The Mask Falls

Flashback

Three months after the ethan carter arrest. In Madison Lane’s house – Evening

The silence was heavier than ever.

Rain tapped nervously at the window as Madison stared at the blank wall. Benjamin was dead. Ethan was behind bars. And her life felt like a fog of regret and confusion.

She had seen Ethan stab Benjamin. With her own eyes.

The ritual that was supposed to be a prank turned into a nightmare. She’d seen the real blood. The real panic. The cold look in Ethan’s face as he dropped the knife.

And in that chaos… Madison’s belief had shattered.

In her mind.

'Maybe he really did it.Maybe he lost control.

Maybe Ethan Carter was the murderer.'

That was what she told the police.

That was what she told herself.

That was how she kept breathing.

But nothing ever felt right.

A Sudden Knock at the Door

She flinched.

No one had visited in weeks. Her phone was mostly silent. Grief had a way of shrinking your world. But now — at her door — stood someone she hadn’t seen since the trial.

Dylan Brook!!

Same cocky smirk. Same piercing eyes. Same unsettling calm.

“Hey,” he said softly. “Can I come in?”

Madison hesitated. But she stepped aside. “Why are you here?”

“To check on you. You’ve been through hell.”

Madison sat across from him. “I guess we all have.”

Dylan tilted his head. “Except Ethan. He got what he deserved.”

She winced. “You really believe he meant to do it?”

Dylan’s smile faltered… then twisted.

“No, Madison,” he said slowly. “Ethan didn’t mean to. Because he didn’t know the knife was real.”

Her heart stopped.

“What…?”

Dylan leaned forward, his voice low.

“You thought it was a prank. So did he. But someone had to take the fall. Someone had to suffer.”

Madison’s breath caught.

“You—” she whispered. “You switched the knife?”

Dylan didn’t answer. He just looked at her — eyes gleaming with something darker than pride.

“Why?”

“Because you were never supposed to love him.” His voice broke. “You were supposed to love me. But instead, you let him in. You smiled at Benjamin. You flirted. You played your games.”

Madison stood, backing away. “You used me.”

Dylan stood too. “I loved you, Madison.”

She shook her head. “No. You wanted to own me.”

He stepped closer. “Don’t make me the villain. Everything I did was for you. Ethan was a fool. Benjamin was a joke. But I… I waited for you.”

Then his hands gripped her arms. Tight.

Madison’s scream caught in her throat.

“You’re mine,” he hissed. “You always were.”

She struggled, panic clawing up her chest. She pushed, kicked, fought — finally breaking free. Her hand found the edge of a lamp and smashed it across his shoulder.

Dylan stumbled, growling in pain.

Madison ran.

Out the door. Down the hallway. Into the night.

Present

Madison Lane's apartment - night

A noise.

A creak.

She turned.

The room had gone too quiet. The rain outside masked the soft steps approaching from behind.

And then she saw him.

The figure in the black hoodie. The mask. The knife.

Madison froze in her living room. Her breath hitched. She backed into the wall.

“Who are you?” she gasped.

The killer stepped closer — slow, methodical — like he had all the time in the world.

She grabbed a vase from the table and hurled it. It shattered. He ducked, but she was already moving, sprinting toward the back door.

He lunged, grabbed her wrist — steel grip — but she twisted, screamed, kicked.

He slipped.

She ran.

Into the rain. Into the dark street. Barefoot. Crying. Heart pounding.

She didn’t stop until she reached a quiet suburban lane. Her knees scraped, clothes soaked, hair clinging to her face. She pounded on a door — the only one she remembered.

The door opened. A confused, sleepy face appeared.

“Hannah…” Madison gasped.

Jason’s widow blinked. “Madison?”

“I didn’t know where else to go… please, let me in…”

Moments later, Madison was wrapped in a blanket, her hands shaking as Hannah poured her tea.

“What happened to you?” she asked gently.

Madison looked up, pale, lips trembling.

"That killer came to kill me too. I escaped from there.

I'm afraid he'll come here too. Hannah, you call the police, I have something to tell them."

"What's up Madison, don't be afraid, I'll get the detective investigating this case."

Hannah sighed in relief.

Madison whispered, “It wasn’t Ethan who killed Benjamin. He thought it was a prank… he didn’t even know the knife was real.”