Bliss and Bloodlust

Once I was out of her line of sight I ran. I kept running, until I couldn't see them or the car any longer but the road we were traveling on came to a dead end. I must have ran in the wrong direction. There was nowhere to go but into the woods or take my chances going back the way I had come.

I chanced the woods.

It didn't look familiar, this part of town but I needed to get as much distance between me and those two psychopaths. My adrenaline was pumping and besides survival was the only thing keeping me moving and ignoring the pain in my head and shoulder and the sharp jabs of twigs and broken glass in the soles of my bare feet as I slowly navigated my way through trees.

My other injuries from the accident were minor, a gash on my forehead that bled, I didn't even know I had it until the blood ran into my eye, and other scrapes and cuts and carpet and rope burns. I wished I had made Stephanie give me her phone, and her pants, and her shoes. I also wish I hadn't saved either of there dumb asses. Nothing I could do about it now.

I stopped and caught my breath for a second. I gripped both guns tightly in my hands, both were loaded, I had checked. My lack of clothing gave me no real place to hold at least one so they stayed in my hands. I saw the moon through the treetops, so I tried to follow its path in the sky so as not to get too lost. The darkness of the night made me think of a night not so long ago in the woods but I stopped my mind before it went too far. I needn't be riddled with fear right now, anger and revenge were enough to keep me going.

I slowed my pace and listened for any sound that might mean I was being followed. Nothing. I walked to the shelter of another tree as my eyes adjusted to the night, and listened again. Nothing, but I got that tingling feeling in my spine that told me I was being watched. Whether it was human, animal or something more sinister I couldn't tell but it made me more alert.

I could hear my heart beating a mile a minute, pounding in my ears, as I readied the gun in my right hand. Come out, come out wherever you are, I thought. Another game of waiting. Had Jayson regained enough strength to began his chase or had he sent Stephanie instead? Or were they both lurking in these wood waiting to shoot me down? I didn't know if they had other weapons in the car or not, or maybe they had some more on themselves. I wouldn't be surprised if they did. I should have checked. Or maybe they left and went to wherever they had been heading to before the crash, to lay low.

The car might attract attention soon enough and they wouldn't want to be there if he cops show up. All those thoughts crossed my mind in a matter of seconds as I waited for something, anything to happen. Nothing did, so I carefully moved one foot forward and crept along to the next tree. Following the moon west. I lived west, we had come from the west, in my mind it sounded like a good plan. My palms were sweating so I stopped for a second to put the guns down gently by my feet and wiped my hands on my shirt, it smelled of sweat, dirt, blood, and Daniel.

“Find me, Dan.” I said with the barest of whispers, then picked up the guns and ventured on.

I had been out here for at least an hour when I saw a light in the distance. I had just stopped to pick a thorn from my foot. The light swayed back and forth. Shit, a flashlight, they had a flashlight. But they hadn't seen me yet. They were too far away, so I gripped the guns again, crept down low and crab walked further away. It sent me off my 'follow the moon' trail but I needed to get away from that godawful light.

The night had grown colder, one of those Spring nights you still need to bundle up on. I wasn't even sure what time it was but I was hoping it wasn't near dawn, I needed the cover of darkness if I was going to survive. And I prayed that someone, anyone, would find me.

The light in the distance suddenly shut off. Had they spotted me? I didn't wait around to find out. I continued my crab walk and strained my ears to hear if anyone was approaching. I twisted my head around to see but nothing was there. I heard a muffled argument, not so close that I could make out words but close enough to chill me to my core. I moved further away and didn't look back. Well, at least I knew they were together. I moved forward until their voices faded away.

After a long time I made it to a small clearing but it gave me no coverage. I wasn't sure which direction I was headed in anymore but I knew dawn was approaching. The stars were fading and the deep purple of the night sky was growing lighter. I decided to stay close to the edge of the trees, keep the clearing in sight and head towards what I believed was west. I kept my eyes peeled for any signs of danger.

I didn't know how long Jayson and Stephanie were planning on keeping this up but I wouldn't feel safe until I was out of this mess. I needed to get to the police. I know Daniel was searching and Aunt Bren surely noticed my absence. I hoped. Then I heard the gunshots.

One. Two. Three. Pop, after pop, after pop.

The sound echoed and reverberated off the trees. I'm not sure how close it was, but did it matter? They had a gun, and they were shooting. At what? Had they found me? I took a moment to look around again. Nothing in sight. It was less dark than before. Not good for me.

I listened, waited, and then I heard someone shout. Not in pain but shouting something to someone else. I couldn't tell who it was but I moved in the direction opposite of the voice. Then I heard another voice to my left. They shouted something too. I stopped, the guns in my hands felt like led as I lifted then in the firing position one both sides. I ignored the sweat on my brow and the fear bubbling in my belly. There would be time for that later... if I survived. My eyes swept back and forth as the voices grew closer.

“Well, well, well.” Jayson's cocky voice boomed as he emerged form the trees. “What have we here?”

His face and shirt were covered in blood, and he was carrying a rifle. Where had he gotten a rifle? Oh bloody hell, this as not my day. I knew I should have checked the car.

“I must say you gave us a run for our money. Isn't that right honey?” he said as he continued forward until he was about twenty feet away and more in front of me than on the side.

“Yeah, baby.” Stephanie's high pitched annoying voice came from my left.

She too was armed, a pistol in her right hand. She looked a bit unsure of herself, the gun didn't look right in her delicate hand. And she kept some distance between us.

I smiled.

The dried up dirt, and blood on my face cracked with the effort. I must have looked like deranged 'cause Stephanie's face grimaced. I pointed a gun at both of them. Oh, I was going to get a shot in one of them. Jayson was the target of choice but I knew if I shot Jayson, Stephanie would shoot me, but if I shot Stephanie...

“Why are you going through all this effort to kill me?” I asked them. “You could have just done it at the house instead of kidnapping me.”

“We were planning on torturing you.” Stephanie answered. Jayson's eyes glinted wildly.

“Oh goodie.” I muttered, then said loudly. “So what now brainiacs?”

Jayson smiled widely, showing a lot of teeth. “We kill you.”

“You've done a bag up job so far. Shooting me, cutting my brakes. But here I am.” I was mostly keeping my eyes on him, but she was in my peripheral.

“I see that.” Jayson spat out bitterly. “The brakes were a stupid idea, I admit.”

“And trying to break into my house?”

He smiled like a madman, “You brought all of this upon yourself. Why couldn't you just die?”

“Stephanie,” I looked at her from the corner of my eye, ignoring Jayson's words. “Do you want to kill me? Can you live with yourself once it's done?” She swallowed hard but said nothing. “Jail isn't fun, you know.”

She found her courage. “It'll be fine. We won't get caught.”

“Oh yeah? Why? You planning on burying me here?”

“Yeah. That's a good idea.” Jayson said smiling.

“You don't have a shovel genius.” I informed him.

He grew angry. “Shut up, you fucking bitch.” He yelled at me, “Why couldn't you have just died the first time?”

“Stubborn.” I teased.

Maybe not such a good idea when two people are pointing guns at you, but I couldn't help myself. They were hesitating, they could have shot me before I had even seen them but they didn't. This was a game to them, that's all, a sick fucking game. Maybe I could make it out of this alive if I played my cards right and kept them talking.

“What were you shoot at earlier? Is someone else here?”

“I thought I saw something... someone.” Stephanie answered before she thought better of it.

“Who did you think it was?” I asked curiously.

“Steph, shut up.” Jayson grunted at her.

“I dunno.” Stephanie said.

She couldn't seem to shut up, like she wanted me to know someone else might be here. Or maybe she was losing it and got a bit trigger happy. Either way I was still alive and the more she kept talking the more my chance of survival increased.

She loosely held her gun. “He looked familiar.” She frowned in confusion. He? Daniel? “But then nothing was there after I shot. He was gone.”

Hope flared in my chest.

“I told you to shut up.” Jayson yelled and turned his rifle on Stephanie.

He started screaming obscenities at her. She looked alarmed and frightened. All I had needed was a distraction, so I took my chance, aimed and fired.