The Depths Of Fear

Chapter IV

Russ wandered through the woods stumbling on uneven ground and smacking himself with a thin branch. He groans in frustration as he moves uneasily deeper into the forest. Confusion and irritation settled on his face. He stops and scans his surroundings. When he realizes he recognizes no landmark, he turns to punch the trunk of a tree and screams out in pain as he takes it into his other hand.

"Gah! Damn it!" He grumbles a few more curses as he looks over the damage of his knuckles that now swollen, red, and bleeding. He pulls it close to his chest before taking off in another direction, hoping it would lead him to his brother.

He walks with a quick pace and winces as he touches his bloody knuckles with the tips of his fingers.

"Well, that's surely broke," a familiar voice grabs his attention. Russ is quick on his feet and turns to face Colin. Russ laughs as he bends over taking a moment to breathe.

"You scared me there little brother," he jokes still bent over letting his heart rate to slow down before standing back upright.

Colin doesn't reply as he leans against a trunk of a tree watching his brother catch his breath. Russ looks to his brother as he gets a deep pit filling in his stomach.

"Where are Elena and Tommy," Russ asks, trying to hide the slight worry in his voice. Colin leans off the tree and takes a step forward. Russ had to stop himself from retaking a step from the reflex of feeling threatened.

"They are heading back to the car," he replies with a sly smile. Russ nods his head and bites his bottom lip.

"Cool, we should get back. Wouldn't want Elena and Tommy waiting," Russ chuckles nervously. Attempting to pass his brother. Colin side steps him looking down at Russ.

"What's your rush big brother," the words fall off his lips like venom and send the hair on Russ's neck standing. Russ retreats, leaving a little space between him and his brother.

Russ didn't understand what was going on. He couldn't explain the feeling out loud if he wanted to. But there was a dark feeling he felt for his brother. Like there was a flashing red sign above Colin's head that flashed: TROUBLE!

Over and over again. Or maybe Russ was just going crazy from being in the woods, and this was nothing but his brother trying to mess with him. They would prank each other constantly when they were little and sometimes team up to prank Elena. She would get mad, they'd apologize, and everything would be okay again.

"Are you scared," Colin asks a haunting smile appears on his face that sends chills running down Russ's spine. It was like he couldn't control what he felt at this moment and all his emotions and fears had the appearance of an 11-year-old girl.

"Dude quit playing around," Russ hisses mostly out of being scared. He begins to walk past Colin again and continues when he doesn't stop him. Russ had a cold stare on his face as he walked with a fast pace.

"Who says I'm playing," Colin shouts still standing in the same spot he had been. Russ continues to walk ignoring the sound of his brother's voice.

"You know it's your fault," Colin shouts again. Russ stops in place listening to his brother. Colin smiles, pleased with his response.

"The reason our parent's divorced. It's your fault." Colin repeats as he slowly makes his way over to his brother.

Russ tightens his jaw and clenches his fist and turns to face Colin. "That wasn't my fault, and you know it!"

Colin chuckles darkly at his brother's outburst," oh naive brother," he walks with his hand behind his back," you know it was your fault. Back deep in that little brain of yours, you see it's your fault."

Russ's eyes began to water as he tries to blink them away. He bites his bottom lip as he pulls back his emotions. It was a sensitive subject, and he hated going back over it.

"Please," Russ inhales sharply," Colin don't do this not you."

Colin is about several feet away from him now and stops staring down Russ with a look of means to do him harm. Russ swallows hard as he stands not being able to move his body. He wanted to get the hell out of there and run all the way back to the jeep. But something was holding him back. Something was in control of him.

"It's your fault dad cheated on mom with that slutty overpaid secretary of his. You're the reason mom started drinking and taking pills leaving her strung out all the time. You're the reason our family died long ago, and all you do is wallow in self-pity! Oh, poor me!" He mocks Russ as he pulls a knife out from his back pocket. Russ's eyes widened at the sight of it.

"Where'd you get that," Russ gasps as he points at the weapon in Colin's hand.

"Oh, this thing," Colin teases as if he had just realized it was in his grasp. He plays with the tip of the blade," got it from dad's hunting collection."

Colin closes the gaping space between him and Russ. Russ still not being able to move stands practically shaking not even bother to hide the sweat dripping from his brow. Colin drags the knife gently across Russ's neck lingering over the vein that stuck out. Russ petrified pulls his neck away from the knife. Colin could see his hand shaking by his side. He pulls the knife away from his neck.

"I'm not going to kill you," he flashes a smile that even would make the devil run for the hills.

A sense of relief washes over Russ, and he relaxes. Colin flips the knife with the flick of his wrist and faces the handle to Russ. Russ looks down in confusion at the knife, and his eyes dart back up to Colin.

"You're going to kill yourself," Colin smiles darkly shoving the knife in Russ's hand.

"No--no," Russ cries as he throws the knife on the ground and begins running. At first, he doesn't realize he is even making the motion. Tears and sweat stream down his face as his emotions take over and he can't hold them back any longer.

He runs as fast as his legs will allow him as he races through the forest to find the Jeep. His stamina is slowing down, and his lungs begin to burn. He stops abruptly, trying to catch his breath. His legs feel like Jell-o and start to give out. The bruising had formed on his knuckles, and his hand swollen.

"Silly big brother," Colin's voice echoed through the trees. Russ jumps at the sound of his chilliness of it.

"You can't run from me," he proclaims while letting out a deep chuckle.

On the ground a few feet away from Russ was the knife Colin shoved into his hand. Russ gawked at it in astonishment. Had he run in a circle? Was this just some sick, twisted prank Elena had talked her brother into for coming here? He was rambling through all these possibilities in his head that he hadn't noticed he picked up the knife.

He scans the hunting knife. Its jagged edges, black rubber handle, and the sharp pointed edge at the tip. The knife was perfect for cutting into something big. One slice and it the rest would be history. Russ was in a trance that he couldn't snap out of his eyes fixated on the blade.

"Kill yourself," Colin's voice was a whisper in his ear a command that sent chills down Russ's spine.

Russ moves the knife lagging towards his neck. His eyes were wide with fear, and his hand that held the weapon was trembling.

Do it. Colin's voice echoed through the forest bouncing off the ground.

End it all. Do it! Colin's let out a piercing scream.

The forest grows quiet leaving only Russ standing in the woods. He pulls the knife up to his neck without hesitation and drags the blade across his throat cutting deep. His flesh, tearing apart and thick red blood spills out and over his clothes. He gasps, trying to speak as if he had just come from a daydream. He falls to his knees first, then falls like a domino be knocked over onto the ground bleeding out across the forest floor. Spit and blood mixed ooze out of his mouth. His choking recedes, and he becomes still as his body gives out.