Part VII
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Lauren ran. She kept on running. She didn't stop until a branch caught her foot and she went crashing into the mud. A figure pulled her up and revealed himself to be Newt.
"What are you stopping for!?" Darren shrieked, running past them.
"Darren!" Steph cried, following him. She turned back to Newt and Lauren for a second. "Come on!".
So they ran. And ran. They didn't stop until they reached a cave and had to stop for fear of collapsing.
"This is all your fault!" Darren wheezed out at Steph.
"What?" Steph gasped "How the hell can you be blaming me for this!?".
"You hit him!" Darren replied. "In his crotch!".
"He tried to shoot you!" she retorted "What? Would you have had me lend him a hand!?".
"Guys, let's not fight, okay?" Newt interrupted.
Steph nodded breathlessly "We just need to get back to Jack and...—".
An abrupt noise cut her off and they all jerked up.
"Oh, what now?" Darren whined.
"I think that was a gun-fire..." Lauren whispered.
The noise came again and suddenly a big bright light appeared in front of them.
"Oh god" Darren gasped "We've died and gone to heaven...".
4 HOURS EARLIER
"Well well well...What do we have here?".
Darren, Steph, Newt and Lauren all raised their flash-lights up to see a very big bulky man. He had a messy white beard and wore thick black over-alls.
"We don't have anything" Darren replied "And we were just leaving—" he turned to go but the man reached out and pulled Darren back.
Steph gasped. "No no...Mr. Sir...We just—".
"Got lost" Newt interrupted "We should be going now".
Lauren nodded "Our...Police parents will be worrying about where we got too".
"What?" Darren frowned. "We don't have— Ow!".
Steph stamped on his foot. "That's right...Our Head Of Police parents will be wondering where we got to...".
"You hear that, Johnny?" the man grinned "These are kids of police parents".
"Head Of Police" Steph corrected quietly.
Suddenly, several figures appeared.
The youngsters all gulped as the figures revealed them-selves to be big bald tattoo-covered men.
"Great..." Lauren sighed "Just my luck...".
"And what are you kids doing so far out here?" the man asked.
"Camping" Steph replied quietly.
"Police camp often, huh?" the man smirked.
"Look" Steph began "We didn't see or hear nothing, so if you don't mind; we'll just be going now—".
"What's the rush?" the man interrupted "Come, have a beer with us, relax".
The youngsters stared.
"I'd really...really not" Lauren replied.
"Well" the man grinned "I insist".
Suddenly, the several men were ushering them down towards another camp.
"Sit" the man told them.
They cautiously sat down on the ground, trying not to panic.
"I'm Jimmy" the man offered roughly "That's my brother Johnny, our cousins; Terry, Bill, Bob and our friends; Frank, Tony and Dean".
Steph smiled tightly.
"Well?" Jimmy asked impatiently.
"Huh?" Darren asked.
"Your names..." Jimmy laughed, baring two front gold teeth. "What are your names?".
"Oh" Steph forced a smile "I'm Steph, that's Darren, Newt and Lauren".
The other men sat down and lit their fags.
"So..." Darren began "Can I ask what you do here...".
Steph elbowed him to shut up.
"Would you stop hurting me!" Darren cried.
Jimmy smiled "Why it's alright...Me and the boys; we like to deal...If you know what I mean...".
"Deal cards...?" Darren asked hopefully.
Jimmy laughed again. "Close but no...You want some?".
"No" Lauren answered quickly "We recently had a very bad thing so...no".
"Your loss" Jimmy shrugged.
"Johnny, get the beer will you?" Jimmy cried.
A big figure appeared again but two crates, full of bottles of beer.
"You want one?" he asked.
Steph nodded slowly "Sure...".
Jimmy handed Steph a beer and then gave one to Darren.
"You want one?" he asked Newt and Lauren.
"We're 15" Newt stated.
"Well, alright" Jimmy sighed, he opened his bottle and downed it.
The others copied him and downed their beers.
Steph, Darren, Newt and Lauren watched as the last man fell to the ground, unconscious and drunk.
"Let's go" Steph flung her still-full bottle of beer to the side and stood.
"It was a good plan" Darren commented "Pretend to get drunk but secretly just watch them get drunk and then dash when they pass out".
"I'm a mastermind" Steph nodded "Now can we please go?".
They slowly walked through the drunken men, careful not to wake them up. When they were inches from breaking free until one of the drunken louts opened their eyes and caught Steph's leg, pulling her down.
"Ahhh!" she screamed and in a second, Darren was there, pounding on the man for all he was worth. The man let go of Steph and turned on Darren, pulling out a gun.
"Oh..." Darren gulped.
Steph slowly reached out and picked up a burnt out log. She raised it up and whacked him on the groin. He fell over, clutching and crying.
"Go!" she screamed.
So they ran. And ran. They didn't stop until they reached shallow a cave and had to stop for fear of collapsing.
"This is all your fault!" Darren wheezed out at Steph.
"What?" Steph gasped "How the hell can you be blaming me for this!?".
"You hit him!" Darren replied. "In his crotch!".
"He tried to shoot you!" she retorted "What? Would you have had me lend him a hand!?".
"Guys, let's not fight, okay?" Newt interrupted.
Steph nodded breathlessly "We just need to get back to Jack and...—".
An abrupt noise cut her off and they all jerked up.
"Oh, what now?" Darren whined.
"I think that was a gun-fire..." Lauren whispered.
The noise came again and suddenly a big bright light appeared in front of them.
"Oh god" Darren gasped "We've died and gone to heaven...".
"Or a car-backfired" Lauren told them.
They looked more closely and saw that she was right. Campers' were climbing out of a jeep, and propping up the front hood.
"It's like 6 in the morning" Steph exclaimed "How can they be up so early?".
"Look at us" Newt added "And then judge them".
"Whatever" Steph sighed.
"Let's just get back to Jack" Darren began "And everything will be okay...Much".
They stood and left the cave quietly, unseen by the far-off campers.
"Can you remember which way to go..?" Lauren whispered.
"I think..." Darren pointed to the left and then to the right "I'm not—".
"That way" Steph interrupted him. They turned and saw her pointing upwards.
"How can you be sure?" Darren asked.
"Cause there's that big mud pile that Lauren fell in and if we walk upwards, we avoid the drunken tattooed-men and only have a short walk across the field to Jack" she replied with her hands on her hips.
"Fine, let's go with your way, Miss-Know-It-All" Darren mocked.
They trekked across the field silently, each following one another. They glanced further down the hill and could make out a small camp-fire still going.
"There's our camp" Steph pointed.
"What if Jack's awake?" Newt asked.
"We could tell him the truth" Steph suggested.
"And get even more grounded than I already am?" Lauren retorted "No way, we just say we needed the toilet and all ended up getting lost".
"Agreed" Darren sighed.
When they finally got back to their camp, Jack was surprisingly still asleep.
Steph checked her watch in the campfire light. "It's quarter to 7" she added. "We'll just get some sleep, and in the morning, say we all don't feel well, that way Jack can drive us home and we won't have to deal with Tony Soprano over there".
"It doesn't surprise me that lies just flow from your mouth" Darren commented.
Steph pulled a face and then went into her tent, zipping it right up. Newt and Lauren went into there's, and minutes later, heard Darren sneak in beside Jack.
"Our lives just seem like one big drama show" Lauren said softly.
"Yeah, I suppose so" Newt replied.
"Well, see you in about 2 hours" Lauren smiled, lying down.
"Yeah" Newt whispered "Night...Or morning, whatever" he lay down beside Lauren, inches away, telling himself that he couldn't touch her. Not ever.
"My goodness, you lot can sleep" Jack exclaimed.
Newt opened his eyes and saw Jack and Lauren staring down at him.
"Yeah" he yawned "Really tired".
"Well, sorry to ruin the fun" Jack added "But...Steph and Darren have seem to come down with stomach ache so we're gonnah have to pack up early I'm afraid".
"Thank god" Newt sighed "What time is it?".
"Half 7" Lauren replied.
"Let's get moving" Jack said quickly "Steph and Darren are already packed up and in the car...They really want to get out of here for some reason...".
Lauren smiled softly at Newt and helped him up.
"When did you get up?" Newt asked. He pulled the tent out of the ground and started folding it down.
"20 minutes ago" Lauren replied, carrying bags to the car boot. She passed Steph and she gave her a knowing look.
Lauren looked over and saw the camp that they had been taken hostage at. Their camp-fire was out, but she could make out figures; still all passed out, she could bet.
Jack helped Newt shove the tent in and close the boot. "Well, it was fun while it lasted, shame you didn't get to explore the woods and field...".
They all climbed into the car; Darren and Jack in the front and Steph, Lauren and Newt in the back. Jack started the car slowly reversed out, turning around and then drove off onto the road.
"We could always come back if you want" Jack offered.
"Sure" Darren smiled, but he muttered under his breath "Not bloody likely...".
"You're back early" Frankie commented.
Jack, Steph, Darren and Newt walked through the bar.
"Yeah, Steph and Darren weren't feeling very well so..." Jack replied.
"Oh poor loves" Frankie sighed "How are you feeling now?".
Darren shrugged. "Fine".
"Yeah, I'm gonnah go see Max" Steph added "Be back soon" she rushed off.
"You feeling alright, love?" Frankie asked Newt.
"Huh?" Newt jerked his head up "Yeah, sure, fine...I'm gonnah go lie down" he went upstairs.
"Good night?" Frankie kissed Jack on the lips.
"I was lonely" Jack smiled "Wish you were there...".
Frankie smiled back.
"Oh, so you're back, are you?" Valerie asked.
Lauren closed the door behind her. She ignored her mum and dad, sitting on the couch and went upstairs.
"Lauren!" Valerie cried after her "We need to talk! Lauren! Get back here!".
Lauren shut her bedroom door behind her and sunk into her bed.
Newt was right. Their lives were like being on a drama-soap. Nothing was quiet. Nothing.
She put on her earphones and turned her iPod on. She didn't need the silence anyway. Not right now.
Frankie grinned into the phone. "Oh my god, Craig! That is so good! Well, we'll see...See you tomorrow sweetheart, bye!" she disconnected.
"Good news?" Jack asked.
"Craig is coming back!" Frankie cried "Temporarily...Of course".
"With two extras?" Darren added.
"...Yes" Frankie replied quietly "Sophia and Jared...Craig found them on the side of a road; hitch-hiking...Apparently, Lesley's ran off with the pool-boy and John couldn't be bothered where they went...".
"So they ran away?" Darren asked, frowning.
"You could call it that" Frankie replied. "But...Oh! My Craig! Coming back!".
"And how long is temporarily?" Jack added.
Frankie rolled her eyes. "He insists on a week or so...But! Just wait til he's back here and then he'll never want to leave..!".
"I doubt it" Darren muttered.
Frankie shot him a look, and then pranced downstairs to the bar.
"Could you try and be supportive?" Jack asked.
"Fine" Darren sighed "But! If I'm found mysteriously dead, don't let them tell you otherwise; you will know how I died".
Jack smiled "No matter how dire the situation Darren, you always seem to make it about you".
"It's a gift" Darren shrugged.
"Go down and help Frankie, will you?" Jack asked.
"Fine fine" Darren sighed, walking downstairs.
"Alright, son?" Jack asked Newt, who had just came out of his room.
"Fine" Newt replied.
"Really?" Jack continued "Because you've been off since we got back from the woods...".
"Do you really want the truth, Jack?" Newt asked.
Jack frowned "Of course...What's going on?".
"Well" Newt began "At the woods, me, Lauren, Steph and Darren sneaked off in the middle of the night, we got taken hostage by these biker-dudes and they got so wasted and then pulled a gun out on Darren...".
Jack stared.
"We then ran" Newt continued "And ran and ran...All the way back to the camp, and to top it off; leaving out the traumatised events of my life that will probably lead me to coming a sociopath or something, Lauren still won't answer any of my calls".
Jack stared, and then cracked a smile. "Oh, good one, Newt! You almost had me there!" he patted Newt on the back and laughed "You've got some imagination, son..." he went downstairs, still laughing.
Newt sighed. "Great...".
Lauren ignored the incoming call for the 15th time. She sighed and turned it off altogether. She couldn't handle talking to Newt right now, pretending everything's fine.
She couldn't pretend anymore. It was tiring her down. She was drained. Physically and emotionally. And seeing Newt and talking to him would just be a reminder of the awful things that happened in the last month. It was too much.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
Lauren jerked up and rushed to her window, someone was pinging stones up. She opened it right up and stuck her head out. Nobody was there. She glanced down and saw the small pebbles that had obviously fallen down when they had hit her window.
"Weird..." she said to herself.
Lauren looked to the right and stared as she saw a man dressed in black staring at her intently. He had sleek black hair that was pulled back into a pony-tail. He was staring at her, like looking right through her.
Lauren shivered, but nearly screamed when her dad came in through her bedroom door.
"Oh sorry, love" he apologised "Didn't mean to scare you...What do you fancy for tea?".
"Just some toast" Lauren replied vaguely; not really interested.
"You sure?" Leo continued.
"Yeah, I'm sure" Lauren replied again.
"Well, okay" he turned the door behind him.
Once he had left, Lauren turned back to the window but saw that the man in black was gone. She glanced down again and saw that the pebbles were also gone.
Lauren frowned and tried not to panic. There was a probable good reason why she was hallucinating... men and stones.
"I'm not crazy" she whispered to herself "I'm not crazy" she curled up in her bed and continued to repeat it. But however many times she told herself that, she didn't buy it. Not one single bit.