The After Party

Hunted

"Kayla run." Iyana grabs my hand so hard I think her fingernails are going to stay in my skin when she pulls her hand away.

We run down a hallway past people drinking and making out and head into a bedroom. She opens the closet. A guy is passed out in it. She closes the double doors to it.

"Behind the bed Kay." She jumps on it and hops behind it. It's like those elementary school relay races have prepared her well.

The only thing worse than knowing that my best friend is about to be slaughtered is to know that I'm next.

While hiding behind a bed with sheets that have probably never been washed, I whisper so low it seems that I am only mouthing the words to her. "Iyana, what the hell have you done?" What comforting last words I leave her with.

Her head snaps over in my direction. She drops her lower jaw to further look at me in pure astonishment. "Me?" She mouths back.

"Sweetheart where did you go?" Our heads snap in the direction of the door, not that we can see it. A suspicious silence has cast a net over the room. He's in here.

I can just barely hear him stepping towards us. Iyana tenses up next to me. Momentarily I'm caught off guard because she is never a step behind when it comes to - well, anything. The bed creaks a little. Of course, he is going to check under the bed. I just hope that he doesn't check behind it. I mean, who would think to do that right?

"What's up dude?" Says an unfamiliar voice. The net seems to lift, and I can hear the sound of footsteps fade away.

"I was looking for the redhead and her friend. I was gonna show 'em both some southern hospitality." His voice sounds husky as he says the last part. He and the other guy share an unwelcoming laugh. I whimper at the thought of his southern hospitality. Iyana jabs me and gives me a look to stay silent.

"Matel. You're the man around here. I brought my top girl tonight. You can have a go at her. She's always willin'. "

Willing to what? I give Iyana a look that conveys my question and she turns her head. Oh, God. I think they want to kill us. I thought they were just going to push us back and forth like kids on the playground or something. Who would be willing to die? I guess this is what people mean when they say to stay away from sketchy people. They mean serial killers.

A girl who is in another part of the house screams out. This draws him further giving Iyana and I the chance to escape. I don't give myself time to mull over the fact that other women could be in on this sinister search party.

"Kayla come on." Iyana loudly whispers to me.

In the bedroom we are hiding in, the bed is placed to where the corner of where the walls meet leaves a small space for us to squeeze into by the corner of the window. Iyana is bravest and after all, she did to get us in this mess. So, she opens the window. It makes that usual noise that windows do when they click at the top. I try to maneuver without allowing old chip bags to crinkle loudly. Gosh, this place is horrid. She turns her head back and her eyes dart in search of him. She begins climbing through. I duck down behind the bed until she turns to reach for me. For some reason my cowardice makes this feel safer. I harshly wrap my arms tightly around myself. I just want to be able to click my heels like Dorothy.

"Baby come on." The sound of his voice sends chills along through the hairs on the back of my neck. Well, that's enough to get me moving. I nearly shove Iyana even though she is pretty much outside already and reaching back for me.

I look back and don't see anyone so I jump up and grab a hold of her forearms so that she can lift me up. I am no good at climbing out of windows and I hate that I have to find this out now. I put my feet on the wall to help hoist myself up and it makes a sound that is too loud for this moment as I scuff up the wall.