Page 30 of The Killing Game

I nod again. The pain in my ankle is faint under my crippling spiral.

“But, Sam,” I whimper. My lip trembles again.

Jason grabs my shoulders tightly. His dark eyes bore into my own. Sorrow and desperation swirls in their depths, while his face remains stony.

“She’s gone. We can’t help her or Colton right now. It’s just you and me. That’s all that matters right now. We can come back for them. I promise.”

I scrub my hands down my face, wiping the tears and dirt away. Of course, we can’t help them, but we can help ourselves. That’s a canon horror movie plot, except this is real life. I know this. We can do this. We can survive.

Taking one shaky final breath, I shake my hands to release the tension in my body. Get to the cabin. Find a phone. Grab the keys. That’s my priority.

“Fuck this place,” I say with every ounce of confidence I can muster. Gripping my knife tighter, I march past Jason towards the elevator. I can hear him fall in step behind me. The forest is quiet again. A grim reminder of how isolated we are from society. If Jason and I don’t make it out, then it could be weeks before anyone realizes we’re missing.

Taking mental note, I repeat in my head all the things we need to do in order to survive tonight.

Get to the cabin.

Find a phone and call for help.

Grab the keys.

Leave.

Get to the cabin.

Find a phone and call for help.

Grab the keys.

Leave.

Get to the cabin.

Find a phone and call for help.

Grab the keys.

Leave.

The knife weighs heavy in my hand. Now seeing what the killer is wielding, it feels insignificant in my grasp. I wouldn’t have stood a chance against him if I was with Sam this entire time. That thought sits heavy in the back of my mind. I had no way to help her. I wasn’t confident enough to handle a gun…

The damn gun.

I stop dead in my tracks. I hear footsteps pad behind me before stopping. My body is tight, ready to defend myself. A knife wouldn’t have stopped the killer, but a gun surely would have slowed him down. Tentatively, I turn towards Jason.

He’s standing a few feet behind me, his face confused as to why I stopped. I twist the knife in my hand. The blade facing forward for easy slashing. My jaw is clenched under the realization I just had. We sit there staring at each other in silence. The forest humming in the breeze around us.

He’s the first to break.

“Why are you staring at me like that? We’re almost to the cabin. Keep going.”

He motions behind me. I quickly glance in that direction to notice the elevator far off in the corner of the trees before returning my gaze to his. A soft glow of light floats through the darkness. The power must be back on. I take mental note of it while remaining my concentration on Jason.

Anger begins to bubble deep within me.

“Why didn’t you help?” I ask.

Jason doesn’t move. No change in his demeanor. His body remains relaxed, his face curious.