Game of Life

Prologue

(Sep 1, 1997)
(10:23 P.M.)
(Labor Day)
(Attwater, Louisiana)
(Location: Whispering Woods)

Inside the Whispering Woods, comes a multitude of screams and shrieks; they echo and vibrate off of the towering oak trees.

"HELP US! SOMEBODY!"

"HELP!"

Through the forest, runs a girl outfitted in a jacket and a short frilly skirt and a man with a leather jacket and black jeans. The couple pant, as they sprint through the thickets of the forest. Branches poke at their heads and leaves brush by their sides. At some points they reach for each other's hands. However, the girl is far ahead of the boy; from behind her, the boy exclaims.

"Stop!"

The boy stops in his tracks, his tennis shoes scraping the dry dark dirt on the ground. The girl stopping alongside him tugs at the man's arm, in a repeating amount of times and shrieks.

"What the hell Brad?! WE HAVE TO GET OUT OF HERE!"

Vicky continues to tug at Brad's arm. Veins visible on her forehead, her strength would be enough to tear off an oak tree root. Brad opens his mouth, creating a word with his teeth and tongue of some sort, but all that comes out is exhaustion from constant running. He finds the ability to spit out one word as he puffs up his chest.

BRAD: "No...."

The two catch their breath for a short moment before resuming their conversation. They bend over and place the weight of their shoulders onto their shivering knees.

BRAD: "We've been running for a while.. I think we've lost him Vicky."

Vicky gulps, she twists her body around, glancing at the dark forest view in front of her.

VICKY: "You sure?."

Brad nods to Vicky, reaching for her shoulders and pulling her closer to him. The two embrace with tension in their shoulders and spines that shiver.

BRAD: "Do you think Billy made it out?"

Vicky's cheeks are a rouge red, as droplets of tears drop from her eyelid. She sniffles.

VICKY: "I don't know... I don't know anything anymore..."

Vicky cries out and collapses to her knees, perhaps gaining a few splinters from the debris, natural or man made, scattered across the forest grounds.

VICKY: "GOD!"

The waterworks begin as Vicky's black makeup starts to run down her face.

VICKY: "He killed our friends! All of them!"

She leans her head on Brad's shoulder as she continuously sobs. Frowning, Brad nods. He grits his teeth and clenched his fists.

BRAD: "Yeah..... Yeah, I know. I'd like to freaking pop a cap in him. There's a reason they call him the Attwater Anti-Christ."

VICKY: "CLEARLY..."

He reaches for his right pants pocket.

BRAD: "Babe, we need to call the police, right now."

Vicky violently shakes Brad's shoulder. Brad jitters.

VICKY: "Then hurry up!"

He pulls a Motorola Startac out from his pocket and presses three buttons on the dial pad: 911. Vicky, struggling to stand, decides to sit on a nearby rock, folding her arms in her lap as tears stream down her face. She jolts her head around at moments, jumping at the slightest sound of a hoot of an owl or the snapping of a twig. The phone continues to ring as Brad stomps his feet on the hard ground. Vicky bites her nails as she listens to the ringing of the phone.