Page 28 of The Killing Game

I fell victim to The Slayer once before.

I fought my way out to survive.

I thought I was safe.

I refuse to fall back into his trap.

I will not die today.

Footsteps drift through the cabin, shaking me from my spiral. I stand frozen in the center of the kitchen, eyes wide and staring into the darkness past the candle lit living room. I carefully back peddle until my back is against the stove. My hand fumbles up to the butcher’s block, seeking the touch of something cold and metallic. Finding my prize, I grip the hilt and quietly draw the knife from its home. I stalk around the island with my back firmly against the marble counter. The thud of boots against the wood floor grow louder. I find my hiding spot just behind the corner of the fridge and hug the knife to my chest.

From the reflection of the back door, I can see a hooded figure approaching. I mentally count to ten in an attempt to calm my nerves. Once I see the figure step towards the fridge, I jump out. Stabbing. Clawing. Grabbing onto anything my hands can take hold. It’s a worthless attempt. I’m slicing through the air. In seconds, the figure engulfs me with their body. My hands are pinned above me with my back against the fridge. The knife clatters to the ground beside me. With their other hand, the person drops the hood to reveal my attacker.

It’s fucking Jason.

And he looks pissed. Fire sits behind his eyes as he glares at me.

“What in the hell do you think you’re doing?” he seethes.

I open my mouth to bite back, but nothing comes out. He stays silent for a beat before sighing. Jason releases me, picking up the knife from the floor and hands it towards me.

I take the knife and inspect it in my hands.

“I didn’t realize you had changed,” I muttered. “My instincts took over, I’m sorry. I’m just scared.”

Jason grabs my chin and pulls it up to meet his gaze. A small glimmer of empathy traces his face.

“Listen to me right now. I am fully aware that you can take care of yourself. However, I promise to not let anything happen to you. We just have to find Sam, then we can get out of here.”

Something warm flutters in my chest. I stare back at Jason, searching his face for any sign of treason. There’s none. Beneath that bad boy exterior is a heart of gold. It shouldn’t have taken a killer for me to realize it, but I’m grateful for him, nonetheless. I safely tuck the knife in my waistband, next to the flashlight in my back pocket.

“Okay.” I nod. “I trust you. Let’s find Sam.”

Jason’s tight smile turns into a beaming grin. He intertwines my hand in his and leads us to the deck. The outdoor lights flash on, flooding the space. I squint against the blinding light. Jason releases my hand and gestures to the elevator. I give him a puzzled look before boarding the platform.

“I already checked the rooms while I went to the office. She’s not here. The next plausible option is the boat shed.” He closes the gate behind him and switches the panel to down. We descend in silence with only the hum of the night surrounding us. Trees sway in the breeze. Leaves tickling against each other. The skitter of animals against the ground. The soft crash of the lake against the dock floats through the air. The elevator clatters when it hits the ground.

Reaching for the elevator door to exit, Jason blocks me with his arm. He puts a finger to his lips, miming to me to be quiet. He points to his ear before gesturing to the darkness in front of us. We stand for a beat unmoving. Silence stretching between us and whatever is stalking us within these trees. Somewhere off in the distance I can hear the crunch of leaves.

Crunch…

Crunch…

Crunch…

The familiar cadence of footsteps.

I pull the flashlight from my back pocket and flick it on.

“Shut that off,” Jason hisses.

I roll my eyes at him retrieving my knife in the other hand.

I quickly exit the elevator in the direction of the boat shed with purpose in each step. I only make it a few feet before Jason grabs my arm to stop me. I glare up at him.

“The footsteps are in the opposite direction of the boat shed, idiot. We won’t make it without a flashlight. Shut up and be quick, so we can go home,” I say.

I turn on my heels and continue in the direction I was going. I can hear Jason mumble something behind me, but he falls in step quickly.