The wind outside howls against the wooden walls, creating an eerie atmosphere. Inside, Wendy stands with Officer Howard, who looks troubled, his face illuminated by the fireplace's orange glow. Wendy has a fire poker in hand, her body tense from the fear and adrenaline. Red sits quietly, her eyes flicking between Wendy and officer Howard during their interaction.

Officer Howard: "Three of them... dead?"

Wendy: "Annie, Tolkien, and Clyde... all of them. We... we thought we could trust this place. We came here to relax, to have a break from everything that happened before, but..." (pauses, trying to gather her thoughts) "It's happening again. The killings, the games, just like last time."

Officer Howard: "You mean the stuff from last summer?"

Wendy: "Yes. At first, we thought it was over. We thought we were safe. But someone's playing with us again, setting up these traps. People are dying, and I don't know how much longer we have before the rest of us are killed off."

Red: "Maybe we should have never come back here. Something about this place always felt wrong."

Officer Howard takes out a notepad, jotting down a few notes

Officer Howard: "I need to know everything that's happened. From the beginning. How did Annie, Tolkien, and Clyde end up dead? What about the others?"

Wendy lets out a shaky breath, glancing back at Red for a moment before turning fully to Officer Howard.

Wendy: "Annie... she was the first. It happened so fast. One minute she was with us, and the next she was... sliced in half. We didn't even realize it until we found her body, and by then, it was too late. There was nothing we could do."

Officer Howard: "That was the first death? You're sure?"

Wendy: "Yes. We didn't even see it happen. It was like... like something or someone was watching, waiting for the right moment. Then, Tolkien... he was part of one of those sick traps. We had to choose between him and Red. The group... we had to make a choice. He didn't make it."

Officer Howard: "A choice? What kind of choice?" he asked, looking disturbed.

Wendy: "We were forced to choose who lived and who died. If we didn't... both would have died. We... chose Red."

Red: "I should've been the one to die. It wasn't fair."

Wendy turns back to Red, shaking her head

Wendy: "No... we couldn't have known. We just had to do what we thought was right."

Officer Howard pauses, giving Wendy a moment to breathe. He looks at the fire, its warmth doing nothing to erase the growing chill in the room.

Officer Howard: "And Clyde?"

Wendy: "He... he was next. It was a sick trap again. A reverse bear trap. There was nothing anyone could do to help him. Kyle and Lucas both was forced to stay in the same room with him to watch as he... his skull... it just..." (she stops, unable to finish the sentence, wiping a tear from her eye)

Red: "He didn't deserve to go like that."

There's a moment of silence, the tension thick. The wind rattles the windows, and the sound of cracking wood from the fire fills the air.

Officer Howard: "So, who's left?"

Wendy: "Tweek, Kyle, Stan, Butters, Emily, and Lucas. They're out there right now looking for Bebe. They think she might be next, or maybe... she knows something. She's been missing since everything started."

Officer Howard: "And you think she's involved?"

Wendy: "I don't know what to think anymore. We thought we knew who was behind everything the first time. But now... it feels like we're back to square one."

Red, her face cast in shadow, shifts uncomfortably in her seat, watching Wendy closely.

Red: "It feels like we're never getting out of this."

Officer Howard: "Alright. I'm going to check the perimeter, see if there's any sign of your friends. If this is happening again, I need to get some backup out here."

Wendy: "Please hurry... we don't have much time."

As Officer Howard heads toward the door, Wendy and Red are left alone. Wendy glances back at Red, and for a brief moment, there's an odd look in Red's eyes—something Wendy doesn't fully register.

Red: "Maybe we're just meant to be here... you know? Maybe this place... it doesn't let people leave."

Wendy frowns, the cryptic comment causing a small shiver down her spine, but she brushes it off as just stress.

Wendy: "Well, I'm not planning on staying. We're getting out of here. All of us."

Red: "I hope you're right."

with the door closing behind Officer Howard. Wendy sits back down, exhausted but still alert, unaware of the silent storm brewing within Red.

Back at the cave, the dim light of the flashlights barely pierces through the darkness of the winding tunnels. The air is thick with moisture, and the dripping sound of water echoes off the rocky walls. Each pair cautiously moves forward, the weight of the situation pressing down on them. Tweek's flashlight flickers as he walks beside Kyle, his anxiety growing with every step.

Tweek: "K-Kyle, I don't like this, man. We shouldn't have split up. What if something's down here? What if… what if we never find our way back?"

Kyle: "Relax, Tweek. We've been in worse situations, remember? This is nothing compared to some of the crap we've been through."

Tweek: "I don't know, dude… I'm freaking out. I feel like the walls are closing in on us or something. What if the killer's already picked us? What if—"

Kyle cuts him off, placing a hand on Tweek's shoulder

Kyle: "Hey, look at me. Breathe. We'll get through this, just stay close, okay?"

Tweek: "O-Okay… but if anything happens, I'm gone. Just saying."

Kyle: "Yeah, Tweek, I got that."

They walk in silence for a moment, the sound of their footsteps bouncing off the tunnel walls. Kyle shines his flashlight ahead, trying to ignore the gnawing sense of dread.

Down the centre tunnel Stan leads the way, his flashlight steady as he scans the dark tunnel ahead. Lucas lags slightly behind, clearly uneasy.

Lucas: "You really think splitting up was a good idea? 'Cause I don't. I think this is how horror movies start. Or end."

Stan: "I know it sucks, but we didn't have much of a choice. We need to find a way out of here before things get worse."

Lucas: "Things are already worse, Stan. Three of us are dead already, how are we supposed to make it out?"

Stan pausing, looking over his shoulder

Stan: "Because we have to. We don't have any other option, Lucas. If we give up now, we might as well hand ourselves over to the killer."

Lucas bitterly, kicking at a loose stone

Lucas: "Yeah, easy for you to say. You're not the one freaking out every five minutes."

Stan: "You think I'm not scared too? We're all in the same boat, Lucas. But we can't just roll over and wait to die."

Lucas doesn't respond right away, his eyes focused on the ground. After a moment, he mutters

Lucas: "Yeah… I guess you're right. But still… I've got a bad feeling about this."

Stan speaks softly, as if trying to convince himself as well

Stan: "I do too. But we've made it this far. We just need to stick together."

Back down the right tunnel, Emily holds her flashlight high, her face calm, though her eyes dart around cautiously. Butters, on the other hand, is visibly shaking, clutching his flashlight like a lifeline.

Butters: "E-Emily, are you sure we're going the right way? It feels like we've been walking forever, and I-I swear I heard something back there!"

Emily glancing back at him, trying to keep her tone steady

Emily: "We're fine, Butters. It's just our nerves playing tricks on us. Stay close, and keep the light steady."

Butters: "I don't know how you're staying so calm. I feel like my heart's about to jump out of my chest!"

Emily: "It's not that I'm calm, trust me. I'm just trying not to let it show. If we start freaking out, we'll lose focus, and that's exactly what the killer wants."

Butters: "O-Okay… okay, I get it. Stay focused. Stay… focused. I-I can do that. I can… Oh God, did you hear that?"

Emily pausing, her eyes narrowing as she listens

Emily: "Hear what?"

Butters: "I-It sounded like footsteps. Like, real slow footsteps, right behind us."

Emily turns her flashlight towards the path behind them. The tunnel stretches into darkness, but there's nothing there.

Emily: "Nothing's there, Butters. You're hearing things."

Butters: "I-I swear I heard something…"

Emily speaks more firmly

Emily: "We need to keep moving. If we stay in one place too long, that's when we're vulnerable. Let's go."

As each pair continues down their separate tunnels, the sense of isolation grows stronger. The darkness seems to close in around them, and the faint sound of dripping water only adds to the eerie atmosphere. The air is thick with tension, and though none of them say it out loud, they all share the same gnawing fear: they're being watched. The tunnels seem to twist and turn endlessly, and each step forward feels like another step deeper into the unknown. Meanwhile, back down the centre tunnel

Tweek whispering as they walk, still paranoid

Tweek: "Do you think the killer is down here, Kyle? Do you think they're… watching us right now?"

Kyle: "Let's not think about that. Focus on getting through the tunnel. That's all that matters right now."

Tweek nods, though his eyes still dart around nervously

Tweek: "O-Okay… but if anything happens…"

Kyle cuts him off, rolling his eyes

Kyle: "Yeah, yeah, I know. You're gone."

The air in the tunnel feels heavier as Emily and Butters cautiously move forward. The only sound is the rhythmic dripping of water echoing from the stone walls, and the faint scuffle of their footsteps on the rocky floor. Their flashlights cut through the oppressive darkness, but even the beams of light seem weaker as they delve deeper. Tensions grow high down the right tunnel between Emily and Butters

Butters: "E-Emily… I don't like this… something feels off."

Emily: "We just need to keep moving, Butters. The sooner we find the others, the better."

Butters stops suddenly, his flashlight shaking as he swings it around wildly.

Butters: "Did you see that? Something moved down there… I swear, I saw it!"

Emily stops as well, her eyes narrowing as she peers down the tunnel. For a moment, everything is still. Then, from the far end of the tunnel, a shadow begins to form. At first, it's barely noticeable, but as the seconds pass, it becomes clear: a dark figure, barely illuminated, slowly walking toward them.

Emily: "Stay calm… just stay calm."

Butters: "Who… who is that? Is it—"

Emily cuts him off, trying to keep him from losing control

Emily: "I don't know. Don't make any sudden moves."

The figure walks with a deliberate, slow pace. The shape is human, but the darkness shrouds its features, making it impossible to tell who—or what—it is. Butters takes a step back, his flashlight flickering as his fear escalates.

Butters: "W-We should run. Emily, we should run! What if it's the killer?"

Emily holds her ground, eyes locked on the approaching figure. Her grip tightens around the flashlight, her heartbeat pounding in her ears.

Emily: "We don't know that yet. Just stay behind me."

As the figure comes closer, the silhouette becomes more distinct. It's dressed in a long, dark coat, and a mask obscures its face—the mask of the killer they've been dreading. Emily's breath catches in her throat.

Butters: "It's… it's them! Oh my God, Emily, we need to go!"

Butters stumbles backward, but Emily remains rooted in place, frozen between fight and flight. The killer stops just a few feet in front of them. The dim light of their flashlights reveals the killer's blank, menacing mask—its eyes hollow, emotionless.

Emily: "Stay calm… don't panic…"

The killer tilts their head, almost as if studying them. There's a long, tense pause, the silence broken only by Butters' shaky breaths. The killer makes no move, simply standing there, towering over them like a spectre in the night.

Butters: "What are they waiting for? Why aren't they doing anything?"

The tension is unbearable. Emily's knuckles turn white as she grips her flashlight, her mind racing for an escape plan, but every possible action feels too risky. The killer remains unmoving, as though taunting them with their silence. Suddenly, the killer takes another step forward, closing the gap between them.

Emily takes a step back, her voice firm but scared

Emily: "Don't come any closer!"

The killer doesn't stop. They take one more step, then another. The space between them and Emily and Butters is rapidly shrinking.

Butters: "Emily! What do we do?!"

Emily's eyes locked on the killer, voice shaking

Emily: "I don't—"

Before she can finish, the killer reaches for their mask ready to reveal themselves. Emily's heart races as she tightens her grip on her flashlight. Butters is frozen in fear, unable to move. The masked killer's fingers slowly grip the edge of the mask, pulling it up just enough for the faintest hint of skin to show beneath. Emily's heart hammers in her chest as her mind races with fear and anticipation. She tightens her grip on the flashlight, her breath catching in her throat. Butters stands paralyzed, eyes wide, unable to tear his gaze from the masked figure. Just as the mask begins to rise further, revealing more of the face beneath, the scene plunges into silence. The killer pauses, as if savouring the moment. Emily swallows hard, her thoughts screaming to run, but her legs won't move. The mask lifts just a little more, fully revealing their face. Emily and Butters both gasp in surprise, jaws dropping.

Emily: It's you... It can't be...

End of Chapter 10