Chapter 6
Lydia
“Woah, okay. This place is straight out of Fear Street,” McKenzie says, opening the door to what will be our cabin for the week. Cabin number four.
“It’s giving Camp Crystal Lake,” Faye says, calling dibs on one of the beds first. Of course they’re mentioning horror movies.
They start settling in immediately, putting their things away in the complimentary pine dresser, diving the drawers up between each other.
I'm too terrified to unpack anything and I decide to place my stuff within reach. Just in case. Right outside, I know there are a whole host of scary monsters ready to jump out at us. Or chase us. At least for now, this cabin is safe. Unless there’s someone under the bed.
I crouch down and look under the beds before breathing a sigh of relief. Nothing but dust bunnies.
The cabin is outfitted with four sets of old-timey bunk beds, and somehow, we got stuck with the Australian couple.
"I thought the cabin was going to be just us," Stephanie says in a whisper.
She takes the bunk right above me and it squeaks loudly with her weight. Each bed has a flannel pattern blanket and matching pillow. There’s a hint of damp that hangs in the air. It’s nauseating.
I check the bed for bugs before deeming it okay and sit on the edge.
That blue liquid is churning hard in my veins making me feel woozy.
I really should have grabbed something to eat before we left.
Now, all that alcohol has hit my empty stomach and is taking its vengeance out on me and making the floor spin just a bit.
The Australian couple is locked in a pretty serious make out session, dead to the six of us around them. Oh god, they're not going to fuck while we're all in here, are they?
“Do you think we can do s’mores?” McKenzie asks, revealing a box of graham crackers from her bag.
Iris shoots her an annoyed look. “Are you serious? We weren’t supposed to bring outside food, Kenz. You always do this. Can’t you follow the rules for once?” She storms outside and McKenzie tossing the graham crackers back in her bag with a noticeable tear streaking down her cheek.
Guess they’re off again, I think. I can never tell with them honestly, and they stopped keeping us in the loop around their fifth break-up.
“You good?” I ask McKenzie but she just plasters a fake smile on her lips and waves me off.
“All good,” she vows, even though I know it’s bullshit. She knows we’re all here for her if and when she wants to talk.
A loud moan erupts from the couple, and I turn to see the man snaking his hand up the woman's chest, gripping onto her breast hard enough to bruise. My eyebrows shoot up in surprise and my mouth drops open. Okay... maybe they totally plan to fuck even with all of us in here. The sight is a shock to my system and has me questioning when even was the last time I was laid. It’s been…
I count back four, five, no… six months.
That guy in the bar at New Years. I shake my head remembering the foul taste of his kisses.
Just once I would like to know how it feels to be properly fucked.
None of this faux orgasm bullshit I’ve had to do with everyone I’ve taken to my bed.
I want to be with someone that knows exactly what they’re doing and how to get me to come.
Maybe even be rough for once. Is that too much to ask for?
"We're not shy," the woman says catching me staring. I feel my cheeks warm as I quickly look away. Her laughter rings in my ears as her husband goes in to attack her neck with passionate kisses.
"I'm just gunna... yeah," I gesture to the outside, grabbing my pack. Standing up, I need to take a moment to get my bearings before stumbling forward. That blue drink was stronger than I realized.
There's a fire pit a few feet away from the cabins with some Adirondack chairs situated in a circle all around it. Iris is already sitting in one, and I take the open seat next to her, plopping down with a sigh. She’s staring off into the distance and I can tell from all the years I’ve known her— she just wants me to sit here.
If I ask, she’ll hide away in that shell of hers.
In the distance, I can see the gentle water from the lake glistening in the sunset.
It's gorgeous, and if I were anywhere else, I could relax and enjoy it.
But the fact that nothing had jumped out and scared us yet, makes me think that they're waiting and watching.
My shoulders feel tense as I sit in the chair.
I don't know what's worse the anticipation of being scared or the swarm of mosquitoes that buzz around me despite the heavy amount of bug spray I'm wearing.
One goes for my knee, and I slap it quickly.
Definitely, the mosquitos.
"Boo!" Fay calls out from right behind me as she grips my shoulders. I nearly jump out of my skin. I take it back. The getting scared is worse.
"Jesus Christ, Faye!" I whack her on her forearm, and she laughs, taking the open seat next to me.
"It's a good thing you left when you did, they started rolling around on the bed, dry humping each other in there. Oh! You’re sooooo big!” She mimics and I let out a laugh then a shudder. I can’t fathom trying to get it on in a room full of strangers, but who I am to yuck anyone’s yum.
The rest of my friends join us out here, but there's only five chairs. McKenzie opts to sit on Faye's lap, drinking out of her water bottle. I don’t miss the daggers that Iris shoots at McKenzie. The tension palpable.
As we sit, that feeling of being watched creeps back in and has me swiveling my head to see where it's coming from. I squint my eyes trying to see in the dimming light past the tree line. A skittering of what sounds like feet shuffling around in the foliage hits my ears. My senses are tingling. Someone, or multiple someone’s, are watching us right now. Waiting for the right time to strike.
"Kenzie, do you hear that?" I ask.
Her oversized red glasses slip down her nose, making her push them back up.
"Hear what? Is it the Australian couple?"
"No, no, In the trees," I jerk my head in the direction. She turns around, looking to where I'm gesturing.
"Ohhh, do you think it's the scare actors?
" Kenzie practically squeals. If McKenzie could make Halloween every day of the week, she would.
She loves anything that goes bump in the night and spends a ridiculous amount of time watching paranormal documentaries, which I won't watch with her anymore because, I value my sleep too much.
The rustling intensifies, and it’s loud enough that Stephanie, Faye, and Iris have all stopped talking.
A low growl rumbles from the edges of the trees, and it makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand on edge.
"Run!" Stephanie screams just as a bloody clown comes barreling straight towards us with a bat. Not only is he holding a bat, but there are large spikes jutting out from the end with a scrap of what looks like bloody flesh hanging off one of the spikes.
"Oh, fuck this!” I exclaim, scrambling out of the chair. It scrapes the backs of my thighs, but I don't care because following the nightmare clown are a host of creatures dug from the darkest parts of my nightmares.
Fear, hot and potent grips my chest as I take off in the opposite direction.
"They look so lifelike!" Faye exclaims with a laugh, loving every second of this.
"Audrey, I swear to fuck, I'm going to kill you for dragging us here," I say already feeling a stitch form in my side.
“Hey, don’t blame me! McKenzie was the one who asked for this!” She responds, running right alongside of me.
In all the commotion, I realize I forgot my backpack. Fucking great. It's fully dark now, making it difficult to see where I'm going.
Screams erupt from all over. They've reached the cabins.
Good to know even those aren't considered a safe space.
When this so-called vacation is over, I'm going to need all the caffeine I can get my hands on to make up for how tired I'm going to be. If no place is safe? How can I be expected to sleep?
People are running everywhere, but the scare actors are gaining on us quickly. In the blink of an eye, I realize, I’ve lost track of my friends.
Looking behind me is when I make a mistake. Not being able to see where I'm running leads me straight into a solid brick wall of a chest.
I scream feeling arms wrap around my body. My hair is covering my face, obscuring my vision from making out who exactly has captured me. Then from behind another set of arms wrap around me. I'm caged in between two solid masses of muscle.
My entire body begins to shake as I try to get away, but no amount of trashing will make these two budge. I let out a scream, but it does no good.
"What do we have here?" A deep voice asks.
"I'd say we found ourselves a little screamer,” the voice from behind rumbles, vibrating my back. I can feel a distinct prodding that hits me right between my butt cheeks.
Whoever it is has a hard on. A very large, impressive hard on. It startles me enough that I almost forget to be scared.
But the hot breath on my ear jerks me back into a terror induced state.
Why then, when my heart is racing like it is, am I feeling the tiniest bit turned on? I shake my head. Absolutely not. I will not be led astray by my pussy.
"Fuck she smells so good!" the one at my back exclaims, running his nose up my neck.
"She has a name, and I doubt that very much! I've been running and I'm covered in bug spray."
Both of my captors somehow find this hilarious. That blue drink seems to be gaining on me, because I almost join them.
"He wasn't talking about that scent, little rose. He's talking about that sweet little cunt of yours that's begging for us to fill it."
I clench my thighs together. I should have worn longer shorts! How can they smell that? Oh my god! Can everyone smell that? I'm seriously considering a new shower routine.
"Stop overthinking," the one in front of me says, gripping me hard about the waist. One of his hands traces the length of my body and up the side of my neck until he's removing the large chunk of hair that's been obscuring my vision.
I try to ignore the visceral reaction my body has to their rough, large hands touching me like they are.
As soon as my vision clears, I see a faint dark outline of the man in front of me.
In the warm moonlight, his teeth gleam as he grins down at me.
But there's a glaring difference in his menacing smile that makes my heart clench. There are two long fangs protruding from his mouth. A vampire. I don’t know why but a part of me wants to know what it would feel like to be bitten.
Would it hurt? Would it feel good? It’s not like I can actually find out though.
This is all manufactured to make us scared and fuck it’s working.
It's fake—all fake, I tell myself, right up until I feel the twin pin pricks of fangs sinking into my neck.
The bastard bit me! He fucking bit me. And oh my God does it feel so good.
Nothing like I would have expected. There's a warm pulsing that travels from the wound in my neck directly to my core, wanting more, more, more.
My head spins, from either the blood loss or the pent-up sexual frustration that's coursing through my body. It's a ravenous need to be consumed.
A loud scream pierces my muddied thoughts, and it sounds familiar.
Faye? It's enough to break me from my haze and realize just what's happening to me.
I'm being feasted upon by a real-life vampire.
Somehow, I manage to push my captors away and I stumble out of their grasp.
I need to find my friends and get out of here.