Ekemezie_Favour

In the quiet town of Stoneybrook, a haunting secret lies buried beneath the surface, waiting to resurface with chilling consequences. Five years ago, an 11-year-old boy named Jeremy committed an unfathomable act, taking the life of his best friend to protect someone he loved. The shocking event shook the community to its core, leaving scars that still linger.
Among the witnesses was young Arianna, whose innocent eyes beheld the unimaginable tragedy. Now, she's grown, but the nightmares and memories remain, forever intertwined with Jeremy's return to Stoneybrook. As he steps back into town, the shadows of the past loom larger, and an unsettling feeling grips the hearts of its residents.
Just two days after Jeremy's arrival, a fresh murder shatters the town's fragile peace, plunging it into turmoil once more. But this time, the suspects are not limited to one troubled boy; they are four teenagers—longtime best friends with a shared history. Three of them are innocent, but one conceals the truth, a truth that could tear their friendship apart forever.
As the investigation unfolds, alliances blur, and loyalties waver. Each of the four friends holds a piece of the puzzle, but unlocking the dark secret demands delving into the depths of their past and confronting the demons they thought they left behind. With time running out, the pressure to find the real killer intensifies, and the entire town becomes a web of secrets and lies.
In this gripping psychological thriller, Jeremy must confront his past and wrestle with guilt, while Arianna faces a moral dilemma: protect the boy she once knew, or unearth the horrifying truth? The truth that could bring justice to the fallen and restore peace to Stoneybrook, or unleash a storm of destruction that nobody could escape.
As the clock ticks, the boundaries between right and wrong blur, and the line between friend and foe fades away. The answers lie buried in the minds of these four friends, and only one question remains: who among them is the true murderer?

BL4M3 M3

The court is filled with almost everyone from Stoneybrook, and there is so much media outside. As my family and I get out of the car, they rush to us. Mr. Langford holds my left hand, while my mom holds my right hand. They are asking so many questions.

Did you kill Zack Freeman?

Why did you do it, Miss Langford?

Who were your accomplices?

Do you think you'll be convicted?

What really happened the night Zack died?

Why were you at his house that night?

I want to scream at them. I want to tell them to go away. I want to shout and say I didn't do it, I didn't kill Zack. All of this is absurd. One minute I and Zack were like BFFs, eating lunch together, cracking jokes, and partying, and the next minute I'm going to be tried for murdering him. I wonder what he thinks about all of this. He'll probably take it as a joke and laugh at me. But dude, this is serious, and I'm hurt, so it's not funny anymore, I might be convicted any moment from now. We arrive in the courtroom, it is full of people. I see Prishka smile at me from the front seat, my parents sit on the third roll with the rest of the other parents, which includes Matthew's Nana. Man, she must be out of blood or something. She is too white for a colored woman and too slim for someone who was nick-named fatty. I sit with Prishka and Matthew in the front seat, while Jeremy and Alisyn are seated behind us. At my left is Mrs. Chrome seated with a middle-aged man that I suppose is her lawyer because he's wearing a barrister robe. Mrs. Chrome smiles at me, and I look away. I hate her so much for killing Zack. She's not fit to be a mother. She's the most evil person on earth. She kills her child and tries to frame a couple of teenagers for it. As the Chief Judge walks into the courtroom, we all rise. The chief judge takes his seat, and we all sit down. I'm already tense, and I hope the Lord answers my prayer.

Prishka Singh rises. "Your honor, I'd like to present evidence that proves the innocence of my clients," Prishka says. Clients? I thought I was her only client.

"Bring it forward," says the chief judge. Prishka picks up a laptop from the desk, taps on the keyboard, then arrives at a dark video which I suppose it's the footage of Mrs. Chrome going into Zack's house. She strides to the Judge and hands over the laptop to him. The judge patiently watches the laptop with a grave face, and after he's done, he hands over the laptop to Prishka Singh.

"Your honor, this was before the four teenagers arrived at Zack's house that night to find him dead," Prishka Singh speaks with full confidence, while some people murmur their confusion.

"I think I have seen enough," he says, and Detective Chrome looks at us with wide eyes. "Detective Chrome, I sentence you to 30 years imprisonment for false accusations, and the murderer of Zack Freeman," the Chief judge hits the gavel. "The court has decided." He stands up and walks out of the courtroom, leaving everyone except for the five of us dumbstruck. The murmuring sound increases. I guess nobody saw this coming. Officers approach Detective Chrome.

"No, no, no no. Wait…there's a mistake somewhere," She says helplessly. The police officer places handcuffs on her, and as they drag her out, she fights back. "No! I'm being Framed! I didn't do it! I didn't!"

JEREMY

Checkmate, Chrome. "You!" She groans at me, struggling with the officers. "You did this! You Framed me!" She yells. I didn't frame her, she brought this upon herself. Everyone starts to leave the court. While the others celebrate with their family. My mother just throws a kiss at me and then walks away with Mrs. Freeman. Now the puzzle has fallen into place. Does it bother you that we might have sent the wrong person to jail? Do not be bothered. for ye that knoweth them, playeth them.

chapter 20