A Distant Memory (Josh Washington Fanfic)

Chapter 8: Screams of Anger, Tears of Sorrow

Artemis has never sprinted as fast as she did the second she heard Josh screamed. She didn't wait for Ashley and Chris, she couldn't afford to.

"JOSH!" Artemis cried out desperately. She saw the closed kitchen doors and immediately started to bang on it. "Josh open the door!" Artemis could hear the doors unlock. She pushed the doors opened and was immediately hit in the back of the head. She crumbled to the floor with a groan. She vision blurred and all she saw was Ashley and Chris hitting the floor, after seconds of opening the kitchen door. She slowly closed her eyes and let the darkness take over.

~•~

Artemis opened her eyes slowly and felt a throb at the back of her head. She rubbed the crust off her eyes and looked around. Her eyes stopped at Chris's unconscious body.

"Chris!" She crept beside him and shook him hurriedly, "Chris! Chris! Wake up!" Chris moaned in pain and got up shakily. He held his head and revealed a black and blue that had already started to form.

"Artemis?" He gritted through his teeth, "Where's Ashley?"

Artemis shook her head, "I don't know."

"Oh no.. ASH!" Chris began to panic. He looked at Artemis, straight in the eye, "We need to find Ashley." He began to find his way through the lodge.

"And Josh too," Artemis reminded, tailing right behind Chris.

"Yeah, him too." Chris said absentmindedly as he hurried through the living room. He stopped in his tracks. He crouched down and picked up something off the floor.

"Chris what is it?" Artemis asked as she peered over Chris' shoulder. She clasped her hand over her mouth and gasped. It was Ashley's coin purse, but it had traces of blood on it.

"Not good..." Chris breathed unevenly. "Not good at all!" He pocketed the coin purse and went outside.

As Artemis followed Chris, she couldn't help but feel a familiar swell of fear in her heart and stomach. Josh was missing. Josh screamed and now he's missing. Tears had begun to form again but Artemis angrily wiped them away.

"He's going to be okay," she whispered to herself. "You'll make it on time,"

"ASH!" Chris shouted. "ASHLEY!" He was going to scream some more but Artemis shushed him.

"Do you want the man that took Ashley and Josh to know we're here? With you yelling, he can come back again!" Artemis scolded. Chris lowered his head but said nothing. Artemis rested her hand on Chris' shoulder and smiled sadly. "Let me take the lead." Again Chris didn't say anything but just nodded.

Immediately after she took the lead, she turned left and yelped when she saw this gruesome sight. It was a pig's head that was chopped off and lying there on the snowy floor. The smell of death hung in the air lazily.

"Aw shit," Chris said as he plugged his nose. They walked over the pig's head and spotted a building.

"Hey, let's go and check the shed. They might be in there." Artemis whispered.

Chris and Artemis enter the shed quietly and heard crying. Artemis glanced at Chris to see his face stricken with fear. Suddenly a cage had fallen right next to Artemis, who screamed out in fright.