BETRAYED

Chapter TWO

Heart pumping and beads of sweat rolling down her skin, Jana yearned for some quality time with her good friend Ben. However, he resided in an old log cabin situated in the heart of the notorious Forgotten Souls Park. A perilous and eerie location infamous for the discovery of numerous unidentified dead bodies. 

The stillness of the night was occasionally shattered by the barking of stray dogs. There came a rustling sound rustling sound from a dumpster nearby, which she assumed was racoons. Disregarding it, she was suddenly jolted by a loud whimper that pierced through the atmosphere. She couldn't help but feel jittery as she got closer to the dumpster. I need to compose myself. There's nothing to worry about.

Despite the dumpster being filled to the brim with discarded food waste and miscellaneous junk, Jana finally mustered the courage to climb inside. She noticed a brown tarp that appeared to be concealing something. As she cautiously peeled back the covering, an overpowering sickeningly sweet stench assaulted her senses, causing her to stagger backward. 

Jana was confronted by a haunting sight: a pale and sickly child with sunken eyes stared back at her. Overwhelmed with shock, Jana instinctively pressed a trembling hand against her mouth, trying to stifle an impending scream. The creepy child, with a bony finger pressed against his dry, blood- cracked lips, whispered in a chilling tone,"Hush, if you make even the slightest noise, they will come for you."

Jana's eyes darted anxiously around her surroundings, but she saw nothing out of the ordinary. Fear gripped her as the creepy child rose to an upright position. "The rats will crawl up your leg," he warned. "You will feel their thin, hard, gnarled nails skittering all over your body. Their razor-sharp teeth will sink into your flesh and eyes. You'll be eaten alive by the rats, just like I was " In a sudden horrifying moment, the creepy child grabbed Jana by the ankle and dragged her deeper into the trash. In a state of sheer panic, she forcefully yanked the skeletal hand away and hurled herself out of the dumpster. As she sprinted away, the haunting voice called after her, pleading, "Come back! Don't abandon me!" She was too afraid to look back at the dumpster. 

Jana came to an abrupt halt when she heard a commotion near the closed grocery store. Her eyes widened as she witnessed two individuals locked in a fierce scuffle on the ground. In that moment, a wave of relief washed over her as she realized she hadn't been followed by the ghoulish child she had feared. The altercation appeared terribly one-sided, far from fair. She had to intervene and stop the fight.

The burly man effortlessly hoisted his slender opponent and flung him against the wall of the grocery store. The helpless figure crumpled to the ground, lifeless and limp. Unsatisfied, the burly man continued his assault, mercilessly kicking the semi-conscious victim in the face, causing blood to splatter everywhere. 

Anger thrummed through her veins, Jana refused to remain a passive bystander. She must save the life of this unfortunate stranger before it was too late. The injured stranger appeared frail and vulnerable. She bravely stepped forward, "Hey, jerk! Back off!" She yelled, sprinting towards them. 

The burly man callously brushed off her threat, refusing to let anyone spoil his sadistic enjoyment. He was far from finished. With a twisted grin, he taunted, "You're covered in blood. Let me give you a proper cleanse!" He unzipped his pants and proceeded to urinate on the defenseless victim. 

The repulsive act became the final straw for Jana. She quickly gathered small rocks and stuffed them into her pocket. The burly man would not escape the consequences of his actions. "You better get the hell out of here before I kill you." She yelled, approaching him with a handful of rocks. 

The burly man spat on the ground, his contemptuous words dripping with venom. "Who the fuck do you think you are? Don't you dare come any closer, you black-eyed bitch. I won't hesitate to send you back to hell," The rocks pelted his face and chest. He staggered backward a few steps. "Is that all you've got?"he sneered, his arrogance momentarily shaken.