Matt: Indeed. It seems the kids will have to handle things on their own.
I am burglar: Trust me, there's nothing to fear here.
The moment the Mud Monsters disappeared back into the woods, panic erupted in the room.
"We're doomed!" Sam screeched in a high-pitched voice. "We're all gonna die!"
"I want my mommy!" Devin sobbed.
"Everyone, calm down!" Molly demanded, but her words were drowned out by the hoarse cries of horror from everyone else in the room. It appeared that seeing the police officers overwhelmed by the Mud Monsters had extinguished whatever lingering hope we had possessed, and everyone had devolved into lunacy.
I myself was on the verge of cracking from the pressure when Courtney stomped into the center of the room and roared, "Everyone, shut up!"
For whatever reason, maybe out of some lingering admiration for the girl, everyone quieted down at hearing her voice. Immediately, everyone turned around to face Courtney, their eyes widened in shock.
Slowly, Devin stepped towards Courtney, a pleading look in his eyes. "What are we gonna do, Courtney?" He asked. "The Mud Monsters. . . they're out there, and. . ."
"I don't know," Courtney cut him off, a frustrated tone in her voice. "But stating the obvious isn't gonna fix anything. We all know they're out there, but the question is why?"
"What do you mean?" Charlene asked, twirling a strand of hair around her finger.
Courtney turned to face Charlene, an inquiring look in her eyes. "Mud Monsters only come out once a year," She reminded everyone in the room. "And I know, for a fact, that this isn't that time. There isn't even a full moon in the sky."
"What are you getting at?" I asked, leaning against the wall.
"The only reason those Mud Monsters would be up and about tonight is if someone caused them to wake up prematurely," Courtney explained to the group. Her eyes narrowed bitterly. "So. . . which of you were in Muddy Creek?"
"What?" Molly asked, confused. "That's ridiculous. All of us made sure to avoid that dreadful place. I know I did." The rest of our classmates nodded in agreement.
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Kevin and his friends shuffle uncomfortably. They tried to retain an air of passiveness, but I could tell from the look on their faces that what Courtney had just said unnerved them.
It appeared Courtney noticed, too. Slowly, she turned to stare at them.
Kevin avoided her gaze. "What are you looking at?" He asked coolly, trying to mask his fear.
Her hands on her hips, Courtney stepped towards Kevin, her face hard as stone. One eyebrow was raised suspiciously, and her mouth was twisted into a grimace. "Do you have something to do with all this, Eddie's Brother?" She asked through gritted teeth.
As much as he tried, Kevin could not withstand that glare. "We might've. . . driven our truck through the creek. . . on the way here," He mumbled, stumbling over his words.
A gasp arose from the classmates. Molly's jaw dropped open. My eyes widened.
Courtney stared at my brother, her face unchanging. She closed her eyes, tooth a deep breath, and when she opened them back up, they were filled with barely-concealed rage.
"And why. . . did you do that?" She asked, obviously trying to keep calm.
"We accidentally drove off the rode and landed in the creek," Kevin explained, rubbing the back of his head. "I was so caught up in the moment, I just drove out and continued on our way. Barely even noticed."
"Kevin, we've been in Muddy Creek before," I reminded him. "We've seen those creatures before, and just barely escaped. You had to have known-"
"Hey, don't blame this on me," Kevin interrupted angrily. "The only reason we were out there was because you stole my costume!"
I took a step back, and instantly, my gaze went to Courtney, who had turned her back from Kevin, her hands clasped together, her eyes closed once more.
"So this is all your fault, then," She whispered, tilting her head slightly towards Kevin. "The reason we're stuck here. The reason Denise. . ."
The moment she spoke that name, something snapped inside Courtney. Letting out a growl of pure rage and hatred, Courtney whirled around and lunged at Kevin, who was too shocked to even react. Before anyone would comprehend what was going on, Kevin was on the floor, Courtney pinning him down. Several of our classmates screamed in horror and flew backwards to avoid getting caught in the middle of the scuffle.
"You bastard!" Courtney roared, her fist colliding with my brother's face. "Denise is dead because of you!"
Kevin was a good several feet taller than Courtney, but even then, the sheer force of her rage left him utterly helpless before her. All he could do was weakly struggle against her as she brought her fists down on him repeatedly.
"Vic!" He shouted, whipping his head towards his friends. "Gregory!"
Immediately, the two rushed forward. Each of them grabbed Courtney by the arm and forcefully yanked her off of Kevin, using all of their strength to keep the struggling girl from breaking free.
As the two just barely restrained her, I rushed over and helped Kevin to his feet. The two of us stared at Courtney as she thrashed in Vic and Gregory's arms for several moments before eventually calming down.
Her teeth clenched, Courtney glared at Kevin with the most hateful look in her eyes. "I wish you were dead," She whispered.
Wrenching free from Kevin's friends, Courtney turned and headed towards the door. "Where are you going?" Molly asked.
"Away from here," Courtney snapped back.
"What?" I shouted in horror. "But the Mud Monsters! They're still out there!"
"Well I'd frankly prefer their company over yours!" Courtney replied, turning her head to glare at me as she continued towards the door.
Hat stepped in front of her. "Courtney, this is crazy," He said, blocking her path. "I know you're upset, but-"
"Get out of my way!" Courtney yelled. With a rough shove, she barreled into Hat, sending him crashing onto the floor with a thud.
"Hat!" Charlene shouted in horror, and she rushed to his side to tend to him. Courtney continued out the room and stormed down the stairs, leaving all of us in the room.
I didn't waste a moment. "I'm going after her," I declared, and prepared to rush after her, but Kevin grabbed me by the wrist, stopping me dead in my tracks.
"Whoa there Bugs, you're not going anywhere," He said. "If your classmate wants to die, fine, but I'm not letting you join her."
"This is my fault," I said, wrenching free from his grasp. "If Courtney dies tonight, then her blood is on my hands."
"Oh, don't get all sentimental on me," Kevin said, rolling his eyes. "Since when have you cared about that girl, anyways?"
"If anyone should feel bad, it's you!" Molly snapped, pointing a finger at my brother. "This is all your fault, anyways!"
"Now listen here, you!" Kevin snapped, turning his attention to Molly.
As my brother and my classmates began to bicker, I took the opportunity to exit the room, with everyone too busy pointing fingers to notice. Quickly, I descended the stairs and found the doors' barricade removed and the door wide open.
"Courtney!" I shouted, and quickly, I rushed outside the cabin and into the forest, desperate to find my former rival.
Even if it killed me.
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