reached the house next to their own.

"Tee! Tee!! Help me!" She screamed at the top of her lungs.

Teagan had just wrapped up her gaming session when she heard her sister's voice.

"Now what? This dramatic girl is back," she muttered, not paying much attention to why she was being called.

"Tee, please help! Look down!" Tiff called out again. Teagan rushed to the window and witnessed her sister being struck on the back of her head with a blunt object.

Surprised and filled with fear, Teagan let out a startled "Huh!" She quickly stepped back, overwhelmed by terror. Once she had regained her composure, Teagan promptly stood up and approached the window. From there, she observed the man walking away. He possessed broad shoulders and stood at a moderate height. There was something distinctive about his gait—he took deliberate steps, almost as if one leg was dragging the other. Additionally, he incessantly cracked his fingers, giving the impression of a convulsive movement.

Without wasting a moment, Teagan hurriedly descended to her parents' room to inform them of the horrifying incident. By the time they rushed outside, it was too late—Tiff was dead.

A modest burial was held for Tiff, and the police investigation revealed that she was a victim of a serial killer. Mr. and Mrs. Banks were overwhelmed with grief and anguish. In their pain, they directed their anger towards Teagan, blaming her for allowing her sister to go out without their permission.