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murdered-within-darkness · 4 months

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The day was hot—much hotter than all the others this summer. But it was expected since it was the middle of June. Cora was just thankful that there was a slight breeze flowing through her window, making packing just a little more pleasant.

She folded some shirts and pants—just enough to last her over a week—and a few special items that she wanted to bring along on her trip. She was almost finished; she just needed one more thing.

The brunette walked over to her dresser, retrieving a small snow globe. Her green eyes gazed down at the small children beneath the glass, reminiscing on old memories. Then she gently shook the small object, watching the faux snow fester up and shower down upon the small porcelain people.

"Hey, girl!" A familiar voice spoke, startling her out of her little moment. She spun around quickly, eyes blown wide as she seeked out the owner of the words, only to be met with her older sister standing in her view.

"Jesus, Sarah! You scared the fucking shit out of me!" Cora gasped as she placed a hand on her chest, trying to tame her breathing and quickly beating heart.

"Sorry, sis. Just checking in to see how your packing is coming along." Sarah shrugged before looking down at the tiny globe her sister clenched tightly in her hand. "You still have that thing?"

Cora sighed, deciding to ignore Sarah's question and change the subject as she continued to pack. "Are you sure you don't want to come?"

"You know I can't." Sarah chuckled as if what Cora was asking was the most ridiculous thing. She plopped down on the bed casually, like the room belonged more to her than her sister.

"Yeah, laying around the house all month." Cora scoffed, grabbing another pair of jeans from her dresser and throwing it at Sarah. She didn't plan on packing the jeans when taking them from her drawer; she just wanted to startle the girl.

"Hey, I'm allowed to enjoy my holiday. I've been working hard to get through college. You know this." She stated. "Besides, you'll have Ryan with you."

"But I want you there, too." Cora sighed, looking back at her sister with a hint of sadness in her green eyes. "Come on, Sarah. Live a little. Come with us."

"Hey, Cora?" Ryan interrupted his sisters' conversation, poking his head through the door to make his presence known. Speak of the devil. "Are you ready?"

Ryan had joined in on Cora's games with her friends a couple months prior. His charismatic skills made him blend into the group rather quickly, and it was something Cora both admired and envied. When he found out about this trip, he took the whole week off of his job at the video game store to accompany her there. Cora thought he was just coming along just to feel included, but Ryan had a secret motive.

The truth was, he was worried about his sister. She hadn't been the same since... Well... The incident. And the thought of her going away to stay with a bunch of strangers in the woods made him sick. He wasn't going to let her go alone. Luckily, Cora didn't know this. If she did, she wouldn't be as thrilled that he was tagging along.

"Yup!" Cora declared while finishing her packing by zipping up her suitcase. "I'll be down in a minute."

Ryan nodded, not fully believing that she wouldn't get distracted by something else and take longer. He decided to humor her regardless, not wanting to hassle her too much.

When her brother left, Cora looked back at Sarah, raising a questioning brow as the corner of her mouth lifted into a half-smirk. She knew her sister's answer; it would just take a minute for her to admit what she wanted. Once that minute had passed, she heaved a deep sigh of defeat.

"Fine!" Sarah grumbled while running her hand down her face to add dramatic effect to her small outburst. "Let me go pack."

Cora smiled widely as she watched her big sister leave the room to go prepare for the trip. She laid on her bed, counting all the dark specks on her ceiling as she thought of how much fun they would have. She knew that now, with her by her side, this vacation would be even better.

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The car moved slowly down the long, twisty highway at regular speed for the road's limit. They had been driving for an hour now at this pace, and it was just another hour to go before they arrived at their desired location. Though that wasn't going to make Dawn drive any faster and risk an accident.

Dawn was a responsible person, always making sure things were done right. She had a certain kindness about her. She would never turn down a friend who needed her help. Which was exactly why she was giving her friends a ride.

"Thanks for driving us from the airport, Dawn." Rae said, glancing back from her window to look at the brunette in the driver's seat.

"No problem, guys! I'm glad to be of help." Dawn smiled as she looked into her rearview mirror at the two girls in the backseat.

Rae and Rayne were two sisters, only five years apart. They both had their ups and downs throughout the years, but they always stuck by each other's side no matter what. Unfortunately, their relationship had reached a bit of a rough spot. Rayne's sour teenage attitude didn't bode well with Rae's "won't take shit from anybody" demeanor. It had caused a ripple in the fabric of their bond.

Rae had hoped this trip would change things between them and bring them closer. The girls were lucky to run into Sydney at the airport, who now sat in the passenger side. She was meeting up with Dawn, who had agreed to drive her to the cabin. If it hadn't been for them, they would still be stranded at the airport since their ride bailed, and a taxi taking them that distance would have been far too expensive.

Sydney didn't mind that they were tagging along on the trip. In fact, she was just happy to be surrounded by friendly faces. She was usually fairly shy; however, the excitement of the trip and meeting her online friends made her hidden social skills shine through. The girl shuffled through her playlist, her blue eyes skimming through the songs quickly, trying to seek the best one for the occasion.

"You kind of had to drive us anyway. After all, we do hold the keys to the cabin." Rayne chuckled. The sixteen-year-old held up the keys, dangling them on her fingertip as a mischievous grin grew on her lips. That was until her older sister snatched them from her possession.

"I don't think so, Ms. I-lose-everything-I-touch." Rae grumbled while putting the keys back into the pockets of her jeans.

"I haven't done that for a month! I'm more responsible now!" Rayne insisted as her eyes rolled to the side with attitude.

"That's bullshit! You lost my sweater yesterday!"

"Nuh-uh!"

"Uh-huh!"

"Nuh-uh!"

"Uh-h—"

"I'm just glad that we could all go together!" Sydney's voice broke the heated discussion in the backseat, twiddling her fingers together nervously as she hoped the argument would end. "I wonder how the others are doing getting there."

"I hope they get there safely. I don't want any accidents to happen." Dawn uttered while turning down another road that led them a little closer to the cabin they sought.

The other girls nodded in agreement, while Rayne ignored her conversation as she ran her fingers through her long, dark hair to fix it. Rae rolled her eyes at her sister's attitude and returned to looking out the window, just hoping she could get out of the metal box of tension as fast as she could.

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Not too far away, another car was moving in the exact same direction. A party of three, who were all ready to just let loose and party. Well, all but one individual. 18-year-old Zack didn't feel much like partying, or doing anything, for that matter. The boy peered out the window, his brown eyes filled with anxiety as he ran his hand through his black fringe to tame it.

"I'm just a little worried." He sighed while slumping back into his seat. "I feel like this might be a bad idea."

"Are you crazy? This will be the best trip of our lives!" Ramona exclaimed excitedly as she looked back to smile reassuringly at her worried friend.

Ramona was all but worries at this moment. She couldn't keep the smile from her red lips, playing with the ends of her dark hair as all the possibilities this trip could bring played within her mind. The sun shone in on her, making her blue highlights glimmer among her black locks.

Haley's amused chuckle broke into the conversation. The girl appeared to be quite rogue. Black streaks invading her blonde hair, striking green eyes that some contemplated were contacts due to their brightness, and a butterfly tattoo that she had gotten for her 16th birthday. She planned on getting more in the future.

She turned the signal on and drove off the highway down an old dirt road before continuing, "Ramona is right, Zack. This is going to be great! So lighten up, will ya?"

"Fine!" Zack grumbled, folding his arms together across his chest. "But if we die, it's on you two!"

"No one is going to die!" Ramona moved her arm back to nudge her friend in the back seat to cheer him up. The girl then looked back at Haley, whose eyes were glued to the road ahead. "How much longer until we are there anyway?"

The corners of Zack's lips quirked up into a cocky smirk as a thought popped into his head. Soon after, he decided to vocalize it. "What's the matter, Ramy? Worried about your boyfriend?"

Ramona's expression dropped into a look of disgust, but the crimson tint staining her cheeks said otherwise. She and her friend Tom had been flirting back and forth for quite some time now. The two hated to admit it, but it was evident to the rest of the group. This trip would be the first time they would meet in person, and Ramona's heart was beating wildly from anxiety and excitement.

Still, she wasn't going to tell this to her friends. She knew they would mock her for having such feelings for the boy. So instead of saying another word, she raised her hand—along with her middle finger—to the boy in the backseat, earning a chuckle from him and Haley.

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At that very time, another group had beat the car to their destination. Two girls who have been close for years and their friend who they met online. Kathrine was quite the rebel at heart. Her looks did much to add to her wild anesthetic; black hair with white streaks in the front, tattoos staining both arms, and a septum piercing to tie it all together.

Her friend, Sol, was quite the opposite in looks. Though her glasses and dark curly hair may have fooled people, she was just as feisty as Kathrine. Though her caring heart and loyal demeanor leveled it out nicely.

Carrie was different from them both. The dirty blonde was shy and quite timid. She would often cling to people who were more bold than her for comfort. It was a tactic she learned to survive being bullied in school.

The car pulled into the long driveway of the cabin, which the girls were eager to enter. It had been a long journey, and all they really desired was food and a good rest to replenish their energy.

"Are we the first ones here?" Sol asked while opening her car door.

"I think s— Sol, don't open the door yet! Let me park first!" Kathrine panicked as she put the car in park fast.

"It's fine!" Sol scoffed while getting out and taking a breath of fresh air.

Carrie simply laughed at the two and got out as well. "You two are truly something."

Though Kathrine was too distracted to hear it, because another car pulled into the driveway. This one looked a bit more expensive, like someone with good money had bought it.

"Oh! We aren't the only ones here anymore!" Sol proclaimed as she stood by Kathrine's side, waiting to see who was inside as she adjusted her glasses.

The vehicle pulled up beside them and parked, and the three girls watched with anticipation as the door flung open, revealing a 17-year-old blonde. She got out and approached the two with a bit of sass in her walk, giving off a rather intimidating energy for her young age.

Then another guy and girl left the car and followed the girl. They seemed a bit older, but not by many years. Their hair was both dark but looked significantly different, though the girl held a resemblance to the blonde.

"Chelsie?" Carrie asked, recognizing the girl from her pictures on social media. She had shared her Instagram with everyone in the group, wanting more followers since she was inspiring to be an influencer.

"In the flesh, bitch!" Chelsie smirked devilishly, not thinking to introduce herself to the two who followed her.

"You must be Veronica? Correct?" Sol questioned the ebony-haired girl, remembering her from a few of Chelsie's birthday party photos.

"Yup, that's me!" Veronica admitted a bit shyly. The girl was Chelsie's much more timid cousin, always hidden in her shadow, despite being a bit older. But her body language showed that she did not care. "And this is Jasper. You know, Zack's brother?"

She gestured to the boy beside her, and he gave a kind smile, although it held a bit of mischievousness within it. It was evident in his expression that he was a jackass by nature, but with a good heart to contrast it perfectly.

"I'm so happy to finally meet you all in person!" Kathrine said, going in for a group hug. But what's when Chelsie held up her hand in protest.

"No, no! Don't smush my outfit!" Chelsie bitched at her friend.

Kathrine let out a sigh and went on to hug Veronica and Jasper. Just then, a few more cars pulled in at the same time. And shortly after, more people piled out to join the group.

"Hi, Tom!" Ramona greeted her friend excitedly as she slammed the car door behind her.

Tom stood shyly by his car, as if he were a magnet and was stuck to the door. He had planned on being a bit more outgoing, but some things never work out, and the poor boy was just realizing this now as his social anxiety began to kick in.

"God! How many times do I have to remind you? Do! Not! Slam! The! Doors!" Haley scolded Ramona, also getting out of the car and closing her door more gently.

Ramona chose to ignore the blonde, running over to Tom and hugging him. The boy just stood there, stunned by this sudden contact, while Xander—Tom's best friend—watched from behind with a smirk growing on his lips. And that smirk continued to grow when Tom's hands rose to hover over Ramona's back, seemingly afraid to touch her and mess up this moment somehow.

"H-H-Hi, Ramona." He stammered awkwardly, his face beet-red and his eyes blown wide with fear.

When Ramona pulled back, she had a large smile stretching her lips. Her hazel eyes looked the boy up and down, taking in how he looked in real life. The only time she had ever seen him was in the few photos on his Facebook, and her heart began to pump faster as he was much better looking in person.

"It's nice to see you." She expressed fondly. She could feel the heat of a blush creeping along her cheeks as well, and she mentally cursed herself for not being subtle.

"Likewise," Tom chuckled, running a hand through his ash-colored hair before bringing them to his side to twiddle his fingers nervously.

"Hey, guys!" An unfamiliar voice called out to the bunch. Though when they spun around, they all recognized the face.

Cora approached them with her brother and sister by her side. They were all so eager to get acquainted with their friends. It was then that Xander forgot about his teasing games due to his own anxieties. He watched the pale brunette before him, a lump growing in his throat as he fought out a word of greeting.

"Hey, Cora!" Ramona and Haley said in unison before Ramona turned to the girl's brother, "Ryan!"

She gave the man a high five, which he quickly returned without a beat. She and Ryan had grown close over the internet, due to their wild sense of humor. She was so excited to finally meet him in person. However, this closeness to another male awakened something within Tom. Was it jealousy? Hurt? He wasn't sure, but he didn't like it.

"Hey, Cora!" Sydney called out as she ran over and hugged the girl, happy to finally meet her friend in person as well. "It's nice to finally meet you!"

"It's nice to finally meet you too!" Cora chuckled while returning the hug. "Where's Dawn, Rae, and Rayne? Weren't they coming with you?"

"Oh, they should be around here somewhere. Let's go look for them!" Sydney took Cora's hand and started leading her around the cars to find their friends, while Dawn remained by Kathrine's car as she helped Carrie unload their luggage.

"Oh, I should mention that Anika and Paige shot me a message earlier. They said they would be a day late due to a flight delay." Carrie mentioned, and Dawn gave her the thumbs up to signal that she had noted the information.

She handed Carrie the last bit of their luggage and let out a tired huff. It wasn't in her plans to help others with their bags like a bell boy this day, but she couldn't not help a friend in need.

"Damn, where is Kathrine when you need her?" She asked herself as she wiped a thin layer of sweat from her forehead.

Ironically, at this time, Kathrine was rounding Dawn's car to find Rae, who was pulling a kennel out of the back. She watched with excitement evident in her eyes, as she knew exactly who was trapped within the kennel.

"Is this the famous Josh?" She asked the girl as her green eyes peeked into the kennel with curiosity.

"Yup! He is very excited to meet you all!" Rae exclaimed while pulling the small door open. Just seconds later, a capuchin monkey crawled out and up Rae's arm to perch on her shoulder.

"Ew! Get it away!" Chelsie screeched while backing away from the little creature. Her eyes broadened, and her expression contorted with disgust. Chelsie was many things, but an animal lover wasn't one of them.

"Chelsie, it's just a monkey." Dawn chuckled while approaching Rae's side to give Josh a little scratch on top of his head.

"Nope! It's probably full of diseases!" The blonde complained while leaving with her bags to go into the cabin.

Everybody rolled their eyes at Chelsie's attitude, but they were quick to brush it off. Rae then made her way to the cabin—with Josh on her shoulder—to unlock the door for the others.

"Let me give you a tour!" She said as she opened the door for the others.

The group piled into the building, excited to see if the place they would stay would live up to the expectations their friend had built for them with her wild descriptions. And surprisingly, they did.

The cabin was made of nothing but log and gave off a nice, homey feeling. The air was thick and dusty—due to a lack of presence within the walls—but the earthy smell of the forest around them made up for it. It was almost like something out of a movie.

The calming aura was a large contrast to the nightmare they would experience later on...

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murdered-within-darkness · 4 months

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The light in the room is dim, reminding her of the cheap flashlight she held tight within her grip that night. It was her only source of light for hours, making her feel even more vulnerable as she navigated between the twisted trees of the forest. She swallows thickly as she pulls at the collar of her shirt, feeling as if every small touch to her throat is really two hands, attempting to squeeze the life out of her.

It is fairly silent in the room, but the sound of the clock ticking each second away is getting louder and louder, making her head pound. It is bad enough that she spent her whole night being questioned by cops, but the fact that she can't get a single moment of silence is driving her mad.

But perhaps it is for the better. After all, silence will only make those voices in her head grow stronger—the screams of her dying friends, the sadistic laughs of the killers, the goodbyes of the ones she loved—they all echo within her mind, suffocating her within her grief.

But all that comes to a stop when the only door in the room opens and an older man steps inside. All sound is cut off by the thundering noise of her heart, which is beating faster as it creeps up her throat along with bile brought up by her nerves.

The man merely glances at her as he closes the door behind himself before looking down at the files in his hands. She knows what is coming—she knows that she will be spending the next hour or more going over the same agonizing story again and again until they have enough. She doesn't want to go through it even one more time, but she knows that she has no choice.

"How are you feeling?" The detective asks as he sits down in the seat before her, carefully setting the files in front of him in a neat pile on the table.

She merely scoffs at his question, thinking how dumb he is since the answer is so evident. Glancing over at the very obvious mirror set in the wall at her side, she slowly shakes her head in disgust before replying with a raspy, "Just tired."

The man nods to her statement, almost like he is implying that he feels the same. This makes her feel sick to her stomach. How could he understand how exhausted she is or the pain she has been through? He sits before her in clean clothes, and she can smell the thick stench of cologne off of him. And there she is, covered in dirt from head to toe, blood staining her clothes as well as her face.

The man remains silent for a moment as he picks up one of the files and opens it. She watches as his eyes slowly follow the words, making sure to read over everything carefully to fully process the information he is learning. When he looks back up at her, his face holds a neutral and very unreadable expression.

"I would like to ask you a few questions. I hope that's alright." He proclaims before clearing his throat and continuing on. "What were your intentions when going on this trip with your friends?"

"It was supposed to be a fun camping trip." The girl whispers, lowering her head as she does so. It is like all that pain—all that grief and guilt filling her mind—makes it too heavy to hold up. So she lets it hang, just like her close friend did when she found her. She takes a deep breath for a boast of strength and courage, but it doesn't do much. She sighs, defeated and worn down. She has no choice, so she keeps going. "That's all—just a friendly gathering. It wasn't supposed to be like this—not this."

She closes her eyes as the memories replay in her head like a horror movie. She fights back tears as hurt and anger flow heavily through her veins, making the air in the room feel hot and thick. It is getting difficult to breathe as time goes on, and she isn't sure how much more she can take of this.

"Tell me," the officer speaks up once again, breaking the short moment of silence that fills the room. A part of her is glad, as it takes her mind away from the hell the night has created within her mind for a split second. "Why would you go to the woods with a bunch of strangers you met online?"

She glances up at the man with rage burning in her eyes like hellfire. She wants to scream at him for making her sound so naive—so stupid and immature. But deep down, she knows that it would only land her in more hot water than she is already submerged in. Besides, isn't he right to think such things? Who could be stupid enough to be so reckless?

"They weren't strangers—at least, I didn't think they were. I had known them for several months." She recalls with a faint smile playing on her lips as she remembers the fond times of when everything was okay—when her friends were alive and not trying to end her existence. But then that smile falls into a scowl when reality hits her once again, and she lets out a bitter scoff. "How the hell was I supposed to know five of my friends would turn out to be bloodthirsty monsters?"

That question echoes within her mind several minutes after the words were spoken. And those minutes eventually turned into hours, and those hours turned into days, days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months, months turned into years, and years turned into decades—until she eventually would come to terms with the fact that she would never truly escape that massacre in the woods.

But until then, she sits in a hard metal chair, under a spot light that leaves her feeling vulnerable and afraid once again—much like she did within the darkness...

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Bonus:

My fingers grip the steering wheel tightly as I drive away. However, the blood soaking my hands makes it difficult to hang on. Still, I can't focus on that fact now because I have to get away from here.

My chances were slim in the end, but I got away—I lived, unlike my friends. How they met their demise was something I'd never forget. Such poor souls, lost in the darkness forever.

I speed down the forgotten highway I'm on, most likely doing more than the speed limit. I can't see the meter since my eyes are so blurry. But fuck, I don't care. I just need to get away.

A danger still lingers—I can't get caught up in it. Anxiety tears through my nerves, makes my blood itch, and squeezes my lungs tight. I can barely keep it together. Fuck...

Being so focused on the road ahead, I don't notice the cop approaching behind until he turns on his sirens. I just want to leave, but I have no choice now. I reluctantly pull over, hoping that for the first time in awhile, I'll be okay.

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