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Chapter Fourteen

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Inside Jeff's cabin was like nothing I'd ever seen before. In fact not even all the horror movies and serial killer documentaries I've seen could have prepared me for the moment I stepped into the foul smelling cabin.

What appeared to be blood splatters, some old, some new, were all over the room we initially stepped into. It looked like the remnants of what used to be the living/ sitting area of the cabin with a disgusting black sofa that was barely useful anymore due to it's fluffy insides being laid bare for all to see. From what I could tell it used to be brown. There was no way I would be caught dead sitting in that.

And while on the topic of dead things, the house itself reeked of death and decay, like death itself was lingering around waiting for the right moment to strike. I subconsciously pressed myself closer to Masky, trying not to seem too disgusted despite my nose crinkling all on it's own in an effort to reject the smells that assaulted my olfactory senses.

"It fucking stinks in here."

I wasn't surprised in the least that Amy would voice her concerns so openly.

She was somewhat of a badass and I clearly wasn't.

"Hey hey, ya' shoulda called instead of just popping up like that," was Jeff's response as he awkwardly scratched the back of his neck with his knife, "I woulda cleaned up a bit."

Cleaned up? This house needed to be bulldozed.

"No amount of cleaning would've made this place presentable." Amy crinkled her nose and turned to give him a look of disgust,"how do you even stand it here?"

Before Jeff could answer Masky spoke up, "we don't have time to discuss trivial shit like that. I need Zalgo's coordinates, Jeff."

Jeff's face cracked into a smirk and he let out a sharp laugh, "Zalgo huh? Why is that?"

His eyes then shifted from Masky to me and he licked his lips, "you trying to save them? You know he doesn't do that anymore right?"

"I don't care."

Jeff only shrugged and I looked from one to the other wondering what the hell they were talking about but too scared to speak for fear of the thick disgusting stench entering my body.

Jeff clicked his tongue before letting out a sharp laugh, "Alright, say I did know where to go, what's in it for me if I give you this precious info?"

"I won't let Hoodie string you up by your insides." Masky gritted out, clenching his fists.

Jeff only rolled his eyes, something that was so creepy it made my body go rigid. Are these guys for real? I really must be in a state of shock.

There are four serial killers in this room alone, not including myself and one of them had a face only a mother could love.

I turned away, trying not to gag but failing as I saw what was at the bottom of the landing leading upstairs.

Body parts? Bodies. Multiple bodies in various stages of decay were strewn haphazardly across the floor and just past the sofa were two more bodies that seemed to still be intact. Feminine and petite, both sporting matching carved smiles.

It seemed like they had been killed earlier, possibly sometime before we arrived. The blood that pooled under their heads, matting their hair, had hardly been dry for long, taking on a deep maroon appearance and their clothes were ripped up to the point where they were hardly covered at this point.

Did he-?

I threw up then, the vile substance burned it's way up my oesophagus and left the most horrible taste in my mouth.

Even after I'd emptied all the contents of my stomach, which wasnt much to begin with, I was still wretching, dry racks heaving my body as Amy struggled to bring me back outside into the cold night air.

My eyes found the stars and tears blurred my vision as I realised this was reality for me now.

I imagined Cassandra's body and how she must look, worms probably finding new home in her once flawless skin. That was my fault. How could I have done that and even fooled myself to believe that she deserved it? I'd somehow become a monster in minutes.

Amy was talking but nothing was making sense in my brain.

I then felt a stinging sensation on my left cheek.

A fat tear fell on my hand and the sobs died on my lips as I looked up at Masky, his Mask still gave nothing away but his body language and the emotions radiating off him spoke volumes.

"Get your shit together." it sounded like he was gritting his teeth, "there's no need for that right now."

He'd- slapped me? Was that to get me back to my senses? My brain was thinking of all the things to say but nothing came out.

Amy got between us, facing Masky.

"Why the fuck would you do that?"

"She was hyperventilating," He calmly stated, "she has no reason to overreact."

"So? You don't just fucking hit someone! If anything you were undereacting to the fact that there are fucking dead bodies just lying around in-"

"Amy," I'd found my voice and the strength to move as I grabbed her arm to stop her from getting more riled up. At the end of the day these guys weren't normal and getting into a fight with them could never end well.

Masky had tsked and walked away, heading back inside the house but I couldn't bring myself to follow.

I remembered there was a time when things like this would excite me, when I would find it fun to poke and prod about a crime scene but this was just too real for me. I was on the run and there was no guarantee that Amy and I wouldn't become exactly like those two girls laying lifeless on that dirty floor inside.

"Are you okay?" Amy inspected my face but I doubt she could see anything with just the pale light of the moon. I hugged my arms and nodded.

"I just feel dirty."

She sighed and pulled me close, hugging me a bit. She smelled so familiar, like a soft powdery vanilla smell that calmed me.

My mind wandered back to the river and I lifted my head.

"Maybe we could take a dip?" She asked as if she had read my mind, and grinned, "we haven't been to a river in ages."

"Yeah but I rather go to the beach anyways."

"That's true," she grabbed my hand and we stepped off the porch and started heading down the path, following the sound of the running water.

Although it was harsh, that slap from Masky had grounded me, bringing me back to reality and made me realise that this was my life now.

I'd made some bad decisions and got myself into a huge mess but he was trying to save me, right? All this was because he wanted me to live freely, not rot in a cell like the police probably would have let happen. They were brutal but I was fooling myself if I believed I was so much different from them.

I needed to come to terms with reality and stop living inside my head. That wasn't healthy for anyone.

The water was cold but I didn't mind.

Amy and I peeled out of our clothes and got in, both shivering the deeper it got as we waded on until the water was up to my neck and just over her chest.

"Amy?"

"Yeah?"

"How much do you know?"

She hadn't expected this question I could tell and she slightly flicked some water my way playfully, "what do you mean?"

"I just thought- I don't know. Nothing seems to bother you somehow and even before now, we both always had interests in serial killer documentaries and stuff but I guess, I dunno maybe I'm just-"

"I don't know much," she cut me off, "I just piece things together after reading bits and pieces here and there online. There's nothing I could tell you about these guys that you don't already know now."

"So they have an online presence?"

"Somewhat," she used her mouth to blow bubbles at the top of the water, "it's more like people speculate about them. No one's ever actually survived these guys so all people have are just small bits of information."

"Is that why you got me the choker?"

"Well yeah, I wanted you to be safe."

"Hm, did you find out anything about Masky?"

She scrunched up her face a bit in thought, "not much really. There are some cryptic videos of him online but nothing that really says anything about him."

After a while I saw her smile, "do you like him?"

"Pfft no way! He's such a jerk."

"Mhm," she didnt sound convinced.

I smiled a bit then let out a puff and continued to hug my arms, I didn't feel as cold now as I did earlier.

"I just want everything to go back to normal," I spoke softly after a while.

"Maybe we still can."

That's right. It wasn't just me.

Amy had followed me into the fire, risking her life and freedom too, all for me. If this isn't what ride or die meant I don't know what was.

I suddenly flung my arms around her, hugging her, "I love you!"

She laughed and hugged back, holding me tightly and tears threatened to fall but I held them back.

"So they're lesbos, you really know how to pick em, hahah!"

I pulled away from Amy and looked towards the river bank where I'd heard Jeff laughing hysterically. He was standing there with Masky who shoved him away and came to squat down, looking straight at us.

My face felt hot but I knew they couldn't really see us in the darkness. Unless they somehow had night vision. My arms went to cover my chest anyway. Jeff had turned and headed back towards the Cabin.

"Are you okay?" His voice sounded gruff and I chewed on my lower lip a bit before answering.

"Y-yeah we were just talking."

"Alright. Well you both need to get dressed. We have a long way to go."

I heard Amy sigh and she started to wade her way back to the bank. Masky turned away then and it kind of made me smile a bit. He had the decency to turn away at least. It gave me hope.

Maybe he wasn't so bad afterall.

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