The Woods

Chapter 30

(Victoria)
     My eyes couldn't adjust to the lights, everything was just a bright blur. My eyes closed and the sounds of the ambulance filled them, red and blue lights lit up the world. Then I was back on the stretcher, being wheeled through the hospital.
     Doctors loomed overhead, pulling the stretcher along. Quickly, rapidly, fast. Everything blurry as I flew past it. I swore I saw Madeline, but I wasn't sure. My mind was foggy and full of signals, telling me I was hurting. The world around started fading. Slowly at first getting faster and faster with each blink of my eyes until I no longer saw. No longer was I able to view anything of the world. Like everything had ceased to exist around me.
     I lied still on the stretcher, it was surrounded by a deep void. One that could suck everything inwards and spit it out with ease. I no longer knew if I lived, or if I had died. My legs trembled as I swung them over the side of the stretcher. Looking downwards, nothing was below me. The stretcher was the only thing to exist in the dark void.
     Then a feeling washed over me. Telling me to let go, to jump. To leave the stretcher behind, join in the darkness and dance alone. Live alone. Forever. I lowered myself over the edge, my feet dangling as I held tightly on to the bars of the stretcher, hoping I wouldn't succumb to the void pulling me. Looking down I noticed movement.
     White foam splashed upwards. Roaring waves crashed back onto themselves like children playing in a field. So careless and happy and free. The water rose rapidly, the waves crashing faster and with more force. My toes dipped into the rushing water, the coldness freezing my feet and bones inside alike.
     It quickly overcame me, submerging me and the stretcher in the cold vastness. The water dragged me upwards and I barely held onto the side of the stretcher with my left hand. The chilled metal bars froze my hand, which begged me to let go.  Then as my fingers slipped from the bar I fell upwards, towards the surface of the water where a bright light stood proudly over me.
     The light surrounded me as my lungs filled with a distasteful air. The smell was that of a hospital room, except with more death and blood. The light became so bright I could only see white and then everything was dark again, until my eyelids slowly crept open. Revealing a darkened hospital room.
     I couldn't feel my own body. Everything was so numb. Especially everything below my stomach. The door creaked open, a familiar silhouette blocking the light from illuminating the room.
"But they told me you died."
"I did."
"Then how are you here?"
     Janet took a step closer into the room, allowing the light to flood inwards, but only enough to light the main part of the room and slightly brighten the rest. Janet knelt next to the bed I lied in. Her hand touched mine, the coldness seeming welcoming instead of repelling. Then I finally understood.
"I'm dead, aren't I?"
     She shook her head, her hair moving forward and back with it. My voice was soft and calm as I swallowed the knowledge.
"I'm fine with dying. Just tell me that Asher is still dead. That we killed him, banished him from the planet."
"You did."
     My eyes gazed around the room, and I took a deep breath.
"I'm assuming you're here to help me move on?"
"Your assumption is correct."
"Okay. Then I think I'm ready to go."
     Janet took my hand in hers and we both stood. One last time I scanned the room, took one last deep breath, and then stepped into the bright light with Janet.
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(Diane)
     His body stopped moving, his eyes went still, staring up at us. Victory conflicted with the thought of ending his life. Madeline stood next to me, a tear sliding down the pale skin of her cheek. A hand grabbed my shoulder and with a quick look behind me Buck hovered over me.
     Sirens blared in the distance. Then after a moment Victoria collapsed. Buck rushed over, Madeline stared into Asher's eyes and we both still held the gun, aiming it at the killer's head. The next hour went by fast. Paramedics rushed over and Madeline and Natalie embraced before Madeline was taken by the paramedics. Victoria was the one rushed out fastest. Natalie then clinged to me for support, her body leaning against my shoulder wound. Finally I was taken to an ambulance and questioned by the police.
"We killed Asher Rivera, he killed at least one other person and then tried to kill Madeline."
     The sirens disorienting as I was brought into the ambulance and then treated for my wound. It wasn't bad at all, but finally we arrived. Everything blurred as my eyes began to close. I yawned and then at last I closed my eyes.
     When I awoke I was in a bed, the light was off, but dim blue lights glowed from somewhere beneath the bed. I turned over, away from the door, trying to fall back asleep. The curtains were wide open, revealing a dark night outside.
     A sound. That's what awoke me. The blue light bathing the wall beneath the window was suddenly blocked. The light suddenly took a form equal to that of a person. Then they began to climb on top of me, as I realized who it was I didn't try to stop them.
"You tried to kill me, you killed my son."
     A monstrous smile crept onto my face, growing larger and larger. For a moment fear filled her eyes, then she wrapped her hands around my throat. I could feel my mind enter hers, I stood in an arena like area. Except the edges fell into darkness.
     Stairs appeared before me and on those stairs a woman, her head was bleeding severely through blood-soaked bandages. Her body was tattered and torn. It was Victoria's mom. Her hands tightened before she spoke again.
"Why are you smiling?"
     Her voice was aggressive. But instead of a response she wanted I only smiled more. I could see the confusion and fear in her eyes swell severely and she was crying as she continued to strangle me.
     But I didn't fight back, and as everything else started to fade, her eyes became bigger and brighter, a bright white light. A gateway of sorts, and I found myself snared in it's trap.
     I end here, it's over.
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(Madeline)
     His eyes. They were so full of hurt, and he was scared. They stared at me angrily though, my uprising angering him. My heart pounded loudly in my chest as his eyes followed mine. He's dead, that's impossible. The gun stayed in my hand as Victoria collapsed.
     My hand was a statue, standing unmoving. Like I had been turned to stone by my horrible action. I killed him. How horrible am I to take life from another? I don't have that right! I'm a monster. With each thought my heart beat faster. Every part of my body trembled with each beat.
     My mind felt like exploding in a ball of frustration. I couldn't think straight and my breathing was faltering. Finally Diane let go of the gun and my hand dipped forward at the weight. My mother stood in my peripheral vision and stepped closer cautiously as the gun began to fall from my hands, slipping off my finger.
     She wrapped me in a hug and I hugged back, dazed. Stunned. Lost. My ears tuned everything out as my mom took a step back and cupped my face in her hands. A bird cawed loudly in my ears, drowning out the sirens and my mom's words. I remained emotionless.
     Then I opened my eyes, I was in the woods again. Closer to the ground. A sound grabbed my attention and I gazed over to see a dark hooded form standing in the middle of a clearing. A knife balanced in his hands. A woman approached from behind him. She moved slower, more cautiously. Her hand reached up to grab his shoulder and just as it touched, the figure turned, thrusting the knife into her abdomen.
     That's me! That's what happened! I wanted to rush over and help myself, but my legs refused to move at all. The wind blew and I was whisked away. The room was lit. A bright room with white walls and mostly white floor, a few tiles were red or green.
     A hand touched mine, instinctively I turned and saw my mother sitting there. Her eyes were watering. She stared up at me hopeful, but I had no idea how to start a conversation.
"You're safe now."
"He's dead?"
"Yes, he is dead. But you aren't."
"Mom?"
"Yes sweetie."
"Why didn't I try to help him?"
     Tears built up like water behind a dam.
"Why didn't you help him what?"
"When we were kids, his father was mean to him. Terrible, but I never did anything."
"What would you have done?"
"Something. Anything. But I ignored it."
"He tried to kill you!"
"Maybe it was my fault. Maybe I'm the reason he tried to kill me."
"No honey, he was just a psychopath. You didn't do anything wrong."
"You don't know that mom."
"Yes I do, I'm your mother."
     She was crying just as much I was. Except mine was out of guilt and hers was out of pure denial. I couldn't say anything more, she rose to her feet and kissed me on the forehead.
"Get some sleep, I'll be back in the morning. I love you."
"Love you too."
     I said effortlessly as she closed the door behind her. The door clicking as it came to rest in the door frame. I felt dirty, like I needed a shower. Carefully I threw the blanket off of me and swung my legs over the side as I sat up.
     A groan escaped my lips and pain filled my mind. How bad is the stab wound? I looked down, pulling up my new shirt. Of course, it is bandaged. With a moan of pain I stood. Carefully I guided myself to the nearest door.
     Twisting the handle open revealed a room on the other side. A tall shower with a distorting, sliding glass door stood at the back, flush with the wall. The walls were a green color, and the toilet sat in the corner against the wall with the shower. A bar on the wall next to the toilet. The sink opposite against the wall next to the door.
     Pushing the door closed I turned on the lights, the room instantly getting brighter. Careful steps and painful memories led me to the door of the shower. The shower head hung overhead, looking over me as I stared in through the glass. I opened the door, taking a minute to breathe. Then I reached in and turned the knob, water spraying from the shower head in small individual streams working together to have a raining effect.
     Finally I pulled off my shirt, and let my pants fall to the ground. I moved the stuff off to the side and stepped into the shower, the warm water gliding over my body. Thoughts came rushing into my head. Memories, bad memories. The closet as Asher walked around the house, I was there, hiding again. Then I was back on the ground watching as he stabbed Victoria. The door clicked open and shut. A tall familiar figure slowly approached the shower. My heart began racing. He came closer and closer. I didn't know what to do, I thought he was dead. I brought my hands up to my eyes, rubbing away tears, and the figure disappeared. Tears kept falling like the water from the shower and I sank to the ground, putting my head on my knees as I cried.