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5 days left

She woke up then fed her dogs but quickly went right back to sleep. Waking up later in the day, she walked to the living room. A letter was on the table. Maybe she forgot to put it in the box and burn it?

Do you want closure?

Come to this location tomorrow at 10 PM, bring the key and this phone.

If it weren't for the first box, she would have believed that this is a prank taken too far, but this is worse.

"Some guard dogs you are."

They looked at her then rest again uninterested. She held her phone, wondering what to do until an unrecognizable cellphone rang. She picked it up and saw a blurred picture of her parents' killer. Stunned, she nearly dropped the phone. What should she do? It'll be stupid to go alone, but he'll be free if she called the cops. Her parents' killer would be free, and the person who went through the trouble would probably be caught and jailed but is that a bad thing. If she involves herself, she doesn't know what will happen. What it would lead to.

Call the cops and free your parents' killer.

Go and risk getting killed yourself.

Some third option

It would be stupid to go. She knows her parents wouldn't want this for her. Maybe she should ignore it.

4 Days Left

Stupid, this was so damn stupid, but she decided that she wanted closure. Playing pretend that everything was okay was eating her alive. She knew it was. It was already 5 PM. Directions to the location were on the phone, and she was instructed to leave her personal phone at home. She wore a matching black jogger set. It was a little tight, but she wanted to be agile and for nothing to get caught. She's not the most athletic, but she made sure to keep in shape. The gym was another outlet for stress. She attached a flashlight to her hip, laced up her sneakers, hair tied up in a bun, and set out to go.

Doubt and panic laced her mind as she drove to her destination. Arriving, she left her car just off the main road, then ventured into the woods.

'Okay, okay, I can do this.'

The trail was barely visible, with the trees blocking out the moonlight. Grabbing her flashlight, she clicked it on. It wasn't designed to light a large area but for distance. Shadows and silhouettes seem to trail her. Seeing something big, she jumped back and flashed her flashlight just for it to be an oddly shaped tree. She keeps repeating this, but nothing would be there except for stumps, branches, or harmless wild animals.

When she got to a clear patch, she found a large gate. It was unlocked but hard to push. Placing the flashlight back on her hip, she tried to force the gate open but could only open it enough to squeeze through. Once inside, she sees a large factory in the distance. Without the trees, the moonlight could guide her way. When she finally reached the building, she was able to open the door with ease.

'Of fucking course their mannequins, what else would be in here.'

Lanterns were set on the tables and floor, leading her way. Hearing shuffling, she stops. But it's just a rat. Walking along the path of lights, she got to what leads to a basement.

'Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy.'

Holding her breath, she walked down.

'I'm so fucking stupid. This has to be the worst thing I've ever done in my entire life.'

When she reached the final step, the door slammed shut. She mentally prepared herself for whatever was to come. The lights flashed on, and she saw a man terrified, strapped to a chair. It was him. She waited as if someone was supposed to join them.

"Please, let me out." His voice strained. "Help me, you stupid bitch!"

"No."

"What?!"

"Don't you recognize me?"

"How the fuck am I supposed to know who you are. Are you with that freak?!"

The intense feeling of anger made her sick. So many things to be said. So many things that can be done. Who would know, this is her chance to make it right, to make him pay. She grabbed a piece of broken glass, ignoring the blood from fresh cuts. The fear in his eyes brought on this sick pleasure, a tease that she needed to release. His screams are about to be savory. She raised the glass until she heard the door opened, then shut. Dropping the glass, she went to hide as the voices got louder. Three people came down the stairs. A tall black man, a tall Asian man, and a white girl. They froze.

"Oh my gosh, Adam, it's him." The woman cried, and Adam patted her on the back, trying to hide his emotions.

"You fucking bastard!" The Asian man picked up a metal pipe then banged it on his head.

"You escaped every time, but you can't escape now." He raised the pipe again, ready to swing, but the woman stopped him.

"No, stop! This is crazy. We shouldn't have come. Let's call the cops."

"Because they've been so helpful. What have they done?! The fact that he's still alive and free says a lot. This man does nothing but kill and gets away with it every damn time."

"Sorry, Meg, but he's right. I don't want to kill him, but I also don't want to call the cops. We should leave him here and whatever happens, happens."

They started to bicker. Nova knows that she can't stay hidden forever, and if they find her, she'll look more suspicious than just coming out. She took a deep breath and then stepped out.

"Who are you!" The Asian man ran up to her, "I said, who are you!"

"My name is Nova."

"Why are you here?!"

"I got a message to come here. I came for closure."

He backed up, lowering his pipe, "Sorry, can't be too careful. I'm Jake, this is Adam, and this is Meg."

Nova, "I overheard you guys. I understand that you want to kill him, but we don't know what's going on. Do any of you know this location?" They shook their heads, "Then we can't do as we please."

Jake, "So, we're supposed to let him go?"

Nova, "I never said that. I don't think we should be stupid and/or careless. This can be a setup for all we know."

Jake, "We're in an abandoned factory out in the middle of nowhere. Not only that, but you also came here by yourself. You're already stupid."

'Wow, you're a bitch.'

Stepping back, she looked around the room.

Nova, "Do you know who sent us here?"

Meg, "No, we just received a letter and a box."

Adam, "Do you think more people will come?"

Nova, "I don't know. How do you know one another?"

Meg, "Me and Adam are friends, but we just met Jake outside."

Nova gave Jake the side-eye, and he shrugged her off.

Nova, "What did your letter say? What did your box have? Did you get anything else?"

Adam, "The items sent to Meg were addressed to the both of us. The letter just said, Trapped. In the box were photos of the murder: my sister and her brother. We didn't receive anything else except for a phone telling us how to get here for closure. How about you."

Nova, "I got the same."

Jake, "Your letter said, trapped?"

Nova wasn't too good at lying, but the intense situation might explain her feelings, looks, or answering to be a little tense. If they knew that the stalker favors her, would they treat her any differently?

Nova, "Yes, and my box had the same. How about you since you want to question me."

Jake stared at her, "My letter said, protect." They don't break eye contact. "Maybe it was meant for Adam or Meg since they came here together. My box had nothing special except for a locket."

How could she forget about the key? If she takes it out now, they'll know that she was lying. They still don't break eye contact until everyone's phones go off.

They all took their phones out then looked at the screen.

Everyones here.

It was an odd pairing. Why four people? Two sole survivors and survivor friends?