The Cabin In The Woods

chapter one

Sawyer Mcminn wasn't your normal freshman. The boy enjoyed reading about serial killers and murders amongst other things. He thought everything about killers was interesting, why they did it, how they worked up the guts to do it, and how they lived with themselves afterwords, he wanted to know it all. Students at his school believed he was going to grow up to be a sociopath, or that he already is one. Rumors followed the boy around like the plague, he couldn't escape them, so he started accepting them. It wasn't long before people feared Sawyer Mcminn. They avoided him in the halls and whisper every time they made eye contact with him, if I die tomorrow he did it. Sawyer thought all of it was hilarious, popularity was never something he wanted or envied, he was plenty happy being the weird boy.

His best friend, Zachary Brunnette, usually made jokes about him being a future murderer. He'd even given Sawyer the nickname "SawZaw" to represent a infamous horror series they watched constantly about a masked man who killed his victims with a single handsaw. Sawyer never believed any of the jokes or rumors, he just kept reading and ignored the negative people. He knew he wasn't a sociopath, he'd even taken a test once online to see if he showed any signs of insanity and the test said he was not in danger of becoming a killer. He was as normal as anyone else around him was, he just had odd hobbies. However, as soon as word spread about Catherine Murphy's death more rumors spread saying that Sawyer murdered her just to see how it felt to have someone's blood on his hands and ninety percent of the students at his school believed it.

Sawyer went to lunch that Friday after the murder was announced and a curfew was set for the town and people whispered a new theory with every step he took. His lunch table consisted of the only friends he'd ever had, Zachary, Zachary's girlfriend — Pheobe, and Zachary's twin sister — Jacelyn.

"Who do you guys think did it?" Jacelyn asks as soon as she sat at the table.

"Did what?" Zachary asks with his mouth full of cold half cooked cafeteria fries.

"Who do you think killed Catherine?" Jacelyn asks eagerly leaning forward to hear their replies as clear as day.

"How should we know? I don't think it was anyone from our school, it just doesn't seem likely." Pheobe says placing a piece of her brown hair behind her ear as she spoke. "Everyone here is too cowardly to kill someone."

"I mean, she was supposedly at a Sophomore party before she died. I think it's pretty obviously a Sophomore." Sawyer says with a yawn.

"What about Justin Brown? He doesn't seem too sad or freaked out about the murder." Jacelyn says glancing at the table that Justin Brown sat at. Justin was a sophomore jock, he knew his way around every court on school grounds. He was probably the captain of every sports team. Everyone loved the guy, he wasn't necessarily a bad kid, he wasn't rude, he just looked like the type that could tear you in half like a piece of paper.

"Neither are we." Zachary points out with a shrug.

"Maybe we should just let the police figure this out." Phoebe mumbled.

"Are you kidding me? No way! This is the first interesting thing that ever happened at Eden. Tonight we're all going to find that cabin and if you say no I'm going alone which means I could die and my blood would be on your hands." Zachary says popping another fry in his mouth.

"No thanks, I don't feel like being murdered." Pheobe says quietly.

"Come on babe, it'll be an adventure." Zachary says, wrapping an arm around Pheobe's shoulders.

"Zach I don't think that's a good idea." Jacelyn says, suddenly looking scared of the idea.

"Jace, don't call me Zach." Zachary says, his spirit suddenly became dull.

"Sorry." Jacelyn says and hugs herself while rubbing her arms like she was cold.

"You know what, Zachary I'll go find the cabin with you. As long as we bring a pocket knife or something." Sawyer says. Zachary immediately perked up and smiled at his friend.

"Seriously? Eight o'clock?" Zachary asks with a wide toothy grin.

"Yeah, sure." Sawyer grins too. Ever since Zachary and Jacelyn's father died Zachary was hardly ever himself. Sawyer tried his best to keep his best friend optimistic. Zachary and his dad had been closer than any father and son could ever be. Zachary's dad had always called him Zach and so did Jacelyn, now that his dad is gone he hates being called by his nickname. Sawyer even gave Zachary a key to his own house just in case Zachary ever needed someone to talk to in the middle of the night or anytime he needed.

"Count me out, I don't want to die." Jacelyn says. "I just wanted to hear your theories not your death wish."

"Yeah, count me out too." Pheobe says. Then suddenly Jacelyn's best friend, Lucy Hunter, who rarely sits with them, sat on the left side of Sawyer and took one of Zachary's fries. Zachary looked offended and raised an eyebrow at this girl.

"Dude," Zachary says raising his hands in protest.

"I just got back from the police station, they were asking a buttload of questions about Catherine." Lucy says as she pops the fry in her mouth. "So, anyways what are we talking about?"

"Zachary and Sawyer are trying to get themselves killed." Jacelyn says blandly.

"I'm in! What are we doing?" Lucy asks, she was grinning ear to ear like she'd always wanted to have a near death experience.

"We're going out to find the cabin Catherine was murdered in." Sawyer says. Sawyer was never the type of person to worry over something. He'd let the thought that a girl was murdered in this place slip right over his head.

"Yeah, that's pretty dumb but I can help." Lucy grins. "Pick me up at around seven thirty, my parents will be asleep."

"Your parents go to sleep at seven thirty? Even my grandma is awake then." Zachary replies.

"They have to deal with six boys and a moody teenage girl, I think they deserve to go to sleep early." Lucy said and tried to snatch another fry from Zachary's plate but Zachary smacked her hand away.

"Fine, I'll pick you up at seven thirty then we'll get Sawyer right after."

Sawyer nods and let's out another long yawn.

"You look like you haven't slept in two days." Pheobe says

"That's because I haven't. Ever since Catherine, my mom has sat in my room when I went to bed and everytime I'd fall asleep she'd hear something outside and start screaming for my dad." Sawyer groans and lays his head on the table.

"Are you sure you're not too worn out for you three's deadly adventure?" Jacelyn asks with her voice filled with genuine concern.

"No, it's okay. I'll just take a nap when I get home." Sawyer says

"Alright! Then it's settled, we find that cabin tonight." Zachary smiles before standing up from the table and tossing his lunch tray in the trash can and leaving the cafeteria.