“I can’t leave you!”
“Fucking go! I’m right behind—”
Hunter takes his attention away for barely a second, allowing Mr. Gibson to lift his gun. The shrill sound of my scream fills the room as the weapon goes off, echoing through the room. A harsh grunt comes from Hunter as he slumps to the side. “Hunter!” I wail and dive for him.
“Ru—Run, Cat,” he chokes out, tackling Mr. Gibson again. I run toward him, but he yells, halting me. “Go!” Our eyes collide, and too many silent words pass between us. Run. Save yourself. You deserve to live.
“Run, Cat,” he groans, holding his arm.
I falter in my step, unsure. He needs me. I can’t leave him. But his eyes. They’re pleading. Demanding. My fists clench by my sides as I ache to go to him. Save him. But there’s that small part inside telling me this is him saving me. Mr. Gibson smashes his fist into Hunter’s gut, and it snaps me out of my haze.
My body moves on pure adrenaline as I bolt through the office doors. I fight not to look behind me and almost slip as I race through the set of doors that open up to the pool.
“Fuck,” I curse, my mind a spinning wheel of conflict. Do I go back? Find a way out of here? Run, Cat. Run. I look back to where I left Hunter, guilt burning inside me. Heavy footsteps echo from where I just escaped, snapping me out of my frenzy. Someone’s coming. He’s coming. I panic, my brain unable to register an exit. Boys’ locker room. I take off in a sprint, every step causing jolts of pain to radiate from my shoulder. I slip through the door and race past the lockers. When I get to the exit, it’s locked. No, no, no. I tug at it, constantly looking behind me.
“Come on.” It doesn’t budge, and my panic hits a new level. I scream inside my head, fighting the door to no avail. I frantically look around for a new exit, but I don’t have time. I hear the locker room doors open. My stomach bottoms out, and I release the door handle. Ducking, I slide into the corner of the boys’ shower, hoping the darkness of the space will conceal my location.
“Ca-a-at. Come out, come out, wherever you are.”
Chills erupt over my skin. I grip my arms closer, wincing at my shoulder.
“It’s over, Cat. You can come out, or I can come find you. Then again, we both know how you like to play hard to get, little tease.” Something bangs against a locker. A pained whimper escapes my lips, giving me away. “Ahhh, there she is,” he sings, his voice growing closer and closer. My heart pounds against my ribcage. Even in the darkness, I sense him. A monster in the night. His shadow grows larger until he’s just mere feet away. He’s going to find me. He’s going to kill—
Commotion stirs from behind him, and he stalls. Holding my breath, I lean forward and watch as something catches his attention. He stares back at the door leading toward the pool. Seconds tick by, feeling like a lifetime. Finally, he gives in to the distraction and turns around, starting back the way he came.
A relieved sob escapes at his retreat. I grab at my chest, holding myself together as his footsteps fade. I get ready to run but stop myself. I need to think straight. This may be a trap. He could be waiting out there for me. Another wave of terror wrecks me, and I huddle into myself, wishing for this nightmare to be over.
A roar explodes from outside the locker room, and my body tenses. Hunter. I don’t think. I just react. Pushing up from the shower floor, I take off toward the pool. My feet slam against the concrete, fighting to get to him. I should have never left him. My mind runs wild with guilt. Regret. I plow through the locker room doors, my head jerking to the left and right in search of him.
Until I find them.
“No!” A scream tears up my throat at the scene at the edge of the pool. Mr. Gibson has Hunter’s head under the water, trying to drown him.
Terror consumes me as I take off toward them. My legs won’t move fast enough. Oh god, how long has he been under? “Leave him alone!” I shout, throwing myself into him. My body collides with his, and he releases Hunter to steady himself. I stumble forward and catch myself, preparing for another attack.
“You little fucking bitch. I should have killed you at your house.” His fist jerks back and slams into my mouth. The world around me fades to black, and I grab at his shirt to hold on. “I’ll deal with you in a second.” He rips himself from my grip and tosses me backward. I trip and fall, slamming into the concrete.
I try to get up, but a wave of dizziness prevents it. Get up, Cat. Fight. The taste of copper fills my mouth. Turning to my side, I spit out a mouthful of blood. When my eyes refocus on Hunter, his head is submerged again.
“No,” a faint plea falls from my lips as I fight through the daze. I push off the ground, but everything sways. I need to fight. I need to get to him. I rush to the wall and rip off the fire extinguisher. Almost slipping on the wet floor and my own puddle of blood, I rush toward them and raise my arms, crying at the pain in my shoulder. With everything I have left in me, I slam the hard metal against Mr. Gibson’s skull.
Mr. Gibson releases Hunter. His hand faintly reaches up to his head, feeling his wound. When he pulls away, blood coats his fingers. His evil eyes latch onto mine. “You’re going to pay for that—”
His arm shoots out and grabs my shirt, thrusting me forward. In my weak state, I lose my balance, allowing him to throw me into the pool. The rush of water surrounds me, and I don’t have enough time to take in air. I choke on a gulp of water, battling to break free, my legs kicking, but Mr. Gibson has hold of my body. I make the mistake of trying to scream, only to let more water in. His fingers wrap around my neck, and I cover them with my own, trying to unlock his grip, but it’s no use. He’s stronger, and I’ve swallowed too much water. My lungs struggle for air, and I begin to convulse. The last thing I focus on is the sick smile on his face. He’s taking my life. He’s won.
Suddenly, his hands are free from around my neck. I kick my legs and fight my way to the surface, breaking from the water and gasping for air. Shock, then confusion spread across his face.
“Cat,” I hear Hunter’s voice through all the chaos, and I whip around to him swimming up to me. “You okay?”
“Oh my God, Hunter,” I cry. My relief is short-lived as I frantically scan the water. “Where is he? Hurry, we have to go. We have to get out and run.”
Hunter doesn’t argue, and we swim to the edge. I start to raise myself out of the pool and turn to Hunter, ready to tell him we need to go back through the girls’ locker room. But he’s still in the water. He’s slowed. “Hunter? What’s wrong? We gotta go—Hunter!”
I dive back in and grab him. “Hunter! Wake up!” I didn’t notice before, but now I see it: blood. A puddle surrounding him. He’s bleeding badly. “Oh God, Hunter, no. Don’t you die on me!” I grab at him, the searing pain from my shoulder causing my eyes to burn. Pushing past it, I drag him to the shallow end. I fight with everything I have to pull him up the set of stairs when someone grabs at my shoulder.
A screeching wail explodes from my lips, and I try to claw at Mr. Gibson.
“Miss, it’s okay. I’m here to help you.”
“Don’t touch me!” I scream, gripping an unconscious Hunter and clutching him tighter to me. I have to protect him.