In The Shadows

Chapter 9

2 words.

tell. everyone.

peace out.

 

 

 

 

Bethany

 

 

 

Logan is gone.

Isn't that the worst possible thing that could happen? What if he's like, a zombie. No... But what if he wants revenge, and crawled away because he's going to attack us all?

Or what if someone else is in the clearing with us?

Toni screams, making all heads turn to her. "Guys, shut up. He probably crawled into the forest; he's trying to scare us!"

"Shouldn't we look for him?" Someone asks. Toni nods her head. "Yes. But someone needs to stay here and keep the fire under control... Split up into groups of three and look everywhere." Everyone says a word of agreement and finds their partners. I am with Jessica and Nick.

"Jess, are you sure you're okay to come look?" Nick asks, kissing her forehead. "Yes, I'm fine! I reeeeeaaallly wanna look for Logan. Please, guys, let's go!" Nick dips his head and leads us into the tress. We're using our phone lights as flashlights. The ground is mossy and its humid besides the chill. It's eerily quiet, the only sound is our footsteps crunching on the leaves. "I'm scared," Jessica whispers. I can hear her grab onto Nick. "It's okay," he mumbles, swinging his phone light over the ground and out in front of him.

All of the sudden, a tree trunk moans and cracks as loud as thunder. Jessica screams and Nick grabs her, pulling her back. The tree wobbles and falls, knocking me back onto my butt. It lands on the ground with a thump and a puff of dust and leaves. "Beth! Bethany! Are you okay!?" She yells. I give a grunt as an answer. I landed on my wrist funny and it's throbbing. "Where are you?" I have completly lost them. Nick and Jessi are on the other side of the huge tree, and I'm covered by millions of leaves and braches scratching into my skin. "Beth! We're coming! Where are you?" There is some rustling as they try to climb over the trunk. "Just walk around it!" I yell to them, pulling myself out of the bristles. "We can't! There's a stream on one side and fallen trees on the other side," Nick says, but his voice seems to be getting further away.

I lift myself up with one arm, cradling my wrist. It hurts really bad. Some leaves crunch behind me and I whip around. "Who's there?" All goes silent. "Hello?" More leaves move and a branch breaks. "Jessica, where are you?" I scream, desperately trying to find a way out. "If this is a joke, you guys are dead!"

"No, but you will be."

A set of hands snake out of the darkness and slam in front of my lips before I can scream. The other hand loops around my waist and pulls me into the brush. I wriggle and scream into the person's sweaty palm, but they're all muffled. "Shut the hell up, Bethany and I'll make this easier," a deep voice says, still dragging me through the trees. I try to dig my feet into the soil, but there's no use. This guy is strong. One of my shoes come off, a glare of white in the dark forest.

I still yell for help and kick his legs and stomach, flailing my arms. He stops for a second to bring his knee up and slap it into my back. "Shut up." Sticks and branches claw at my face and cheeks, drawing blood.

The guy finally stops at a little stream cutting through the trees, but it looks like some of the trunks have been cut down, with just stumps. "Don't bother screaming, no one will hear you. We're too far away," he tells me and lets go of my mouth, but still keeping a grip on my arm and waist. I let out one bloodcurling scream anyway, yelling until I lose my voice.

When I close my mouth, the man laughs. 'That's more like it." I'm shaking with fear and anger. "Who are you?" I whisper. "Guess," he says, and it all comes rushing back to me. That's what Jessica said in her sleep.

"It's you," I spit. He reaches into my pocket and grabs my phone that I forgot I had. "Indeed, it is me. I see you got your ear pierced again, dear." He reaches for it but I swat him away. "What do you want?" The man flips my phone open and admires it. "What I want from every other girl I've killed. What do you think I want, my dear?" I scowl and clench my fists, not bothering to run. "My virginity, --" He cuts me off with a surprised look. "You're still a virgin, dear?" I lift my chin up and nod. "And I'm not planning on giving it to a bastard like you." His eyes blaze and he swallows. If only I could get my phone back. "Well. I wasn't thinking about taking your purity until you told me your little secret, dear." My lip quivers and I bring my hand up and punch him square across the jaw with as much force as I can muster.

My phone slips out of his fingers and I catch it in mid air, trying to get my fingers to dial 911. He wrenches the cell out of my grasp and snaps it in half, dropping it to the ground. My breath hitches and I gasp. "You don't want to play this game, Bethany," he whispers, eyes blazing, as he takes my arm between his hands and breaks one of my fingers. I gasp in pain and cry out, tears slipping down my cheeks. "I've killed five girls before. One's name was Kelsey. The second's name was--" he snaps another finger, "Terra. The third girl's name was Genny." He takes my middle finger and bends it backwards until he hears a crack. "The fourth," he breaks my ring finger,"that dear's name was Andy. And the fifth... Oh, the fifth. Her name is Bethany."

He takes my pinkie between his hands and twists, making me sob and gasp for breath. I want to kill this man. "My name is Tiler, dear. Never forget it."

Tiler lets my hand go and reaches in his pocket. I feel like I'm going to pass out from the pain. That's when I make a decision.

I do not want to be the girl who goes down without a fight. I won't stand here and die or let him kill me. I'm going to fight, even if I have no chance at all.

While Tiler is preoccupied with his pocket, I bring my leg up and kick his stomach as hard as I can. He wheezes, reaching for his waist. His head flops down and I knee his forhead, making it whip back up again. My unharmed hand swings toward his face, ready for the punch, when he pulls the object out of his pants.

A knife.

My muscles tighten as adrenaline runs through my body.

Ohmygodohmygodohmygod.

He takes the blade and slices down the length of my arm. I scream out and try to grab his hair. The blood is making me woozy, though, and I'm slightly off.

Tiler makes a cut down my face and neck, not stopping until he reaches the collar of my jacket. "Hmm, I wonder what is underneath." I sway on my feet, feeling the wet sickly liquid run down my face. He slices my shirt and jacket open so I am only in a lacy bra, shivering. "Very nice," he mumbles, taking in my body. I spit at his face again. "Hmm, fiesty, are we?" I keep swinging at him, but I feel very dizzy. I stop hitting and try and grab the knife. "No, no, no, my dear. Time to stop."

He slips the blade between my breasts and cuts my bra open. My hands shoot to my bare chest, trying to hide. When he tries to pry my arms away and fails, he slips the blade along my stomach, cutting right through my belly button. I groan when I see the blood staining my jeans. "Stop...," I whisper, the trees spinning. "I'm afraid I cannot do that, dear. Not until I'm completely done."

With one swift movement, Tiler points the blade at my chest and plunges it deep. I've already lost my voice and I'm gasping when I fall to the forest floor. My arms fall limply off my chest. I'm covered in something warm and sticky. My vision is blurred and spinning and I'm numb everywhere, but a deep chill is set in my bones.

Tiler leans down over me so we're face-to-face. "Goodbye, dear," he says and leans down, running his tongue over my nipple. "You're a bitch," I whisper. My last words.

The last thing I see before I die is the moon. Full and bright in the black sky.