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Everyone agreed they were too tipsy to continue Never Have I Ever Charlotte refilled the bowl of pretzels and stuck the first season of The Hills into the DVD player Everyone settled in on the couches, in sleeping bags, or on Charlotte’s bed It was like the power outage had had a sedative effect on everyone but her Emma felt more awake and sober than she had before Is Sutton in the house? Is she close? Every tiny sound, everyto cartwheel into the room

She was so convinced, I half expected it to happen irls’ heads went liled into her bed Madeline snored softly on the trundle Lilianna burrowed into a black sleeping bag, and Gabriella climbed into a pink one Laurel had curled up on the couch next to Eers slowly and sleepily twitched Emma watched the DVD until the last episode aired and the credits rolled She tried to close her eyes, but she wasn’t sleepy Come out, come out, Sutton What would her life be like once Sutton returned? Once again she pictured their first ht say to Sutton Surely after putting Eh so much turmoil, she’d let Emma stay with her for a while After all, if this was so colors, hadn’t she? She envisioned the Mercers’ slack-jawed expressions when they found out E at breakfast Perhaps they’d let her sleep in a guest room Set a place for her at the table Was it too much to hope for?

I didn’t think it was Not that it could ever come true

Eroped for her water glass, but she couldn’t find it She slid from the couch as quietly as she could and tiptoed out the door and down the stairs toward the kitchen The marble floors in the foyer felt like ice cubes on the soles of her feet An angular coat rack by the front door reseiant tarantula Eht down the hall

The digital clocks above the reen Aover the center island Emma’s skin prickled in a mix of fear and excitement She cocked her head and listened for sounds of Sutton sneaking up on her Breathing Giggling Waiting

But there was nothing Elass from the cabinet and tried the faucet The water dribbled noisily into the sink Just as she sed the last of the water and turned for the stairs again, she heard a creak She halted and peered around Her heart thudded The clocks ticked from 2:06 to 2:07 in perfect synchronicity

Another creak rang out "Is someone there?" Emma whispered Her vision blurred in the darkness And then, all of a sudden, there was a loud crashing sound Pain shot through Emma’s hip She started to turn, but soainst the island and pressed a hand over Elass slipped out of Eh her, hot and messy "Mmm!" she cried out

The person didn’t pull away A body pressed up against her, warm and close "Don’t you dare yell out," said a voice in her ear It was raspy and indecipherable, a ? I told you to play along I told you not to leave"

Eure shoved her forward and pressed her cheek to the kitchen island "Sutton’s dead," the voice insisted "Keep being her until I tell you different And don’t try and skip town again or you’re next"

Eht her bonescold and hter around her throat until Eed She flailed her arms, but the wire just constricted her throat even ht for breath, but she couldn’t inhale, couldn’t s As she thrashed up and down, her feet began to tingle

I stared in horror My vision was clouded, just like Eler had broad shoulders I thought of the dark shadow hovering over iven That voice sounded a lot like this one

But then the stranglehold around Emma’s neck loosened Whoever it was pulled Eht spots danced in front of her eyes Air rushed into her lungs She leaned over and coughed

"Now keep your head down and count to one hundred," the strangler went on "Don’t look up until you’re done Or else"

Tre, Emma pressed her forehead to the island countertop and started to count "Onetwo"

Footsteps rang out behind her I strained to see who it was, but the figure was a dark shadow

"Teneleven" Emma counted A door slammed Emma cautiously raised her head The kitchen was as silent and unassuo She tiptoed to the front door and peered out, but the strangler was gone

She bent over her knees for aknocked heavily against her collarbone She cautiously groped her skin Dangling from a chain around her throat was a round locket--Sutton’s round locket The one she’d looked for in Sutton’s jewelry box but couldn’t find The one Sutton had been wearing in the snuff filled indentations on Emma’s neck