After much delay, a wild update appears!
And then we were still.
I feel Robbie's lungs deflate with a heavy exhale. Our limbs are still twisted together, and for the first time I realize what it's like to be lost in a lovers embrace. Life comes back into focus as the fireworks inside of me finally fade, and I feel Robbie's fingers slide from my core and come to rest on my hip, just above my stretched out panties. Good thing I packed a lot of underwear then, I suppose.
"That was…" His voice slips through ragged breaths. Barely catching my own breath I nod back at him, all too aware of the sensation of our bare chests touching. I feel Robbie's hand skitter away from my hip and sweep through the water beside us. A smirk hitches itself to my lips as I realize what he's doing. The hand in question swipes across his forehead and brushes dark curls from his eyes.
"We should probably go and help them find Jade." The words catch in my throat. It's as though they're as reluctant as I am to let this moment slip away. Robbie's lips pull into a thin disapproving line, echoing my own thoughts. Reluctantly, I disentangle my limbs from Robbie's and sink into the blackened depths. With the haze of lust dissipating, I'm all too aware of how exposed I am. Hastily, we drag our tired limbs through the water and make our way back the shore. It feels a world away.
"Crap, we didn't bring towels." I wail mournfully, realizing that there is a reason that I don't often give into my impulses. When I don't plan ahead, things just tend to end in disaster. I've buried my head in my hands when I hear the sound of Robbie rustling around in front of me. Lifting my gaze, I notice Robbie's arm thrust towards me. Clasped between his fingers is his t-shirt.
"Here, use this as a towel." He announces, the white glint of his teeth filtering through the darkness. Fabric flies through the air and I just barely jerk into action in time to get my fingers to it. Lifting the fabric to my skin and running it over my body, I feel a tingle skitter across my flesh in its wake. As I dry my torso, I notice Robbie's feet propelling him towards the shoreline.
I lose focus on the task at hand, and follow Robbie's movements. When the waves are lapping at his feet, he turns to me once again. Noticing the way my eyebrows are draw together and the puzzled look in my brown orbs, he grins boyishly in my direction. Then he bends at the waist and drags something from the sand. My confusion fades away as a red flush overtakes my cheeks. Thankfully, Robbie passes the flimsy undergarment to me without further incident and I'm able to regain a modicum of modesty.
I can't shake the apprehension swirling around in my stomach as Robbie and I amble through the woods. Even with Robbie's fingers tangled through my own, I can't dissociate myself from the feeling that the shadows around us really are moving. Thinking back to Cat's worried face, guilt sinks its claws into me and I begin feel worse and worse about taking so long to return. A lump forms in my throat as the ridiculous expanse of our temporary residence comes into view.
"Hey, you guys haven't seen Jade have you?" I quake within my skin and jump towards Robbie, not having seen Beck approaching us. He's almost totally out of breath as he comes to a halt before us. There's a worried look churning within his eyes and he looks at his wits end. As bad as things have been between Beck and Jade, she hardly ever lets him out of her sight if she can help it. The unease within me only grows as I realize how out of character this is for her.
"Nah, man. We can help you look though?" Robbie takes charge, placing a hand on Beck's shoulder and standing tall. My eyes flitter over the scene before me, and I realize how much Robbie has changed in the last week. At any point in the past, he'd be the one falling completely to pieces, while Beck maintained his stoic front. With Robbie's words weighing him down, Beck seems to sink into the depths of depression. The stench of defeat hangs heavily within the air as Beck's eyebrows fall sharply and he slumps to his knees.
"Come on, Beck. You know Jade's a tough girl. She'll be back soon." I state, almost believing my own words as I join Robbie in placing a hand on Beck's shoulder. It's stupid I know, but I guess we're hoping our hands on his shoulders are going to drag him out of the darkness of his worst fears.
Robbie peels Beck off the ground. His lips remain paralyzed in a tight frown, though he allows us to lead him back to the cabin. His feet catch and drag on the ground, like he's lost in his own mind. Peering into his unfocused eyes, I know that the real world is miles away from wherever Beck is right now.
When we step through the doorway, it's as though we're stepping into a void. Seconds bleed together, yet they never seem to pass us by. Minutes fly past, yet we never seem to get anywhere. It's as though Beck's anxious mood clings to time itself, holding it in place to buy Jade time to return. I peer over at the clock that's hanging high on the wall opposite to myself. It's almost midnight, but less than half an hour has passed since Robbie and I returned to this place. Robbie sits next to me, peering out at the darkness that's swallowed the forest. He's resting heavily on his forearms, trying to hold himself upright. Cat and Andre are huddled on the couch, peering out of another window. All of us are tired, but we know that if we went to our rooms, sleep would never join us. Not until Jade turns up at least.
A loud chiming reverberates throughout the house, prying me from my thoughts. The gongs ring within my ears and send a chill down my spine. There's something malignant about its tone, something that seems so final. My fingers fly through the air, entwining with Robbie's as though he's the only thing I can hold as terror claws at my mind. Finally daring to open my eyes, my gaze skates around the room. Beck strikes a solitary figure before the window. He's watching the forest intently, like he knows Jade will step out of it at any moment.
Darkness destroys all hope.
A shriek pierces the pitch black around us, seemingly electrifying the nights air. It's not my own and it's not Cat's. It's much too far away. My fingers gnarl around Robbie's. Something lingers in the shroud of darkness, and I feel like it's going to rip me away from him. My heart ignites within my chest, blowing fire through my veins with each beat. This doesn't seem like the type of building where the power goes out. Not by itself anyway.
"I've got you." Robbie disentangles his fingers from mine and envelops me in his arms. Taking a deep breath, I feel my heart begin to slow down, his wiry frame the only reassurance that I require. And then it's gone. One of Robbie's arms drifts away from me, so I whimper and bury me face into the crook of his neck. As he slips his fingers into his front pocket and wrestles around for something, I feel the unease return full force. There's something looming within the shadows, I'm certain of it.
"The perfect app." Robbie announces, dragging his Pear Phone forth and swiping his fingers across it. Before I can question it, a bright light bursts forth, slaying some of the darkness around us. Between the dread in my stomach and the paranoia plaguing my mind, I feel a surge of affection toward the boy next to me. He's got an app for everything.
"S-should we go with Beck?" Andre's voice quakes and wavers beneath the weight of his fear as he watches Beck pass through the front door. The dim light of Robbie's Pear Phone bathes Andre in an unfamiliar light, seemingly conspiring with the situation to drain all of the life from his face. Cat sits pressed against him, the happiness usually omnipresent on her face painfully absent. Without that sparkle in her eyes, Cat's barely a husk of the girl that I know.
"I think we should stick tight and wait, Beck will be back soon and he'll know how to fix the lights." Robbie's calm words infiltrate the maddening silence that seems to stifle any attempt as sparking conversation. I nod slightly, though I'm not sure if anybody can see it. I want to help Beck, really I do, but he's the only that knows these woods. If we all go wandering deep into the wilderness, there's a chance none of us will come back.
"This one ti-" Cat's words die on her tongue as the door behind her flies open. Looming behind her, a darkened figure blots out the moonlight. Cat flies into the gloom, before a cloaked hand can take hold of her. Beneath the hood, there's nothingness. It's as if light itself wants nothing to do with the specter before us. My heart is in my throat as I notice crimson droplets crashing to the floor from the wicked curve of a blade.
"I've come for you." Words seep into the room, carrying malice and promising devastation. The air around me seems to freeze and I feel the blood in my veins turn to ice. Staring into its faceless void, the hope within me goes numb and ceases to exist.
"W-who?" Andre's voice rumbles through his lips as he tries to push his fear into the pit of his stomach. His false bravado cracks and falters when it peers over at him. A chill spirals up my spine, reminding me that the worst is yet to come.
"All of you." And then with a cackle, it advances on us. My lips quiver with the realization of what happened to Jade, what probably happened to Beck. They're gone and we're only steps away from joining them.
"N-no…" the words dribble feebly from my lips, sinking to the ground below. No matter how hard Robbie tugs at my arm, I can't move. I'm rooted to the spot, a lost cause. Maybe I can slow it down enough for them all to escape. With my dying breath, a gift of life. I'm just paces from the end. Shoving Robbie away from me, I will him to save himself. He just won't turn and run though, he's determined to drag me into the future with him.
I'm sorry Robbie.
I love you.
"Boo." Through the terror, a familiar voice filters through the room. The figure halts and the blade that's clasped in its hand falls to the ground with a clatter. The sound rattles through the air, echoing within the silent room. Slender fingers clutch the velvet hood and slide it away, revealing ringlets of midnight hair. I'm dimly aware of Cat coming apart at the seams and collapsing in a fit of tears behind me.
"Jade!" I shriek, feeling the ice within my veins melt away. I'm breathing fire now, and there's nothing but hatred in my voice as I address the girl before me. I'm not even sure my words have reached Jade's ears; she's too lost in her own laughter. A muscle in my jaw twitches and my knuckles bleach as my hands ball into fists. I can't believe she'd do something this cruel to her friends.
"I really had you gu-" Jade's words seep through her laughter before she notices the carnage surrounding her. The mirth on her face is crushed beneath the weight of her eyebrows as confusion infiltrates her features.
Jade's eyes slink between the bodies before her. Cat's head is buried in Andre's shoulder, her tearing staining his shirt. The cold glare on his face seems so foreign. If looks could kill then Andre would be a murderer right now. Robbie still lingers beside me, his fingers still clutching my shoulder. There's a blaze within his eyes. If I'm a flamethrower, then Robbie is an atom bomb.
"Why do you have to be such a fucking gank all the time?" Robbie spits the words out like they're acid. His fingers abandon my shoulder as he stomps toward Jade. I've never seen Robbie look angrier, even Jade takes a step away from him.
"I'm no-" At the conclusion of Robbie's diatribe, Jade's hands crash over her hips and she attempts to fire back with her own words. A lump forms in my throat as Robbie glares back at her. Far from backing away, he takes another step forward and seems to tower over her. There's something dark poisoning the caring eyes of the boy I love as his eyebrows dig into his nose. The words die on Jade's tongue as she notices the same malignant presence within him.
"You are, you're the worst person I've ever met Jade. You tried to break Tori and I up out of spite. You never stop to consider anybody else before you pull this kind of shit, you're a fucking sociopath." Robbie's words are poison, seeping beneath Jade's skin and draining the defiance from her. Jade's arms go limp at her sides and my tongue twitches in the bottom of my mouth. I want more than anything to peel words of sympathy forth, but I know in my heart Robbie's speaking the truth.
Silence hangs heavily in the air. Only the sound of Robbie's ragged breaths scraping through the air break its hold over the room. I swallow nervously, and the air itself feels thick with tension. The absence of speech from Jade is the most troubling. She's peering back at Robbie, and there's a cold detachment in her eyes. It's as though she's completely removed herself from the situation and now she's merely observing us. I wish she'd explode in a nail bomb of abrasive words. I can't handle this silence. It's deafening.
"Jade! There you are." I wrench my eyes away from the standoff before me, whirling around to see Beck racing through the door. He sweeps through the room and envelops Jade in his arm within a matter of seconds. He's dragging deep breaths of air into his lungs and he looks even more disheveled than when he left, but the storm within his eyes seems to have subsided.
"Where have you been?" He mumbles, the words disappearing between strands of Jade's hair. Jade hangs limply within his embrace, staring at the floor. Her face is devoid of the relief and joy that's pouring from Beck's features. Beside them, Robbie grits his teeth and ambles towards me. His hands are still balled into fists and there's no sign that the anger within him has diluted in the slightest. I reach over and pry his fingers apart. Slipping my fingers between his, I notice his shoulder loosen slightly. Like somehow it's enough to drag some of the anger out of his body.
"Uh, I was…" Jade continues to peer down at the floor, her words barely stitching together to form anything close to coherent. The relief slides off Beck's face and his eyes narrow. He takes his eyes away from Jade for the first time, the situation before him sinking in. The concern within his brown orbs only deepens as his gaze weaves between us all. Robbie's coiled muscles, Cat's whimpering and Andre's cold, hard eyes all paint a portrait of discord before him.
"W-what happened?" Beck's voice cracks as he realizes all is not well within this room. Peeling Jade away from him, he holds her at arm's length and tries to get a read on her emotions. Jade hangs in his arms like a disused marionette. Jet black strands of hair hang over her face and veil her emotions until a sob hacks it's way through her throat.
"I fucked up…" I just barely catch the words as Jade's voice slithers through her lips. She slides out of Beck's arms without another word and sinks into the darkness once again. The sound of Jade's boots clapping against the stairs fill the air as she retreats to her room. Beck's eyes trail the path Jade has just forged, confusion mouthing within them.
"Can somebody please explain this to me?" He asks, throwing his palms to the sky. I peer over at Robbie. His jaw is clenched so I don't think he's going to be the one to speak. Peering over at Andre, I realize it won't be him either. He's too busy trying to piece Cat together. My eyes glide over Cat's crumbled figure, knowing she won't be speaking anytime soon either. It looks like it's up to me to explain what I know to Beck.
"Jade must have shut off the power or something, because the lights went out and a few minutes later she came running through the door holding a bloody knife with her face hidden. That's why Robbie and Andre look so angry and Cat is crying." Dragging my eyes between those of us that remain, I realize it's probably best if I speak. Robbie is just barely keeping a lid on the simmering rage within him. Behind us, Andre is angry too, but he's holding himself together for Cat's sake. Cat's lying in tatters next to him. Beck's expression hardens as I recall the events that led us to this moment. His eyebrows crash over his eyes and his lips press into a thin line as Jade's actions sink in.
"Goddammit." He hisses, shaking his head and swiftly echoing Jade's footsteps. The look in his eyes is something like betrayal and I wonder whether I should go after him. Peering to my side, feel Robbie's fingers tighten around me. His lips pull into what I know is supposed to be a reassuring smile as he catches me gazing at him. He never quite manages to stitch it together, but my heart skips a beat anyway.
The murmur of voices filters through the roof above us, making my decision for me. Sticking to the floor, I prepare myself. It's going to get ugly. With as many suppressed emotions as there are between Beck and Jade, their words will fly like blades. It's inevitable somebody is going to wind up hurt. At least they're finally going to show their hand and free their emotions tonight. I swallow thickly and lean into Robbie, as the voices become louder. The words start to sound more vicious, slicing through the air and dropping through the floorboards.
It's going to be a long night.
Hopefully that's the longest gap between updates =/ I was caught between the real world and writers block haha.
The middle portion was my attempt at writing something horror influenced, do let me know what you thought =)