Friday the 13th: Lost Lake

❦ Prologue • The Curse Dies Tonight ❦

A burgundy and white van steadily drove along the old dirt road leading into the forest, four adults gazing out the windows with wide eyes full of many emotions; excitement, fear, anxiety, and anger all in one. Especially the older male driving the vehicle. His icy blue eyes were narrowed in fury as he focused on the pitch black trail, trying not to crash or veer off-road.

That bastard will pay… The man thought, hardly hearing his younger passengers talking quietly amongst themselves about their grand scheme; a plan to rid the lake of its death curse.

"Hey… Derrick?" The young red-headed woman sitting upfront would gently pat his shoulder to get his attention, causing the driver to glance up into her hazel-green eyes as she spoke his name softly. Once she had his attention, she would continue in her soft tone, "are we close?"

Derrick shook his head to gesture a no. "Sorry, Julie," he told her, trying to calm himself down. It was hard to do so, but the older male managed somehow. "The old campgrounds are deeper in these woods. They've been that way for many years- isolated. In ruins." He would suddenly stop the van and slowly turn his head around to address the other two passengers in the back- two men around the age of Julie. "Look, I'm not forcing any of you to accompany me in this. If any of you want to back out, now is your only chance since there is a risk that we could all be dead meat if this fails."

An eerie silence swept over the group for what felt like years. Derrick gulped, worried he worked up his comrades' anxieties, but he knew once they reached the old campgrounds there was no turning back. They would be well within his lands. Nothing but mere trespassers in his eyes.

One of the men, a rather attractive and muscular fellow with slicked-back brown hair that reached his broad shoulders, would flash Derrick an arrogant smirk. From the moment Derrick invited him on this mission, he knew this guy was going to be quite the cocky one. But his brawn would surely come to good use.

"C'mon man. You know we wouldn't have let you drive us this far out of town if we were going to chicken out," the brown-haired man said confidently, his silvery-green eyes turning to Julie and his other friend before gazing back at Derrick. "We're not a bunch of pussy teenagers anymore. We're ready."

"I-I'm not so sure Brandon," his friend beside him spoke up as he pushed his glasses back up with one finger. "We know of the curse here… but… what if it doesn't work? All other attempts before have all failed. Not even the FBI could stop him." The blond-haired man would turn his blue eyes to the window with a sigh, as if he was considering leaving.

"What's wrong with you, Cole?" Julie hissed, as if she couldn't believe what she just heard. "You heard Brandon. We have already come so far. Are you seriously about to get cold feet now?"

Derrick waved his hands to try to ease the tension. Sure, maybe Cole was being a coward, but what he said was true. All other attempts to lift the death curse on the lake had all ended in failure. It made Derrick question himself. Was he just leading these young kids into certain death? Would it all be for nothing? He shook his head with newfound determination. He had to be strong. He couldn't show weakness in front of them, not when he was the leader of this operation. Besides, how could there be a curse on the camp if there was no camp?

"Well Cole?" Derrick turned around, eyeing the smaller male. "It's your choice, but you're the minority here. Town is about six miles away and down the road if you wanna leave. Take a left at the first fork."

Cole stared back at him with sapphire eyes full of fear before he caught Julie's gaze and then slowly nodded his head. "I-I'm in. I'm staying." Despite his quivering tone, Derrick heard no regret amongst his words.

Julie and Brandon would flash elated grins at each other before giving Cole a single nod in satisfaction.

Derrick would apply pressure on the gas pedal with a smirk of his own, glad to see that he had support after all. The van would advance further into the forest and eventually found its way to another paved road, much to his relief. He was getting a little sick of the country path that bumped in all the wrong ways. He knew where this road would take them and would pick up the speed now that he didn't have to be overly cautious.