Chapter Fourteen

She could see it up ahead...the exterior of Paul's office. The familiar-looking white-painted window frames that stood out, alongside the Moon, in the darkness of the night, the wind chime that dangled overhead on the gutter pipe, clanging gently in parallel with the slight breeze. Ginny could also see that its main light was on inside. Was whoever it was inside doing exactly what she'd planned to do back at the lodge? Was there a possibility that there could be another who'd eluded the killer's wrath and wanted to be rescued? The only way she was going to find out was to venture inside and pray to God that they'd already called the police and tell her that they were on their way.

When she got to one of the windows that was facing the girls' cabins at the foundation of the small hill, she peered inside and sighed in discontent as all the questions inside her head were responded with a simple answer; there was no-one in there except for the furniture. She was the only survivor which made her quickly turn her head in the direction that she'd been running from, remembering that she still needed to elude the killer, and that he'd been chasing her.

Nothing. Nothing but the woods, and the Moon, and the cabins. And the painfully eerie quiet. Had she eluded him? No, she thought, shaking her head to no-one in particular, That would've been too easy.

Thinking no more about it, Ginny hurried inside through the one door and locked it behind her, immediately flipping off the light as soon as she did. From across the room she could see the phone situated on the right corner of Paul's desk, the one closed to her, as though it were the Holy Grail itself. Taking her steps nice-and-slow, quiet, her hand outstretched in front of her, Ginny made her way over to the phone and immediately picked up the receiver. Punching in the numbers that everyone in the U.S knew off by heart, Ginny bounced impatiently on her feet, also tapping her left foot, as she waited for the other end to pick up.

It did after three rings, "Hello, this is the Sheriff's office. How can I help you?" The voice on the other end replied;soft, delicate, feminine. It sounded loud within the quiet confines of Paul's office and Ginny crossed her fingers that it wouldn't draw the killer's attention.

"Please, is the Sheriff in? I really need to talk with him, it's an emergency!" Ginny responded, talking as loudly as she could without trying to attract too much attention.

She could hear the woman shuffling on the other side, "He sure is. I'll put you through. One moment please."

Waiting patiently for the woman to transfer her to the Sheriff's phone, Ginny mentally breathed a sigh of relief when he answered with a cheery, "'Ello, Sheriff Rodgers speaking. How can I help?" His voice sounding like sweet harmony to her ears.

"Oh thank god! Please, Sheriff, you have to help me! Someone's trying to kill me! He's already killed some of my friends and now he's after me! You have to come quick or he'll kill me too!" Her body started to shiver slightly as a cold chill danced up along her spine, Ginny getting the feeling that he was very close.

She could hear the Sheriff shuffling in the background, "Please relax ma'am, did you see the murderer?"

Ginny shook her head violently, not really caring that the Sheriff couldn't see her doing it, "No...he's wearing a pillow-case or something over his face to disguise himself. Please, just get down here, or he's going to kill me too!" She didn't care if she sounded hysterical, she just wanted to get out. Wouldn't anyone if they were in the position that she was in at that exact moment?

"Alright, I'm coming with back-up but in the meantime I want you to lock all the doors and windows. Find a good hiding place until we come get you. Where's your location?"

"The Counsellor Training Centre...," the line suddenly went dead and all Ginny could hear was the disconnected tone, putting the receiver back on its cradle as she knew now that it was obviously of no use to her.

It was official. The line had been cut and the killer was frighteningly near-by. She just hoped that he knew where she was and was on his way with the back-up he'd mentioned.

Frantically looking around her vicinity, Ginny couldn't see anything that she could use offensively. Just office equipment that wouldn't do hardly any damage against someone who was wielding an axe or whatever he'd picked up along the way. A few minutes later Ginny let out a sigh of relief when she'd found Paul's letter opener in the top left drawer in his desk, telling herself that it was better than nothing.

Her body jerked in reflex when someone, she couldn't tell who, punched their fist through the window to unlock the door from the inside, Ginny immediately dropped to her knees and crawled under the desk. Her back leant up against one side with her arms wrapped tightly around her bent knees, the table's front concealed her from sight, giving her the perfect cover.

She let out an ever-so slight gasp when she heard the door unlock, opening a few seconds later, its creaking now the only sound in the small hut. Next came the thundering steps, the ones she'll never forget as they scouted the room, obviously searching for his unfortunate victim.

Just don't make any sudden movements Ginny, she told herself, both hands covering her mouth to quieten her breathing, Just...breathe...nice and...easy. She would of if her heart was beating a thousand times a second, pounding so hard and fast against her chest that she thought it was going to burst out any second.

Then she saw it. A foot appearing into view from her right, followed by the other. They were pointed toward her, meaning that he was facing the door. Ginny held the letter opener up to her chest, tightening her grip on it willing the urge to plunge it right through one of the killer's feet. It was a good idea but then she would've blown her cover and she was too close that he would get her anyway, foot pinned to the floor or not.

So, she thought against it but still clutching it tightly against her chest just in case. He might find her and then she'll have no choice. What seemed like forever but only a few minutes, the feet eventually disappeared, moving around the desk and to, what Ginny hoped, the front door. She heard him turn the doorknob, pull it open and step through it, hearing the door close behind him, his footsteps now like a distant memory.

She remained where she was for a few minutes, wanting to make sure that he'd really left the hut, calming her heart down before eventually venturing out from underneath the desk. As she pulled herself up via Paul's revolving chair, she turned around to face the door when an axe came chopping downwards, just missing her by mere inches.

The vigorous attack caused the axe to be embedded in the desk, Ginny screaming as she receded from it, her back hitting the window behind her. For a quick second, she saw her opportunity. While he was busy trying to pry the axe from the desk, she raced around the table en route to the front door. However, not anticipating that he'd go after her without his weapon, the killer lunged at her, tackling her to the ground.

She released another scream as they both wrestled for dominance, the killer having the obvious advantage, what with his size and height, flipping her onto her back, his enlarged hands around her neck. If he wasn't going to chop her up, he'd go to the next best substitute;strangulation.

Her skin immediately goose-pimpled at the touch of his ice-cold hands, her face otherwise burning hot as he persisted to squeeze the very life out of her. And he would do if she didn't act quickly. Gripping the letter opener strongly in her palm, Ginny raised it as high as she could and, with all of her strength, plunged it deep into his right thigh.

The killer let out his pain with a husky roar, releasing Ginny from his death grip, trying desperately to reach down and pull it out. Once he'd let go, Ginny began coughing, loving the sheer fact that she could breathe again before she reached for the nearby furniture, using it to help her climb to her feet.

On impulse, she hurried over to the desk and grabbed the phone, ripping its wire from its socket. Lifting it over her head she slammed the bulk of it on top of the killer's head, knocking him out for the count, if only for a few minutes. Not wanting to stick around to find out, Ginny headed for the front door and exited the hut, using its side for leverage as she slowly tread alongside it, catching her breath as the scuffle she'd just been in left her remotely breathless.

However, she couldn't have her moment to recuperate because, as soon as the soles of her high-heeled boots touched the path that would either lead her back to the lodge or into the forest, a loud clatter of wood and glass erupted behind her. Whipping round, Ginny screamed out as she saw the hulking killer standing right next to where the door should be, as though their recent bout didn't even phase him. Though she did see his blood painting the one leg of his trousers in dark crimson.

Without giving it a moment's thought, Ginny ran in the opposite direction that she wanted; the direction which led her into the dark forest, the killer limped mightily after her, the minor injury not even a bother to him. The advantage may belong to her but he knew this forest like the back of his hand. It was only a matter of time before he took her life, like all the others he'd taken this very night...