thanatophobia // joshler [✓]

thank you

there was a car in the distance, you could tell by the headlights beaming from miles away. everyone's seemed to be hiding behind bushes or trees.

i didn't know where to go or where to hide since everyone was remaining so quiet and still. i did the first thing that came to my mind which was hide behind a bush with ryan.

he didn't acknowledge me when i appeared next to him with no warning, he just continued studying the car that was approaching.

as the car got closer, i noticed that dallon had a gun pointed straight at the road. once that car got into a good position, he shot the silenced gun at one of the cars tires.

the car stopped, now with one flat tire. this is where the plan unfolded, the plan that i happened to be unaware of.

ryan then snuck over so he was in the view of the cars headlights, now scaring the people inside.

the driver, which was a man presumably in his late 40s, stepped out of the car and stood by drivers side door.

"hey buddy, you lost?" the guy asked ryan. somehow he was unfazed by the fact that ryan was in a skeleton suit while holding a knife.

ryan didn't answer, he remained perfectly still with his head cocked to the side.

"look, i don't want any trouble." the guy held out his hands as a sign of surrender.

a girl with platinum blond hair exited the car from the passengers seat. from tylers reaction it was clear that this wasn't what he had expected.

"look either get out of the way or you're getting run over." the girl stated.

there was a moment of nothing happening, just a staring contest between ryan and the two people from the car.

that's when dallons silenced gun went off, sending a bullet straight through the lefts leg of the guy.

he fell to the ground, screaming in agony. the girl now began to scream,

"DAD!! OH MY GOD DAD!!"

that's when dallon and brendon got out of hiding and sprinted towards the action, they proceeded to stab the guy to death as ryan raided the car.

i walked over with tyler as i realised the girl from before was trying to run away as she was already a few feet into the woods.

"go get her." tyler said blankly, watching dallon and brendon brutally stab the guy.

now being on the other end of the stick, there was no point in trying to argue. dallon and brendon could easily just plunge those knives into me.

so i complied. i ran into the forest that was on the right side of the road. you would think finding a girl with the lightest blond hair in the woods would be easy.

it's as easy as finding a needle in a haystack.

the woods were pitch black, not to mention, i couldn't see anything in front of me. i had to rely on the sounds around me. which was hard too since all i could hear was the bed of dead leaves breaking with every step i took.

i stopped dead in my tracks when i got the feeling of being watched. that's when it started making sense.

i wasn't hunting, i was being hunted.

my mind was telling me to go back and tell the group that i lost her. so that's what i decided to do. i turned myself around and was about to walk back to the road.

that's when a painful force hit my face, sending me tumbling back. when i was now on my back, trying to register what just happened, a light began to shine directly into my face.

it was a phones flashlight and i was now able to see the girl with a rock in her hand. she was staring down at me with her rock being her only weapon.

"i could kill you right now. just beat you to death with a rock." she said in a low, threatening voice.

my heart began to beat faster and i could feel the adrenaline pumping through me. before i could second guess myself i kicked her leg, casing her to wince in pain and she slightly lost balance.

i stood up and tackled her, pinning her to the ground, rendering her defenceless. she still held onto the rock for dear life.

"drop it." i grit through my teeth as i was on top of her, pinning her wrists to the forest grounds.

through the little light the broke phone flashlight was now giving out i saw her expression change from fearless to hopeless. she dropped the rock from her hand and looked at me in defeat.

"just do it," she shook her head slowly with her eyes closed, "just kill me."

i was now in the position where i was in power. i decide how she dies.
i decide if she should die a slow and painful death.
or i could make it quick and painless.

but this wasn't me. i wasn't like dallon or brendon. i couldn't kill her and not feel guilty. and so i didn't do it.

i didn't kill her.

i stopped pinning her down. i got off her, stood up, and helped her up. she picked up her phone on the way up and gave me a confused but grateful look.

"why...?" she asked, looking up at me.

"i'm not them. just get as far as you can and stay safe, okay?" i told her.

"thanks..."

"josh. just call me josh."

"thank you josh, really i mean it." she smiled and began to walk off deeper into the woods.

"wait what's your name?" i wondered.

"debby. just call me debby." she looked back at me for a few seconds before running off into the woods and out of harms way.