Loser II || WlW

Thirty-Six

Her eyes narrow at the numbers. Her expression flicks from confused to shocked and back in a second.

"Stop moving," Brittany orders again as she pushes my arm back down.

"Why'd you do it?" I ask.

Grace crosses her arms over her chest. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Didn't think we'd figure it out?"

"Shut up, Jordan," Grace spits.

"Was Donna right? Did you really do all this for a story?"

Brittany's attention to my bullet wound doesn't waver but I can't stop here, not when the humiliation on Grace's face has already answered my question.

"Or did Zachary manage to pull you into his cult too?"

"Of course not!" she snaps.

Brittany rips a piece of tape and presses it to the gauze to hold it in place before she pulls my shirt back in place. "Come on." She grabs me under my armpit and helps me to my feet. "Has anyone called the police?"

"I haven't had reception for days," I explain as I push to my feet. "Did you guys have any luck?"

Grace scoffs. "When? In between your brother kidnapping us and tying us up?"

I turn on her, wince as the skin around my wound screams in pain. "He wouldn't be here at all if it weren't for you!"

Brittany grabs my shoulder, pulls me back. "What are you guys fighting about?"

I point to the number on my arm. "Zachary gave me this number and told me it's how he knew we were here. Donna called it and it was Grace's work phone."

Brittany raises an eyebrow at her. "Wish I was surprised."

Grace rolls her eyes.

"So, where is Donna?" Brittany asks. "If she's the only one who magically has reception, we should find her."

"We got split up when Roger attacked me."

Grace's arms drop to her sides. "You left her behind," she snaps.

"I was being chased by a man with a hunting rifle." I shake my head.

"You really haven't changed have you?" Grace looks me up and down. "This little infatuation you have with Brittany still has you making shitty decisions."

My eyebrows shoot up out of shock. She has to be joking. "You want to talk about people who haven't changed?" I laugh once. "Because if I remember correctly, that little article you wrote about me back in high school made everyone in town think I was a murderer and now you're risking all of our lives again so you can write a good piece?" My fingers ball into a fist. "Maybe I haven't changed but at least I haven't gotten worse."

Grace's nostrils flare as she lunges forward and gives me a solid push. "Fuck you, Jordan." Her tone is full of venom. "Do you think I meant for this to happen? I thought, at most, there'd be some family drama and I could hype it up in the article. I didn't think he was going to hunt us for sport."

"It's Zachary!" I'm shouting, completely lost in the moment, having forgotten our lives are in danger and Roger could be finding a different way into the shed as we speak.

Brittany rests a soothing hand on my back. "As satisfying as it is to watch my girlfriend hate her ex, we should probably get moving."

Grace and I look at her. By the expression on Grace's face, it looks like she might say something sarcastic but instead, she sighs and nods.

"What's the plan?"

Brittany's lips purse as she holds up a keyring. "I lifted these off Kyle before they..." she shivers, "anyway, the truck is parked in an empty field on the side of the main house. If we can get there, we can get out of here."

Grace holds a finger up. "We have to get Donna first."

Brittany rolls her eyes. "Whatever. Let's go before you two start bickering again."

We make our way toward the main doors when a gunshot claps through the air, ringing through my eardrums again.

Grace peeks through the window. "Fuck," she breathes.

I rush to her side to find Roger and Zachary standing closer to the edge of the lake, maybe one-hundred feet away. Donna's with them and she looks worse than before. It's not only her arms covered in blood anymore.

"What do we do?" I ask.

Brittany doesn't say anything, just stares out at Zachary as Grace whispers no no no.

I swallow the lump in my throat. "We can't leave her." I run a hand through my hair. "We have to play their game." 

***

Hey all! 

Just wanted to give you guys a quick update. My upload schedule will be changing to Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays when this story is finished which should be in about two or three weeks.

I've got a couple of different ideas for some horror-themed stories that I want to mess around with and I am so, so excited to see what you guys think. 

Other than that, I hope you all have a lovely Tuesday! 

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