26
The hanging sign says 'Entering a Slice of Paradise, Only by appointment'
A romantic turn-off used exclusively for parking. A river gushes by. Crickets chirp. The trees blow in the autumn wind. A single car sits on the lonely road. The muffled sound of a young couple making out drifts through the streamed up windows.
A teenage boy's hand is under a teenage girl's shirt, gently massaging her breast. He pulls his hand out from under her shirt and places it on her bare knee.
As he starts to slide his hand up her leg, she grabs his hand and gently pulls it away. She places it back on her breast, sliding it under her shirt.
We pull back. Keira and Rod, two healthy sixteen year olds, are passionately making out in the proverbial back seat of a big American car.
Rod smiles seductively, kisses Keira, and places his hand back on her knee. Once again, she stops him, this time just squeezing his hand tightly.
"No." she whispers.
He doesn't give up easy. He playfully wrestles his hand free and slides it under her skirt. She grabs his hand again.
"I said no."
"But you don't really mean it." He struggles to free his hand.
"Yes I do. Keep it in your pants Rod." She snarls and he gives up, aggravated.
"Maybe it won't stay in."
"Maybe you better just drive me home."
He starts the car, glares at her for a second, then turns it off. "Let me just ask you a serious question first."
"What?"
"Aren't you worried you could die a virgin?" he asks.
She sarcastically answers "Yeah. I'm extremely worried about that. It's right up there with global warming."
"On our way home, drunken Cooter could hit us head on and send us flying through the windshield. Terminate us instantly. We'd never experience what it means to make love." He points out hopefully.
"If sheep don't count."
"That wasn't me ..."
"I know. I'm kidding you." She laughs at his face "Chill out."
"Well I'm trying to be real here and you're mocking me." He slumps as he realises there will be no hanky-panky tonight.
Keira is softening "I'm sorry, but you're not going to die a virgin Rod."
.
.
.
There is someone around the bend, hidden from sight. Someone is watching them. It's probably a psychopath.
.
.
.
Rod leans in and starts kissing Keira again.
"I don't wanna take that chance." Rod whispers "I want my first time to be with you."
She kisses him back. He slides his hand under her skirt again.
"Stop it."
He doesn't.
"Rod!"
Exasperated, he snarls "You're being unfair."
"Unfair?!"
"Yes. Unfair to me." He begins to overpower her. This is quickly turning into date rape. She scratches him savagely across the face. This catches his attention. He jumps back, cut slightly, surprised.
She opens the car door and quickly escapes. She runs away from the car, down the road, very upset. Rod catches himself. He looks at his bloodied face in the rear view mirror and realizes what he's done.
He starts up the car.
Keira runs down the road alone, still very upset.
Rod pulls up next to her and rolls down his window.
"Keira! I'm sorry."
She pays no attention to him.
"Please get back in the car, Keira."
She turns and heads down a path into the dark woods, purposely going where he can't follow.
Rod, frustrated, hits the steering wheel and floors it.
Keira heads deeper into the woods. When she finally stops to catch her breath and wipe away her tears, she hears someone approaching her. Suddenly, the footsteps stop. Keira senses that someone is watching her.
"Rod?"
No answer.
"Is that you Rod?"
Still no answer. A little frightened, she starts to walk again. Again she hears the footsteps following her. She stops again. Whoever is out there stops too. She looks around in every direction.
"Come out Rod." She demands "This stalker bull shit ain't gonna work with me!"
No answer. Even the birds have stopped chirping.
"Rod? You're freaking me out. Game's over. I lose. Come out and we'll fuck."
She hears the footsteps behind her and quickly turns around. She sees the silhouette of someone standing a few feet away.
The wind picks up. Keira realizes it isn't Rod. All she can see is that whoever is there is carrying a small gun in one hand and a very long, jagged, spear in the other.
Keira starts to run. The killer starts after her.
Rod is sitting in his car at the edge of the woods, waiting for her to appear. He checks his watch.
Keira runs for the edge of the woods but she isn't quite fast enough to elude her pursuer.
"Help!"
The killer catches Keira from behind and savagely smashes her head against a tree, cracking a branch. Keira falls to the ground, dazed.
Rod sits up in his seat, thinking he's heard something
Keira, half conscious, bleeding from the head, is dragged back deeper into the woods.
Rod gets out of the car and cautiously moves to the edge of the dark woods.
The woods are pitch black.
"Keira?"
"ROD!"
The killer kicks Keira in the side, instantly shutting her up. He gags her and ties her to a tree trunk. She struggles, but she's no match for the killer.
Rod charges through the woods, desperately looking for any sign of Keira.
Keira's right hand is raised above her head and placed, palm out, against a tree trunk.
Rod searches for Keira, his flashlight jaggedly cutting the darkness.
The gun shoots something into the centre of Keira's outstretched palm.
Rod stops and frantically looks around, knowing he's fighting a losing battle.
"Keira?!"
Keira screams out in pain, even through the gag, as her hand is secured to the tree.
Rod hears her muffled cry and runs toward the sound.
Keira's left hand is now placed up against a different tree.
Keira is stretched out between two trees, gagged, one hand nailed to each tree. She almost looks crucified.
Rod roars with horror and anger as he starts to run towards the attacker
The full moon looks down on the town.
Roars fill the night as screams dwindle.