The Woods

Chapter 29

(Day 8, Madeline)
     I sat next to Victoria's broken body, bleeding violently, now staining my sweater wrapped tightly around her waist. I felt something in my side. Something cold and metal.
"Take it."
     Victoria's voice was weak, but filled with determination. I peered down hesitantly at the dark grey handgun. My hands trembled as they reached for the gun, grasping it carefully.
"Kill that asshole."
     She said through gritted teeth, lowering her head back into the snow with a sigh. I stared at the gun in my hands, my bloody hands. I willed myself to stand, remembering that my mother was in danger, but couldn't.
     Then as if by some miracle I stood, stronger than before. It felt like some kind of energy had entered my soul, buffing it to withstand any obstacle before me. The woods around my tightened like my throat. Birds screamed like the pain attacking from all sides.
     The waterfall roared like my soul. I'll kill him. I have to. It's the only thing I can do. My thoughts sprinted through my head, clashing with any kind of mercy I wanted to show.
"No mercy."
     My mind pounded in rhythm to my heart and my breathing was quick. Birds continued to fly away, a bit late to migrate. The wind rustled bushes around me, creating blurs.
     I heard noise and walked towards it and came up behind Asher who was facing away from me and talking to my mom.
     My mom's face sank at the news of my apparent death. Then I watched as Asher reached behind his back and grabbed a knife. My blood smeared on his back as he raised it behind him, ready to stab.
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(Day 8, Diane)
     My feet began to ache as we stomped through the woods in a rush. Sirens whispered in the distance, heading towards us. The sun had just passed it's peak in the sky, now falling towards the horizon.
     Snow blew into our faces as the wind rushed through the air, howling at the darkness that lied within these old woods. Buck was breathing slightly heavier while I was completely exhausted.
     Then something happened. I stopped dead in my tracks. Buck ran a couple steps before stopping and turning to stare at me. He approached concerned as my mind felt like it was shifting and turning, pounding against my school and pushing on my eyes and nose.
     My upper lip sensed a new feeling. My hands came to respond by touching it lightly and when I pulled my finger away and looked at it I could feel my eyesight changing and molding.
"I-"
"Diane!"
     Buck rushed over towards me as I felt myself falling. I was somewhere I didn't recognize. Underwater. The water was red, bloody. This is what I saw before. I thought as I began to feel what Madeline did.
     A pressure held my head under the water and I couldn't breathe. I started to panic, to start thrashing. Then a cut on my arm before the strain of pushing against an unbudging surface.
     I could feel Madeline's fear, her desire to live. Then all the pressure was released, breath filled her lungs. Then as she looked up I saw Victoria. She wrestled with Asher, knives colliding as she desperately tried to end the terror that had struck our town too long.
     Then Asher gained the upper hand, viciously attacking Victoria as she lay helpless on the ground. Blood coated her chest and abdomen and the ground around her. Then Asher stood and started for Madeline.
     I opened my eyes to find Buck kneeling next to me, looking down at me. The sun shined down behind him. Something seemed off about his face so I reached up towards his face and ran my hand over it, cuts. There were cuts on his face. Sitting up I asked him what happened.
"Why are there cuts on your face?"
"After you passed out I tried to carry you and you started thrashing and struggling so I set you down."
"How long have I been out?"
"A couple minutes."
"Victoria might be dead and Asher is going after Madeline right now. We have to go!"
     I stood up, pulling him with me. Sweat trickled off both of our foreheads, staining our shirts as well. The snow did little against our strain as we ran as fast as possible, ignoring small pain as we stumbled around.
     Then there was the sound of Natalie. I heard her voice travel through the woods, calling for Madeline. I turned towards Buck, confused. He shrugged before pointing ahead. Turning back I started forward again, watching carefully.
     Suddenly Buck grabbed the back of my shirt, pulling tightly. I allowed myself to be pulled back but I shot a concerned glance at him. He then gestured in front of me. At first I couldn't see it, then I saw the slight slope of the ground.
     I would have walked right off an edge had he not been here. Then we stopped and snapped our view towards the hill, as Natalie called out again. Mom, what is she doing out here? I pushed brush out of our way to see in front of us.
     Asher and my mom were facing each other, talking, but it looked like something was in Asher's hand, behind his back. A tap on my shoulder brought my attention to Buck who was pointing over towards the edge of the clearing.
     There stood Madeline, gun in bloody hands. She held the gun up, ready to fire. She didn't know we were here and Victoria wasn't with her, confirming my fears that she had died. Victoria must have given her the gun, or she took it from her.
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(Day 8, Victoria)
"You have to get up, it isn't time."
     The bright light behind my eyelids scared me. I'm still alive? How? My eyes fluttered open, spotting Janet as I sat up painfully. She sat on the ground next to me, her hands resting on her knees.
"Victoria, Madeline still needs you."
"Needs me for what?"
"You must go help her. She can't end this alone."
     I looked into Janet's ghostly eyes. Something felt off. Like there was something still there. Like she had left something behind.
"How do I help her?"
"You must keep her stable, she's so unstable and so vulnerable. You must help her."
"Where did she-"
     Janet pointed to my left as I stood from the ground, holding my side. I could feel death poking me, clawing at my eyelids, begging me to join it. I pressed onwards, ignoring the signs of death.
     As I walked through the brush a deer approached me, confidently. I reached out towards it's head, but just as I went to pet it, the deer disappeared. I'm seeing things. I told myself.
     Thorns tore at my ankle, catching on my jeans. Does it matter? What really matters right now, on the verge of death? I asked myself internally. Finishing what we started. I answered as I stepped behind Madeline, who was just a couple feet in front of me.
     She held the gun I had given her, pointing it at Asher, who had the knife behind his back. I looked over to the left and there I saw a flash, a quick movement of light, a slight rustle in the bush.
     It was Diane, and an officer. Why isn't he doing anything? I wondered as time seemed to slow. Madeline tightened her hand around the gun as Asher raised the knife above his head. The woman, who I assumed to be Madeline's mom, screamed in terror.
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(Day 8, Natalie)
     My feet hurt as I trekked through the woods. Walking this way and that, my throat became raw with the yells and calling out. Calling for Madeline. My own daughter. The physical pain meant nothing to me, just the safety of my daughter.
     My flesh and blood. The one that my own husband died to protect. He protected both of us. He knew that someone was after us, and someone burnt down the house. My yells became louder with my heart pounding faster.
     Every second could be her last. I thought. Don't think like that. I told myself calmly, although in vain. My mind continued to sink into the darkness. The state of uncertainty, unknown. Sadness weaved itself into my heart, binding itself to my mind. She was gone. My mind tortured me.
     My maternal instincts denied that I had lost my daughter. That she was gone forever. But my mind scolded me for being so hopeful. I shouldn't get such high hopes, it will only crush me harder. I knew that she was most likely gone, but something inside me still grasped hope.
     I rubbed my hands together as the snowflakes landed on my shoulders, turning to water. I couldn't think of who would try to hurt my daughter. No one hated her enough. I called out for Madeline again, a loud yell. No response. My head hung low to the ground, disappointed, scared, hurt.
     A crunch of leaves, a feeling in the air. The tingling feel of someone near you, the feeling of someone watching. I stopped as shoes came into view. My eyes slowly travelled upwards until my eyes rested softly on the eyes of Asher.
     His eyes darted around my face, behind me, and around us. He seemed on edge, alert. His hands were behind his back and his facial expression shifted slowly. He became more relaxed and sad.
"What's wrong? Have you found Madeline?"
     I questioned rapidly, hoping for good news, but the lack of Madeline standing beside him poked me with doubt.
"I-I found her body. What was left."
     I gasped as tears stung my eyes. It wasn't true, it can't be. Something in his eyes told me otherwise. That she wasn't dead, that he was hiding something. But in my grief and sorrow I thought it only to be my denial.
"What do you mean what was left of her?"
"It looks like she was bleeding and then as it got cold she succumbed to the cold before wolves came and-"
     I stopped him by holding up my finger as I backed away slightly. Then his hands moved behind his back. Tears etched canals in my face as my eyes darted back and forth, looking for anything. Anyone for me to cry with, cry on.
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(Day 8, Madeline)
     The gun in my hand instinctively rose to aim towards them. My hand trembled at the thought of ending someone's life. Ending the consciousness of another human being. Then I remembered Janet and Victoria. My hand straightened and became stiff.
"Hey asshole!"
     I yelled. He turned his body to face me, a slight smirk appearing before fading as he noticed the gun. Then it slowly crept back as he thought that I wouldn't shoot. My mom was behind him, tears blocking her vision. But looked up at my voice.
     He then started to turn back, grabbing my mom's shoulder and bring the knife out from behind him to stab her. My finger squeezed the trigger, the bullet flying from the gun, the recoil pushing me backwards. I stumbled back, but quickly regained my balance and looked upwards.
     Asher fell to the ground, my mom stepped away in terror, Amber running over to hold her. I stalked over to Asher to see if he was dead. He held bullet wound in my stomach with his hand.
     I aimed the gun up to his head. My hand trembled furiously.
"This is for putting me through hell."
     I couldn't line up the shot well, then there was a hand on my shoulder. I looked over at Victoria. She then put her hand on the gun, balancing it more.
"Putting all of us through hell."
     Then another hand appeared on the gun. Diane's voice was cold.
"Putting everyone through hell."
     Tears formed in his eyes as he began to laugh. The gun was pointed at his head and then in unison we pulled the trigger.