Chapter 8 Lacey
LACEY
Let’s Dance by David Bowie
I’m so tired of Sam’s disappearing acts.
One minute he’s there and then, in a blink of an eye, he’s gone.
And here I am, heading away from the party and into the woods in hopes that I can find him by the lake.
For some reason, he just loves hanging around it.
It doesn’t matter if it’s cold or hot, Sam is always by the fucking lake.
“I’ll be right there, babe,” I mutter to myself, mocking his nonchalant voice as he whispered in my ear. I wrap my arms around myself, it’s cold as fuck out here. The night air bites into my exposed skin because, of course, I would wear the sluttiest thing I could find.
I scoff.
All for nothing because Sam is nowhere to be fucking found. Maybe I should just hook up with one of the other guys instead of wasting my time searching in the woods. I shouldn’t be out here, all alone. Nothing good ever comes out of venturing into the dark.
The music from the party grows more distant as I grow closer to the border of trees. From here, I can see the dock, which sits fucking empty. I let out a low groan, throwing my hands into the air.
Where is he?
“H—” A scream fills the air. My brows pull together immediately at the gargled sound that causes the hair on the back of my neck to rise. The woods grow eerily still, the water too, not even a ripple. Just stillness.
I tilt my head back, scanning the area. Only to see nothing but trees. My stomach tightens as I let out a shaky breath, trying to convince myself I’m being dramatic. Nothing is out here in the woods. Maybe some drunk assholes trying to get it on, but that’s it.
Despite the stillness, something feels off. Like a quiet before a storm. From somewhere in the distance, there’s a faint crunch. That causes every alarm throughout my body to stand on high alert. Once again, I find myself scanning the area, waiting frozen at the sound of more.
Crunch.
I brace myself for someone to pop out and scare me. I even take two steps backwards, putting distance between me and whatever the fuck is out there!
Crunch.
Crunch.
“Who’s out there?” I call out, noticing the trembles that are wracking through my body.
The sound of rustling dead leaves and branches has me jumping and taking more cautious steps.
Creating even more distance. They say that when in danger our body has two ways to respond.
Fight or flight. Well fuck, I might have discovered a third.
Freezing.
And as I sit there, completely paralyzed with terror, a small fox appears from the clearing of dead trees. “Of course, a fox,” I mutter as I exhale the breath I’ve been holding with a shake of my head. “Unbelievable.”
“HELP!!!” A pained high-pitch scream fills the night air, startling the fox and causing me to trip on a dead log when I try to move backwards. I scatter on my hands, using my legs to kick me away from the silhouettes forming amongst the woods.
There’s another attempt at a scream. “H—” But it’s just a gargled sound that sends a shiver down my spine. I freeze mid-ground, feeling my eyes go round and wide. My fingers are wet from the soil that seeps into my perfectly manicured nails. Another sound follows.
Shorter. Choked.
My heart begins to slam hard into my ribs. My breath comes in short and quick gasps.
“Hello?” I shakingly call out. At this point, I’m certain someone is trying to fuck with me. Maybe it’s Sam. It wouldn’t be the first time. Maybe he wants me scared, so he can hunt me. Chase me. To then fuck me.
I straighten myself as I rise to my feet. “Sam?”
No answer.
I’m really trying not to panic, but I can feel it settling in my bones, sending shivers through me. Something is wrong. Then the woods explode into a commotion, and before I get a chance to move, Nicole bursts out the treeline like she just saw a ghost.
“Nicole?”
I inch forward, only to see her sway, her skin tight black dress shimmering like she’s wet. My eyes roam over her, taking in her disheveled look. Her face looks dirty, her big, fluffy hair is all matted. “Nicole?”
Finally, she snaps out her panicked daze and meets my gaze, stepping into the moonlight. I see that she’s not wet, she’s fucking bleeding. Her hand is tightly wrapped around her neck, and the other moves to her lips. A silent motion to stay quiet.
Crunch.
Crunch.
Crunch.
Steps grow closer. Nicole takes off towards me, her hand firmly on her neck with each move.
I should meet her halfway at least but I’m scared to move.
She trips, quickly catching herself and continuing to move.
She’s so close. I can see the fear in her eyes for just a second. Wide, wild, and pleading.
“NICOLE!” I scream, not being able to contain myself when a masked figure emerges from the trees, moving with a ferocity and precision that stuns me into silence.
They’re cloaked in all black, making them blend into the shadows of the night.
But their face is covered in a mask—a pig.
A grotesque depiction of a bloody swine.
I recognize the mask, it’s the same the boys wear to scare us.
That means this person is… one of us. The figure raises something into the air, and a glint of silver shines, even in darkness.
“H—” Nicole chokes when she tries to speak, falling over to the ground.
Using her hands to catch her fall, she looks up at me, and that’s when I notice the wide gash across her neck and the crimson that flows steadily down her lean neck.
She reaches for me with a bloody hand, and more garbled sounds escape her lips.
And all I can do is inch further away from her.
Away from the knife, the mask, the murderer.
“I’m so sorry,” I mouth to her when the masked figure grabs her from behind.
Their hand tangles into her wild locks, and in one forceful movement, they yank her up, causing the flesh to peel from her neck as the strain of her bent position causes the wound to open further.
Blood spews from the gaping wound, painting her in red.
I press my hands against my mouth trying my best to stifle the sob. When the figure brings down the knife into her chest, Nicole screams, one last sound. It’s wet and garbled.
What happens next is what you call an overkill.
They don’t stop.
The figure strikes one… two… three … four times. Maybe more. I lose count as I’m too focused on the way her body jerks before it goes slack. Blood darkens the ground beneath them. I force myself to breathe and, more importantly, to turn and run.
My legs pump harder and harder. My lungs burn from the cold air moving against them. But I keep fucking running. The lights get closer and closer with every step. Just a little further. I’m so close. So very close.
And then I hear it.
Crunch.
Crunch.
Crunch.
Crunch.
They’re coming for me.
“Help!” I scream with all my might as I run. I doubt anyone will hear me over the blaring bass but I need to try.
I don’t turn, don’t falter, don’t stop. I run for my fucking life. I run until the smell of smoke and liquor pricks my nose, until the lights of the house guide my path, until I’m close enough to the others.
Safety in numbers.
I’m cold and sticky, despite the warmth of the house. My body comes to a sudden stop when I bump into a firm, lean, muscular body.
“Lacey?” Sam’s familiar voice pulls me from my spiral but his voice causes me to crack. I sob so hard my chest starts to hurt.
In between labored breaths, I scream,“Call the cops! Oh my god.” Sobbing now. “Nicole. She’s dead.”
Sam looks at me as if I’ve lost my damn mind. Confusion written all over his beautiful face. “I just saw her.” He tries to relax me. But I pull away, running towards the speaker playing music and tugging on the cable.
The music comes to an abrupt stop. “Nicole. Call the cops!”
People gather around us, some head outside muttering a bunch of nonsense. No one seems to care until a scream comes from outside. That’s when the confusion and panic erupts throughout the house.
“What the fuck is going on?” Stacey snaps, pushing her way through the crowd. Irritation is etched across her perfect face as she looks directly at her twin. “Is she serious right now?”
“Nicole is dead!” I scream at her. “She’s dead.” Pointing at the window, my body shaking with fear. “Someone is out there. Someone is hunting us.”