Not Today

Chapter 9

Watching Ruby being torn apart by the fictional news that her boyfriend is dead is soul destroying. I know l have don't the best thing for her, watching him die the way Georgia did would have destroyed her completely. Tyler seems to have gone into shock from the new of his best friend since nursery being 'dead'. All I can do now I be there for them both. We have lost way too much and not losing anyone else.
'What was he like?' Ruby manages to say through the tears.
'He looked peaceful, we didn't hear him scream in pain or anything did we?' I lie, I heard his screams, I didn't see him lying peaceful, he looked like he had been torn apart by animals. The image stuck in my head, haunting me. The desperation in his voice replaying in my mind. I knew I couldn't betray him, I knew it was the best for him, for us all.

2:41am

I open my eyes to look up at trees and clouds, it's never looked so peaceful, I almost feel happy. I start to smile until I hear Tyler stirring next to me.
'Where's Ruby?' Tyler asks confused. I look around to see he is no where to be seen. I furrow my eyebrows as I sit up.
'He was here the last time I knew' I say whilst my eyes are darting around the woods 'how could we loose someone else' I say putting my hands through my hair, worried.

*3:00am*

Tyler and I have been looking for Ruby for about 20 minutes now, panic beginning to set in.
'Ruby' we scream continuously, awaiting an answer. No answer. 'I don't know what to do' I panic. 'The last time this happened.. Josh..' I say looking at Tyler who looks at the ground in sadness thinking about him.

'What is that?' Tyler says pointing at the ground to a blood trail. Without saying anything we follow the trail knowing it would be something to do with us, it has to be knowing our luck lately.

*3:10*

We follow the trail for about 10 minutes until we arrive at an opening in the trees, surrounded by stumps and blood stains on the leaves on the ground. I look around for Ruby, shouting her name as loud as possible, wanting to get out of here quickly. We turn on the flashlight on our phones and begin to look around for her.

I hear rustling in the trees and slight chattering, I pass it off as the birds even though it's slightly scaring me. I can't think about anything now, Ruby is my priority.

Just as we are about to give up we hear rustling from behind us, sounds like the direction of the car. Maybe she's heading back to the car to find us.
'Maybe she's-' he says and stops to cough.
'Maybe she's what?' I turn around to see Tyler's eyes wide open, looking as if he's been held up by someone, or something. He drops to the floor displaying a knife in his back. I look up to see Ruby, her hair tangled by her face, standing crooked and stiff, her eyes bloodshot and her skin pale.
'Ruby?'
'Why did you lie about Josh?'