The Group, the Idiot, and the Murderer -Mavin short story-

Chapter 3 - The Murderer

        It was a windy night, one that I needed to wear my red hoodie for so I could keep the cold out. But no matter how much I tried to keep warm in it, I still felt an occasional shiver down my spine. The others didn't talk to me, so I didn't talk to them. Jack and Ray followed behind me in a quick stroll.

I looked back at the cabin when I got to the tree, noticing the eyes peeking through the blinds of the window. It made me uneasy the way some of them weren't looking at me, Jack, or Ray, but were instead focused on the darkness beyond us. 

"Jack, you look like you have the most strength," I heard Ray say. "How about you do the chopping?"

I turned around and eyed the branch that Ryan had told us to climb on.

"I can help you up," I offered. 

"Thanks," he said, grasping the knife firmly in his hands. He made it to that branch alright but needed assistance to get to the next one. I stood next to him, letting him use my hands as a footstep. Jack was heavy, but I was able to lift him up to the top of the tree. 

"Okay, I'm up," he said. It was hard to see him, but I kept my eyes up. I would never have admitted it, but looking around at the rest of the trees was too spooky. I didn't like knowing that there could be someone waiting and watching behind any one of them. I tried not to dwell on the though of that last part. Instead, I focused on the sounds of Jack trying to chop off an entire tree branch. He was chopping at it as if it were an axe. 

"I might need some help up here."

"For what?" I asked. 

"Some weight to pull the branches down." 

Before I could reply, Ray had already climbed the first branch. "I'll do it." 

I cupped my hands again and let Ray climb on me to the top. He was easier to get up because he was lighter than Jack and had a better grip with his checker print vans. 

With both of them out of sight, I quickly felt alone. 

"Try standing on this branch here," I heard Jack tell Ray. "and hold onto that one so you don't fall." Then more chopping. 

I looked back at the eyes in the house. I really wanted to get this all over with. 

"Everything okay down there, Michael?" Jack asked. 

"Yup," I said, but I didn't think anyone heard me over the sound of the first tree branch falling to the ground with a thump.

Ray must have been able to see me, because he began laughing like a hyena after the branch made me jump. I looked back at the cabin and saw some more barely visible laughing faces. Gavin had a part of the blinds opened enough to show me his tongue sticking out. I flipped him off. 

"Are you friends with that guy? Gavin?" Ray asked me as Jack started cutting off the next branch. 

"No, I didn't know him before this thing if that's what you're wondering. Why?"

"No reason. You just seem to like... making fun of each other." 

I didn't know what that meant, but I supposed Ray thought we were close or something. I liked teasing Gavin because he seemed like a total idiot, but maybe part of me also thought he was friend material. Too bad I found him insanely annoying.

"We should probably all stay friendly with each other if we're going to make it through this," Jack said. Was he trying to tell me to be nicer?

"As if Gavin could be help to us," I said sarcastically as I sat down on the low tree branch, facing the log cabin.