𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙨 𝙙𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚

•

Jules' breathing quickened as she ran through the forest. She stumbled over the rocks between the trees as her mind struggled to comprehend what she had just seen.

It was two long hours after Jules had found the cabin.

She was still alone, lost and scared; her navy backpack and her camera were long forgotten and left outside the cabin doors. She left in a haste, eager to get as far away from the cabin as soon as possible.

She didn't notice the glowing eyes of the animals that surrounded her. She didn't notice the hoots of the owls that flew above her. She didn't notice the way the shadows of the moonlight captured the sharp detail of every wild, dangerous creature living in the forest.

The only thing she could focus on was the vision of crimson smeared across the inside panels of the cabin. The way the bodies of the dead hung limply by the rope wrapped around their necks. The way some bodies were beheaded: their heads skewered on sticks, sitting proudly on wooden crates. Trophies.

His trophies.

Jules wanted nothing more than to be at home curled up with a good book: she would much rather read a novel about an ax murderer as opposed to actually live the story out herself.

Jules ran for what seemed like hours until she saw a faint light in the far distance. It didn't fully settle in her mind that the murderer could be the one shining the torches, but she had hope even in the darkest of times.

Her legs were running on their own accord as though she couldn't even feel herself controlling them. Faster and faster Jules' legs took her, but her breathing was quick and shallow. She wanted nothing more than to be with her friends, family and girlfriend.

It was only when she saw a sign, did hope seem like more than an unobtainable glimmer.

"Yes!" Jules panted, her once luscious wavy hair was now sticky with sweat and curly in the rising humidity. Her feet skidded to a halt as she approached the entrance of The Wilbridge Cabins, praying that her friends would be inside waiting for her.

Jules gripped the brass handle and pulled the door open in one swift motion, as her breathing became erratic and ragged. Her heart jumped out of her chest when three bodies collided into her, throwing her onto the hard ground.

"We thought you were dead!" the tears rolled down Fliss' face she hugged Jules with all of her strength.

"We need to put you on a leash or something," Libby chuckled as a mass of red hair flicked into Jules' green eyes. The friends laughed with tears streaming down their faces as they hugged Jules, happy that they were finally reunited.

Jules pulled away and stood up immediately, helping her friends to their feet. "We need to leave."

Harvey stepped back, a quizzical look plastered upon his face. "But you just got here?"

"Yeah, you were gone for hours and you're a complete wreck!" Fliss exclaimed, confused at Jules' strange behaviour. Harvey walked behind Jules and headed towards the reception desk to ask about their room.

"No, you don't understand," Jules shook her head quickly and waved her hands in denial. She had so much she needed to tell the girls: they weren't safe.

"You're overreacting. We were looking for you for hours, so we thought you might've gotten lost and found this place or something. So we've been waiting here for you," Fliss rambled, but Jules didn't care.

She knew that they had to leave, but she didn't know how to form the words to the sentence she so desperately needed to say. Jules was just about to open her mouth before she was interrupted by a low voice.

"Here are your keys, sir."

Jules froze.

She knew that voice. Granted, she only heard it just the once, but she knew that voice. Her blood went cold and all of the baby hairs on her neck and arms rose. Her body became rigid and her breathing was hitched in her throat. She shut her eyes tight and balled her small hands into fists.

Jules took a deep breath before she slowly turned her body around to face his; her heart sank the second their eyes locked. The scars on his left arm, the neck tattoo, and the sinfully attractive build: it was him. They weren't safe.

None of them were.