Enslaved Heart (A "No one lives" fan-fiction)

Field Trip to Hell

Donna could feel the warmth of a thick wool blanket on her bare shoulders and a flood of sunlight through the open windows of the cabin but sat frigid for what felt like hours trapped in that horrifying memory's endless loop of pain and terror. It was like she could feel it now, the blade's cool metal pressed against her waist and then the sudden rush of agony. Bursting at the spot and spreading to each nerve and muscle until everything was inflamed and all she wanted to do was curl up and cry. Why me? That question was etched in her mind that night after he had left her with one solitary stare of remorse, what did I do to deserve this? Though it was just like Simon said, nothing. She was being punished for the twisted delusions of someone else's fantasy. This wasn't a cosmic bought of justice, just a man with a will to do harm and the capabilities to do so. It felt like a punch in the gut to realize that everything could have been avoided and perhaps now she could be curled up on the couch eating cheez its and watching cheesy horror movies but instead she was living out one. How ironic.

"Donnaa? Are you awake?" The soft boy's voice broke through this haze of dark thoughts and she rolled over to see him standing just a few feet away holding the end of his white shirt the green flannel coat he normally wore around his waist, exposing lengthy and almost sickly pale arms with a spray of freckles around the elbow. He was nervous, shuffling along the ground and averting his eyes before sheepishly asking. "Did you have a nightmare?"

"Why would you think that?"

"Well you were tossing and turning all night long and mumbling about something. I tried to wake you up at one point but you were so sweaty and cold.. It was like you were possessed of something. Did you remember more?"

Donna considered answering truthfully but just seeing the worried expression morphing her companions sweet face dashed that idea, he didn't need to know about this. This was her cross to bear. "Just remembering the night of the party is all.. Don't worry about it kiddo nightmares never kill ya." She ruffled his hair with a chuckle.

"Tell that to Freddy Krueger!"

"You've watched those movies? They are Rated R.." She suspiciously narrowed her eyes at him.

"Alright momm.. I think I can handle a maniac with finger knives. Just look at this situation."

"Touche."

They began to gather up whatever they would need for the trip, Donna restocking their bag but forgetting that the phone was missing in their silent hurry instead moving along to pick up a few pillows just to ease sleep in the car and other than that not many valuables were left in the cabin so it wasn't worth much to stick around. Instead quickly exiting from the door now on day five of their journey. Her first instinct upon getting in the car was to quickly pull up onto the highway  but once again something felt.. Off. Gazing at the map showed that through back roads they could safely navigate around the highway and make it to the destination with only an hour extra which seemed like a fair trade off for the time being. Pulling off at an exit and traveling under the brush of trees and forest, air still wet from the tyrannical downpour from the night before but peaceful in it's own right. Dew and drips of water splatting the windshield as it was shed from the thick leaves of the canopy above and the sweet sounds of birds chirping in the morning's chorus filled the air. They continued like this for around 140 miles until Simon sat up from his passenger seat and shouted out.

"A BUS!"

"What?" Donna moved her eyes from the road and followed his pointed finger where indeed tangled in the brush was an abandoned yellow school bus the stop sign still out the metal was rusted so badly it would probably never close again. She wrinkled her nose at it but he was jumping up and down against his seat with such excitement she figured it was no harm to pull off for just a few minutes. Parking up by a hill to conceal the car then they took the small walk through knee-high foliage came face to face with this relic of time.