BODYS ; M. MUNROE

CHAPTER ELEVN

★彡

FIVE MINUTES after Chris left, Cassandra sat down on the floor, legs tucked against her chest, her back leaning against the old wall of the shed. Mike remained standing, opposite her, he leaned forward against the wall with his hands on his knees, his gaze shifting between Josh and herself.

"Are they really dead?" Josh asked, his demeanour had turned, no longer cocky, or eager to get under people's skin. Now he was just Josh, shoulders slumped, and eyes sunken. 

"Yes." Mike said, blowing out a quiet breath as he stood up straight.

Josh made a noise akin to a sob and gasp. He hung his head low, shaking his head. "I-I didn't... This... It wasn't supposed to go like this." He looked to Cassandra, who was staring at her boots. "Cassie—"

"What." She said sharply, gaze unmoving.

"I'm sorry about what I said. About Olivia... I don't know why I said it. I'm not myself sometimes..." Josh confessed, mouth slick with saliva and tears, he leaned against the wooden beam uncomfortably.

Cassandra sighed, she finally looked at him and frowned. "I know Josh." She blinked back tears, and looked down to the path Chris had taken to get back to the lodge.

"I promise I didn't—" Josh's words were cut off by a petrified scream weaving its way through the trees.

"What the fuck was that?" Mike blurted out, stepping away from the wall, looking down to where the lodge was.

"I-I don't know, but it definitely came from the lodge." Cassandra nervously rose to her feet, her hand moving instinctively to the machete still attached to her. "What do we do?"

Josh wriggled on the stool. "You can't leave me here- guys, c'mon."

Mike scrunched his eyes shut, another scream echoed around them. "He's right, he's right, okay... You go down there to see what's going on, I'll stay with him."

Cassandra stepped forward. "Are you sure? I can—"

Another scream. Cassandra bit her lip, looked to Mike then Josh, and hurried to the direction of the lodge, hoping everything was okay.

Cassandra was let into the lodge by Sam, who upon seeing her, pulled her into a worried hug. "Glad you're back, and Mike?" She looked over Cassandra shoulder.

"He's staying with Josh. What happened is everyone okay?" The girl was led into the front by Sam, her hand lightly resting between Cassandra's shoulder blades. When Cassandra's eyes landed on a shook up Emily, she sighed with relief, but the fear was quickly reignited upon not seeing Matt anywhere — and, the inevitability of Emily finding out about Jessica.

"Cass! Cass, they're saying something happened to Jessica," Emily shot up from the couch, hands wrapped around herself. "is-is she okay?" Emily blinked back tears, though her eyes were already red.

Cassandra froze as she looked at the worried face of Emily, the side of her head was bleeding, her hands were shaking violently with nerves, yet she was more worried about Jess. Cassandra blinked rapidly, before looking down at her boots, she shuddered out a sigh before looking back to Emily. "Em—"

"Cassandra? Cassandra!" Mike ran into the lodge, breathless and stressed, once his eyes landed on hers, he grabbed her shoulders and pulled her into a hug. "Jesus Christ, are you okay?"