The Hunter [completed]

FOUR

I sat by the bank with my back against the rock where Hannah had been sitting. Hannah had gone back up to the cabin, announcing she was freezing. She was right. We were due for a change in the weather. Th air was chill now, and I had wrapped myself in the towel. The lads were still playing around in the water. Christie sat next to me with the same blank and absent expression as before. I could barely see the goosebumps on her arms, but she didn't even look like she noticed. "What's wrong?" I asked. At first she didn't say anything, just kept her eyes fixed at the pond. I was starting to shake from the chilly wind that for only maybe half an hour ago had been a neutral temperature. I was about to get up when Christie turned to face me. Her expression was still the same. In a grave voice she said; "I can see them, Mia. All the people that have drowned here." Chills ran down by spine like a bolt of lightning when I realised that I hadn't heard her wrong. "W-what do you mean?" Her head turned away from me and stared out to the pond again. "They are so many, some of them so young..." Christie was at that point the only one of us that wasn't drunk. "Stop it. You can't be serious," I said, trying to sound braver than I felt. "I wouldn't expect you to believe me," she just replied, solemnly. This was far too fucked up for me, so I put my shoes on and made my way back up to the cabin. She could see dead people in the pond now. Sure.

Hannah was waiting for me in the cabin. I was impressed, because she had actually managed to get a fire going in the small fireplace. This might sound like nothing to most, but she was an only child and was spoiled rotten. "I think Christie's gone mental," I said. Hannah looked at me bemused. "What do you mean?" I walked through to the bedroom to get some new underwear and some warm clothes. "She was talking about dead people in the water," I explained as I came back out to the living room. Hannah's face changed expression. She looked serious now. Her head dropped, and almost in a mumble she said to me; "She told me something similar one time I stayed over at her previous house. She was convinced it was haunted. I didn't believe her at first... but I was stood in the bathroom brushing my teeth when I felt... I don't know how to describe it. It was like the air all of a sudden was very heavy and it was hard to breathe. I swear, Mia, that I felt someone breathe down my neck." I stared at her, out of words. "Ho- how come you've never told me any of this?" I almost screamed. This was all too much. Hannah shrugged. "To be honest with you I've basically done my best to forget the whole thing." I placed myself down on the floor in front of the fireplace and looked at Hannah. "And here I am thinking-" I stopped. Better not tell Hannah that I just thought her cousin was being weird to get attention, like she so often did. "Never mind," I huffed, and added "But I'm not going back down there again!"

Lee, Sean, Danny and Christie entered the cabin some minutes after. The lads had smug grins on their faces, like they shared a secret. Christie came last, looking thoughtful and downright scary by what I had just heard. So she could really see dead people? "Ah, warm!" Sean beamed and plonked himself down next to me while drying himself off with the towel. "Who's up for another round of drinking game?" Danny wanted to know. Lee and Sean screamed 'yes' in unison. "Boring, girls," Lee concluded. They got changed and placed themselves in the already heavily crowded sofa. "Cosy," Sean grinned at me. Not very enthusiastically I smiled back. For me the night was ruined. Not just the night, but the entire stay. I just wanted to go home.

I excused myself to go to the outhouse when the distinct sound of thunder rolled above us. In less than a second the heavens opened and the rain came falling down hard. A flash of lightning tore up the dark sky as I ran over to the outhouse. Rain was pouring down. From my peripheral view I noticed that the black tarpaulin that had covered the firewood was slightly uneven. I quickly ran over to adjust it properly to avoid the rest of the firewood getting wet, when I perceived movement from it. I was in no mood to meet a badger, raccoon or any sort of animal, so I stepped away and continued towards the outhouse.

On my way back I almost ran straight in to Sam and Jess. They were soaked wet, but were all smiles. I didn't want to know what they had been doing out there in the woods. Sam winked at me as he let me in first. Jess closed the door behind us as the thunder rolled.

I had calmed myself down after the disturbing tale from Hannah. I tried to convince myself that everything I had experienced while being here, plus what Christie said was just blown out of proportions in my overly active imagination.

As the storm raged outside, we were sat inside by the fireplace, having a good time talking and playing a board game. I had lit up some candles and it was actually very cosy. Another crack of thunder was heard, and a flash of lightning lit up the small living room. In that very same second, there was a heavy knock on the door.