The Lodge

  “Should we make a move?” asked Reed.

  “No time like the present,” replied Zoe.

  We made our way across the road to the dirt path which entered Hollow Point woods. Despite the minimal street lighting, a full moon sat high in the sky, illuminating the path ahead of us. Illuminating our destiny, I thought.

  “So how is this going to work?” asked Amber.

  “Yeah, are we just going to enter the lodge and shake the guy’s hand?” said Koby.

  “Somehow I think what happens is going to be out of our control,” Zoe said grimly.

  “Chad, did you bring the lodge key?” asked Reed.

  “Yep, managed to swipe it from the front office when my dad wasn’t looking,” I replied.

  We followed the lit track to the outskirts of the lodge. Our footsteps made a steady crunch as our sneakers tread on gravel and twigs. As we approached the lodge, our walk slowed to a creep. I bent down and picked up a solid piece of wood, which had broken off one of the many trees surrounding the lodge.

  “What’s that for?” Zoe asked nervously.

  “Just in case,” I replied.

  “In case what?” Koby asked. “In case we decide to have a campfire?”

  Everyone let out a small laugh. More nervous laughter. Scared laughter, in fact.

  “Can you see anything?” asked Amber to no one in particular.

  “No, it looks deserted,” I whispered in reply.

  A sudden bump jolted my lower back.

  “Sorry!” yelled Zoe.

  “Ssshhh!” Koby said, raising a finger to his lips.

  I cast my eyes to the lake. The full moon had lit up the water like one of those pools you see on the front cover of a home renovation magazine. Usually it would be a beautiful sight. But tonight there was something eerie about the shimmering body of water. We stepped closer to the lodge. We were now in full view and couldn’t hide if we wanted to, especially with this moon.

  “I don’t think there’s anyone here,” whispered Amber.

  “Maybe it was a hoax?” said Koby.

  We kept pressing forward until we were standing outside the lodge bi-fold doors. I glanced at my watch. Five past six.

  “Perhaps Koby’s right,” I said. “Maybe the email was from some immature junior playing a prank on us?” I had just finished my sentence when a shadow appeared from the side of the lodge. Zoe let out a scream and someone gasped as the figure rounded the corner. In a stage of panic, I raised the piece of lumber I was holding and brought it down heavily on the persons head. The impact made a loud thud and then the body crumpled to the ground.

  “Who is it?” Amber asked. I took a step back so the moonlight could catch the persons face.

  “Rohan!” I yelled. Even though we had our suspicions, I was still shocked to see his unconscious face staring up at me.

  “Is he alright?” Reed asked loudly, quickly bending down to feel his pulse.

  “He’s knocked out cold,” Koby replied. “He’ll wake up soon. Quick let’s get him inside before he wakes up.” I nodded in agreement as Koby and I bent down and lifted Rohan’s crumpled body. He lightly stirred as I stood up but his eyes remained close.

  “Zoe, reach into my top pocket and get out the key,” I instructed. Following my orders, she reached into my pocket and pulled out the small piece of brass. She unlocked the door and we made our way inside.

  “I’ve got the lights,” Reed yelled, as he flicked the switch. The sudden bright light caused Rohan to stir again. My mind cast back to late last year when my dad had surprised me with a new kayak for my birthday. It was stored in the back room of the lodge, secured to the wall with some J shaped hooks and rope. I remember him throwing the leftover rope inside somewhere.

  “Quick, let’s tie him up,” I barked. “Amber, I think there’s a piece of rope in the cupboard over there.” I pointed to a cupboard across from the lounge room. I think it was meant to be a linen cupboard but I knew it had accumulated a whole bunch of junk over the years. Amber raced across the room and opened the cupboard. She returned a few seconds later with some ten millimetre spectra cord.

  “Yes!” I shouted. Koby and I placed Rohan in a chair and proceeded to tie his hands and feet to the frame of it. I used to be in the boys scout as a kid so I could tie a pretty good slipknot. We double checked our knots and took a step back as Rohan continued to rouse in the aluminium chair. He looked so innocent. We had known Rohan throughout high school and although he was a little uncanny at times, I don’t believe anyone would have picked him as a murderer. As if reading my thoughts, Reed said, “Are you sure we should be doing this? How do we know Rohan is actually the killer?”

  “He has to be!” Zoe spat out. “The only people who knew about tonight were us; and Daisy of course. Therefore, Rohan has to be the killer.” Everyone thought about this for a few seconds. What she said made complete sense. Reed stood forward and examined Rohan’s head. “Guys, that’s some pretty serious swelling he has.”

  “Reeds right,” said Amber. “We can’t leave him like this for too much longer.”

  “So what do we do now?” I asked.

  “Ring the police,” answered Koby. “We have the killer tied to a chair. He can’t possibly hurt us. So now let’s call the police and explain everything that’s happened today.”

  We all nodded in agreement. I took my mobile out of my pocket to make the phone call. “Damn reception!” I cursed. It was only on rare occasions that a cell phone picked up range within the lodge.

  “Stay here,” yelled Reed, pulling out his mobile. “I’ll go outside and try and get a signal.” He jogged out of the lodge, his athletic legs contracting with muscle each bound. I let out a deep breath as I gave the group a reluctant smile. We were going to be ok, I realised. Suddenly a deep howl erupted in the woods surrounding the lodge.

  “What the hell?” said Koby.

  “What was that?” a nervous Amber asked.

  The howl sounded again. It was human. Reed!

  “It’s Reed!” I yelled. The scream got closer and instinctively Koby and I ran towards the door.

  “Amber, make sure you and Zoe stay inside, ok?” Koby shouted.

  “Ok,” Amber managed to get out.

  We reached the front door just as a loud thud sounded against it. I looked at Koby, his eyes round with horror.

  “On three,” I whispered, to which Koby gave a shallow nod.

  “One,” I murmured.

  “Two.”

  “Three!”

  We swung the door open and Reed tumbled inside.

  “Reed! Dude! Are you ok?” Was that me screaming or Koby?

  Reed stumbled a few times, before resting against the kitchen table. Blood had begun to form on his white cotton t-shirt, caused from a knife which had been plunged deep into his body.

  Chapter 21: Koby

  “Reed!” Amber shouted. Or was it Zoe? I’m not really sure. I stared down at Reed’s body, which was still half leaning over the kitchen table.

  Unexpectedly, Reed stood, his eyes wide with terror. “What are you all doing?” he yelled. “Quick, lock the door!” I gave him a surprised stare but quickly darted to the door and snapped it shut.

  “The key!” Zoe screamed. She threw it across the room and I jumped to catch it. Shaking, I insert the key into the catch until I heard it lock.

  “Reed, what happened?” Amber yelled. “Are you ok?” All eyed drew to Reed. His left arm was covered in blood, the knife buried into his upper arm not far from his shoulder.

  “I think so,” he murmured. With a deep cry, he pulled the knife out of his limb. Everyone winced in pain as this caused more blood to run down his arm.

  Amber jumped forward to examine his arm. “It looks to only be a flesh wound,” she said with a sigh of relief.

  “Amber, I think there’s some bandages in the same cupboard you got that rope,” Chad said to Amber. “Would you mind?”

  “Of course,” Amber replied, darting to the cupboard
for the second time that night. As Amber returned with the dressing, everyone suddenly froze in a state of realisation.

  “The killer,” I murmured.

  “Yep,” said Reed bleakly. “He’s still out there.”

  “And even worse, we’re trapped. I mean, we’re like sitting ducks in here,” Zoe said, throwing her hands to her face.

  “What exactly happened?” I asked Reed.

  “Well, I had to go as far back as the woods before I got a signal on my phone. I was just about to punch in the numbers when a figure approached me with a knife. I didn’t even get a chance to see who it was. Before I knew it the knife had sunk into me,” Reed paused for air. “Then I just ran back here as fast as I could. I heard footsteps behind me but I’m a fast runner. I could hear myself pulling away and that’s when you guys let me back in here.”

  “Do you think he’s still out there?” asked Zoe, nervously chewing at her nails.

  “Not sure,” replied Reed. “Obviously he wanted us to come here so I suspect he’s still out there.” We all huddled close, our gazes shifting between the front door and the many glass windows. I expected a rock to come thundering through the glass window at any stage. Or to see a masked face press up against the window, with only his gleaming eyes visible beneath the mask. Why did we come here? I asked myself. What were we trying to prove? We should have just contacted the police like any sensible person would have done. I gritted my teeth in frustration as I remembered that was my suggestion this morning. On cue, Amber sent me a solemn smile from across the room which said I’m sorry.

  “Has anyone got any reception?” Chad asked, shaking his mobile in frustration. We all reached down and double checked our phones, shaking our heads in disappointment.

  “We can’t just stay here,” I said. “Maybe I should make a dash for help?”

  “No way,” Chad muttered. “That’s way too dangerous. Let’s just stay together.”

  “Yeah, at least we have numbers on our side,” said Amber. “If this guy somehow busts in, he’ll still be five against one.”

  “Ok, we’ll stay here,” I replied, knowing deep down it was the safer, wiser choice.

  Suddenly, there was a rustle behind us. Quickly turning around I saw that Rohan had awoken and was moving in the chair.

  “Rohan!” Amber shouted. We had been so focused on Reed’s stabbing and the killer that we had totally forgotten that Rohan was still here! Chad hurriedly raced to Rohan, untying his limbs from the chair.

  “Rohan, are you ok? Can you hear me?” Chad shouted in a remorseful voice. It was obvious that Chad was feeling guilty for knocking the poor kid out. I fretfully rubbed my palm against my forehead as I observed Rohan. A dark bruise and a lot of swelling had already begun to form around his temple.

  “What happened?” Rohan managed to get out in a gravely voice. “Where-where am I?”

  “Chad – lie him down over here,” said Reed, motioning to a blue suede couch. “It looks like he’s concussed. Amber, is there any ice in the freezer?”

  “There’s a bag of peas!” Amber yelled, pulling a bag from the fridge.

  “Ok great,” Reed replied. He grabbed the peas off Amber and gently placed them on Rohan’s brow. “How’s that feel mate?” Reed’s voice was soft and gentle.

  Rohan flinched in pain. “It’s really cold.”

  “It’ll help with the swelling mate,” Reed replied. “Just relax and try and stay awake ok. You’re concussed so falling asleep would be a bad thing – do you understand what I’m saying?”

  “I’m still confused,” Rohan said. “Am I at the lodge?”

  “Just relax,” Reed repeated in a soothing voice.

  Rohan blinked a few times and moved one hand to hold the bag of peas in place. He was showing some signs of improvement but he was still heavily concussed and didn’t know what was going on.

  “I still don’t get how Rohan knew we were here,” Zoe whispered.

  “Let’s just forget about it for now,” I responded. “I think we have bigger concerns on our plate right now.”

  The next few minutes passed in silence. Rohan stirred on the couch in an attempt to find a more comfortable position, the ice pack still being held firmly on his forehead by his right hand. Zoe continued to chew at her nails, her stare rarely moving from the large window to the right of the front door. Amber shivered as she sat on the end of the couch to keep an eye on Rohan’s health.

  “Who wants hot chocolate?” Reed suddenly said, jumping up from a chair gingerly. Amber had bandaged his arm nicely and washed off much of the blood which had dripped onto his arm.

  “Hey, let me do that. Can’t have the cripples making the hot chocolate,” Chad said with a weak smile.

  “Seriously, I’m feeling pretty good,” Reed said, rotating his shoulder in a range of motions. “I’ll probably need a few stitches but it’s not as deep as I first thought.”

  “You’re a lucky man,” I murmured.

  “Nope, just a fast sprinter!” Reed replied, flashing me his trademark smile. He shuffled across to the kitchen and turned on the kettle.

  I sat down on the same aluminium chair we had tied Rohan to earlier. The seat felt stiff and cold. I listened outside for any signs of movement. There was a few hooting owls and the occasional chirp of a cricket but nothing out of the ordinary. What was this guy waiting for? How long did he plan on leaving us trapped in here? Did he get this much pleasure from making us wait? I suddenly envisaged the killer setting flames to the lodge. Causing us to flee from our accommodation into his death trap outside. Of course, we could always choose to remain inside and either suffocate or burn to death. I jumped as someone brushed my shoulder.

  “Here Koby.” Reed reached down and handed me a steaming mug of chocolate.

  “Thanks man,” I replied. I realised it was quite chilly in the lodge and the warmth of the mug felt nice against my hands. Silence once again took over the room as we all sat and sipped on our chocolate. I immediately started to feel warm inside and started to think in a more positive light. Amber was definitely right before. It was five versus one. That’s the reason why this guy hadn’t tried to barge his way in. He knew it would be a lost cause. Why then, would he email us in the first place asking us to come here? Unless he also carried a gun? Maybe he carried a knife for the up-close and personal kills but a gun for the longer distance executions? Maybe he was outside lining up a shot right now? I slipped down in my chair and then scolded myself for falling back into those negative thoughts. I took another deep sip of my cocoa and glanced across the room. I saw that Amber was starting to drift off to sleep. Hey, wait on a minute, so was Chad. Before I knew it, my chin had slumped down to my chest as darkness overtook me.

 

  Chapter 22: Amber

  “Wakey! Wakey” the shrill voice rang in my ears. Who was saying that? “Wakey! Wakey!” the piercing voice sung out again. My head throbbed in pain but for some reason I couldn’t move my hands to rub my forehead. They were tied together, I suddenly realised. A blanket of anxiety suddenly overtook me. What was going on? How come my hands were tied together? I tried to stand but my legs were also bonded together strongly. A wave of nausea engulfed me and for a minute I thought I might faint.

  “What-what’s going on?” I asked, repeating the thought which played in my mind. My voice was hoarse and dry.

  “Amm-baaa! Join the party!” the same intense voice yelled out. The voice was right in front of me but my vision was still blurred. I blinked once as the colours swirled in front of me. It felt like I was on a boat, deep at sea. The waves rolling up, and down. Up. Down. Up. Down. For the second time in a minute, I thought I might faint. I blinked a few more times, trying to overcome the dizziness.

  “Amm-baaa!” the voice rang out again, almost teasing.

  “Who is that?” I tried to yell but my voice came out as a whisper.

  “I swear to god, if you hurt her…” another voice sounded. It was Koby.

  “Koby?” I asked u
ncertainly.

  “I’m right here Amber,” Koby replied.

  “Shut up Koby! Just shut up!” the first voice yelled and I heard a large slap echo around the room.

  “Koby?” I asked again. I heard him murmuring in pain but he didn’t reply.

  “Good boy. Not so hard is it?” the voice hissed.

  Why can’t I see? I blinked again and slowly my vision returned. The blurs were now solid shapes and I could now make out a figure pacing across the floor in front of me. Who was that?

  “Amm-baaa? Can you see me yet?” the distinct voice purred. “Amm-baaa!” the voice repeated, this time littered with anger. I squinted as my eyes began to focus. The figure approached and stood over me. I painfully lifted my head and stared up.

  “Reed!” I yelled in shock.

  “Well done Amm-baaa,” Reed hissed. “Should I give you a gold star sticker?” Reed’s voice was nothing like how he normally spoke. His soft and calming voice was instead replaced with a penetrating warble.

  “Reed, what the hell?” I screamed, my vision now completely restored.

  “You’re the last one to wake up,” Reed replied, his shrill voice stinging my ears. I turned and looked at the room. Koby, Chad, Rohan and Zoe were all tied to chairs, bound at their hands and feet. A bright, red hand imprint had swollen on Koby’s right cheek. He turned and gave me a solemn stare. Chad stared down, eyes on the ground. Zoe had been crying, her pink face moistened with tears. Rohan’s eyes were fixated on Reed, following every footstep as Reed continued to pace across the lodge floor. Although Rohan’s temple was still swollen he appeared to be in pretty good health.

  “You drugged us?” I spat out.

  “I bet you didn’t see this coming!” Reed snarled with a grin, his eyes stuck on me. “Did you Amm-baaa? Did you see this coming?” He knelt down so his face was level with mine.

  “Screw you,” I whispered. I cringed, waiting for him to strike me like he had Koby. Instead he let out a psychotic laugh. “Mmmwwwhahahaha! What’s the matter Amm-baaa? Don’t you like me anymore? How about a kiss?” He leaned in close so his face was inches from mine. His breath smelt stale and pungent.

  “You heard her, she said screw you!” Koby yelled out.

  “Koby-” I whispered.

  Reed shot up and darted across the room. “I told you to shut up!” Again, he slapped Koby’s right cheek as the slap rang around the room. As he stepped back, I saw that he had drawn blood on Koby’s face with his latest attack.