Chapter Sixteen: Close Call

(White Noise, Part 3)

***

Hayden's hand hadn't let go of the knife since the lodge.

She held it so tight, Hayden was certain its grooves and pattens were tattooed against her palm, but Hayden hardly cared—not when the encounters with Bobby were still running in her head, when every shadow and every sound could be him or the creature that attacked Nick and Sarah. Adrenaline was coursing through her, making every one of her senses feel heightened, aware of every noise, every movement, in the woods, ready to use the knife and stab and defend her friends and Nick from any monster, any maniac who wanted to throw more jars of blood at them, without hesitating.

But nothing jumped out or moved. No monsters lurched out of the shadows. The walk to the radio hut was uneventful.

That just made Hayden more tense, because if the camp was so quiet...

Then wouldn't it be perfect for something to attack them?

Hayden.

Hayden jumped, whirling to the trees, heart thumping as something appeared within the shadows, something humanoid, watching her, seeming to call to her, to—

"Hayden."

Hayden jumped, turning to her brother and just about stopping herself from stabbing him.

"You okay?" Nick asked, resting a hand on her shoulder.

Hayden stared at him, before she relaxed a fraction at knowing it was just him and her mind playing tricks on her as she  replied, "I'm okay. A little jumpy and covered in blood that smells absolutely horrible, but other than that I'm all good."

Looking at Nick, at how well he was walking, she noted, "You're walking better. How's the wound? You feeling any pain?"

"I'm fine, Hayden. Doesn't even hurt now," Nick replied.

"You sure? It looked pretty bad earlier," Hayden worried.

Nick rolled his eyes. "God, can you stop worrying? If I say I'm fine, then I'm fine, okay?"

"Coming from the guy who could hardly run, let alone walk earlier, and who's also my brother, I think I'm right to wo—" Hayden said, only for Nick to harshly interrupt, "God, just fucking quit it Hayden! I'm getting sick of you constantly hovering over me asking me that! Why can't you just understand that I am and then leave me the fuck alone?!"

Hayden stared at her brother in shock, not at what he said, but how he'd just exploded at her. Because yes, they'd argued during their lives, but never, not in those fights or even with that box jellyfish sting that had caused him such indescribable pain or when he broke his arm from a wipeout two years ago, did he ever snap at her like that.

"What's gotten into you, Nick?" she whispered, looking at her twin like she hardly recognised him. Because right now, she didn't.

Nick glared at her, before blinking as shock and remorse came over his face. "Shit, Hayden, I'm sorry. I... I don't know what came over me. I just... my head..."

Nick held his head, wincing as Hayden looked at Nick, heart torn, before she reached out a hand on his arm.

"It's gonna be okay," she murmured. "We're gonna get through this. Together, not with us at each other's throats."

Nick looked at her. "You're sure about that?"

"I... I don't know. I'm just trying to keep calm now. To be certain that we will, no matter what," Hayden answered honestly, before her hand drifted to Nick's, holding it. He squeezed her fingers—an apology, an assurance—as she squeezed back before they let go and kept on walking.

As they did, Hayden walked ahead to Kaitlyn, leaving Nick and Allison to walk together while Abi, Nora and Sarah walked behind them. Kaitlyn looked at her and asked, "Hey, you okay?"

"Yeah, just... trying to stay calm now. Doesn't help I'm feeling a bit jumpy," Hayden answered, shrugging before she looked at Nick.

Kaitlyn looked back, before she turned to Hayden and questioned, "What happened back there?"

Hayden looked down, tensing. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Hayden—" Kaitlyn started, but Hayden looked at her and whispered, "Please. I just... I just don't."

Kaitlyn frowned, but she accepted what Hayden said as they continued walking, leaving Hayden to think.

Something was going on with Nick. Something was seriously going on with him, and had been ever since that bite, affecting him in a way that right now, didn't have him act like the brother Hayden had known since they'd been born together. Nick was soft-spoken and kind, funny, sweet, sociable, and teasing, always willing to help someone out or encourage them or soothe a kid and help them feel better if they were hurt. But more than anything, he was mild-tempered, his anger slow to rise unless something really pissed him off, often from someone making a comment at her, or having a go at her or one of his friends. He never lost his cool like that, not with anyone and certainly not with her. That was an unspoken rule they had—no matter the fight, no matter how angry they were at each other, they'd never snap like that at each other. Never hurt each other so deeply like that.

This, him snapping at Hayden like that, losing his head so easily like that... that wasn't Nick. That wasn't the brother Hayden knew and loved with all her heart and every single piece of her.

So why the fuck had he acted like that? Why had he snapped at her? Why was he acting so weird after that bite, a bite that seemed to be healing really fast?

What was going on with her brother?

Hayden swallowed the thoughts, only casting a concerned look at Nick as he walked with Allison, the shorter girl wearing a steely look, arrow ready to be loosed from her bow. The look at the weapon had Hayden's fingers instinctively tighten around the knife, and she glanced around, every part of her bristling.

Whatever was going on with Nick, with maybe Sarah as well... that would have to wait until they were all safe and out of here. They had much, much more bigger problems than that at the moment.

Finally, they arrived at the cluster of cabins where the radio shack was. Some of the tension left Hayden's shoulders, thinking already of all of them being safely inside it, of barricading the door and holding down the fort until help arrived, of her seeing Dylan and Ryan safe and unharmed, of holding her best friend and being assured that at least one other person she deeply cared about was okay. That once the wound was treated, her brother might start acting like her brother again, and they could go back home and remember tonight as a nightmare only.

They just had to get inside.

But as they walked down the trail, getting closer and closer to the radio hut, to safety, that was when that dream of safety splintered all around her when the PA speaker crackled to life and Ryan's voice came through.

"Uh, Kaitlyn get into a building now! Do not come up here! There's an animal outside the radio hut, get in-get into a cabin now! Go!"

Allison's heart stuttered as she and Kaitlyn whirled to the nearest cabin, Kaitlyn racing up the stairs as Hayden hesitated on the landing to make sure Nick, Allison, Abi, Sarah and Nora were following, her heart stuttering again as a roar sounded unnervingly close.

Abi was the next one up, Hayden helping her up as Allison was next, then Nick, and finally Sarah and Nora. Once they were all up, Kaitlyn banged open the door and they all ran inside, Kaitlyn and Allison slamming it closed.

They all stood together, Hayden's heart thumping in her chest as Allison and Nick and Nora and Sarah remained close, holding their respective partner's hand as Hayden moved near her brother, because despite how weirdly he acted, despite how he snapped at her, he was still her brother and if this thing was coming to attack them again, then Hayden refused to let it happen. That she would protect him with a dying breath.

A squeeze on her shoulder had Hayden glance back, see that same glint in Nick's eyes. That he'd protect her as well.

That assuaged some of Hayden's worry, that the brother she knew was still in there.

For minutes that stretched out alongside heartbeats, they stood there, Allison's, Nora's and Hayden's weapons raised and ready, hearing the creature's muffled roars and growls through the walls of the cabin. Hayden looked between the door, then the window at the radio hut, where she could see a dark shape on the roof. She gulped, hoping Dylan and Ryan would be okay. They were inside after all, that thing wouldn't get to them.

They were safe. For now.

Another minute stretched, then another. The growls still sounded, but they sounded quieter. Hayden looked at her friends and Nick, the same question on their faces.

Was it moving away? Was it safe to get out and move on? Or was this a trap, that—maybe—they should think about barricading the door and the windows.

Hayden was just about to suggest if they could move the beds against the door and windows when growling and roaring erupted from the radio hut.

As one, they whirled to the window, seeing the thing hunched over it, moonlight picking out a dark, lean, furry shape that looked like an animal and yet... also not.

Hayden's heart stuttered, realising this was the thing that attacked Nick and Sarah, that would have killed them and Abi and Allison. That it might finish the job.

At that, fear honed itself into anger as Hayden raised her blade. If that was the same monster who'd hurt her brother, then she was going to kill it. Hayden didn't care it could tear her apart, she would stab her knife into its heart, would drive it into its skull, would destroy it with everything in her because it had hurt Nick. It had almost killed him.

And nothing—nothing—would stop her from doing it.

The monster remained on the roof for a couple more minutes, when the most agonising sound blared out of the speakers.

Hayden dropped the knife so she could clap her hands over her ears, face screwed up and gasping as Kaitlyn, Abi, Nora, Allison, Nick and Sarah did the same, hunched over and hands over ears to try and block out the sound, Nick and Sarah looking to be in even more pain than the rest of them did.

Not like Hayden noticed, not when she felt like there were screwdrivers drilling into her skull with piercing screams, oh God it hurt so much—

Then, blissfully, it ended.

Lowering her hands, Hayden took in the sudden silence, at the looks everyone had at the noise.

Or, rather, lack of it.

As if answering a silent question, Nora moved to the window and whispered, "It's gone."

That seemed to confirm it. The monster was gone.

It was safe. For now.

But before they moved out, Hayden turned to Nick, whispering, "Let me see your injury."

"Hayden, I'm—" Nick started before Hayden murmured, "I know. I just... want to be sure, then I'll stop. Okay?"

Nick looked at her, before nodding tersely, accepting the compromise. Once he did, Hayden looked down at his leg, at the bite that brutalised it.

When she did, Hayden froze.

"What is it?" Nick asked.

"Uh, nothing. All good," Hayden said, straightening up with a smile.

Nick frowned at her, but didn't say anything, instead moving back to Allison's side.

Once he did, Hayden let her smile fall as her mind tried to comprehend what she'd just seen.

Because where a bite that would haunt her nightmares for weeks to come should have been, was nothing. It was gone, with not even a scar behind, only the blood and the torn fabric of his jeans to show an injury had even been there. And not only that, but the raised, thin white scars that trailed across Nick's leg from the box jellyfish sting, that had been there for eight years without fading away or disappearing...

They were gone. All of them, not a single one remaining, as if...

As if there had never been scars at all.

***

*wicked laughter*

Yeah, Hayden's starting to become a bit more calm/level-headed! It's gonna take a couple more chapters, but she's getting there!

And yeah, Hayden's noticing that Nick isn't acting like the brother she's known since literal birth, but she's still staying by his side since that is her brother and she knows something about the bite is making him act like a completely different person (little does she know...) And that thing about them sticking together... *smiles in pain*

Yeah, Hayden's starting to get a little angry/vengeful toward the werewolf that bit her brother (Allison's gonna be jumping on the bandwagon soon) Too bad the knife isn't silver, otherwise it wouldn't stand a chance against an angry Hayden, especially after Nick turns and Allison joins in  >:) 

Also, I did add in that Nick and Sarah would be affected more by the noise since their hearing is probably heightened like the other werewolves by this point, so that sound would hurt them a lot more. And poor Hayden, thinking Dylan and Ryan are safe when Dylan isn't exactly in one piece anymore >:)

And yes, Hayden noticed Nick's bite has healed up and vanished along with the jellyfish sting scars! The latter is very important for Hayden since that and how Nick acted are very big clues in her realising something's wrong with her brother (and the pool scene will just add to it) Also, for the scars vanishing, I took liberties with how the healing works, but honestly if it can regenerate Laura's eye back, it can certainly vanish years-old scars

Next chapter will be soon and important! And then, the next two chapters after will have some very exciting (and painful) scenes... >:)

Please read, comment and vote!

GhostWriterGirl out!