Hunt of the Night

c h a p t e r t w e n t y s e v e n ( 3 r d p o v )

Previously...

Katie turned her nose up, "Absolutely not. I'll just hold it."

They laughed a little more before the rest of the girls joined them.

Jamey untied her button up from around her waist and put it on, taking a deep breath as she rolled up the sleeves on her flannel, "Let's go find Jade."

Currently...

2:15 am on Saturday

The group traveled in pairs as they began their walk into the woods. Jamey and Wyatt were leading while Kyle was the caboose. They listened to the soft thud their shoes made on the ground. They listened to the sound of their own breathing as they climbed over the fallen logs. They listened to the sound of the water running down the stream off to the slight distance. What they weren't listening to, however, was the man breathing hard as he moved an unmoving body off into the distance.

No one spoke as they moved through the foggy terrain, under branches, and over rocks. They were too scared to speak, afraid of the possibilities that were ahead of them. That sickening feeling that something was just not quite right never leaving them with each step they took into the thickening woods. Every now and then their silence would break with Katie's sobs as she held onto hopes that her friend was okay.

Chris and Shawn followed in tow behind Jamey and Wyatt, keeping their snide remarks to themselves. Behind them, John and Amber, although still clouded with the tension between them, walked side by side. Long ago, Charlie had stopped trying to make Katie feel better and ate the rest of the snacks in her bag as she walked next to Mikie. Rosie and Katie followed in line, both sharing an awkward silence as two separate parts of the world stood next to each other.

Chris pulled another joint out of his bag, and lit it. Shawn looked over at the boy with the blunt between his lips. Chris must have noticed because he held the joint out to Shawn. He knew drugs were bad, but seeing the predicament they were in he figured it wouldn't hurt. Shawn inhaled the death smoke, feeling it fill his lungs, and ignored his fears that the Reaper himself had swept Jade away.

Katie sighed as the smoke wafted in front of her, "Really? Another one?" Her tone laced with a coldness none of the others thought she could possess. "My friend is missing and all you can do is smoke?" Her voice gradually rose as she forced her way to the beginning of the line. She pushed the boys' chests, tears filling her eyes.

"What else are we supposed to do? We are in the woods in the middle of the night looking for a girl who was too stupid to stay with her group. So, yeah, I'm having a smoke," Shawn spoke up first, handing her the blunt. "You should try it. It'll help calm you down."

Katie wiped her tears away with animosity, "You know what would really calm me down right about now?" She slowly approached the boy, lowering her voice slightly. "Taking your lacrosse stick and beating your inconsiderate ass." She raised her hand as if she was going to throw a punch at the boy, but before she could, Jamey intervened.

"Okay, tension is high, but this isn't how we are gonna find Jade. Let's all just calm down, and keep moving. Where was the last time you guys saw Jade?" Jamey asked as she pushed her way in between the athlete and the emotional girl.

Mikie decided he would answer the girl, after Shawn just inhaled more smoke, "She stormed off when we were at the lake. We thought she was just ahead of us, but she wasn't."

Jamey nodded again, "Okay, so let's just hope she found her way back to the lake, and is just swimming or something."

They all mumbled their agreement, following behind Jamey who decided she was going to lead. It didn't take long for Wyatt to catch up to her, feeling he should lead as well, "I think I should hold the flashlight."

Jamey scoffed, "No way, you should have brought your own."

Wyatt glanced back at his redheaded friend with distaste, "I did. Ask the redheaded gemini about what happened."

Kyle overheard them, and spoke up to defend himself, "It was an accident."

Wyatt flipped him the bird before looking back at Jamey, "Can I carry the light?" Jamey shook her head no again. Wyatt decided to take matters into his hands and tried to take the light from her.

"What are you doing? Give it back!" Jamey whined as she tried to pull the light from her opponent.

"Just let me hold it!" Wyatt tugged it back. The two were so caught up in their argument that they didn't notice they had arrived at the lake. The rest of the group members stood back, watching the two.

"Fine! You carry it!" Wyatt groaned and let go of the light, but Jamey was still tugging. Jamey ended up falling on her ass and the flashlight went flying behind her, landing in the water with a "ploop".

Jamey was so angry as she stood to her feet, "Are you kidding me? That was our only flashlight! Why do you have to be such a controlling asshole?"

Wyatt gaped at her, "I'm the asshole? You are the one who wouldn't share!"

Jamey gasped, "It's my flashlight!"

Wyatt was about to counter, but Katie interrupted their bickering, "Guys! We need to stop arguing and keep looking for Jade!"

Jamey gave one last glare at Wyatt, before straightening her shirt, and glancing around at the deserted lake. "Jade!" she called out in hopes the girl would emerge from the water, but she didn't.

Katie was frantically looking around for her friend, but there was no sign the girl was anywhere near, "Guys, she isn't here. She's gone!"

Chris was the first to come to her aid, "Calm down Bambi. She must've moved on to the tree house or something."

Katie nodded her head, "Yeah! We should go to the tree house!"

Mikie also made a suggestion, "She could have gone to the old shed! She could have sniffed her way there because of the flowers."

Katie's face brightened, "Yeah! She helped Kim K make her perfume and can smell flowers really well! We have to go to the flowers!"

Wyatt spoke up, "Do you know the way to the shed?"

Mikie nodded, "Yeah, it's passed the treehouse a ways."

Jamey nodded, "Okay, Mikie, lead the way!" All the teens turned to follow the small boy with the glasses, but the crack of lighting over the water caught their attention. Slowly, all the teens turned their gaze to water as thunder rolled over the lake.

Katie was the first to react. "We need to go. Now."

And with that, all the teens turned back to find Mikie had already began his sprint towards the shed.

They didn't hesitate to follow.   

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QOTC What do you think of this side of Katie?