A/N- I'm not proud of this and I find it very boring/doesn't make sense. I wasn't able to get my idea for this chapter out properly.
You watched as various trees flew by your passenger window while your friend sped down the road. You and Connie had just started your day off from work and decided this would be a great opportunity, considering it's summer, to spend time together at the lake. Though you've never been to this one. It was an hour drive away into the deep wooded mountains. But it must of been beautiful if it was worth the long drive for most people(Which you didn't think it was worth the drive but she insisted anyways)
There were seventeen minutes left of the ride before the car started to slow down. The pavement was already beginning to lose its quality as you two drove, but now the concrete had begun to form multiple potholes. You lifted your head up from your chin and turned over to give Connie a concerned look. "Should we turn around, or do you wanna risk scrapping your car?", you asked. You looked back to the road which continued down the slope in a curve to the right; leading down the mountain. "We can continue, I'm not worried about my car anyways. Gonna be trading this baby in soon for something better", She responded confidently with a slap to your thigh. You chuckled at her actions though it didn't help you avoid the warmth that grew hotter on the back of your neck.
Slowly, she continued forward. Meticulously avoiding various sized ditches along the way. You subconsciously gripped the door hand rest as you felt the car swivel in an uncoordinated pattern down the incline. Thankfully though, the uncomfortable ride didn't last long, for you guys proceeded on a clear concrete path once again.
"Didn't get one scratch", Connie cocked a smirk your way in which you only rolled your eyes to. "Wake me up when we get there", You say as you rest your head upon your palm and lean against the door.
----
Your eyes shot open when you felt yourself nearly fall out of your seat. "Wake up sleeping beauty, we're here!", Connie caught you by the shoulders and helped place your shaken body back up into your seat. "God, you scared me!". You roughly unbuckled yourself with a frown before stepping out and shutting the door. A thickly wooded border encircled the area. A single dirt trail led back up the hill from where you guys must have came from. And to the side of the driver's seat, was the lake. As promised, it was beautiful. Clear and deep blue that sparkled with every ripple. Though along the ridge where the water married the land was a bit murky.
You pulled your phone out of your pocket to see you had no service. Checking the time, it was 6:25 pm in the afternoon. You pressed your brows together in slight worry of the time considering you two were an hour away from town and it would get dark by eight. Though you tried not to let it get to you. Connie was already digging in the trunk for the cooler and beach towels. Walking around the silver Honda Pilot, you took the cooler handle from your friend and heaved it out with an accidental thud.
With that, Connie grabbed a few more things before shutting the trunk. "Is that everything?", You questioned, looking from the cooler at your feet to her.
"Yep, I even brought a floaty"
"Only a floaty?", You stared at her deadpanned with slight amusement as you watched a blush form across her face. "...yes", You both laugh after the slight pause. You were pulled out of your laughing fit when you opened your eyes to stare past her into the woods. You didn't notice how eerily silent it truly was here. Almost as if the world had froze in time. It honestly started to irk you a bit as you felt a shudder pass through you.
"Ok, let's get everything set so we can start swimming! It's hot as hell out here!", She rushed past you with her items and set a towel down by the water. You were so encapsulated that you had to pry your eyes from the trees before you were able to follow along to help unpack. Basic necessities such as lotion, towels, and spare clothes, to name a few, were placed on your respective beach towels. Connie had brought along her speaker and a few alcoholic drinks of her preferred brand as well. Wasting no time, she had splashed into the water with her single dinosaur donut pool float. She looked silly lazily floating in the water with the childish floaty, making you snicker as you watched her from your place by the water.
The speaker played a random pop song from your phone as you sat next to it with your knees against your chest. You were admiring the scenery ahead of you before you were disrupted by Connie's request for a beer.
"Are you not coming in?", She caught the can just barely when you threw it lightly to her from your seat on the towel.
"You know it takes me a bit before I swim"
You place your head on your knees, watching her with a faint smile. Connie pops the tab and takes a sample. Her floaty slowly turns sideways, forcing her to twist her head in order to look at you.
"Lame", she says lazily then sticks her tongue out playfully at you. Returning the gesture, you rest your back against the ground, hands placed on top one another on your abdomen. Tension from weeks worth of work released from your muscles and you felt yourself get pulled deeper against the earth with a sigh. It was nice not having to do anything but chill and take everything in. Eventually you'd join Connie in the water but for now, you just wanted to close your eyes for a few...
They immediately snapped open not even a minute in when you felt hands wrap firmly around your ankles and drag you towards the water. Lifting your head off of the ground, you see Connie laughing and giggling like a mad man while her perky smile widens. She had completely caught you off guard and you were now floating on your back along the lake's crystalline waters. Connie released you and laughed as she watched you limply bob with a giant frown on your face.
"You should have seen the look on your face! I wasn't gonna let you sleep on me while we're here", She gripped at her sides as she rode off her laughing fit.
"Yeah, and now my hair's muddy", You dipped your head in the water and scrubbed at your scalp erratically, causing a cloud of mud to drift off to settle at the bottom of the lake.
Since you were already in the water, you decided to float around with Connie for a bit. Both of you taking turns with the dino floaty as you two talked and splashed. Looking up at the sky, you noticed it was getting darker signalled by the appearance of distant stars.
"We should head home. It's getting late and I don't want you driving in the dark on those sketchy roads"
Connie didn't argue as she followed you out of the water to pack up the equipment. It was time to head home anyways. You two had been out in the water for awhile now. After putting everything away in the trunk, both of you took your seats up front, ready to leave. Connie went to turn the ignition, expecting the car to start. Though instead of the quickly awakened roar of the engine, the car rumbled and stuttered before silencing.
"What the fuck, that's weird?", She spoke to herself and tried turning the key again briskly. Only this time, it didn't do anything at all. You watched as she frantically repeated the process to no real outcome and fell back on her seat helplessly. Worry evident on her face as well as yours.
You were right to be nervous earlier. You checked your phone to see if you could contact emergency services, but evidently your phone was dead. You used it for the music.
"Could you check your phone? Mine's dead"
Connie scrambled for her phone in the side compartment. Shuffling and moving clutter to find nothing. "My phone's gone?", She shot her hand up in bafflement while she continued scavenging the same compartment with the opposite hand.
"Are you sure you left it in there?"
"Yeah, I swear to god I did. I don't understand how it could have gone missing all of a sudden!"
You didn't want to admit it but...you were sure you guys were stuck there. Everything that could have gone wrong went wrong just out of the blue, and you felt the sudden urge to cry due to stress. Though you chose to swallow the tight ball in your throat down and held strong. Connie gave up searching and quickly moved to scan through the glove box in front of you. Nothing.
"Ok, now I'm really upset", Connie's voice muffled as she held her face in her hands with disbelief. Looking away from her, you looked out of the side window. The darkness that seeped through the gapes of the forest made you uneasy. The longleaf pines seem to twist and distort in unnatural ways the longer you gazed upon them. Connie snapped you out of your detached state when you heard her light snoring. Surprised to see her lie against the car door, passed out. Probably from crying. Though you found it weird how you hadn't heard her say anything and noticed that it all of a sudden got darker outside? Choosing not to dwell much on it, you decided to follow along with Connie and sleep it off. Couldn't do anything anyway since it would be too dangerous to step outside around this time.
Right before you closed your lids, you thought you saw two tall dark figures creep their way out of the woods in front of you, though consciousness already left before you could even register what you've seen.
--
Muffled screams and thrashing shot you awake only to be immediately encased in someone else's arms. The ugly indoor light barely illuminating the red and black mask of a man grabbing at your friend to drag her out into the darkness with him. Because of the incomprehensible awakening, your paralysed state made it easier for your captor to take you along as well. The realization of the situation didn't kick in until you were completely in the custody of your abductor, being dragged into the same woods you dreadfully gazed upon just a few hours prior. Eyes wide in absolute horror, you begin squirming in the intruder's grip, hoping his grip on you would loosen enough for you to escape. The large hand wrapped around your nose and mouth made it difficult to catch a breath which resulted in your efforts being wasted. You watched as the safety of the Honda drift farther away the more you were forced backwards.
Suddenly your feet were off the ground and you were thrown over the strangers shoulder, making you lose sight of your friend in the process. You laid stiff in his hold, unsure how to process all of this. Though you riled up in fear when you heard Connie's croaks cut abruptly. You stuttered for a moment; "Connie? Connie, are you ok!?", Mouth free of restraints as you hastily called out to her. The hooded man came into view beside you, Connie mirroring your position over his opposite shoulder. Her head lolled side to side along with his movements against his broad clad back. Strawberry blonde hair cascading down near his hips. You couldn't make out her face in the dark and layers of hair though you knew from the way her head bounced that she was unconscious.
You didn't tear your eyes away from her throughout the long walk into the woods. You didn't even know where they were going and where they even came from. As much as you wanted to scream and cry, you knew there would be no way out of this. Two against one is an unfair match on its own; especially when it involves two fully grown men.
The swaying of your body threatened to drift you to sleep. You were already tired as is, considering how late it was and the days events prior. You didn't even know what time it was now. You shook your head lightly and turned to check on Connie once more, who was still unconscious to no surprise. Sleep wouldn't be an option, one of you had to keep an eye out for one another. A word wasn't spoken the whole trip between the two men. The silence nipped at your ears to the point it became unbearable. You dared to be the first to finally ask the question; "Where are you taking us?"
As expected, no response was given. Which only frustrated you.
Though the grip that held you by your hip tightened just the slightest bit. The sensation sent a shockwave of goosebumps to ripple throughout your body. Without speaking a word, that gesture alone told you to shut it. Unless you wanted to end up like your poor friend. You were doing so well after all, so why make things harder? When you've been such a willing victim....
You subtly shook your head at the harsh thoughts towards yourself. It was an unfair fight; you're not the strongest; stuck in the middle of a forest far from salvation; no signal, your best bet was to be on their good side until there was an opportunity open for escape. Their pace slowed as you heard the crunch of leaves and branches replaced with rickety wooden floor boards. Your heart pounded briskly in the captivity of your chest, threatening to break free at the sound. Taking your last look out into the dark wilderness, you inhale a shaky breath before the sight was encased with the warm hue of incandescent light.
Fear that wasn't as present a moment before now became more profound as you realized where you were. As soon as they entered, the men led you two down a flight of stairs in the far corner of the barren living room.
A groan broke the silence and you snapped your head up from its defeated state. "Connie is that you? Connie!", You desperately arched your head to meet your friends, squirming in the masked man's grip in the process. You continued to cry out her name in hysteria before it was cut off with a gasp of your own. The man's balance was thrown off as he treaded down the last few spaces and you slipped out of his hold and onto the hard cold basement floor. You let out a choked cry and writhed in your restraints in a curled position, letting the pain that shot throughout the whole right side of your body ease into a dull pounding.
Without lifting your head, you look over at the three coming down. You were surprised you didn't completely knock over the hooded man and Connie in the process. By the way the masked man stormed his way towards you, he didn't look too happy with your careless disobedience. His hair ruffled and mask tilted slightly, in which he briskly readjusted with one hand while he grabbed you by the shoulder with the other; hoisting you into a sitting position.
"Are you ok, (Y/N)?"
You lazily nodded in acknowledgment, too exhausted to say anything. You didn't realize you were crying until you felt a drop skid along the curve of your cheek.
The hooded man moved you to sit across from Connie on the other side of the room where a thick chain and ankle attachment lay un-used on the floor. The masked man was having trouble trying to get Connie to comply with him over the ankle bracelet. After relentless fussing, she managed to kick him in the face with her bounded feet. The room fell silent as everyone watched his mask fly and hit the ground with a sickening slap. Connie's face wasn't as stark as everyone else's. Though instead, it was distorted with hatred and pride. The man stayed in his kneeled position as still as a statue. Mostly due from shock from being kicked in the face and having his identity revealed in the process. But as swift as her kick, he backhanded Connie square across the face. Though you couldn't see it because of the back that blocked your sight, the sound alone made your heart drop. After a moment, he dropped his hand and reached over casually for his mask.
The masked man stood up, revealing a glimpse of Connie between the gap of his legs, in which she was hunched over in silence. You felt her name die in your throat. Slowly he swiveled his head and flashed you a dead stare. He hadn't put his mask back on. You shuddered under his intimidating umber leer, silently reminding you that you two were insignificant in this situation. After he felt he made his point clear, he snapped the thin string of the mask over his head. The hooded man left your side to follow his counterpart to the base of the stairs.
You looked onward at them with a gaping expression.
"Who the fuck are you guys?!", You interrogated in desperation for closure.
They both turned to your attention as they were about to make their way out. They stared like deer for a moment. Until finally, the one with the red frown spoke.
"The Ark"
His voice was rough with disuse though not as deep as you'd imagine.
With that cryptic response, they left in a line for the door upstairs that held the only source of light. You watched distraught and confused at their silhouettes as they stretched like pillars across the floor in front of you. Slowly, the two of you were consumed completely by the darkness once the only exit creaked shut.