Page 12

MAGGOTS EVERYWHERE

FALLON

W here the hell is Amber? I feel like she’s had more than enough time to take a piss and come back.

I look up at the rest of the girls, they’re each in their own little world.

If Bridget isn’t worried, then I feel like I shouldn’t be.

She’s been on edge since this morning, but right now she seems to be the most relaxed she’s been since we got to the cabin.

I know she has the same feeling about the house that I do.

“Guys, how long do y’all think we should give Amber before we start to look for her?”

Savannah tosses her bag down on the ground to sit on before speaking up. “I have no clue, but it looks like the bottom of the sky is about to fall out at any given moment, and I’m not trying to end up lost in these god forsaken woods because Amber had to wander off to pee.”

“She hasn’t even been gone that long,” Summer replies.

Of course she’d be the one to jump to Amber’s aid while having the shittiest judgement of time out of all of us, it’s definitely been at least twenty minutes.

“Well, I’m giving her five more minutes, then we’re all going to look for her. I’m not trying to end up like one of those women in a scary movie.” Everyone looks at me, wondering what the fuck I’m on about now. “You know, the dumbasses who all split up then die one by one,” I explain.

The thick bush to the left of us shakes, crunching footsteps growing louder, as Amber emerges from the leaves. “Y’all know if I was actually in trouble, waiting five more minutes to come find me could be the difference between life or death.”

“What the hell happened to you?” Bridget yells, rushing over to her. Amber takes a step to the side so Bridget can’t touch her.

The more you’re around Amber, the more you’ll know that you can’t touch her without being touched first. It’s like an overstimulation thing.

Even though we all know about it, Bridget still has that kicked puppy look on her face.

I roll my eyes so hard, I fear they may get stuck like that.

Great… Something else for her to hold against us.

She’s probably tabulating a list of all the reasons we don’t want her here.

“What do you think happened? I freaked myself out, then fucking tripped and fell on a root that was sticking up.” Amber lets out a huff as she holds up her hands, letting us see the bloody scrapes that cover her palms.

I can’t help but let out a giggle because she looks like she got into a fight with a tree, and the tree won. There’s twigs in her hair, and even though she’s wearing her signature colour black, you can still see dirt all over her shirt and leggings.

“I’m glad you’re okay and didn’t die, but I think we need to hurry up on this loop before it starts pouring rain,” I say. Everyone nods their head in agreement, and we start to make our way back to the cabin.

I swear the return hike feels like it takes us twice as long.

The girls start to walk a little faster as the top of the house comes into view, but being the short one of the group, I fall behind.

The sky gets darker as the rain clouds move closer, causing that weird feeling in the pit of my stomach to return.

Have you ever been outside right before a massive storm takes place?

It feels like every living organism in the woods is holding its breath, the only sound you hear is the wind blowing through the leaves, and the whole area feels charged.

A slight shiver makes its way from the base of my spine, slithering all the way up to the top of my neck.

As soon as I open my mouth to say something to the others up ahead, Bridget lets out an ear-piercing scream.

What now?

I run up to where the girls are stopped, frozen in their tracks, silent as the dead. “What the fuck?” I whisper.

The porch is covered in blood. Maggots squirm, flies buzz, and animal carcasses in various stages of decomposition litter the area.

I start to gag, guts heaving, revolting against the scene before me, and the rancid smell floating in the air.

It takes all of my willpower to not let the delicious breakfast I had this morning add to the new decor.

The smell is terrible. The only way I can describe it is a mixture of sulphuric gases, musk, and death.

Simply death: noxious, rotten, and sickly sweet.

My eyes zero in on an opossum, appearing like it’s been freshly caught in a trap.

Its head and bottom half look like it should be alive, but in the middle, its semi-fresh blood and guts are exposed.

Am I imagining things? I swear I just saw its tail twitch.

That’s all it takes for my willpower to become nonexistent.

I let all of my stomach contents empty out onto the grass beside the porch steps.

Bridget’s the first of us to speak up. “I can't do this anymore!

I can't be here any longer!” Hysteria wraps tight around her as her breakdown rings through the air, mixing with the ominous thunder rolling in the distance, making its way toward us.

“First, my clothes are rifled through by god knows what this morning, and now this. At first I assumed it was one of you guys, but we were all gone at the same time. Something really bad is going on here, and whatever it is, has its eyes on us. Someone is playing with us, wanting to scare us.”

Savannah chimes in, sidling up next to Bridget, ”I have to agree.

This isn't just some little prank that the neighbourhood kids are playing. Newsflash! There’s no fucking neighbours.

” Her voice increases in volume and shrillness as Amber rolls her eyes, rubbing her temples.

“Someone had to be watching us to know when we left so they could set this shit up.”

Amber smacks her hand into Summer’s stomach, making an impatient gesture. Looking to her, Summer says something I can’t decipher, then pulls a gun from her sweater pocket, handing it to Amber.

Holy fucking shit, she has a gun!

Pulling the SUV keys from her pocket, Amber hands them to Summer, thumb jutting toward the vehicle. Even though I don’t know the exact words that are said, I agree. Get in the fucking vehicle. I move to do just that.