Blood Moon Lake

Chapter 7

Tree branches slapped my face as I tore through the woods. Gulping in air through my mouth, my lungs worked overtime feeding me oxygen. I stumbled over tree roots, glass stabbing into my feet at every step. My legs ached, but I didn't dare stop.

Shrieks rang out from behind as the people chased us.

Twigs snapped. Branches cut my legs. Tickled my face.

The sounds of screams behind us began to fade.

My legs burned, and my lungs ached.

Slowly, we came to a stop.

Gasping for air, I bent over trying to fill my lungs. Cool air rushed in, and I knelt, knees touching the ground. Leaves and sticks pressed into my knees and palms, reminding me of the sharp pains in my feet.

Someone flopped down beside me, breathing heavily. Turning, Ella lay on her back, sucking in air. Jack leaned against a tree, resting against it. Anna slid down against another, breathing hard. Leo stood with his hands above his head, gasping for breath. His hands glistened with something sticky, and the knife was still clutched in a tight grip. His eyes were wide, and his legs seemed to be trembling slightly.

Pushing myself up against a tree, I sat up. "You killed someone."

Leo let out a broken laugh. "How many of them left the house?"

"Two," I said, "This isn't funny, you killed someone."

He shook his head, eyes wide with unbridled terror. "No. No, I didn't. There were only two of those things inside. The one I stabbed got up."

My heart stuttered in my chest. "That can't be right, you got their throat. Several times, might I add. They're dead."

Leo shuffled forward and showed me the knife. "What color is this blood?"

Going to grab it, he pulled it back. "No. Look at it."

Gritting my teeth, I moved closer to get a better look. The knife shone with a thick, sticky black substance. I let out a shaky gasp.

That's not blood.

"Luke, what's wrong?" Ella asked.

"It's black," I whispered, "Whatever is on the knife isn't blood because it's black."

Leo stared me dead in the eye. "It got back up. I didn't kill anything."

I nodded, and he pulled the knife back.

Ella strode over. "What do you mean it's black? Let me see."

Leo held up the knife. She reached out to grab it, and he pulled it back.

"Give it to me," she said.

He glared at her. "No. You should have grabbed your own."

She rolled her eyes. "Seriously? Let me see the knife."

"You can see it just fine from my hand," he argued, "I'm not giving it to you."

"Why not?" she asked, irritation seeping into her voice.

"Because," he replied, "I don't know you. I'm not giving you a weapon."

Ella barked out a laugh. "You're worried I'm going to stab you? After what we saw in the cabin, I think we should be more worried about you having it."

"It was self-defense," he stated, "Don't act like you wouldn't have done the same."

Ella's eyes narrowed, but she stepped back.

Pulling my feet toward me, I began pulling out the shards of glass. One by one, I managed to pull them out. Thankfully, none of them were in too deep. The wounds bled sluggishly, but I paid no mind. We need a plan.