Stranded In A Ghost Town ✔️

Chapter 23: Rescue Me

I felt my ears ringing as my eyes opened to bright light, I was lay on a something very soft and there was a lot of noise around but I had no idea where I was or what was happening "Hey that's my camera!".

I opened my eyes to see police, firetrucks, and ambulances everywhere "That's my camera" I heard again "Sorry, son. That's evidence" I heard a sad sigh come from beside me, I knew that puppy dog sigh "Dalton?" I rasped with my throat feeling like sandpaper.

Dalton jumped next to me "Ash?" he asked quietly almost like he was afraid he'd hurt me "Where did you go, I thought we'd lost you" I said sadly as he smirked weakly and ran off making me frown wondering where he went.

A Doctor came over to get notes from me "How am I doc?" I questioned him nervously he checked my wound "At the moment we've wrapped the wound and when we get to the hospital we'll get you some stronger pain relief and other standard procedures like scans".

"Oh, so no biggie" I smirked as the doctor looked at me wide-eyed "Ashley!" I heard and looked over to see Nick, Carly, and Dalton running towards me with big smiles on their faces, I gasped in pain as I was mobbed with hugs.

"Oh, shit sorry" Dalton mumbled as I looked up at Carly and Nick's faces they looked like they had lost me, grabbing each other their hands I gave them a smile "When have I ever let you two down" they both choked out a laugh nodding at me.

"So it's just us?" I asked and was met with upset faces and the doctor noticed too "Well, don't worry. We'll get you to the hospital" I nodded and lay my head down feeling Nick running his hands through my hair I felt my eyes drooping in fatigue.

"What about Vincent" I questioned my friends "he went down with the house," Carly told me stroking my hair "And Bo. Did I kill him?" I asked Nick my voice breaking a little remembering how I felt swinging the bat into his face.

Nick leaned down to be level with me and placed his chin on the bar of the stretcher "you did what you had to do, you saved us and yourself. I saw what he was doing to you. You're a survivor baby" he whispered to me as he trailed his fingers down the side of my face.

Pulling him to me I smiled when he softly kissed me, it was nothing like Bo's forceful kiss, this had passion and love behind it. As Nick stood back up I closed my eyes for a second and let myself rest, there was no one trying to kill me now.

"How could no one have known about all of this?" Carly asked out loud in disbelief, I thought that myself but even when Nick, D and I were coming to pick up Wade and Carly in Blake's car I noticed it wasn't even on the GPS.

My eyes shot open as I felt someone move the stretcher I was lay on but calmed when I saw the doctor leading us to the ambulance, I wasn't in danger anymore, there was no serial killer hiding around the corner waiting to attack me.

"Truth is, this town's hard as hell to get to. It's been abandoned for years, ever since that sugar mill shut down. Hell, it ain't even on the map anymore. We found all those cars in that old factory. Those Sinclair boys pulled people off the interstate for years. If it wasn't for all the smoke from the fire and your friend waving us down, we wouldn't have even known." I looked to Dalton who was looking sheepish, he'd obviously gone to find help that's why I couldn't find him.

"Excuse me, sir." another officer flagged down the cop talking to us and began talking to him in a hushed voice "Louis wants to talk to you" I watched the two go back and forth before the cop turned back to us with a polite smile "Excuse me" The police officers walked away and I was pushed into the ambulance where the others sat down around me looking equally exhausted as I felt.

"Maybe there's some good memories on this" I looked to nick and saw him pull out Dalton's camera out his pocket I gave him a smirk as he waved the camera around "You took it?" Carly asked but not in an accusing way.

I think this trip has changed us all, I don't think we'll be the same as when we came here. We've all grown up in the last 2 days, trivial things like car thefts, pregnancies, and even my childhood trauma didn't seem so forefront and crippling now.

"It just felt wrong leaving it behind. You know?" Nick insisted passing it to Dalton who gave him a tearful smile as he held onto it tight, suddenly I remembered the gold chain in my pocket, I awkwardly grab it and placed it in Nick's hand making him falter a little.

 "You okay?" I murmured to him quietly as he grabbed my hand tight in his, I felt the wax around his nails for a second, it was like a reminder of something that was quickly feeling like a distant memory or a nightmare.

"We're okay" Carly lay her head on Nick's shoulder and he smiled laying his head on top of hers, I glanced at D only to notice his eyes were shut and little snores were coming from his mouth "We'll be okay" I corrected knowing it would take time for us all to get better as soon as the shock wears off.

Grinning at my family I felt content again, we had been through hell and back, we had lost some people along the way but we still had each other, we still had our lives and I kept my promise of making it out of this stupid little town alive.

Looking out of the back windows I saw the creepy guy from the campsite waving at me with a creepy smile on his face whilst stroking a dog, I frowned at him as his creepy smile turned maniacal.

Closing my eyes for a second to keep my panic down and trying to tell myself I was safe, I opened them back up to see him waving a Bowie knife at me, I bolted up straight as my eyes widened realizing he was in on this whole thing "No!".

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A/N: So that was the last chapter except for the epilogue which is coming up next, as I've started with all my other books if you have any questions or want to read some facts on this book, message me and I'll add it to my Q&A list!