Camp Charlie

Chapter 28

Darkness had engulfed everything by the time Hannah reached the road. Her heart hammered against her chest as her steps halted near some rocks. She found a ditch which was surrounded by lichen-covered stones, providing her shelter from her enemy. With her back against a huge rock, her hands pulled her knees closer to her torso. 

The only fear that lurked in the back of her mind was that the loud beating of her heart would give her hideout away. Her efforts to calm it were all in vain and lying in a ditch wasn't helping either. The fear of dying didn't bother her anymore. 

But even the thought of dying before she had avenged her friends' deaths, gave her chills. Revenge gave her a reason to live, and a reason to not give up. While dreading each second as it passed, an unfamiliar hiss made its way to her ears. Her heart skipped a beat when she felt something crawling up her arm. Without even looking, she knew that it was a snake. 

It wrapped itself around her arm, almost crushing her bones as it moved upwards. Hannah didn't have much knowledge about snakes and couldn't make out anything under the faint moonlight of the half-moon. Imagining the worst-case scenario, she decided that it was a venomous snake. 

Her old self would've screamed the life out of her lungs in such a situation. But she had changed for the greater good. She held her breath, hoping that the serpent would move on. It seemed like an eternity before it unwrapped itself and slithered on to the rock behind her. A long-held breath escaped her lips. If life was a movie genre, hers was a tragedy. It indeed was.

She couldn't close her eyes as he could be anywhere. For all she knew, he could be watching her. The fatigue had started to grow up on her. Her stomach growled with hunger. The lack of sleep for the past two days had started showing its side effects. But sleeping meant giving up every chance of survival, and she wasn't ready to do that. 

To keep herself awake, she started pinching herself, occasionally pairing it with a slap to her cheeks. Minutes passed, but they weighed upon her like hours. Without her phone, she couldn't keep track of time. Her body begged for some sleep, but her reluctancy to do so wasn't misplaced. The stones near her had turned cold, and her bare arms weren't helping either. It wasn't long before she started shivering. The unfavourable weather, hot as hell during daytime and cold as ice at night took a toll on her. Her teeth clattered against each other. But this sound was drowned by the melodies sang by the crickets and frogs.

That's when she heard the sound of a twig snapping. For a moment, all the insects around stopped singing. Her heart braced itself for the worst as she held her breath. She heard footsteps, and then someone whistling. The sound echoed through the forest as the insects paused to listen to the unfamiliar melody. But her body froze at its spot.

"Hannah!" A sickly sweet voice called out to her. She wasn't sure if it was the cold or the sound of his voice that gave her goosebumps. I would go with the latter.

"Where are you hiding, dear?" She couldn't decide if it was a question or a statement. He knew the place where she hid. It was a way to mess with her. She pondered upon the question of her survival. But no means came to her mind. Walking out of her hideout meant revealing herself, and staying there meant waiting for death. Mustering all her courage, she raised herself and looked at his position. Hiding behind the rock, the realisation that he was just a few meters away struck her. Behind her stretched the vast expanse of the forest, and in the front was the road. He was standing behind her, so she chose the second escape route. She jumped out of the ditch and made her way towards the road. The sound of someone following her didn't escape her ears.

"Wait, Hannah. I have a surprise for you."

She heard his words but didn't pay heed to them.

I'm not foolish, she thought. Her feet followed the dark outline of the road, hoping to find a vehicle. But a sound made her halt her steps. At first, she thought that it was a car. But when she turned around, the sight that met her was sufficient to stop her heart. About fifty metres away stood Charlie, and he held a humongous chainsaw. Her eyes widened in disbelief as he pulled the chain once again to start it. He failed but kept on trying. Every cell in her body pleaded her to run. But she stood there, glued to the spot. She thought that she had measured the extent of his madness. Yet again, she was proven wrong. There was no limit to his madness. He was sick, and no one could help him. He was destructive.

The final pull on the chainsaw started it, and he smiled.

"I told you. Surprise!"

He ran towards her, and she started running again. The heavy chainsaw slowed him down, but the sound of it running weakened her. The sky had turned lighter, indicating the start of another day. On turning back to look at him, she stumbled. She landed on the coarse ground. He was only a few metres away, and the chances of her survival were slim. She lay on the ground, helpless. The blade almost cut her when he landed the first blow. She barely survived by rolling to another side.

"Any last wishes?" he asked her.

"I wish death upon you." Her assertive answer made him smile.

"Oh, Hannah! Death stands on your doorstep, and all you can think about is my death. Stop being so delusional."

"If not me then someone else shall bring you to justice. If you think you are invincible, then you are the one being delusional."

He shook his head as if to pity her and held the chainsaw high. Just then, an SUV crashed into him. It threw him away and barely stopped in front of Hannah. Hannah got up from the ground and ran towards the driver's seat.

"Help me! Please, he'll kill me," she begged. The driver lowered the window, and a familiar face stared at her.

"You!" she said. It couldn't be possible, she thought.

But dear Hannah, in this mad little world everything is possible.

                                                                          ***

Hey everyone! I hope you liked the chapter. Who do you think the angel in disguise might be? Let me know your thoughts in the comments. Don't forget to vote.