Page 34 of The Killing Game

A ragged cry racks my body. I slump down and sink into hopelessness. Sobbing for everything I’ve lost and everything I’ll never be able to experience. I’m forever alone in this shit show of reality. No one will believe me when I tell them what occurred here. My mind races a million miles a minute behind the heavy tears to make sense of the carnage. Nothing adds up.

We found the mask at the lake– I know for a fact that was real. The notes we found seemed too sophisticated. Too intentional. How I found my friends is too near perfect to how The Senior Slayer conducted his spree years ago. Yet, it’s outside of hunting season for his games and Tyler doesn’t have a motive. His family is extremely well off. He doesn’t have to kill for money. So, what am I missing?

Snap.

My head whips up at the sound of branches breaking in the distance. I cup my mouth with both hands to attempt to muffle my cries. I stare towards the right where I heard the sound come from.

Snap.

I jump back with a whimper. The sound now drifts from the left of me. I try scanning into the moonlit forest, but my eyes struggle to make out anything against the trees.

“Hello,” I whisper.

Silence descends the seconds after my question.

“I-is anyone there? Help. I need help!” I say louder.

Snap.

The sound is now directly behind me. I freeze, shrinking as if I could conceal myself among the leaves. Nails dig into the dirt in a futile attempt to ground myself. The hairs on the back of my neck stand on edge while my nerves tingle just beneath my skin. Adrenaline surges through my body again. The only thing I can hear is the blood pulsating against my ear drums. I hold my breath as I turn my head to look over my shoulder.

I let out a breath when I see glowing eyes above my head. I realize it’s just an owl in rustling through the trees. But then the trees start moving. Their shadows become bigger as they come closer. I’m stuck to the ground, unable to move as I stare at the darkness coming towards me. My brain is screaming at me to start moving. It isn’t until the shadowy blur turns into a shadowy figure stalking towards me. I will my legs to push me up. I start running, well, hobbling, as quickly as I can to put distance between us.

“Leave me alone!” I scream. I pray to the universe this is just a figment of my imagination. A hallucination from pure exhaustion. I look back to check my surroundings and watch as the shadow picks up the discarded pickax I had moments earlier.

Final girl rule 101: don’t lose your weapon. How did I forget that?!

Twisting through the trees, I can make out the silhouette of the cabin ahead. If I can make it to the deck, I can find Jason’s cellphone to call for help. My lungs ache as I struggle through each breath. Despite the pain, I will myself to keep moving forward. Help is only a few feet away. My ankle stings in protest from the overexertion. I shove down my pain as best as I can. Survival is the only thing I need to worry about right now.

The soft earth turns to solid concrete. I know I’m close to the cabin’s front door. I wave my hands in the air in an attempt to activate the motion sensor flood lights on the front stoop. A few more steps and I’m blinded by white. Light illuminates the scene in front of me as I enter the cabin. Colton’s corpse remains a statue on the bloodied couch. The low hum of bugs invading their new home whispers into the room. The stale air mixing with the grizzly scene makes my gag reflex return with a cruel vengeance. Holding my breath, I scan the floor looking for the phone I dropped earlier.

Black glitter shines back at me under the foot of the love seat against the littering of broken glass. Walking over, I quickly locate the phone. Spider web cracks cover the screen. I flick my thumb up the center, praying it still works. I let out a sigh of relief when the lock screen appears. Somehow, cell service has returned to normal. Through shaky hands, I tap the phone app and dial 911. It only takes one ring before someone picks up.

“911. What is your emergency,” a gentle voice asks from the other end.

“Help! My name is Ashe Nikko. Please. All my friends are dead. The Senior Slayer, I think they’re here. We’re at the James Family cabin, off of Lake Hill Road. Oh my god, they’re all dead,” I cry into the phone. Trembles overcome my body.

“Okay, miss. Remain calm. You said The Slayer? Murdered your friends? How much have you had to drink tonight?” dispatch asks.

“What?! Did you not hear me? I said there are DEAD BODIES. I’m not fucking drunk,” I scream at the dispatcher.

Clicks from a keyboard float through the receiver. I can hear mumbling in the background.

“Okay, miss. And you haven’t taken any illegal substances tonight?” dispatch asks.

“No,” I huff. I spin on my heels in a circle, trying to scan my surroundings. The figure following me hasn’t emerged from the forest.

Yet.

“Look. I’m completely sober. I know this sounds ridiculous, but you need to send people here now,” I grind out.

More ticks of the keyboard fill the line. It feels like a whole minute goes by before dispatch responds.

“Miss, we can have officers out within the hour. The storm blocked a lot of critical roads leading to your current location,” dispatch reports.

I take a steadying breath.

“I don’t have an hour! The killer is still. Out. Here.”