The Woods

Chapter 23

(Night 7-Day 7, Victoria)
     The old creaking floorboards reminded me of the hell I was in. No one else was in sight. My hands tightened into a fist as I made a beeline for the kitchen. I knew one of them had to be downstairs, preparing some kind of sick meal.
     I ripped the door open and listened to the loud bang produced from it hitting the wall. My feet slammed against the steps as I stormed down them into the heart of the house.
     Blood filled the atmosphere of the room. Along the wall I saw a few tools and thought about grabbing a machete but decided against it. Instead I explored around the room.
"If you're down here, show yourself! I'm not playing games anymore!"
     My eyes widened as I heard someone coming down the stairs. I turned around to find my father staring at me, his face red with resentment. He charged at me and before I could react I was against the table, his hands around my throat.
"I'll kill you here then!"
     He yelled in my face, spit flying into my cheeks. My hands met his face and I poked at his eyes, but he continued to choke me. He forced me against the table harder and I felt pressure against my lower back.
     My hand traveled to my pocket and I felt the knives still in there. My fingers wrapped around the handle and pulled it out. I jammed it into his large arm and he stumbled backwards, ripping it out as I moved to the other side of the table.
     He started going one way and I would move the other, if I moved he went the same way. I had one knife left and I concealed it from his sight. We stayed in our little loop for awhile until he spoke.
"Do something you coward!"
     I threw the knife and it made him fall to the ground  so I ran. As I passed him, I removed the gun from my pocket. He tripped me and I fell, the gun sliding away from me and to the stairs. I began to crawl but was dragged backwards.
     My feet went wild, kicking with all the force I still possessed. Some connected while others took seconds to recover from. Finally he lost his grip and I scrambled to the gun, turning around quickly as I stood. My hand trembled as I pointed the gun at him. He stood menacingly opposite me.
"You'll still die."
"I'll be able to die happily."
"With blood on your hands?"
"It won't be blood, it will be the filth that you all are made of."
"Are you going to kill your mom and brother too? Your uncle?"
"My uncle's dead."
     My finger tightened around the trigger and the gun acted. The bullet flew across the room, seemingly in slow motion and landed right in his face. He stumbled backwards and fell onto the table, which collapsed under him. All the debris fell on top of him.
"And now you are too."
     I sighed deeply before walking out of the basement. Looking over at the stairs I unconsciously shuffled over to them and began to climb. I found my way to a door and silently slipped inside.
     In the room was a medium sized bed covered in a dark pink comforter and dark blue pillows. I approached the dusty mirror and used my shirt to wipe it down, staring at my reflection. I looked so different than how I did seven days ago.
"What other secrets did this house hold?"
     I sighed as I took a seat on my bed, still staring at the mirror. I rose and traveled from the room and walked the old hallway and right into their room. Inside, the large bed sat against the middle of the right side wall across from the dresser and television.
     On the wall to my immediate right was their closet which I opened and searched in for anything that could tell me more about what had been happening over the years. A bunch of legal papers sat in an old shoebox and other papers lied scattered on the closet ground.
     Among the papers one caught my attention. I picked it up before carrying it over to the bed, sitting down to read over it. I read it to myself once and then unable to comprehend what I read, I reread it aloud.
"I will pay $1,500 dollars in cash for the termination of Madeline."
     It was a short note, a short agreement on the ending of another's life. So they also worked as assassins? What didn't they do? I looked at the bottom of the note expecting some kind of signature. Parker. My breathing became more intense as I thought about the situation.
"He deserves whatever fate befalls him."
     I muttered under my breath before standing and pocketing the note as I left the house to find Asher standing outside, waiting. As soon as he saw me ran over and start asking questions.
"Who was in there? Did you kill them?"
"My father. He's dead for good."
"No one else was there?"
"No."
     I could've sworn I heard him sigh with relief, but my hearing was still slightly impaired because of the gun. We walked onwards for awhile before I gained the right mindset to ask him about the truck accident.
"Why did you leave me in the truck by myself?"
"What do you mean?"
"I got stuck in the truck and you just left."
"I thought you were dead at first, there was so much blood and I climbed out of the truck to cry when I noticed you were still breathing. I was trying to think of a way to get you out, but couldn't think of anything at first. Walking always made me think, I don't work extremely well under pressure you see."
"How did you know I was going to come back to my old house?"
"I didn't, my walk took me back here and then I saw you. And you also said that you wanted to kill them all, so I figured you would come here also I guess."
     I looked off into the trees before nodding.
"Let's get back to town and see Madeline and Diane at the hospital."
"Sounds like a good idea to me."
     Our walk lasted at least two hours and we were completely tired as we stood in front of the hospital doors. We walked in and went to go talk to the receptionist.
"We are looking for Madeline and Diane, they should've arrived earlier today."
"I'm sorry, but there isn't a Madeline or Diane in the system."
"Where would they be then?"
"Ma'am is something wrong?"
"The missing girl, she was supposed to come here with her sister. Something bad must have happened!"
     I ran out of the hospital and sat on the sidewalk watching the woods across the road as cars passed between me and the place where Madeline and Diane were trapped. I felt a presence nearby, but didn't turn to see who it was. Asher took a seat next to me and placed his hand on my knee.
"Now what?"
"We need to get back out there and look!"
     I stood quickly, but Asher pulled me back to the sidewalk.
"You need to rest, you can't go and kill yourself for them, you have to live too."
"But they are in more danger than us!"
"They have survived this long, I'm sure they will be okay for one more night."
"But what if tonight they don't make it?"
"They will, I'm sure."
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(Day 7, Madeline)
     I couldn't tell if what was happening was real. It all seemed so nightmarish. The cold concrete floor, the hard knuckles against every part of my body. Blood flying from my face as I tried to breathe. Finally I was pulled away, dragged backwards, falling into the floor and then looking at the ground outside.
     It was a nice summer night, a campfire crackled next to me, lighting the immediate area. I could still feel the pain. Suddenly my name was called and I turned to look at Diane. She sat across from me, on the other side of the campfire.
     My mouth felt like it was moving on its own accord. I was too weak to say anything more. A rippling effect brought me back to reality, even though it still seemed like an unending nightmare. A figure was on top of me, punching me.
"You have ruined everything in my life. It's all your fault!"
     I closed my eyes, accepting the blame and fate I was presented with. No part of me wanted to go on living in a world of pain, unable to escape this hellish place. My eyes were still closed when the beating stopped. Two warm and caring hands lifted me into the air a few moments after.
     They carried me from the concrete building. I couldn't open my eyes or even speak. It felt wonderful to not be walking, to be able to finally be off my feet and be within my own mind.
     In my mind it was all of us. Victoria, Diane, Janet, Mary, and me. I stood leaning against a tree and watched on as all of them danced in the field to the music playing from somewhere nearby. All of them were dressed in costumes and smiled beyond what I thought was capable. The tall grass and flowers blew gently in the breeze of the setting sun.
     After a moment Janet stopped and walked over to me, a frown appearing on her face at first. She leaned against the other side of the tree, staring at the others. My heart ached to join them in the fun, but something held me back.
"You should go join them."
"What about you?"
"My time of dancing is over, but you still have so long to dance." At her words Mary limped over and took Janet's hand.
"It is time we left Madeline, we have stayed too long, but we wanted to say goodbye."
"You don't have to go! You can stay!" I pleaded.
"No Madeline. We can't. I'm sorry." Janet said upset.
"We are ready to move on."
"What do you mean move on?"
"We have accepted our death, we have moved past the evilness of this world, we can't hurt ever again."
     Mary almost burst into tears. She limped over and hugged me as tears fell from her eyes. My tears weren't restrained, flowing onto Mary's coat.
"We'll miss you Madeline."
"Goodbye!"
"G-Goodbye."
     They walked over the small hill, disappearing into the bright yellow light. I turned back to Victoria and Diane who were now staring at me, beckoning me to join them. I stood, my knees aching and groaning.
"Come back!" They yelled.
"It hurts." I responded.
     I stretched out my hand trying to reach theirs as vines wrapped around my legs. Their hands still reached to help me, but our fingers barely brushed. The setting sun became darker and gloomier. I tried to reach farther and farther, barely able to reach Victoria's wrist. Then we both grabbed, and she pulled me.
     My senses were suddenly overcome and I began to cough as my eyes adjusted to the light of day. I sat up slowly and painfully. Looking around for the person who saved me. No one was there, no concrete building, nothing. Just open forest.
"Thank you. Whoever you were."
     I was bleeding heavily, unable to keep myself steady as I stood. I swayed severely in all directions, the world around me swirling in circles as I walked shakily forward. I could hear my heart beat inside my head. Pounding against my skull in sharp pulses.
     I wiped the blood away from under my nose and found myself collapsing to the forest floor. I couldn't walk. I used my arms to start dragging me forward, trying unsuccessfully to crawl. The leaves just slid with my arms.