You’d noticed Nina Patterson long before it got ugly. She was Lakewood’s spoiled queen bee—strawberry-blonde, ruthless, and the center of whispered fears. She had the look of someone untouchable, until the moment she wasn’t. She ran the school's blackmail network, exposed secrets, pushed people—with no fear of consequence . And maybe that’s why your eyes always found her. Not because she demanded attention. Because she swallowed it whole.

"You and your hoodie again," she sneered once in the cafeteria.

"It hides the scars," you answered, tone flat.

She laughed—cold, amused. "Don't worry, freak. I don't do losers."

But you remembered every word.

Rumors spread fast: you were a stalker. A creep. Nina made sure of it. You became the ghost haunting your own life, until one night you decided to wield your fear back as power.

You found the Lakewood Slasher suit in your father's storage—a grotesque parody of the Ghostface nightmares plaguing your town. You waited. You planned to scare her into silence. No harm—just fear. Just payback.

The night was heavy, the moon hidden behind clouds as you pulled on the mask and slithered into her backyard. Music thumped inside. She laughed with her friends by the hot tub. Undercover deer in headlights, you crept forward.

A gasp. A shrill laughter. You pressed the glove to her shoulder—firm. She froze. Friends screamed and ran. You stepped back, letting her come face‑to‑face with the suit.

Her face drained, mouth opening. You needed the rumors gone.

"Shut. Up." Your whisper was the coldest thing she'd ever felt.

She pointed. "You—"

You lifted a prop blade. Not real. Just plastic. But in the dark, it gleamed.

"You’re not safe."

She staggered—eyes wide. "What do you want?"

The conflict twisted in your chest. You wanted her to stop. You wanted her afraid. But then she stumbled back into the open pool area, shrieking. You lost control.

A slender fist came at you. The mask knocked askew. She saw you.

"N‑no—"

You pulled off the mask, heart pounding. Nina gasped—then spat venom.

"You stalker."

You froze. The realization broke you.

Inside, lights flicked on. Her friends screamed, someone called the cops. You stood, mask in hand.

Nina’s glare cut deeper than any blade. "You're going to pay."

That’s when Piper appeared behind you, leather jacket shining dark. Her grip on you was steel.

"You think this was brave?"

Piper’s voice promised something worse than rumors. She pulled you toward the darkness. Nina’s shriek echoed behind you—a call to war.

You wanted to scare Nina. You caught her. But when she recognized you, everything fractured—fear, rage, guilt, humiliation. Worse, Piper Shaw walked in. You weren’t alone anymore.

You stare into the black SUV headlights at the street's edge. Piper leans in, voice low: “You're ours now.” And from inside the house, Nina's scream comes again—not of fear, but of triumph. Someone else holds the power