Fair Game

Aftermath

Death was in the air. The scent of decaying flesh was angrily pushed through the broken window and stagnated in Brittany's room. The bright sun beamed onto the ominous forest and lit up the earth. Wolves ferociously howled in the distance and echoed throughout the land. Soon, the area grew silent as a graveyard. "We have to find her!" Shouted Daniel. Madeline was sobbing on the floor. There were no longer anymore tears coming from her eyes; her tear ducts were dried out, like an aquifer during a drought. Madeline clutched broken glass in both hands. She clenched her fists, blood escaped from her hands, pooling around her.

"She's dead!" Yelled Collin.

"We can't just leave her! She's alive!" Daniel yelled. He looked around for reassurance. Madeline was crying, not even aware that people were speaking. Collin didn't believe Brittany was alive.

"Maybe Collin is right, she has to be dead." Madeline added. The words escaped her lips, but she didn't move anything else. She darted her bloodshot and exhausted eyes at Daniel.

"No! I have to go!" Daniel wailed. He grabbed his coat and put it on. He angrily walked out of the destroyed room and quickly paced to the door. Madeline and Collin followed him. Collin gripped Daniel's  shoulder.

"You can't go out there!" Collin blared.

"I can't just leave her! We can't!" Daniel screamed. He began to tear. He quickly inhaled to calm himself.

"We don't even know if she's alive! You're willing to risk your life for someone who may already be dead?" Collin asked inquisitively.

Daniel shook his head and looked at Madeline and Collin in utter disbelief about their cowardice. He ripped open the door and furiously stormed out of the door.

"Daniel! Come back!" Yelled Madeline. She released the glass from her hands and stood up. She wiped the blood on her jeans and sprinted to the door, her shoes crunching on the bloody glass she left behind. She turned back and looked at Collin.

"We can't just leave her." Madeline said.

"She's dead." He replied.

Madeline glared at Collin, "We can't just let him walk out to his death."

"You can go, but I'm staying." Said Collin. Madeline opened the door and hurried into the forest.

Leaves, twigs, and grass crunched beneath her  as she bustled to find her friend. The cold air wrapped around her and cooled her body. Madeline began to shiver whilst running, her teeth chattering. Her tight fitting clothes restricted her movement and caused her to jog very slowly. She grew weary and out of breath, but she continued to run with all of her might. "Daniel! Daniel! Where are you?!" She howled. She slowed down to catch her breath; she could run no longer, her heart was about to burst. She lied on the ground and regained life; her heart and lungs steadily slowed. She stared up at the luminous moon, its comforting rays cut through the sky that was darker than Death's cape.

"Madeline?" He asked. He heard footsteps. Daniel stopped sprinting and He peered into the forest, but was not able to see much except the claustrophobia-inducing trees."Maddy?" He said. The footsteps grew closer. He began to cautiously take steps backwards. His heart skipped a beat and grew hypertensive. Daniel's mouth grew dry and his body began to tremble in fear. "Oh, shit," he mumbled beneath his breath. Daniel bent his knees and became ready to run.

"Daniel!" Someone yelled.

"Maddy?!" Daniel yelled. The footsteps began to speed up. His pupils widened in horror, ready to take on whatever it was coming his way. Daniel could now see a figure in the light, it was coming towards her. "Madeline?" He whispered. The figure was sprinting and grunting, breathing heavily with every step taken. It was only one hundred feet away now. He still could not make out who or what it was. It drew nearer- seventy feet, fifty feet, thirty feet away. He could see it, he braced himself.