Halloween Night, He Mistook My Death for a Prank Chapter 06

The auditorium was completely locked down.

An hour ago, the stage had been covered in ghosts and string lights. Now it was wrapped in crime scene tape.

A thousand students were led out in batches to provide their police written statements.

Sienna huddled by the steps, handing the “safe prop” label to a sheriff’s deputy.

“I really didn’t know.”

“When I borrowed it from the Drama Troupe, it was stuck right on the blade.”

“I thought it was unsharpened.”

The head of the Drama Troupe was called in quickly.

He glanced at the label and went pale.

“This serial number is display-only. It’s not meant to be operated.”

Sienna’s head snapped up.

“But you guys said it was usable!”

“I’ve never seen you before.”

The head cut her off.

“Borrowing props requires registration. You didn’t go through any paperwork.”

Sienna’s lips trembled.

She remembered.

To save time, she’d had a classmate she knew—Ethan—open the prop storage vault for her.

When she found the foam safety panel under the guillotine, she thought the blade stopped too high and “didn’t look real enough” on camera. So she removed it herself.

She didn’t mean to kill me.

She just figured nothing would go wrong.

Like every other time she’d crossed a line, she thought a quick “just a joke” would be enough to clean it up.

When the police took her phone, she suddenly grabbed Nolan’s sleeve.

“Nolan, say something.”

“You were there too. You thought it was fine, right?”

Nolan had been sitting at the edge of the stage the whole time. His Grim Reaper cloak was soaked in blood. He was holding my broken black collar in his arms.

At those words, he finally looked at her.

Those eyes that had always held indulgence for her—now there was nothing but ice.

“She’s dead.”

Sienna’s hand froze mid-air.

“I didn’t mean it.”

“Avery knew that. I never wanted to hurt her.”

Nolan let out a laugh—low and hoarse.

“She couldn’t even get out a single word for help.”

“No.”

I floated right in front of him.

I did.

I looked at you and said it over and over.

You just didn’t hear me.

The police asked who had touched the blade.

Sienna, crying, admitted she’d removed the panel.

Then they asked who had touched the back of my neck.

She turned slowly and looked at Nolan.

Nolan didn’t flinch.

“I patted it. Twice.”

Before the statements were even finished, urgent footsteps echoed outside the auditorium.

“Where’s Avery?”

My mother’s voice cut through the hallway.

“Where’s my daughter?”

Nolan shot to his feet.

He took two steps, then stopped dead when he saw the figure in the doorway.