Chapter 27: Alone in the Dark

“Hey Lou is that you?” Paige asked above the blaring of the music on her work bench and the clinking of tools in her ears. “Hand me that 6 pointer would ya?” She was in the middle of an oil change on a Wornado Triage and was hurrying so she didn’t miss her movie date with Amber. “Thanks!” Her foot tapped to the beat of the music and she sang along a little, smiling as she popped the drain plug gasket off to allow the used oil to drip into the pan.

The garage door began lowering close-by and she yelled at her head mechanic to keep it up. “HEY LOU! I’m still under this thing! Give me a sec will ya?” Ignoring her impatient yells the door again began descending this time nudging the top of her boot. 

“Dammit I said…” she pulled out from beneath the car and looked around but was unable to spot the stout man anywhere near the garage door. Noticing a dark figure duck out of the back door she started forward. She shut off the music, grabbed a hammer from the table and opened the inner bay doors. “Lou? Is that you?”

Creeping quietly towards his office she raised the weapon above her head preparing to strike at a moment’s notice. Slowly her hand turned the handle to the back exit and she pulled the door open with a low creaking sound. Holding her breath, Paige counted down from three in her head and jumped around the door throwing her weight against the wall she swung hard at the figure standing in front of her.

A clammy hand caught her by the wrist mid swing and held her arm above her head. “What the hell?!” Remington’s velvety tone held both fear and concern as he quickly removed the hammer from her grip and dropped it with a clank to the ground. “Are you trying to kill me?”

“Jesus Remy you scared the shit out of me!” 

“Yeah I can see that,” he sighed and watched her try to catch her breath as he backed up a little. “Next time try answering your cell phone.”

“Next time use the front door! What the hell are you even doing here?” she retorted and crossed her arms into her chest.

“KT sent me to pick you up. He said he was running late and didn’t want you to miss your movie so here I am. Only now I think the favor he owes me just doubled considering I could have lost my life tonight.”

“Oh please it wasn’t that dramatic! Your hand eye reflex is quick so you stopped yourself from any serious damage.” She turned and started back towards the bay. Hurriedly sliding back beneath the hood of the car she finished off the oil change and lowered it from the jack.

“Do you normally work so late and alone here?”

“Why Remington Cantrell, don’t tell me you’re concerned for my safety!”

“Of course I am you’re dating my best friend...that makes you something like family. And anything could happen to you out here by yourself especially with that killer around.”

“Yeah well I don’t think I have whatever the killer is looking for and if it tries me it might just get a hammer to the face as well,” she smirked. “Besides I’m not completely alone Lou is…”

“Gone. I saw him rushing off as I was pulling up; at least I think it was him. He didn’t wave as per his usually chipper self. In fact he seemed moody and in a hurry.”

“Yeah well that explains why he nearly crushed me beneath the garage door. I wonder what got into him to make him suddenly so spooked.”

“Whatever it is you can worry about it tomorrow. For now, I have a final to study for and I must get you home safely to get ready for your date.” He handed her a pink helmet and smiled at the annoyed look on her face. “Cheer up Buttercup it’ll look great on you!”

“Ew, really? Does Chrissy agree with you using such terms of endearment on her?”

“Buttercup? I’d never call her that. It sounds like something reserved for haggard old ladies.” He flinched as Paige pounded her fist into his arm repeatedly and laughed at her abuse. “She’d certainly not approve of you beating on me either so take it easy! I need that arm to hold her with!”

“Aww that’s sweet. You’re missing her aren’t you?”

“It sucks yeah. I’d hoped to be able to spend some time alone with her this weekend but Hell Week put an end to that. At least it’ll give me time to study anyway.” Closing up the garage doors and turning out the lights Paige followed Remington towards his bike and they started off to her dorm.

The girls stood against the back road of Emerald Cove’s black forest and watched the taillights of the University’s van fade into the distance as Rachael and the other Sisters quickly sped away. As part of Hell Week they were dumped in the middle of nowhere and left with only the “essentials” as Rachael called them. That included a backpack, a tent, some water and rations which they could only assume was minimal at best. In keeping with tradition Rachael decided to play a game of “Survivor” which entailed dropping the pledges off in the woods and seeing how they fared with sisterhood to survive the weekend.

“According to the rules we have to work in teams of two to make it out of the woods ‘alive’,” Erin read aloud looking at the map and guidelines Rachael left for them. “Our progress will be monitored through a series of checkpoints and the van will return for us at 5pm Sunday afternoon.”

“‘Sunday afternoon’?” Jordan gasped and snatched the map from Erin’s hand. “And where exactly are we supposed to sleep until then?” An owl hoot echoed just off towards the right and she looked up fearfully shaking her head. “Nope, no I don’t think so. Who the hell sleeps in the woods? I’ll tell you who, wild animals and serial killers! There’s no fucking way I’m staying out here!”

“Well unless you’re planning to walk the twenty miles back to town I think you are. They took our cell phones so we have no way of contacting anyone and the nearest civilization is a good six hours walking distance away,” Madison pointed out. She scooped a backpack from the ground and tossed it over her shoulder. “We might as well get off the trail and find a clearing or something. I have a feeling we’re in for a long night.”

Ayesha grabbed a pack and started after her as Erin and Monika did the same. “Looks like they’ve selected partners. This is gonna be a blast right?” Christina sighed and gathered up her belongings. “I can just see it now; us alone in the middle of the woods and the wilderness staring us down.”

“Well bright side, at least we don’t have to worry about that animal out here. It’s safe and securely haunting Cyprus-Gray. Maybe it’ll get after Rachael…if we’re lucky.”

“Yeah, that’s definitely a plus.”

The group walked for a few minutes until they heard the sound of rushing water. Hurrying quicker they came upon a small clearing near a running rapid and dropped their packs to the ground. “Good! This should work fine,” Ayesha whined and hissed in a breath of fresh air. “I was already tired of walking!”

“Who here has ever been camping?” Monika asked with her hand raised in the air. Jordan and Chrissy also raised theirs while the other girls stood around with clueless expressions plastered on their faces. “Fine then I think it would be best if we split up into different teams and had one person with experience on each one.” Ayesha dropped to a rock and began filing her fingernails ignoring Monika’s speech as the others tried to figure out what the game plan should be for survival.

Jordan was not considering switching teams and working with someone who obviously wasn’t about to make an effort and she had no intentions of sticking her roommate with her either. “Actually I think Chrissy and I will just go and get some wood. Ayesha you and Madison can get the tents setup while Mon and Erin work on figuring out dinner,” Jordan instructed watching the girl ignore the conversation.

“Wait, we’re working in teams not as a group. Why should I put your tent up too?” Ayesha frowned and crossed her arms defiantly into her body. 

“Because I’m gonna go gather firewood to feed your lazy ass! It’s not that much to ask for you to help with that one thing! That is what this event is supposed to be about, Sisterhood!” Jordan inched closer, her face turning down into a scowl. “Work with us and we can get out of this shit together. Otherwise I’d be more than happy to watch you run around these damn woods like a chicken with its head cut off.”

“Fine! Come on Maddy, let’s get started.”

Stepping away from the group, Jordan and Christina started into the woods. It took them a few moments but they began finding small branches, rocks and twigs and gathering them up in a small basket. “Why didn’t you want to be Ayesha’s partner?” Christina jokingly jabbed at Jordan laughing at how she nearly attacked the Princess. 

“She’s one of those entitled bitches, the Kappas will be happy to have her! I just can’t wait for this shit to be over with because I’m seconds away from stomping every last one of those ‘I might break a nail’ cunts.” She dropped another branch into Christina’s arms and they walked a little deeper into the woods, stopping as they neared another trail. “I think that should be plenty. Come on let’s get back, I’m starving.”

Dean Myers sat staring blankly at the television in front of him fear and paranoia rooted deeply in his nerves as he listened to the news report on Cyprus-Gray President Andre Coleman’s death. He had been found shortly after the discovery of Judge Winslow. Apparently the two men were having dinner together and after they’d said their goodbyes and gone their separate ways someone, possibly the same person, cornered them both in their own homes and murdered them.

Coleman had been bludgeoned with the 1991 yearbook, one of his past administrations, while Winslow was found face down in his bedroom. His eyes had been gouged out and his throat carved so severely his head was nearly severed off. “Jesus it’s all catching up with us now,” Howard moaned into his hands and dropped his head in panic. If everyone that he believed was a target of this stalker-serial killer was correct, that meant he was on the list as well…possibly next. 

He drew from his seat and rushed to his front door as the sound of a car pulling up shook him. He peeked out the curtain and noticed his neighbor locking up his Buick and heading into his home. Quickly shutting off the lights he tried to relax himself and think clearly. Locking the front door, Howard hurried up his stairs towards his closet and pulled a small black box from his shelf.

After punching in the code on the lockbox he pulled out a Smith & Wesson Glock G22 and ensured it was loaded. Panting as every noise around him sounded foreign and loud, he pinned his back to the wall and started back down the stairs and into his kitchen. If someone was really after him then they’d have a hell of a time getting to him, he’d see to that. He checked the security on his keypad ensuring the alarm was in place and finally breathed a sigh of relief. “Let’s see you get in here,” he smiled to himself and kept his eyes alert and on the ready. “I will NOT be your victim!”

A roar rumbled behind him and caused the man to jump. Crashing through the plate glass window of the dining room nook, the animal barreled forward gunning for the Dean as quickly as possible. A loud, shrilly siren started beeping throughout the house, the alarm alerting everyone that there was an intruder on the premises and help should respond soon. “Y-y-you’re not h-h-human!” Dean Myers turned swiftly with his weapon aimed at the monster and fired off a round.

It nicked the beast in its side and it howled in pain and moved closer. Clawing at the Dean’s hand it knocked the weapon away from the man and slammed him to the cold, hard kitchen floor. With the wind knocked out of him, Dean Myers clutched at his belly trying to regain his composure and get to his feet. 

He had to get to his weapon before the monster recovered from the gunshot wound and came after him again. Turning on his belly he tried crawling forward but the animal was faster. It dove for the man and sat upon his chest. Dean Myers wrestled with all the strength he had remaining. Pushing and punching at the hairy creature on top of him he refused to give up without a fight. His hand gripped a patch of fur and he tugged hard.

The animal roared once more growing angrier by the moment. Holding his head firmly within its large claws, the beast gave it one good twist and severed the Dean’s spine. Another twist and his neck rolled towards the dining room table as blood quickly pumped from the gaping wound covering the floor of his kitchen. The creature stood erect, tapped a finger within the bleeding wound on its side and rushed through the hole in the wall it had created escaping into the night.

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