Never in his life had Nathan Stone experienced such an irresistible draw toward adventure. He had spontaneously joined his younger brother, Ethan, and his friends for the weekend. The others were there to study, but he’d come to drink and relax. They’d all gone to bed, but he’d stayed up to entertain himself with a private concert in the theater of the imagination. His discovery of the secret space had been entirely accidental.
After retrieving a snack and two more beers, Nathan unfolded the sofa bed. Unfortunately, he was a touch inebriated and soon found himself entangled in the limbs of a fly trap. He liked to name things, and he’d dubbed the sofa as Venus. His face pressed against the disheveled rug covering rough wooden floor planks as the convertible bed’s metal frame left his legs dangling over his head.
“Oof!” He grunted and contorted his body to free himself.
He caught sight of his precious ones and reached for the beer bottles before they rolled too far away. As he grasped for the cool glass, his fingers brushed against something unexpected. He found an indentation in the floor with a thick metal ring embedded.
The evening’s indulgences spiked his curiosity and urged him to investigate further. He carefully laid his precious beers on the bed, taking time to secure them with pillows. Nathan slid the sofa aside and pulled back the rug to reveal a hidden trap door.
He chuckled. “I hope this isn’t where a monster jumps out or something. I only brought enough beer to bribe ghosts, not fight them.”
Why wouldn’t he explore the mysterious hidden basement directly beneath the cabin’s living room? His pulse raced with the thrill of the unknown as he pulled on the ring. The trapdoor creaked open, revealing a narrow wooden staircase descending into pitch black.
Cool air brushed against his face, carrying whispers of the hidden secrets waiting to be discovered below. Nathan crept down the wooden stairs into the darkness, using his phone to light the way.
The musty air was stale, and the cold stone floor chilled the air. The oppressive silence seemed to amplify every sound he made, and he worried about waking the others when the stairs creaked loudly. As he descended, Nathan slid his free hand along the wall and found a light switch about halfway down. He flipped it, and a lone overhead bulb barely illuminated the room below. He followed the flickering light into a space that felt like a forgotten chamber filled with the memories of countless past visitors.
The basement was one room, about ten feet on a side, packed with sturdy wooden shelves. The dim bulb overhead didn’t do much to illuminate the curious assortment of relics and generations of discarded items left behind by travelers. His phone’s light offered a brighter light source, and he used it to examine the shelves’ contents.
Among the tennis rackets and abandoned cameras, Nathan’s attention was captured by an old book he found peeking out from under a shelf. He bent to pick it up and brushed the dusty cover off to discover it was a diary.
He propped his phone on the shelf and opened the diary to read. The handwriting inside looked like it had been written hastily, and the writer was almost frantic to get the words down. Nathan’s blood ran cold as he scanned the pages, and a chilling narrative unfolded with each new author. The darkness around him seemed to grow thicker, enveloping him in the growing dread he felt at the stories of the cabin’s horrors.
If this is real…
His thoughts trailed off, unwilling to accept the proposed reality even in his mind. It could still be some sick practical joke. It was too big a choice to make alone. The others needed to see the hidden warning.
Nathan still cradled the diary as he moved three steps toward the staircase and shouted. “Guys! Wake up! You need to see this. Now.”
He heard movement and grumbled conversations overhead. He didn’t think anyone had slept through his abrupt wake-up call. Nathan had tried to keep his tone measured and calm, but he heard the slight quaver and the subtle edge of urgency. He couldn’t help it. “Seriously, Ethan, move your ass.”
His younger brother’s sleepy voice answered from the top of the staircase. “Woah. What the hell is this?”
“Just get down here!” Nathan snapped.
Barefoot and clad only in a pair of pajama bottoms, Ethan’s lanky form descended the staircase. “What have you found down here?” His voice reflected a combination of concern and irritation. “And why was it worth waking everyone up in the middle of the night?”
“I’m waiting for everyone,” Nathan replied.
The others soon trickled down the creaky wooden stairs. Olivia was right behind Ethan, with Ruby and Liam trailing after them. Even in the dim light, Nathan saw the concern etched on their faces. This didn’t feel like a prank.
Olivia reached out to touch the arm still tightly clutching the diary. “Nathan? What’s going on? Are you okay?”
He shook his head. “No. I am not okay.” He extended trembling hands to offer her the diary. “Read this,” he urged. Every passing second left him more convinced the warning was genuine, and they needed to get the hell out of there.
Olivia hesitated momentarily, but she extended her hands to take the diary. She moved into the light from his phone and deliberately scanned the pages. Her eyes widened with each word she absorbed. The color drained from her face, replaced by a growing horror that mirrored Nathan’s.
“We, uh… It looks like we might be in some trouble here, guys.” Olivia’s voice was quiet but rang with certainty and fear as she passed the book to Ethan. “Read it and tell us what you think.” She turned to the others. “It basically says this cabin is a hunting ground—and we are the prey.”
The younger Stone brother took the diary and rapidly read the pages. His expression grew increasingly concerned with each word. “It says there’s some kind of game, and we are part of it. A fatal game, if this is true.”
“Let me see that!” Ruby demanded. Her curiosity had grown uncontrollable, and she snatched the book from Ethan to read aloud. Her voice filled the chilly room, and the tension grew thicker with each ominous word she spoke.
“Nineteen twenty-seven. ‘I don’t even know if anyone will ever read this, but I had to try. Soon, these words will be all that survives of my family. The people who live here tricked us. They said this was a waystation, a haven from the trials of travel. That was a lie. These people are murderers who serve some dark purpose I could not deduce during our nightmare.’” Ruby’s voice faltered.
Olivia shivered. “It’s so much worse hearing it out loud.”
“’Everything was lovely at first. The family patriarch was a holy man who welcomed us with a hot meal and a soft bed. It seemed such a glorious respite after the rigorous day on the road. We were drugged by an unknown substance that triggered immediate sleep and altered our memories. I believe it was the stew.’”
Liam shook his head. “What is the point of reading some nutjob’s hundred-year-old story?”
Ruby glared at him and continued. “’When we woke from our stupor, the cabin was surrounded by painted men wielding weapons. They presented a most fearsome sight and attacked us when we tried to escape. My older brother fell in the fight before we were driven back into the cabin. Perhaps he was the lucky one, for he did not suffer the horrors to come.’”
“This seems like a valuable historical account, Liam. What’s your problem?” Ethan asked.
“Nothing!” he insisted. “It’s just…creepy.”
“It hasn’t begun to get creepy yet,” Nathan warned.
Ruby shushed them and returned to her reading. “’They hunted the rest of us like the lowliest of prey. I watched my entire family die at their hands one by one as cloaked figures stood silent in obscene observation. I am the only one left now, and I feel my time will soon end. This diary was to chronicle my new life, but I now know I will not reach my destination. I can only pray that this warning survives to the next people cursed to be trapped here may gain the opportunity to fight for their very lives.’”
Ruby drew a deep breath and flipped the page. “The next entry is from nineteen seventy. ‘This place is insane, man! We came up here to party with some guys from the college. We didn’t find this diary in time. If you’re reading this, get out while you can. They will kill everyone.’”
She turned another page as her face paled. “Then nineteen eighty-nine. ‘We found the basement while exploring our rental cabin. My daughter found this diary soon after. We didn’t believe it at first. I wish I could tell you it was a sick joke. It’s not. Every word is true. Save yourselves if you can. It may already be too late.’”
“That doesn’t sound very hopeful,” Olivia muttered.
“The last one is from nineteen ninety-six. ‘How can any of this be real? They drug you. We think it’s in the air. Hide the diary. Burn this place to the ground if you can but hide the diary to warn others. There’s a hidden weapons cache behind the back left corner shelf. Arm yourselves and get out. Fight for your survival, and never stop running. Tell someone why we died. Tell them who did this.”
“You can’t tell me you guys seriously believe this crap, right?” Liam scoffed.
“You don’t?” Olivia demanded.
“Of course not! It’s a freaking Airbnb rental, not a murder mansion.”
Ethan glanced at the others, who remained unconvinced. “I don’t know. It rings true. You gotta admit, this place is plenty isolated for killing games.”
“Well, at least it’s not one of my ex’s diaries. That would have been truly horrifying,” Nathan quipped, trying to lighten the heavy mood.
His attempt at humor failed to break the tension in the dingy basement. The others exchanged uneasy glances as they grappled with the gravity of the situation. Nathan shook himself and decided to take another approach.
“Look, if the weapons are where the diary says, we’ll know it’s real,” Nathan told them. “It should be simple enough to check.”
Liam let out a nervous chuckle, but it failed to mask his unease. “It’s just a weird joke. I’m going back to bed.” He took two steps toward the stairs before he noticed that no one else moved. “Are you guys coming?”
Olivia’s expression was grim when she replied, “I really don’t think it’s a joke, Liam.”
His eyes narrowed. “I think you guys may have had a few too many during our study session.”
“I didn’t even drink!” Olivia protested. “This is serious.”
Nathan stepped forward and drew everyone’s attention to him. “I’ll be the first to admit I had more than a few and was still tipsy when I stumbled down here. But stuff like this will sober a guy up pretty fast, you know? That’s saying something, too.” He turned to Ethan. “Do you remember that earthquake back in California? I was the last one to stop drinking, and you had to drag me out of there. This place gives some seriously dark vibes, and this diary doesn’t help.” He leaned forward and tapped the book in Ruby’s hands for emphasis.
When no one else replied, Nathan grabbed his phone and used the light to lead the way to the back left corner. “What’s the harm in being cautious?” He propped the phone up for light and looked for good handholds to slide the heavy shelf aside.
Ethan hesitated, but Liam scoffed. “You can’t be serious! This is starting to sound like a B-grade horror flick.” His sarcastic done almost dripped skepticism.
Nathan ignored them and grunted with effort as he pressed his shoulder into the solid wood shelf and slid it a few inches away from the wall. He turned back to grab his light and grinned when he saw a small alcove set into the wall. “The weapons are here!” he exclaimed. “Ethan, help me move this heavy bitch.”
Working together, the brothers moved the shelf out of the way to expose the hidden cache. Before they had a chance to celebrate their discovery, Ruby yawned loudly. “Why am I suddenly so sleepy?”
Nathan’s pulse quickened. “It’s the drugs. It has to be. The diary mentioned something about it being in the air and triggering sleep. It’s starting,” he told them, pulling his shirt over his mouth and nose.
Liam’s dismissive laugh didn’t seem to fit the tense atmosphere. “Overreact much? Of course, you’re tired! He woke us up in the middle of the night!”
Nathan shook his head. “Look, man. It’s your choice whether to believe this is a joke, but I’m gonna protect myself and everyone here. Go back to bed if you want.” He retried a small handgun from the stash, checked to ensure it was loaded, and stuck it in his waistband. He passed one to Ethan, Olivia, and Ruby.
Liam held up his hands in refusal. “I don’t need a freaking gun!” he declared. “You idiots are going to shoot yourselves because there is no one attacking us!”
“If we’re wrong, you get to keep laughing at us, but what if we’re right?” Olivia asked. “Please, just take it to be on the safe side.”
Liam’s furious expression softened when he saw the concern in her eyes. “Fine. I still think the joke is on you.” He grudgingly accepted a handgun from Nathan.
“They’re all loaded. Let’s get out of here,” Nathan instructed as urgency sharpened his words. They filed out of the basement, but a wave of dizziness hit the group when they emerged into the cabin’s living room.
Shit. The drugs are working.
Nathan fought to steady his reeling senses as he leaned against Venus. A sudden movement at the window caught his attention. He felt like he swam through Jello as he turned to watch a swift, fleeting shadow darken the window. Its presence served as a silent yet undeniably urgent warning that their window for escape was rapidly closing.
The sight acted like a shot of adrenaline to the group, snapping them out of the drug-induced haze as their sharper survival instincts took over. They all knew without anyone speaking it, that every second was critical now, every moment laden with danger.
“It’s time to move. Now!” Nathan barked as he assumed leadership. He gripped his weapon tighter and prepared to fight for their lives.
They already covered their faces, but they needed fresh air if they wanted to avoid being drugged. He lunged across the living room and wrenched the front door open. Nathan charged outside, gulping deep breaths of the clean air to purge his lungs. The others hurried onto the porch after him, greedily drawing the fresh air into their bodies.
Nathan desperately wanted to focus on his people and ensure they were all okay, but the silhouetted figures emerging through the trees surrounding the cabin drew all this attention. Just as the diary had warned, the figures wore all black. Nathan spotted their military gear and wondered who they were dealing with. That stuff wasn’t cheap.
Their faces were painted a stark white that stood out in the gathering darkness like lamps. Their eyes and mouths were smeared with slashes of black paint, giving them a ghastly appearance meant to terrify. In their hands, the invaders held an assortment of ranged and melee weapons that looked well-used. The group moved with deliberate menace. Clearly, these people were trained and ready to engage.
Nathan’s pulse raced as he watched them emerge from the darkness. “They’re here. Just like the diary said.” His voice was barely above a whisper, but they all heard the note of alarm. They were vastly outnumbered, with more arriving every moment. “Stay here and stay alert. We need to be ready for anything.”
Nathan moved cautiously to step down from the porch. Before he passed out of reach, Ethan grasped his shoulder.
“What if they’re just idiots? We can’t afford to shoot first and think later. I just got my brother back. I don’t want you locked up again!” Ethan pleaded in a voice thick with concern.
Nathan nodded, acknowledging his younger brother’s worries. “I have no intention of ever going back to prison. I don’t know how this is going to go, but I will make sure I have enough to prove self-defense before I hurt anyone,” he whispered in response.
Ethan reluctantly released him. “I hope that’s enough.”
Nathan shrugged. “What else am I gonna do? Let them kill all of us?”
When only silence met this question, Nathan turned back to the newcomers, who stood silently observing the whispered exchange. He grinned at the closest watchers. “Evening, creepers. Nice outfits. Somewhere, there’s a circus missing its main act,” he called in a jovial, teasing tone that carried to everyone nearby.
When none moved or responded, Nathan continued. “It seems like our quiet study weekend is disturbing your, uh…weird clown cult gathering. We’re just gonna head back to our cars,” he announced.
A lone figure moved through the darkness and approached the porch as the others stood motionless. His face was painted white like the others to shield his identity. Unlike the others, who were merely creepy, this man exuded an auto of chilling danger and eerie calm.
“Nathan, come on down here and talk to me, boy.” The man’s voice carried a note of authority that demanded attention with an air of showmanship that instantly made him think of televangelists. “Listen to your brother, now. Ethan’s right. You don’t want to go back to prison for killing another man, do you?”
An uncomfortable jolt went through him as the stranger proved he knew Nathan’s name, his brother, and private details about his past. While the information was a matter of public record, it didn’t make sense for this man to possess it. How did he know so much, and more importantly, what did he plan to do with that knowledge? As the unsettling realization sunk in, it left Nathan momentarily speechless.
The man’s smile widened as Nathan remained silent. His sharp gaze locked onto Nathan with disturbing intensity. “Oh, yes. I know everything about you and the others,” he boasted and offered a casual wave like they were old friends. “Hello! It’s a pleasure to have you here, Ethan, Olivia, Ruby, and Liam. We’re going to have such fun together.”
Although his words were spoken in a polite, congenial tone, Nathan knew the message they carried was anything but friendly. Something about that wave was wrong. It only took him a moment to notice the man’s missing finger. He’d met one other person with an identical missing digit—the weird priest from the gas station. His mind whirled with the unexpected connection as he struggled to comprehend the evolving situation while unraveling the mystery shrouding the enigmatic priest.
A sly grin turned up the corners of Nathan's mouth as he offered an answering wave. “You’re not the only one who knows things, priest. Or maybe I should just call you Stumpy? Yeah. I like that better.” His tone was light and teasing, yet it was tinged with a hint of challenge.
The other watchers’ reaction was immediate. They all glared at Nathan with intense hatred, and he thought he’d heard at least one shocked gasp at the nickname. He silently laughed. If that bothered them, they were in for a real show.
One of the painted freaks lunged forward and barked, “You will respect this great man!”
Nathan caught his advance with a brutal punch to the gut and smirked at him as he writhed on the ground. “Will I? I’m not so sure, buddy.”
“Hush, my child,” the priest interrupted. “There is no need to escalate matters on my behalf.”
The flustered follower nodded in respect before crawling back into the shadows. Nathan crossed his arms and remained unimpressed by the theatrics. According to the horrific accounts in the diary, these people wanted to hunt and kill them.
Nathan stepped off the porch and moved a step closer to the priest. “So, you’re the leader of a creepy clown cult, huh?” he quipped in a tone heavily laced with sarcasm. “Old man, go back to church and start what I’m sure will be a very lengthy confession. You shouldn’t be out here in the woods threatening a bunch of helpless and harmless geeks.” He waved his hand in a nonchalant gesture to indicate the others huddling together on the porch behind him.
“What do you want from us?” Olivia demanded in a plaintive wail. “Why are you doing this?”
The priest smiled. “Cleansing the Earth of scum is our sacred duty.”
“But we didn’t do anything!” Olivia shouted.
Nathan took another step, snapping a twig underfoot and ratcheting the tension higher. As if he needed reminders of how precarious their situation had become. Nathan could plainly see the strangers’ eagerness to attack growing by the moment. It felt eerily reminiscent of rival gangs in the prison yard. Each side stood frozen in place, measuring the other and waiting to see who struck first.
Think first. Then shoot.
Maybe the reminder would help Nathan keep his temper under control. He doubted it, though. He didn’t do well when people he loved were threatened, and he hated bullies. A flicker of determination lit Nathan’s eyes as he closed the distance between himself and Stumpy. He couldn’t afford to hesitate now. If he moved swiftly, he could silence the cult leader before anyone could intervene and demonstrate their defiance in one act.
With the calculated precision born from years of honing his fighting instincts, Nathan’s right hook found its mark with devastating force. The impact reverberated through his knuckles as Stumpy staggered back, clutching his face. The priest’s composure crumbled like fragile clay as he roared with fury.
The next few seconds unfolded in a blur of motion that everyone involved would be hard-pressed to sort out accurately. The forest canopy alone bore full witness to the truth as the scene below exploded into chaos. Nathan knew it was the time for decisive action, so he took it.
Stumpy stumbled two steps and crashed to the ground in a rustle of leaves. The priest’s seemingly unshakable control shattered in an instant. In that moment, Nathan’s silent declaration of defiance spoke volumes. He refused to be intimidated or controlled by anyone, especially those who lurked in the shadows with sinister intentions.
Two people ran to help Stumpy, but the others surged toward Nathan. His choice had become shoot now or die. They’d run out of time to think. He aimed and fired at a man to his left as he aimed at the group on the porch. The bullet went through the man’s forehead. Good. He couldn’t afford to waste bullets.
“Ethan, three o’clock!” he shouted as he turned to face another approaching attacker.
Reacting on instinct, Ethan turned and fired in one movement, killing an attacker moments before he pulled the trigger. His gun had been aimed at Olivia. The brothers’ quick, decisive actions rippled through the quiet night, forcing the watchers back. Nathan urged the others forward, and they moved as a group, crunching twigs underfoot as they fought for their freedom.
They hadn’t taken five steps before Liam wrenched back from Ethan and his post as rear guard. “No!” he screamed. His voice cracked with panic and disbelief. “This isn’t how it’s meant to happen!” Liam fumbled with his handgun for a moment before a shot thundered through the clearing.
Ethan clutched his arm and lurched forward. The blood drained from his face, and he fell back against a tree. Nathan’s heart dropped as he saw the crimson staining his little brother’s arm after Liam shot him.
Nathan rushed to Ethan’s side to keep him from falling. Once he determined the bullet wound wasn’t immediately fatal, he whirled on Liam with unadulterated fury burning in his eyes. He pointed the barrel at Liam’s face and glared at the young man, who was again pointing a gun at Ethan. “What the fuck are you doing, Liam?”
Olivia lunged toward Liam, clearly determined to wrestle the gun from his grasp. The light of madness gleamed in his eyes as he fought to finish what he’d started. “If I can’t have Olivia, no one will.”
Before anyone had a chance to react, Liam screamed with insane triumph and swung his gun toward Olivia instead. There was no time. Liam pulled the trigger, and the gunshot roared through the clearing with the force of rolling thunder. Olivia collapsed in a lifeless heap as blood seeped from the bullet wound in her forehead. Her unseeing eyes were fixed on the distant forest and the freedom she would never find.
“NO!” Ethan’s ragged cry rang with despair as he watched Olivia die. His heart shattered in that instant, and he tried to rush to her side. Nathan forcefully pulled him back, heedless of the recent injury.
“She’s already gone, man. If I let you go out there for her body, you’ll die too. Come on. We gotta get out of here. Ruby is still alive, and she needs us.” Nathan’s voice was choked with grief, but it still carried the sharp edge of resolve.
Rather than attacking directly, the painted strangers formed a circle around the group. They didn’t rush. They waited. Watched patiently as if simply waiting for a signal. Nathan knew he should be calling the shots, leading their survivors to safety. Liam had changed the rules of the game, though, with his own selfish and twisted agenda.
“It’s go time, guys. We fight our way free, or we die,” Nathan told them firmly despite the uncertainty consuming him. He grasped Ethan’s arm, still slick with blood from the gunshot, and dragged him away from Liam. The menacing circle of armed figures presented a preferable option. They couldn’t afford to lose control to rage, and that was all they’d find with that coward.
Ethan lagged, unable to shake himself from the overwhelming stupor of grief. Nathan shook his brother. “I need you to focus, man. Olivia wouldn’t want you to die here! Get your shit together. I need you.” Nathan knew it offered little comfort, but if he could get Ethan’s mind focused on the urgency of survival over the aching chasm of loss, they might live to mourn her.
It had been a very long time since Ruby was helpless in a fight, armed or not, and she didn’t hesitate to take matters into her own hands. She was better with her fists than a gun, so she tucked the pistol into her waistband and unleashed a flurry of blows on the closest attackers. They had to break the circle.
Liam happened to be the closest enemy, and she threw some extra force behind the perfect right hook she landed on his jaw. Relying on her muscle memory from countless hours of training, she followed with a swift left and an uppercut. Ruby unleashed her best moves at full power, pummeling Liam before anyone realized how completely she’d dominated the confrontation. He dropped the gun, stunned by the ferocious strikes.
Bullets flew from multiple directions as weapons discharged, but the darkness and chaos made it difficult for them to aim. The Stone brothers fought with ferocious determination, fueled by a desperate need to survive. The attackers charged forward with bloodthirsty fervor, but Nathan and Ethan fought back to back. Their shots felled one enemy after another, yet still they came.
“Keep shooting!” Nathan shouted over the rolling thunder of constant gunfire. They moved with practiced coordination as the brothers adapted years of hunting with their father to the grim task. It was slow work, but they carved a path through the assailants until only an empty forest stood beyond.
Ruby hadn’t turned away from Liam. She still pummeled his limp body with rapid punches and kicks. Liam was no longer a threat. Nathan wasn’t sure he was even still alive.
“He’s down, Ruby! Leave him and get over here. It’s time to go!” Nathan shouted as he fired at an oncoming attacker. The gun clicked empty, and Nathan threw it at the man’s painted face as he dodged low to land a devastating punch to his stomach. He pushed the attacker backward, and Ethan’s bullet finished him.
Ruby was beyond reason. Rage consumed her, and she struggled to pull away from the traitorous loser. Each precise strike was fueled by a fury that had been building for a long time before this terrible night. Like the brothers, her skills were honed not just for sport but for survival. She unleashed them with lethal efficiency.
She focused so intently on eliminating Liam that she never saw the painted man creep up behind her. He smashed a meaty fist into Ruby’s right temple, and she stumbled into a nearby tree. The blow hadn’t knocked her unconscious, but her vision was doubled, and her legs wobbled. Ruby shook herself and tried to clear the fog from her head. Her life depended on it.
Deeper into the shadowed forest surrounding the cabin, a shadow lunged toward Ethan. The painted man brandished an axe with a wild gleam in his eyes. Ethan reflexively sidestepped the initial swing and grabbed the enemy’s arm. He used the larger man’s momentum to throw him to the ground. As he wrestled with the axe-wielder on the forest floor, Ethan’s eyes widened as he caught sight of his brother.
“Nathan, on your six!”
The warning gave Nathan enough time to duck away from the spiked club swung at his head. Out of ammo and lacking an efficient weapon, his options were limited. Still, he’d made it through worse. He dodged another swing and went low, rolling to get behind his opponent. He spun and delivered a sharp punch to the man’s gut, followed by a powerful uppercut that sent him staggering backward to collapse in a heap.
Once, Nathan would have been horrified at the possibility he’d killed another man with his deadly punch. Now, he only stopped long enough to make sure the man wasn’t getting up either way.
Ethan’s fight was raw and brutal. The attacker refused to let go of the axe, and he’d sustained some deep slashes as they fought. He knocked the painted man unconscious by slamming his head onto a raised tree root and wrenched the axe from his hands. Panting for breath, he stood and scanned the area to ensure there were no other immediate threats approaching before daring to check on the others.
The priest had ordered the others to stay back, and silence fell as no new attackers came forward. Nathan breathed a sigh of relief and looked for Ruby. “Come on, Ruby Roundhouse! It’s time to go. Now!”
As she dropped her last foe and turned to join them, a single gunshot obliterated the tense quiet of the forest behind them. The brothers whirled around, and their eyes widened in shock as the priest grinned at them, a gun clenched in his hand.
“Damn it!” Nathan cursed. He should have killed that creepy bastard when he’d had the chance.
Nathan realized with horror that Stumpy hadn’t fired a warning shot when Ruby collapsed as her body convulsed in pain. His heart clenched at the sight as his protective instincts urged him to drag her to safety.
Blood spread across her shirt from the gunshot wound in her gut, and her words came out garbled. “Run! Nathan, Ethan, run!” Her words cut through the chaos, and they heard her hopeless urgency and pain. She knew she wasn’t going to live through this.
The brothers were further into the forest, with no attackers in the immediate vicinity. Nathan hesitated for only a moment. Although it killed something in him to do it, Nathan grabbed Ethan’s arm and ran. The only rational choice was to retreat and regroup.
Stumpy wasted no time. He ordered his surviving minions to drag Ruby’s limp body into the cabin. He stopped beside Liam and looked down at him with disdain. “You might as well grab this one too. He’s not dead yet.”
The door slamming shut after the priest’s ominous proclamation was the last thing Nathan heard as they crashed into the dark forest. Frustration and guilt surged through him. He knew Ruby might still be alive if he’d properly neutralized the threat. Now, he would always live with the dire consequences.
They’d moved beyond the closest enemies, but they heard people moving through the trees. Ethan wrenched his arm away and whirled to glare at his brother. “We can’t just leave her!” he insisted. His voice was strained, and his gaze darted around to watch for threats.
“Don’t you think I want to go back for her? We’re out of ammo and hopelessly outnumbered. Going back would be pointless and suicidal. That was a gut shot. If they give her medical attention, she can live through this.”
“I can’t believe you, man. I never thought you were a coward!” Ethan snarled, his voice and expression reflecting the emotional torture he felt.
Nathan flinched at the caustic words but remained firm in his decision. “I don’t want to go! We can’t do it alone, bro. We will just die with them, and no one will know. We need backup.”
Ethan’s anger vanished in an instant, and he seemed to deflate. The crushing helplessness of their situation weighed heavily on their hearts as he nodded. They continued their escape through the dark forest. Immediate survival was their only goal. Without help, they could do nothing but die.
Driven by fear and determination, Nathan and Ethan sprinted into the darkness. They tripped over raised tree roots and lost count of the branches that slapped them in the face. They chose speed over stealth. While they gained distance, they left an obvious trail for their relentless pursuers to follow.
Eventually, the sounds around them died away, and they stopped long enough to catch their breath. Every rustle of leaves and snapping twig heightened their anxiety and urged them to find a safe refuge before they spared time to strategize.
Both brothers were exhausted, and even the fires of adrenaline-fueled eventually ran cold. They collapsed with relief when they finally emerged onto the main road at the edge of the forest. Gasping for breath and disheveled from the harrowing escape, they allowed themselves a brief moment of rest to recover. Ethan was pale from blood loss, and he staggered wearily as he fought to catch his breath.
The urgent need for backup and a logical plan of action consumed Nathan’s mind as he scanned the surroundings for anything that could help. Several long minutes passed before he spotted the telltale sight of headlights in the distance. He ran into the road, waving his arms to catch the driver’s attention.
“Hey! Stop, we need help!” he shouted in a voice still horse from the frantic run. His cry didn’t carry far in the quiet night, but it went far enough.
Ethan stumbled into the road next to him as a police car rolled to a stop in front of them. The headlights illuminated their injuries, and he was sure they presented a grisly sight. They forced their weary muscles to propel them toward the police car and the help it represented.
Nathan’s chest tightened with panic. The presence of the police should have been welcome in a situation like theirs. However, nothing about this nightmare had been normal. He’d seen the priest talking to a cop at the convenience store. Even then, something had felt off about the interaction. With his luck, it would be the same cop.
His steps ground to a halt and he pulled Ethan to a stop beside him. All his instincts were on high alert and screaming that they needed to prepare for whatever came next.
“What are you doing?” Ethan asked.
“You remember the priest at the gas station? He was talking to a cop. If he’s in on it, he could stick us in the back seat and drive right back to them.”
Ethan groaned. “Well, yeah, but what else are we gonna do?”
“Damn it,” Nathan muttered. “I hate it, but you’re right. We have to take the risk.”
The officer rolled down his window. It was the same cop. “What’s going on here, boys? You two look like hell.”
Nathan's pulse raced as he stared at the cop, and his mind whirled with suspicion. He snatched the gun from Ethan’s waistband and pointed it at the cop. It was empty, but he didn’t know that. “Your priest buddy is the leader of a crazy murder cult. Are you part of it?” he demanded. His intent gaze was fixed on the other man’s face, watching for any sign of reaction.
The cop shook his head sadly and sighed. “I tried to warn you, Nathan. You didn’t listen to me.”
“Who the hell are you?” Nathan demanded.
“Let’s go with John Smith. I can’t tell you who I work for, but you must remember that I tried to get you to ditch the cabin for a party town on down the road.”
“Obviously, you know what’s going on. What can you tell us?” Nathan’s frustration continued to grow as he found more questions than answers.
John scanned the area for any sign of movement. “You’re not the only ones in danger. Get in before they see us. It’s not safe to stop here.” His gaze darted from tree to tree as if he expected trouble to emerge at any moment.
Nathan grappled with the implications of Smith’s words. No matter what he chose to do, they needed to act swiftly. The gun was heavy in his hand as he considered the options. He glanced at Ethan’s pale, shaky form and knew he couldn’t last much longer with all the blood he’d lost. They had to take the chance.
“Get in the back,” he told his brother as he went around the car and climbed into the passenger seat. He kept the gun trained on Smith. “Don’t do anything stupid.”
Smith didn’t hesitate. Young, anxious men with guns rarely appreciated anyone pushing limits. The tires screeched on the pavement as the car fled the scene like bank robbers after a heist. Nathan counted on his brother to watch the road. He fought to control his chaotic whirlwind of thoughts but maintained a firm grip on the gun, his gaze unwaveringly fixed on the cop.
“Our friend is still at the cabin. Your priest buddy shot her in the gut. Another one of those freaks murdered our other friend. You need to call for backup right now. We have to help Ruby,” Nathan declared in a forceful tone that left no room for argument.
He risked a glance at the rearview mirror and felt sick at the desolate expression on Ethan’s face. He looked like he’d aged ten years, with the heartbreak and shock etched into his features. Olivia had been the love of his life. It would be a very long time before he recovered from the soul-deep turmoil that tormented him now.
“There’s no point calling for backup,” Smith told them in a grave tone. Nathan’s grip tightened on the gun, and his muscles tensed. The cop shook his head. “Calm down! Backup will only take you back to the compound.”
Nathan’s eyes widened in disbelief. “What? All the cops here are crooked?” The realization hit like a sledgehammer. Despite his time in prison, Nathan still believed in the system. This monstrous betrayal of duty shook his faith to the core.
“You don’t understand!” Smith protested. “It’s bigger than this town. Bigger than the whole damn state. If you want to live through the next week, flee now and forget you were ever here.”
“Never gonna happen,” Ethan muttered.
Nathan’s mind raced as he processed the situation and whether they could trust this man’s word. “Why are you helping us? Are you even a real cop?” Every new revelation deepened his confusion. Clearly, this cop knew at least some of what the cult was up to. He’d tried to dissuade Nathan from staying at the cabin.
Smith drew a deep breath and exhaled a heavy sigh. “I have my reasons,” he answered cryptically. “Yes. I am a real cop.”
The car slowed. “I’m going to pull over here. Nathan, you need to knock me out. Just, uh, don’t use that killer right hook, okay? Make it look like you ambushed me and took the car.” Smith parked and reached into his pocket to retrieve a cell phone. He passed it to Nathan. “I will contact you on this. Don’t use this to call anyone else, do you understand?
Nathan nodded his acknowledgment and slid the phone into his pocket. “How far do we have to go to find cops who aren’t dirty? We can’t just run away.”
Smith shook his head. “Damn it, aren’t you listening? They’re too big. There’s nothing you can do. Get out of here and pray they don’t bother tracking you down to keep you quiet!” Nathan merely stared at Smith and waited for an answer. The cop groaned. “Fine. Go at least a hundred miles. Nowhere is far enough, but you’ll at least have a chance. I’m telling you now, anyone you bring into this mess is going to get paid off or die.”
“Surely you’ve seen enough of the hell in that cabin to know we can’t do that,” Ethan replied.
Smith ran a hand through his hair in frustration. “Fuck it. I tried. Let’s do this. They could show up at any time.” They climbed out of the car and moved to the grassy patch beside the road. “Not the killer knockout,” he reminded Nathan as he braced himself for the blow.
Nathan nodded. He could have killed him. It would be the first life his fists had taken, but they needed someone on the inside if they had any hope of success. As he pulled his fist back to strike, Smith held up his hands.
“Wait one minute!” he cried.
His fist hovered in the air, and confusion painted his features. “What?”
“You’ll be framed for all this. Don’t get caught, and don’t tell anyone about me. Do you understand? Mentioning me will only get us both killed. Don’t draw attention to yourself, or things will get a lot worse for you.” His warning carried the crushing weight of impending consequences suffused with an aura of looming danger.
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Nathan demanded.
Would it kill this guy to just talk like a normal person?
“Never mind that. I’ve already said too much. Just remember it.”
Nathan heard the urgency in his voice and it drove his need to move. Lights glimmered in the distance, and he imagined it was the headlights of approaching vehicles. It was time to go.
“Just punch him! We need to get out of here,” Ethan demanded as he climbed into the passenger seat.
“In what way will things get worse?” he repeated as he cocked his fist back again.
“They will put you on the demon project.”
Nathan’s fist connected with Smith’s jaw. The Stone brothers left him unconscious on the side of the road as the stolen cruiser’s taillights faded into the distance.
After retrieving a snack and two more beers, Nathan unfolded the sofa bed. Unfortunately, he was a touch inebriated and soon found himself entangled in the limbs of a fly trap. He liked to name things, and he’d dubbed the sofa as Venus. His face pressed against the disheveled rug covering rough wooden floor planks as the convertible bed’s metal frame left his legs dangling over his head.
“Oof!” He grunted and contorted his body to free himself.
He caught sight of his precious ones and reached for the beer bottles before they rolled too far away. As he grasped for the cool glass, his fingers brushed against something unexpected. He found an indentation in the floor with a thick metal ring embedded.
The evening’s indulgences spiked his curiosity and urged him to investigate further. He carefully laid his precious beers on the bed, taking time to secure them with pillows. Nathan slid the sofa aside and pulled back the rug to reveal a hidden trap door.
He chuckled. “I hope this isn’t where a monster jumps out or something. I only brought enough beer to bribe ghosts, not fight them.”
Why wouldn’t he explore the mysterious hidden basement directly beneath the cabin’s living room? His pulse raced with the thrill of the unknown as he pulled on the ring. The trapdoor creaked open, revealing a narrow wooden staircase descending into pitch black.
Cool air brushed against his face, carrying whispers of the hidden secrets waiting to be discovered below. Nathan crept down the wooden stairs into the darkness, using his phone to light the way.
The musty air was stale, and the cold stone floor chilled the air. The oppressive silence seemed to amplify every sound he made, and he worried about waking the others when the stairs creaked loudly. As he descended, Nathan slid his free hand along the wall and found a light switch about halfway down. He flipped it, and a lone overhead bulb barely illuminated the room below. He followed the flickering light into a space that felt like a forgotten chamber filled with the memories of countless past visitors.
The basement was one room, about ten feet on a side, packed with sturdy wooden shelves. The dim bulb overhead didn’t do much to illuminate the curious assortment of relics and generations of discarded items left behind by travelers. His phone’s light offered a brighter light source, and he used it to examine the shelves’ contents.
Among the tennis rackets and abandoned cameras, Nathan’s attention was captured by an old book he found peeking out from under a shelf. He bent to pick it up and brushed the dusty cover off to discover it was a diary.
He propped his phone on the shelf and opened the diary to read. The handwriting inside looked like it had been written hastily, and the writer was almost frantic to get the words down. Nathan’s blood ran cold as he scanned the pages, and a chilling narrative unfolded with each new author. The darkness around him seemed to grow thicker, enveloping him in the growing dread he felt at the stories of the cabin’s horrors.
If this is real…
His thoughts trailed off, unwilling to accept the proposed reality even in his mind. It could still be some sick practical joke. It was too big a choice to make alone. The others needed to see the hidden warning.
Nathan still cradled the diary as he moved three steps toward the staircase and shouted. “Guys! Wake up! You need to see this. Now.”
He heard movement and grumbled conversations overhead. He didn’t think anyone had slept through his abrupt wake-up call. Nathan had tried to keep his tone measured and calm, but he heard the slight quaver and the subtle edge of urgency. He couldn’t help it. “Seriously, Ethan, move your ass.”
His younger brother’s sleepy voice answered from the top of the staircase. “Woah. What the hell is this?”
“Just get down here!” Nathan snapped.
Barefoot and clad only in a pair of pajama bottoms, Ethan’s lanky form descended the staircase. “What have you found down here?” His voice reflected a combination of concern and irritation. “And why was it worth waking everyone up in the middle of the night?”
“I’m waiting for everyone,” Nathan replied.
The others soon trickled down the creaky wooden stairs. Olivia was right behind Ethan, with Ruby and Liam trailing after them. Even in the dim light, Nathan saw the concern etched on their faces. This didn’t feel like a prank.
Olivia reached out to touch the arm still tightly clutching the diary. “Nathan? What’s going on? Are you okay?”
He shook his head. “No. I am not okay.” He extended trembling hands to offer her the diary. “Read this,” he urged. Every passing second left him more convinced the warning was genuine, and they needed to get the hell out of there.
Olivia hesitated momentarily, but she extended her hands to take the diary. She moved into the light from his phone and deliberately scanned the pages. Her eyes widened with each word she absorbed. The color drained from her face, replaced by a growing horror that mirrored Nathan’s.
“We, uh… It looks like we might be in some trouble here, guys.” Olivia’s voice was quiet but rang with certainty and fear as she passed the book to Ethan. “Read it and tell us what you think.” She turned to the others. “It basically says this cabin is a hunting ground—and we are the prey.”
The younger Stone brother took the diary and rapidly read the pages. His expression grew increasingly concerned with each word. “It says there’s some kind of game, and we are part of it. A fatal game, if this is true.”
“Let me see that!” Ruby demanded. Her curiosity had grown uncontrollable, and she snatched the book from Ethan to read aloud. Her voice filled the chilly room, and the tension grew thicker with each ominous word she spoke.
“Nineteen twenty-seven. ‘I don’t even know if anyone will ever read this, but I had to try. Soon, these words will be all that survives of my family. The people who live here tricked us. They said this was a waystation, a haven from the trials of travel. That was a lie. These people are murderers who serve some dark purpose I could not deduce during our nightmare.’” Ruby’s voice faltered.
Olivia shivered. “It’s so much worse hearing it out loud.”
“’Everything was lovely at first. The family patriarch was a holy man who welcomed us with a hot meal and a soft bed. It seemed such a glorious respite after the rigorous day on the road. We were drugged by an unknown substance that triggered immediate sleep and altered our memories. I believe it was the stew.’”
Liam shook his head. “What is the point of reading some nutjob’s hundred-year-old story?”
Ruby glared at him and continued. “’When we woke from our stupor, the cabin was surrounded by painted men wielding weapons. They presented a most fearsome sight and attacked us when we tried to escape. My older brother fell in the fight before we were driven back into the cabin. Perhaps he was the lucky one, for he did not suffer the horrors to come.’”
“This seems like a valuable historical account, Liam. What’s your problem?” Ethan asked.
“Nothing!” he insisted. “It’s just…creepy.”
“It hasn’t begun to get creepy yet,” Nathan warned.
Ruby shushed them and returned to her reading. “’They hunted the rest of us like the lowliest of prey. I watched my entire family die at their hands one by one as cloaked figures stood silent in obscene observation. I am the only one left now, and I feel my time will soon end. This diary was to chronicle my new life, but I now know I will not reach my destination. I can only pray that this warning survives to the next people cursed to be trapped here may gain the opportunity to fight for their very lives.’”
Ruby drew a deep breath and flipped the page. “The next entry is from nineteen seventy. ‘This place is insane, man! We came up here to party with some guys from the college. We didn’t find this diary in time. If you’re reading this, get out while you can. They will kill everyone.’”
She turned another page as her face paled. “Then nineteen eighty-nine. ‘We found the basement while exploring our rental cabin. My daughter found this diary soon after. We didn’t believe it at first. I wish I could tell you it was a sick joke. It’s not. Every word is true. Save yourselves if you can. It may already be too late.’”
“That doesn’t sound very hopeful,” Olivia muttered.
“The last one is from nineteen ninety-six. ‘How can any of this be real? They drug you. We think it’s in the air. Hide the diary. Burn this place to the ground if you can but hide the diary to warn others. There’s a hidden weapons cache behind the back left corner shelf. Arm yourselves and get out. Fight for your survival, and never stop running. Tell someone why we died. Tell them who did this.”
“You can’t tell me you guys seriously believe this crap, right?” Liam scoffed.
“You don’t?” Olivia demanded.
“Of course not! It’s a freaking Airbnb rental, not a murder mansion.”
Ethan glanced at the others, who remained unconvinced. “I don’t know. It rings true. You gotta admit, this place is plenty isolated for killing games.”
“Well, at least it’s not one of my ex’s diaries. That would have been truly horrifying,” Nathan quipped, trying to lighten the heavy mood.
His attempt at humor failed to break the tension in the dingy basement. The others exchanged uneasy glances as they grappled with the gravity of the situation. Nathan shook himself and decided to take another approach.
“Look, if the weapons are where the diary says, we’ll know it’s real,” Nathan told them. “It should be simple enough to check.”
Liam let out a nervous chuckle, but it failed to mask his unease. “It’s just a weird joke. I’m going back to bed.” He took two steps toward the stairs before he noticed that no one else moved. “Are you guys coming?”
Olivia’s expression was grim when she replied, “I really don’t think it’s a joke, Liam.”
His eyes narrowed. “I think you guys may have had a few too many during our study session.”
“I didn’t even drink!” Olivia protested. “This is serious.”
Nathan stepped forward and drew everyone’s attention to him. “I’ll be the first to admit I had more than a few and was still tipsy when I stumbled down here. But stuff like this will sober a guy up pretty fast, you know? That’s saying something, too.” He turned to Ethan. “Do you remember that earthquake back in California? I was the last one to stop drinking, and you had to drag me out of there. This place gives some seriously dark vibes, and this diary doesn’t help.” He leaned forward and tapped the book in Ruby’s hands for emphasis.
When no one else replied, Nathan grabbed his phone and used the light to lead the way to the back left corner. “What’s the harm in being cautious?” He propped the phone up for light and looked for good handholds to slide the heavy shelf aside.
Ethan hesitated, but Liam scoffed. “You can’t be serious! This is starting to sound like a B-grade horror flick.” His sarcastic done almost dripped skepticism.
Nathan ignored them and grunted with effort as he pressed his shoulder into the solid wood shelf and slid it a few inches away from the wall. He turned back to grab his light and grinned when he saw a small alcove set into the wall. “The weapons are here!” he exclaimed. “Ethan, help me move this heavy bitch.”
Working together, the brothers moved the shelf out of the way to expose the hidden cache. Before they had a chance to celebrate their discovery, Ruby yawned loudly. “Why am I suddenly so sleepy?”
Nathan’s pulse quickened. “It’s the drugs. It has to be. The diary mentioned something about it being in the air and triggering sleep. It’s starting,” he told them, pulling his shirt over his mouth and nose.
Liam’s dismissive laugh didn’t seem to fit the tense atmosphere. “Overreact much? Of course, you’re tired! He woke us up in the middle of the night!”
Nathan shook his head. “Look, man. It’s your choice whether to believe this is a joke, but I’m gonna protect myself and everyone here. Go back to bed if you want.” He retried a small handgun from the stash, checked to ensure it was loaded, and stuck it in his waistband. He passed one to Ethan, Olivia, and Ruby.
Liam held up his hands in refusal. “I don’t need a freaking gun!” he declared. “You idiots are going to shoot yourselves because there is no one attacking us!”
“If we’re wrong, you get to keep laughing at us, but what if we’re right?” Olivia asked. “Please, just take it to be on the safe side.”
Liam’s furious expression softened when he saw the concern in her eyes. “Fine. I still think the joke is on you.” He grudgingly accepted a handgun from Nathan.
“They’re all loaded. Let’s get out of here,” Nathan instructed as urgency sharpened his words. They filed out of the basement, but a wave of dizziness hit the group when they emerged into the cabin’s living room.
Shit. The drugs are working.
Nathan fought to steady his reeling senses as he leaned against Venus. A sudden movement at the window caught his attention. He felt like he swam through Jello as he turned to watch a swift, fleeting shadow darken the window. Its presence served as a silent yet undeniably urgent warning that their window for escape was rapidly closing.
The sight acted like a shot of adrenaline to the group, snapping them out of the drug-induced haze as their sharper survival instincts took over. They all knew without anyone speaking it, that every second was critical now, every moment laden with danger.
“It’s time to move. Now!” Nathan barked as he assumed leadership. He gripped his weapon tighter and prepared to fight for their lives.
They already covered their faces, but they needed fresh air if they wanted to avoid being drugged. He lunged across the living room and wrenched the front door open. Nathan charged outside, gulping deep breaths of the clean air to purge his lungs. The others hurried onto the porch after him, greedily drawing the fresh air into their bodies.
Nathan desperately wanted to focus on his people and ensure they were all okay, but the silhouetted figures emerging through the trees surrounding the cabin drew all this attention. Just as the diary had warned, the figures wore all black. Nathan spotted their military gear and wondered who they were dealing with. That stuff wasn’t cheap.
Their faces were painted a stark white that stood out in the gathering darkness like lamps. Their eyes and mouths were smeared with slashes of black paint, giving them a ghastly appearance meant to terrify. In their hands, the invaders held an assortment of ranged and melee weapons that looked well-used. The group moved with deliberate menace. Clearly, these people were trained and ready to engage.
Nathan’s pulse raced as he watched them emerge from the darkness. “They’re here. Just like the diary said.” His voice was barely above a whisper, but they all heard the note of alarm. They were vastly outnumbered, with more arriving every moment. “Stay here and stay alert. We need to be ready for anything.”
Nathan moved cautiously to step down from the porch. Before he passed out of reach, Ethan grasped his shoulder.
“What if they’re just idiots? We can’t afford to shoot first and think later. I just got my brother back. I don’t want you locked up again!” Ethan pleaded in a voice thick with concern.
Nathan nodded, acknowledging his younger brother’s worries. “I have no intention of ever going back to prison. I don’t know how this is going to go, but I will make sure I have enough to prove self-defense before I hurt anyone,” he whispered in response.
Ethan reluctantly released him. “I hope that’s enough.”
Nathan shrugged. “What else am I gonna do? Let them kill all of us?”
When only silence met this question, Nathan turned back to the newcomers, who stood silently observing the whispered exchange. He grinned at the closest watchers. “Evening, creepers. Nice outfits. Somewhere, there’s a circus missing its main act,” he called in a jovial, teasing tone that carried to everyone nearby.
When none moved or responded, Nathan continued. “It seems like our quiet study weekend is disturbing your, uh…weird clown cult gathering. We’re just gonna head back to our cars,” he announced.
A lone figure moved through the darkness and approached the porch as the others stood motionless. His face was painted white like the others to shield his identity. Unlike the others, who were merely creepy, this man exuded an auto of chilling danger and eerie calm.
“Nathan, come on down here and talk to me, boy.” The man’s voice carried a note of authority that demanded attention with an air of showmanship that instantly made him think of televangelists. “Listen to your brother, now. Ethan’s right. You don’t want to go back to prison for killing another man, do you?”
An uncomfortable jolt went through him as the stranger proved he knew Nathan’s name, his brother, and private details about his past. While the information was a matter of public record, it didn’t make sense for this man to possess it. How did he know so much, and more importantly, what did he plan to do with that knowledge? As the unsettling realization sunk in, it left Nathan momentarily speechless.
The man’s smile widened as Nathan remained silent. His sharp gaze locked onto Nathan with disturbing intensity. “Oh, yes. I know everything about you and the others,” he boasted and offered a casual wave like they were old friends. “Hello! It’s a pleasure to have you here, Ethan, Olivia, Ruby, and Liam. We’re going to have such fun together.”
Although his words were spoken in a polite, congenial tone, Nathan knew the message they carried was anything but friendly. Something about that wave was wrong. It only took him a moment to notice the man’s missing finger. He’d met one other person with an identical missing digit—the weird priest from the gas station. His mind whirled with the unexpected connection as he struggled to comprehend the evolving situation while unraveling the mystery shrouding the enigmatic priest.
A sly grin turned up the corners of Nathan's mouth as he offered an answering wave. “You’re not the only one who knows things, priest. Or maybe I should just call you Stumpy? Yeah. I like that better.” His tone was light and teasing, yet it was tinged with a hint of challenge.
The other watchers’ reaction was immediate. They all glared at Nathan with intense hatred, and he thought he’d heard at least one shocked gasp at the nickname. He silently laughed. If that bothered them, they were in for a real show.
One of the painted freaks lunged forward and barked, “You will respect this great man!”
Nathan caught his advance with a brutal punch to the gut and smirked at him as he writhed on the ground. “Will I? I’m not so sure, buddy.”
“Hush, my child,” the priest interrupted. “There is no need to escalate matters on my behalf.”
The flustered follower nodded in respect before crawling back into the shadows. Nathan crossed his arms and remained unimpressed by the theatrics. According to the horrific accounts in the diary, these people wanted to hunt and kill them.
Nathan stepped off the porch and moved a step closer to the priest. “So, you’re the leader of a creepy clown cult, huh?” he quipped in a tone heavily laced with sarcasm. “Old man, go back to church and start what I’m sure will be a very lengthy confession. You shouldn’t be out here in the woods threatening a bunch of helpless and harmless geeks.” He waved his hand in a nonchalant gesture to indicate the others huddling together on the porch behind him.
“What do you want from us?” Olivia demanded in a plaintive wail. “Why are you doing this?”
The priest smiled. “Cleansing the Earth of scum is our sacred duty.”
“But we didn’t do anything!” Olivia shouted.
Nathan took another step, snapping a twig underfoot and ratcheting the tension higher. As if he needed reminders of how precarious their situation had become. Nathan could plainly see the strangers’ eagerness to attack growing by the moment. It felt eerily reminiscent of rival gangs in the prison yard. Each side stood frozen in place, measuring the other and waiting to see who struck first.
Think first. Then shoot.
Maybe the reminder would help Nathan keep his temper under control. He doubted it, though. He didn’t do well when people he loved were threatened, and he hated bullies. A flicker of determination lit Nathan’s eyes as he closed the distance between himself and Stumpy. He couldn’t afford to hesitate now. If he moved swiftly, he could silence the cult leader before anyone could intervene and demonstrate their defiance in one act.
With the calculated precision born from years of honing his fighting instincts, Nathan’s right hook found its mark with devastating force. The impact reverberated through his knuckles as Stumpy staggered back, clutching his face. The priest’s composure crumbled like fragile clay as he roared with fury.
The next few seconds unfolded in a blur of motion that everyone involved would be hard-pressed to sort out accurately. The forest canopy alone bore full witness to the truth as the scene below exploded into chaos. Nathan knew it was the time for decisive action, so he took it.
Stumpy stumbled two steps and crashed to the ground in a rustle of leaves. The priest’s seemingly unshakable control shattered in an instant. In that moment, Nathan’s silent declaration of defiance spoke volumes. He refused to be intimidated or controlled by anyone, especially those who lurked in the shadows with sinister intentions.
Two people ran to help Stumpy, but the others surged toward Nathan. His choice had become shoot now or die. They’d run out of time to think. He aimed and fired at a man to his left as he aimed at the group on the porch. The bullet went through the man’s forehead. Good. He couldn’t afford to waste bullets.
“Ethan, three o’clock!” he shouted as he turned to face another approaching attacker.
Reacting on instinct, Ethan turned and fired in one movement, killing an attacker moments before he pulled the trigger. His gun had been aimed at Olivia. The brothers’ quick, decisive actions rippled through the quiet night, forcing the watchers back. Nathan urged the others forward, and they moved as a group, crunching twigs underfoot as they fought for their freedom.
They hadn’t taken five steps before Liam wrenched back from Ethan and his post as rear guard. “No!” he screamed. His voice cracked with panic and disbelief. “This isn’t how it’s meant to happen!” Liam fumbled with his handgun for a moment before a shot thundered through the clearing.
Ethan clutched his arm and lurched forward. The blood drained from his face, and he fell back against a tree. Nathan’s heart dropped as he saw the crimson staining his little brother’s arm after Liam shot him.
Nathan rushed to Ethan’s side to keep him from falling. Once he determined the bullet wound wasn’t immediately fatal, he whirled on Liam with unadulterated fury burning in his eyes. He pointed the barrel at Liam’s face and glared at the young man, who was again pointing a gun at Ethan. “What the fuck are you doing, Liam?”
Olivia lunged toward Liam, clearly determined to wrestle the gun from his grasp. The light of madness gleamed in his eyes as he fought to finish what he’d started. “If I can’t have Olivia, no one will.”
Before anyone had a chance to react, Liam screamed with insane triumph and swung his gun toward Olivia instead. There was no time. Liam pulled the trigger, and the gunshot roared through the clearing with the force of rolling thunder. Olivia collapsed in a lifeless heap as blood seeped from the bullet wound in her forehead. Her unseeing eyes were fixed on the distant forest and the freedom she would never find.
“NO!” Ethan’s ragged cry rang with despair as he watched Olivia die. His heart shattered in that instant, and he tried to rush to her side. Nathan forcefully pulled him back, heedless of the recent injury.
“She’s already gone, man. If I let you go out there for her body, you’ll die too. Come on. We gotta get out of here. Ruby is still alive, and she needs us.” Nathan’s voice was choked with grief, but it still carried the sharp edge of resolve.
Rather than attacking directly, the painted strangers formed a circle around the group. They didn’t rush. They waited. Watched patiently as if simply waiting for a signal. Nathan knew he should be calling the shots, leading their survivors to safety. Liam had changed the rules of the game, though, with his own selfish and twisted agenda.
“It’s go time, guys. We fight our way free, or we die,” Nathan told them firmly despite the uncertainty consuming him. He grasped Ethan’s arm, still slick with blood from the gunshot, and dragged him away from Liam. The menacing circle of armed figures presented a preferable option. They couldn’t afford to lose control to rage, and that was all they’d find with that coward.
Ethan lagged, unable to shake himself from the overwhelming stupor of grief. Nathan shook his brother. “I need you to focus, man. Olivia wouldn’t want you to die here! Get your shit together. I need you.” Nathan knew it offered little comfort, but if he could get Ethan’s mind focused on the urgency of survival over the aching chasm of loss, they might live to mourn her.
It had been a very long time since Ruby was helpless in a fight, armed or not, and she didn’t hesitate to take matters into her own hands. She was better with her fists than a gun, so she tucked the pistol into her waistband and unleashed a flurry of blows on the closest attackers. They had to break the circle.
Liam happened to be the closest enemy, and she threw some extra force behind the perfect right hook she landed on his jaw. Relying on her muscle memory from countless hours of training, she followed with a swift left and an uppercut. Ruby unleashed her best moves at full power, pummeling Liam before anyone realized how completely she’d dominated the confrontation. He dropped the gun, stunned by the ferocious strikes.
Bullets flew from multiple directions as weapons discharged, but the darkness and chaos made it difficult for them to aim. The Stone brothers fought with ferocious determination, fueled by a desperate need to survive. The attackers charged forward with bloodthirsty fervor, but Nathan and Ethan fought back to back. Their shots felled one enemy after another, yet still they came.
“Keep shooting!” Nathan shouted over the rolling thunder of constant gunfire. They moved with practiced coordination as the brothers adapted years of hunting with their father to the grim task. It was slow work, but they carved a path through the assailants until only an empty forest stood beyond.
Ruby hadn’t turned away from Liam. She still pummeled his limp body with rapid punches and kicks. Liam was no longer a threat. Nathan wasn’t sure he was even still alive.
“He’s down, Ruby! Leave him and get over here. It’s time to go!” Nathan shouted as he fired at an oncoming attacker. The gun clicked empty, and Nathan threw it at the man’s painted face as he dodged low to land a devastating punch to his stomach. He pushed the attacker backward, and Ethan’s bullet finished him.
Ruby was beyond reason. Rage consumed her, and she struggled to pull away from the traitorous loser. Each precise strike was fueled by a fury that had been building for a long time before this terrible night. Like the brothers, her skills were honed not just for sport but for survival. She unleashed them with lethal efficiency.
She focused so intently on eliminating Liam that she never saw the painted man creep up behind her. He smashed a meaty fist into Ruby’s right temple, and she stumbled into a nearby tree. The blow hadn’t knocked her unconscious, but her vision was doubled, and her legs wobbled. Ruby shook herself and tried to clear the fog from her head. Her life depended on it.
Deeper into the shadowed forest surrounding the cabin, a shadow lunged toward Ethan. The painted man brandished an axe with a wild gleam in his eyes. Ethan reflexively sidestepped the initial swing and grabbed the enemy’s arm. He used the larger man’s momentum to throw him to the ground. As he wrestled with the axe-wielder on the forest floor, Ethan’s eyes widened as he caught sight of his brother.
“Nathan, on your six!”
The warning gave Nathan enough time to duck away from the spiked club swung at his head. Out of ammo and lacking an efficient weapon, his options were limited. Still, he’d made it through worse. He dodged another swing and went low, rolling to get behind his opponent. He spun and delivered a sharp punch to the man’s gut, followed by a powerful uppercut that sent him staggering backward to collapse in a heap.
Once, Nathan would have been horrified at the possibility he’d killed another man with his deadly punch. Now, he only stopped long enough to make sure the man wasn’t getting up either way.
Ethan’s fight was raw and brutal. The attacker refused to let go of the axe, and he’d sustained some deep slashes as they fought. He knocked the painted man unconscious by slamming his head onto a raised tree root and wrenched the axe from his hands. Panting for breath, he stood and scanned the area to ensure there were no other immediate threats approaching before daring to check on the others.
The priest had ordered the others to stay back, and silence fell as no new attackers came forward. Nathan breathed a sigh of relief and looked for Ruby. “Come on, Ruby Roundhouse! It’s time to go. Now!”
As she dropped her last foe and turned to join them, a single gunshot obliterated the tense quiet of the forest behind them. The brothers whirled around, and their eyes widened in shock as the priest grinned at them, a gun clenched in his hand.
“Damn it!” Nathan cursed. He should have killed that creepy bastard when he’d had the chance.
Nathan realized with horror that Stumpy hadn’t fired a warning shot when Ruby collapsed as her body convulsed in pain. His heart clenched at the sight as his protective instincts urged him to drag her to safety.
Blood spread across her shirt from the gunshot wound in her gut, and her words came out garbled. “Run! Nathan, Ethan, run!” Her words cut through the chaos, and they heard her hopeless urgency and pain. She knew she wasn’t going to live through this.
The brothers were further into the forest, with no attackers in the immediate vicinity. Nathan hesitated for only a moment. Although it killed something in him to do it, Nathan grabbed Ethan’s arm and ran. The only rational choice was to retreat and regroup.
Stumpy wasted no time. He ordered his surviving minions to drag Ruby’s limp body into the cabin. He stopped beside Liam and looked down at him with disdain. “You might as well grab this one too. He’s not dead yet.”
The door slamming shut after the priest’s ominous proclamation was the last thing Nathan heard as they crashed into the dark forest. Frustration and guilt surged through him. He knew Ruby might still be alive if he’d properly neutralized the threat. Now, he would always live with the dire consequences.
They’d moved beyond the closest enemies, but they heard people moving through the trees. Ethan wrenched his arm away and whirled to glare at his brother. “We can’t just leave her!” he insisted. His voice was strained, and his gaze darted around to watch for threats.
“Don’t you think I want to go back for her? We’re out of ammo and hopelessly outnumbered. Going back would be pointless and suicidal. That was a gut shot. If they give her medical attention, she can live through this.”
“I can’t believe you, man. I never thought you were a coward!” Ethan snarled, his voice and expression reflecting the emotional torture he felt.
Nathan flinched at the caustic words but remained firm in his decision. “I don’t want to go! We can’t do it alone, bro. We will just die with them, and no one will know. We need backup.”
Ethan’s anger vanished in an instant, and he seemed to deflate. The crushing helplessness of their situation weighed heavily on their hearts as he nodded. They continued their escape through the dark forest. Immediate survival was their only goal. Without help, they could do nothing but die.
Driven by fear and determination, Nathan and Ethan sprinted into the darkness. They tripped over raised tree roots and lost count of the branches that slapped them in the face. They chose speed over stealth. While they gained distance, they left an obvious trail for their relentless pursuers to follow.
Eventually, the sounds around them died away, and they stopped long enough to catch their breath. Every rustle of leaves and snapping twig heightened their anxiety and urged them to find a safe refuge before they spared time to strategize.
Both brothers were exhausted, and even the fires of adrenaline-fueled eventually ran cold. They collapsed with relief when they finally emerged onto the main road at the edge of the forest. Gasping for breath and disheveled from the harrowing escape, they allowed themselves a brief moment of rest to recover. Ethan was pale from blood loss, and he staggered wearily as he fought to catch his breath.
The urgent need for backup and a logical plan of action consumed Nathan’s mind as he scanned the surroundings for anything that could help. Several long minutes passed before he spotted the telltale sight of headlights in the distance. He ran into the road, waving his arms to catch the driver’s attention.
“Hey! Stop, we need help!” he shouted in a voice still horse from the frantic run. His cry didn’t carry far in the quiet night, but it went far enough.
Ethan stumbled into the road next to him as a police car rolled to a stop in front of them. The headlights illuminated their injuries, and he was sure they presented a grisly sight. They forced their weary muscles to propel them toward the police car and the help it represented.
Nathan’s chest tightened with panic. The presence of the police should have been welcome in a situation like theirs. However, nothing about this nightmare had been normal. He’d seen the priest talking to a cop at the convenience store. Even then, something had felt off about the interaction. With his luck, it would be the same cop.
His steps ground to a halt and he pulled Ethan to a stop beside him. All his instincts were on high alert and screaming that they needed to prepare for whatever came next.
“What are you doing?” Ethan asked.
“You remember the priest at the gas station? He was talking to a cop. If he’s in on it, he could stick us in the back seat and drive right back to them.”
Ethan groaned. “Well, yeah, but what else are we gonna do?”
“Damn it,” Nathan muttered. “I hate it, but you’re right. We have to take the risk.”
The officer rolled down his window. It was the same cop. “What’s going on here, boys? You two look like hell.”
Nathan's pulse raced as he stared at the cop, and his mind whirled with suspicion. He snatched the gun from Ethan’s waistband and pointed it at the cop. It was empty, but he didn’t know that. “Your priest buddy is the leader of a crazy murder cult. Are you part of it?” he demanded. His intent gaze was fixed on the other man’s face, watching for any sign of reaction.
The cop shook his head sadly and sighed. “I tried to warn you, Nathan. You didn’t listen to me.”
“Who the hell are you?” Nathan demanded.
“Let’s go with John Smith. I can’t tell you who I work for, but you must remember that I tried to get you to ditch the cabin for a party town on down the road.”
“Obviously, you know what’s going on. What can you tell us?” Nathan’s frustration continued to grow as he found more questions than answers.
John scanned the area for any sign of movement. “You’re not the only ones in danger. Get in before they see us. It’s not safe to stop here.” His gaze darted from tree to tree as if he expected trouble to emerge at any moment.
Nathan grappled with the implications of Smith’s words. No matter what he chose to do, they needed to act swiftly. The gun was heavy in his hand as he considered the options. He glanced at Ethan’s pale, shaky form and knew he couldn’t last much longer with all the blood he’d lost. They had to take the chance.
“Get in the back,” he told his brother as he went around the car and climbed into the passenger seat. He kept the gun trained on Smith. “Don’t do anything stupid.”
Smith didn’t hesitate. Young, anxious men with guns rarely appreciated anyone pushing limits. The tires screeched on the pavement as the car fled the scene like bank robbers after a heist. Nathan counted on his brother to watch the road. He fought to control his chaotic whirlwind of thoughts but maintained a firm grip on the gun, his gaze unwaveringly fixed on the cop.
“Our friend is still at the cabin. Your priest buddy shot her in the gut. Another one of those freaks murdered our other friend. You need to call for backup right now. We have to help Ruby,” Nathan declared in a forceful tone that left no room for argument.
He risked a glance at the rearview mirror and felt sick at the desolate expression on Ethan’s face. He looked like he’d aged ten years, with the heartbreak and shock etched into his features. Olivia had been the love of his life. It would be a very long time before he recovered from the soul-deep turmoil that tormented him now.
“There’s no point calling for backup,” Smith told them in a grave tone. Nathan’s grip tightened on the gun, and his muscles tensed. The cop shook his head. “Calm down! Backup will only take you back to the compound.”
Nathan’s eyes widened in disbelief. “What? All the cops here are crooked?” The realization hit like a sledgehammer. Despite his time in prison, Nathan still believed in the system. This monstrous betrayal of duty shook his faith to the core.
“You don’t understand!” Smith protested. “It’s bigger than this town. Bigger than the whole damn state. If you want to live through the next week, flee now and forget you were ever here.”
“Never gonna happen,” Ethan muttered.
Nathan’s mind raced as he processed the situation and whether they could trust this man’s word. “Why are you helping us? Are you even a real cop?” Every new revelation deepened his confusion. Clearly, this cop knew at least some of what the cult was up to. He’d tried to dissuade Nathan from staying at the cabin.
Smith drew a deep breath and exhaled a heavy sigh. “I have my reasons,” he answered cryptically. “Yes. I am a real cop.”
The car slowed. “I’m going to pull over here. Nathan, you need to knock me out. Just, uh, don’t use that killer right hook, okay? Make it look like you ambushed me and took the car.” Smith parked and reached into his pocket to retrieve a cell phone. He passed it to Nathan. “I will contact you on this. Don’t use this to call anyone else, do you understand?
Nathan nodded his acknowledgment and slid the phone into his pocket. “How far do we have to go to find cops who aren’t dirty? We can’t just run away.”
Smith shook his head. “Damn it, aren’t you listening? They’re too big. There’s nothing you can do. Get out of here and pray they don’t bother tracking you down to keep you quiet!” Nathan merely stared at Smith and waited for an answer. The cop groaned. “Fine. Go at least a hundred miles. Nowhere is far enough, but you’ll at least have a chance. I’m telling you now, anyone you bring into this mess is going to get paid off or die.”
“Surely you’ve seen enough of the hell in that cabin to know we can’t do that,” Ethan replied.
Smith ran a hand through his hair in frustration. “Fuck it. I tried. Let’s do this. They could show up at any time.” They climbed out of the car and moved to the grassy patch beside the road. “Not the killer knockout,” he reminded Nathan as he braced himself for the blow.
Nathan nodded. He could have killed him. It would be the first life his fists had taken, but they needed someone on the inside if they had any hope of success. As he pulled his fist back to strike, Smith held up his hands.
“Wait one minute!” he cried.
His fist hovered in the air, and confusion painted his features. “What?”
“You’ll be framed for all this. Don’t get caught, and don’t tell anyone about me. Do you understand? Mentioning me will only get us both killed. Don’t draw attention to yourself, or things will get a lot worse for you.” His warning carried the crushing weight of impending consequences suffused with an aura of looming danger.
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Nathan demanded.
Would it kill this guy to just talk like a normal person?
“Never mind that. I’ve already said too much. Just remember it.”
Nathan heard the urgency in his voice and it drove his need to move. Lights glimmered in the distance, and he imagined it was the headlights of approaching vehicles. It was time to go.
“Just punch him! We need to get out of here,” Ethan demanded as he climbed into the passenger seat.
“In what way will things get worse?” he repeated as he cocked his fist back again.
“They will put you on the demon project.”
Nathan’s fist connected with Smith’s jaw. The Stone brothers left him unconscious on the side of the road as the stolen cruiser’s taillights faded into the distance.
