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Meg opened her eyes, once again back at the campfire with the other survivors. Nea, who had been hunched over with her elbows on her knees, jumped to her feet with catlike reflexes.
“MEG!” She rushed over to her, hugging her tightly. “I’m so sorry Meg…. I tried to blind him but I wasn’t at the right angle and –“
“It’s okay Nea,” Meg wrapped her arms around her, “I know you tried. I’m not upset.”
Nea stepped back releasing Meg from her vice-like hug, turning her head to face towards the fire. “That fucking monster always saves you for last… it’s like it does it on purpose to force us out so no one can help you.” Venom spat from her lips. She hadn’t been blind to the Trapper’s pattern. Each round he picked the others off, one by one, leaving Meg alone without back-up. He would even force them out the front gate or into the hatch; it’s like he didn’t care the if the others lived or died, as long as he got to Meg in the end.
Meg subtly winced. His name is Evan. He is not a monster, Nea. You have no idea what you’re talking about. Meg sighed, knowing that wasn’t fair. Nea had no idea what Evan was really like; Meg was the only one who knew the truth. She didn’t know how the others would respond if they found out. Nea turned back at her, noticing for the first time that Meg had been crying. Her eyes fighting back the tears welling.
“Meg… oh, god… what happened?” She reached her hand out, brushing away a stray tear from her cheek. Meg tried to find the words but they wouldn’t come. She turned away from the fire pit, walking towards the woods behind them
“Well if ya didn’t do the things that made the killer obsessed with ya, he’d pro’lly leave ya alone,” Kate snarked, plucking the strings on her guitar. In every match Meg did that thing Laurie taught her so she could see the killer’s aura; it made it so they could see her too. Kate saw no point in that trade off. Why would you want to let those things know where you were?
“Kate…” Jake warned tiredly. It had been a long day for everyone, there was no need to poke at open wounds.
“What? I’m just sayin’ if you don’t want ‘em focusing on you don’t make it so damn easy,” Nea flashed her an icy glare, daring her to keep going as she trailed off to follow Meg.
“Kate.” Jake said, much more forcefully this time. Kate shrugged her shoulder’s and pouted her lips, returning focus to playing her cords. Jake leaned his back against the log, closing his eyes. They no longer slept, but damn did it feel good just to close his eyes and imagine he was just living off the grid. Not stuck in this unending nightmare.
Meg had stopped and was staring into the dark fog at the start of the trees. She swore she could feel like she was being watched, but there was no movement. Evan, are you out there? That almost made it hurt worse. The thought that he had been just beyond the tree line all this time, but unable to reach her sent a painful jolt through her chest. Nea’s quiet steps snapped her out of her trance, causing her to blink a few times.
“You don’t have to tell me what happened. I’m sorry for prying… I wouldn’t want to relive that torture over again having to retell it.” Nea glanced down, feeling once again the twinge of guilt for leaving her behind. Meg tried to hide a small smile, Oh, I definitely don’t mind thinking about it over and over… Definitely not the right time to reminisce about the numerous orgasms Evan had gifted her. Nea was the first person to arrive after the original four: her, Jake, Claudette, and Dwight. She was strong-willed, hard-headed, and full of fire. Her and Meg clicked almost instantly. Meg really considered Nea her best friend, and yet she couldn’t let her know the truth. The two sat down on a twisted log, and Nea draped her right arm over Meg’s shoulder as she leaned into her. Nea’s resting her cheek on Meg’s head.
“Why do things have to be like this?” Meg asked emptily. She wasn’t even sure what answer she was looking for, maybe just throwing it out into the dark. Whatever this entity-things goal was, she was sure it didn’t involve her falling for Evan. But it happened, and it clearly had the ability to give them time to build this intimacy. Why can’t you just let me see him in between matches? Maybe it enjoyed the torment they experienced constantly being pried apart. Allowing them just enough time to sedate their lust, but never giving enough for them to build their connection.
“I don’t know….” Nea mumbled. It had been what, 3, 4 years? She didn’t age, sleep, or eat. There was no sunrise or sunset, only the campfire and whatever place they were dropped to repair generators. Her sense of time was lost long ago. She often wondered about her family, she was such a pain in the ass to her parents… did they even miss her? “We are going to get out of here, Meg. I’m not giving up. Someday we will never have to touch a fucking gen or see those bloodthirsty twats ever again.”
Meg felt a pang in her heart. Never see Evan again…? For the longest time each moment she spent not running for her life was spent thinking of her mother. Who was taking care of her? What did she think happened? Was she still waiting for Meg to come home…? This was the first time she saw a downside in going home. If she was returned home, would Evan be stuck here, waiting forever to see her again?
Neither woman said anything. They stared out into the woods, tempting whatever lurked within the fog to come into view. Holding each other tightly, they listened to the crackle of the never-ending campfire.
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Evan exhaled hard through his clenched teeth, trying to ignore the searing pain across his shoulder. The entity was not amused by him letting Meg escape. Part of the deal of allowing them their fun was that she would be sacrificed. Her life is mine not yours, remember who is in charge here it had whispered in his brain as it dug one of its sharp appendages into his skin, ripping violently downward. He could feel the straps of his waders rubbing into the gash, causing fresh blood to leak down his back. He knew giving her the hatch would result in punishment, but he could not bare seeing her impaled on a hook or speared through the abdomen by the entity. His mind wandered back to their time together. Meg’s soft lips dancing across his skin, tracing her fingers down his chest towards his shaft. Focus. This was not the time nor place to get a hard-on. He bent down, setting a bear trap underneath the shack window. Those dumbasses always seemed to jump right into this one. He winced as he straitened his back, feeling another trickle of blood run down the curve of his spine. He had promised 40 bodies in exchange for his fuck up. I’m sorry Meg… it looks like it will be a bit of a wait before I see you again.