Duskwood - Afterstory

Chapter 7

(A/N: Warning for semi-detailed description of injuries and bruises, and a not so detailed description of fear of death)

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Chapter 7

"I will not die; I'll wait here for you

In my time of dying."

('Time of Dying' - Three Days Grace)

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Jake is staring at the phone as the line has gone dead, trying to prevent himself from being taken over by pure, utter shock. He could not hear anything after those words, but the words have stuck in his head, repeating on a loop. I love you. I love you. I love you. 

He takes a deep breath as he slowly sits down in front of the coffee table onto the floor, his back against the soft leather sofa. He is still staring at the phone as if the screen would brighten up with her name on it, but it never does. 

Dan is the first to get back. His bike could be heard from a couple of miles. He parks the bike behind the cabin, trying to hide it under some brown, leafless bushes. Jessica barges out of the door, running towards Dan, giving him a big, warm, but worried hug. 

"You fucking idiot!" she scolds him, but Dan chuckles. 

"Worried, babe?" 

Jessica shakes her head at that and pulls him into the cabin. As he enters, he immediately locks eyes with Jake. And Jake doesn't even have to ask him anything, Dan knows what he wants to know. 

"The last time I spoke to her was about two hours ago. I thought I lost the fuckers in the mountains, but they caught up, so I had to take an extra route to lose them again," Dan explain with one breath. "Dunno anything about Phil."

"Wait, what?" Jessica seems utterly shocked. Jake doesn't blame her, he is shocked, too. Why is Phil involved now when the plan wasn't supposed to include him? And of all people, why him? 

"I might need an explanation," Jake hisses, his heart is racing, although he can't seem to figure out if it's because of worry, the nervousness that comes with the sudden change in the plan, which he had no idea about, or confusion. Most likely all of them, he thinks. 

Dan begins his explanation. He tells Jake about how Phil showed up out of nowhere and offered help, alongside with smoke bombs. Dan also explains that the last time he has spoken to Phil was the same time he has spoken to her. And none of those two are at the cabin yet, which is beginning to feel scarier and scarier.

Only a few moments later, they hear another bike in the distance. This time, it's Jake to run out of the cabin, towards the noise. The bike stops in front of the cabin, but it's not her. It's Phil. Jake shakes his head in panic.

"Please tell me you have something," he whispers.

The air seems to freeze as Phil glances back at Jake, the grin on his face, the victorious smile slowly disappears. He gets off his bike carefully, taking a few steps towards Jake and the others. 

"I thought... she was back." 

Jake exhales, his chest is tight as he walks back into the cabin, sitting back down onto the hard, wooden floor. 

"Jake..." 

He feels a soft hand on his shoulder, and that spins him back into reality, thankfully, as many different thoughts - negative thoughts - are racing through his mind right now. He turns to glance right at Jessica, her worried expression makes his stomach turn. 

"I should have never let her do this," he whispers, his voice can be barely heard he is perfectly aware of that. However, he can not seem to speak any louder, he can not seem to bring himself to think or do something.