Archive of Our Own ^beta

“Stupid game... what are we—in middle school? Why should I even care? Anybody can kiss anybody. Stupid. It’s just... stupid,” Abi muttered to herself with a rueful shake of her head, stomping through the woods in her trek to nowhere. Because what the fuck? What the actual fuck?

Abi’s first clue to the dogshit night she was about to have should’ve been the suggestion for the group to play truth or dare. Mainly because: it was truth or dare. And secondly: Dylan had been the one to suggest it, and that boy had never been the arbiter of good decision making.

Abi’s second clue should’ve been the fact everyone was ok with the decision to play. Because more times than not–when most of her coworkers agreed on something–that typically spelt trouble for the odd-one-out. Usually it was Ryan. Occasionally, it was Jacob.

This time, it’d been her.

The game had started off innocuous enough... sort of. Dylan had gone first, deciding to use his turn to essentially ask Abi if she was a virgin. Stammering over her words as she attempted to prolong the truth, she briefly envisioned a reality where she actually spoke her mind, ‘No, Dylan. I haven’t, and I don’t think you have either. Why are you always trying to act cool when Ryan’s around? Maybe if you stopped pretending, he’d actually give you his number.’

But Abi didn’t say that. She couldn’t. In part because it would’ve been intentionally hurtful in a way that Dylan hadn’t been. But also: everything had always sounded far cooler in her head compared to actually saying it out loud. What if she stuttered? What if she didn’t project loud enough? What if she irreparably killed the carefully cultivated, carefree vibe gathered around the campfire in that very moment? Nope. Nu-uh. Not doing that. So, she didn’t say a thing. Not until Dylan took mercy and rectified his previous question to, “Have you ever slept with anyone... at this camp?”

No, she hadn’t. And she said as much, finally able to release some of the tension that’d been building in her shoulders.

The game had carried on without incident for some time after that, following the average ‘truth or dare’ experience pretty much to a tee. That was, until, it’d been Kaitlyn’s turn. “Emma,” she decided, and there was something in her eyes that Abi couldn’t help but feel unsettled by. A feeling only further exacerbated by what came next.

“Dare,” Emma immediately replied, settling in her seat with a laidback nonchalance that almost felt calculated.

Smiling, Kaitlyn continued, “Emma. So you have to kiss Jacob or...”

The boy in question was practically glowing from the attention, shooting Emma a pointed glance that sort of made Abi want to cuff him over the head. And his bravado didn’t falter in the slightest as Kaitlyn rattled off the second part of her dare:

“Nick.”

Unlike Jacob, the other boy looked entirely caught off guard, eyes darting around the campfire, as if asking permission to be included in whatever the hell was going on. They were never quite able to meet Abi’s.

“Well then...” Emma drawled, giving this decision the consideration it deserved as she glanced between both boys. Eyes settling on Jacob and mouth flattening into a grim line, it looked like she’d made her choice, albeit a reluctant one.

Chuckling to himself, Jacob looked entirely too pleased with the situation, “Sorry, Nick. This isn’t even a dare, obviously I got this—”

Brow pinched and eyes narrowing but a fraction, it was the only warning Emma gave.

Nick picked up on it immediately, stammering out, “Uh... I don’t know if that’s a good idea—”

“I choose Nick,” Emma said, stunning half the campfire into silence. The other half just looked mildly amused.

“Uh—Em... seriously?” Jacob asked in disbelief.

The girl didn't bother with a verbal response. Her actions spoke for her.

Staring at the dirt beneath his feet, Nick did his best not to meet anyone’s stares; it wasn’t until Emma was mere feet away that he risked a look up. Deep brown eyes blown wide in shock, his arm instinctually encircled her waist as she settled onto his lap. And when Emma leaned in close, mouth inches away, he met her halfway.

And Abi watched. She felt like all she ever did was watch.

“Guys,” Jacob said, voice strained as he joined in as another helpless onlooker.

The kiss deepened, and Abi wasn’t all too sure about what she felt anymore. Confusion? Disgust? Betrayal? Some amalgamation of all three? Hard to say. But one thing was for certain:

She wasn’t the only one.

“Guys!” Jacob yelled, a bitter mix of anger and desperation as he watched his ex-girlfriend and (ex?) best friend swapping spit.

And Abi thought that might’ve been the worst part of all: she was now able to empathize with Jacob Custos of all people.

Nick and Emma parted, the latter of which wasting no time before hopping off the boy’s lap and sauntering over to her seat next to Abi. And that was fine. Perfectly fine. Because as long as Emma didn’t look at her and say anything stupid, Abi could manage. She would sit there like nothing had happened until she got the opportunity to sneak away to lick her carefully hidden wounds.

But Emma had never been one to follow Abi’s lead. “He’s good,” she said, smiling at the other as if she hadn’t just plunged her hand into Abi’s chest just to crush her heart. Because to Emma... she hadn’t. Because despite whatever her intentions might’ve been—despite the hurt and anger and despair Abi had felt—they hadn’t been malicious. More likely than not, she viewed her actions as a much needed kick in the ass—one she would’ve appreciated herself if their positions had been swapped.

But there weren’t. Because Abi wasn’t Emma, and in that moment, she couldn’t think of a single commonality they’d ever shared. None that mattered at least. Yeah. I’m done. We’re done.

With a disgusted look that she hoped to God scathed, Abi pushed herself out of her seat and left, ignoring the concerned calls after her. Which brought her to the unfortunate present...

“Great,” she huffed, throwing her arms in defeated frustration, “where the hell am I?” Because as she looked aimlessly around—seeing nothing but tree after nondescript tree—she was none the wiser.

That’s when she heard it.. A rustling in the bushes. A low growl.

“Uh-oh...” she whispered, body rigid and still.

“Abi...”

Startling, Abi whirled her head in search of the voice. It was raspy, and faint, and unlike anything she’d recognize.

“Abi! You out here?” a voice called out. It sounded like Nick.

But that wasn’t the same...

Swallowing both fear and pride, Abi decided to follow the new voice. Carefully. Silently. She walked until she couldn’t hear the growling anymore. Until it was nothing but a distant memory. Until she stumbled upon the root of all her current problems: “Hey. Um... hi.”

Nick stared back with a distinct ‘baby deer caught in the headlights’ look. “You ran off,” he said, plain and simple.

First of all: Abi did not ‘run.’ She walked—sensibly. Second of all: “I think that game just got a little too intense for me.” Exhaling a weary breath, she took a seat on a nearby fallen log.

“Yeah,” Nick muttered, taking a seat next to her, “I know what you mean.”

Succumbing to the stilted silence that followed, neither of the two could bring themselves to look at the other; there was a gap between them that felt like it was widening by the minute. And Abi didn’t know why she felt so inclined to reach across it.

“So,” she drawled, trying and failing to feign nonchalance, “all that stuff back there...”

And all Nick could do was sit there and blink as comprehension slowly dawned on him. Then, attempting to laugh it off, “Emma really wanted to make Jacob jealous, huh?”

“You think?” Abi asked. It was an interesting theory, at the very least.

He looked confused. As if he couldn’t quite bring himself to believe in the alternative. “I mean... yeah? Why the heck else would she kiss me like that?”

And maybe Abi wasn’t the only one who struggled to see herself as something to be desired. “True,” she half-heartedly acknowledged. It wasn’t as convincing as she’d have liked.

“I was just playing along,” he frowned, tone tinged in shame.

“Yeah. It’s just a game, right?” and Abi didn’t know why the words tasted so bitter.

Lips flattening and brow pinched, Nick gave a careful nod, “Right...” He didn’t sound so sure anymore.

And as the two sat there— inches apart—the air between them felt charged; the way they looked at each other felt meaningful.

Sighing, Abi turned away, severing the connection. “I don’t think Emma was the mastermind here,” she muttered, a familiar bitterness creeping back in.

The shift seemed to throw Nick off kilter. Quickly recovering, however, he asked, “Then who?”

Huffing a humorless laugh, “Well, Kaitlyn. All of them I guess, but mostly Kaitlyn. She’s sneaky.” Which sucked because Abi had always liked her. Hell—she probably would again by morning. But right now... she decided it was ok not to.

“Huh,” Nick said, rather lamely in Abi’s humble opinion. Unlike her, he was not yet fully committed to the act of shit talking. Awkwardly clearing his throat, he attempted to shift focus, “Truth or dare is a stupid game, right?”

It was a clunky attempt, and Abi was pretty sure he knew it. And typically... this would be where she let him have his out. She would’ve went along with wherever this conversation took them, regardless of how she felt about it. Because no matter no matter how much she wanted to press it—how much she wanted him to know it hurt —she’d have settled for her own personal dissatisfaction rather than risking making him uncomfortable.

That’s when she was overcome by a wave of calm. The same one she had felt wash over her amidst her high school graduation: ‘Nothing matters, because I never have to see these people again if I don’t want to.’ So, ignoring his question entirely: “You remember the second or third day of camp, when we were assigned to take our cabins down to the island ropes course together?”

He blinked back at her, taken aback by the sudden change in topics. Eventually, he managed to stammer out, “Yeah. That was when we met.”

No. It wasn’t. Regardless, “Mmm... do you remember that camper that had a little ‘accident’ on the course?”

An assortment of emotions flashed across his face, two of which Abi was actually able to pick out: relief that he knew enough to participate on equal footing, but embarrassment at his recollection of events. “Aw, yeah,” Nick winced, “he was so embarrassed. Thought his life was over. I had to take him to get cleaned up before anyone noticed. Well... except you, I guess. Thanks for not telling anyone.”

Nodding along, Abi gave a quiet hum of acknowledgment. Something from before still bothering her that she couldn’t quite move past. “That wasn’t actually the first time we met,” she said, searching his face for the faintest hint of realization, “we met at orientation. On the first day.”

“... we did?” He sounded genuinely surprised.

“Yeah. There were like a million people. But honestly...” she trailed, considering leaving him with that out—that plausible deniability. But just as she considered it, she was already revoking it, “You kinda seemed like a dick.”

Nick leaned away by a fraction, brow raised and mouth parted in surprise.

Yeah... Abi supposed he deserved an explanation. Because to be fair: there had been, like, a million people (though, realistically, it was probably closer to a hundred). She had walked into the lodge, feeling completely out of her depth, and was looking for someone—anyone—to be her lifeline. So, of course, her eyes landed on one of the tallest people in the room. Then, that person turned around and it turned out to be Dylan, so Abi decided to look for the second tallest person:

Nick.

Even now, she doesn’t think he’d been trying to be rude. She just thinks she’d caught him at a bad time. Shoulders tense as he flipped through the orientation pamphlet, he looked distinctly overwhelmed. Abi thought maybe that’d been the reason she’d been drawn to him—he’d been just as uncomfortable as she had.

“Hi, I’m—”

“Hey.”

Then, he was gone. He hadn’t even looked up from his paper long enough to know what she looked like. Which was... fine, she supposed. She understood, to a certain extent. But when you find yourself in an uncomfortable social situation, finally working up the courage to try and make a new friend only for them to completely brush you off? Yeah. That didn’t feel great.

Sighing, she finally explained, “I said hi, and you barely acknowledged me.”

“Shit,” he muttered. There was something distinctly self-flagellating about it. “I’m sorry.”

And that’s what set Nick apart from the others. The remorse. The genuine regret. The immediate apology. Abi had never gotten that from anyone else. Jacob made excuses, Kaitlyn argued, Emma deflected, and Dylan would laugh things off. Ryan was the only one to come close, but that always felt more like him saying what he had to so he didn’t have to deal with you anymore.

Smiling softly, she decided to give him the abridged version, “I’ve seen most counselors make fun of their campers. You know, tease them a little. Jacob does it. Emma kinda does it too. But you don’t.”

“I’ve had my moments,” he said, suddenly shy, “I’m not proud of some of the stuff I’ve done.”

Oh, Abi didn’t doubt that. In fact, hearing him admit it out loud was sort of a relief. “That’ll be Jacob’s influence,” she simpered, wishing there was a way to separate the boy from the company he was intent on keeping.

Head hung with something resembling shame, “Yeah, I tend to just fall in line whenever he’s around.”

He did. And it didn’t suit him. Not one bit. “You’re not Jacob,” Abi said, not even meaning for it to sound so vitriolic. Nevertheless, “Don’t try to be Jacob. Who wants to be Jacob?”

At that, Nick got quiet. Contemplative. Really giving her words the deliberation they deserved. Then, “Girls are into Jacob.” He couldn’t even bring himself to look at her as he said it.

Huffing a quiet chuckle, Abi gently bumped their shoulders together, “Not the cool ones.”

Dark brown eyes full of hope and awe, he asked, “Who are the cool ones into then?”

And that was all Abi needed to take that final plunge: “Guys who are cool enough to help a camper out of a ‘sticky’ situation.”

Once again, the air felt charged, and it would be so easy to close that ever-shrinking gap between them. To lean forward, connecting the two of them where it mattered most in that moment.

Nick was the one to turn away this time.

“That makes me feel a little better,” he said with a wry smile, staring at his feet. “You know that kid I helped ended up going home?”

Still reeling from the sudden shift, “Oh. No, I didn’t know that.”

“The other campers wouldn’t stop making fun of him for pouring orange juice into his cereal.”

Face scrunching in disgust, Abi managed a small chuckle, “Uh... yeah. Ew.”

“You win some, you lose some,” Nick shrugged. Somehow, it didn’t feel like he was just talking about ‘cereal boy’ anymore. Exhaling a deep breath, he rose from his seat, nodding for Abi to do the same.

She did, less because he asked and more because she couldn’t stand another moment outdoors. In the woods. In the dark...

Seeing as every path was designed to eventually lead back to the lodge, the two walked side by side down the nearest one they could find. The silence they found themselves in was companionable. Comfortable. Neither felt the need to cheapen it with pointless small talk, so neither did.

That’s when she heard the growling again. And unlike last time, she couldn’t brush it off. Because Nick heard it too. The two froze, eyes searching for the source but fearing what they’d see when they actually found it.

“Is it another boar?” Abi whispered, never having wanted to be more right in her life.

“It’s too growly,” Nick whispered back,

Heart plummeting into her stomach, “Is it a bear?”

Shaking his head as they kept walking. Cautious and careful, “It’s too fast.”

The silence that followed was considerably less comfortable than the last. It was tense. Oppressive, almost. Like one wrong move would lead to something awful but neither knew exactly what. But as Nick stopped, hand held out for her to do the same, Abi assumed she’d get that answer soon enough.

“Don’t,” he stressed, face drained of color, “move.”

Going dead still, the growling only got louder. Closer. Hungrier. And as Nick stood there, frozen in place...

Abi ran.

She got maybe a couple yards ahead before registering the fact that Nick had eventually decided to follow. And by the sound of it: he wasn’t the only one. The low growl turned into an enraged howl as something broke through the brush in hot pursuit. And Abi didn’t stop.

Abi didn’t stop until she was forced to.

One second she was sprinting through the woods. The next, a crushing weight was power-driving itself into her side, knocking her clean off her feet. It was a hulking, shuddering mass of flesh reeking of blood and wet dog. And as it sunk its teeth into the meat of her thigh, Abi screamed. She screamed louder than she ever had in her life.

“Get the fuck off her!” she heard someone yell past her own blood curdling shrieks. It wasn’t until the weight pinning her was unceremoniously thrown off her via tree branch to the face that she realized who it was.

Nick stood over her, chest heaving from adrenaline and exertion as he clutched the thick branch with both hands. And just as he got ready to drop it—just as he began leaning down to assess the damage—he was being tackled to the ground by another hulking mass.

There were two of them.

Abi faintly registered the boy’s screams past her own dazed agony as she stared down at her open wound bleeding crimson into the dirt. The bone—oh, God, she could see bone!

The creature on top of Nick gnashed its teeth past the branch he’d wedged into its open mouth. But just as it began to splinter, a thundering gunshot rang through the woods—louder than the ravenous snarls of the creatures and the terrified screams of their prey.

The beast was thrown off the boy, and he wasted no time pushing himself to his feet. And for a terrifying moment, Abi thought he’d leave her. She thought he’d turn around and take off down the dirt trail, saving himself and abandoning her to her fate...

She really should’ve known better by now.

Scrambling over to her collapsed form while the creatures focused on the new, unknown arrival, Nick kneeled down next to Abi. Then, without so much as a second of hesitation, he gathered her into his arms and ran.

Nick was a lot of things to a lot of people. A son. A brother. A friend. But if you were to ask him on a deeper level about what he meant to people... well. That’s where it got tricky. Because he had no fucking clue. Because Nick was whatever he had to be whenever people needed him to be it, whether he liked it or not.

He was a deeply insecure nervous wreck most days, and although his parents would never say it to his face... he knew he’d always been sort of a disappointment. And he got it. Understood it, even. He’d probably have been a little disappointed too if after having two amazing sons—the star athlete and the valedictorian—he’d been stuck with a third like himself. Just plain ole Nick.

Sometimes, he was the quiet one. The one that faded seamlessly into the background while the bigger personalities took charge of whatever situation they’d found themselves in—handling it better than he ever could. Other times, he was the loud one. He had to be or else the conversation would stagnate, and it’d be awkward for everyone. But most often, he was the one you don’t remember. The one you forget about as soon as you aren’t forced to be around him any longer than you have to be. Because Nick was attractive, but not enough to stick out. Funny, but not enough to be memorable. Smart, but not enough that you’d feel inclined to seek out his advice. Because Nick was just... Nick . And he was starting to fear that meant nothing to anyone but himself.

But none of that mattered. Not right now. Because as he stumbled into the campsite–a bleeding Abi in his arms–his own personal road to self-discovery would have to be ventured later.

“Please,” Nick panted. From exertion? From fear? He didn’t know; he didn’t care. Because as he stared at those gathered around the fire—Ryan, Kaitlyn, and Dylan staring back in wide-eyed shock—he knew that the only thing he cared about from that point on was getting Abi the care she required. “Help her!”

Kaitlyn immediately sprung into action, sprinting over to inspect the damage as Nick lay the girl against one of logs lining the campfire. Ryan was next, grabbing the shotgun that someone had decided to bring for some fucking reason (though, given the circumstances, Nick supposed he couldn’t lament that too much). Dylan kept a healthy distance, catching one glimpse of the gore leaking from the girl’s leg and turning a lovely shade of green.

“Shit, Nick, what the hell happened?” Kaitlyn gasped, using a discarded towel to apply pressure despite Abi’s pained protests.

“I-I don’t know,” he stammered, wanting nothing more than to offer an explanation that didn’t sound completely insane. Because they’d been attacked, and nothing about it had made any goddamn sense . “It was like a bear, but not quite. It was almost like...”

Almost like it’d been human.

“Huh,” Dylan remarked from yards away. If he wasn’t so scared, he’d have probably managed to look a little smug. Even still, he couldn’t quite keep the vindication from his voice. “Wow. Bears you say? That’s crazy. Would’ve been nice to have... oh, I don’t know... a second shotgun—”

“Not the fucking time, Dylan,” Ryan snapped, diligently standing guard as Kaitlyn worked on their injured friend.

For a moment, it looked like Dylan might bite back with something worse. But he didn’t. Because one accidental glance at Abi’s mangled leg nearly had him sprinting to blow chunks into the nearest bush.

“We need to get her back to the lodge,” Kaitlyn said, ignoring the two’s not-quite-a-couple spat as she tied the towel taut against Abi’s leg, “the nurse’s office has some stuff I can use for a rough patch job, but she needs help—real help. Preferably the kind you can get in a hospital.”

Giving a stiff, acknowledging nod, Nick was already kneeling down to gather her into his arms again, more than willing to be the one to get her to the help she needed.

That’s when the bushes began to rustle.

Eyes wide in abject horror, Abi thrashed in both Nick and Kaitlyn’s grasps; it was the liveliest she’d been since getting mauled. “It’s back,” she gasped, words tinged with terror, “it’s back!”

Ryan instantly took point, aiming his shotgun directly at the source of the noise.

“Ryan,” Kaitlyn said, calm and steady, “what if it’s Jacob or Emma?”

A very good point, Nick thought.

“What if it’s not?” the boy replied, arms twitching in trepidation and uncertainty.

Again. Another very good point. Though, it wasn’t one anyone got the chance to really consider, for soon enough, a figure was stumbling out of the brush.

Jacob. It was Jacob. Of course it was Jacob... holy shit —they almost let Ryan shoot Jacob!

The exchange that followed went about as well as could be expected when it came to those two. Which was to say: someone nearly got shot. Point blank. With a shotgun . Thankfully, the group still had Kaitlyn as acting voice of reason, and the situation had been diffused before either side could come to blows. Well... any that actually connected, that is. Jacob had tried, and Ryan had ducked.

Muttering curses and insults beneath his breath, Jacob had marched himself back into the woods in search of Emma—now fully knowledgeable about the creatures potentially lurking within. And maybe if Abi wasn’t currently bleeding out right before his very eyes, Nick would’ve offered to help.

He should’ve said no. As soon as Emma had nestled herself in his lap, leaning in close, he should’ve stopped it right then and there. But he didn’t. And Nick wished he could say it’d been a product of the peer pressure and the alcohol and the general poor decision making of the night... but now? He wasn’t so sure.

Maybe a part of him liked the attention. Hell—he wasn’t exactly getting a whole lot of it before. Not at camp. Not at school. Not at home...

Maybe that was it. Because maybe when Emma had looked at him— chose him—it was the first time he’d felt seen in... well. Ever. It was the first time he’d felt seen ever. Even if it was for a dare. Even if it wasn’t really about him. But that was fine. He’d told himself that was fine, because it was better than the alternative.

It just sucked that the aforementioned ‘alternative’ was his lived reality for the last nineteen years of his fucking life. But as Emma had pulled away, connected to Nick by a thin trail of saliva that should’ve excited him, he realized suddenly and all at once: nothing had changed. Because Emma hadn’t chosen Nick because he was Nick.

She’d chosen him because he wasn’t Jacob.

It’d been a pretty sobering realization, and a swift one at that. Because as Abi stormed off, Jacob looking so angry at him before doing the same.... it was kinda hard to feel too good about yourself after that.

Perhaps Emma had been of a similar mind as she sighed, “You should probably go after her,” heading in the direction Jacob had left in.

It felt like permission, which was exactly what he needed in that moment. Giving a jerky nod, he’d immediately stood from his seat and went searching for Abi, intent on making things right.

Then, he stood idly by as she got gored by a creature of unknown origin. So. You know. You win some, you lose some.

‘It should have been you,’  a nagging voice in the back of his mind accused over and over and over again. And the more it persisted, the more he believed it—the more he wished that’d been the case. Because she’d have been safe. Because he wouldn’t currently be feeling so fucking useless.

Or maybe he would’ve. But at least then, he’d have been bleeding from a hole in his leg and would’ve had an excuse.

“Is there anything you need?” Nick asked, doing his best not to hover as he flittered around the nurse’s office, looking for something to do. For something he could use to make her comfortable. It was a little hard to do now that the lights were off, plunging the entirety of the lodge into suffocating night.

Abi grimaced, shifting uncomfortably in the small, stiff cot as she gritted out her reply, “No. Thanks though.”

The boy remained unconvinced, stammering out, “A-are you sure? You’re not hungry or anything, are you? Because I don’t mind running to the kitchen and...”

There was a small pinch in her brow that he would’ve missed if he hadn’t been looking for it. That, coupled with the slight downturn of her lips and the subtle narrowing of her eyes... Abi was annoyed. He was annoying her.

Nick felt sick. Huffing a self-deprecating laugh, he ducked his head to make himself smaller, “I know, I’m sorry. I’ll just... uh...”

Abi blinked as if snapping out of a trance, and her entire demeanor changed. “Nick,” she smiled, eyes softening, “it’s fine. I’m fine. Kaitlyn patched me up really good, and Dylan and Ryan are calling for help. You’re sweet to worry though.”

And with those words alone, Nick could physically feel the weight being lifted off his shoulder. Breathing a fresh sigh of relief, he took a seat in the chair next to her, making sure to maintain a respectful distance as he rested his hands in his lap. And they were shaking. Ever since she’d been attacked, he hasn’t been able to get them to stop shaking. “I really thought I lost you there for a second. When that thing was on top of you, I just...” he paused, throat tight as his eyes burned. Shaking his head, he managed to eventually choke out a quick but earnest, “I’m sorry.”

Abi’s brow pinched again, but she didn’t seem annoyed. This time, it was pensive. “You do that a lot,” she said. It felt like an accusation.

Nick bristled like it was. “What?” he asked, blinking back in mild surprise.

“Apologizing. You apologize a lot,” she clarified. And although there wasn’t any heat behind it, Nick couldn’t help but flinch. “You’re pretty good at it too.”

Quietly chuckling to himself, trying but failing to inject at least some amount of humor into it... “Sometimes it feels like the only thing I’m good at.”

“Why is that?”

“I, uh,” he trailed, shifting awkwardly in his seat. Nobody’s ever asked him that before. He didn’t really have an answer. “I don’t know.”

Expression unchanged as she studied him, Nick got the distinct feeling he might’ve said the wrong thing, having to bite his tongue just to stop the apology at the tip of it.

“Maybe you need a hobby,” Abi suddenly laughed, face breaking into a sly grin that the boy had never seen from her before, “have you considered knitting?”

Again, Nick relaxed. Though, this time felt a little more forced than the last. Shrugging the tension from his shoulders as he huffed a small laugh, “You know, my nan always did used to say I had the hands of a weaver.”

Abi met him with a stare he felt distinctly pinned under—the way a mouse would as it was hunted by a particularly spiteful cat. Then, faster than he could react, she took one of his hands in hers. “Yeah... yeah, I can see what she meant by that. They’re strong. Pliant...” she sighed, a strange sort of reverence in her voice, “long.”

Shuddering as she stroked him from palm to tip, Nick awkwardly cleared his throat as he attempted to retract his hand, “Uh... y-yep. Yeah. Something like that.”

Grip tightening—not to harm, just to warn—Abi didn’t let go. “I think you could be good at a lot of things,” she said, wetting his lips ever so slightly with her tongue, “if you wanted to.”

Do I? Nick might’ve been reading too much into things, but that felt pretty loaded. Charged, even. Sort of like he was being... propositioned? But that couldn’t be right. Because he was Nick, and she was Abi, and the two of them didn’t just do that to each other... right? Something was wrong. Seriously wrong. And Abi still wasn’t letting go of his hand.

It was starting to hurt.

Before Nick could say something—before he could pull his hand away with a little more force than before—the door across the room opened, and Abi released him in an instant. Like she’d been caught in the act. Like she’d known she’d been hurting him, and didn’t care...

But one look at her and Nick knew that couldn’t be true. Eyes wide and mouth slightly agape, she’d pulled away from him like she’d been burned. Like she’d woken up from a nightmare only to be greeted with an even more horrifying reality.   

Kaitlyn stepped through the now open door, shotgun in hand. And all it took was one look at them to raise her suspicions. “Am I interrupting something?” she asked, raising an inquisitive brow that had always managed to feel a little judgmental.

“No,” came Abi’s immediate reply.

And Nick didn’t think he knew enough to disagree. Then there came heavy footsteps from overhead, and suddenly, whatever he had thought about the previous exchange could wait until morning...

Hopefully.

Something was happening, Abi knew that much. But regarding the specifics as to what... well. That’s where it got tricky. On one hand: she’d been attacked in the woods, and she had the gaping hole in her leg to prove it. On the other...

She felt great.

Whether it was the adrenaline, or Kaitlyn’s quick patch-job, or something else... Abi didn’t know. She didn’t particularly care. Because at this point, the bite in her leg was nothing more than a distant memory, and soon enough, this waking nightmare of theirs would be too. Or at least, it would if not for the unknown presence currently lurking about upstairs.

“Don’t worry about Kaitlyn,” Nick whispered, sensing her anxiety as they both stared at the ceiling, “she can take care of herself.”

Considering the shotgun the girl had brought along with her to investigate, Abi didn’t doubt that. Though, that didn’t mean she wasn’t apprehensive. Didn’t mean she wasn’t realistic about their odds either. Because they were being hunted by an enemy they knew nothing about, and Abi had never really considered herself an optimist.

“Yeah, I know,” she eventually gritted out, more for Nick’s sake than her own. It felt like the least she could do after–for lack of a better term– coming onto him earlier. Because that’s what that was, wasn’t it? When she took his hand and hers, tracing the callouses hardened along the tips, she’d wanted nothing more to latch on and never let go. She wanted to take each finger in her mouth—one my one—and bite down until she tasted bone.

... which was not a normal thing to think or feel. Holy shit.

She didn’t know why, but there was something whispering in the back of her mind, telling her that she needed to be careful. Telling her that she needed to alert the others. Telling her that she was something to be feared.  But how the hell was she supposed to breach that sort of topic? ‘Oh, hey, Nick! Just letting you know I can’t decide whether I want to fuck you or cannibalize you. Now, would you mind following me into this secluded section of the woods. Why? No reason.’

“God—we’re so stupid,” she lamented, shifting uncomfortably in her cot as another loud THUD echoed from above. It’d only been a couple minutes since Kaitlyn had left to investigate, but that had been plenty of time for Abi’s doubts to start creeping in. “Everyone knows that you’re not supposed to split up in survival-horror situations. That’s like Horror Movie 101!”

“Well, the first people to realize they’re in a horror movie are usually fucked,” Nick chuckled, though, the fear hidden beneath it was tangible. Abi could practically taste it. “I think we’re managing pretty well, all things considered.”

Which was not the correct thing to say in that moment. “You thought letting Jacob teach a bunch of middle schoolers how to dead-leg each other last week was a good idea,” she snapped, an anger there she’d never felt before, “forgive me if I don’t exactly trust your judgment.”

And Nick just stared in shock, blinking back with those big, stupid, brown cow-eyes of his. “Oh,” he eventually managed to stammer out, “uh, yeah. Ok. I’m sorry.”

Again. Not the correct thing to say and definitely not the correct time to say it. Weird how something she’d previously praised the boy for could become so damn irritating so damn quickly. Exhaling an irritated sigh, she couldn’t help but mutter, “Maybe that is the only thing you’re good for.” It had been such a quiet, throwaway comment; Abi hadn’t meant for Nick to hear.

He did anyway.

This time, Nick didn’t apologize. “Yeah,” he whispered, smile small and brittle, “maybe.”

It was like a bucket of ice cold water had doused her head to toe, shocking her back into reality. Because Abi didn’t think she’d ever seen him look so miserable... and she’d been the one to do it. Panic seizing her chest as an apology clawed its way up her throat, she reached for his hand. To apologize. To make him understand that she didn’t mean that—that this wasn’t her. ..

But Nick was already out of arm's reach. “I think I better go keep watch,” he said, back turned as he headed for the door. It made Abi wonder what kind of expression he must’ve been wearing for him to refuse to let her see it. “I’ll let you know if I see something.”

He got maybe a quarter of the way there before it swung open.

Kaitlyn stumbled into the nurse’s office, slamming the door behind her as she practically barked her commands, “We need to go. Now.”

“What—why?” Nick asked, already stumbling after her on route to the window. “And what happened to the gun?”

Unfazed, she replied, “Lost it.”

Blinking once. Then twice. Then thrice , Nick exclaimed, “You ‘lost’ it?”

“Cut me some fucking slack, Nick, he was five times my size!”

This time, it was Abi’s turn to exclaim, “He? There’s a ‘he?’”

“Yep,” Kaitlyn gritted out as she pried open the nearest window, gesturing roughly at their new avenue for escape, “so let’s go.”

And all Abi could do was stare, because no way. There was no feasible fucking way she expected them to go back outside. Not with those... those things! “We should hide,” she said, eyes searching for something—anything—she could use to put distance between her and whatever was coming for them.

“Hide?” Nick asked like she was insane. “Hide where? Abi—come on!” He stumbled toward the window in blind desperation to escape, firmly allying himself with Kaitlyn rather than her.

Abi tried not to take it personally; a feat far easier said than done. And one that was entirely forgotten about as soon as the door at her back opened once more, a large figure staggering inside. She barely had time to blink before a big, meaty hand was clamping down on the back of her neck. Scruffing her.

“You ain’t going anywhere, girlie,” her assailant sneered, yanking her back toward him.

And in that split second, Abi acted on nothing but instinct. Though... she couldn’t say with any degree of certainty that it’d actually been hers . “Get off!” she yelled, ignoring the pain as she forcibly wrenched her neck from his grip, turning around to shove him away for her. What she hadn’t been anticipating, however, was him being so damn big...

Her sending him sprawling yards away was probably the only thing she’d been anticipating less.

“Holy shit!” Kaitlyn and Nick both yelled, the former of which was already one leg out the window. Leaving her. Abandoning her.

Abi couldn’t decide between descending on her prone attacker, or turning that attention on her supposed ‘friends.’ Ultimately, whatever frail strand of survival instinct she had left won out; she fled out the window with the others.

“Thanks for the help,” she muttered as the trio finally slowed somewhere along the path leading back to the cabins. Because if she hadn’t taken matters into her own hands—if she hadn’t been willing to defend herself—they’d have left her to her fate. And maybe she wasn’t as ok about that as they’d expected her to be.

Nick wore a stricken expression she’d smack off his face if he weren’t so freakishly tall.

“We told you to make a run for it, and you didn’t,” Kaitlyn said as she trudged along the beaten path; irritating Abi with her decision to offer her input despite the fact that the girl had technically asked for it. “And by the time we realized what was happening, you already had things handled.”

‘This is why Ryan kissed Dylan instead of you.’ Abi bit her tongue until she tasted blood to choke the words back. Because unlike Nick, Kaitlyn wouldn’t just take it. And even in this state, Abi didn’t feel like finding out how much power the other was packing in her right hook.

Though... call her delusional, but there was a part of Abi that thought she could take it. A part of her that thought she wouldn’t even flinch.

Shaking her head, she shook that thought out alongside it. Because that was insane— she was insane. So, Abi elected to ignore it, following silently behind Nick and Kaitlyn as the cabins came into view; ignoring that cold brush of anger as the two lingered a little closer together than she would’ve liked...

“Dylan and Ryan should’ve been able to get a message out by now. We should meet them at the radio hut and tell them what’s going on,” Kaitlyn announced, taking it upon herself to assume the role as de facto leader.

They got maybe ten paces forward before the PA system screeched to life.

Sounds of a struggle crackled through the speakers, Ryan’s panicked voice echoing throughout the entire camp, “Kaitlyn, get into a building now! Do not come up here—there’s an animal outside the radio hut. Get into a cabin now! Go!”

Eyes darting around the campgrounds for a viable escape, Kaitlyn faltered. Useless when it really mattered.

And Abi probably would’ve been more pissed off by that if she hadn’t caught a glimpse of the massive, albino beast currently tearing its way into the roof of the shack. Swallowing down both her bile and rising panic, she pointed out the cabin that she and Emma had broken into earlier, “There! The door’s already unlocked.”

With the night they’d had, no one bothered hesitating.

Once all three had made it safely inside—Nick slamming and barricading the door behind them—Kaitlyn was already attempting to figure out their next course of action. Attempting to regain the control she’d lost. “Alright, it looks Dylan and Ryan are safe inside the radio hut, but we don’t know how long the roof’s gonna hold,” then, in a surprising display of humility, she turned to Nick and Abi for their input, “any ideas?”

All Abi could do was stare . “On what?” she eventually asked, annoyance seeping in despite her best efforts.

The fact that Kaitlyn looked at her like she was stupid certainly didn’t help: “On how we get them the hell out of there.”

And Abi could physically feel her brain begin to blue-screen, because... what? Fucking—pardon? Because Kaitlyn didn’t help Abi when she’d been attacked by that man, but she was more than willing to risk all their lives when it came to Ryan and Dylan.

It was bullshit.

“They look like they have things handled,” Abi parroted back the girl’s previous words. Why? Because fuck Kaitlyn, that’s why. “I mean, it’s not our fault they hid in there when they probably should’ve made a run for it.”

Brow furrowing, it looked like Kaitlyn had something to say but couldn’t decide whether or not she should say it. “You’ve been through a lot tonight,” she eventually replied, tone tight and face impassive, “so I’m willing to ignore that.”

If the girl had meant for that to deescalate the situation, it had sorely missed its mark. “They have a shotgun,” Abi bit back, because what more could Kaitlyn possibly want? “And unlike you, Ryan probably didn’t lose his.”

But before Kaitlyn got the chance to fire back with something scathing of her own, Nick had chosen that exact moment to remind the two of his presence. “Well, how do we know Ryan’s the one with the shotgun?” he asked, raising a point valid to him and him only, “It could just as easily be Dylan.”

Scoffing, Abi didn’t bother holding back this time, “If it’s Dylan, then they’re probably dead anyways. Moral conundrum solved!”

And sure. When Abi had said that, she’d been expecting some sort of pushback. Maybe some kind of offended gawking accompanied by some half-baked defense of his friend. What she was not expecting, however, was anger. Genuine anger. Eyes narrowing, he scowled, “What the fuck is wrong with you?”

It was enough to give the girl pause, because how the hell was she supposed to answer? Because deep down, Abi knew she cared about her coworkers. Or at least... she knew that she was supposed to. But each time she tried to dig down deep—really tried to give a shit—she found that she simply could not. Like the futility of reaching for something only to find that it was no longer there. Which was weird because she should care. Because a creature of nightmare was getting ready to tear two of her coworkers limb from limb. Because Ryan was perfectly nice, and Dylan was...

Ryan was nice.

Eventually, her silence was taken as answer enough. But just as Nick had opened his mouth to presumably rake her over the coals for it, he was cut off by a deafening screech that echoed through every loudspeaker in camp.

Nick and Kaitlyn flinched at the noise, hands immediately slapping over their ears. Wincing, it looked like nothing more than mild discomfort to them. But to Abi?

It was agony.

Gritting her teeth and clamping her hands over her ears, she stumbled back against the nearest wall. It was all she could do to keep herself standing because shit—shit—SHIT—

Then, as suddenly as it had begun, it had stopped. And the trio was left wondering just what the hell had happened.

“Was that...” Nick winced, head turning in search of the source, “was that the PA system?”

Abi didn’t know, and she didn’t particularly care past the point of ensuring it never happened again. Deeming it ‘safe enough,’ she finally let her hands fall from her ringing ears, eyes scanning the room for any further threats.

She found one in the form of Kaitlyn. Because as the girl stared her down from across the room—eyes narrowed in subtle suspicion—Abi knew that amongst the few people she could truly consider a friend, Kaitlyn had never been one of them.

“Looks like it scared that thing off from the radio hut,” the girl said, prying her probing gaze away from Abi to address Nick, “we should check on Dylan and Ryan. You know, in case they couldn’t keep a hold of that shotgun after all.” There was a bite to her words that hadn’t been there before.

Abi couldn’t stop the twinge of embarrassment that followed, nor could she stop the surging anger that accompanied it. Cheeks burning with both, she intended to act on it, even if it was just to mutter something beneath her breath. However, she never got the chance.

Furniture scraping against wood, Nick unbarricaded the door before running outside, Kaitlyn close behind. Because apparently: nobody had a problem running headfirst into danger for a friend, as long as that friend wasn’t Abi.

She waited a couple seconds before eventually following.

Approaching the shack, Abi was able to pick out the coppery, pungent aroma permeating the air with each advancing step. It wasn’t until the door to the radio hut opened, two figures emerging, that she realized why:

Dylan and Ryan staggered outside, the latter of which helping the former down the wooden steps. Which Abi—admittedly—found a bit strange. Losing your hand didn’t exactly impair your ability to walk.

“What the hell was going on up there...” Kaitlyn trailed, eyes widening as soon as she took in the sight splayed before her, “oh my God! Dylan—what happened?”

“Oh, um...” Dylan slurred, speech stilted from shock and blood loss, “I’m ok. I mean... I’m not. But it doesn’t hurt.” Both him and Ryan were covered in blood. His blood. And Abi had to take a step away from them because...

Wrong. It smelled wrong.

“Ok, you’re in shock. Holy fucking shit,” Kaitlyn said, voice frantic despite her best efforts to remain the most levelheaded of the group. Turning to Ryan, she asked, “Did that thing do this?”

Ryan blinked slowly in response; Dylan wasn’t the only one still feeling a little dazed. Grimacing as he finally collected his thoughts enough to speak, he stammered out, “No. Well... sort of. It—”

He was cut off by the sound of gunfire.

Every head whipping over to the source, the sight that greeted them inspired nothing but terror. Another creature of unknown origin darted past, on route to the pool house in pursuit of something. Or—more accurately— someone. Because as soon as it entered the chain link fencing off the pool, there was another gunshot. And this time, it connected.

Howling in pain, the beast clawed at its chest before abruptly stilling. Swaying for a moment, it fell backwards into the pool. Dead.

Eyes wide and mouths agape, the group watched as a young woman sprinted by gun drawn. She was wearing an... eyepatch? Huh.

“What the fuck?” Dylan whispered, stumbling over his feet with how quickly he staggered back.

“Who’s there?” Ryan called, flashing the stranger with the light of his shotgun.

The woman ignored him, sprinting off into the woods and away from the scene of the crime; barely even sparing them a glance.

“Should we follow her?” Kaitlyn asked to no one in particular.

And Abi couldn’t even find it in herself to be irritated. Because the mystery woman had a gun, and she clearly knew how to use it. And as long as she kept that thing aimed at the monsters and not the rest of them... well, there’d been worse ideas had that night.

But ultimately, the group's desire to investigate the pool won out over traversing the monster infested woods; as each of them stepped through the hole punched into the chain-link, that coppery scent of blood only got stronger.

Not exactly hard to figure out why. Because as they all peered into the pool, body bobbing to the surface, they all let out a collective gasp of surprise. Because...

It was human.

Ryan took a sharp intake of breath, and if Abi tried, she thought she might be able to pinpoint the exact moment his heart broke. Because not only was it human, it was also his friend. It was Kaylee Hackett.

Reaching out for the other, voice low and soothing, Kaitlyn asked, “You ok?”

“I’m fine,” came his immediate reply, more from instinct than the actual truth. Face blank, Ryan his despair under a carefully constructed mask of apathy. That didn’t mean it was without its cracks, however.

But Abi couldn’t focus on that. In fact, she was having trouble focusing on much of anything besides the scent of blood in the air and water. Dylan’s blood. Kaylee’s blood. Fluctuating between extremes of rightness and wrongness that she couldn’t begin to comprehend the meaning of. Because Kaylee’s blood didn’t smell anything close to the nauseating stench of Dylan’s, and a part of her thought that maybe she should do something to fix that…

“Hey,” Nick said, placing a tentative and gentle hand on her shoulder. But with the words that followed, she wasn’t sure if it was meant to comfort her or steady himself: “Don’t look. You don’t have to look.”

Exhaling a shuddering breath, Nick’s musk helped a little with masking the conflicting scents. He smelled like cedar, and dirt, and the forest after it had rained. Leaning into his touch... it made her wonder what his blood smelled like. What it tasted like.

Acting on nothing but instinct and bad ideas, she turned her head to bury her face into his stomach. Wrapping her arms around his middle, she only tightened them as he tensed beneath her touch.

“U-uh... Abi?” Nick stammered, electing to rest his flailing hands on her shoulders. Not like there was much else he could do with them.

“Woah. Easy there,” a nearby annoyance chuckled nervously, words still slurred by blood loss, “squeeze him any tighter, and he’ll crack a rib.”

“Shut the fuck up, Dylan,” Abi hissed, voice no longer feeling like her own.

Brow raised and words terse, she might as well have slapped him: “Ok. Fair enough.”

“Abi,” Nick winced, attempting to push her off as gently as possible, “you’re hurting me.”

Taking another deep inhale, she locked her arms even tighter as she murmured, “You’re warm...” Basking in his heat, it made her want to tear into his stomach and crawl inside. Nestle herself somewhere deep down in his intestines, making her home in them. Then, she’d really be warm.

“Abi,” Nick gasped, tone pleading, “Abi, wait…”

Eyes wide, Dylan watched with dawning horror. Gaze drifting downwards, he stared at the stub of his hand like he’d somehow managed to piece something together. Voice pitched in panic, he eventually stammered out, “Uh. Kaitlyn, Ryan? Anyone with both hands, really—would you like to step in now? Please?”

And Abi would’ve throttled him if she could reach his neck.

But it was too late. Dylan’s words had already had their desired effect. “Hey,” Ryan was the first to say, taking a tentative step forward, “ease up on him, maybe?”

Kaitlyn wasn’t nearly as placating with her demands. “Abi,” she said with that stupid ‘mom voice’ of hers. Like she was talking to some unruly preteen in her cabin group. “Let him go.”

And shit—she never notice how fucking annoying Kaitlyn could be. Though, in hindsight, maybe she should’ve. The girl was friends with Dylan, after all.

Storm clouds concealed by the night sky moving in, there was a rumbling overhead. A couple insignificant drops of rain landed nearby. Almost as insignificant as those lingering nearby, their confusion turning into bated apprehension.

Abi ignored it all. Ignored the clouds, the beasts lurking in the woods, and everything else outside of that perfect little bubble of hers. A bubble occupied by her, Nick, and the bitter stench of his fear. And if he tried to leave—robbing her of that acrid scent—then she’d just have to drag him back. Kicking and screaming.

The clouds rumbled again, and this time, a steady trickle of droplets followed in its wake. This time... things got a little harder to ignore.

Recoiling in pain, Abi loosened her grip as a patch of skin on her arm sizzled with heat. Then came another droplet. And another and another and another. And it burned. Oh God—it fucking burned.

Sucking in a sharp breath, Nick begged, “Please let go.”

Abi dug her nails into the skin of his sides. Because if he wanted to tear her off, she’d take a pound of flesh with her as payment.

Wincing in pain as she began to break skin, Nick struggled in her hold as he attempted to get his arm between the two of them.

“Nick, get her the fuck off you!” Dylan yelled, ever the opportunist.

That was all Nick needed to hear. With the metaphorical fire lit beneath his ass, he shoved Abi away from him as hard as he could. Like all he needed was someone's permission to finally defend himself.

And for a split second, Abi couldn’t feel the ground beneath her feet. She didn’t feel it until her back collided with liquid fire, feet kicking against the shallow end of the pool as she struggled to free herself from her chlorinated prison.

A horrible, agonizing screech filled the air; she didn’t realize it was coming from her until her throat burned from it.  

“Shit—get her out!” another voice yelled. Ryan, maybe. Abi couldn’t really tell past the sound of her own screams and desperate flailing.

A hand wrapped around her wrist like a vice, pulling her forward and out even as she clawed at them. On her hands and knees, Abi retched water and bile as those nearby watched. Staring at the feet of her savior, she managed to crane her neck up just enough to catch their identity:

It was Nick. Of course it was Nick. And he was clutching his arm, blood leaking from between his fingers.

Raising her fingers to her nostrils, nail beds caked with his blood... it didn’t smell as good as she’d been anticipating. “Sorry...” she panted, gasping for breath as she shuddered on the wet concrete, “I’m so sorry...”

“There,” Kaitlyn said, taking a step back to admire her work, “good as new.”

Flexing his hand, Nick gave the wrappings on his forearm an experiential tug. The skin beneath still stung from the freshly torn gashes, but the pain was manageable. Far more manageable than the shit that Dylan had going on at least.

Shaking a bottle of ibuprofen, Kaitlyn almost looked apologetic as she explained, “This was all I managed to grab from the nurse’s station, and there’s like four left. If you two split it—”

One glance at Dylan’s shaking form in the corner, and Nick was already cutting her off, “I think he needs them more than me.”

“Glad we’re on the same page,” Kaitlyn smiled before presenting the contents of the bottle to the other boy.

Dylan took them immediately, swallowing them in one dry gulp. Nick didn’t miss his grateful nod as he waited for the painkillers to kick in.

“So...” Ryan trailed, eyes drifting to the figure laying in a shuddering heap on the pool house floor. “What the hell was that about?”

Frowning, Kaitlyn looked pensively between Nick and Abi before settling on the latter. “I don’t know,” she sighed, genuinely sounding concerned about the girl despite everything, “but I know that she’s been acting weird ever since getting bit.”

“Well, to be fair,” Dylan interjected, grimacing from the lingering pain of his back-alley amputation, “she did technically get mauled.”

Shaking her head, Kaitlyn was already having her doubts, “But she didn’t start acting really weird until after we got chased out of the lodge.”

To you, Nick wanted to say but didn’t. Because he’d been there. He’d been in the nurse’s office with her, and he’d been the first to notice something had been... off. And yet, he didn’t say a thing. Not a goddamn thing.

Maybe if he had, they could’ve helped Abi sooner.

“Rabies?” Ryan offered, “That’d explain the aversion to water.”

“She got bit an hour ago. I don’t think rabies work that fast.”

While the others continued their conversation in hushed whispers, Nick carefully stalked over to the subject of their debate.

Other than the slow rise and fall of her chest, Abi remained motionless. She didn’t acknowledge his approach other than her eyes flickering over to meet him, tracking every movement.

Shifting awkwardly under the intensity of her stare, Nick kneeled down close and cranked up the nearby space heater. Even with the towels they’d piled on top of her, she still trembled like she was freezing.

“They’re talking about me.”

Nick startled at the sudden input. Looking down at the source, he just furrowed his brow.

“They always talk about me when they think I can’t hear,” Abi muttered, shifting under her towels, “it’s annoying.”

Glancing between the girl and the group huddled in the corner, Nick replied, “They’re just worried about you.”

Scoffing, Abi rolled her eyes, “Yeah. I’m sure they’ve been really worried for the last three months. Because it’s been an issue since the beginning of camp.”

And Nick wasn’t sure how much of that he was willing to entertain. On one hand: Abi’s experience was her own, and he didn’t have the right to disparage it. On the other, however...

“I don’t think they mean it maliciously. Emma loves you, and Dylan and Jacob have only ever had nice things to say about you.” Really, the only times Nick has ever had the girl brought up unprompted was when Emma was gushing about her, or when his friends would rib him for not acting on his summer crush. And honestly? He had a hard time believing Ryan and Kaitlyn cared enough either way to devote their time gossiping about the girl. Point was: this didn’t feel like an issue, and a part of him thinks that it didn’t become one until about an hour ago.

“Yeah,” Abi sighed, a resentment in her tone that hadn’t been there before, “you would say that.”

And Nick was left reeling because... “What?”

“You just relate to them, I guess,” she said, and felt like an accusation.

Maybe that’s why Nick felt the need to defend himself, “I guess? Some of them are my friends.”

Again, Abi scoffed. It was cold, and dismissive, and entirely unlike her. And as she shifted, face coming into the light emitted by the space heater, he saw her for was she truly was:

Skin pale and sickly as black veins scrawled just beneath her eyes, her eyes glowed the faintest hint of yellow the more Nick stared into them. And when the girl spoke again, it was low and rasping, “Sometimes I think someone took the worst parts of everybody else and used them to make you.”

It came so completely out of left field, Nick didn’t even get the chance to feel hurt by it.

And whether that was just the wind up, or she simply hadn’t gotten the reaction she wanted... Abi continued: “You’re a coward like Dylan, a loser like Jacob, and you need people to like you so fucking bad like Emma. You’re uncharismatic like Ryan, and you’re not very funny like Kaitlyn.”

Even still, Nick didn’t move from his spot next to her. He couldn’t. If he did, it might be enough to finally shatter that fraying composure of his.

But Abi wasn’t done. “Worst of all: I just think you’re stupid. And I guess you probably take that after me,” she choked out, eyes wet and voice strained. Like she knew that once it had left her mouth, she’d never be able to take it back. But despite that–despite wanting to–she couldn't stop. “Because I was dumb enough to be interested in someone like you.”

The two were quiet for a long while. The only sound between them being her heaving breaths, the quiet murmurings of their coworkers, and the steady downpour coming from outside. 

“Yeah,” Nick eventually sighed, pushing through his own pain and hurt to try and meet her halfway, “I guess I am pretty dumb, huh?” He couldn’t quite keep the wavering from his voice.

Abi blinked back; she’d never witnessed someone skip every stage of grief like that.

Nick took her continued silence as permission to continue: “I met this super cute, super nice girl at camp, and I really kidded myself into thinking I wouldn’t mess things up with her. And look how that ended up. Making out with her friend, getting her mauled by a monster... yeah. Not exactly my finest moments.”

Bottom lip quivering, Abi could no longer meet his eyes as she choked out, “I think... I think something’s wrong.”

Huffing a self-deprecating chuckle, Nick concurred: “Yeah. I think I might’ve ruined my one chance with the coolest girl ever. Can’t get anymore wrong than that.”

Breathing picking up, Abi attempted to sit up. Panic flashing in her eyes, she tried once more to explain, “No. Nick, you don’t understand. You need to...” her words tapered off into a garbled, choked noise.

Brow furrowing, Nick found that a little odd. Regardless, he persisted, “I get it if you don’t feel the same, but... I really like you, Abi—”

A hand reached up, grabbing him by his neck and yanking him forward.

Wait... am I into this?

Without warning, he was being flung backwards with enough force to send him sliding across the tiled floor. He thinks he might’ve gotten airborne for a second or two there. Head colliding with the lockers on the far wall, Nick groaned as he pushed himself up to his elbows.

Maybe not.

“Nick, what the hell?” Kaitlyn exclaimed.

“Everything alright over there?” Ryan asked.

Really, the only one to offer any sort of recourse in this developing situation was Dylan: “Shit, dude—the gun! Get the fucking gun!”

To his left, Nick found the shotgun Dylan was talking about. On his feet and back against the wall, he was left with no other choice than to reach for it. And all it took was one simple glance forward to see why:

Abi rose from the damp towels piled on the pool house floor. Bathed in the light of the space heater, she bared her pointed teeth in what might’ve been a cruel smile. Eyes burning an unnatural glow of yellow, she hunched over. Ready to pounce.

Raising the gun, all he could do was stare her down the barrel. Finger briefly grazing the trigger, he had to fight back that gut instinct to squeeze. Because he was Nick, and this was Abi. Sweet, kind Abi who would never do something to intentionally hurt anyone or anything—

With a guttural roar and an agonizing screech, Abi exploded into a wave of gore and viscera.

“Holy shit—”

“What the fuck—”

A snarling, fleshy beast stood where Abi used to be. Yellow eyes honing in on Nick and Nick alone, it bared its just before descending upon him. Just like the one... in the woods...

Finger on the trigger, Nick squeezed.

The beast roared, rearing back as the slug made direct contact. Clawing at its chest, it staggered back in search of a quick escape. It must’ve found it because in the blink of an eye, it was gone, shattering a nearby window as it dove through.

The silence that followed was deafening, no one knowing how to break it. No one knowing if they even should. Nick’s quick breaths and the sound of the steady downpour from outside were the only things that came close.

Glancing down at his blood soaked hands, Nick still couldn’t think of anything to say. Not as he let the shotgun clatter to the floor. Not as he looked to his friends for guidance. Not as they looked at him, requesting it back in kind. No. It wasn’t until he’d sat with his thoughts for a good minute or two—the gravity of their situation finally setting in—that he even came close. Because Abi was gone, and she wasn’t coming back.

Tearing at his hair, Nick sunk to his knees in a grief he could no longer contain. And when the first tear finally fell, he couldn’t be bothered stifling the rest.