Bonnie sighed relieved when they safely entered the small dusty cabin. These past few minutes of trying to outrun a crazy woman in this intense deadly cat and mouse game took a toll on them and not just physically. They all looked exhausted.
"We can rest for a bit but not too long." Bonnie said to them. She then, with the help of Stella helped Kate to one of the chairs near the hearth. "You need to rest too Stella." Bonnie said and pulled the other chair closer for Stella to sit on. Stella gave her a tired grateful smile.
"Thank you, Bonnie. I don't know how you made it all this way with me on your back." Kate said with tears in her eyes.
"I will never leave my sister or any of my sisters behind. We're going to make it out of here alive all of us." Bonie said and kissed Kate softly on the head. Kate placed her hands over Bonnie's hands and nodded her head as tears rolled down her face. "I believe you Bonnie."
Sitting next to Kate, Stella sigh out loud. "I really want to join in and be the wind beneath our wings here but I don't know what's worse, arrow in the head or lost in the woods in the bloody rain and being hunted by a lunatic with a crossbow. But the cherry on the cake for me is, these damn shoes. I mean why must they always kidnap me when I'm wearing the wrong shoes. I swear I will give my fake tits for a pair of comfortable hiking boots right now." Stella said with a gloomy look on her face.
"Well one must always look for the silver lining in dire situations and look what I see here." Bonnie said cheery as she walked to the old brown leather bag near the window. "Maybe we will find something that we can use or eat."
"Please tell me you are joking with the eating part." Stella said pale in the face.
"Ah! I found a knife, and some old hiking boots." Bonnie said excited. "How about that. You are in luck Stella. Do you want the boots?"
"Over my tired dead body will I wear someone else's old boots. The previous owner probably had foot fungus that mutated into something hideous that no medical science can explain that's why he left it here. No thank you." Stella said quickly with a red face.
"So much for giving your fake tits for a pair of boots." Bonnie said and laughed softly.
"And mutated foot fungus? Is that even a thing Stella? Kate asked.
"Oh yes, it is. I read it somewhere and its real. That article even came with the pictures. I could not eat for two weeks, lived only on water and cocktail onions. Urgh, just thinking about it makes me want to vomit again." Stella said and quickly covered her mouth with her hand. "Yup I'm sure I'm back to a water and cocktail onion diet if I survive." Stella mumbled behind her hand.
"Well, let's look on the bright side we have a knife that must count for something, right?" Bonnie said cheery. She looked up at Caroline who were still standing quietly in front of the window. "Do you see anything?"
Caroline turned away from the window and looked back at them with tears in her eyes. Bonnie was quickly up on her feet knife ready in hand. Stella struggled up almost falling from the chair and Kate was sitting wide eye and numb with fear her hands protective on her pregnant belly. "Is she here?" Bonnie whispered.
"The stuff she said. Melinda's words, it just keeps running through my head." Caroline said in a deeply sad voice.
"Bloody hell Caroline." Stella said pale in the face in a shrill shaky voice. "You scared the shit out of me. I thought Melinda was right outside. I swear my own funeral just flashed in slow-Mo right in front of my eyes. I was in my coffin dolled up in the ugliest black and white polka dot dress with the arrow still stuck in my forehead. I hate polka dots, and that's not all, the preacher was dressed as a clown and there were no people just monkeys. All of them monkeys, babbling and jumping from one seat to the next some were even dangling from the chandelier."
"Stel." Kate said softly and took Stella's hand to calm her down.
"My own funeral was a fucking circus." Stella whispered wide eye.
"I'm sorry I scared you guys but Melinda was right. Stephen barely touches me anymore. I can walk butt naked in our room and he won't even look at me like he used to other then to oh so friendly warn me to put on something before I catch a cold." Caroline said in a teary voice.
Stella quickly put her hand over her mouth to stifle her laugh. Kate gave her warning look.
"Care don't, don't do this to yourself." Kate said softly. "You know how much Stephen loves you. Yes, he can be a workaholic sometimes, but"
"Sometimes?" Stella said with a face that said it all. "Kate this is Stephen we're talking about the boy who used to dissect frogs and lizards every day and just had to explain the whole procedure in detail, mind you, to whomever he comes across, remember."
"Stephen is not a boy anymore Stella." Kate said.
"Exactly, and Caroline is not a frog or a lizard. Caroline you listen to me, you need to put your foot down with that man and call him out on his bullshit. Case closed." Stella said.
"I agree with you both." Bonnie said to Kate and Stella. "Stephen loves you there is no doubt about his love for you Caroline and maybe it's just because of his big exams, and we all know how badly he wants to succeed. Do not punish yourself with what Melinda said. She is a bitter toxic woman who will say and do anything to turn those around her just like her. We are going to get out of this. All of us safe and sound, so let us not give into our fears and give up hope, okay" Bonnie said and gave Caroline a tight hug.
"Thank you guys I needed to hear that and from here on out I'm not going to entertain that kind of negative thoughts in my head anymore. I want to live so that I can set the record straight with Stephen and give that man the best sex of his life." Caroline said with renew strength and a naughty smile.
"I say amen to that sister." Stella said as she got up from her chair and took Caroline's hand.
"And the first thing I'm going to do is cook a big meal and invite Abigail over for dinner with me, Damon and the kids. Its times like this when you realise how short live is and that you can't live with hate and regret. You just have to appreciate every moment you get in life as if it's your last." Bonnie said with soft sad eyes. She smiled at them and took Kate's hand.
"Hallelujah. The first step in the right direction." Stella said and winked at Bonnie.
"Hendy's mother is coming for a visit and you guys know how she dislike me. I can never do anything right in her eyes or for her son. She treats me like an uninvited guest in my own house, but that's going to stop. I'm not going to stand for that anymore. That is my house, my furniture. My husband and honey I know my way around the kitchen so she will just have to sit her old wrinkle ass down and watch me do my thing in my own damn house." Kate said with a defiant look.
"That's the spirit Katy." Bonnie said with a smile. "So proud of you right now Kate." Caroline said.
"And if you really want to take it a step further just squash a few cockroaches and mix it with her tea, sit back and watch the old cow gulp it down. I can get you some, aunt Greta have them in stock." Stella said and laughed softly.
The four of them laughed. "I am not going to do that Stella she is still my mother-in-law. Family."
"I won't judge you if you come knocking on my door asking for you know what, to do you know what after the old cow drive you up the walls with her insults and demands." Stella said and made playful wide eyes at Kate.
"I hope to God not." Kate said and smiled.
The four friends stood in a small circle holding hands, smiling with renew strength and hope in their eyes. "So, what's the plan guys." Caroline asked the question no one was ready for.
"We can't outrun Melinda sooner or later she will catch up with us and we can't split up. The dark woods are no place to wonder in alone." Bonnie said with a sombre look.
"Are we going to wait for Melinda and ambush her when she comes in? I call dips on the knife ladies." Stella said with a smile that spelled nothing good for Melinda.
"I've got something I just hope she takes the bait. Follow me." Bonnie said in a heavy voice.
Caroline, Stella and Kate quickly followed Bonnie to the small bedroom. Stella made sure to shut the door quietly behind them when they were all in. "We going out through the window." Bonnie whispered to them. She took the knife and made a small cut in the palm of her hand.
"Bonnie what the hell?" Caroline whispered with wide eyes.
"No time to explain Care we got to go now." Bonnie whispered.
"Are you telling us that you are the fucking bait that's why you cut your hands? We didn't sign up for this Bonnie and what happened to not splitting up." Stella whispered hard.
"I know my way around the woods better than anyone of you Stella. I don't want you guys to split up. Now we have to go we are wasting precious seconds!"
"Since when did WE become I, Bonnie? We ride or die together, remember." Stella said as tears welled up in her eyes.
"I am not okay with this." Caroline said as Bonnie helped her through the window.
Bonnie looked at Stella and said. "Your turn Stel."
"And that goes for me too. I am not okay with this." Stella said as Bonnie helped her through the window.
Outside Bonnie looked at them and said. "Stay low and close to the cabin. Melinda is going to open the cabin door any minute now and when she comes through that window you make sure to stay out of sight."
"No wait, why can't we all wait for her to leave and then ran back the way we came. You can't go out there on your own Bonnie. What if you get lost or worse?" Kate said as tears welled up in her eyes.
"Kate is right. We have to stay together Bonnie." Stella said and gripped Bonnie's arm tightly.
"I will be okay. I need to get her of our trail. I will go faster if I do it alone." Bonnie said as she loosened her arm gently from Stella's fingers.
"Bonnie please don't do this." Caroline said. She was pale in the face.
Realizing Bonnie was hell bent to see this end out alone hit the women like a bucket of ice cold water in the face. There was no way in stopping Bonnie. The hard-determinate look on her face said it all.
… Melinda smiled to herself when she saw the cabin. It was not a pleasant smile but a cold and cruel smile. She almost lost it when she found out the trail, she was following was going in circles but now she is back in the game and out for blood. She whistled softly as she slowly walked to the front door of the cabin. She decided not to kick the door open but instead she slowly pushed it open. The door opened with a loud creak.
Bonnie quickly put her finger on Stella's mouth. "Shush, she's here. Stay low and out of sight." Bonnie whispered to the three wide eye scared looking women before she ran to the foot path at the back of the cabin.
… Letting go and watching Bonnie run away from them was hard to watch. Deep down they knew Bonnie stood a better chance at beating Melinda at her own game. She knows this the woods better than any of them and she was right, taking them with her will only slow her down.
…
