Obsession || h.s [completed]

36 | love me

Dead leaves left over from the past autumn completely cover the ground. They're caught between the thick shrubbery and close set trees of the forest.

My boots crunch under my feet with every step until I stop at a break in the foliage, light shimmering through the branches to the forest floor.

But the sun is sinking below the trees and it's getting harder to see. Everything is starting to look like shadows. A twig snaps behind me and I turn in fright.

But it's just Harry. "Thought I'd find you here." He says, a hunting rifle loosely held in his hands.

I'm about to speak when a resounding boom echos through the woods.

I glance up as birds fly away from the noise, just above the treetops. They crow in fright and I can't help but feel a little scared, too.

When I glance back at Harry, he is five meters away. His gun is raised. And pointed in my direction.

Before I can ask what he's doing, he tilts his head, motioning for me to turn and look behind me.

A figure. Clear as day. With a black hood and a shadowed face. I can't tell who they are, but somehow I know.

His hands are covered by black gloves. But in his fingers are knifes. Sharp knives. Dripping with blood.

"I've waited so long for you, Mason." His voice is low, and slightly garbled. As if he is speaking into a machine that can warp his voice. "They will suffer if I have to wait any longer."

He motions to his feet. Confused, I glance down at the forest floor. Where bodies lay, completely still. Too still.

"They never loved you. Not like I do. They never would have understood us."

I take a few steps toward the nearest one, crouching down and turning them over so I can see their face. It's Layla.

Jolting back in fright, I turn around, looking for Harry. To comfort me, to protect me. But he's gone.

"He will never love you like I do."

I turn toward the figure-man again. He pulls a small, red handkerchief from his pocket and holds it in the air before letting it drift slowly to the ground.

It lands on one of the bodies at his feet. Next to a tattooed arm, a rose on the elbow, and anchor on the wrist. It's too familiar. It's Harry.

A hand flies up to my mouth as I stand in shock. I want to scream but for some reason I can't find my voice.

Someone tugs on my arm. I jump, not having heard them walk up through the loud crunch of leaves.

It's Louis. His face is streaked with blood but I see no wounds on him. His voice echos as he shouts, "LOVE ME, MASON!"

Another person is suddenly at my side. And it's Molly, the young girl around Layla's age who sometimes helps out at the cafe. Her eyes are bloodshot and dark maroon drips down from her ears. "LOVE ME, MASON!"

Someone else tugs my arm, making me stumble into them. There's a gash on his chest. I glance up to see it's Zayn. "LOVE ME, MASON!"

And then there's Hannah, right in front of me when I pull out of Zayn's grasp. Her left hand missing, leaving only a bloody stub. "LOVE ME, MASON!"

I step backward and trip over the root of a tree. The small crowd around me pulls me force fully to my feet. Their fingers dig harshly into my sides and arms. The person holding my right hand is Layla. Her nightgown is covered in blood. "LOVE ME, MASON!"