Friends and Foes

Skylar- 4

I regained conscious now laying in the cold damp grass. I moved my head slightly feeling my heartbeat in my temple trying to figure out where I was. Everything ran together in blurs, I didn't have a clue where my glasses were and I was having trouble making out the four silhouettes around me, even if I could see clearly, they'd be blocking my view from the surrounding environment.

From what I could see they were all dressed in black wearing coats to ward off the cold air of the night. They were close enough to see, but the shadow that cast across their faces made defining facial features nearly impossible to identify. I didn't need faces though; I knew at least one of these bastards.

"I'm gonna fucking kill you Zachary," I wheezed not very threatening as the group roared with laughter.

My mouth was dry, and my chest felt heavy. I tried to move again, but still had the sharp object stuck deep in my leg, which I could only assume was Zach's pocketknife, as well as a horrible pain in my knee. I wouldn't have been able to run even if I was given a chance.

"I told you tonight was gonna be fun," Zach sang.

"Maybe not for you though," a familiar deep voice spoke causing laughter and cackling from the others.

I wanted to move, back away, do anything that told them I wasn't scared, but I had nothing. The slightest shift of my body sent a jolt of pain through my body, my torso felt sore and with every breath it became harder to breathe. I shut my eyes tight taking slow breaths trying my best to focus on anything except the pain praying this was all a horrible nightmare.

The leaves crunched nearby; someone was moving. I squint my eyes open slightly when I feel the body heat radiating off the person who had moved closer to me.

"Open your eyes Skylar." I released the muscles in my eyes letting them open calmly, trying desperately not to cry. "There you go. Now look at me."

I let my head fall to the side to look up at the man that was now kneeling and hoovering over me. Those beautiful forest green eyes, that shit eating grin and the busted nose from when I had kicked him. His hand ran down my body until it finally stopped at the handle of the knife in my leg, he grabbed it and pushed adding pressure to the blade, I let out a piercing scream and tears burned my eyes as a smaller figure hoovered over me. Her cold, small, delicate hands pulled the heme of my shirt up exposing my stomach. The moonlight hit her scared hazel eyes, her once sweet smile now gleamed with amusement. 

Zach pulled the blade slowly from my leg, I cried in agony, he held the blade towards the moon letting my blood drip from the blade. His eyes hardened with hatred, and I felt the blade suddenly at my stomach. The quick seconds of cold blade quickly mixed with the warmth of my blood.

"The hell are you doing," another man spoke pulling Zach back by the shoulder, "it's not part of the plan."

"I don't care, bitch busted my goddamn nose," Zach shouldered back the other guy and proceeded with his 'carving.'

I struggled and begged them to stop, I knew nothing I did would change what was happening, the numbness of the pain hit, and I started to accept that I wasn't going to make it through the night, nobody was around to help me. 

Just when I was about to give in to the pain I heard talking in the distance and saw the blur of flashlights, my fight returned.

"Help!" I screamed, tears began to burn my eyes again and my chest was on fire. "Help me!" I screamed again unsure of where the energy or air was coming from at this point.

Someone kicked me in my leg where the knife had been, pain shot up my body and Zach finally took the knife away from my skin he looked delighted with his work. The lights in the distance looked like they were moving again I choked up another breath and yelled as loud as I could, "Call 9-1-1!" 

My cry sounded much more desperate now. My shirt was yanked back down, I could feel the blood soaking into my shirt as it quickly became part of the wound. 

"Call 9-1-1," the boys yelled in a mocking tone as the other two yanked me up by my arms to my feet and began dragging me.

"Joey, they're getting too curious," Zach growled keeping his eyes on the hill above.

"Would you stop your bitching," another guy hissed.

I was in a daze trying to catch my breath and getting lightheaded from the loss of blood when I was dropped to the ground landing heavily on a branch that snapped at the sudden force. The only thing I could do was lay there gasping for air and think. The last person had to be Dylan. 

Zach, Dylan, Joey, and Jessi had always been practically inseparable, so it only made sense. If Dylan was the last one then there was no question about why Zach got snapped at, Dylan had always been Joey's bitch, he basically worshipped the man.

"Go, go, go!" Someone from the distant group was yelling.

I couldn't move, but I heard the footsteps of my only chance of survival descending, I could only assume that the group I was with was chasing them out of wherever we were. I wasn't sure how much time had passed, but the only thing I could do was lay in the cold grass and wait. I coughed and inhaled as the pain kept shooting through my chest. The pain in my leg was subsiding making me nervous, I was going to bleed out and die before they even returned, this is where I was going to die.

Grass rustled with heavy footsteps, "damn it!" Joeys deep voice growled, "we have to finish this quickly before they call the cops, which means no more fucking around Zach."

I heard Zach scoff as he helped Joey get me back to my feet. My head hung and my legs dragged on the ground causing the pain in my knee to return. My breaths were shallow and weak as hey dragged my dead weight.

"Are you sure she's not already dead?" Jessi asked as she walked backwards in front of us.

"Come on Jess," Dylan chuckled taking her hand leading her through the trees.

When we finally came through to a large open area I was tossed onto a thick piece of wood. Joey stood at the end where my head was, Zach and Dylan were on either side of me and Jessi was down at my feet. They passed rope around and before I knew it my arms and legs were being tied down.

"Please...stop..." I gasped slowly unsure if I was actually speaking.

"Not dead," Joey laughed as he tilted his head to look at me.

The ropes were tied tight, and I wanted to squirm, try to break free, but I was too weak and barely able to move. I almost felt as if they were doing their own twisted version of a crucifixion. When they pushed the wood upright, I smelled the fire they started below, only moments passed before my nostrils began to burn with thick smoke making breathing even more difficult. Eventually I stopped feeling the pain, or maybe I felt it all at once, but everything went dark.