Slater | Nick Goode

2.7

She ran, faster than she ever had in her entire life.
"Help! SOMEBODY! Help me! Please!" Tommy was close behind her, she could hear him grunting as he struggled to keep up with her.
Except this wasn't Tommy. This wasn't her sweet brother, this was something more powerful. Something evil, something vile that made Ellie's thoughts cloud.
Tears shed from her eyes, streaking in the dirt caked on her face. She sobbed, trying not to let herself fall or become slow. She found herself lost in the trees, twigs and plants scratching at her bare legs. The air smelled of wood and death. She didn't know how many were dead. Gary was dead, Jeremy was dead, Arnie must have been as well.
Ellie's entire body flipped forward, colliding with someone else. She had been going at such a fast speed that the collision made her catch air.
She quickly stood back up, looking at the person she had collided with.
"Ellie-"
"He's right behind me," she whispered, her voice shaking and her hands reaching out for him to drag him away.
The pair ran into a familiar spot for them, the science and nature cabin. Nick quickly locked the door and Ellie found herself hiding behind a table.
Nick followed close behind, sitting next to the girl. He was almost unsure if he should say anything, she was distraught and shaking violently.
"We lost them. Are you okay? Are you hurt?" Nick pushed Ellie's hair back and out of her face, it had recently fallen from the perfectly done ponytail she had made this morning.
Ellie looked at her shirt, the sage green color now stained with blood.
"It's not my blood, it's Gary's," her voice was barely heard, but she looked at him worriedly, as his shirt was also stained with blood.
"It's not mine either, uh... Sean, Jesse, Rod and Stacey," he spoke, looking down at the fabric. Ellie brought her knees up to her chest, burying her face as she tried to collect her breath.
"It's all shadysiders. It's the curse," she wheezed.
"No, it's, uh, just some psycho," Nick tried to calm her down, rubbing her back with his left hand.
"It's not a fucking psycho. It's Tommy. It's my brother... oh my fucking god.. it's my brother," Ellie corrected, her tears still sliding down her face.
The bell rang, signaling exactly what Nick told Kurt to do, "they're getting on the bus. We have to go.."
"I can't leave. I.. Cindy and Alice and Joan. They're still out there. I promised Ziggy that I would bring her sister home. I can't leave them."
          "Joan.. she's- Ellie.."
          "She's what? Where's Joan? Nick? Where's Joan?"
          "Kurt found her.."
          Tears threatened to spill from Ellie's eyes. Had Tommy really killed Joan?
"Please, Ellie. I've let a lot of people die tonight."
"Nick, this isn't your fault," she let a few tears spill.
"Not you! I'm not letting you die. Because I do like you like that, and I was thinking... once we get out of this, we could, uh, we could start a book club or something. Maybe.. I dunno. Stephen King's newest one is good, The Shining, you should read it," Nick began to ramble, Ellie knew he was only trying to stray her thoughts away from this mess.
"Nick.." Ellie let out a cry, "this isn't Tommy. This is her. The witch."
When Nick didn't say anything back, she spoke up again, "you believe me, right?"
"Of course, I believe you. Now come on, we gotta get out of here," he grabbed her hand and stood up promptly, "as soon as we do, we'll call the cops. Cindy and Alice and everyone else who may still be alive is going to be alright. But first, we gotta get on that bus."
Nick extended his hand out for Ellie, she took it, grateful to have someone like him around.
As Ellie was about to stand up, a harsh beating came upon the door, startling both of the young teens. Ellie pulled Nick back to the ground and they say in silence as they watched the door rattle.
A hand broke the window, making its way in and around, unlocking the door. The two slouched to the ground as they listened to Tommy's heavy breathing.
I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. Tommy is going to kill me, I'm gonna die. The words rang in Ellie's mind as she squeezed her eyes shut. The metal axe hit the wooden floor with a ping, and Tommy walked closer. Nick gestured at Ellie, tilting his head to the other side of the room, and Ellie quickly caught on, leading the way.
As the pair situated themselves in hiding again, Tommy had looked in the exact spot they once were in. He swung his axe, hitting the snakes habitat, causing the snake to slither out. The tan and brown serpent slithered across broken glass, making its way to the oblivious teenagers.
Tommy followed behind slowly, watching as the snake disappeared behind a table. Behind the same table, Ellie and Nick were hiding, Ellie grabbed onto Nick's hand, pointing at the serpent. It's crawled up her leg and made its way up her shirt, Ellie sucked in a breath, but Tommy's harsh breathing stopped.
A hand tightened onto Ellie's throat, making Ellie gave a nail biting scream, gasping for air. Tommy had a good hold of her, dragging her across the picnic table and finally throwing her onto the floor. Once again, he lifted his axe above his head and used all of his strength to nail down into her.
Nick had other plans, as he pushed Ellie out of the way, taking the blow himself.
He groaned in pain and continued to try and crawl away. It seemed as though Tommy wasn't satisfied, his attention quickly leaving Nick and gong back to Ellie.
"Run! Ellie, run!" Nick shouted, making Ellie quickly get up from the ground and exit the science and nature building.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck..." she continued to curse herself and she ran to the very front of the camp. She sobbed in defeat as she watched the bus, her only way out, take off and out of sight.
When the bus took the left turn, Ellie saw him. Bloody and axe up, he was running full speed ahead, only ten feet from her.
Ellie took it as a sign to flee, running back into camp. She finally made it back to the kitchen, locking the front doors and running into the back area.
She though for a moment, then took action as she turned on the radio. It played, 'carry on wayward son,' as it did on the loud speakers in the beginning of Color War.
Ellie heard the front door break down as she hid in a closet that was located in another separate room in the kitchen. She was trembling and was so close to just giving up.
She held her switch blade close to her chest, trying to calm her breathing so that he wouldn't hear her.
She listened as he broke down the door, then as he walked past the small closet she stood in. When she thought his footsteps were far enough away, she slowly opened the door.
She quietly walked up to him, observing his walk. She stared at the back of his head, trying to trick herself into thinking he was someone else. She recognized the jacket, their mother had given it to him as a Christmas gift the year before. A tear fell from her eye, but she remained silent.
She was so close to pouncing on him, only a few steps away. But the music stopped suddenly, the song had ended. Ellie's weight made a creak in the floorboards, making Tommy turn around.
She stabbed him, right in the heart. Even though it was he who was being stabbed, she felt it too. But he grabbed the switchblade and backhanded Ellie, making her fall into a utility rack.
She cried out in pain, mental and physical pain, as Tommy grabbed a hold of her throat. She struggled to breath, kicking her legs back in forth in an attempt to break free.
        "To..mmy..." she tried to cry and call his name, but her breathing couldn't be caught.
Her hands roamed around the utility rack, trying to find something to distract him or even kill him. They landed on a straw sack, and Ellie decided it was good enough.
She shoved the sack onto his head, tightening it from the back to try and suffocate him.
Tommy fell to the floor, and Ellie took her chance to climb on top of him. She continued to try and tighten the bag around his neck, but it wasn't working. Tommy sent her flying backwards, and Ellie landed with a loud thump. He grabbed his axe again, turning around, and Ellie saw him in the light.
He was horrifying. The sack was still covering his head, his eyes, mouth, and nose all outlined. Flies circled around him, making a faint buzzing sound.
Ellie got up, grabbing the open pocket knife from off of the floor, and ran back into the main kitchen area, but Tommy followed close behind. He kicked her leg, causing her to fall to the ground again. She looked back up at him, now trying to scoot away.
He lifted his axe again, only to stop suddenly. He spun around, and Ellie looked too. Cindy stood, knife bared, she had stabbed him in the back.
But she froze, she looked at Tommy as if he were still Tommy. He wasn't, he was a killer. He was possessed, by the witch, Ellie knew it. There was not enough kids, not enough problems in the world for her brother to go crazy on his own.
So she took it in her own hands, grabbing her switchblade once more, jumping on his back and stabbing him in the neck.
She did this, several times, letting out a sob with each withdrawal.
Tommy finally fell, taking Ellie down with him. She scooted herself back, looking at the mess she made, then locking eyes with Cindy.
"Fuck you," Cindy spat, watching the body fall to the ground.
"You swore.." Ellie retorted.
"It's becoming a habit," Cindy confessed, dropping to her knees and embracing Ellie in her arms, "where's my sister?"
"She made it on the bus," Ellie answered, talking into Cindy's smelly hair, "you smell like shit."
"Yeah, that's cause I'm covered in it," she shrugged, letting go of Ellie.
"Gross," Ellie sniffled, and pulled away from the girl.
Another set of loud banging and thumping were heard, and the two girls quickly stood, baring their weapons again.
Ellie lead the way, walking over to the same hole Cindy had crawled out of.
A head popped out, with silver hair and dark eyeliner.
"Alice?" Ellie let out a breath she didn't know she was holding.
"Alice!" Cindy called out, earning a smile from the girl.
"Hey, snitch," she joked, crawling up and out of the floor.
"What took you so long?" Cindy asked, helping her up.
Cindy and Alice both stood again, Alice glanced at the floor beside Ellie.
"You did it," she whispered.
"She did it," Cindy corrected before pulling Alice into a messy hug.
"Okay, careful. This things like a million years old," Alice warned, gesturing to the bag slung over her shoulder.
"I bought that a month ago," Cindy told.
"No, I'm not talking about your stupid bag, genius. Blood will fall. Satan's stone, okay? It was right there. All this time, buried under the moss and I found it. I fucking found it," Alice cheered, Cindy and Ellie still stood, confused.
       "Found what?" Cindy questioned.
       "Three guesses," Alice smirked.
       Ellie started to feel like she missed a big puzzle piece of this whole situation. Alice and Cindy used to hate each other, but now they seem more than friendly.
        Alice ran over to a picnic table, one of many scattered in the mess hall. She plopped Cindy's bag down and opened the velcro flap. 
        She pulled out a skeleton hand, covered in dirt.
        Ellie was still clueless, "what- what is it?"
        "It's Sarah Fier's lost hand," Alice answered, looking Ellie dead in the eye.
        "Nurse Lane... she spent her entire life looking for this. A way to stop the curse that took her daughter," Cindy cried.
        Alice opened the ancient book Ellie had seen in Nurse Lane's office earlier that day, she read, "without her hand, her grip on the land holds firm. The curse will last until body and hand unite. Okay? This led us to the hand bone, and if the legend is true, that means her body is still buried..."
        "By the hanging tree," Ellie finished her sentence, now piecing together all of the clues. Alice nodded her head and turned back to Cindy.
        "We can end this. No more murders, no more curse. No more," Cindy looked over at Tommy's lifeless body, "pain. We can save Shadyside. Tonight."
         Ellie took the bones in her hand, inching them closer to herself, examining the curves and ridges. A splat was heard, Ellie's nose leaked blood, the blood falling on one of the fingers.
          Her eyes widened, the two older girls looked at her, frightened.
          "Ellie?" Cindy called out, inching closer. In Cindy and Alice's eyes, Ellie was mouth open, looking up with huge eyes. But Ellies vision clouded with red.
           Cindy put her hand on Ellie's shoulder, snapping her out of the trance and Ellie gasped for air.
          She wiped her bloodied nose and explained, "my nose. It bled on the hand. I think I just saw her."
          "Who?" Cindy questioned.
          "Sarah Fier," the girl answered, frantically trying to catch her breath, "and she was angry."
          Alice looked to Cindy with wide eyes, "we have to bury this thing. Right fucking now."
         Cindy was the first to get up, she raced away to the back room, grabbing two shovels.
        She made her way back to the main mess hall, handing a shovel to Ellie, "okay. Let's go."
        "What, I have to use my hands?" Alice joked.
        "No, you're staying here," Cindy demanded.
        "Come on, I can hop just fine," Alice hopped on her good foot all the way to the doorway, she then turned back to look the the girls. A moment of silence rang through, then Alice cleared her throat, "I watched my dad go to jail when I was six. I watched my mom steal so I could eat. The first time I cut myself I was twelve. It was after... well you know when. Now tonight," her eyes fixed on Ellie, "I watched your perfect brother," she looked to Cindy, "your virgin boyfriend, turn into a monster and kill the only person I've ever loved. I have waited my whole fucking life for this. And now I've found it. Let me see this through? For Arnie. For Tommy... for Shadyside."
        Ellie and Cindy looked at Alice, then at each other and spoke clearly, "for Shadyside."
       A figure appeared in the doorway, an axe bared, standing right behind her.
       "ALICE!" Cindy and Ellie both screamed out to warn her of his presence.
       She spun on her heel, meeting him face to face. He lifted his axe and cut into her chest, her blood flying everywhere's.
       Cindy cried, "no! No...." But she grabbed the bigger shovel and neared Tommy, stabbing him in the throat, "why won't you fucking die?!"
       Tommy fell to the floor, his head rolling away from his body. He wouldn't be dead for long, Ellie and Cindy both learned their lesson.
       Cindy fell to the floor beside the girl, "Alice? Alice.." she was still breathing, "Alice, just stay with me. Okay? Alice.."
       The breathing stopped and she fell silent, Cindy let out a roaring sob, trying to shake the girl back awake, "no... please. Alice.."
       Ellie sat back, watching as Cindy tried to revive her friend. Something caught her ear, a song.
        "You always hurt the ones you love," Ellie stood, trying to find where the lullaby was coming from, "the one you shouldn't hurt at all."
       "What?..." Ellie's mind turned on, and she gasped when she realized, "Cindy. We have to go. Right now. Bury this damned thing."
       "What?" She cried out, still kneeling next to Alice.
       "They're all here. All of the Shadyside killers," Ellie urged.
       "You always take the sweetest rose," Cindy heard the voice, too, now.
       The pair walked into the back room, once again, the sound coming from the very hole Cindy and Alice came from.
      They walked closer, the voice getting louder, "and crush it till' the pedals fall."
       A girl, someone Ellie recognized from the police records, Ruby Lane, crawled out of the hole, looking Ellie dead in the eyes.
       "Run... RUN!" Cindy yelled, and Ellie did as she was told. She ran back into the mess hall, picking up the shovel and running to the very outskirts of camp. To the hanging tree.

{August 20, 2021. 2:00 p.m. 2899words.}
Twitter for updates: @dokiewrites
Rip Alice, Tommy, Gary, Sean, Stacey, rod, Ruby, Joan, Jeremy, and literally half the campers.
Also rip Ellie's mental health after this.
Anyways, hope you enjoyed.
I wrote this while I was trying to take a class.
Have a good night/day/evening!