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nadjaofstatenisland · 6 years

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I have no excuse for how long this took. Last time I waited this long to update a multi chapter, I lost most of my readers. So here’s to hoping you guys still love me and my broken promise to have this done like seven weeks ago.

start from the beginning or read on fanfiction.net

entire chapter under the cut

Monday, April 12th, 1992

“Did you hear something?

“Like what?”

Fred turned around and looked back up the path they were following through the woods. It was dark, but he could just make out the distant lights of the Lodge’s cabin. His eyes were still adjusting to the darkness and he couldn’t see much otherwise.

“I don’t know,” he said. “It almost sounded like a scream.”

“A scream,” FP muttered under his breath. He grabbed Fred’s arm and gave him a firm tug, but Fred’s feet stayed planted. “Come on, Freddy. You didn’t hear anything. You’re just looking for an excuse to go back.”

“Well yeah, but.” Fred turned and looked to his friend. “I swear, I heard a scream. What if something happened?”

“What? In the five minutes since we’ve walked away from the house?” FP tugged at Fred again and Fred recludantly started walking behind him. He kept his hand on Fred’s arm, in case he decided to stop again. “This isn’t a movie. There is no one waiting outside with a chainsaw or machete trying to get them.”

Fred pulled his arm out of FP’s grip, but kept pace with him. “But how can you know that?”

“I know that because we’re out here right now. We are the scariest thing in these woods. If there really was some psycho on the prowl, why not go for us? Easy targets, strolling through the woods in the dark, no weapons, only one brain between us.”

Fred clapped his friend on his back. “Don’t be so hard on yourself. You have a brain too. And as much as I love you thinking out the logistics of why they’re all safe in there, you can’t know for certain they’re okay.”

“Okay, but I think I can assume nothing major has happened in the past five minutes. If there was a scream it was probably because Hermione broke a nail or Coop saw a mouse. You ever hear him scream? It could break glass. Just let it go, Fred. We waited. Mary didn’t wake up to let us in. We’ll try again in the morning.”

Fred slowed his pace. FP turned back to glare at him, but Fred couldn’t make out the dirty look through the darkness. FP held in his sigh and slowed down to fall back in step with Fred.

“I just won’t be able to forgive myself if something happened to them and we could have stopped it. How could you explain to Alice’s dad if something happened to her and you had the power to -”

FP groaned. “To stop what? We were right outside! Anyone or anything trying to get into that house would have had to go through us first. Or at least passed by us.”

“Unless they came up the actual road instead of the walking path through the woods. Which probably would have been safer, you know. And less creepy.”

“Safer, sure. But we’d have more of a chance of getting caught or spotted. Imagine someone sees us and calls the cops? How are we going to explain why we’re walking around this nice secluded vacation neighborhood in the middle of the night? Do you want a record, Fred? Because when we tell them we came all the way up here to spy on some girl you’re crushing on, that’s exactly what you’re going to get.”

“But -”

“But nothing. How do you think Hermione’s parents will like that, huh? You’re not exactly their favorite person to begin with. Now you’re following their daughter three hours away, to what? Wish her luck as she moves on to the next guy?”

“No, I’d -”

“Try and stop them? Profess your love? Oh please. All you’d end up with is a fat lip and a restraining order.”

Fred sucked his teeth and looked down. “I just have a bad feeling about this is all.”

“So do I, but low and behold, here I am, Fred. For you!”

Fred kicked at the dirt. “And because you need to keep an eye on Alice, unless you want your ass beat by her crazy, drunk dad.”

“Alice can take care of herself. You know that as well as I do. I could have just spent these few days sleeping on your couch and pretending I went after her, but no. I know how much this meant to you, so I gave in.” FP turned away and started back down the path. After a few seconds, Fred groaned and walked after him.

“Yeah, because I never give in to any of your dumb ideas, right?” Fred said as he caught up.

“Whatever. At least my ideas are more fun than freezing my balls off in middle of - what was that?”

Fred grasped his arm. “It sounded like something going through the trees.” He squinted, but there still wasn’t enough light to make out anything clearly. “An animal?”

FP exhaled hard through his nose. He grabbed the sleeve of Fred’s denim jacket. “Yeah. Yeah, it’s probably just like a deer or something.” He tugged at his friend. “Or like a - a bear.”

“Are there bears out here?”

“We’re in the woods. I guess so.”

“So so we run?”

“No shit we run.”

Mary was on a beach with Fred and Hermione. She was building a sandcastle while the two of them made out on a blanket, breaking away every so often to tell her what a good job she was doing. When she was done, she turned to them triumphantly, awaiting their approval. A wave came and washed the entire thing away and she had to start all over. Fred and Hermione laughed and laughed until they were red in the face. Hermione stopped all of a sudden and let out an ear piercing scream.

Mary awoke with a start, but the screaming didn’t stop. She took in her surroundings as she stretched out her sore legs. Alone in the living room, lights still on, fire just dying out. Who the hell left her out here? Someone had draped a blanket over her instead of just waking her up.

Some friends.

She stumbled in her sleepy state toward the hall leading towards the bedrooms. That’s where the commotion was coming from. The screaming had died down to a frantic chatter. She tried to shake the fading dream from her head as she rounded the corner. There was probably some underline meaning there, but she never took too much stock in interpreting dreams. It was almost as bad as following horoscopes.

She stopped suddenly at the start of the hallway and pinched her leg. She was definitely awake, but god, did she wish she was still dreaming.

Her four friends were in front of the closed door of the master bedroom with various looks of distress stamped across their faces. What’s worse, not one of them was fully dressed. Hiram had lost his shirt and Alice her skirt and several blouse buttons. Hal and Hermione were just in their underclothes.

Mary, the right sensible one of the group, took one short nap and woke up to the beginnings of an orgy. How had she ever gotten talked into this?

“Just slow down.” Hiram had his hands on Hermione’s shoulders, but she was squirming under his grip, refusing to look him in the eye. Tears were running down her face leaving streaks of mascara.

Alice and Hal stood a few feet back. Alice’s arms were crossed over her partially exposed chest and Hal was bouncing in place, one hand gripping Alice’s shirt.

“I told you already, Hiram!” Hermione exclaimed. “There was someone out there! Watching me! He had his, his big, stupid face just pressed up against the glass like he was ogling me! And, and and he saw me see him and he ran! I, I, I’ve never in my - Mary!”

The other three jumped and turned in Mary’s direction. Hermione came at her running and crashed into her, wrapping her arms around her midsection.

“Oh God, Mary.” Hermione rested her head on Mary’s chest and Mary awkwardly put her hands on Hermione’s back, trying not to think about her nearly naked friend hugging her. “You believe me, don’t you?”

“What, uhh.” Mary looked at the rest of them helplessly. “What happened?”

“I’ll tell you what happened,” Alice said, shoving Hal’s hand away. “We come to the murder cabin in the middle of fucking nowhere and four hours in, someone is already waiting outside to kill us.” She turned back to Hal and Hiram. “You boys happy? Your little week of sex-capades is going to turn into all of us slowly being murdered, one by one. I bet the tires of the Caddy are already slashed.”

Hiram rubbed his temple. “No one is dying, there was no one peeking through the window at Hermione, and I swear to God Alice, if I go outside and my tires are slashed, I’m blaming you.”

Alice took two steps towards Hiram and placed her hands firmly on her hips. Hermione tightened her grip on Mary. “This place is creepy and we shouldn’t have come here. Admit it. You’re scared too.”

Hiram looked down at her, crossing his arms over his chest. “Listen here. Hermione probably saw an animal or something. She said the face was low to the ground -”

“But then it took off running!” Hermione insisted. “On two legs!”

“It was an animal, Hermione. And the only reason you two,” he gestured between Alice and Hal, “are so freaked out is because you’re stoned and paranoid. Relax.”

“Relax?” Alice asked. “When there’s some peeping Tom serial killer right outside?”

Hermione sniffled. “You guys all left me alone to get high?”

Alice turned on her. “You left Mary alone to get laid! Not the time to throw stones.”

Hal chewed on his nails, eyes darting quickly between the four others. “Hey, maybe it wouldn’t hurt to call the cops. I mean, if there is some guy peeking in windows, they should know, right? And if he comes back, like, we shouldn’t just be sitting ducks and not have done anything, right? Hiram? Alice? Right?”

“Shut up, Hal,” Alice sighed. “Just go get Hermione something to wear. Her tits are about to pop out of that push up bra and smack Mary in the face.”

He looked toward the master bedroom. “Go in there? With someone looking through the window?”

Alice groaned. “Really?”

“Hey, your stuff is in our room anyway, right?” Mary asked. Hermione nodded against her, hair tickling her chin. “So lets go get you into your pajamas at least.”

Mary led her into the smaller guest room as Hiram pulled a face. She closed the door behind the two of them, muffling out the three on the other side.

“Do you want me to find something for you?” Mary walked over to where Hermione’s suitcase was sitting on the end of the one bed. Her eyes darted quickly to the desk. She had left the walkie talkie behind the stack of books, but the books were now spread over the desk in a mess - no doubt a result of Alice and Hal’s earlier tryst.

“No,” Hermione’s weak voice came from behind her. “I can do it myself.” Mary opened the suitcase and Hermione dug right into it, pushing aside various items of clothing.

“Geez, how many bathing suits did you bring?” Mary asked.

“Two bikinis and a Baywatch looking one piece. Why?” Hermione held a top up. “Not enough? We’re only here for a few days.”

“Right, right.” Mary took a few steps away, inching to the desk. “I only brought the one, you know. That yellow bikini I got at the end of last season on sale. Haven’t even worn it yet.”

Hermione scoffed. Mary couldn’t see her face, but she knew the exact look her friend was wearing. “What a waste! You should have worn something old. Why waste a new bikini when there’s no one to show it off for?”

Mary reached the desk and started quickly rearranging her school books. “You guys will see me in it.”

“I helped you pick it out! I’ve already seen you in it.” Mary glanced over her shoulder. Hermione was taking off her bra. She quickly looked away. “There are no boys here to see you in it!”

The walkie-talkie wasn’t amongst the books. Shit. She dropped to the ground and started looking under the desk. “Oh? And what do you call Hal and Hiram?”

“No offense, but you’re not Hiram’s type. You’re practically the same height and I know he hates that.”

Mary rolled her eyes. “Hiram Lodge isn’t exactly my type either.” She could just make out the antenna of the walkie-talkie shoved up against the wall. She reached her hand into the small space.

“Although I won’t lie, you and Hal have potential to be adorable together. He strung Penelope along long enough, so you know he likes redheads at least.”

“No thank you.” Mary pulled off the ring her parents gave her for her sweet sixteen to make her hand fit. “Hal only has eyes for Alice.”

“You’ll never know if you don’t try!” Hermione sung. She was quickly getting over her earlier panic. Mary could just feel the antenna of the walkie-talkie.

“I don’t like Hal like that.” She tried to pull the desk back a bit, but it was too heavy. Leave it to the Lodge’s to have this kind of expensive wood furniture in the kid’s guest room of their vacation home. Mary grabbed the antenna and gave it a gentle pull.

“But you guys would make the cutest, nerdiest - what are you doing?”

Mary gasped and hit her head on the underside of the desk. The antenna broke free in her hand. Hermione grabbed her arm and pulled her out from under the desk as Mary rubbed her head. She had tossed on a flowy black nightgown that reached mid-thigh.

“What were you looking for?” Hermione gripped her arm, panic falling back into her voice. Her eyes widened as they fell on the broken antenna. “What the hell is that?”

“Oh, it’s a… well, I don’t know. I dropped a book and I just found it behind the -”

“It looks like an antenna or something. Is there something back there?” Hermione fell on her knees and started crawling under the desk.

“Hey, is that a new nightgown?” Mary let out a nervous giggle. “It’s so cute! You don’t want to get it dirty crawling under there.”

“Oh my God!” Hermione scooted out from under and jumped up. She bounced in her bare feet. “There’s a recording device back there or something! Oh my God, Mary! It’s wedged in there. Someone must have planted it! Help me move the desk.” Hermione grabbed a corner and started tugging.

“Don’t be ridiculous.” Mary put her hand on her friend’s shoulder. “A recording device? Who would ever?”

“Hiram!” Hermione called. Mary jumped and let go of her. “Guys! Get in here!”

Hiram came rushing through the door. He had tossed on a black silk robe on over his clothes. “What? What happen-”

“There’s something fishy going on!” Hermione put her hands on her hips as Hal and Alice walked through the door. Alice had buttoned her shirt back up and Hal had tossed on pajama pants. “Someone is recording us! Mary just found this little recording device behind the desk.”

“I don’t think it’s anything!” Mary insisted much louder than she’d intended. Everyone turned to her and she felt her face heat up. “I mean, I just - it looks like a simple walkie-talkie. Like a toy! Here, I pulled this off of it.” She held up the antenna and Hiram snatched it out of her hands. “It broke off so easy. Who knows how long it’s even been back there for.”

Hiram spun around and held up the antenna towards Hal and Alice. Hal’s hands were digging into Alice’s shoulders as she stood with a sour face and crossed arms. “What do you guys think?”

“I think this whole place is fucked and we never should have came,” Alice said simply. “Lets take shifts sleeping and leave first thing in the morning.”

“The morning?” Hermione asked. “I am not staying here until morning!”

“And I’m not going out when it’s still dark!”

“We’re not going anywhere,” Mary insisted.

“Guys,” Hal said loudly. He took a sharp intake of breath as everyone turned to him. “Could you hear me and Alice in here earlier?”

Alice sighed and hit her forehead. “My God, Hal. Now is not the time.”

“It’s just I could practically hear every word Mary and Hermione were saying while we were standing outside.”

“Of course we could hear you fucking!” Hermione screamed. “What’s that have to do with someone trying to murder us?”

Mary groaned. “A walkie-talkie doesn’t equal murder!”

“Stop saying murder!” Hiram yelled. “Everyone needs to relax!”

“Stop telling us to relax!” Hal voice was reaching hysterical. Alice turned around under his grip. “I can’t relax knowing someone might be trying to kill us and,” his voice dropped to a whisper, “that you guys could hear us having sex and didn’t have the decency to say something.”

“Babe.” Alice took his face in her hands and pulled it down. “You’re high and paranoid and you sound like an idiot right now. Shut up.”

Hal sighed and wrapped his arms around Alice. “Right, you’re right. No one is trying to kill us.”

“Oh, I didn’t say that.” Alice looked at the rest of their friends. “Someone is definitely up to something and this week is going to end with at least one of us not making it back.”

“Alice!” Mary exclaimed. “Cut it out! He’s your goddamn boyfriend, don’t scare him.”

“I don’t make the rules, Mary!”

“Christ,” Hiram sighed, shaking his head. “Come on, Hal. This desk weighs a ton. Help me move it so we can get whatever this thing is out.”

Hal reluctantly let go of Alice and helped Hiram slide the desk a few inches forward. The walkie-talkie fell to the hardwood floor with a thud and Mary and Hermione both darted under the desk for it.

“What the hell are you doing, Mare?” Hermione said as she tried pushing her out of the way. “Let me get it.”

“I told you,” Mary panted as she reached around Hermione. “You’ll get your nightgown dirty. I have to change anyway.”

“I’m smaller. I fit easier!”

“My arms are longer. Plus, I’m the one who found - got it!”

Mary jumped up quickly and held the walkie-talkie to her chest. Alice grabbed it from her before Hermione could even pull herself to her feet.

“This looks so familiar,” Alice said. She fiddled with some buttons on it, but just static came out. “I swear, I’ve seen this same walkie-talkie somewhere before.”

“They look cheap,” Mary said quickly. “Like a toy. Hiram, did you ever have them as a kid? Maybe they’ve been there for years.”

“Not if the batteries are still working,” Hal chimed in. “Those things eat up batteries. My sister and I used to have a pair. Plus,” he reached out to take it from Alice, “this brand is pretty good.”

“I’m sorry, Hal,” Mary glared at him. “You were afraid of getting murdered two minutes ago and now you’re an expert on electronics?”

“Not an expert! I just know a bit -”

Hermione hit her fist against the desk. “The important thing is why is it here? In this room. Hiram, you’re sure it was never yours?”

Hiram pursed his lips before talking. “Maybe the housekeeper brought her kids with her and they left it here.”

“Is that likely?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know. But a walkie-talkie seems like a really ineffective way to spy on people. What’s the point?”

Alice took the walkie-talkie back from Hal. “Come on, you know there are some freaks out there who’d damn well get off on two girls talking about their bikinis.” Alice held the device close to her face, looking at it closely. “Mary, don’t your brothers have a pair like this?”

“No, no, no.” Mary laughed. Her legs started twitching under her weight. “My brothers have a really expensive pair. My dad got a great deal on them. The antenna would never just snap off like that one.”

“Right.” Alice held it out to Mary and pulled it back last minute. “Say, there’s no chance that maybe your brothers threw it in your bag and it was all mixed up with your school books?”

“Of course not.” Mary put her hands behind her back and started wringing them. “My books were neatly stacked until someone came in here and probably did some unmentionable things on top of them, knocking them all around.”

Alice scoffed. “We were not on top of them.” He eyes looked to the ceiling. “I was just kind of bent over them.”

“Gross,” Hermione sighed, sitting on one of the beds. “Now I really can’t sleep in here.”

“Oh please, like you were ever going to -”

“Ladies!” Hiram exclaimed. He took a seat next to Hermione and snaked his arm around her waist. “No fighting. We’re all better than that. There has to be a solution to all of this.”

“There is no solution because there is no problem,” Mary said calmly. She bounced on the balls of her feet. “The best thing to do is just go to bed.”

“I will never be able to sleep knowing there’s someone out there,” Hermione said. “Absolutely never.”

Alice rolled her eyes. “Not like you were going to be doing much sleeping anyway.”

Hermione opened her mouth but Hiram cut her off. “How about,” he held up his finger between the two girls, “Hal and I go do a perimeter check? We’ll walk the property once or twice and make sure the coast is clear. Check for tire tracks.”

“You’re going to check for tire tracks in the paved road leading here?” Mary asked skeptically. “In the dark?”

“We have flashlights. It’ll be fine. Hal, you in?”

“Not on your life!” Alice pulled herself away from Hal and stuck her finger in Hiram’s face. “If you think I’m letting you take Hal outside in the middle of the night so you can sacrifice him to whatever demon you come across.”

“Oh,” Hiram sighed, “my God. You’re all nuts. Every last one of you.”

“Hey!” Mary said. “I am not -”

“Hal, bud, you want to go check outside, right? Make sure nothing is going to attack the girls, right?”

Hal was biting his nails. “Make sure - make sure nothing attacks the girls? Are you insane? What about something attacking us out there?”

“There is nothing out there! It was an animal! A bear or something.”

“A bear?” Hal took the finger he was chewing on out of his mouth. “How is a bear nothing, Hiram? How?”

“You’re overthinking this!”

“You’re not taking him with you!” Alice shouted.

“No one is going anywhere,” Mary said, stepping between Alice and Hiram. “We are just going to go to bed and regroup in the morning when we all feel a lot better about everything.”

Hermione jumped off the bed and out of Hiram’s grip. “Actually, if you really don’t mind, I would feel better if you guys went out there and looked around.”

Hiram grabbed her hands. “We don’t mind at all. Right, Hal?”

“Of course I mind!”

“You’re not taking my boyfriend out there to certain death!”

“No one should be going anywhere!”

Hiram rolled his eyes and stood up, not letting go of Hermione’s hand. “Come on. I have protection.” He tugged Hermione hand. “Follow me.”

Alice pursed her lips, but followed them out the door, Hal and Mary in tow. “You hear that? Now the boy has protection.”

“So you see, my friend over there,” FP jutted his thumb over his shoulder in Fred’s direction, “is just grumpy that he couldn’t save the fair maiden from her captor, you know? He’s heartbroken, down-trotted.”

“Poor fellow,” the waitress sighed. She leaned over the counter and rested her chin in her hand. FP’s eyes traveled slowly down her uniform to her name tag. Franny. “So why’s he sitting over in that booth while you’re over here with me?”

“Oh, forget about him. He’s a grump.”

“Hmm.” Her eyes traveled over to Fred. “He’s kinda cute though. Looks like that guy from 90210.”

“No, he doesn’t,” FP said quickly. Franny’s eyes traveled back to him and he cracked her gum in a way that reminded him eerily of Alice. He shook the feeling off. Her hair was a light brown and straight and shoulder length. She didn’t look a thing like Alice. “So Franny. How do you get stuck working third shift?”

Her eyes traveled back to him and she laughed. Cracking her gum again. “Don’t get jealous.” She picked her chin up and reached out for his cheek. “You’re cute too.”

“You see, Fran, we’re in a bit of a pickle,” he sighed. “We were here earlier today talking to Beverly. You know Beverly, of course?”

She cracked her gum again. “Sure. She works the dinner rush and I work the graveyard shift.”

“Well, we were telling her all about our girl troubles when we were here earlier and she told us if we needed any little thing at all, to just come back and give her a hollar.”

Franny laughed. “Yeah, that sounds like old Bev. Such a ma, I swear.”

“Only, silly us.” FP leaned closer across the counter. “We didn’t ask what time she got off tonight. I should have figured -”

“Shift switch is at midnight.” She bit her lip and looked him up and down. “What’d you say your name was, junior?”

“FP.” She raised her eyebrow. “Trust me, you don’t want to know the whole name. My buddy over there? That’s Fred.” He yelled over his shoulder. “Right, Fred?”

Fred looked up from the cup of coffee he was staring into. “Huh?”

“Yup. That’s Fred.”

“Okay, FP. Million dollar question. How old are you?”

“Eighteen.”

“Try again.”

He sighed. “Seventeen and a half. Well, a half in a few days at least.”

“Seventeen and a half. Okay. And Fred over there.”

“Sixteen going on sixty.” He spun around once more. “I mean, look at the poor guy. Falls in love at every corner and gets his heartbroken each time.”

Fred looked up at that one. “I do not get my heartbroken all the time! And I’ve only ever been in love once and that’s with Hermione. I can’t help it if she’s the most beautiful girl I’ve ever laid eyes on.”

Franny waved Fred to the counter. He reluctantly got up, bring his lukewarm coffee with him. FP cringed looking in the cup. Fred had poured so much cream, it practically looked like a mug of milk.

“Why do you have it so bad for this girl, sweetheart?” Franny asked. She leaned a little further over the counter, the top button of her uniform threatening to come undone. Fred paid her no mind as he stared into his untouched coffee.

“I dunno,” he mumbled. “She’s special.”

“Ah. Special.” Frannie turned back to FP, straightening her back. “She took his virginity?”

FP snorted into his own coffee and Fred’s head popped up in horror.

“You told her!” Fred accused. “What kind of friend are -”

“Relax, relax,” Franny laughed. She placed her hand over Fred’s. “You wear your heart on your sleeve, sweetie. You’re too easy to read. People will walk all over you if you keep that up.”

Fred sighed, cheeks still bright red. “That’s what my mom says.”

“I really, really shouldn’t do this but, I think I can help you boys out tonight. I’m not entirely comfortable housing two minors, but I can’t let you boys sleep in that van. My place is empty. My brothers are away for a few days. I’m off at 8 am, so you guys just need to take off by then, okay?”

“You serious?” FP asked.

“Serious as a heart attack.” She reached into the pocket of her apron and pulled out a keychain in the shape of The Statue of Liberty with two keys on it. “It’s right there on the corner. Second floor apartment in that blue building. Take any bedroom you’d like, although the couch is probably more sanitary than either of my brother’s beds.”

“I could kiss you, Franny.”

“Don’t.” She laughed. “You’re about five years too young for my taste. You can leave your van parked on in the diner’s lot. I’ll keep an eye on it.”

“No need. We walked down here. It’s still parked on the main road leading to the vacation homes. We figured they’re still mostly empty this time of year so no one would really mind it there.”

“You are right. Well hurry along and catch some shut eye. It’s after 1 am already.”

“Let’s get a move on.” He hit Fred’s arm. “Hey, what’s up? What’s wrong?”

Fred’s face had lost the flushed that crossed it just a few moments earlier. “How come you’re being so nice, Franny? You don’t know us.”

She cracked her gum in Fred’s direction. “Do one to others and all that stuff, you know? Now scat before I change my mind.”

“Can do!” FP snatched the keys with one hand and took Fred’s arm in the other. Why’d it feel like he and Fred had been dragging each other back and forth all day?

“FP, I still have a bad feeling,” Fred whispered as they stepped out the door. The street was completely empty and they had to wonder why the diner bothered to stay open all night in a place like this. “Why’s she being so nice?”

By habit, they ran across the street even though there wasn’t a car insight. “This is the country, middle of nowhere. People are just nicer than the suburbs. You didn’t question it when your pal Beverly was being nice.”

“Beverly was like sixty. She’s a grandma! Of course she’s nice. That Franny.” Fred looked back at the diner as FP opened the outside door to the apartment building. “She can’t be what, twenty at the oldest? Are young people that nice?”

“Fred, you’re one of the nicest people around. You’d give someone the shirt off your back if they told you they liked it.”

“I did that one time, shut up.” He sighed, chasing FP up the steps two at a time. “It just feels wrong.”

“It feels like you’re jealous I know how to flirt with young, hot waitresses while you’re stuck talking to old Bev about her grandkids.”

Fred rolled his eyes. “Yeah, sure, asshole. Like you had any interest in Franny. You just didn’t want to sleep in the van.”

“That’s not a crime. Oh, I guess this is it.” He fit the second key into the door and it opened. The living room was small and clean, but lacking personality. There was a blue checkerboard couch and a small television with rabbit ears on top. “Home sweet home. Here’s to hoping we’re living it up in the Lodge’s cabin this time tomorrow. I really want to soak in that hottub.”

“No.” Mary stood with the other four around her and shook her head. “No, no, a million times no.”

Hiram laughed. “Mary, I’ve used this thing before. No need to worry.”

“A gun, Hiram?” Mary crossed her arms over her chest and stood to her full height. She was nearly level with Hiram. “Don’t lie to me. You have never shot a gun in your life.”

“Oh please,” he scoffed. “My dad taught me how to aim when I was a kid.”

“How to aim or how to shoot?” Alice asked.

“Same difference.”

“Same difference?” Alice hit Hal’s arm. “He’s never touched that gun before.”

“It’s not even loaded.”

“Prove it.” Mary uncrossed her arms and let them fall to her hips. “Prove that it’s unloaded.”

Hiram looked down at the gun in his hand for a few moments before shaking his head. “I have nothing to prove to you.”

“Yes you do!” Mary tossed up her hands. “As the only sober person here right now -”

“What about me?” Hermione cried. “They all ditched me to get high!”

“I’m not high!” Hiram yelled. “I had one hit off their joint. One! Hal is the only one here who’s impaired and that’s just because he’s a lightweight.”

Mary took a deep breath. “Look. I cannot in good faith let you go outside with that gun. If you don’t shoot Hal, you’ll probably shoot yourself. Or some poor defenceless animal.”

Alice snorted. “No way. It takes skill to shoot an animal.”

“I have skill!” Hiram grabbed Hal’s arm. “Come on, man. We have to protect the girls.”

Hal turned around and looked at Alice’s helplessly as Hiram pulled him towards the front door. She shrugged.

“If anything happens to him, Hiram, you’re dead,” she called as Hiram opened the door. “If I don’t get you, Mrs. Cooper will!”

“God, Alice. You can’t tell my mom about this!” Hal said over shoulder. They crossed out to the porch and the three girls followed them out. “She hates guns! And hunting! And Hiram.”

“Should we go after them?” Mary asked unsurely. “I mean, I’m sure there’s nothing -”

“No!” Hermione and Alice yelled in unison. Their eyes locked as they took a step away from each other.

“What if something happens to them?” she asked, looking off after the boys. Hiram was just pulling Hal through the clearing of trees, to the road leading away from the house.

“They can take care of themselves,” Hermione insisted. “I know they can. Or they’ll take care of each other? I guess?”

Alice turned to Hermione with her finger out. “If anything happens to Hal -”

“Don’t worry.” Hermione stepped back inside. “I will replace him with a newer model if Hiram shoots him.”

Alice followed her. “I was going to say, you’re the one telling his mom.”

“Not a chance!”

Mary watched Hiram and Hal walk away until they disappeared.

“I have a bad feeling about this,” she muttered to herself. She stepped back into the foyer and locked the door.

“Hey,” she called after her friends, “Did either of you notice if they took a flashlight or not?”

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