THE IMPOSSIBLE CHALLENGE

(Fay) CHAPTER 41

We're out of breath when we finally stop running.
"Fay." Mandy whispers while trying to take big breaths. "Are those the exit doors we're looking at?"
Still not believing my own eyes I rasp. "I guess so."
And there is standing absolutely nobody. What the fuck? Is this some kind of trick? How many men are left to look for us?
"I'm not so sure if this is some kind of...trap." I say.
"What do you mean?" she asks, sounding as confused as I feel.
"Don't you think we are too precious to leave this...easily?" I whisper almost to myself.
Mandy let's out a little scoff. "You think that was easy? Fay, I've just seen you do stuff I'd never imagined of ever fucking seeing. You're some kind of badass woman I only believed happen in movies. That wasn't fucking easy. That was all you!" she tells me enthusiastically, now out of breath from rattling those words so fast.
I swallow. "You think?"
She nods her head with so much confidence, that I can't do anything other than believe her words. She takes my hand and gives it a firm squeeze. "Ready?" Mandy asks, pointing to the door. Our freedom.
"Yes." I reply hoarsely. I'm so fucking ready to get the hell out of this fucking building.
"Good."
I look if anyone is here, but there is nobody to see, so we start running towards the exit doors.
And when I finally press my hands on those big doors and they open, I feel like being able to breath a litte easier.
My heart is racing in my chest when we finally are running outside. Away from my hell.
The cold air is hitting me in the face, and I smile from smelling the delicious smell of auburn. Auburn. Oh god. How long have I been in there? When was the last time I've seen Mason? Did he look for me? Of course he did. I know he would do anything to find me. I just fucking know it.
I take Mandy's hand in mine again, point to the forest and say, "If we hide well enough, they'll never find us."
She nods. "Yes, that's a good idea. Let's do that."
We both flinch when somebody calls, "Hey! Why the hell aren't you looking for-" he ends mid sentence when he realizes who we are, is already grabbing for his gun at the side, when we start running.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
"RUN!" I shout to Mandy when she looks back, and I didn't realize her intend, when it's already too late. She shoots.
Oh fuck. And of course the man shoots right back. Never hitting us. Mandy pulls the trigger for the last time, and the hiss of pain I hear, tells me she hit him good. I sigh in relief, but hoping so bad, that Mandy won't practically be killing herself with the guilt she'll feel afterwards.

When we finally reach the woods, we're catching our breath on a tree.
"Wow," Mandy coughs. "I really did hit this bastard." she sounds kind of...proud.
I smile. "You so did."
After being able to breath like normal human beings again, her gaze meets mine.
"Do you have any idea where the hell we are?" she asks, her brows furrowed.
I look around, but there's no familiarity in any of what I can see. I shake my head in answer 'no'.
"We should walk further into the woods." I suggest. "It's our best possibility to escape fully."
I'm fucking anxious that they could find us again. What if they'll catch us for a second time? What if we could never escape them, then? With a shake of my head, I make those thoughts disappear.
We've escaped. We will live in freedom. I will see him again, I tell myself. Because it's the only thing that's kept me alive.
Mason.
I turn back to Mandy, and every cell in my body tenses at the look of her. There's a dark fire in her eyes, that I've never seen before. It looks almost...evil.
"It's too sad, Fay, really." Mandy murmurs. My brows furrow in confusion. What the hell is she talking about?
"What do you mean?" I ask, searching for answers in her face. But I come back empty handed.
She sighs, as if I'd be a little kid, asking stupid questions.
Her next words hit me right in the stomach. "You were always this fucking foolish." she states annoyed.
What the fuck?
"Er...excuse you?" I snap shocked and flustered. What the hell is happening right now? What's wrong with my best friend? Did she hit her head or something?
Something goes extremely wrong, and my stomach tells me, the responsible for that is standing right in front of me.
Mandy shrugs. "I liked seeing you play though. My little doll in my mansion." her blanc voice sends a cold shiver down my spine. She sounds so...different. The hairs on my arms stand up. And goosebumps appear like there's a party to join.
All the blood drains from my face when she pulls out the revolver from her jeans-pocket, and points it directly at me. The betrayal I feel is overwhelming. How could I not see? But...how-? She was with me in that fucking cell. For months, for gods sake! And Mandy has been my friend for years, so why is she pointing a gun at my head? Showing me with her act, that nothing was ever fucking real. A fucking deception, played by an actress, who deserves a fucking award.
My shocked eyes connect with her snake one's, but the only thing I can now see, is a fucking stranger.
"What the fuck is wrong with you?" I cry, angry tears burning in the backs of my eyes.
A laugh escapes her lips. It's a cold fucking laugh, so different to what I've heard before. "You just don get it, do you?" she spits.
"You're just a little figure in a fucking game. Imagine it to be something like...chess. I'm the queen and you are maybe..." she taps the fingers of her free hand against her lips, and makes a thinking sound. When she's positive to know the answer, Mandy says enthusiastically, "one of the runners. Always running after Mason like a lost puppy."
I'm vibrating with restrained anger. The blood flooding through my veins is filled with betrayal, and so much fucking pain.
I glare at her. "If you believe to be the queen," I quietly growl. "who is your king?"
At that she practically beams. Fucking bitch.
"You still haven't figured that out, bae?" she soothes, a fake look of pity on her face. She sighs once again. "It's the lost brother, Fay. God, you're so fucking stupid."
I ignore her last comment. Mason's lost brother? Ryan?
"Was everything fake, Mandy?" I ask on a broken whisper. Because it can't be. Nobody can be this great of an actress. Right?
"Stupid, stupid, Fay." she replies with a disbelieving shake of her head. "Of course everything was fake. It was all a game. Ryan has planned everything from the very beginning. I should approach you, become besties and have the best fucking influence on you." she smiles. "It was so fucking easy. A girl never been loved by anybody. The easiest prey." her last sentence is a whisper, as if we'd be sharing a secret nobody is allowed to know. Mandy winks.
"Except him. He's loved you from the very beginning. Ryan knew Mason would get out of his little hide and come and get you, eventually." her finger wanders to the trigger, my heart thrumming in my ears. My brain full of questions. "You were just the bate. Ryan could never find him. Mason has hidden so very well. But you are his weaknesses, Fay. A vulnerable spot in his system. A defect." I was a figure in their game all along. I feel so fucking...used.
Mandy's eyes furrow in fake concern. "Have I set you speechless?" she asks sweetly. Hate is burning low in my stomach. How could she do this to me? Build a friendship to then...just throw it away? Who the fuck does that?
"You're a fucking bitch." I spit the insult at her.
Amusement shines in her eyes. "Oh, you can do better than that, little doll." she laughs.
I turn my head away from her, not wanting Mandy to see the angry tears that leave my eyes.
And suddenly...everything gets warm.
"I suggest you put that gun down immediately, Mandy." a so very low voice, that has me losing my fucking senses threats. "Or else my bullet goes through your skull before you could even blink. And we don't want my wife to see such a mess, do we?"
Mason has come for my safety. He's here. For me.
But everything happens too fast. I can't even have a look at my husband before the first bullet flies, hitting me right in the stomach.
I suck in a sharp breath, my hand flying to the bleeding wound. My fingers are bloody immediately.
A second shot is followed right away, but not hitting me. Mandy's lifeless body is falling down to my feet's.
A scream escapes my lips, the pain in my stomach never being painful enough.
The last thing I hear is the call of a name...my name. And arms that catch me. And then...everything goes black.