Sleep Magazine (Completed)

The Forest: 2

She still had not looked up from the floor when she hastily took the corner toward the stairwell, causing her to run straight into Luther. He threw his lanky arms up and let out an exasperated breath as he looked at her with wide eyes.

"There you are!" he exclaimed.

Ava smirked up at his tall frame. "Feeling well rested?" she asked sarcastically.

She pivoted to start her way up the stairs and Luther followed close behind her, gripping her shoulders as he bent his head down over hers to avoid bumping it on the low stairwell ceiling.

"Dude I woke up in the nurse's office like two hours ago," he spoke loudly at the top of her head.

"I heard," Ava chuckled. She brought her drink up to her mouth but Luther plucked it from her hand before she could take a sip.

"Hey that's my last can!" She halted on the top step and turned to try and grab it back from him.

"One sip, one sip," he said quickly in between several large gulps, then set the nearly empty can gently in her hand.

"Why didn't you answer your phone, dickhead?" she asked him.

"It's on the aux cord," he replied defensively, furrowing his brow when he saw Ava's lips twist up into a smirk.

"Oh, that explains 'Sleepin' on sofas, creepin' in houses like roaches'" she teased him with the same mocking performance she gave Katie outside.

"Hey" he said down to her with an exaggerated frown. They turned left at the landing and continued down a long hallway, heavily lined with thick planks of knotted pine trim against bare sheet rocked walls that had never been painted. 

Ava turned around as she reached Melanie's bedroom door at the end of the hall and looked up at Luther as she leaned back against it, hand resting on the brushed nickel doorknob.

"If Melanie's in here dead or something I'm gonna freak out." She spat the words out so quickly and quietly, it took Luther a moment to register them.

"Why the fuck would you say that?" he whispered in a bewildered tone, trying to keep his voice low and calm. "Why would she be dead in there?"

Ava stayed frozen against the door with her eyes locked on Luther's. "I don't know, I just feel like she might be," she replied quietly.

Luther tore his eyes away from Ava's to look over her head at the shabby wooden door, then looked back down at her pale expression.

"Why would you say this to me right now? You know I already get freaked out enough coming here. It's like a murder house..." his voice trailed off and he quickly peered sideways back down the poorly lit hallway, "...cabin. A big, shitty, murder cabin. And Dave's back."

Ava gulped audibly and stared back at Luther.

"Why are you still looking at me like that?" whispered Luther. His voice became more anxious as he brought his head down closer to Ava's face. "You're not even afraid of Dave." His voice cracked softly as he gripped Ava's shoulders. "This is when you're supposed to be a tough guy and tell me you're not even afraid of Dave."

"I'm not even afraid of Dave; Dave's a loser," Ava replied quickly, her chest rising as her breathing deepened, "But..." she began to continue her thought.

"No!" Luther cut her off and she slapped her hand over her mouth. He held a scolding finger up to her face and burned a hard look into her eyes. "No buts," he said sternly.

Ava nodded for a few moments then withdrew her hand, spitting the words out as if she could not control herself.

"But if Melanie was going to be murdered—which we always thought she would be at some point—wouldn't it be Dave?"