Welcome to this suspenseful shot. It might not be very long but this shot contains suspense, thrills, blood and violence so if you are opposed to any of these things do not read this story this is your warning!
Legal: I own nothing but the idea
Important things to know before reading:
*Takes place in the last weeks of summer before Clare's senior year
*Drew is repeating but Bianca, Owen and Dallas graduated
*Becky did not spend the summer in Florida and is still dating Adam
*Drew has been elected president and Clare will be his VP
*There was no Paris trip and Clare did not have cancer
*Eli went to NYU for summer semester and was rooming with Lenore and they began an affair so Clare broke up with him
Stalked & Stranded
(CLARE)
I never thought I'd be spending my last days before senior year on a road trip with Drew, Bianca, Owen, Adam and Becky Baker. I admit I did picture Adam and I going on a road trip but I envisioned Eli here with us. Of course now Adam has a girlfriend, Drew and I would be running student council next year and Eli and I hadn't spoken for over a month after I found out he was cheating on me with a film student named Lenore. Knowing that I'd be running student council with Drew next year and because Adam was my best friend I'd been spending a lot of time at the Torres house recently. So when Owen suggested a road trip before we all had to return to school he had included me in that and I was happy to get away from everything for a week.
"Drew I need to pee find a rest stop," Bianca orders her fiancé.
"Yes ma'am," he quips.
"I should call home," Becky says.
"Do you really have to call home so much I thought your parents trusted you," Adam comments. He still really likes Becky but they've been having problems recently, not that I'm surprised but it makes me sad because Adam really likes her.
"There's a gas station a few miles ahead, hopefully they have a good store because we could use some more provisions," Owen comments.
"More provisions? The trunk and roof are packed where are you going to put it?" Bianca questions.
"There's some space between Adam and Becky in the very back," Owen replies and Adam smacks him in the back of the head for the comment.
We see the gas station and Drew pulls in alongside a gas pump so he can fill up. It looks like a typical middle of nowhere rest stop gas station. There's four gas pumps, a garage in case you break down and a store which among other things sells bait, tackle and things for hunting. Parked near the side of the garage is a service truck and a tow truck.
We all get out of the van and Drew stays by the van to pump gas while the rest of us go into the store. Bianca, Becky and I walk towards the washroom at the back of the store and the man behind the counter is watching us. He's in his thirties, has a beard and beer belly he's gross and the way he's looking at us I'm very creeped out, and I'm not the only one.
"Hey you keep looking at us like that and I'll staple your damn eyes shut," Bianca snaps at the man.
"Hey eyes to yourself," Owen barks at the man slapping his hand on the counter to take his attention from us.
"There's only one washroom I'm going first," Bianca says going into the washroom.
The door doesn't lock so I hold it shut. She does the same for me and then I do it for Becky, by the time we're out all the guys are in the store and gathering snacks. Becky calls her parents from the porch; she's facing in and watching Adam gather snacks. The rest of us gather snacks and Drew pays for the snacks and gas. Becky comes back in and while the guys use the washroom Bianca and I look at the tchotchkes in the store and Becky's just lingering in the corner and looking nervous and anxious to get out of here.
"Okay let's hit the road," Drew says when the guys come out of the washroom.
We all head out to the van and notice the mechanic near the minivan. He nods to us and walks back into the garage wiping his hands on a rag.
"Well those guys are creepy is anyone else hearing the banjo music from Deliverance?" Bianca jokes as Drew begins driving again.
"Don't joke that isn't funny," Becky snaps at her.
"Chill double B you three girls have nothing to worry about with us three strong guys to protect you," Owen grins and I shake my head.
We drive on for about another hour, eating snacks and talking about things we want to do. And then suddenly the minivan begins to sputter and Drew pulls to the side of the road just as the minivan dies.
"What's going on?" I question.
"I don't know something's wrong with the engine," Drew shrugs as he and Owen get out of the van. Bianca follows them and I stay in the car with Becky and Adam.
"I can't believe this I don't know why I agreed to come on this stupid trip with you. I don't like your brother or Owen and Bianca," Becky says to Adam.
"You didn't have to come, I believe you are the one that asked Owen if you could come and then begged your parents," Adam shoots back.
Deciding that I'd rather look at a car engine than to hear Adam and Becky argue I leave the minivan. Bianca, Owen and Drew are all gathered around the engine and looking at it.
"What's going on?" I inquire.
"Looks like the fuel line has ruptured," Owen replies.
"I'll call for roadside assistance," Drew says walking to the driver's side door and grabbing his cell phone. "I don't have any signal," he tells us holding his phone out and up in all directions to try and get a signal.
"Me either," Owen comments pulling his phone out of his pocket. Bianca and I return to the van and grab our purses getting our cell phones.
"I'm not getting signal either," Bianca shakes her head.
"Me either and I haven't seen another car for at least half an hour," I remark.
"We passed a sign not too long ago that there's a town about twelve kilometers ahead," Bianca says.
"Okay we're staying together though let's start walking. I'll grab my brother and Becky," Drew tells us and walks around the van again. "Hey the car is dead and our cell phones aren't working, we need to start walking to the closest town," he informs them.
"You want me to walk?" Becky groans.
"Well no one is going to carry you and the rest of us are going to walk to the town up ahead and you're not going to stay in the van on the side of the road by yourself," Drew says.
"Adam you'll stay with me won't you? I don't want to walk," Becky whines and the rest of us roll our eyes.
"No Adam is coming with us I'm not leaving my little brother in the middle of nowhere," Drew replies.
"I hate this trip," Becky complains.
"I'm going to strangle her," Drew whispers as he walks back to us.
We begin hiking along the edge of the narrow road Drew and Bianca in the front, Owen and I behind them and Adam and Becky behind us. We're all walking in silence, all of us except Becky who every few minutes complains about something new. The wind is too cold, her feet hurt, we're walking too fast, she's hungry, she's thirsty. All of which she complains about in the span of about half an hour.
"Shut up or I'm going to rip off your panties and use them to gag you," Bianca growls at her and Becky finally goes quiet. Well almost I hear her whisper to Adam that she doesn't like Bianca.
"I hear a car," Adam comments after a few minutes. We all stop walking and turn on the road to look for the car; we can hear the engine in the distance. After a moment we see a truck driving leisurely on the winding forest road.
"I think that's the truck from the gas station we stopped at," Drew comments.
"Yeah it is I remember that truck," I nod and we all start waving the truck down.
"Guys something doesn't look right about that truck," Owen remarks as he stops waving it down. No sooner does he put his arms down than the truck begins to speed up driving right for us! Becky screams and we all run into the woods, the truck narrowly misses hitting Adam as we scatter into the trees.
"The truck had a harpoon mounted on it, goddamn backwoods inbred hicks I knew something was fucking wrong with them," Owen growls.
"You mean like trying to run us down?" I shoot back.
"They probably caused the fuel line to rupture while we were all in the store," Bianca remarks.
"I want to go home, I want to go home," Becky snivels.
"Becky sh…" Bianca begins but gets cut off by one of the men in the truck.
"HUNTING SEASON IS OPEN," he yells and then we hear a gunshot. It echoes like thunder in the trees stopping our hearts and sending a chill up our spines!
"Run," Owen says in a commanding tone breaking us all from the paralyzing fear and we take off.
Our feet hit the ground with hard pounding steps, our hearts pounding faster as we literally run for our lives. We dash through the trees, apart but within eyesight of each other as we flee for our lives. Suddenly I hear a whizzing sound, almost a buzzing and then a hunting arrow hits a tree that Adam and I dodge around.
"There, there's a cabin up ahead," Adam says pointing to the structure up ahead. We all run to it, converging at the cabin and running in. As soon as we're all inside Owen and Drew move a table in front of the floor to block it. The rest of us collapse to the floor to catch our breath.
"We can't stay here we're trapped," I point out.
"We're safe in here they can't get in," Becky says.
"We don't know that and they could burn it down trapping us inside we need to go. If we go out the back quietly and run we'll have a head start and they'll still be trying to get in," I assert.
"Screw you Clare we're safer if we're inside and I'm not running anymore," Becky hisses at me.
"I'm with Clare let's get the hell out of here," Bianca nods just as she says the last syllable an axe comes through the wall less than an inch from her and we all scream. Bianca scrambles away from the wall and into Drew's arms.
"Let's get the hell out of here," Adam insists with desperate urgency in his tone. An urgency that we all feel and we turn around beginning to run toward the back of the cabin and hoping there's a back exit.
We run into a bedroom which has one large window. The guys go to the window trying to open it but it won't open. Drew grabs an old lamp from the table next to the bed and raises it over his head to break the window. Before Drew can bring the lamp down and smash the window a shotgun blast shatters it sending a rainstorm of glass in at us. Bianca, Becky and I all scream as the glass cuts into the boy's faces, necks and arms. They turn away closing their eyes and thankfully none of them seem to be too badly hurt just a few cuts. Before any of us can breathe a sigh of relief an arrow whizzes through the now open window and into Drew's arm!
Bianca screams, Drew grunts with pain, I gasp and Becky looks like she might pass out. The arrow is sticking straight through Drew's bicep, there isn't much blood but the arrow itself is stopping the blood. It almost doesn't look real, like something from a Halloween costume but we know it is real and seeing it in Drew's arm makes my stomach churn with a sickening fear. The six of us are so shocked at the arrow through Drew's arm that we don't realize two other men have come into the cabin until I feel a large hand on my shoulder and I scream. Everyone looks at me and over my shoulder at the man; it's the clerk from the store at the gas station, the one that was leering at me, Bianca and Becky. There's another man with him a younger one, scrawny with dark hair and crooked teeth and dead eyes. The mechanic from the gas station is still outside; he's the one that shot out the window and the arrow into Drew's arm.
"You've got real pretty eyes," he says to me. His breath reeks like he's rotting from the inside. He's grinning at me with a vile smile that lets me see his brown and yellow teeth. I flinch away and he grips my shoulder tighter.
"GET AWAY FROM HER!" Owen yells.
"LET GO OF HER!" Adam growls at nearly the same second.
They begin to advance on the man but he holds up a gun right near my face aiming it right at Owen. Another arrow is shot through the window catching the sleeve of Adam's hoodie. Adam is not hurt but the arrow and the gun catches everyone's attention and Owen freezes.
"This one's got real long hair, I like running my fingers through it," the scrawny one says combing his fingers through Becky's hair.
"Get your hands off me you stupid freak," Becky shrieks slapping at him with her hands. He responds by punching her and she stops.
"You boys get in the closet we're going to take the girls," says the man holding me while the third man crawls through the window. No one else notices because the guys are focused on the other two men, me and Becky and Drew and Bianca are also focused on the arrow in his arm.
"The fuck you are, leave them the fuck alone," Owen snarls taking a step forward but the man holding me cocks the gun and it's still aimed at Owen. I push the man's arm just as he fires and the bullet misses Owen's chest but nicks his shoulder.
The third man, the mechanic, grabs Owen and shoves him into the closet, he then does the same to Drew and the scrawny one shoves Adam in and then they block the door with a small chair. The man still holding me turns me to walk out of the house, I can't do anything because he's still holding the gun and I have no doubt that he will shoot me.
My heart is pounding with terror, I hear it through my chest it seems to be so loud but I hear Bianca and Becky being dragged behind me. We get outside and I look to my left to see Bianca being held by the back of the neck by the mechanic and the scrawny one holding Becky tightly by the hair. A myriad of terrifying thoughts run through my mind about what they might do to us each thought more horrifying and sickening than the last but I'm too terror-stricken to cry or do anything. I don't think that I'm even breathing. Bianca seems to be the same, when I glance at her all I see is the panicked fear in her eyes. Becky on the other hand has not lost the ability to talk.
"Let go of me, you're disgusting, you can't just kidnap us. They'll come looking for us and they'll arrest you. Let us go you disgusting backwoods un…"
Becky is silenced when the one holding me turns the gun on her, shooting her at close range through the head! A geyser of blood spatter shoots from head, a mist of Becky's blood lands on me and Bianca and we both scream. The scrawny one that's still holding Becky by the hair looks at her and then drops her lifeless body to the ground.
"What'd you do that for I wanted to keep her," the scrawny one whines pushing at the hone holding me.
"She wouldn't shut the fuck up I didn't want to listen to her whining anymore," says the one holding me and he lets go of me with his other hand to backhand the scrawny one.
Bianca and I look at each other; we know this is our chance. We have to fight now, we may very possibly end up like Becky but we'd rather die fighting. She elbows the one holding her and I grab the axe from the sheath on the back of the one that was holding me. He turns around when I take the axe but I swing the axe with all the strength I have after taking it from the sheath. It's quite heavy and somewhat unwieldy, it's not a very good swing but I manage get him as he's turning. The axe catches him near the shoulder socket and lodges in; he releases a roaring scream of pain and drops the gun. Bianca dives for the gun at the same time as the scrawny one while I try to get the axe out of the guy's arm. The mechanic who was holding Bianca reaches behind him to take the shotgun from behind his back.
"BIANCA," I scream to get her attention because she's closer to him.
The one with the axe in his arm grabs me by the neck and tosses me away. I look at Bianca to see the scrawny one holding his hand I think Bianca bit him. The mechanic is pointing the shotgun at her and she kicks it away just as it fires. A few of the pellets hit the scrawny one but that's it. Bianca is now fighting for the shotgun while scrawny one is wailing about being shot.
I take a handful of dirt and toss it in the eyes of the big one while he's still trying to get the axe out of his arm. He shuts his eyes with another growl of pain but he's no longer trying to get the axe from his arm. I grab it bracing my foot on his leg and pull the axe out of him. He begins bleeding a lot; he's still blinking the dirt from his eyes but her reaches for me. I get a better handle on the axe and swing again, I aim for his neck but I get his arm and he screams in pain. I hear the mechanic whimper, glancing over to see him crumple to the ground so I assume she kicked him in the nuts.
I still have hold of the axe; it didn't lodge into him this time in fact it nearly cut through his arm. I swing it again, this time over my head and I get him in the face at nearly the same second as the shotgun goes off. The axe is embedded in the guy's face; he falls back to the ground dead. I look at Bianca to see the mechanic is also dead, Bianca shot him at close range and half his head is missing. She turns around to look at the scrawny one, I look at him too and he smiles at us. It's almost trying to be innocent but it just looks vile. I hear the pounding of feet and look up to see the guys running toward us they got out of the closet but Drew still has the arrow in his arm.
While we're distracted by the guys running to us the scrawny one grabs the shotgun. Bianca looks back at him and fires on instinct; the blast is very loud but very close to him. It hits him the upper abdomen, there's a lot of blood, quite a bit of back splatter that sprays onto us and he crumples down dead. We just stand there staring at him until the boys reach us.
"Are you girls okay?" Owen asks while Adam kneels down to look at Becky.
"Yeah but I really fucking hate the woods," I reply.
"Me too," Bianca nods setting down the shot gun, "next time we go on vacation I vote for the beach."