Here Lies Jasmine Lake | ✓

Chapter Six: Sadie

Jax frowned. "What?"

Then I had to watch one of the most disturbing things of my life. Tori reached behind her and pulled the knife out, while gasping in pain. She suddenly froze, and dropped the knife with a clatter. Her body convulsed, and then lay still, her eyes still wide open.

I narrowed my eyes. "Do you think she's dead?"

"Rule One," Jax answered. I nodded. I surprised myself by how calm I was acting, considering I'd just stabbed someone, but also considering we were currently in the situation of a slasher film, I quickly shoved the thought aside.

"Put an arrow through her head," suggested Jax.

I glared at him. "Unoriginal! So unoriginal."

Jax raised an eyebrow. "So what's your genius plan, Einstein?"

My eyes landed on the lighter that I'd shoved in my pocket earlier on. "Oh, I have one, believe me. Take off her clothes."

Jax's eyes widened. "Oh...I don't have any plans to be a necrophile Sadie-"

I wrinkled my nose with disgust. "Jesus, Jax, you really need some holy water. Take off her jacket, I mean. We're going to set her on fire."

Jax blinked. "Alright then. Whatever you say." Using the tips of his fingers, he delicately tugged off Tori's jacket.

I yanked it out of his hands and held my newly acquired weapon to it. It immediately went up in flames. I chucked it out the window.

"It rained a little before, so it probably won't last for very long," I muttered under my breath. I grabbed Tori's arm and dragged her over to the window. "A little help...would be nice."

Jax gingerly lifted Tori's arm up. Together, we pushed her over the side and watched her body fall directly into the flames. Her shirt lit up, and I smiled, satisfied with my work.

"I think she's dead," I said. For good measure, I grabbed Tori's bow, nocked an arrow, and shot it straight through her chest.

Jax glanced over at the bow. "I always thought Tori looked like Katniss Everdeen."

"Well, she certainly is the Girl on Fire," I muttered.

"Okay, now we have to go find everyone else," urged Jax. "It's safe now, come on." He pulled open the door and walked out into the hallway. I was about to follow when I realized something. I shook my head, my brain whirring. "No."

Jax turned. "What do you mean 'no'?"

"Something isn't right." The words that Tori had said replayed themselves in my head. We're doing this right now because...

"We," I said slowly, the pieces assembling themselves in my head. "I don't think she was alone."

Jax's eyes widened. "We have to go now."

"Wait," I said, but by then, it was already too late.

The second Jax reached the base of the stairs, a loud crack sounded through the air. Jax fell to the ground, his jaw slack with surprise. A bullet had hit him in the stomach.

Jax fell to the ground, blood trickling down his torso, and with that, I knew I'd just lost any hope of following Rule Three.

I quickly ducked back into the storage room, and grabbed Tori's bow, slinging her quiver on my back. I glanced at the knife, and shoved it into the waistband of my trousers. No harm in defending myself. I exited the room.

Suddenly, someone tackled me from behind. I struggled beneath them and finally got myself out. I yanked an arrow out of the quiver and held it in front of me.