I opened my eyes as the sound of the waves whispered in my ears. I stood up and got a hold of myself. I looked around and realized it was just me and the room was quiet. Then I realized I was holding something.

"The book..." I knew I went unconscious again. Fortunately, my memories were crystal clear and I remembered everything. "This is freaky."

I jumped a little in surprise when my phone throbbed inside my pocket. I took it out and it was Lia's message.

Minerva Yoshida! Where the hell are you? We just all realized that you missed the fun! All of us are worried, Francis as well.

While reading her messages, I noticed that she has called many times. I'm good. My stomach was aching and I need to go to the bathroom.

Oh, is that so? But are you alright now? Want me to buy medicine for you?

I should not be a burden. No need. I'm on my way, anyway. I'll be there asap.

I returned my phone in my pocket and studied the book for a minute. My fingers started running over the cover. What was written was still unmodified. The title was still Confessions of a Serial Killer and the author was still me.

I sighed nervously as I gradually opened the book and my eyes widened in surprise as I saw what was poetically written on the front page.

❝Count one to three and get set.

This time, no one can escape the book of death.

Let them fathom the blood of your crimes as you are motivated by their never-ending screams.

Let the battles begin and everything will be stained with red by the blood of the seven deadly sins.❞

Enjoy life,
Minerva <3

"It can not be... this is my handwriting!" I could not believe what I just saw and read. Studying the strokes of the pen made me realize that it was my handwriting. "Is it possible that I wrote this for my future myself?"

I could not even recollect how many times I swigged a large amount of my saliva in my mouth because of shock.

I did not want to flip the pages, however, something was telling me to do so. I flipped to the next page and then I saw a name that I could not figure out again why it was in there.

Before I could flip once more, my phone throbbed anew that snapped me back to my senses.

Min, where are you? We're by the BEACH now. So many BITCHES here... So where. The hell. Are you?

I did not reply to Lia's message and just closed the book and hid it under my pillow. I know it is not safe there, but it is the only place where I can put it.

I need to step this one aside. This can not be true. It is just so absurd.

*****

"Where the hell were you, Minerva Yoshida?!"

Before I could reach the beach, I passed by the place where we sang the Happy Birthday song for Lia. That was when Sam saw me and I stopped on my tracks when she threw me that question.

"My stomach was acting up. I had to go to the bathroom and throw away my shit." I walked towards her.

"Wow, strong language. Everyone was worried, especially Francis. He was the first one who noticed you were gone," She said as she was preparing cocktails. "Anyway, dealing with our shits are arduous to bear. So, now that you are here, kindly help me get these to our friends and I'll bring the snacks. Four hands are better than two."

"O-Okay." I slowly picked up the cocktails and placed them on the tray.

The cocktails were strawberry, orange, apple, and mango cocktail. While arranging them properly so that they will not spill once I lift the tray, I noticed something on the mango cocktail. I felt something weird about it like it was bad somehow.

"Yo~ho! Minerva? What are you spacing out for? Are they bothering you?" Sam raised her brow at me while pointing at the cocktails with her lips.

"N-No, not at all! I will serve these right away." I left Sam behind and casually served the cocktails first to my friends.

Lia, Neal, and Lainux were playing in the ocean like little kids. They all have smiles on their faces and I wish it would be like this forever.

"Minerva."

"Jesus!" I almost dropped the tray of cocktails when someone suddenly called my name beside me. "What the hell, Francis?!"

He calmly got the tray from my hands and put it on the table just near us. I even blushed a little when our hands touched.

"Why are you being so kind to me?" He turned to face me. "Is your kindness towards me genuine?"

He looked at me for a minute before averting his gaze to my friends who were playing on the water.

"I... am just doing the right thing."

"Right thing?" I scoffed. Such nonsense. "Whatever."

I left him alone and went to my friends. I walked into the water and I can feel the water touching my body.

I do not need any bikini to swim. The clothes I am wearing right now is enough. It is up to me and other's imagination of what I am wearing.

"Hey, Min!" Neal called out.

My three friends waved at me. I waved back.

"How is your stomach?" Lia asked with concern.

"All good!" I swam towards Lia. The water tried pulling me away, the reason why I hate the ocean. "Happy Eighteenth Birthday, Natalia Crawford!"

I hugged Lia tightly. Despite the cold water, I can feel the heat of my best friend's body on me.

"Thank you. I love you, Min."

I pulled away. "I love you, too."

"Girls," Lainux suddenly swam towards us, the ocean was trying to pull him away as well. "Excuse myself, but, I have to go now."

We both nodded then he swam away from us.

"There is a cute foreigner over there. I bet he is gonna go there." Neal said calmly while eating a bag of chips.

"Geez, even on the sea, still a bag of chips, Neal?" He just nodded calmly to what I said. What a nerd. "Goodness! I am gonna dive in now."

"Yeah, the water is so nice," Lia said.

I took a deep breath before I completely decided to dive in. At that moment, staying underwater was so rejuvenating that it would make you wish you could live underwater forever. However, that would be impossible because I am neither a fish nor a mermaid nor a sea lover.

After a few minutes, I decided to come up for air. Yet, when I did, I felt the chill all around me. The next thing I knew, the horrified look on my friends welcomed me. I followed where they were looking at, then the image of the person whose name I saw on that red leather book haunted my entire vision.

I did not wait any longer and swam swiftly towards the land. It can not be!

When I came closer towards where one of my friends was lying, I could hear Sam crying and Francis ordering the resort crew to call an ambulance. After that, he went to one of my friends and checked his pulse.

"Well, how is he?" I started to shiver.

The sad look on Francis' face did not escape mine.

"No good. Lainux is... dead."

Just then, I could hear the people who have gathered murmuring and my friends crying. Neal dropped his bag of chips and Sam fell to her knees. Lia was just standing, shivering.

I walked a little closer towards Lainux's dead body and every step I took flashed an image of that red leather book.

"What the hell?"

"What is it, Francis?"

"Something is written deeply on his pulse." I was about to crouch down to see what he was talking about when the medics arrived.

Francis immediately pulled me away from my friend's body as the medics took it away. We went to where our friends were and one of the medics came to us.

"Are you the friends of the victim?" We nodded. "The resort has already called the police and they will arrive soon. Please, stay at your cottage for a moment."

Everyone was shocked and was in no condition to argue. We wanted to go home. But we knew we have to wait a little longer before we can escape this.

*****

I was walking back in forth inside our cottage with the book in my hand. The police have arrived a few minutes ago and each of us has been called in a separate room for questioning. They are questioning Lia right now and I am the only one left.

I stopped and looked at the book. What would happen if the police will find out about this? Will it be a wise choice to let them know? But they will not be going to believe a fucked up fantasy such as this.

I sat on my bed and ran my fingers over the covers once more. I opened it and without any hesitation, I skipped to the part where I saw one of my friend's name.

"Lainux..." I never knew something would happen to him. Could it be that what will happen in this book is true?

I took a deep breath and flipped the pages. I could feel the sudden change of the atmosphere as I was reading what was written very carefully.

"Minerva Yoshida?" I idly looked at the policeman who just called me at the door. "Your time for questioning."

I closed the book and placed it under my pillow again. The policeman beckoned to me to a separate room not too far from our cottage.

He opened the door for me and when I entered, no one else was there but a policeman probably in his mid-30s sitting in the middle. He gestured to the vacant chair in front of him for me to sit.

I sat and waited for him to question me.

"You are Ms. Yoshida, correct?"

"Yes."

"Do you have any idea why the incident occurred?" He clasped his hands together on the table.

"No."

"Did you see Mr. Suzuki's condition?"

"It was only for a short time but his face, tongue, throat, and lips were swelling."

"Are you aware that Mr. Suzuki was allergic to pineapple?"

"No. We only became close personally when classes started. There is still so much I do not know about him."

He nodded and started writing in his notebook.

"He died because he drank a pineapple cocktail," He said, still writing. "Your friend Ms. Vangreen claimed that she was the one who prepared the drinks and that it was a mango cocktail instead of pineapple. Do you believe her?"

He raised his head to look at me directly in my eyes, probably to intimidate me.

"I do," I will not let this policeman get through me. "And I was the one who served the cocktails. But I did not know which of the cocktail that Lainux would drink."

"Is that so?" He raised a brow at me. "I am not gonna ask you a lot of questions, Ms. Yoshida, but is there anything else you want to tell me that I have not asked you?"

He gave me that intimidating look again that would spill out your secrets. So, I battled against it.

"No, I do not have anything else to say to you, officer."

He looked dubious. I sighed as I stood up. I hate interrogations like this one.

"Officer, I know you are fucking skeptical and I will not force the hell out of you to believe my goddamn claims."

He angrily stood up. "Watch your language here, kid. You do not ha—"

"I believe I do, officer. I already told you what I know. It is up to you," I pointed at his badge. "And your so-called badge if you believe me or not."

I turned my back on him and started walking towards the door.

A smirk immediately plastered on my face as I slowly realized that I should not be afraid of anyone in this world or even the cruel world itself.

That book is my only key.