The Woods

Chapter 21

(Night 7, Victoria)
     Everything came back to me slowly. The sudden bump on the ground, the sharp spin, the impact. My head was bleeding. The windshield had been cracked inwards, glass cutting my thighs. My eyes stared ahead at the large trunk of a tree.
"Are you Victoria?"
     A soft, sorrow filled voice spoke out to me. Am I dead? I turned towards where Asher had been sitting probably hours before. He was no longer there, only an open door and empty seat. Beyond the door stood a woman. She held her abdomen and tears had stained her cheeks. Her red rimmed eyes bore into mine.
     I stared at her. Her sweater, her jeans, her shoes. Was this Madeline? Was she this close to being free? Or is she dead too? I could see the pain in her eyes as she waited patiently for a response. I could give her none. My voice had gotten lost somewhere between the crash and now.
     I had been stuck here, my leg was pinned by the dashboard. The shock had prevented me from doing anything. The girl began to climb into the truck with me, getting close to my face.
"Your leg is stuck."
     I still couldn't reply to her, my throat ached at every slight movement. She tried to wedge her hands between the dashboard and my legs, but couldn't. I looked behind her and watched as another girl came into focus. One I knew.
"Victoria! Madeline!"
     Diane shouted. Madeline jumped and turned around, looking at Diane in confusion.
"Who are you?"
"I'm Diane. But more importantly I'm your sister and I'm going to get you out of these woods."
"I don't have a sister."
"Our mom and dad. They gave me away when I was young, they couldn't afford to take care of me."
"Why should I believe you?"
"I wasn't sure if I believed it myself until I asked your mom. Amber was there too, she heard your mom."
"How do you know about Amber?!"
Tears began to fall from her cheeks again.
"I met her at the police station. She was trying to find you. And I wanted to help."
     I couldn't talk, but I would have stayed quiet anyways. I was as shocked as Madeline.
"Sometimes I have visions. Through your eyes. I've been watching you and trying to help this entire time, but things kept happening and I couldn't find you and- I'm sorry about Janet."
"What?"
     My voice was hoarse and dry. Crackling and croaking as I asked in shock. The sisters hugged in complete tears and sobs and I cried alone, stuck in the car. Diane managed to hold back her sobs long enough to tell me of Janet's fate.
"Parker, he apparently slit her throat. Her body is at the bottom of that hill behind me."
     I didn't want to believe it. The killer was someone we knew. That we had trusted. They stopped hugging and crying and faced me. They both tried to help get me out of the car, Madeline climbing inside and Diane going around to open my door.
"Madeline, go find a strong stick."
"Okay."
     Madeline retreated from the car and stepped gently into the woods. Diane faced me and held my non trapped leg.
"We are going to try and pry it open, but you need to move fast."
"I will do my best."
     Madeline returned with a sturdy stick, handing it to Diane. Diane shoved the stick in between the seat and dashboard and pushed down. The stick managed to hold and I swung my leg out from underneath and Diane let go. Madeline caught me as I fell out of the car, stumbling backwards from my weight.
     Diane caught both of us and helped us stand correctly. I wasn't sure of what to do exactly. They aren't as much a threat now, but they can't live. They don't deserve to rot in a prison cell. They need to be delivered to hell personally. Madeline reached into her pocket, producing a phone.
"This belong to you?"
     She held up my phone and I took it, looking it over for any damage, but found nothing wrong.
"Yes, thank you."
"Yeah."
"Diane, you and Madeline get out of these woods."
"What about you?"
"I have personal business I need to attend to. You two need to get to a hospital."
"What personal business?"
"Something that will give me answers and end this curse that plagues our town."
"Good luck."
     They wished me as they began their journey out of the woods. They walked holding hands. I turned away from them and headed into the woods, a fire growing brighter and burning hotter with each passing second. The house came into view. That filthy house with dark secrets. My path was suddenly blocked.
"Victoria, what are you doing?"
"Family issues."
"What do you mean?"
"I have to kill them."
"But what about Madeline?"
"She is on her way out of here with her sister."
"What if the murderer tries to stop them?"
"There won't be anyone left in these woods when I'm done."
"What do you mean when you're done? I thought you wanted me to stay with you?"
"This I have to do alone."
"I promised."
"Give me your knife."
     I demanded, finally stopping and reaching out my hand to accept the knife.
"What? No! I might need it."
"I need it. I have to kill them!"
"You'll be leaving me defenseless."
"Fine."
     I turned away from him and started walking before stopping.
"If I'm not back in an hour, leave."
"But-"
"I'm not kidding. I'm serious now Asher. If I don't come back out, just leave."
"Okay."
     I then resumed walking towards the door to my personal hell. It might as well have been the portal to a torturous hell. I opened the door and walked inside without a second thought.
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(Night 7, Madeline)
"So you're my sister?"
"Yes."
"And you can occasionally see through my eyes?"
"Yes."
"Like on command or randomly?"
"It seems random, but most of the time it was whenever you were in some kind of danger."
"Do you think you could control it? Ever?"
"I don't know. Maybe."
"So that's how you knew the killer was Parker?"
"That and a couple other things back at town."
"I can't wait to get back there."
"Just another couple miles I believe."
"I feel like that's all I've done recently. Is run, walk, and hide."
"You were being chased around by a murderer."
"Fair enough."
"You aren't getting out that easy!"
     We both heard someone shout and we turned to see a woman standing there, brandishing a bloody machete.
"That's the crazy cannibal lady from earlier!"
     I shouted to Diane.
"Looks like someone wants to duel. Madeline keep-"
     A knife flew between us and I stumbled backwards, falling into darkness. I watched as Diane's shocked face moved further and further away, out of reach to save me as the ground disappeared below me.
     I listened to the machete on machete battle above until I hit the ground, it was angled. I rolled down it into a dark cave, lit only by slight moonlight. The air was thin and damp. I could barely breathe correctly and had to adjust my breathing patterns to match the air around me.
"What is up with me falling down?"
     I stood with only a few aches and groaned as my back popped. The sounds from above had ceased and I couldn't see anyone or anything but dancing shadows of the moonlight. The cave was shrouded in darkness, covering the cave from top to bottom.
     I went to brush off my pants and felt a slight bump on one of my pockets, I reached inside and found the matches from Mary's house. I pulled out a match and struck it against the box, a flame erupting from the end of the match. The area around me was dimly lit. I carefully made my way forward, trying not to let the match go out.
     From the corner of my eye I saw a lantern, I lifted up the glass just as the match went out. I fumbled with the matches again and pulled out another one, lighting it and then lighting the lantern. The room brightened up quickly revealing old tools.
     Not ones for mining, but for tearing flesh from bone and pulling apart bones. Human remains littered the sides of the cave and a few different tables were shoved against the walls. The tools we're rusted and crumbling. Too old to use anymore.
     Vomit rose to my throat, but I choked it back down and continued on my search for a way out. A large tunnel led from the room and I jogged over to it and left with one last look. The air pushed against my face as I stepped into the moonlight, back into the same woods I had been stuck in for almost seven days.
     I looked at the cliff behind me and thought about climbing it, but remembered what had happened the last time I had climbed the hill. Instead I looked in the direction to which we were already traveling. If Victoria has been in a truck who knows how long this walk will be? Despite my thoughts I pushed on anyway.
"Hopefully the police will come and arrest these people, and Parker will get to face the law too."
"How will the police know if they can't be told by a witness?"
     I turned to look at who was there and Parker stood there watching me.
"Get away from me! What do you want?"
"Well I can't have you escaping and sending the police after me, so I guess I'm gonna have to kill you. Nothing personal."
"We used to be friends! Friends for our entire young childhood! And now you want to kill me?"
"Money is money. And I enjoy money and killing, so yeah. I do want to kill you now. If you make my job easy, I'll kill you quickly, what do you say?"
"Why don't you go kill yourself instead!"
     I yelled before running, he took a second before initiating a chase.
"Then I don't get to enjoy the money."
     I dodged around trees and jumped over roots to get away. I wasn't sure if it I could. I had no one nor anything to assist me. Soon I was growing tired and I slowed my pace. He was right behind me.
     The hand on my shoulder turned me around and the knife in his hand went for my pre-existing wound. I managed to grab it and hold his hand back, but I was forced to use both hands.
"Just let go!"
"No! I'm not dying. Not yet."
     He pushed harder and the tip of the knife brushed against the bandage covering my abdomen.
"Why not?"
"Because you're still alive!"
     The knife began to dig into my wound, causing it to begin bleeding again. However I brought the knife up and was now pressing it against him, but he was stronger.
"I'll win this fight."
"If you want me dead this bad, then you're gonna have to work for it."
     I brought my leg over and hit his, he collapsed to the ground and I took the moment to start running again. The hill next to me was steep, but running straight wouldn't have gotten me anywhere except death.
     I jumped onto the hill, ignoring the pain as I climbed away from the slashing knife below. My hands pulled me on top just as the knife lodged itself into the side of the cliff.
"You missed!"
     I taunted before watching him pull out something else. A crossbow. I forgot he owned a crossbow! I backed away from the edge as an arrow flew past my face.
"Fine! I'll be back!"
     I listened as he stormed off, obviously upset. My legs shook as I stood and looked around. Which way am I supposed to go?