Bookview Valley 4

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Sunrise

June 17th, Monday

The next couple of hours go by pretty fast, and the Crimson Skeleton has yet to show their face. Nick and I manage to make the bus radio work, Ben and Harper find the remaining survivors, and no one dies. A bus is coming to pick us up, and the police force is following. It shouldn't be but a couple hours before we can leave this hell hole. The police have also called the children's parents, and all of them have canceled their camping trips.

"How do I come back from this," Director Lockewood cries into Cheryl's shoulder as Nick and I walk by, passing out water bottles along with some blankets we found. Bri and Flynn, with some help, managed to bring Sebastien downstairs. They laid him in the kitchen, away from prying eyes. Flynn is staying with him, but Bri has begun to help us explain what's happened to the other counselors.

"All of that really happened?" Rachel asks when we tell her and Lilyth what happened.

"We missed it all," Lilyth shakes her head, "I'm just glad that you...most of you made it out alive."

"Me too," I mutter as Nick and I move on to the next people. After an hour or so everyone has calmed down and is chatting as though nothing happened. I've gotten a lot of questions of course, most being about my brother and the previous attacks. The exhaustion has definitely gotten heavier as the time goes on, but luckily people finally stop asking questions.

"Do you want to go sit on the couch?" Nick asks me after we've finished comforting everyone. 

"Yes please," A tired sigh escapes from me. He nods and I follow him to the sofa. He sits at one end, but I lay down with my head in his lap. Within mere seconds, I'm asleep.

. . . . .

When I wake up, the sun is shining very brightly through the windows. The chatter has all calmed down as most people are sleeping; there's a few whispers here and there. Nick has passed out, with his head in his hand, and his other hand in my hair. A smile plays on my lips as I sit up slowly, removing his hand from my hair. Inching off the couch, I look back at him. He really does look peaceful when he's asleep, but I have to look away otherwise the memories will come rushing back; I'm definitely not ready for that yet.

Glimpsing around the room, I spot each of my friends taking naps in different places. Harper is leaning against Ben, both of them passed out against a wall. Bri is curled up against Tom on the carpet. Rachel and Lillith have dragged a mattress down from one of the rooms and are asleep on it. The only person I can't find is Flynn, but I have a hunch about where he is.

Finding my way to the kitchen, I slowly push one of the doors open. Sebastien is laid on one of the kitchen's islands. Flynn is sitting against the island, his head in his hands. I start to wonder if he fell asleep like that, but he hears me take a step and looks up. His green eyes are red and puffy, but he gives me a weak smile.

"Oh, Flynn," I murmur walking over to him and sitting down, "I'm so sorry."

He sobs into my shirt as I pull him against me in a hug, "It's okay."

"It's not, I should've realized..." I trail off.

"It's okay," He repeats, but his sobs get worse. So, I just hold him in silence as he sobs against me. I run my fingers through his frosted tips, and after some time his sobs quiet down.

"Do you need me to bring you anything?" I ask after a moment. I see his eyes flit over to Sebastien, but then he shakes his head. 

"I'll...I'll be okay," He sighs. I open my mouth to say something, but then the kitchen doors swing open. Bri and Harper glance over at us.

"The police and the bus are here," Bri says after a second.

"They're asking for you, Morgan," Harper adds, before they both turn and leave.

"I'll be back," I tell Flynn, because I don't know what else to say. He gives me a little nod and I leave the kitchen. Making my way to the front doors, I come face to face with Sheriff Mulligan.

"Sheriff."

"Morgan Brooks," the Sheriff shakes his head, "can't keep away from this, can you?"

"I really wish I could," I mutter, he gives me a sad look, "but I'm glad you're here. We only have a couple dead, that we know of, but everyone needs to get out of here fast. There's a dead skeleton in the attic, her name is Erin Quinn. As for the Crimson Skeleton, we don't know where they went."

The Sheriff nods and directs some of his cops inside, "There was only one normal skeleton this time?" He asks with a raised eyebrow. I glimpse Ben, but I just nod my head. Ben is not a problem.

"Did you tell the parents not to send their kids tomorrow?" I ask before the Sheriff goes about his duty.

"Yes, we've reached them all, and they'll be staying home."

"What about my camp?" Director Lockewood cries out as one of the cops leads him out of the building.

"Shut down," Sheriff Mulligan snaps at him.

"Why?" That doesn't make sense. It wasn't his fault.

"He..he's a shady guy," Sheriff Mulligan shakes his head again, his beady eyes finding mine, "We found some strange things about him when you called. Decided to research a bit about this camp and its director."

"Oh," I mouth as I watch Cheryl glare off at Director Lockewood as he's put into the back of a cop car.

"Well, if that's everything..." Sheriff Mulligan trails off.

"Oh, yes, um, one more thing. The guy in the kitchen, Flynn, he's sitting next to one of the dead, Sebastien. Be gentle with him, please."

Sheriff Mulligan nods, "Of course, go ahead and round up your friends. Get on that bus and go home."

"Oh, I will," Smiling weakly, we both head into the cabin. Grabbing my bags and my friends, Flynn joins us after the cops go into the kitchen, we all head out to the bus.

"Let's never go camping again." Bri says.

"Agreed," Harper nods. Nick and I share a look as he loops an arm in mine.

"We should do something more normal, next time," I say, "Like maybe dinner at my house."

"That sounds better," Bri nods. Ben stays quiet and I glance over at him. He's following us, but he's refusing to look at any of us.

"And you're still invited, Ben," At that he meets my eyes and gives me a smile, "You're one of us now."

"Unless you try to kill us," Harper says, but we all laugh a little at that.

"I definitely won't," Ben grins, "I know Morgan will take me out if I do."

"Oh, she definitely would," Nick chuckles as we pile onto the bus. As the bus roars to life, with all of the remaining counselors, I can't help but feel a little hopeful that all of this is over. That maybe, just maybe, this is the end.