A/N: I'm ba-ack! First thing's first, as usual- thank you so much to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! I love knowing that people are reading, it gives me the confidence to keep writing. So on that note, thank you to LiveLoveLaughLife, MK300, AlexandraScrubsGlee, JMHawthorne, Pazzesco and OMG (who gave an amazingly detailed review- love that). You guys are wonderful, keep it up!
Also, I forgot to mention the last few chapters that the chapter titles are all songs. This one is 'Psycho Killer' by the Talking Heads.
DISCLAIMER: Come on, are you really going to make me say it? Just let me live in denial…
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The lodge, it turned out, was more like a wooden mansion. It was massive and U-shaped; the boys' bedrooms were down one arm and the girls' down the other. The middle branch was a communal area with a TV and heaps of slouchy, comfortable-looking sofas and armchairs. Outside was a neat rectangular patch of carefully tended lawn. A winding cobbled path lead across this patch of green to another smaller building which Will informed them housed a communal kitchen and dining area. The entire complex had huge glass windows and the living room area had an entire wall of French doors. It was surrounded by a thicket of dense foliage, a curious mixture of deciduous and coniferous greenery. As it was early spring the deciduous trees were just starting to bud, a sign of renewal, of rebirth.
"Dude, this is actually a pretty sweet deal," Puck whispered. A bird chirped in a nearby tree as if in agreement.
"OK guys," Will called. "All the bedrooms have two sets of bunk beds. There's twelve of you, so I think three to a room should be fine. No mixed sexes." His gaze flickered to Santana and then Puck as he said this last.
"Mr Schue," Kurt piped up. "As an honorary girl, I think I'd feel more comfortable rooming with Mercedes."
"Dude, I think we'd all be more comfortable with that," Puck muttered. Finn flushed fire-engine red, remembering the last disastrous time he and Kurt had roomed together. Mr Hummel's words still haunted him sometimes.
"I… uh, yeah I guess that would be OK, Kurt," said Will. "So, who else is rooming together?"
"Dibs on Brittany," Santana said immediately, locking pinkies with the tall blonde.
"Dibs on Santana," echoed Brittany.
"Brit, you don't have to call Santana," Mike explained in a slow, patient voice. "She already said you two would room together."
"Oh."
"Kurt, you're my boy," Mercedes grinned.
"Tina, will you be joining us in our den of fabulosity?" asked Kurt. The gothic girl bobbed her head in eager agreement. Then she caught sight of Rachel standing awkwardly a few feet away.
"Kurt," she whispered. "Do you think we should…?"
The camp fashionista cast a critical eye over Rachel's pathetic figure, for once not analysing her horrendous fashion choices. His one-time nemesis was clutching her heavy book tight to her chest in a vice-like grip and her eyes were red-rimmed and puffy. Kurt sighed dramatically.
"Rachel," he said, attempting to expel the disparaging sarcasm he usually used when he uttered her name from his voice. "Would you… like to room with us?"
He forced himself to suppress a shudder. However, when Rachel's face lit up with a hopeful smile he found that he genuinely felt good about being nice to her. Who knew?
"I… I'd love to! Thanks Kurt."
Meanwhile, Santana and Puck were engaged in a furious argument.
"No Puck," the cheerleader hissed venomously. "I am not rooming with her, no way."
"Oh come on, San…"
"Don't 'San' me! I only just got rid of her from Cheerios, I don't want her near me."
"San please," Puck begged. "Quinn's been really down since the adoption went through."
"Not my problem."
"Oh, cut the ice queen act Lopez," sighed Puck. "I know you can have a heart when you want to. You were really awesome that time I got stomach flu, you made me soup and everything. And you never even used it as ammo to get me to make out with you."
"Yeah, but I don't want my occasional shred of decency to become common knowledge. My hard-assed bitchiness is what makes people fear me."
"I'll stop purposely confusing Brit on a daily basis."
Santana narrowed her eyes at him. "Fine," she said sullenly. "But you owe me, Puckerman."
"Sure, sure. Thanks San."
"Oh cut the pathetic sappy crap. You're starting to sound like Finn," she smirked scathingly. Then she adjusted the neckline of her sky blue tank top and put on the fiercest face she could manage, channelling her inner Sue Sylvester. "Hey Quinn," she called across the group. "Brit and I have a spare bed in our room. You want in?"
"I… uh, I guess so," Quinn replied, her tone dripping surprise. "Thanks."
"Yeah whatever," said Santana nonchalantly. Then without another word she strode over and looped her arm into Brittany's. Quinn, elated, threw her arms around Puck. The football player nodded curtly to Santana over her head of soft blonde curls.
With the girls' drama sorted, the boys' room assignments were much more straightforward.
"Dudes, we're rooming together, right?" Puck demanded. Matt and Mike nodded their agreement.
"Artie, I snore. A lot," Finn said sheepishly.
"I brought earplugs just in case."
"Well now that we've got all that sorted out," called Will. "You guys can go claim your rooms and settle in. But we'll meet back in the living area in a half hour to decide what we're going to do first."
He hurried inside and in the direction of the boys' rooms, where he would have his own bedroom at the end of the hall. Taking her lead from him, Emma gingerly picked up her own bag with a gloved hand and teetered off in the wake of Kurt and the girls.
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"Alright guys, have we got everybody?" Will asked as the group reassembled in the living area. Puck had already claimed one of the sofas. Quinn perched daintily on the edge of the couch. Tina was sitting in an armchair next to Artie. Everybody else was standing.
"Brittany's not here," Matt pointed out from where he stood next to the window, slightly apart from the rest of the group. A chorus of sighs rang out.
"She probably got lost in her bedroom again," said Mike matter-of-factly.
"But it's only got one door," Emma said, perplexed.
"Miss P, she's Brittany. She's turned getting lost into an art form."
Sure enough, the words were barely out of the Asian footballer-turned-dancer's mouth when Brittany wandered into the room. Her hair was rumpled and she wore a dazed expression.
"I got lost."
Mike smiled knowingly at Emma who nodded with newfound understanding.
"Alright guys," said Will. "Now that we're all present and correct, does anyone have any ideas what we can do this afternoon?"
"We could go for a walk," Santana suggested, sounding as though this was the last thing she wanted to do.
"We could toss around a football," offered Finn. Kurt grimaced.
"Much as I enjoyed the brief moment of euphoria I felt when we won our one and only football game last year, this shirt is Marc Jacobs new collection. It does not do dirt."
"Any other ideas?" Emma asked.
"I like Santana's suggestion," said Quinn. She smiled at her one-time sidekick in an attempt to curry favour. "A hike sounds like fun."
"I wouldn't have pegged you for the hiking type Quinn," Will said, surprised.
"I went walking a lot over the summer," she replied. "I had to find a way to get rid of my baby weight."
"Well then, that's settled. We'll kick things off with a hike. The fresh air will wake us all up and there are some really great trails around here. Sound good?"
"I guess so," Mike piped up with a shrug. Matt nodded his agreement.
"Will we have to walk?" asked Brittany. Santana tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear and began to whisper, no doubt explaining the meaning of the term 'hike'. Brittany nodded slowly, brow puckered, then glanced at Will. "OK, I'll come."
"We need to keep a close eye on her," Santana added in an undertone. "Brit has a habit of wandering off."
As the rest of the group prepared to set off, grabbing bottles of water and knotting the laces of their sneakers, Artie wheeled over to where Emma was standing. The pristine guidance counsellor looked extremely odd in jeans, trainers and a floral t-shirt, an outfit poles apart from her usual skirt-and-blouse ensembles.
"Miss Pillsbury?" he asked quietly. Emma looked up.
"What is it, Artie?"
"I… uh, I don't think my chair is up to a hike."
"Oh. Oh Artie, of course! I'm so sorry, we didn't think…"
"It's cool Miss P," said Artie, pushing his glasses up his nose. "Tina offered to stay behind with me if that's OK."
"Yes, yes of course!" Emma exclaimed. "Do you want me to stay with you?"
"No, no we're cool. I don't want to put anyone to any trouble. You should go with the others. Tina and I will be fine."
"Alright then. We'll see you later Artie," Emma smiled as she walked over to join the rest of the group. Tina made her way over to stand behind Artie, hands gripping the handles of his chair. Her hair made a sweeping inky curtain around her sallow face as she leaned in to plant a light kiss on his cheek.
"Are you sad you can't go?" she asked quietly.
"Nah. I'm used to it by now."
Tina kissed him again and ruffled his hair affectionately. The rest of the group began to straggle away into the woods.
"Bye guys," said Will. "We'll be back in a couple of hours, and we'll watch a movie or something. See you soon."
"Bye white peoples!" Artie called sadly with a waggle of his fingers. He took one of Tina's hands in his and squeezed it tightly. Without the rest of the group there, the clearing felt colder, emptier. Tina shivered. Within a few minutes the voices of their fellow glee clubbers had faded into nothingness. The pair of them remained in the clearing, silent for once.
"Did you hear that?" Tina asked suddenly. Artie stared at her.
"Hear what?"
Tina jumped again. "That!"
"Tee, I don't hear anything. Are you feeling OK?"
"Yeah, I… I just thought I heard a branch cracking, like someone stepped on it." Tina pulled the sleeves of her black sweater down over her knuckles and shivered again, though it wasn't especially cold out. Artie chuckled and kissed her hand.
"Is it wrong for me to find your paranoia cute?"
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Horrified screams filled the room. Gunfire rang out. Blood spattered everywhere. Dead eyes stared blankly without seeing.
Puck snorted.
"Dude, the blood just spurted like fifty feet from that guy!" he sputtered. "How fake can you get?"
The rest of the group shushed him. Matt scoffed some popcorn. The girls' bowls sat in front of them, untouched. Emma let out a tiny squeal every time the on-screen psycho slaughtered another innocent teenager. Rachel had her feet drawn up onto the sofa and was hiding behind a decorative cushion.
"I don't know if Kill Kill Kill was an appropriate choice of movie you guys," Will whispered as Emma flinched again. Mike shushed him impatiently and stuffed some popcorn in his mouth.
"Don't worry Mr Schue, it's almost over," Finn assured him.
"Finn's right," whispered Kurt. "If anyone's scared, just try to focus on all the ridiculous clichés and bad special effects. It's what I do."
The group lapsed into silence once more as the bloodbath continued on the cabin's huge TV screen. The female lead was hiding in her bedroom as the killer's heavy boots pounded down the hallway. The big-chested blonde whimpered as his footsteps drew nearer. Then the movement stopped, and her pretty face split into an expression of intense relief.
The door handle began to turn. The girl scrambled for a baseball bat beneath her bed and inched closer and closer until-
"Boo!" Puck whispered from behind the sofa. Brittany screamed hysterically and Santana threw a pillow at him. Matt smirked appreciatively. On-screen, the door opened to reveal a police officer. In the background, another officer was leading the madman away in cuffs. Everyone in the room breathed a sigh of relief. As the credits began to roll, Will stood up and stretched before flicking on the lights.
"That," Quinn whispered shakily. "That. Was-"
"Epic," Matt and Mike chorused.
"Badly written, shot and acted," said Kurt, putting a consoling arm around a trembling Mercedes.
"Disturbing," Rachel whispered. "I can't help feeling jumpy after it."
"Guys, guys," Will grinned. "It's just a movie. Relax."
They nodded, still not completely soothed, and started to stand up.
"Alright guys, get some rest. We've got a big day tomo-"
"Mr Schue," Artie interrupted. "Where's Tina?"
"She went to the bathroom about an hour ago," Brittany piped up from where she was still sitting with her head buried in Santana's shoulder. "You went with her, didn't you San? I remember because I wanted to hold your hand because the girl on the screen looked like you and I wanted to make sure it wasn't."
"Yeah, Tina needed to use the bathroom, and she was too freaked out to go on her own. She said she wasn't feeling well and that she'd catch me up," explained Santana. "I just thought I hadn't noticed her come back in the dark."
"I'll go check the bathroom," Kurt said immediately. "She might be ill, or she could have passed out."
He flashed out of the room and down the hallway in a blur of pale skin and patterned shirt. Within a minute he was back, his face paler than usual.
"She's not there."
The girls took off to check if she was in the bedroom. Mike and Matt ventured outside to see if she had gone to get some air. Will and Finn headed over to the kitchen building, thinking Tina might have gotten hungry and wanted a popcorn refill.
"She's not in her room," Quinn said breathlessly as they met back up in the living room.
"Or in the kitchen."
"She's not outside either."
"Guys, don't panic," said Will in a calm voice. "Tina's fine." He looked pleadingly at Emma for back up.
"Will- I mean, Mr Schuester is right," she said with what she hoped was an assuring smile. "Maybe Tina just wanted a bit of alone time. Has anyone tried calling her?"
There was a flurry of movement as eleven teens withdrew cell phones from their pockets, followed by a chorus of groans.
"No bars."
"No signal."
"I have one! Oh wait… it's gone."
Will could see the tell-tale signs of panic beginning to spread through the group. Matt was staring out the window again, as though hoping to spot Tina in the inky blackness outside. Puck was pacing, his fingers drumming a beat on the pockets of his jeans. Mercedes kept running her hands through her hair. Finn was patting Artie's shoulder in an attempt to calm him down, but with such force that his arm was turning red.
"Guys, I'm sure Tina's fine. She'll turn up."
"And if she doesn't?" Kurt demanded, his voice an octave higher than usual.
"It's too dark to go looking for her now," said Will firmly.
"Dude, that's fucked up," Puck growled. "We need to find her."
Will didn't even have the heart to scold him for his bad language. "It's too dark to go looking for her now," he repeated over the outbreak of angry mutterings. "Tina probably just wandered off and lost her way. If she hasn't made her way back by the morning, we'll go looking for her at first light. I promise."
"You should get some sleep," Emma piped up with a weak smile. "You'll need your strength tomorrow."
Slowly, languidly, the group ambled off to their bedrooms and changed into their pyjamas. Within ten minutes, the lights were out and silence had fallen. Nobody slept, but nobody could bring themselves to voice the fears they were feeling. Fears for Tina.
Within a couple of hours, sleep claimed each unwilling form in turn. The only sounds were rhythmic breathing and Finn's snuffling snores. Nobody heard the creaking of the floorboards as somebody paced anxiously, or the whistling of the wind through the open bathroom window.
Nobody heard the scream either.
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Review? Please? And I'd still love to hear some predictions…