Page 15 of Camp Dire

“What? No! It’s for protection.”

“Oh, maybe I should grab something too.” Another thump reversed my direction, and I looked around the room for something to fight with. “Shit! There is nothing here.”

I finally settle on a statue that weights at least fifteen pounds. It will definitely do some damage if I hit someone with it, so I figure I’m okay. We both creep out the door and down the hall. It kind of sucks that I’m in nothing but a flimsy nightgown but it can’t be helped, there is no way I would have Annie check shit out all by herself. We stop at one of the doors farther down the hall and wait. Sure enough, the sound comes again. Holy shit! This just got a lot more real than it was when I first woke up.

And why was it different when I was running from Merrik? I wasn’t afraid of Merrik. I was afraid of what he made me feel. Now, I wish he was with us. Not just so he could protect us but because I would know he was safe too. Another thump lets us know we’re at the right room.

“Hello?” I call out but don’t hear an answer. Just another thump. I wrap my hand around the knob and turn it as my heart hammers a mile a minute at what could be behind it. What if the murderer brought a half-dead victim here? I'm not sure why he would do that; I am just thinking of the worst thing I can see behind the closed door. All I can think about is blood and…well, more blood.

The fucking door creaks like it came right from a fucking haunted house and out of the corner of my eye I see Annie raise her lamp higher, ready to fight. The door swings back and… there’s nothing in the room but another bed and a pissed-off girl handcuffed to the bed. The thumping is the bedframe hitting the wall as she pulls against the cuffs.

When she sees us standing with objects raised her eyes grow wide and scared. We hide the things behind our backs - or try to since I drop mine. “Thank God you’re not a psycho killer.”

“Um…not since I last checked. Are you guys…can you help me?”

“Are you Kyra?”

She rolls her lips between her teeth and looks from me to Annie and back again. “Yes. Are you going to tell that…asshole I’m trying to escape?”

“No! I have an asshole too.” I immediately feel a bond with her. “I take it you’ve gotten the ‘talk’ from your ma…man.” I chose to use the word man instead of mate just in case she hasn't.

“Yea, Kenny told me…um, everything.”

“Kenny?” Annie laughs behind her hand. “You call Kenneally Kenny?”

“The sheriff, right?” I know she told me but I just want to make sure.

Kyra nods. “Have you met him?”

I shake my head. A small worry fills my head. Why did Merrik not want me to meet his brother? Is he ashamed of me? Maybe he’s not really sure about the whole mate thing? I rub above ‘the spot’ and shove the worry out of the way. Annie rushes over to set her free only to turn back to me with a concerned look on her face.

“Um, I can’t untie these, Piper.”

I look around but don’t see what I need. “Hold on just a second. Don’t move.”

I rush out of the room and down the stairs, turning once I come to the bottom. I’m in the office before I realize what I havedone. How the hell did I…? How did I know that office was here? That Merrik only lets his brother in here? It's like someone was showing me the way and I didn't hesitate to think I was one of those people he would allow in here.

I shove all that out of my head for later and take a moment to turn my back to the door before pulling up the hem of my nightdress. Right above my pelvic bone is a small mark that kind of looks like…an animal bite.

He bit me! I push down the hem and narrow my eyes. I am so going to have a few things to say to him when I see him. So many things!

Chapter Fifteen

Piper

I come back into the room and go right to the bed, holding up my booty…a paperclip, and a letter opener. Both women look at me with questions in their eyes. Annie steps out of the way and I get busy. I wiggle the mechanism loose and then click it forward. One side of the cuffs pops loose and then the other. It takes me longer the second time because it’s on Kyra’s wrist, but I still get it done.

“Wow, Piper. How do you know how to do that?”. The look on Annie’s face says she’s impressed rather than judgy.

“Misspent childhood and a sketchy mother.”

“Uh, I had both of those and I don’t know how to unlock fucking handcuffs, girl.” Kyra rubs her wrists as she gives me a little more about her. Knowing she grew up kind of similar to me makes me like her even more.

The sound of something hitting the front door has all three of us running to the window.

“What the hell was that?” Annie might have asked the question, but it doesn’t mean I want to know any less, especially not when whatever the hell it was shakes the whole damned house every time it hits the door.

“Whatever the hell it is, we can’t just stay here and wait for it to get in.”

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