A Deadly Winter Retreat

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IN A SPLIT SECOND, it came crashing down on me like a waking dream turned into a haunting reality.

They were going to kill me!

I peered up at him. His head nearly reached the ceiling, and his muscles ripped through his shirt. Gina stood beside him, holding the knife as if it were some kink toy. She stuck her tongue out, licking the shiny silver blade from bottom to top.

Shifting my head, I noticed a man wincing in the corner. He appeared to be crawling toward me. The white t-shirt over his body was filled with blood stains and dirt.

I bent my head, taking a closer look.

"Oh My God!" I cried. "Troy!"

"Trish," Troy replied in a compassionate tone. "Don't worry, Trish. We're going to be alright."

Gina let out a burst of laughter.

"Troy, you're so funny." Gina's eyes gazed into mine. "Trish isn't safe, and neither are you."

My heart galloped faster than a pony as a sense of dread settled over me, suffocating me in its grip.

"What are you going to do to us?" I asked, my body trembling.

"It's a secret." Gina stepped closer to me, sliding the knife down my hair. My breathing became labored as I felt death knocking at my door.

The man made his way toward me. Walking closer, he extended his arms. His muscular yet eerie hands grabbed my arms tightly, a grip so firm that death felt imminent. I was unable to break free from his terrifying hold.

"What do you want from me?!!" I screamed out, shivering and in disbelief.

Thoughts of him killing me torpedoed into my mind like a storm rushing in on a sunny day. I pinched my eyes shut, not wanting to witness my own death.

"Poor little Troy," Gina lowered herself, kneeling beside Troy. "Do you regret sleeping with me, Troy?"

Troy's eyes filled with fear as he gazed in my direction. "Yes, I do because I love Trish."

Gina took the knife and plunged it into his chest, severing his organs. He screamed out in pain, the sound echoing through the room.

"No!" I shouted. Tears streamed down my cheeks, leaving streaks of wet mascara on my face and creating a puddle of liquid on the floor beneath me.

I felt cold yet clammy hands pressed against my arms, rocking my body. And just then, I jolted forward, awakening to myself on a stretcher in a hospital room in the ER.

A shiver coursed through my veins, and bullets of sweat dripped from my forehead and down my face. My heart still raced as my eyes landed on a nurse beside me. She held a penetrating gaze on me.

I gulped.

"Are you alright?" She asked, her brows furrowed while the cardiac monitor beeped in the background. "It seems you were caught in a nightmare." She compassionately caressed my back.

I breathed out a sigh of relief, my shoulders dropping. "It felt so real," I exclaimed, my gaze fixed on the nurse. "Thank God it was just a nightmare."

"Do you remember what happened and why you're here?"

My eyes darted around the room as memories began to trickle in.

I nodded. "Yes, my friend Lena. She's hurt."

The nurse's eyes filled with sorrow. "Yes, that's correct."

"Well, is she okay?" My voice quivered.

"Yes, she'll be fine. The doctor is stitching her up now, and then she'll be good to go."

I breathed out heavily, and a silent tear traced a path down my cheek.

***

The Pine Glacier Hills Police Department dispatched a SWAT team to Gina's cabin, only to find her vanished, leaving behind the remnants of her sinister plot- a nearly burned down and trashed cabin. The other men who had participated were never found either.

Dave miraculously survived. If it hadn't been for the Pine Glacier Police Department arresting him and hauling him down to the police station, he might've not survived. He would've met the same near-deadly fate as the others. 

As for Troy, he remained at our cabin unharmed. Once confronted, he revealed his drunk rendezvous with Gina. It shocked me to my core. He apologized profusely. However, I determined the betrayal was too much for me to bear to continue.  Our relationship was beyond repair. There was no way I could forgive and forget after he admitted to the painful truth.

Lena and Dave found solace in each other's company. The shared trauma brought them closer, leading Dave to kneel on one knee in the most romantic proposal I'd ever witnessed. It took place in a  Japanese garden filled with freshly bloomed flowers and waterfalls. Lena had always admired Troy and I's relationship; however, she was the one who had found true love after all. I was now the one looking at her in awe. Oh, how the roles had reversed.

Admittedly, I still struggled to comprehend the betrayal by the two closest to me. I grappled with the lingering questions. The thoughts would sneak into my mind throughout the day, but I forced myself to push them aside, unwilling to let the shadows of the past consume my present.

Gina and her accomplices were never found. Their whereabouts unknown. A seemingly dark cloud lingered amongst us. A constant reminder of the depravity that had once plagued our lives as we waited for justice to be served. 

I didn't know if I would ever fully heal—not until the day they're captured. Only then could I genuinely heal and move on with my life.