Cat and Mouse: 1982

IV: Flashlights and Batteries

C&M1988 chapter 4-5

Chapter Four:
flashlights and batteries

With their daughter missing in action, Barbara and Blake embark on a bitter manhunt, meanwhile, the rest of the group gathers supplies and prepares for an indefinite stay in the cold recesses of the sprawling lodge as a blizzard rages on outside, but the horrific discovery of a body, and the making of two more suddenly step the stakes up a whole 'nother level...

Barbara's perspective

As my husband storms off into the dark halls of the east wing of the lodge, my sense comes back to me, and I feel the guilt trickle in. As much as I hate to admit it, he's right. I should have waited for him to tell her. I said some things that I never meant to get out, maybe the trauma of being here just tore me down. The paintings of the former guests of the lodge which seemed so comforting and friendly in the daylight are instead now sinister and foreboding, as if silently judging me as I navigate the cedar paneled corridors. "Blake" I shout out, almost not wanting him to respond if it means avoiding confrontation, no response. As I trudge deeper into the hallway something catches my eye. Shining in the moonlight on the floor of the hallway is a series of small red dots. It's so out of place that it takes me awhile to realize what it is. It's blood. "BLAKE" i shout out, a little louder this time, where are y-" i nearly jump out of my skin as he suddenly rounds the corner with a disgruntled "what" I sigh in relief, "Christ you scared me, did you see that blood on the floor? Was that you?" He looks puzzled. "The hell are you on about" I look over to it and.. it's gone. "It doesn't matter, what matters is that I'm sorry" he looks at me crossly. "Ok. I don't forgive you" this take me back a little. "What?" "I said I don't forgive you, but I'll consider it." I grunt in frustration. "Fine, but right now we need to find our daughter." He rolls his eyes begrudgingly, "yeah, that's what I've been doing sweetie" I ignore him.

Blake's perspective

I know I might have overreacted, but I think it was justified. I'm tired of this relationship, if you could even call it that.
This whole vacation was a giant mistake, I have no idea why I ever thought this was a good idea. And now I can't find my daughter, and I've ruined any chance I ever had of fixing things with barb. And it's all my fault. All my fucking fault, and because of one little cigarette. That's all it took to bring our lives crashing down.
As we make our way down the hall towards the dining room, my heart stops in its tracks as I hold out an arm to stop Barbara from walking into it.

Barbara's perspective

"What the hel-" I'm about to say to Blake as he holds out his arm and nearly causes me to face plant. But when I look to the giant puddle of blood on the floor I stop where I stand. Several more drops of varying sizes follow it out the dining room door, where an obvious path has been dug in the ever rising snow leading from the door to the pool shed across the grounds.
"We should get one of the rangers" I suggest, but Blake shoots it down. "I'm stronger than both of those kids, if this is from.." he stops and I know he's thinking what I'm thinking. The unthinkable, "there's only one way to find out" I say, and I begin putting on a pair of snow boots by the mat. "You should stay her- Blake begins, but I cut him off before he can continue. "I'm coming with you wether you want me to or not" he nods wearily, and I push open the door, the bitter cold wind nipping at us as tufts of powdery snow pepper our face in our mad dash to the pool shed, my boots filled with snow, my heart aching, I push the door open, and fall to the ground as all the air escapes my throat in a scream. Tied to a deck chair in the corner, facing us, her skin a sickly pale, and rusty brown dried blood staining her flesh, a puddle of ketchupy blood pooled at the bottom of the chair, and a box of cigarettes placed neatly in her lap, is my daughter. My little girl. Dead.

Leslie's perspective

Of course the lights go out. Of course they do. I hear Jenny let out an exhausted sigh as I feel my way around me to the staircase, illuminated only by the pale moonlight. "I did not sign up for this" I say sarcastically, "I told you guys this was gonna suck ass" Marnie touts proudly, but she's right, she tried to warn us. "Ok, we need flashlights, I packed some in my duffel bag upstairs." I inform everyone. "I have some batteries and hand warmers in my room" Jenny says back. "Alright," I decide, " Dana, you and me will go to my room and grab the flashlights, Jenny, you and Marnie go to your room and grab the batteries and warmers" they nod confirmingly. "And us guys?" Jerry adds in. "You, Logan and Morgan stay here and wait for the Walters to get back with their kid" me and Jenny head upstairs to look for the lights, breaking off from Jenny and Marnie at the landing.

Dana's perspective

"Soooo, you tell Ricky about that file yet?" I ask Leslie prodingly. "No, I almost did but it's better not to let him into the fact we suspect him of something" she responds honestly. "Same" i quip back. I have to actively avoid bumping into shit as we stumble through the pitch black corridor, with no windows to allow illuminating moonlight. "You'd think a lodge this fancy would have a backup generator" i joke to Leslie, "must've spent that money on the pool" she jokes back to me. Suddenly something bumps into us and I let out a squeak, I turn around just in time to catch a dark figure sprinting down the hall. "What the FUCK was that??" Leslie yells in terror. "I don't know, I think it was a person??" We sit there in stunned silence for a second. "Let's get those fucking flashlights, and maybe a pocket knife too" I suggest, to which she promptly agrees as we begin, now running, to her room.

Jenny's perspective
As I make my way down the corridor, Marnies heels clicking alongside me, I squint desperately to try and make out anything in the inky blackness. "So you and Leslie?" Marnie asks nonchalantly. I tense up a bit. "What about us?" I ask naively, even though I know what she's hinting at. "Ar you two, like.. a thing?" I don't know how to respond.. "it's totally rad if you are, I don't care, I think it's pretty neat actually" she quickly adds. "You do?" I ask, somewhat surprised. "Yeah, but like, Leslie? The most annoying girl in school? She giggles jokingly. "She can be.. a lot, but she really is sweet if you let her into you" we both pause for a moment. "Like, emotionally I mean" which prompts a snort from Marnie. Which is when we pass the window and something strikes me off guard. Through the window the pool shed is visible, and a romping path through the snow leads to an open door.

Marnies perspective

"What?" I ask quizically as Jenny stares in bewilderment at something outside. "Is there a bear or something?" I ask jokingly, but her expression is serious. I put my head beside hers and peer out to see the warm yellow glow of the inside of the pool shed cast upon the snow, the door wide open. "What the..." before I can continue, Jenny grabs my hand in terror as we watch Blake and Barbara stumble out of the open door and collapse in the snow, they are.. hysterical.. "what the hell is going on" I ask, not expecting an answer. And than Jenny's grip tightens as she points at the red stains now soaking the snow. "Whose blood is that?, why are they covered in blood??"

Mr young's perspective:

I can't stop thinking about that poor family. Whatever tore them apart has really done a number on them. I hold my sweet wife's hand in mine as we climb the staircase and walk to our room. I plant a kiss on her soft cheek as she curls up into bed, and I walk into the bathroom to start up the shower, never noticing The slightly ajar door of the bedroom closet on my way.

Mrs young's perspective

I decide it's time to tell him. He's been so loving and so sweet that it breaks me to do so, but as I lie in bed, him not by my side, I realize I can't leave him in this same position without warning, not him, not my hero, but as I slowly roll over to get out of bed, I am just as quickly stopped by a an axe blade slamming down into my chest, looming above me like the grim reaper, a figure cloaked in black.

The lumberjacks perspective:

This one is easy, it's like shooting fish in a barrel, with the others, I have to worry about fighting back, but I'm gonna let myself go simple with this one. She doesn't compute me as I bring the axe into her chest, a sickening crack reverberating as her brittle old ribs gives way under the weight of the blade, and she can only widen her eyes in shock as i lift it up once more, her shocked eyes only closing momentarily as a splatter of blood spurts onto her face, and they stay open as I swing it back into her, a puddle of blood now forming in her crumpled in chest and finally, I bring it down one more time just to be sure, the puddle now a lake splashing me with drops of red blood as I slam it down once more into her gaping chest cavity just in time for her equally decrepit husband to open the door to what must be a pretty shocking sight.

Mr young's perspective

I must be having a nightmare, surely this is a nightmare, my cherry blossom can't be gone, not like this, not alone in bed, her chest ripped apart and soaked in blood with a demonic figure looming over her!? It must be a nightmare! But the pain I feel as a blade slides into my back just as one did in 45" is confirmation I am not, I can feel the blade scrape my tailbone as I let out a gasp of horror, and fall right into the stairwell, every impact on the way down breaking one of my frail old bones, topped off by the tell tale crack of my hip smashing against the linoleum at the bottom. And all I can do is look my killer in the eye as they pick up my walking stick, and bring it down into my eye socket, the last thing I ever feel being the sudden popping as my eyeball bursts like a smooshed grape. But it's alright, I'll be back with my sweet cherry blossom soon enough.