Chapter Twelve: Of Bite Marks And Maniacs In The Woods

(Don't Panic)

***

At the bonfire, the air was tense as Nora tended to Sarah's injury while Abi, face still pale, tried to recount as much as she could remember to them all. To remember the creature that had stalked and then attacked them. A few metres away, Dylan, Ryan and Hayden were helping Nick after Ryan, Allison, Hayden and Nick came back from the woods minutes earlier, bloodied and ashen-faced, Nick's leg a ruin, the wound inflicted by an unknown creature, the same creature Abi was trying to tell them all.

The creature that had hurt Nick and Sarah.

"It was horrible... it was... I-I-I-I don't even know what it was. It was so fast and-and there was... there was a hunter.. and it was just... it was just..." Abi stammered out, fear tripping her words as Kaitlyn, Dylan and Nora listened in silence, before it trailed off in a frightened breath.

Nora's lips thinned as she looked at Sarah, pain still making her eyes glassy and her face still unnaturally pale, before she winced as Nora pressed the fabric deeper onto the wound. The minute she got back, Nora had stripped off her oversize black shirt with a slogan on it and pressed it against Sarah's injury to stem the blood flow, leaving Nora now in just a white tank top that was soon flecked with her girlfriend's blood, shorts and sneakers. And despite the warm summer air, goosebumps chilled Nora's skin whenever she saw the blood, whenever she remembered seeing Sarah stumble out of the woods, bloody, injured and terrified, hurt from whatever monster Abi was trying to describe.

And while from the looks of Sarah's and Nick's injuries, Nick had gotten it the worse, that was an image that would never leave Nora's brain for as long as she lived.

"Oh, Abi..." Kaitlyn murmured as, out of the corner of her eye, Nora saw Kaitlyn bend down and get Abi's sketchbook and pencil out of her bag and hand it to her, saying, "Here."

"What?"

"Try drawing."

'Drawing what?" Abi pressed.

"Can you draw what attacked you and Sarah?" Kaitlyn asked.

Nora nodded. "It might help Sarah recognise it as well."

Abi didn't say anything, but over the crackle of the bonfire, Nora heard the scratch of pencil on paper. Refocusing on Sarah, she asked, "Sarah, are you okay?"

Sarah looked at her, and despite her pale features and the pain in her gaze, she cracked a small smile. "Never better."

Nora frowned, knowing her girlfriend was joking to cope, as she lifted the shirt, seeing the wound that, with the blood having been dabbed away by Nora's shirt, she could see it looked like a bite wound, raw and brutal.

"What did that to you, Sarah?" Nora whispered as she resumed pressing the shirt against the wound, Sarah hissing in pain at the fabric once again on the sensitive skin.

But the question was unanswered as she looked across the bonfire to where Dylan, Ryan and Hayden were working together to drag Nick into a more comfortable position, Nick groaning with pain as Allison hovered near them, having gone between Nick and Sarah and using her medical knowledge to treat their wounds so far—she'd approved of Nora using her shirt to put pressure and stop the bleeding on Sarah's shoulder. But the look on her face spoke volumes, that unless they didn't actually treat the wounds properly...

Then Sarah and Nick would be in deep shit.

"Slow, slow, slow, slow, slow," Ryan instructed.

"I'm going as slow as I can, Ryan!" Hayden snapped, before she winced and apologised, "Sorry, I'm sorry. I didn't..."

Ryan didn't say anything, only gave her a look to show he accepted it. Nora winced in sympathy for Hayden; out of them all, Hayden was the most frazzled, torn between having a wild-eyed, frightened look and ready to snap at anyone who looked at Nick wrongly. Nora could only imagine what Hayden must be feeling, seeing her brother—her twin—hurt so badly and be unable to help or stop his pain, because she was feeling all that with Sarah. That Allison must be feeling the same way.

If she could, Nora would pull both girls into hugs, but they couldn't. They had their injured loved ones to take care of.

Finally, the boys and Hayden had finished adjusting Nick's position, as now he lay in a sitting-up position against a seat.

"Okay, that's good. That's not putting any pressure on the leg. Without any proper bandages, we don't want that to start bleeding again," Allison informed, looking at Nick and brushing his hair back, a worried expression on her face before she stood and moved to Sarah, Hayden taking her spot as she gripped her brother's hand tightly, the brunette moving to Nora's side as she asked, "How's the wound?"

"The blood's stopped and Sarah... you're still awake, right, babe?"

"Yup, still awake. No light at the end of the tunnel for me," Sarah answered, smiling weakly as she raised a thumb on her non-injured hand.

Allison sighed in relief. "That's good, and Nick hasn't passed out as well. With how much blood you and Nick lost in total... I was getting really worried about that happening."

Sarah shook her head. "No, aside from how much this fucking hurts and feeling slightly dizzy, I'm fine."

Allison frowned, but she only told Nora, "Keep applying pressure," and moved to Hayden's side as Ryan asked Nick, "Nick. Hey. Buddy. Can you tell us what happened?"

"Animal attacked... where's Allison...? It... got her..." Nick managed to get out.

"I'm right here, Nick. I'm fine," Allison assured, kneeling beside him. "You're gonna be fine. Both you and Sarah."

"Sarah? She's..."

"She got hurt helping me. But she's gonna be okay. You're both gonna be okay," Allison assured.

Nick looked at her, relief in his eyes. "Glad you... Hayden... not hurt..."

His eyes flickered, going distant as the haze of pain clouded over them, panting.

"He's super out of it, man," Dylan observed.

Hayden looked at Allison, worry stark on her face. "Allison, is that bad?"

"I don't know. It could be just from the pain and loss of blood—not to mention, that bite's pretty deep. Both his and Sarah's. They're both gonna need stitches, if we can get them to a hospital in time," Allison informed, looking worriedly at Nick as she held his hand, squeezing it tightly.

Nora saw that, before she refocused on her girlfriend.

"We need to know what happened," Ryan insisted to Nick.

"Right, there was... there was a guy there... but... there was some kind of... some kinda animal," Nick answered.

Sarah nodded, despite the movement causing her pain. '"Yeah a large, furry animal. One minute it was on Nick, then Allison. The next, I got it off her and it... it's just pain."

Sarah winced as Nora's heart lurched, Allison nodding to confirm it.

"It was dark, but it was an animal. A large, furry animal that was very fast and very strong," Allison informed, before slipping back into doctor mode as she looked at Nick clinically.

"The hell?" Ryan breathed.

"What fucking kind of animal does this?" Dylan asked, the question directed to Ryan and Hayden though Nora was in earshot.

"I have no idea. It... it doesn't sound like any animal I've heard before or that... exists," Hayden said, her worry and fear for her brother increasing.

Not like that Nora could blame her. She was getting pretty worried for Sarah and Nick, too.

"Did.. did I get... is Allison...?" Nick panted, getting even more out of it.

"Hey, hey she's okay, dude, she's right next to you," Ryan assured.

"And she's making sure you and Sarah are both okay," Hayden added on, trying for a smile but it didn't quite seem right, worry cracking it as Nora nodded and Sarah gave another thumbs up.

"Yeah, I'm right here, Nick," Allison murmured.

"Big claws and... teeth right on top of me... I think it was a bear."

"Yeah it... it definitely could have been a bear," Sarah affirmed.

Allison frowned. "Nick, Sarah, are you sure?"

"Positive," Sarah muttered. Nick just groaned.

"Full sized bear would have crushed them. There's no way," Ryan said.

"It would have crushed me as well. It was strong, yes, but I would be a lot more injured and I feel okay," Allison revealed.

"And I thought we don't get bears around here?" Dylan questioned.

"Then what else could have hurt them, what else can explain it?" Hayden asked, voice rising an octave.

"I... I don't know," Allison admitted, sounding frustrated at herself—at being helpless.

Nora knew the feeling extremely well.

"No—AGH!" Nick groaned as Sarah let out a sharp hiss of pain.

"Oh fuck!" Dylan yelled, causing Nora to look back and see him on his feet, pointing at Nick's leg. "Look at that! Allison, look at that!"

"Oh shit!" Ryan cursed as Hayden swore, "Fuck! Oh fuck."

Allison, looking at it, said, "Oh shit, this is bad. This is really bad."

"What's going on?" Nora demanded.

"There's black stuff!" Dylan yelled, and that had Nora freeze as he turned to Allison and asked, "That's infection, right?"

Allison nodded. "It is."

"That's... and it's... it's spreading. This is bad. This is really bad, dude. Is it bad?"

"It's extremely fucking bad, for Nick and Sarah," Allison said as she looked at Sarah. 

Nora gulped and lifted the shirt where, sure enough, black lines spread out from the radius of Sarah's injury.

"Shit," she hissed.

"Oh God, oh God. Oh my God," Hayden breathed, face turning pale, looking more terrified and worried than she already was as Ryan applied pressure back to the wound.

Nick groaned in pain as Hayden grabbed his hand and Ryan hurriedly apologised, "Sorry, bro! Sorry!"

Turning to Sarah, Nora pressed down, and Sarah whimpered and Nora apologised, "I'm sorry. I'm really sorry."

Tense seconds passed, before they stilled.

"You're okay. It's okay," Ryan assured as Nora gave Sarah an apologetic look and she replied with a weak smile.

"Mmm, fuck that hurt," Nick muttered.

"I know, but it's gonna be okay. It's gonna be okay, right?" Hayden asked, looking at Allison.

"I—I don't know. I don't know if that stopped the infection spreading," Allison answered, sounding unsure, and if she was unsure... then Nora was worried. And from the look on Hayden's face, she was just as worried.

"We should amputate."

As one, Nora, Ryan, Allison and Hayden looked at Dylan, as Hayden hissed, "What the fuck did you just say?"

"We should cut it off before the infection spreads. Both Nick's leg and... and Sarah's arm," Dylan went on. "We have an axe and Allison, we can, uh... we can do it."

"What?!" Nick and Sarah shrieked in unison.

"Why would we do that?!" Ryan demanded.

"I dunno man. Look at that black stuff," Dylan reasoned. 

"What do you think it is?" Ryan pressed.

"Do I look like a doctor? Or Allison?" Dylan retorted, before turning to Allison and not noticing the fuming look in her eyes. "Allison, it's... it's infection, right?"

"Yes. It looks like infection," she ground out.

"Okay so... we have to amputate. Chop the leg and arm off."

"Dylan, you are not chopping my brother's fucking leg off!" Hayden yelled.

"And we're not chopping my girlfriend's arm off either!" Nora shouted.

"No one's chopping any limbs off, infection or not!" Allison yelled, pinning Dylan with a glare. "If you try to cut Nick's leg or Sarah's arm off, Dylan, I will chop off your hand as well! What they need is antibiotics and an actual doctor. We have to get medical help for them, okay?"

At Dylan's silence, Allison repeated it again, a threatening edge to her voice, "Okay?"

Dylan raised his hands in defeat. "Fine. Okay."

Allison nodded curtly, before she moved to Sarah, where Nora lifted the shirt. Allison frowned, before she muttered, "If I wasn't certain the lake water would do more harm than good, I'd get some to clean Sarah's and Nick's wounds. I just... I don't know."

"Hey. You're trying. That's all that matters," Nora assured.

"Tell that to Hayden."

"Hayden knows. If not for you, Nick might have been gone by the time she and Ryan found you guys," Nora murmured. "Just don't push yourself too much, okay?"

Allison nodded, balling her bloodied fists and moving to Nick's side, holding his hand as she whispered something to him, Nick looking at her with pain-filled eyes before shaking his head. Something in Allison's shoulders lifted as she pressed a kiss to his forehead, then pressed her hand against it to check for fever before telling Hayden to touch the skin around the bite.

Nora decided to do the same, hiding her surprise at the obvious relationship development between Nick and Allison. They could talk about it later, when Sarah and Nick weren't hurt with infected wounds.

Pressing her hand against Sarah's brow, she found it slightly hot but not alarming, before lifting the shirt and touching the skin around the bite. Sarah hissed, but Nora was frowning as she felt the skin's heat... or, rather, lack of it. It was warm, yes, but not feverishly so like infected wounds should be.

Why?

Glancing over to Hayden and Allison, Hayden shook her head as Allison frowned. As if contemplating why an infected wound wasn't hot to the touch. But why wasn't it?

What was going on with Sarah's and Nick's wounds?

Behind her, Nora heard Abi still drawing as she said, "I can't remember much. I mean, I don't even know what I saw."

"Holy shit," Kaitlyn breathed.

"She finished drawing it?" Hayden asked.

"Yeah. And it looks pretty fucked up," Kaitlyn answered.

"Let me see," Nora requested. Kaitlyn, who'd held the sketchbook, acquiesced and gave it to Nora.

When she did, Nora breathed, "What the fuck..."

On the page was a large, furry creature, with long arms and clawed fingers and distinctly animal-like legs.

Sarah, who'd looked over Nora's shoulder, nodded and confirmed, "Yeah. That's... that's what got me and Nick."

Nora just kept staring at, trying to comprehend what exactly she was seeing of the creature that attacked Allison, Abi, Sarah and Nick, had injured her girlfriend and Hayden's brother. It looked like a bear but... it also didn't.

What was it?

A rustle sounded, interrupting her thoughts and setting Nora's nerves on haywire.

Everyone turned to it, Ryan whispering, "Fuck," as he, Allison and Hayden stood up.  Allison left Nick's side to grab a bow and nock and draw an arrow while Ryan lifted the shotgun, both weapons pointed toward where the rustle came from. Nora wanted to grab her axe, but she couldn't ease the pressure and leave her girlfriend to bleed out again, so instead Hayden snatched up the axe, standing protectively near Nick even as every part of her body visibly trembled.

But nothing came out of the bushes, though Nora didn't feel any less tense. After all, it could be hiding, waiting...

"Hey!" Ryan shouted. "I've got a gun! And I know how to use it! Sort of..."

"And I have a bow, and there'll be an arrow through your throat in a second if you don't fuck off!" Allison yelled.

"And I have an axe and I'll... chop your arm off with it!" Hayden threatened, but she sounded unsure.

No answer came.

Kaitlyn crept forward and whispered, "Guys... what if it's Jacob or Emma?"

"Shit. I forgot about them," Hayden whispered.

"What if it's not?" Ryan countered.

"We can't be sure, Kaitlyn," Allison murmured, bow still raised and ready.

Nora tensed, staring at the woods warily, fear flickering through her. The truth was, they had zero idea whether that rustle meant friend or enemy, and they wouldn't be sure until whatever was causing the rustling came charging through the bushes.

"Be careful," Kaitlyn hissed to both Ryan and Allison as the rustling grew louder and Nora's nerves ratcheted up higher. And as they did, Nora felt keenly aware of the weight in her pocket, that if worse came to worst and Ryan or Allison didn't hit it, maybe she should—

And then, the rustling died down.

A fraction of Nora's muscles relaxed at hearing that, as Kaitlyn said, "I-It was probably just nothing."

"I mean, we're all jumpy as fuck right now," Hayden pointed out, lowering the axe. 

"Yeah, but is it gone?" Ryan argued.

Allison didn't say anything, just kept her bow raised and ready.

Ryan, Kaitlyn and Allison gave each other nods before Ryan yelled, "Yeah, you better run!"

"Very brave," Kaitlyn snarked as Allison lowered her bow, seeming to relax as well.

"Alright. So, uh... lodge is sounding pretty good right about now, yeah?" Ryan suggested as he also lowered the gun.

"Absolutely," Allison agreed. "We can call for help, and while it won't be much, there'll be bandages there in the nurse's station and we'll finally be able to clean and disinfect Nick and Sarah's wounds. It'll be a temporary fix, but it might stave off the worst of the infection until Nick and Sarah can get some actual antibiotics."

Nora wilted in relief as Hayden asked, "So that means they'll be okay?"

"They'll be stable, not worse or better. But yeah, that'll mean they'll will be okay," Allison confirmed.

Hayden seemed to collapse in relief as Nora breathed, "Allison, I would hug you if I wasn't trying to keep my girlfriend from bleeding out more."

"Painkillers do sound pretty good," Sarah muttered.

"Abi, help me, Hayden and Nora make some temporary bandages for Nick and Sarah. We'll tear off the hems of our shirts and tie—" Allison instructed before a loud rustle cut her off.

Immediately Ryan's gun and Allison's bow were raised, Hayden snatching up the axe a second later, all weapons trained on the bushes as the rustling grew louder and louder and—

"Wait, no, no, no, no, no! Don't shoot! Don't shoot!"

Nora gawked as Jacob ran out, wearing nothing but his underwear and red smeared all over his face, hands raised over his head. Nora's stomach curled, desperately hoping it wasn't what was covering her hands.

"I'm here to save you," Jacob announced.

A heartbeat of silence, then;

"Jacob, you fucking idiot, I almost shot you! Me and Ryan almost fucking shot you!" Allison yelled, bow lowered and arrow returned to her quiver as she glared at Jacob while Hayden dropped the axe and Ryan lowered the shotgun. Nora, meanwhile, put the ruined ball of fabric that had been her shirt down and decided to do what Allison said and tear a strip off of the hem of her white tank top and tie it around Sarah's shoulder, her girlfriend hissing in pain but holding still as Nora wrapped it around her shoulder.

As she did that, Jacob winced and said, "Sorry, I—"

Then, finally, he noticed Nick and Sarah.

"Holy shit, Nick, Sarah... Are they okay?" Jacob asked.

"They will be, once we get them some help," Allison answered, still giving Jacob a harsh glare as Nora tied off the bandage as tightly as she dared, Sarah wincing but making no other complaint or motion of her pain. Giving her girlfriend's hand a squeeze, Nora fully turned around and focused on what was going on in front of her.

"Nick, Sarah, Abi and Allison were attacked. In the woods," Kaitlyn answered.

"We managed to get them to safety and Allison's being amazing helping them, but the wounds are getting infected and it's looking bad, really bad, and..." Hayden went on, body tensing with fear as she let out a shaky breath as Allison moved toward her and held her arm, body rigid with the worry she was so desperately trying to hide away.

Jacob looked at them, wide-eyed as he processed, before he asked, "Hey, does anybody have any dry clothes? I'm-I'm fucking freezing."

Nora's jaw dropped as Hayden looked at Jacob in shock before she hissed out, "Are you kidding me?"

"All our bags are still in the minivan," Kaitlyn told him.

Jacob blinked, before muttering, "Ah fuck. Of course they are."

"Jacob, Sarah, Abi, Allison and Nick were literally attacked. Sarah and Nick are injured, and pretty badly! They need medical help! Antibiotics and a doctor! And all you're worried about are dry fucking clothes?" Nora demanded incredulously, before she frowned and asked, "Why aren't you wearing any clothes, anyway?"

"Uh, I swam in the lake," Jacob answered, after wearing a guilty expression at Nora's words.

"Oh."

"So wait. What happened to you?" Ryan questioned, turning the conversation onto what the fuck happened on Jacob's end.

"Right, right, okay. so... like I was saying, okay. I heard Abi and Sarah screaming, so I came running. Like as fast as I could," Jacob explained.

"From the lake?" 

"That's pretty far from where we were attacked, Jacob," Allison pointed out.

"Yeah! Then... then out of nowhere I stepped into this like, I dunno, like a booby trap. Like some sort of hunter's trap. Goddamn thing snared my leg, hoisted me halfway into the tree. Just, zoop! So I'm hanging there half-naked and then this guy with like a fucking machete comes right up to me. Looks me right in the fuckin' eyes. But I taught that guy a lesson and booked it right the fuck outta there," Jacob continued, grinning.

Nora shared a disbelieving look with Allison as Kaitlyn said, "We gotta get Abi, Sarah and Nick back to the lodge. Like right now."

"And we need to use the phone there to call for help and get them a doctor," Hayden interjected, sounding a lot calmer than earlier. Maybe it was shock, extending her fear for longer. Or maybe Hayden was compartmentalising. Both sounded likely.

"Uh, hard agree for both," Ryan said. "Also, why are you covered in what I hope is strawberry jelly?"

"My question exactly," Nora said, eyeing the red all over Jacob.

"Oh, yeah, no, um... I'm pretty sure it's blood," Jacob answered. "There was this guy with like um... he had like a bottle. It's like—I dunno dude it's like a long story."

Hayden gaped at Jacob. "Holy fucking shit."

"Ew!" Kaitlyn muttered.

"Yeah. No. It's super fucked up," Jacob agreed.

"And you didn't think to mention that any fucking earlier?!" Allison screeched.

"It didn't seem important..."

"A guy with bottles of fucking blood who pours it on people's faces in the fucking woods didn't sound fucking important?!"

"Okay, okay, Allie," Nora said, holding the fuming brunette back as she looked at Jacob and added, "But I agree. That's a very important, if gross, detail to leave out, Jacob."

"Sorry," he apologised, before his eyes widened and he revealed, "Oh and, Jesus Christ, I can't believe I haven't told you this yet... I-I saw a fucking body in the lake."

Nora stilled, before she demanded, "You saw a fucking what?!"

"Like, a dead one?" Ryan questioned.

"Oh, no, no, no no no, um one of the—one of the swimmers on the varsity swim team. They got lost on the way to practice, and it was..." Jacob answered sarcastically before snapping, "Yes, a dead one, dumbass!"

"Of course you did, Jacob," Kaitlyn deadpanned.

"And if you did, that's another important detail you conveniently forgot about until now!" Hayden exclaimed.

"No! For real! I did! I-I figured it must have been one of those counsellors that didn't show up but I couldn't because it was all bloaty and... gross," Jacob defended.

"Oh my fucking God..." Hayden groaned, turning away as she dragged her hands through her hair in exasperation. Allison scoffed as she folded her arms, glaring at Jacob while Nora did the same, wondering at what point had this night turned into a real-life slasher movie.

"Something's not right," Ryan muttered.

"Yeah, our life has somehow turned into a fucking horror movie, Ryan," Nora snarked.

Ryan didn't deign to respond to that as silence crackled alongside the fire and the chirping crickets.

It was broken when Jacob muttered, "I gotta go get Emma."

Nora gaped at Jacob at that and when he grabbed the gun, causing Ryan to exclaim, "Uhh! Excuse me?"

"Hey, I need this, okay? It's not safe out there," Jacob reasoned.

"And you think we're safe?" Allison asked incredulously

"Dude! We gotta protect Nick, Sarah and Abi!"

"Yeah, and I need to save Emma, alright? She's out there alone!" Jacob fired back.

"You don't even know if she's in trouble!"

"You don't know if you're in trouble!"

"Uh, Jacob, do you not see that my brother and Sarah were almost fucking mauled to death?" Hayden demanded, glaring at Jacob.

"Are you trying to piss me off?" Ryan yelled.

"No, I'm trying to save my girlfriend's life, asshole!" Jacob shouted.

"I don't think she's your girlfriend, dude," Ryan said, before Jacob made another grab for the gun. "What—get—"

The two engaged in a deadly tug of war for the gun, Nora and Allison watching in incredulity and rising annoyance while Hayden groaned, "Oh my God...", before Ryan let go and the gun smacked Jacob in the head.

"What the fuck?" he hissed angrily, before he swung at Ryan.

"Oh my God!" Allison yelled as Ryan dodged, causing Jacob to stumble forward, an angry look still on his face.

"Fucking stop!" Kaitlyn shouted. "We're in a real mess here guys. You're acting like pricks. Both of you. Jacob, we're keeping this. Nick, Sarah and Abi are injured. We need protection, along with Allison's arrows and that axe. There's someone around here."

"Not to mention, a creature in the woods that attacked and hurt my brother, Sarah and Abi," Hayden added, arms crossed as she gave a steely look at Jacob. "And while I don't like guns, we need that along with the axe and arrows to at least have some fighting chance against it."

At that, Ryan let out a gloating laugh.

"Ryan!" Hayden and Kaitlyn hissed.

"It's not funny," Hayden added.

"Sorry."

"Besides, we shouldn't split up. Horror movie 101: Split up, you're dead," Nora interjected.

"This isn't a horror movie, Nora," Allison said.

"Uh, creepy hunter maniac in the woods who pours blood on people and a creature in the woods? Yeah, pretty sure this is a horror movie and that we shouldn't split up any further," Nora argued, looking pointedly at Jacob.

"This is bullshit!" Jacob exclaimed, huffing.

"Make sure she's safe. If she's on the island, she's definitely fine," Kaitlyn told Jacob.

"Uh, Kaitlyn, didn't you hear what I just said? Splitting up is a really bad idea," Nora reminded.

"Tell that to Jacob," Kaitlyn replied, gesturing to him as he stormed into the woods before turning and demanding, "And what? Risk another run-in with Captain Deliverance? No thanks, okay there's probably another boat by the zipline! Either way, I can make it to the island from there."

Then he was go into the woods before Nora could convince him not to walk away from the group and break one of the most important rules in surviving a horror movie.

Nora huffed, rolling her eyes. "He's gonna get killed."

"He'll be fine," Kaitlyn said, though there was a flicker of worry in her eyes. "Besides, we've got bigger problems right now."

She looked back at Nick, Sarah and Abi.

At that, Nora's worry over her girlfriend and now her friend—shit, she'd been so absorbed with her girlfriend's and,  to a lesser extent, Nick's injuries she hadn't even noticed Abi was hurt—as Kaitlyn looked at her, Ryan, Hayden and Allison and said, "We need to get back to the lodge. Try to get help."

Allison nodded. "I agree. They need proper medical help—especially Nick and Sarah. If the disinfectant doesn't work, if that infection spreads..."

Allison didn't finish, a worried, terrified look coming over her face for Nick as Hayden pulled her into a comforting side-hug, the two people who cared the most about Nick right now holding each other before Hayden grabbed Nora's hand, providing comfort as well as Nora's own worry for her girlfriend spread through herlike an infection of it's own kind, looking at Sarah. She was still sitting on the log, the white fabric of the makeshift bandage Nora had done spotted red with blood, the pink shirt Sarah had worn turned crimson, features waxy and pale, but she was upright. She looked alert. That had to be a good sign.

Right?

"How? Nick can't walk properly," Ryan said.

"He could lean on me, like we did back in the woods," Hayden offered, but Allison shook her head as she pulled away from Hayden.

"No, if Nick puts any more pressure on that leg, the bleeding could start all over again, or the infection might spread. We can't risk that," Allison shot down.

"What about Sarah?" Nora asked, worry climbing in her voice.

Glancing over, Allison said, "It's just her shoulder. As long as it isn't moved or jostled and just stays immobile, it should be fine. You bandaged it, Nora?"

Nora nodded.

"Good. That should at least prevent some bleeding if it happens. Won't stop infection, but..." Allison shrugged, sighing as she pushed back strands of hair, looking exhausted from terror and  worry and from trying to fix Sarah's and Nick's injuries and from whatever had attacked them in the woods.

"So, that leaves us at square one. How the hell are we meant to get Nick back to the lodge?" Hayden asked.

"Bridal style?" Allison suggested, but even she sounded unsure of it.

"Wait, I have an idea," Ryan said.

As one, they all looked over to where Ryan was looking at—the empty wheelbarrow.

Allison huffed out a laugh. "That's a genius idea. It would do."

Looking at Ryan, Dylan and Hayden, she ordered, "Help Nick up and put him in the wheelbarrow. Nora, help Sarah and make sure she doesn't move her shoulder. Abi, do you need any support for your ankle?"

Abi shook her head. "No, I... I think I'm good."

"Okay," Allison said, before clapping her hands. "Let's do it."

With that, Dylan, Ryan and Hayden worked together in lifting Nick up and putting him in the wheelbarrow, Nick groaning in pain while Nora moved to Sarah's side and helped her up, murmuring, "You okay?"

Sarah nodded, sweat beaming on her forehead. "Fine. I'm fine, babe."

Nora smiled, pressing a kiss to here forehead as Nick was fully put in the wheelbarrow, Allison watching him like a hawk before relaxing a bit. Once he and Sarah and Abi looked okay and ready to go, Hayden picked up the axe and handed it to Nora while Allison adjusted the bow and quiver of arrows and Ryan kept a tight grip on the shotgun before they finally moved out and headed back to the lodge, away from the woods and the creatures and maniacs in them.

Nora hoped they would be able to better treat the injuries, to get help, that Jacob and Emma would be fine. 

She desperately hoped they would be.

***

Yeah, I doubt it, Nora

Poor Nora, Hayden and Allison are just trying to keep their loved ones alive and treat their injuries while trying to figure out what attacked them and what's exactly wrong with them (also, gotta love doctor Allison jumping out here even though she's trying desperately to help Nick and Sarah) Also, I didn't know Abi was injured until Kaitlyn said so, so just... assumed Abi got hurt during the run since she definitely didn't get bitten here

Also, gotta love Allison foreshadowing Dylan's hand, right? >:)

And yeah, Jacob entered and then left the scene! And yeah, way not to reveal the most important details until literally last minute and breaking the crucial rule of surviving a horror movie, huh?

(also, since this doesn't cover Emma being alone on the island, gonna say right now she'd instead say she was trying tp push Allison and Nick together and that she's so badass and so final girl on the island—Sarah and Nora would be so proud of her and definitely call her a final girl)

But now, we're back to lodge—and Allison, Hayden and Nora further realising something is wrong >:)

Please read, comment and vote!

GhostWriterGirl out!