Carter Brothers: Mason

Prologue

Just as she lands (or rather face plants) into the forest floor outside, she sees Richard coming into the living room and spotting her. His face contorts into an expression of disbelief before one of rage and anger. His pale skin flushes a dark red and beady eyes pop in disbelief. He's shouting for his friends as she darts away into the woods.

Just as she's escaping down the trail, she hears the front door rattle open with angry curses and shouts building up. Heart racing and adrenaline pumping through her veins, Katy races into the woods.

Heavy footsteps pound at her eardrums yet she keeps running.

She can hear the furious shouts of her name and various other unpleasant ones, but she keeps going into the dark depths of the forest.

Escape, freedom and peace are her only focus.

With her feet tiring and heart seeming to be bursting from the lack of oxygen, she suddenly trips. The momentum projects her forward and as gravity intervenes, she's rolling down a small hill. Biting back the scream building up in her throat, she lands in a small ditch from where she observes Richard standing atop of the same hill she's just stumbled down.

"Where'd the bitch go?" pants one of Richard's friends.

"I don't know! I don't see her either!" Richard snaps back, scanning the area.

"She must have come this way, the footsteps stop around here." Another friend pipes up.

"She's not in the trees." Says another one, jumping down from the oak he had just climbed.

Richard shouts out loud in rage before kicking away the dirt and forest leaves on the floor.

"I swear to God, when I find that bitch, she is so dead! How dare she run away from me! I own her. I own her! She's mine!" bellows Richard, getting angrier by the minute.

Katy just tries quietening her breathing while rivers of tears run down her red cheeks. Perhaps if she returns now Richard will take it easy on her...No wait, who is she kidding? He'd beat the shit out of her then let his friends rape her. She can't go back. She won't!

Minutes pass before Richard decides it was useless.

"Don't worry Rick. She'll come crawling back to the house anyway. There's no way she'll be able to survive in the woods alone." Comforts one of his friends.

A smirk spreads across Richard's face as he realises the truth in those words.

"Yeah. You're right. No way a spoilt whore like her can last out here. We'll just wait for the slut to come crawling back."

And with that the men stride back to the cabin in high spirits.

Katy watches the men return and as soon as they've left her sight she lets out a sigh of relief. Waiting a good ten minutes before crawling out, Katy glances around the quickly darkening woodlands and feels her heart thump louder again. With the sun setting and darkness falling, how the heck is she meant to survive the night in the woods? And to make matters worse these aren't the type of woodlands where there are hiking routes, with friendly rangers dotted about for assistance.

No, this is pure, untouched, dangerous woodland with God-knows-what kinds of creatures living in it. But, even though all that sounds terrifying, Katy knows the monstrous creatures in the cabin are far worse. So, deciding not to waste anymore precious sunlight she starts wandering into the woods following the fading rays of sunlight. Going west would mean going in the totally opposite direction of the cabin and she'll have to put as much distance as she can between her and Richard before morning comes.

She walks briskly for miles; her shins, knees and arms all adorning with dirt and bruises from her many falls. It's not that she's a clumsy person, but she's tired. Her muscles are burning from pain, her throat dry from dehydration and brain foggy from exhaustion yet she knows she has to carry on.

As the last rays of sunshine disappear behind the tall oaks and mahogany trees, she's sure she's hallucinating hearing noises different to that of the woodlands. Halting her steps she waits, listening to the sounds of quiet murmuring far ahead and the soft sound of tyre on gravel. Drawing in the last ounces of energy she has she jogs as fast as her legs allow her in the direction of the noises.

As the trees become sparse and artificial glows of electrical devices can be seen, hope blossoms deep in Katy's chest. She breaks through the woodland and stumbles on the rocky gravel. Blinking back some exhaustion she glances around noticing the small path of lights that lead from a path in the woods to the vast empty space. Directly in front of her is a huge wooden mansion with its tall glass windows lit up, but view blocked by thick drapes. Around this mansion are cars parked neatly in the allotted rectangles along the gravel.

Before she can process all of this information, exhaustion clouds her mind as the adrenaline washes away.

Stumbling to the large wooden door she slumps at the base and tries catching some of her breath.

An owl hoots far in the woods snapping Katy out of her dazed reverie.

Shaky knuckles knock lightly on the door. As it's pulled open, bright light attacks her eyes. Blinking quickly, Katy adjusts to it before glancing up to the thick set man looming over her.

"Can I help you, Miss?" The deep voice of the man is lost in the fogginess of Katy's mind.

A whimper escapes her lips before she gives into the cruel night's events and collapses on the doorstep.