Chapter Five: Dwight

Jake was finally back in the clearing but he wasn't alone. He was dragging someone.

At first, Dwight was alarmed. Then he noticed the dress and promptly dropped his handcrafted wooden ornament and backed into another tree. Dwight hardly noticed the rough bark scraping against his arms as he planted his hands against it.

Jake had her to the campfire now and she was making little animal noises. It took Dwight a minute to realize why because Claudette had run in front of him and knelt down.

He darted forward to tell her this wasn't her Sally anymore, that she was The Nurse now, and stopped in his tracks at the sight of the wide, rolling eyes and the muffled screeching coming from behind lips sewed shut.

Dwight swallowed hard and fought to calm his suddenly frantic breathing. Claudette had The Nurse's arm in a vice-grip while Jake held her down. The Nurse raised other her arm and a familiar fire burned in her grasp. Dwight acted on instinct and slapped her hand down.

The fire disappeared but she began struggling in earnest. Horrible screeching filled his ears and her eyes continued to roll. It made Dwight's stomach churn. Except after a minute or two of this, she met Claudette's gaze and suddenly stilled.

"Sally." Claudette's voice cracked. He could see her trembling. "Look, Sally, it's Christmas. You remember Christmas, don't you?" She pointed to the dilapidated tree Dwight had finished hanging corn-husk garlands and wooden ornaments on. The Nurse's eyes passed over Dwight before lighting on the tree. He shuddered in silence.

They had been stuck by the campfire for ages, until Feng, of all people, mentioned she'd met someone new and he'd told her it was Christmas back in the real world. That got everyone talking and soon enough Dwight determined a little Christmas cheer was exactly what they all needed. It was easy to coax Claudette into parting with some of her corn husks after that. Meanwhile, Feng disappeared somewhere and when she returned she had all the tools necessary for the crude crucifixes and candy canes now adorning their little tree.

Dwight watched The Nurse's eyes for any hint of recognition and thought he saw a faint glimmer. Then she was back to struggling again. Dwight had to slap her hand away twice more before Claudette called for a knife.

Feng appeared out of nowhere-Dwight still wasn't sure where she'd been and he wasn't about to ask-and supplied the item. It was testament to the surrealness of the moment that even she was cooperating without any fuss.

"Help me." Claudette's words were like a lead weight because Dwight knew exactly what she wanted. Thankfully Feng stepped in and gripped The Nurse's head while Claudette made shushing noises as she carefully cut each of the stitches sewing The Nurse's mouth shut.

There was no small amount of blood due to The Nurse's continued struggles, but Dwight supposed that was better than the alternative.

When it was done, The Nurse fell absolutely still. All sound seemed to stop as they collectively held their breath. Then she contorted, throwing everyone onto their backs with the power seeming to come from her in waves.

She contorted up into the air, her arms and feet stretched toward the ground as her back bowed upward toward The Entity.

A wind whipped through the clearing and the campfire guttered and then went out.

Dwight lay paralyzed looking at her dark shape against the backdrop of the stars.

The Nurse let out a scream far louder and more terrible than any that had been heard before as the trees tossed their limbs in increasing ferocity of the wind.

Then she dropped like a stone.

The campfire flared to life and the wind died in that instant. The clearing was still and silent except for the sound of settling leaves.

Everything happened in slow motion after that: Claudette scrambling to her feet and rushing over to The Nurse's side. Her head lolling as Claudette shook her. Claudette's quiet sobs. Then, finally, the slow rasp of The Nurse's breath.

"We've got to move her." Reality snapped back into place at Jake's words and Claudette and even Feng nodded.

It seemed Dwight was the only one out of the loop. He tried not to feel resentful about that, he really did.

"Where?" he asked, because there was nowhere to go and, frankly, he wasn't even sure any of them were thinking rationally right now.

Jake just looked at him. And sighed.

Dwight really, really tried not to feel resentful about that. He opened his mouth, closed it. "You know what? Never mind. Just- Let's hurry." He grabbed The Nurse's legs and raised his eyebrows at Jake who took the hint and gripped under her arms.

The group shuffled after Jake and into the woods. They walked for a time until they came to a log cabin with a corrugated steel roof wedged between several trees. It looked spacious, almost homey.

Dwight stopped in his tracks and shook his head.

"You're really something else, you know that?"

Jake did not reply, but then Dwight didn't expect him to. It wasn't a compliment.

The closer they got to the structure the more angry Dwight became, until he was all but grinding his teeth together.

They went inside and Dwight took it all in as they laid The Nurse down on the bottom bunk bed in the room. There was also a couch, fireplace, several barrels filled with water plus some empty ones, lockers, a crude table and chairs...pretty much anything one could hope for in this place.

Claudette rummaged with ease among Jake's supplies and returned with a cool cloth that she placed on Sally's forehead. Feng settled on the couch and crossed her legs.

Dwight's chest felt tight. He ground his molars together and tried to remind himself that now was not the time, but he couldn't shake his raw feelings of anger and betrayal.

It seemed things hadn't changed very much for him after all. He should have known. But what hurt the most was that Claudette had kept all of this from him. He trusted her and it blew up in his face.

Typical.

Really, how much was a man supposed to take?

Dwight backed out unnoticed and returned to the campfire. It took several rounds with new faces-for The Entity had cheerfully resumed the trials now that Jake was back-to calm him down. Ironic, but he was finding that fighting for his life could be a balm.

He was readying up for a third round when he spotted Claudette at the edge of the forest. She beckoned him. Dwight didn't really want to go but he was calm enough now that he could.

He followed her into the forest, his mouth a thin line.

Claudette lead him away until the campfire was but a flicker before stopping.

"I'm sorry, Dwight." Her back was tense in the moonlight. He realized it was the first time she had ever used his name and somehow that was enough. He could tell she was sorry and he wanted to forgive her.

"For?" It was petty to make one so antisocial admit anything but Dwight had something else on his mind now.

"Keeping Jake's cabin a secret." She turned to look at him, her eyes liquid in the dark.

"This is exactly what It wants, you know," he said, instead of I forgive you. "Secrets, lies, us not working together. It's after our souls, Claudette." Dwight gripped her shoulder when he said her name. He felt her flinch but didn't back down. It was vital that she understand.

After a moment, Claudette nodded.

"It will never stop," he said, as he withdrew his hand.

"I know. But we have Sally now…" It was more than Dwight expected her to say. He sucked in a breath and lifted himself back up from where he had hunched over her smaller frame.

"Claudette-" he began, but she cut him off.

"It's Sally. She's not… She remembers. Dwight, she remembers!"

It was the first time he'd heard Claudette so animated and it was this that made him pause and consider things.

"Remembers what?" he asked, but Claudette only beckoned him to follow her. He did because he knew how important Sally was to her, that she wouldn't want to be away from Sally's side for long now that she had her back. It was a little disheartening to realize he was afraid of being replaced and that he'd forgiven her easily enough to feel this in the first place, but Dwight acknowledged this thought with a little pang. Something else to work out later...or never.

They were back at the cabin all too soon. Dwight steeled himself before stepping through the door. His eyes flicked around and some of his tension seeped away when he noted Feng's absence. His gaze found The Nurse next. She was still on the bed with the same cloth on her forehead but her breathing was slow and rhythmic and Dwight realized she was sleeping.

Jake put a finger to his lips and ushered them outside.

"Is what Claudette said true?" Dwight asked, when they were a safe distance away.

Jake exchanged a meaningful look with her and again Dwight felt an odd stab of insecurity-odd for the fact he had someone to feel insecure about to begin with. Dwight didn't have friends. His tormentors had always made sure of that.

He rolled his eyes at himself but apparently Jake thought it was for him.

"Yes." There was a silence where Dwight stared back and forth between them expectantly. Then Jake said, "I don't know how or why but she's lucid. She's a person. Not...The Nurse."

Dwight sucked on his teeth, pondering this.

"And she's...alright?"

Jake shrugged but Claudette nodded.

"She just needs some time." Dwight looked down and saw Claudette was wringing her hands. "I want to stay with her."

It took a second to realize Claudette was asking him for permission. He didn't know what to say.

"I-yeah, of course…" came his lame reply.

Claudette nodded at him and walked back into the cabin. Jake gave him a knowing look.

"You're welcome to uh, come in if you want." He rubbed the back of his head a little until Dwight said he would and then headed inside.

Dwight was left alone in the moonlight with only the faint creaking of The Entity for company. It was this that decided him and quickened his feet.

He sat on the couch for lack of something better to do when he finally made it in.

Claudette was crouched on the other side of Sally's bed. There was an almost reverent look on her face as she stroked the older woman's hand. Dwight followed the pattern of her thumb before he let his gaze trail upward.

Sally's eyes were closed and her lips and face clean and free of any wounds. She did look human now and Dwight let himself wonder at what had happened to her.

It looked like they could all be redeemed from the cruel fate The Entity had planned for them, though this seemed too good to be true and Dwight knew it probably was. The Entity didn't have a merciful bone in its body. It was just serving its needs in a different way this time. Turn The Nurse back into Sally just to feed on her again. On the other hand, that meant their souls could somehow be regenerated. It was a mind blowing prospect.

The Entity didn't know it, but it had just given them valuable knowledge. All that remained was to see how Sally did. If she made a full recovery it would be a miracle, but they could use that. New hope bloomed in Dwight's chest and he wondered for a second if this was the actual trap here before dismissing the thought.

After only fifty or so matches, Dwight knew It wasn't that clever.