deep end

✦ CAMILA QUEIROZ, CIS WOMAN, SHE/HER ✦ LUCIA ESCARRA the THIRTY TWO year old has been in Hidehill for ALL HER LIFE and was a FRIEND to Jade Parker, the missing person. Whispers on the streets are that the MANAGER AT BANK OF HIDEHILL who lives in HORWICK. She is said to be DRIVEN and GUARDED but I guess we’ll find out for ourselves. { ROSIE, 25, EST, SHE/HER. } 

Truthfully, Elliott had gone mostly out of respect for Jade and those closest to her. He didn’t really know her, only a hand full of nights or weekends spent buying shots or talking about music and art, but nothing other than surface level conversation. In his opinion, this all seemed a little too small town, you’d never see this in the city, but he figured small town folk got bored. “What do you mean back?” He asks, looking down at Lucia. She was the first familiar face he saw and clung onto her so he didn’t stick out so much. 

✱

Lucia was taken aback momentarily by his question. Having lived here her whole life, she had forgotten there were people unaware of the town’s history.  “Back in the 70's there were many disappearances taking place in rapid succession." She explained. "Everybody was living on edge until the killer got caught. By that time, the number of victims hit the double digits. Needless to say but the town's reputation got trashed. Surprised you hadn’t heard of it until now.” She admitted. “It was supposed to be a thing of the past but clearly somebody has other plans.” 

“Wouldn’t surprise me.” He said quite bluntly, police have done stranger things and with their track record of being unable to stop killings in the past it wouldn’t surprise him. “I mean they have no reason to lie and the police haven’t exactly put out any statements denying it.” Asa sighed, his friend was dead but with the drama this town was now in he didn’t really have time to sit around dwelling on the past when at any moment he could be the next to go. Any of them could, they had no idea what they had up their sleeves and judging by the police’s lack of an attempt to stop the last they had no chance or hope.

✱

“That’s true. They haven’t made a statement addressing the accusations. I wonder what’s taking them so long or are they just planning to sweep everything under the rug? Do they truly believe we’ll forget?” She wouldn’t put it past them. “At this point, it’s better to rely on each other than expect the police to do their job. Avoid staying out too late, maybe even attempt to implement a buddy system.” Once her words sunk in, she sighed in exasperation. “This is ridiculous, isn’t it?” 

“You mean an organization that can rampage your car and house without an actual reason, I’m shocked,” Veronica commented sarcastically. “I’m no detective but I think maybe they’re scared. I mean why else ignore something that they’ve heard about since training or the killer as something on them.” A scandal that rocked the nation and broke a town, our town. Is it really happening again…but with a worser outcome. “No offense but can we talk about something else that doesn’t make me want to buy a whole security system and team.”

✱

“Okay, valid. You’ve got a point there.” She conceded. “To think they are the ones in charge of our safety.” She rubbed her arms, unable to completely suppress a shudder. “Hold up, you might be onto something. It’s possible the killer has dirt on them and is forcing them to comply. It’s likely they are only looking out for themselves.” Sighing, she agreed with her friend. “Fine, but you might actually want to invest on a good surveillance system. I know I will.” Looking down at her phone screen, she quickly scrolled looking for a certain app. “There. I’ve shared my location with you. Just in case, you know? You can do the same if you want.”

     𝙸𝙽  𝙷𝙸𝚂  𝙻𝙸𝙽𝙴  𝙾𝙵  𝚆𝙾𝚁𝙺,  deacon  was  rarely  perturbed  by  just  anything,  but  when  lucia  speaks,  his  knees  nearly  buckle,  blood  goes  cold.  she  must  hate  him  and  she  has  every  right  to  -  deacon  never  expected  anything  less.  however,  this  is  the  first  time  he’s  heard  her  speak  to  him  with  such  hostility  and  he’s  not  quite  sure  what  to  do  with  it,  what  to  say  in  return.  from  his  boss,  yes.  from  simon,  he’d  gotten  used  to  it  in  the  last  stages  of  their  already  doomed  relationship.  but  from  lucia,  he’d  never  imagined  her  this  way.  but  then  she  probably  never  thought  he  would  take  advantage  of  her  love,  either.

he  blinks  a  few  times  as  he  tries  to  grasp  at  every  last  syllable  that  comes  out  of  her  mouth,  puts  them  together  in  a  tangled  morass  that  only  vaguely  makes  sense.  he  sighs.  “i’m  sorry…  i  should’ve  called.”  he  can  do  better  than  this.  much,  much  better.  the  sound  of  garbled  voices  bouncing  off  the  walls  sounds  like  a  distressed  monster  waiting  to  be  fed  and  he  becomes  acutely  aware  of  them  standing  in  the  middle  of  the  room  (  where,  a  lifetime  ago,  he’d  taken  her  hand  and  slowdanced  to  john  mayer  ).    “listen,  can  we…  is  there  a  more  private  place  we  can  talk?”

✱

Lucia wasn’t sure what it was that she was expecting. Over the years, she thought she had come to terms with his disappearance. That she had moved on from that night. But seeing him in front of her now made her realize that she couldn’t have been more wrong. A myriad of emotions flooded over her as he spoke. Memories of their past relationship resurfaced, of what they had and what she had lost when he decided to leave without warning. 

Hearing him say sorry wasn’t as satisfying as she had hoped. She was unsure if he meant it. If he truly understood how much his actions back then had affected her. “Yeah, you should’ve.” She wasn’t ready to accept his apology - she wasn’t sure she would ever be. “A call, a text ... a fucking email Deacon.” Her voice started to rise in volume. “Anything would’ve been better than what you did.” She seethed unaware of the stares that she was attracting. It was only at his comment that she realized this conversation would be better suited elsewhere. “How about the parking lot?” She asked fully aware of the implications of her words. 

“Oh yeah, I believe it.” He shrugged as he responded to Lucia’s question. He wasn’t really sure how she would react to him being the one to answer but he had to try at some point. “The police have done a terrible job in the past trying to stop it from happening so it wouldn’t surprise me if they were literally handed all the answers to a puzzle and they ignored it.” It sounded ridiculous, unbelievable in fact but something inside him told him they were telling the truth about it. “I think they are.. well, someone is back. I’m sure the last killer passed away whilst he was locked up. Maybe a family member?”

✱

Her heart skipped a beat when she heard his voice. She hated how he still affected her. Eyes glued to her phone screen, she took a moment to compose herself. To no avail, she tried to swallow the lump that insisted on staying in her throat. She knew there was no point in delaying the inevitable. They were bound to cross paths one day. Meeting his eyes, she nodded. “Mhm.” She mused, trying her best to play nice. “Some people are just bad at keeping their word, aren’t they?” But it didn’t last long. The opportunity presented itself and she couldn’t help but take a jab at him. “Hard to trust them.” She agreed. “They should know better than to make promises they can’t keep. It creates disappointment - for us citizens of course.” Her smile didn’t reach her eyes. “Perhaps. We could also be dealing with someone using the town’s history to get away with murder.”

Special Delivery for: @luciaescarra​

The gym was one place that Casey felt comfortable. It was a place that he could just workout and feel normal. People often left everyone else alone unless they needed a spotter. It was great. Plus, it got him out and about in society without having to actually speak with anybody. It was really the perfect situation. …Until things started to get a little weird…

Every blue moon, the same woman would approach him and just…be there. It was so odd. Casey didn’t know how to process it. Sometimes she would bring him a sandwich. Sometime she would just provide him gentle encouragement. But weirdest day was when she brought him baby formula and just carried on her day. Casey genuinely had never experienced something so weird and he had been on the NYPD for twenty years.

After she dropped the formula and left, Casey finished his set and grabbed a towel to wipe off his forehead before he grabbed the can and moved across the gym to the woman, “Excuse me.” He said simply, “Are you uh…mistaking me for someone?” He asked, unsure what else could be the scenario, “I…I am not whoever you’re thinking I am.”

✱

The gym was a great place to de-stress for Lucia. Whenever work got too hectic or life became a complicated mess, she would head to the gym in hopes of unwinding. There was nothing more rewarding than lifting heavier or running further than she had before. It was gratifying to see tangible results that were proportionate to the effort she put into it. 

While waiting for a machine to open up, she liked to observe her surroundings. More than once had she spotted the same man making his way around the gym. Albeit regulars were the norm in places like these, it was the smell of booze and his pronounced eye bags that caught her attention. The first few times she paid it no heed but after the eighth time she couldn’t help but interfere - after all, she was never one to mind her own business.

All sorts of theories occupied her mind. ‘Did he work at a bar? Was he partaking in a beer drinking contest? Was this a new training regime or was he under a crushing debt having to provide for his seven children at home?’ After much deliberating, Lucia had come to the strange conclusion the man was a single dad who worked two jobs. She wanted to support him and secretly cheer for him. She could only convey her encouragement in the shape of gifts handed after every gym visit. “It’s okay.” She said, turning around with a gentle smile. “They are for little Tommy.” She spoke as if it was an obvious answer. 

Veronica walked the halls of the high school. God if these walls could talk what would they say. She noticed her friend Lucia from around town and walked over to her. Without looking at the girl Veronica answers her, “ Could her death been prevented? Probably. By the cops? I don’t know.” She crosses her arm, “Maybe they’re back or maybe someone is trying to play copy cat. The last time this happened it made headline news. It wasn’t a secret, maybe a grandparent told them and they’re trying to do a 2.0. Or maybe she made the wrong person mad and they’re using one of the biggest stories we had to cover up their tracks.”

“If they really received all those clues and ignored them, then they fucked it up. Big time.” She wasn’t entirely convinced that the department had disregarded all warnings. “I mean surely they must have investigated a few of them. Even if they didn’t believe they were back, they must’ve acted on some of the leads the killer left.” She was trying to convince herself, otherwise it meant they were alone to fend for themselves. “I’m leaning more towards the last theory. They could’ve targeted Jade and used the story as cover up. Naming suspects to help derail the investigation and all that jazz.” She said hoping her friend was right. They didn’t need a killer on the loose. 

lucia.‎‎

     𝙳𝙴𝙰𝙲𝙾𝙽  𝚆𝙾𝙽𝙳𝙴𝚁𝚂  if  jade  is  watching  over  them  now.  this  sordid,  impromptu  reunion  of  all  her  closest  friends,  enemies,  tainted  lovers  -  hers  and  the  lovers  she’d  brought  together.  all  back  together  in  this  depressing  room,  all  for  her.  silently,  he  curses  jade  under  his  breath,  you’re  a  sly  one,  when  he  spots  lucia  in  the  middle  of  the  crowd,  speaking  to  some  woman  whom  he’d  overheard  earlier  was  a  coworker  of  jade’s.

it  is  lucia,  isn’t  it?  she’d  gotten  a  little  taller,  her  hair  maybe  a  little  shorter,  and  she  dresses  differently  now.  but  that  button  nose,  painted  heart-shaped  lips…  he  knows  them  too  well.  

and  it’s  not  like  she  doesn’t  know  he’s  back.  he’s  sure  she  must’ve  already  figured  it  out  when  he’d  accidentally  sent  her  a  wrong  message  just  because  he  refused  to  delete  her  number.  that  is,  if  julia  hadn’t  told  her  already.  he  never  corrected  himself,  never  told  her  who  it  was  really  meant  for.  once  again,  radio  silence.

he  finishes  the  rest  of  the  free  iced  tea  he’d  picked  up  at  the  entrance,  wishes  they  had  something  stronger,  and  tosses  it  into  a  garbage  bag  that  one  of  the  teachers  had  going  around.  the  woman  beside  her  sees  him  coming  from  a  few  feet  away  and  nods  at  his  direction,  her  eyes  on  lucia  like  she’s  trying  to  let  him  know  he’s  coming.

“lucia…”  his  voice  trembles  when  he  says  her  name.  fifteen  years.  “hello.”

Lucia hadn’t expected such a crowd to gather at Jade’s vigil. She wondered how many of them were here to pay their respects to the deceased and the bereaved family. She was sure some only came to fuel the gossips that had already begun to spread since her disappearance. Sighing she looked back at Jade’s co worker, a cordial smile gracing her face. "Yes, of course. Jade was an exceptional teacher.” She agreed, still not used to speaking about her in past tense. It left a sour taste in her mouth to acknowledge she was no longer with them. 

Lost in thought, she hadn’t noticed the other party had grown silent. By the time she realized, the woman was already excusing herself. Her eyebrows knitted in confusion. Wondering if it had been something she said, she turned around only to be met by a familiar face - one she thought she’d never see again. Frozen in place, she didn’t know how to react. She had run countless simulations of their encounter but none of them involved a vigil. ‘Snap out of it’ She thought. This was an ambush and she wasn’t about to let him get the upper hand. Narrowing her eyes, she took a step closer to him. She’d be dammed before she showed case a sign of weakness.

Crossing her arms, she nodded her head at him waiting with bated breath for his first words. Hearing the way her name rolled off his tongue made her eyes waver. It had been so long since she heard him call her that. A greeting. That was the best he could give her. “Hello, Deacon.” She spat his name as if it was poison. “I was beginning to think you forgot about me.” Sarcasm was clear in her tone. Her blood started to boil in anger when she remembered how he had contacted her sister first. “Come on now, I’m sure you can do better than that sorry excuse of a greeting.” Closing the distance, she took another step forward in his direction. 

It was soft, but Julia caught the small whispered declaration and her heart hurt. “No, it wasn’t, but that doesn’t mean…” Julia swallowed the words, even she wasn’t cruel enough to say them to Lucia. It hadn’t been her, but in Julia’s mind, it would have been better because all she could think about of Rowan and how her niece would now grow up with out a mom. With a sigh, Julia shrugged and finally stopped her pacing and decided to sit down next to her sister, meeting her gaze. The look was unfamiliar because normally, it was Julia who pleaded for answers. She wasn’t used having to be the one with the answers. “No, i don’t think it’s the original - it literally can’t be but someone seems to have picked up where they left off.” That made her stomach twist because if it was the case, that meant this wasn’t over. 

Julia leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees and her head in her hands. There was so much going on. The killer, having been listed as a possible victim, Ledger being accused of this murder, Boyd coming back to town. Julia’s stomach rolled again but she didn’t move. What could she possible heave out? She hadn’t eaten in two days. “Boyd’s back.” She threw out into the conversation, it wasn’t relevant but she figured that Lucia should know. Boyd had been her world and she had ruined it - Lucia knew what that had done to her. 

“I don’t know, Lulu.” Julia sighed and decided to lay on back on the couch, eyes on the ceiling. “Deke and I went to the museum to try and get some answers but we couldn’t get anything from what was there.” She told her, not fully realizing or considering that Lucia might not even know that Deacon was back or insensitive that could have come across. “He says he has one last trick up his sleeve - whatever that means - and that he may be able to help since our sheriff’s office is complete shit.” Julia rolled her eyes because she still wasn’t convinced that Deacon could do anything  more than she could. “I want to help Ledger out of this mess and Rowan and I don’t know how to even start there.” Julia closed her eyes, taking a few steadying breathes. “This is all chaos and I don’t know how to fix it but I can’t do nothing. Jade was my best friend - she deserves justice.”

✱

Lucia chose not to dwell on her last words. She had an inkling as to where that train of thought may lead and she wanted nothing to do with it. She had seen Jade grow up alongside her sister. From a little girl to a woman capable of raising a precious child. ‘Rowan’ Her name crossed her mind bringing forth a wave of emotions. She didn’t know what Jade’s loss would do to that innocent soul. She knew first hand how the loss of parent can drive you over the edge. She could only hope that she was able to overcome it. Her young age would serve as a shield for now but no one could predict what the future may hold. Remembering Rowan only served to heighten her guilt at the relief she felt that it was Jade - and not her sister - who fell victim to such an atrocious crime. She cared for Jade, considered her an extension to their family some may say. But her sister would always come first - that would never change. “Shit. Shit. Shit.” She cursed unable to handle the possibility of a killer on the loose.

Taking a deep breath, she raised her eyes to ceiling. She needed a moment to compose herself. She needed answers, and she needed them now. Theories begun to form in her mind about who the killer may be and what their motive could be. She was so focused she almost missed her sister’s statement. “Who’s back?” She asked incredulous, praying her ears failed her. Adding Boyd to the mix was a recipe for disaster. She was unsure if her sister could handle his presence with the current state of events. She had seen what their relationship had done to her. “What happened?" She feared her sister would relapse to her old habits - or maybe she already had. “Are you okay? Juls talk to me.”

“Deacon.” She was surprised to hear his name. “He’s back.” ‘Why now?’ She thought. He had no trouble disappearing that night, no repairs whatsoever for all the pain he had caused her. Julia knew she never got closure. The entire household had been plagued by the music she blasted for weeks on end, screaming the lyrics at the top of her lungs. She had seen her burn all of their photos, leaving a single portrait photo to serve as dart practice. The shock quickly gave way to anger. “You knew.” Inching closer, she tried her best to reign in her emotions. “And you didn’t tell me.” It wasn’t a question but a statement. “You know what he did to me - to us.” Betrayal was clear in her eyes. “I thought you had my back.” Her voice cracked. She never forgave him for up and leaving like that. She had lost a lover and Julia had lost a friend - or so she thought. “How long?” Throwing her hands up in the air in exasperation she questioned. “How long have you known?” She didn’t know if the answer would help their situation. “He says a lot of things Julia. You should know better than to believe in him. All he does is lie.” She was fuming. The nerve to contact her sister before apologizing to her - not that she’d accept his apology. “Does Ledger also know?” She knew her sister only wanted to help but she couldn’t let this go. 

Lucia couldn’t make head or tails of the situation. She didn’t want to acknowledge the possibility that her grandparents stories were turning into her new reality. Looking back at her phone screen, she reread the messages The Shadow had sent - clinging to their every word. They now held the clue to unravel the mystery that the town was being shrouded upon. Without looking up, she addressed the nearest person. “Do you think it’s true?” She asked hoping they could shed some light on this tragedy. “That her death could’ve been prevented so easily? Has the police truly been aware of the threats all along?” Her blood ran cold at the thought that it could’ve been her sister in that casket. “Are they really back?”

Location: Escarra Family Home (Horwick) Who: Julia Escarra & @luciaescarra​ When: Saturday afternoon - after the vigil What: The morning after the vigil, Jules goes to visit her sister and is freaking out. 

Julia didn’t visit her sister - not often and definitely not at their childhood home. It was hard for Julia. Out of all of their siblings, she had been the one to take the loss of her parents the hardest. Maybe because as one of the younger ones, she had always chased for their attention but still always fell short. Their careers always seemed to leave their family for last, even though Julia knew how much they cared. 

For whatever reason, she had taken the loss the hardest. So being in this house, only happened when she really needed to. Today - she needed to. The vigil the night before had been awful - the killer hadn’t even given them the chance to do what was right and honor Jade. Not only that - but he had confirmed the town fears. The Shadow was back. And Julia had been a potential target. Hell, if she had been with Jade, maybe she could have saved her friend from this fate. After all, she was the one who had less to lose. She had no kids - her life was riddled in poor decisions. Jade was a teacher, she made a difference. She had a daughter. 

The thought of Rowan almost caused her to want to throw up. “Fuck!” She shouted, knowing that he sister, Lucia, was probably watching her like a mad woman as she paced back and forth their living room. “What the hell, Lulu! Last night….it should have been me! Not Jade and the shadow’s back?” Her hands outstretched in the air, looking at her sister for answers. Lucia always had the answers. “That means the stories are all true - grandpa’s stories are coming true for us now?”

✱

Whenever the opportunity arose, Lucia would offer up their home as their meeting point. She knew her words would fall on deaf ears but it never deterred her. She clung to the glimmer of hope that one day the Escarra’s would reunite at the home she was painstakingly taking care of. She knew deep down it wasn’t the house - but the memories in it - that she treasured. She never allowed herself to properly grieve their parents tragic end. She merely locked up the emotions the event evoked and threw away the key as far as it could possibly go. So far she had managed to piece herself back together and function as a productive member of society. She didn’t know how long that facade would last. She knew one day it would all come crashing down on her - but not today. Her sister needed her and that thought alone was enough to hold her together. 

Although she had wanted Julia to visit her, it was under much better circumstances. She had picture her laughter filling the halls, not her incessant pacing through out the living room. Her eyes followed her every step, wondering back and forth trying to make sense of the words coming out of her mouth. She tried to focus but it was impossible. All she could think of was that it could’ve been Julia. She could’ve lost her sister that night. Turbulent thoughts were brewing inside of her. She could never admit it out loud but she was glad. Glad the person that died was Jade and not her sister. She couldn’t handle loosing another family member. Her sanity was already hanging by a thread. 

She couldn’t help but grimace at her tone. “But it wasn’t.” She mumbled under her breath. It hadn’t been her and Lucia couldn’t be more thankful. “How can they be back?” She asked, confusion clear in her eyes. She knew Julia was expecting her to say something smart. To deduce the right answer like always, but not this time. Lucia was caught completely off guard. She didn’t like feeling this way, it made her feel vulnerable ... exposed. “They can’t be back. It’s not possible.” Shaking her head, she covered her face with her hands. “It’s just not possible, Juls.” She wasn’t sure who she was trying to convince here. “They are dead. I mean grandpa told us they were caught and that was like - I don’t know, 40? 50? years ago? They can’t be back. This must be some sick joke played by a good for nothing with too much time on their hands.” Looking straight into her eyes, she pleaded. “It has to be. If not ... ” 

task 001: vigil outfit

❝ I never thought I’d say goodbye to you. Not like this. ❞