The Woods

Chapter 19

(Day 6, Victoria)
     We switched sides of the car, Asher hesitant about me driving. I put the car in reverse and backed out of the driveway, pulling out onto the road heading for Parker's house.
"So who is Diane? And who is Parker? Who are all these people?"
"After you left me and Janet met three other people. Diane, Parker, and Amber."
"And what happened after that?"
"Well the house collapsed as you could probably have told from yesterday. We all made it out with only a few bruises and cuts, except Parker. He went missing."
"No one knows where he went?"
"No, not as far as I know."
"Was he acting weird or anything?"
"No!"
"Maybe he is the one going after Madeline?"
"Maybe. I don't know."
     We finally arrived at Parker's house, an entirely new atmosphere surrounding the place. We stepped out of the truck and went to the front door, going inside. My instant reaction was shock followed by curiosity.
"My dad attacked me here, where is all the blood? Where is the body?"
"Maybe this Diane you were supposed to be meeting cleaned up the mess?"
"Maybe, but she doesn't know who he is."
"Well if it was a dead body then…"
"It would be best to get rid of the evidence."
     I looked over at the neat counters. Not a single drop of blood or anything else. It looked as though a tornado of cleanliness had passed through the house, fixing everything.
"Place is pretty neat actually."
     Asher commented as he explored the house, looking over certain things and replacing them to their original positions. My brain was still trying to compute what had happened to the body and blood and where Diane might be at.
"Asher?"
"Yeah."
"We might be able to help Madeline."
"How?" He asked turning to me.
"If we, get rid of my family. Then they are no longer..."
"A threat to Madeline."
"Exactly, but we might need some supplies. Can you drive us to the store, hopefully you have money."
"Yeah." He said patting his pocket.
"Great."
     We hurried from the building and hopped into the truck, Asher quickly pulling out and heading for the store to go buy supplies. I leaned my head against the cold window, watching as birds began to fly from the telephone wires, but landed on the road beside me.
     Out of nowhere a car rammed it and I shook from the surprise. Poor bird. I thought as I turned my attention to the windshield. I'd be killing my own flesh and blood. Can I do it? Am I capable? My soul was torn. I knew it was the right thing to do, but they were still family.
     The store came into view, a sea of cars in front of the doors. So busy. How many people had to go to the store today? My mind was made up however and I quitted the truck, heading into the store Asher in tow.
"So what exactly are we looking for?"
"Anything that will help us defend ourselves from murderous cannibals I guess."
"Okay."
     The glass doors slid open to reveal isles with wandering people. Shopping carts being pushed in every direction, beeping from the front of the store and chatter everywhere. I wandered to the equipment isle and walked casually down the path.
     My fingers ran along the edge of every item as I stepped carefully over each tile of the floor. In my daydream I had succeeded in saving Madeline and we were here to buy some things to celebrate with. What snapped me out of the daydream wasn't Asher but the lights going out.
     I looked up and around for shocked faces, but found no one. Heard no chatter. Everything had ceased. No squealing of carts, no cries from children, no chit chat from adults. Just silence. I turned the corner of the long isle, now at the back of the store.
"Who turned off the…"
     I stopped as I rounded the corner watching with wide eyes as a tall, well built figure passed on the other end. What is he doing here? How did he know? Did he follow us? Is he trying to stop us? I flipped back around breathing heavily as I leaned against the wall.
     My heart caught in my throat as I peered around the corner and standing halfway down the isle was my uncle. He definitely saw me and started charging over. My legs carried me quickly into the next isle.
     I looked around for anything to use, anything to fend him off. Simple children's toys filled the shelves around me, taunting me with their painted smiles and unblinking eyes. "You're gonna die." I could hear them telling me as I backed away from my approaching uncle.
"Your father just wanted to tie up loose ends. I guess I'll finish tying them up then."
     He remarked as he came within a few feet of me. I could see the same eyes of my father. The eyes that could go from loving and warm to violent and venomous in a split second. He hand grasped my throat and lifted me straight off the ground.
     My feet dangled underneath me, my arms on his trying to force him to let go. His other hand held his stomach, like he was in some kind of pain. My thoughts were becoming less and less understandable, outlandish and insane ideas popping into my mind.
     Scenarios dealing with miracles and aliens and mythical creatures played over and over in my head, my mouth opening for air to come and fill my empty lungs. No screaming or crying for help, no one was going to save me.
     Some people said there would be light to go towards as you died. Someone you loved would be waiting to help you pass into the afterlife. But all I saw was my uncle's face and the darkness surrounding it. This is how I die. I wasn't scared.
     Should I be scared? Sad? Upset? I didn't know how I felt. Then I knew that no feelings or thoughts or careful planning could save me. I could remember something about how in life or death situations people would resort to their primal instincts as well.
     All I could do was accept fate. This is the end of me, no more Victoria. No happy ending, just darkness. It wasn't the thought of eternal darkness or the thought that I was dying at the hands of another person that made my instincts kick in and bring my foot up to ram it into my uncle's stomach to make him let go. But the fact that I would be failing Madeline, that everything I had gone through would be in vain. For absolutely nothing.
     My throat hurt and I needed air, but there wasn't time to breathe. He stumbled back before charging at me again, a little out of breath. I couldn't move, I couldn't run. My leg flew upwards and he ran right into it, stopping him dead in his tracks as he toppled backwards falling to the ground in pain.
     I took a minute to regain some of my breath before walking over to his head and stared at him. My hand slipped into my back pocket and I produced one of the knives from earlier. I put it against his throat.
"I have some loose ends to tie up myself."
     I croaked out before slitting his throat, some blood flying outwards, the rest gently flowing from the wound as he attempted to stop the bleeding. His pleading eyes dug into mine as blood dribbled from his mouth. I took the knife and drove it into his stomach.
"I mean business now. You can tell that to my dad in hell!"
     I removed the knife and scooted until my back was against the isle wall. My eyes were focused on him as he bled out, the light fading from his eyes as his hands fell limp. My breath came back to me finally and the lights turned on.
"Victoria!"
"Asher?" I weakly called out.
"Vic, what happened? I went to turn the power back on."
"I killed my uncle. Two down, two to go."
"Are you okay, your voice…"
"He got me, but I'm okay I guess." I said as I stared at the ceiling.
"I bet it was scary." He said taking a seat next to me.
"Not really. More confusing. I didn't know how to feel but then I remembered I was on a mission and I managed to get out of his grasp."
"At least your okay." He said hugging me.
"Yeah." I spoke with tears forming in my eyes as I hugged him back.
"Promise me next time you'll help me."
"I promise."
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(Day 6, Madeline)
"Janet?"
"Yeah?"
"Thank you."
"For what?"
"For saving my life." We stopped walking and turned to face each other.
"I did what was right. I had to, I couldn't let another innocent person in this town die if I could help it."
"Still, you saved me. Risked your life so I could live."
"You're welcome." She smiled before turning back to the trees in front of us, "You know. When we get out of here I should write a book. After getting us some milkshakes and food of course."
     To that we laughed. It felt nice to laugh after so long of surviving, defending myself. We continued through the trees, their dead branches tangling together as they competed for sunlight.
"I guess even trees have hope too." I said aloud.
"You know when I was young I used to watch birds as they flew away. And then I did myself."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, I when I was a lot younger I used to be in a house with terrible people. They were so mean and evil one moment and then spent the next trying to mend the hurt they caused. I watched birds as an escape. Watched how they flew away from the snaring branches of the trees, but I guess I related to the way they came back to their nests, once again being held back by their homes. But I always wanted to fly away, be free from my 'tree' and be far far away. But I finally got that opportunity and took it, flying away from the confines of that place."
"I can't really relate, but at least you got away from those terrible people."
"I guess, they were still my parents though."
"Huh?"
"They're the only family I have. See I'm adopted and they never missed an opportunity to make that fact known."
"Why would they adopt you and then basically abuse you?"
"You know, I kinda wondered that myself. I always thought that it was me that was the problem, but it was them."
"I never knew you had such a terrible childhood."
"You barely knew me." She chuckled.
"Fair enough. But still…"
"Yeah."
     She smiled weakly and then stopped motioning for me to get low to the ground, which I did. Then I heard it too, steps. Suddenly a large doe appeared from between the trees.
"What?" Janet whispered as he stood slowly.
"It's the one I petted earlier." I said following suit.
"You pet a doe?"
"It came up to me."
"Wow."
     It slowly approached me with a warm look in its eyes. I crouched to its level and rested my forehead against its cold wet nose. My hand ran down its back, the fur running sweetly between my fingers.
"Madeline? Are you actually petting a doe right now?" Janet whispered again.
"Yes."
     I stated. The doe suddenly backed away and disappeared back into the woods. Why? What are you? I turned back to Janet to start talking, but said nothing as I noticed something laying on the ground. I walked past Janet and crouched down next to it.
     My fingers gently wrapped around the phone. I stood and turned in surprise as the screen came to life. I would have jumped up and down had I not been in pain.