A/N: Thanks for the reviews! Hang in there we are just getting started! ;)
"So how do we do this?" Asked Alex, trying to make her voice sound strong.
"Liv, Amanda, Abbie and Kim can take the east path, myself, Addison, Casey and Alex will go west. Go no further than cell phone range and check in via text every ten minutes." Replied Teddy naturally slipping into the role as leader.
"I'll get the flash lights." Offered Amanda, feeling very much like the outsider in a group mourning their friend, Olivia's rejection still ringing in her ears.
"Wait, we'll all go, we need jumpers and cell phones." Called Casey, indicating the flannel pjmma pants and tank top she had thrown on in her rush to leave the tent.
"We need to find Serena, I'm not wasting time on texting and fashion." Snapped Liv, spinning on her heel and heading into the mist.
Knowing she was likely to be the only one to reach the devastated brunette, Teddy pressed a chaste kiss to Addison's cheek and jogged after her friend before she could get too far, "Olivia, stop a minute. Please."
"She's hurt Teddy, I need to find her." Replied Liv, "This is all my fault! I should have died not her."
"Oh, Olivia." Sighed Teddy, reaching out a hand she pulled her friend close, "Liv, I can't imagine how much you're hurting right now, but we need you to be strong. There's something out here hunting us and I can't look after the kids myself. Please, if we're going to get through this I need you, we all need you."
"Could she still be alive?" Asked Liv, her voice full of hop.
Shaking her head, Teddy replied, "I'm sorry, Olivia but we're looking for a body, there was too much blood. She'd want to be taken home to her family and we owe her that much. Five more minutes won't make any difference."
Nodding Liv, allowed Teddy to lead her back to the others, where they walked in silence until they entered the clearing containing what was once their campsite; now the ground was littered with their belongings as if someone was searching for something, the tents slashed to the point they had collapsed, the cars all had flat tires and the fire which had been burning steadily doused with water.
"Oh God." Breathed Alex as they took in the devastation.
"Fucking hell." Gasped Abbie as she held up the metal table they had used to prepare food, a jagged line cut through the middle of it, "What the fuck could do this?"
"Language." Chastised Kim, more out of habit than because she disagreed with Abbie's statement.
"Really?" Asked Abbie with a raised eyebrow, "I'm sorry, but gosh darn it, just wasn't going to cut it."
"Enough!" Ordered Alex in a firm voice, "Just find what's useful and let's find our friend and get the hell out of here."
They worked in silence, throwing anything that was still useful into their backpacks, each trying to process the horror unfolding around them. Searching through the wreckage of what was once her tent, Casey shoved a jumper and her waterproof jacket into her rucksack before her hand landed on her uncles book, pausing for a second she debated leaving it, it was just a book after all, yet the thought of leaving it made her sad in a way that made no sense. Her mind was made up for her when she heard Alex's voice, telling her to hurry up, throwing it into her backpack she stood and headed over to the others.
Ten minutes later, they were ready to leave, the fear they were feeling palpable as they separated into two smaller groups at the point of Serena's attack. "We stay together, no matter what." Ordered Teddy as she led the way into the thick mist, Addison's hand clutched tightly in her own.
"Agreed." Nodded Casey joining her hand with Alex's and holding the flash light steady in her other hand as she brought up the rear.
After a few minutes of walking in silence, Alex voiced the question that had been on her mind since leaving the campsite, "Does it seem unnaturally quiet to anyone else? There's no breeze, no animal noises, none of the things you'd expect with being out in the wild."
"She's right." Replied Addison, as if she suddenly realise how quiet and still it was around them.
"I don't like this at all." Offered Casey, "It's this damn mist, makes me feel like there's something watching me, hunting me might be a better term."
"None of us want to be here, but we have to find Serena." Replied Teddy, not willing to admit just how afraid she was, "The quicker we get that done, the quicker we can get the hell out of here."
"And just how do you suppose we do that?" Asked Casey, not sure why she was suddenly so angry at Teddy.
"I don't know Casey, but bitching about it won't help." Snapped Teddy, the stress of the night's events making her unusually snappy.
"We have four cars, which means four spares, it won't be elegant but maybe that'll be enough to get us down the trail to the rangers lodge." Offered Addison hoping to defuse the tension she could feel radiating from Casey, who until that point had seemed calm and friendly.
"That's a good point." Agreed Alex giving her girlfriends hand a warm squeeze, "We're going to be okay."
"Tell that to Serena." Snorted Casey.
"Casey!" Scolded Alex.
"What?" Demanded Casey, "I'm just saying."
"Well stop it." Ordered Alex, frowning at the darkness in Casey's normally bright eyes, putting it down to fear and grief softened her voice, "I love you Case, and we're all going to be okay. We just need to work together."
Looking into Alex's eyes, Casey felt her mood settle slightly, "Okay, I'm sorry."
Nodding in acceptance of Casey's apology, Teddy turned back towards the path, "Let's press on." Lapsing back into silence they walked for what felt like miles before, Teddy came to a sudden halt, causing Addison to walk into the back of her, almost sending them to the floor, muttering an apology to her girlfriend she focused the beam of her flash light on the flash of red material that had caught her eye.
"Teddy?" Asked Addison.
"Down there." Whispered Teddy, pointing her flash light at the still body on the ground, even from a distance the smell of rotting flesh and blood filled the still night air.
"I can't tell if that's Serena of not." Whispered Casey as her beam of light joined the others to fully illuminate the body below them.
"Neither can I." Agreed Teddy her unease increasing by the second, "I'm going to go check it out."
"I'm coming with you." Replied Casey in a firm voice as she slipped her backpack off and slipped her cell phone into her back pocket.
"Be careful." Called Alex as she huddle closer to Addison.
"Always." Replied Casey with a small smirk.
Slowly Casey and Teddy made their way down the steep slope, speaking only to warn the other of hazards and reassure the women waiting at the top. As they reached the bottom they took a moment to catch their breaths and steady their nerves before approaching the body, "Hey Teddy?"
"Hmm." Mumbled Teddy as she concentrated on finding her way through the thick mist without breaking an ankle.
"When lightening hits the sea, why don't the fish die?"
"What?" Asked Teddy with a confused laugh, "Why is that important now?"
"It's not, but the silence was getting to me." Admitted Casey as she fiddled with the Saint Jude medallion she wore around her neck.
"Oh, okay. Well to answer your question, water is a reasonably good conductor so lightening stays on the surface, but I'm sure Kim would be able to give a far more in depth answer." Replied Teddy pleased to have a topic of conversation that didn't involve death and darkness.
Casey didn't reply as they finally reached the body, holding her light still she watched as Teddy slipped on a latex glove from the first aid kit in her car and lent down to examine the body, the smell of decay and blood making her gag slightly. "Is it Serena?"
"No, it's a man." Replied Teddy, "Stabbed by the look of it."
"Just how many killers are out here?" Asked Casey in a worried voice.
Before Teddy could answer the air was filled with terrified screams and unnatural growls.
Olivia took the lead, with Amanda at the back of the group, she moved at a fast pace, as if her anger was guiding her steps, where the others slipped and stumbled through the darkness, she was unperturbed by the uneven ground. After twenty minutes of tense silence Abbie asked, "So, you two, how long's that been going on?"
"Shut up Abbie." Snapped Liv.
"Just making conversation, you know to take my mind off walking through a dark forest with a knife wielding maniac waiting to slice me to pieces. " Muttered Abbie.
"Abbie." Warned Kim, though her voice lacked its normal heat, "Please, let's all just focus on the task at hand."
Abbie could hear the tremble in Kim's voice and it was that that stopped her from making a smart assed remark, instead she squeezed Kim's hand and turned her attention to scanning the area around them with her flash light. Seeing what she was sure was a flash of blonde hair, she stopped and slowly moved her touch beam from left to right.
"You see something?" Asked Amanda pointing her light in the same direction as Abbie.
"I'm not sure, this fuckin' mist keeps getting thicker." Replied Abbie.
"We should check it out." Offered Liv, "Wait here."
"I don't think splitting up is a good idea." Replied Kim, gripping the back of Olivia's shirt, not that she would admit it out loud but having Olivia around made her feel somewhat safer.
"We have to find her." Argued Liv.
"And Teddy said not to split up." Replied Kim.
"Well Teddy isn't here." Snapped Liv, before taking a breath and dragging a hand through her hair, "What if myself and Amanda check it out and you and Abbie wait in the clearing we passed a few minutes back?"
"Fine. But if you're not back in five minutes we're coming after you." Warned Abbie, "Come on Kim."
Waiting until her friends were a on their way, Liv shared a look with Amanda, "Ready?"
"Yeah." Nodded Amanda as she tightened her grip on her flash slight and followed Liv into the mist, after a few minutes walking in silence the sound of a twig snapping to her left caused Amanda to spin in a circle searching for the cause of the noise, her foot catching in a root sending her to the floor, her flash light clattering away.
"Amanda!" Yelled Liv as she watched the blonde fall to the floor.
"I'm okay. I'm okay. Muttered the blonde with an embarrassed chuckle, which turned into a full on laugh, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry, it's just…" She started laughing again, "It's just… we're in a dark wood with a murderer and it's the blonde who fall's over a tree root and dies. How embarrassing would that be?"
"Hilarious." Muttered Olivia, only to be cut off by the sound of Kim screaming.
Leading Kim back towards the clearing Abbie pulled the other woman into her arms, not that she wanted to say it out loud but Abbie was sure the mist was getting thicker by the second. Wanting to distract herself from her fear she asked, "Why are pirates called pirates?"
"What?" Asked Kim pulling back slightly to look into Abbie's eyes.
"It's a joke." Smiled Abbie. Her smile turning to an expression of confusion and horror as she saw a familiar blonde walking towards them, "Serena?"
There was something unnatural about Serena's movements, they were somewhere between robotic and puppet like, as if someone, something was controlling her movements and hadn't worked out knees were supposed to bend with each step.
Spinning to face the blonde, Kim gasped in horror as she took in the sight of her best friend covered in mud and blood her eyes black a hateful expression on her face, a large knife clutched in her hand. Blindly reaching for Abbie's hand Kim wanted to run or scream but she was rooted to the ground.
The thing that was once Serena raised its arm and pointed the knife at Kim, its voice almost as deep as a man's with a growl like quality to it, "You."
"Run! Find the others, go!" Ordered Abbie giving Kim a small shove into the opposite direction she launched herself at the blood covered blonde, grunting as she felt the sting on the blade piercing her arm. Ignoring the pain she tried to grip the blondes arm as the mist continued to swirl around them, all she cared about was stopping it from hurting Kim. She gave a strangled gasp as the blade was plunged into her chest, Kim screaming her name the last sound she registered as she slumber to the floor.
Kim watched in horror as Abbie slumped to the floor and the blonde continued to rain blow after blow down on the now still brunette. As she started to run forward she felt a set of strong arms wrap around her and drag her backwards, "No! Abbie! Let me go!"
"Kim, stop come on. There's nothing we can do." Ordered Amanda as she tried to hold the hysterical woman upright and watch in case Olivia decided to do something crazy like charge off into the mist, which was so thick you could no longer see the body just hear the sound of the knife striking flesh.
"Kim?" Called Alex as she and Addison reached them, Teddy and Casey a few steps behind.
"Abbie… We have to help her." Screamed Kim still trying to break free of Amanda's grip.
"What's going on?" Demanded Teddy.
It was Olivia who replied her tone full of shock, "It's Serena… she killed Abbie."