Chapter Three
It was now evening and all of them were gathered round a small, crackling bonfire, clothed in jumpers and cardigans, and toasting the marshmallows that Terri was passing around. In the middle of the circle, sitting in between Ginny and Vicki, Paul looked around at them, watching them as they laughed and ate their toasted sugary sweets and replied without any notion, "I don't want to scare anyone, but I'm gonna give it to you straight about Jason."
As soon as that name passed his lips he had the group's undivided attention. So he continued, "His body was never recovered from the lake after he drowned. If you listen to the old-timers, they'll tell you he's still out there. Some sort of demented creature, surviving in the wilderness. Full-grown by now. Stalking. Stealing what he needs, living off wild animals and vegetation. Some folks claim they've even seen him, right in this area."
Vicki felt a cold shiver crawl slowly up her spine as she looked up at Mark sitting beside her in his wheelchair. A smile forming on his face to perhaps reassure her as Paul persisted on telling his ghost story, "The girl who survived that night at Camp Blood, that Friday the 13th, along with her mother. She claims she saw him. They both disappeared two months later. Vanished. Blood was everywhere. No-one knows what happened to them. Legend has it that Jason saw his mother beheaded that night, and he took his revenge on the pair of them. A revenge that he'll continue to seek if anyone enters his wilderness again."
Hearing that Scott instantly glanced at each member of the group, who were all too enthralled in listening to Paul's outlandish ghost story, before turning to look behind him, just to make sure nothing was creeping up on them.
"And by now, I guess you all know, we're the first to return here." Paul paused for a moment, feeling Ginny wrap her arm around his, "Four years. Four long years, he's been dormant. And he's hungry. Jason's out there, watching."
Sandra, sitting between Jeff's legs on the floor while he had taken his seat on the thick log, stared up at him uncomfortably as he hugged her closer. Her hands on top of his as she swallowed a lump that had appeared in her throat.
"Always on the prowl for intruders. Waiting to kill. Waiting to devour. Thirsty for young blood." He could see that he had them all gripped to the edge of their seats with his ghost story about the legend of Jason Voorhees.
"UURRAAHH!" Suddenly, from out of nowhere, a figure with a disfigured face garbed in Neanderthal-like clothing and brandishing a large spear, howled into the night like a wild animal.
Everyone in the group, except Paul, bolted in all directions to get away while Mark was left struggling to move in his wheelchair. After a few moments though, Paul got up and walked over to the intruder and took off his mask, revealing it to be only a smirking Ted.
"Hey! Come back! Come back!" Paul called, seeing all their frightened faces turn quickly into smiling ones as they all realized that they had just been dooped, "Oh man! Ted!" They seemed to laugh out in unison.
As they all gathered around again, laughing and playfully slapping Ted for playing the joke, Paul called out to them again, "Okay, look, now that we've got that out of our system, I don't want to hear anymore about it, okay?" He then passed the mask back to Ted before adding, "It's ancient history. Jason drowned, Mrs. Voorhees was killed, and Camp Crystal Lake is off-limits. Understand?"
With her hands firmly in her coat pockets Ginny started to walk away from the group, saying her goodnights before she was followed by Paul, who had his arm draped around her shoulders, "I certainly got you, huh? What do you think?"
Ginny could see that he had a smirk on his face and thought he was pretty high on himself, "The second act needs work," she answered, smiling at him falsely as she made her way back to the main lodge.
Inside Ted was dressed back into his normal clothes and had hung the mask on top of the spear, which was leant up against the wall at the bottom of the stairs. Taking his game out from his back pocket, he sauntered his way over to the sofa and took a seat. As the game started, Ted took in his surroundings. Sandra and Jeff were strolling downstairs and, once they'd reached the bottom, Sandr a snatched Jeff's hat right off his head and ran in the other direction, her boyfriend soon chasing after her.
At a small table next to one of the windows, Mark was arm-wrestling with another counsellor while Vicki and Chantelle observed. A small smile grew on Vicki's face as Mark pinned the other guy's arm down in mere few seconds and happen to notice his bulging bicep as it flexed. She suddenly blushed. A slight crimson colouring her soft cheeks when she spotted him noticing her looking at them.
Beside them, leaning against the small radiator Scott was ruffling up his polo-shirt collar and eyeing Terri, who was sprawled across a soft, yellow sofa which faced Ted and had Muffin sitting at her feet. With his hands in his pockets Scott wandered over to her, leaning over the back of the sofa a bit to make sure he had her attention, "Hi, Terri. Do you wanna dance?"
Terri looked up from her magazine and gave him her most sincere smile and replied softly, "No, thank you."
Scott focused his attention onto Muffin, hands on the back of the sofa as he leaned in closer to talk to it, "Hi there. How about you? Do you wanna dance?"
While this was all going on, there was someone prowling outside in the darkness, watching these people socialize through the windows before their certain attention was on Ginny, who was playing a game of chess with Paul.
"So there I was, sitting in this fast-food joint, thinking to myself, "Scott, old boy, what are you gonna do with the rest of your life?" Scott spoke to Muffin as he danced slowly around the room with her in his arms, Terri having to smile at how foolish he looked. Passing a window Muffin could sense the prowler lurking outside and began to whimper restlessly.
"I'm striking out all over the place," Scott uttered, pulling her back so he could look at her tiny scrunched-up face.
Back in the lounge Paul was laid out on the floor and was making his move, "Well, I think I've got you. Check." He announced moving his white King into said position, taking Ginny's black Bishop.
However, Ginny seemed to have the upper hand, "Wrong, white man," she beamed, moving her Queen to take his King and ending the game in checkmate. Paul's eyebrows creased into confusion, wondering how the hell he didn't see that coming.
Satisfied with herself Ginny crossed her arms over her chest and observed the room, "Well, what next? I could get my arm broken by Mark, my brains "Ponged" by our electronical wizard…or bed," she yawned the last part, standing and picking up her coat from off the sofa.
"Goodnight Paul. See you in the morning," she replied, ruffling his curtains on her way to the front door.
From outside the prowler was peering in through one of the windows, catching her saying goodnight to Sandra and Jeff, the couple who was dancing slowly to the soft music, before walking out of the door. Stepping down the small stairs on the side of the porch Ginny glanced up at the night sky while she slipped on her coat. Taking out her torch she switched it on and proceeded in walking up to her cabin, using its light for guidance.
Back inside Sandra and Jeff were now dancing in each other's arms, swaying even slower to the gentle music, "Jeff, I just gotta see that place." She spoke against his shoulder.
"What place babe?"
"That camp. 'Camp Blood'."
Jeff pulled her away just enough so he could look at her face-to-face, "You're crazy, you know that?" A mischievous smile appeared on his face, remembering why he'd fallen madly in love with her in the first place.
"I've just got to. Maybe there is something to that legend, oh come on, I'm serious," she moaned, her arms securely around his neck.
"I'm sorry babe but no way. You're not getting me out there. And besides, Paul said it was off-limits."
Sandra pulled him down to her level, pressing her tender lips against his, the kiss filled with ardour and lasting for quite a while before they pulled apart, "We'll see." Sandra winked, resting her head on his shoulder as they resumed their slow dancing.
Having reached the cabin safe and sound Ginny switched off the flashlight and slipped it into one of her coat pockets before opening the storm door to push through the other. Ambling inside she reached for the light, flicking it on, before looking back through the glass door to make sure no-one was taking a peek at her.
Satisfied that no-one was going to be out there, freezing their asses off just to take a peek at her, Ginny spun around and stood in front of the dressing table, pulling off her coat and top underneath to reveal a silky white bra underneath. Shortly after her trousers followed, showing off her silky panties that matched her bra.
Looking at herself in the large mirror that was fixed on top of the dressing table, she raised a hand and placed it on her stomach, rubbing it gently in small circles. Smiling at what she had found out earlier that day, Ginny quickly turned her attention to her hair, flicking it about the place until it looked reasonably better. Happy she reached over to grab her dressing gown that laid on the bed and wrapped it around her scantily clad body, tying the belt into a loose knot.
Outside someone stopped outside the cabin, their silhouette painted on the wall before moving away out of site.
Back inside Ginny was in the kitchen area of the cabin, washing her face when a knock at the door disrupted her. Oh, who could that be? She asked herself as she dried her face on a tea-towel and made her way to the door. Opening it, she stepped out hugging herself immediately as a gush of cold wind danced around her legs and up her gown before carrying on.
"Hello?" She looked left, then right, then left again, "Who's there?" Looking around once more, she could see evidently that there was no-one out there. Was someone playing a trick on her? Was she hearing things? Shaking away those thoughts Ginny backed herself into the cabin, letting the door close behind as she wandered back to the kitchen when suddenly a large hand was around her mouth.
She squealed in the intruder's hand but when she spun round to face them, she quickly found out that it belonged to Paul, "Paul, God damn it! What do you think you're…" she started but was quickly interrupted by Paul's shushing, "Hey, hey, hey. Calm down. You'll wake the natives."
Stepping a little closer to her so they could both feel their hot breaths against their faces, Paul unfastened the belt round Ginny's waist and opened it out, smiling at the undies she was wearing underneath the gown.
"You know, I'm not supposed to be fraternizing with the staff," he said this as he wrapped his arms round her waist. Ginny couldn't help but smile as his lips touched hers in a passionate kiss and she automatically wrapped her arms round his neck to deepen the kiss.
Pulling back Ginny beamed up at him, "I won't tell," before they were both kissing again, Paul lifting her up and earning a muffled laugh from his girlfriend.
Outside a pair of black shoes made their way slowly along the grass. Careful not to make any sudden movement or noise that would expose their position.
"I missed you, Ginny." Paul murmured once they broke apart for breath. "And I really was worried when you didn't show on time."
Ginny doesn't answer. She just tip-toed to reach his level and proceeding on kissing him, which he happily obliged.
The pair of black shoes belonged to the eccentric Crazy Ralph, who was watching the couple from behind a tree, his intentions not clearly evident.
Stopping once again Ginny pulled back and took a breath, "Paul, there's something I think I should tell you."
Her boyfriend doesn't speak though. He just shook his head and leaned forward to capture her lips with his own, and she could only follow as he embraced her in his strong arms.
Crazy Ralph continued to watch their embracing from the safety of the tree when he heard something like a branch cracking somewhere from behind. He turned abruptly to his left, nothing. Then to his right, still nothing. He took two steps forward, taking another look around, but couldn't see anything but the surrounding trees. Yet, when he turned back to ogle at the kissing couple, a length of barbed wire flew over his head and was pulled back tightly around his neck. The sharp points of the wire dug deep into his neck as blood began to trickle down his neck and onto his clothes. Ralph was gasping for breath, flaying his arms about and choking on his own blood, as the attacker persisted in the garrotting, even lifting him off the ground and pulling even tighter. Ralph's eyes were soon turning red, the oxygen not reaching his brain, as the barbed wire shredded through his neck like a hot knife through butter. In some futile attempt to get the couple's attention Ralph reached out toward the window, but he was too far for them to notice, and he couldn't even scream. However, he soon succumbed to death from the choking and severe blood loss, now lifeless in the attacker's grip, before he was thrown to the ground with a heavy thud.
The killer took one look at the couple, tilting his head gently to the side as he watched them canoodling with each other in the safety of their cabin. Subsequently, he bent down to grab the end of the wire and used his immense strength to drag Ralph's corpse along the ground, his blood trailing behind him as he made his way into the shadows of the forest…