As we all silently looked into the flames together, Xavier suddenly walked up and stood close to the burning car, pulling us all from our long stare.
"It's not big enough. No one can see it. We need to build a signal fire. Big enough for a plane to see! The cabins, the trees... we have to burn it all!" He shouts, pointing at the forest around us.
"We're not burning shit, okay? We need to find an exit plan," Montana hisses at Xavier.
"Yeah, she's right. Xavier, you need to relax. Just breathe," Brooke adds.
"You want me to breathe? We have breathed the fire of a thousand white-hot suns!" He shouts, pulling my arm to show remind our friends of our appearance.
He drops my body and cries to himself as he grabs a nearby stick from the forest floor, sticking it in the flames and creating a torch.
"Dude, stop!" Chet tries to calm his friend as we all watch in fear.
Xavier swings around, putting the flame near our faces. I cry as the flame comes near my face, reminding me of the hot oven.
"Xavier, put that down!" Brooke shouts, grabbing my arm as I cry.
"Get back! Get out of the way!" He shouts, pushing us back with the torch. "Don't you see? It all has to burn."
All of a sudden, Xavier gets pelted in the head with something and falls to the ground, revealing Margaret behind him with her gun in hand.
"Forgive me, but I had to stop him before he hurt someone," she explained in a panicky voice.
I run over to Xavier and drop to the ground beside him, pulling his head into my lap and stroking his blonde hair lightly.
"Let's get him to a cabin," I say, looking up at my friends.
--------------------------------------
Margaret shuts the door as I sit on the bed with Xavier's head in my lap, continuing to brush his fluffy blonde hair with my fingers.
"We can't stay here. We have to rally, go through the woods, we'll find help eventually," Montana says, standing in the middle of the cabin.
"No. Those woods are a maze, and in this dark we'll be walking around in circles. And don't forget about the traps," Margaret explains.
"She's right. I mean, Jingles could have this whole place booby-trapped, for all we know," I agree as everyone turns to look at me.
"Xavier and Saylor can't even walk. We should just stay here till sunrise. There is safety in numbers. And we have a gun," Brooke points to the small revolver in Margaret's hand.
"Some bad news on that front," Margaret shows us the empty chamber and I let out a sigh. "I used all my bullets trying to protect Trevor from Jingles. I wish I could have done more. But there is another option. Yesterday I saw two people camping on the other side of the lake. Two of us could take a boat across."
"Maybe they have a car," I add, throwing that idea onto the table.
"God willing."
"Good idea. Chet'll go with you," Montana offers causing Chet to shoot her a glare.
"Sure," Chet sighs as Montana shrugs her shoulders as a reaction to his glare, "I love boats."
"You're very brave. God bless you," Margaret smiles.
"Be careful, you guys," Brooke says as the two walk out of the cabin together.
I move Xavier's head onto the pillow under my legs and lay next to him, wrapping an arm around his waist and closing my eyes as we wait on Margaret and Chet. I quickly fall into a sorta deep sleep as Montana and Brooke's conversation fades farther and farther away.
-----------------------------------------
I quickly pop out of my sleepy zone as Xavier's body starts to vibrate like he's talking.
"Bertie. Bertie, don't make us do it, please."
I sit up quickly and crawl over Xavier's body, squatting down beside where he's laying on the bottom bunk.
"Please, just make us a sandwich. Oh, Bertie, please. Please, don't make us do it."
Xavier starts to stir and I decide to speak up, "Hey. Hey."
He pops up and grabs my hand on instinct, looking me in the eyes with tears brewing in his.
"You okay, Xav?" I ask sweetly.
He nods slowly and looks around the cabin, "Yeah. The fire. Did it work? Is someone coming?"
I slowly shake my head, "No one's coming, Xavi."
He looks at me innocently, squeezing my hand slightly. "Huh."
He looks around the cabin and notices everyone's gone except Montana and I.
"Where is everyone?"
"Chet and Jesus lady went to find help. Brooke went after Ray," Montana began.
"Ray?" He asks with his face laying lightly on the pillow.
--------------------------------------------
"Highway to Heaven, babe. I still have an audition on the books. Possible two-episode arc as a cheery bellhop. How's a burn victim ever supposed to play cheery?" Xavier pulls back his lips imitating a cheery face and I grab his hands to try and comfort him.
"How are you and Montana ever gonna open an aerobic's studio if one of hottest instructors scares off customers? I did this to you, Saylor," he stops as he notices the tears streaming down my face.
"I don't like this. Brooke should be back by now. Screw this. You two stay here. I'm gonna go find her," Montana interrupts our conversation as she paces the cabin.
All of a sudden, the door flies open, and "Rita" slams the door, panting loudly as she looks back at the three of us.
"Not another step," Montana hisses.
"I'm not here to clash. I only want to help us get out of here."
"Says the bitch who punched me in the throat. I suggest you leave now before I get the urge to kick more of your ass."
"I thought I could help people all around the world. I never would have put you in harm's way otherwise."
"The hell are you talking about?" Xavier asks as we both scrunch our eyebrows in confusion.
"Mr. Jingles. I released him. I led him to the camp. What happened here tonight, it's my fault," Rita's voice cracks as she reveals her true plans to us.
Xavier and I both stand up from the bed, walking behind Montana to face "Rita".
"You did this to us? Look at our fucking faces!" Xavier shouts, pointing between him and I.
"My Rabbit is parked in the staff lot. If the four of us pull together, we can survive this."
"No. It's your fault we're a monster. It's your fault he'll never be on the cover of TV Guide! It's your fault I'll never get my aerobic's TV show! It's your fault his future is in radio!" I scream at her, tears rolling down my face and my breathing turns to wheezing.
I push Montana to the side and go to stab Rita with the knife from Bertie but she moves out of the way and I run into the door. Xavier watches in anger as Rita stands up against the bedpost.
"You don't want to do this. Please," she pleads as I stand with the knife in hand.
"Yes, we do," Xavier's voice turns gravelly as he stands beside me with a hatchet he found on the floor.
We both run at her this time and she ducks out of the way again, making us miss her and hit the bedpost. Xavier falls to the floor as he swings at the air and I rip the knife from the bedpost.
Rita screams and makes her way to the door, opening it and running out, leaving Xavier and I to chase her out into the dead night.
-----------------------------------------
Our breaths become more or a wheeze as Xavier and I run through the woods, chasing Rita with our weapons.
As we run past the infirmary, we both stop, listening for twigs snapping, or movement ahead of us. We hear nothing and continue down the path where we assume she went.
------------------------------------------