The Hunter's Mansion

XVIII - Indistinct Illusions

--Day 4: DECEMBER 19, 2017/ 0200H--

"Look it's not your fault," Bernon comforted me. "My conscience prohibits me in saying this but they were foolish in not telling us about it beforehand."

I was in a deep sleep, not knowing what the time was. Someone was shaking me, urging me to wake up. I could barely make out anything until the lights were switched on. The rays glared my eyes as I struggled to sit up.

"Shannon's gone," the voice of Ave told me. "Sapphire, get up."

At first I thought I heard that wrong, then Cher's voice penetrated my ears.

"What do you mean?! How could she have..."

"The door's unlocked," Erika's voice followed. "What an idiot. We were left wide open! Her backpack is missing."

It was then I fully regained consciousness. Erika, Ave, and Cher wore panicked expressions as they argued on where Shannon could have gone. The wolves' howling and the faint sound of gunfire rang through the air. Then came to my mind a horrifying realization.

"Do you think they could have gone hunting without our knowledge?" I nervously suggested.

"'They'?" Erika thought about that single word. She snapped her fingers and said, "Then that means Gabriel snuck out of their room as well!"

Even more dread blanketed the room as Erika rushed to the door.

"Ave, come with me!" she commanded. "You two, keep watch and stay here. We'll try to rescue them if they're in trouble."

"But..."

"We can't have the culprit rig this room," Ave interrupted. "especially if none of us stays behind."

"Don't worry about the guys in the other room. We'll make sure the door is secure. Sapphire, Cher, lock the door and stay alert! Godspeed!"

Cher and I could not stop them. After retrieving two flashlights, they immediately went out of the room, out of the safest place we could think of. They closed the door behind them and Cher locked the doors.

We waited until we could no longer hear their footsteps. At the off-chance that they cross paths with the culprit... I better not think about it. My eyes were already swelling. I wanted to cry out of fear. We might risk losing Shannon, Gabriel, and possibly Erika and Ave.

The gunshots were getting louder and nearing the mansion. I clasped my hands in prayer, while Cher was already sobbing near me. Not long after I closed my eyes...

*BANG*

No. Please, tell me I heard it wrong.

"Sapphire!" Cher tugged my arm, begging me. "We must fetch Bern and Jason. Erika and Ave might have been killed!"

"I know," I responded, tears in my eyes, "but what if he gets us next?"

"Forget about that! We have to save them!"

My consciousness snapped back as we got ourselves a flashlight. I fumbled with the lock for a bit until the door opened. When we got out, Bernon and Jason were already out. I latched on to Bern's shoulders in fear.

"Did you hear it too?!"

And another gunshot sounded.

It turned out the ones on the receiving end were not Erika and Ave as I anticipated. Worse, Shannon and Gabriel, brutally killed that same night. Whether a bullet or a wolf stopped their lives mattered no longer, at least for me.

If only I could trust my eyes fully, I would have been able to comprehend what I saw last night. No, it was not Erika's smile as she hugged Bernon nor the smiles of the dead couple. Beyond those trees while they were dragging Shannon and Gabriel back to the cabin, there stood a figure.