The Nine- A Slipknot Story

Chapter 5

I start weaving through the trees and Joey follows, getting his sleeve caught on a branch a few feet away from the thinner part.

"Little help," he says, making me turn to him. I step towards him and I see it's not a branch, it's barbed wire grown into the tree.

"Why is there so much barbed wire around here? I had to jump two fences of it and tore open my shin jumping one. Hold still," I say, pinching the wire and his shirt sleeve. 

I unhook him and bend the wire to the tree, walking into the thinner part of the woods. It starts snowing lightly, but that doesn't stop me from getting to the other guys. I put my head down and walk out, catching my foot on a root and falling forward. Someone catches me, but it's not Joey.

"Thought about that offer," Corey asks, his hands under my arms, holding me up. I push off of him and unhook my foot, kicking it.

"Yes I have. No thanks, this life is great for me," I say, starting to walk away. He grabs my wrist and I turn to him, my eyes wide and a smile on my face.

"Bitch get off me," I say, shaking his hand off. He this time grabs my hair, pulling me back to him.

"Are you sure," he asks softly, putting an arm loosely around my neck to keep me there.

"Yes," I say back, just a soft as him.

That set him off. He tightens his arm around my neck and starts to choke me. I put my hands on his arm and try to pry his arm off, looking at his eyes. They're colder than this winter. I gasp for air and pull harder, his arm getting tighter.

'Well, this is the day I die. Fuck,' I think, getting tunnel vision. Everything gets darker and my strength goes to trying to breathe. Just as I think I'm going to die, Corey's arm gets ripped away and I fall to my knees, taking deep breaths to get back my vision.

"Don't ever do that," Joey says, Corey laughing.

"Or what? You're going to outrun me," Corey teases, Joey growling.

"I'll take you to a place you won't ever get out of," Joey says, his voice low and dangerous. 

Then, there's a coconut-like clunk, and Corey collapses beside me. I get back my vision, but my breathing's still heavier than normal. Joey sits on his knees in front of me, gently putting his hands on my shoulders.

"Are you okay," he asks gently.

"Yeah, I'm good," I say, looking over to Corey. He's face-down in the snow, a small lump on the back of his head forming.

"What did you hit him with," I ask.

"A board," Joey says, making me smile a little. 

I stand with the help of Joey and I walk to the backyard, leaving Corey there to basically get covered in snow and frostbite. I enter my backyard and see Craig pushing on the ground to get out his spikes, Jim, Mick, Sid, Clown and Chris knocked out and Paul sitting up and holding his jaw, adjusting it. 

I walk over to Craig and he sees me, letting me help him get out. I tug on the spikes in the ground and they get unstuck, but in turn making me fall in the snow. Craig helps me up and points to my neck, making me touch it. It hurt to touch it, but that's what I get when I almost get choked to death.

"Corey went insane and tried to choke me to death," I say, Craig slowly nodding. He gestures to the other guys that are knocked out and I think.

"I think my living room's big enough to put them there," I say, Craig pointing to me like I have a great idea.

"Could I get a little help though," I ask, walking to Sid. 

Craig nods and Paul and Joey help out by dragging Mick and Jim into the living room. I pick up Sid and put him on my shoulder, grabbing Clown and Chris by their shirt straps like my coat straps, dragging both of them into the living room like that. 

I drop Sid beside the couch where the other three are resting and I sit between Joey and Craig. Craig traces my cut on my cheek with his forefinger and I put a hand over it, feeling the cut.

"I got in a fight with a bar and lost," I say just as Sid wakes up.

"I got in a fight with a door and lost," he says out of the blue, looking around. He sees me and pauses, slowly putting a hand up to the side of his head.