Page 185 of Vying Girls

‘Where’s everyone?’ I pant.

‘Don’t know. Lost them.’ She takes me in again. ‘You okay? He hurt you?’

I shake my head despite hurting all over. It’s not the time for that. My girlfriends are still out there, and so is Damien.

Nic takes my hand, leading me back into the tunnel. She glances at the gun. ‘Careful.’

I nod, shining my phone behind us. The smoke’s clearing, hanging in thin ribbons like morning mist. This whole thing is like something out of a horror film. I think of our final project, a chuckle almost escaping. How weak compared to this. The dissipating mist and ancient walls, the bones buried furtherdown and the drugged-up murderous psycho on the loose. I want to ask Mark for a redo.

‘Nearly out,’ Nic says.

We turn a corner, almost colliding with six bodies stood on the other side. My heartrate spikes at the sight of Damien, facing away from us, arms heavy at his sides. Before him are Elly and Haz, their faces growing alert upon spotting us. Blakely and Fina are there too, along with Tommy.

Out of all of them, he’s the only one not holding a knife.

Damien looks over his shoulder, face darkening at the sight of us. Raising the gun, I nudge it towards him.

‘Tilda…’ Nic warns.

I step around her, trying to keep my arms from shaking. The right one still throbs, as does the side of my head where he also hit me.

Over Damien’s shoulder, Blakely smirks, swinging her knife so the blade faces down. Handing the show over to me.

Uneasy with having the gun pointed at Elly and Haz, I gesture him to the next chamber.

‘In there.’

For a moment, I don’t think he’s going to comply. There’s a blankness to his face, like he doesn’t care either way what’s about to happen. I wonder over his earlier words. Has he really come here to die? Are there really people that hell-bent on killing him?

But then he takes some shuffling steps into the darkness of the chamber. I reach back with my phone, feeling it relieved from me so I can put both hands around the gun. Pisses me off that he doesn’t even raise his hands, that he seems uncapable of feeling the same terror I had.

He stands in the same manner, eyes fixed but unfocussed, swaying lightly on his feet.

The gun jerks when hands land on my hips. Nic pressing into me, mouth at my ear.

‘Careful,’ she says again.

I don’t feel careful. I’m something I’ve never felt before. Is it power? An urge for vengeance? Something headily potent, anyway. Can’t tell if it’s exhilarating or terrible.

After a tense moment, Damien begins to smile. ‘Reckon she’ll do it, Nicole?’

I line the gun up with his smug face, teasing myself with the trigger.

Nic’s hands tighten on my hips. ‘Maybe not her.’

I feel steady with her behind me. This is her show too, it’s only right. A chance to correct the wrongs done to us. I’m not sure what justice looks like, but it feels like we’re on the track to it.

‘The world would be better,’ I tell him.

‘Will it?’ He tilts his head. ‘I like to think the damage is done. Shooting me—well, it won’t stop what Nicole’s daddy did to you all those years ago, won’t stop Nicole from leaving. That pain, it wasn’t just from daddy dying, was it?’ He looks at Nic, that unsteady smile on his lips again. ‘As for her, I’ll be inside her forever. Like an eternal tattoo.’

‘More like a poison,’ Nic counters.

‘You’re wrong,’ I say shakily, struggling to keep the gun steady. ‘It will bring Nic back.’

I feel her push into me again, a light kiss deposited on my shoulder. ‘Already here.’

Damien follows the movement, something so viciously jealous flaring in his face it almost makes me take a step back.