Fear Itself

Chapter two

Abbie sat on the log next to me on the far side of the campfire. She holds a solo cup in one hand and a small package in the other. I can smell the booze on her breath and I can guess what the package is. Her boyfriend, Jake, comes and sits beside her, kissing her neck and holding her side. They laugh and giggle and she mutters something to me that I can't quite catch through her drunken slur. They get up and kind of jog towards the cabins. I'm not going to bed for the next couple of hours. I slouch on the log and the fire warms my face, it feels nice to be alone. I don't know why my friends wanted me to go to this thing so bad. They all know I don't like parties. At twenty years old and in an online college my social skills are that of a newborn baby's. All the cabin lights are on besides a few probably occupied by couples. I stand up and rock back a little bit, losing my balance. I want to go get a flashlight and take a walk.

The flashlight isn't strong enough to luminate the woods like normal, the batteries must be dying. I take a few more steps and step on a twig, it cracks in half under my feet. A few trees over another twig cracks. I shoot my attention in that direction and point the dull flashlight at the endless mess of trees. I release my breath that I was unknowingly holding and relax my shoulders. The flashlight dies, drowning me in darkness and making me hold my breath again. I smack the flashlight and it flickers enough to see a large built man standing right in front of me. I smack it again to confirm its not my imagination. I drop the useless flashlight and run in the direction I came from. Or so I thought. I trip over a tree root and scrape my knee. I cant see to tell if the tall man is following me but I get up and continue running anyway. By now I can tell I'm already really far away from camp and the only thing they will be able to hear if I scream is the echo off the trees. I stop and take a random left in hopes that I'm going in the right direction now. I'm holding out my hands like a pathetic cartoon character so I don't run into any trees. In the distance i can see the firelight and the feeling of safety hits me like a bullet train. Now I'm dodging trees with my vision and watching my feet so I don't trip. I'm not sure how but i stopped paying attention long enough to run my whole left side into a tree. I fell and hit the ground with my chest, knocking the wind out of me and making it hard to see. My ears are going in and out and now I hear a few muffled screams. Damn i screwed up. The screams get louder and some fall silent. What the hell is going on? i catch my breath and get up again, keeping my focus um on the ire so I know where I'm going. I make it to the fire and i see people running in scattered groups like chickens with their heads cut off. The tall man following them and carrying a blade as long as thigh. He walks in unwasted moves and paces himself to the feet of his victims. He swings the blade in such a majestic way its almost like a dance show. He strikes and two people fall in halves to the ground. Blood splattered everywhere and the people in front of them are sprayed in the backs. The tall man remains calm while the others scream in an earpiercing shrill. I wish they would stop screaming like that and get their heads on their shoulders. I'm frozen in shock at what I'm watching, its like a Halloween horror film and I'm the audience. A breeze of cold air blows and I shiver, stepping closer to the fire and trying to keep warm. A few more shrilling screams are silenced and I'm pulled out of my shock. I run to the cabins and head for Abbie's cabin.

The lights are off but the metallic smell of blood tells me every thing i need to know. The man already paid them a visit. My throat swells in fear and I'm choking back my tears. I grab my bag and run to the main cabin, which still smells like a cabin at least. I walk cautiously and keep my attention alert. In the kitchen I grab random foods, probably some that I wont even eat and a can opener from the drawer, could come in handy. The knife holder catches my attention and I pull out the biggest and the second smallest knives from it.