The Strangers

This is Chapter 4 of my story set after the film The Strangers.

"So you don't know where the phones are?" whispered Shelley to Amelia and Kathy.

"Not a clue. Do you think those freaks have taken them?" whispered Amelia back.

"I don't know," replied Tom. "But what I do know is I'm getting out of here."

"Tom, it's about a twenty minute walk to the nearest house…if they're even in. You know how isolated these holiday houses are. God!" Shelley ducked her head, feeling another onslaught of tears coming.

"Well, I'm still going for it. We can either stay here and get murdered by these psychos, or at least try and save our skins. It's up to you- but I'm trying."

"Tom, please. Don't. You're our best friend! We need to stick together," said Kathy, beginning to cry.

The poor girl's terrified, thought Shelley, staring at her uncertainly. But then again, it's not as if I'm not.

"Come with me. You've got a much better chance out there than in here, where at least one of them probably is." Tom glared at them. "I won't ask again."

Fear was making him desperate, Shelley knew. But she didn't know how to calm him down.

"Is no one coming with me?"

Amelia looked away, as did Shelley.

"I'm coming," said Kathy surprisingly. "I know I'm going to die in here. Out there it's open terrain. You don't have to- but Tom's right, we've got a better chance."

"Amelia? Shelley? You're actually staying?" asked Tom incredulously.

"Yes," said Shelley confidently. "I know where I stand here. For all we know there might be more of them, lurking outside in the woods, waiting for us to try- to try something like you and Kathy are doing now."

"Well then…I guess this is…goodbye," said Tom.

There was a deep silence. Each couple knew that they would probably never see the other one again.

Shelley and Tom hugged each other hard, then Shelley and Kathy, and Amelia hugged them too.

"We can hide in the cellar," whispered Amelia, just in case someone was listening. "It's got lots of nooks and crannies to hide. We'll also have the element of surprise."

"We'll go out the back way. It's safest," whispered Tom. Both of these were located in the kitchen, so they snuck off to get to their locations, hopefully safely.

Shelley thought she heard someone moving upstairs. Evidently the others heard it too, because as they crept into the kitchen, they all looked up as someone creaked about in the master bedroom.

"Who is that?" whispered Amelia.

"I don't want to know," said Kathy, shivering. Her and Tom walked past the kitchen side towards the door- and suddenly Tom squeezed his face up in pain, his mouth open in a silent scream. A pool of blood was pouring on the floor, out of his ankle. He collapsed.

Shelley could feel the pulse pounding in her ears. Tom…

It was then the man in the mask from before, the one who'd murdered Chloe, stood up, holding a huge knife with Tom's blood stained on it. He'd been hiding down there, waiting for someone to come past. He'd slit Tom's Achilles tendon beyond repair…Tom, Shelley's closest friend…

No one moved for a split second, but it seemed like hours. Giving Shelley time to remember when she and her sister had been playing hide and seek around the house. The spot where the man had hidden was always her favourite place to hide. Shelley had never been able to find her when she hid there…

"TOM!!" screeched Amelia, and dived at the man, as Kathy ran off in the opposite direction.

"NO! AMELIA!" screamed Shelley, but it was too late; her friend had shoved the man to the floor and now they were wrestling beside Tom. Then there was a horrible sound, like something being punctured…

"Amelia…"

The man's huge knife had gone right through Amelia, all the way through her stomach and out of her back, staining her clothes deep red. Amelia paused as though to catch her breath, and then fell limp.

Shelley felt a huge pang as she realised that it was her and, if found, Kathy. Everyone else was dead. These sick killers had butchered everyone she cared for, everyone she loved.

But they weren't going to get her.

She turned and ran outside, wrenching the door open and running as though she was flying. Her hair flew back, her throat hurt, tears stung her eyes, but she didn't stop running.

Not til she heard a car approaching.

Turning round, she knew it was help, they were going to help her. She was saved. Everything was going to be okay.

"HELP!" she shrieked, her legs almost collapsing on her. She waved with both arms.

"HELP ME!!!! PLEASE!!!!!"

The car, a Ford truck, stopped beside her, and the door opened. So thankful she could barely breathe, Shelley stumbled inside and shut the door, closing her eyes.

"Thankyou," she panted. "Thankyou so much. There's someone in the house back there…they killed my friends…three freaks in masks…please, we have to call the police or somebody…"

No reply.

Shelley turned round in the seat and stared at the brown haired woman in the car, with the pin-up like mask on. She didn't know why, but she just didn't feel surprised any more.

The woman hit her hard round the head with something that felt like a brick. Shelley felt blood pour from the cut as she sank back into unconsciousness. The last thing she saw was the clock on the dashboard in bright green digital letters.

4:24.

Then the brick slammed down on her head again and everything went black instantly.