It was a Friday night when the world as Ana Li knew it came crashing down. The evening started like any other, school was over, and everyone was hanging out at their favorite local diner, a cozy place with neon lights and the smell of fried food filling the air. The usual crew was there: Ana, her best friends Sophie, Lily, Marcus, Jenna, and Tyler. It was meant to be a fun night of greasy fries, ice cream sundaes, and silly conversations... just a chance to forget about the week’s endless tests, gossip, and drama.
They talked about everything and nothing, laughing and sharing stories like they always did. Sophie and Lily debated over which movie they were going to see next while Marcus showed off his latest social media post. Tyler was joking around as usual, keeping everyone in stitches. Ana had her thoughts swirling around in her head. Things had been a little off with Ella lately. Her best friend, the one who usually kept everyone grounded and cheery, had been distant. She hadn’t answered Ana’s calls, and whenever they tried to hang out, Ella seemed to have an excuse.
But that night, everything changed.
As Ana was in the middle of a conversation with Sophie about the new horror movie they were dying to see, her phone buzzed in her pocket. She pulled it out, glancing at the screen. It was a message from Jenna.
Jenna: “Call me. Something’s happened to Ella.”
The chill that ran through Ana’s spine was immediate. Ella. Their close friend who hadn’t made it to the diner that night. The one who’d been acting a little distant lately. Her heart rate picked up. Why would Jenna be so urgent?
Ana’s fingers trembled as she quickly dialed Jenna’s number. The phone rang once, twice, then Jenna picked it up, her voice shaky and strained.
“Jenna, what’s going on? Where’s Ella?” Ana’s voice was tight with concern, a lump forming in her throat.
“I… I don’t know what happened, Ana. Ella… she’s gone.”
Gone.
Ana froze. Her mind raced, trying to make sense of what she was hearing. She thought she had misheard. “What do you mean, gone? What happened to her?”
There was a long pause on the other end of the line. The silence felt suffocating, and Ana’s heart began to thud faster in her chest. Something was wrong.
“She’s… she’s dead, Ana. They found her at the creek near her house. The police think it was an accident. But… it doesn’t feel like one.” Jenna’s voice cracked, and Ana could hear the raw emotion seeping through.
Dead.
Ana’s stomach twisted into knots, and she felt light-headed. “No. No way. This can’t be real. Ella wasn’t the type to just… to just die. She was careful. She wasn’t careless.” Her words came out in a rushed breath. Was it an accident? Could it be? No. Ana couldn’t wrap her mind around it. There was something in Jenna’s voice, something that didn’t fit.
“I know,” Jenna said quietly, her voice barely above a whisper. “That’s why I’m scared. Something’s not adding up, Ana. You need to come to the station. The police… they’re talking to all of us.”
Ana’s mind spun. She had to get to the police station. She had to see for herself, had to know the truth. Ella couldn’t be gone. They had been through so much together. The thought of losing her felt like a punch to the gut.
Ana quickly hung up, feeling a wave of dread crash over her. She turned to Sophie, who was still talking excitedly about the movie plans, unaware of the conversation Ana had just had.
“Sophie,” Ana said, her voice steady but with a faint tremble. Sophie looked up at her, sensing something was wrong.
“What’s up? You look pale.” Sophie raised an eyebrow.
Ana shook her head. “Ella’s dead.”
Sophie’s eyes widened. “What? No… no way. Are you serious?” She stood up, her chair scraping the floor.
“It’s true. I have to go to the police station. Jenna’s already there. You need to come with me.”
Sophie didn’t hesitate. She grabbed her jacket, her hands shaking, and together, they rushed out of the diner, the night air feeling colder than it ever had before.
The drive to the station was a blur. Ana barely registered the passing streets, her mind fixated on the image of Ella—their friend, their bright spark in the group—now lying lifeless somewhere, far from them. How? Why?
As they pulled into the police station parking lot, the gravity of what was happening hit Ana like a ton of bricks. She had to know what happened to Ella. She needed answers.
Inside, the police station buzzed with activity. Officers moved quickly, some talking quietly, others on the phone. Detective Harris, a seasoned officer Ana had met a few times before, looked up from his paperwork when he saw them walk in.
“You’re here,” he said grimly. “Ana, Sophie… follow me.”
Ana nodded, her chest tight. Her mind raced with a thousand questions, but she couldn’t bring herself to speak. She needed to hear the details. She needed to know how and why.
They followed Detective Harris down the hall to an interrogation room.
“I’ll speak to you both shortly,” he said, his tone steady, but Ana could see the concern in his eyes. “We’re questioning the group now. Your friends will be interviewed one by one.”
As Ana sat down in the cold, sterile room, she tried to steady her nerves. Sophie sat beside her, biting her lip, trying to hold herself together. The silence between them was deafening.
Ana couldn’t stop the thoughts that flooded her mind. Who would want to hurt Ella? Who would do something like this? She glanced at Sophie, who was staring at the floor, her face pale. Sophie knew something. Did she? Was there something Ana had missed?
Detective Harris entered the room. “We’ve started questioning everyone. Some of your friends were last with Ella, so we need to go over what happened in the hours leading up to her death. We’ll need your cooperation.”
Ana nodded, her hands clenched tightly on her lap. She didn’t trust the police to figure this out on their own. She knew deep down that Ella’s death wasn’t an accident. There was more to this story. And Ana was going to find out what it was—no matter the cost.
ns216.73.216.240da2
and then Add to home screen.