SEVEN HOURS UNTIL DAWN

CORA; CABIN; 23:59

BEFORE I COULD fully grasp what had happened, Mike grabbed a hunting rifle and ran out of the cabin. Without thinking, I found myself running after him, my phone clutched tightly in my hands.

''JESSICA!!!'' Panic gripped my chest as I joined him, calling out, ''JESS! Jess, where are you?''

We sprinted, our breaths clouding in the freezing air. Every second made Jess's cries seem further away. Mike was ahead, navigating the treacherous path at breakneck speed. The trail lead us to a rushing river where Mike leapt across the icy tubing. I hesitated for a second, but hearing another faint scream, I pushed myself forward. I slipped as I jumped, landing awkwardly in the freezing river, water splashing up as I fought to keep my footing. 

"JESS! JESSICA!" Mike's voice cracked as he ran along the path not looking back. I scrambled out of the river and chased after him, my clothes soaked, clinging coldly to my skin. Reaching a broken bridge, I skidded to a halt as Mike crossed. As I followed, the crumbling edge gave way beneath me. I gasped, grabbing hold of the edge just in time, my fingers clawing into the icy rock. Grunting, I forced myself up. To think I made fun of Josh and his muscles.

Mike was already moving, his eyes scanning the darkness as he reached a ledge. Lifting the rifle, he aimed and peered through the scope. His face drained of colour, his jaw tightening as he focused. I saw it too, through the blur of night — Jess, her body frantically crawling away, screaming as she was dragged back by some unseen force.

''Jesus... Fuck! Fuck!'' he cursed, lowering the rifle. ''JESS!! NO!!''

Jess's screams grew louder. ''ARGH!! NO!!!! MICHAAAEEELLLL HELP ME!!!! HELP ME!!!!'' she wailed.

Mike leapt down the steep cliffside, and I followed without a second thought. My heart hammered as I stumbled, each leap threatening to send me sprawling down the jagged rocks. Mike momentarily caught a branch to slow his fall, and I crashed into him, our combined momentum pushing us forward. He barely glanced back, urgency etched across his face as he barked, ''Keep going, keep going!''

We hurdled over fallen trees, each jump bringing us closer but never close enough. 

''Oh god... Okay... Okay...'' he stammered as we approached a narrow staircase. We took the steps at full speed, practically tumbling down to the ground below.

"Shit... no, no... dammit, NO!'' Mike yelled in frustration as we slid down a snowy slope.

We made it to the ground, Jess's voice faint and desperate as it led us to an abandoned mine building. ''Come on. Shit! Shit! Shit shit!'' he muttered, sprinting inside with me following close behind. I could hear Jess's voice even clearer now.

'HELP ME!! Oh no, Michael!''

''JESSICA!!'' Mike shouted.

We rushed down the wooden stairs into the mines.

''ARGH!! NO!!!! MIKE! CORA! HELP ME!!! HELP ME!!!''

"JESSICA I'M COMING!!!'' Mike's shout cracked.

Her cries led us to an old elevator platform. I froze, horrified, as we saw her crumpled body lying there, her face ghostly pale with wounds all over her body. Mike rushed forward, his hand trembling as he reached out for her.

''NO!!! OH GOD!!! Nooo...'' His voice broke as he fell to his knees beside her. ''Jessica... oh god!! Jess!! Jess, are you okay!?''

Her lips parted weakly. ''...Help...'' she whispered.

I took a step forward, but before either of us could do anything, the elevator suddenly jolted, and Jess's body dropped, disappearing into the dark shaft below.

''JESSSICAAAAA!!!!!!'' Mike's agonised scream filled the mines. Then he looked up.

''Huh?'' His voice was barely a whisper. ''What the fuck...''

He lifted his rifle and aimed at a shadow, something just barely visible in the dim light, something that had moved away from the scene. 

Jess was gone, and whatever had taken her was still out there. The chase wasn't over yet.

Without waiting, he sprinted up the stairs. ''Go back to the lodge!'' Mike yelled before I could follow after him.

I blinked, still processing. ''What?'' I stammered, unwilling to leave him, to leave Jess.

"Call the fucking cops! I'll get Jessica!"

I hesitated, my feet glued to the icy ground. ''Be careful!'' I managed to shout before I finally turned and sprinted back toward the lodge, panic clawing at my insides. Tears stung my eyes as I stumbled blindly along the path, the cold biting at my cheeks as I pushed through the woods.

The branches clawed at my arms and clothes as I tried to ignore the pounding ache in my chest. My foot suddenly caught on a jagged rock hidden beneath the snow, and I went sprawling forward, pain shooting up from my knee as it scraped against the cold ground. Gritting my teeth, I forced myself up, feeling the damp warmth of blood trickling down my leg as I pushed on. I barely felt the sting.

The lodge finally loomed ahead. I gasped as I saw Matt, Emily, Chris, and Ashley gathered near the entrance. My heart hammered even harder at the sight of them. "Oh my fucking God!"

My voice cracked, echoing through the cold night as I stumbled to a stop in front of them, struggling to catch my breath. Ashley was sobbing openly, her face buried against Chris's shoulder as he held her close, both of them covered in blood.

Emily's gaze snapped to me. "What the hell is going on here?!"

"There was... something... in the woods," I managed. "It took Jessica!" The words sounded strange even as I spoke them, yet every part of me knew it was true.

Emily's eyes narrowed in disbelief. "What?"

"Mike went after her," I continued, my words rushing out now. "I don't know what that thing was..."

A heavy silence fell over us, broken only by Ashley's quiet sobs. Chris, who had been clinging to her tightly, turned to me.

"Cora..." he started, his voice breaking, and I felt the pit open up beneath me.

"What?" I whispered.

He swallowed hard, his face twisted in agony. "Josh... Josh is dead."

The air felt suddenly thin, like I couldn't breathe. Josh... Dead? My mind reeled, memories flooding back of all the times he'd been there, his laugh, those times he'd looked at me, the way I'd always felt something but never quite let myself get close enough. I'd held back, nervous, always keeping a careful distance, and now he was...

The sound of Ashley's sobbing grew louder, her whole body shaking. Chris took a ragged breath as he tried to explain. "There's a maniac, and... he... there was a saw... and it was either him or Ash, and I didn't know what to do!"

My chest tightened, anger and confusion bubbling up. "What the fuck?!"

Chris's voice broke as he continued, his eyes glistening. "I-I killed him! I-I killed him..."

Emily let out a frustrated noise, her patience wearing thin. "Okay, you know what? I'm not going to sit around waiting to get killed. Matt, we've got to go get help!" Her eyes flashed as she grabbed Matt's arm, and he nodded, though he looked torn, glancing uncertainly between Emily and the rest of us.

Chris's gaze hardened. "No, you just want to save yourself," 

Emily's eyes narrowed, crossing her arms defensively. "I don't want to make hasty decisions that get everyone killed. You three can figure things out. We'll get help." She glanced at Matt for support, and he looked from her to us, nodding slowly.

"Umm... Okay," he murmured. Chris's face twisted in frustration, but he didn't argue further.

Once they were gone and we went back to the lodge, I rounded on Chris "What the hell happened, Chris? I want to know what happened to Josh!"

His face contorted. "You think I don't care?! He was my best friend too! I didn't want this!"

"You don't think I cared too?" I shot back, my voice rising despite myself. "He was my friend as well, Chris, he was more than that, he was—"

"Enough!" Ashley's voice cut through the tension. She looked between us, her tear-streaked face pale. "Just... please, stop." She took a shaky breath, glancing at me with wide, sorrowful eyes. "Cora... It was the maniac. He... activated these saws, and Chris... Chris chose to save me, and... Josh..." She swallowed, her voice breaking as she whispered, "It cut Josh in half..."

I felt a hollow ache in my chest as I staggered back, the reality of it all crashing down on me. I slid down to the floor, burying my face in my hands as the tears finally came. A heavy silence settled over us, broken only by the quiet sounds of Chris and Ashley as they tried to console one another.

After a moment, Chris's voice cut through the silence. "We've got to find Sam."

I looked up, shaking my head. "You two go," I insisted, my voice hoarse. "I'll stay here, keep watch. Make sure everyone gets back."

Chris's brow creased, concern flashing across his face. "What if... what if he catches you?"

"Then I don't care," I replied sharply. "I can protect myself, and you can only protect one person at a time, so go. Find Sam."

He hesitated, glancing at Ashley, who reached out to me. But before she could speak, Chris placed a hand on her shoulder, gently pulling her back. With a final nod, they turned and headed down toward the basement, disappearing into the shadowed halls of the lodge.

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