chapter eight
"white noise"

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The Main Lodge ━━ Hacketts Quarry 2021

AN AWKWARD silence fell over the room. Lilith shifted uncomfortably in her chair, sensing the tension in the air. Abigail took a deep breath, her eyes fixed on Nick.

"Nick, I... I need to tell you something," Abigail began, her voice trembling slightly. "After everything that's happened tonight, I realized life's too short to hold back. I... I have feelings for you. Strong feelings."

Nick's eyes widened in surprise. For a moment, he seemed at a loss for words. Then, almost involuntarily, his gaze drifted to Lilith. It was a brief glance, lasting only a second, but it spoke volumes. Lilith caught his eye, and for that fleeting moment, something unspoken passed between them.

Abigail didn't miss the exchange. Her hopeful expression crumbled, replaced by a mix of hurt and anger. "Nick?" she prompted, her voice tight.

Nick quickly looked back at Abigail, realizing his mistake. "Abi, I..." he started, his voice soft but firm. "I'm really flattered, but... I don't feel the same way. I'm sorry."

Abigail's face fell, her eyes filling with tears. "But... I thought... at the log earlier..."

"That was... I was caught up in the moment," Nick explained gently. "I care about you, Abi, but as a friend."

Abigail's gaze snapped to Lilith, who was now staring intently at the floor, clearly wishing she could disappear. The pieces clicked into place in Abigail's mind, and her sadness quickly turned to anger.

"It's because of her, isn't it?" Abigail snapped, pointing at Lilith. "You like her! I saw the way you just looked at her!"

Lilith's head snapped up, her eyes wide with surprise and discomfort. "What? No, I-- This isn't--"

"Abi, stop," Nick interjected firmly, struggling to sit up straighter. "This has nothing to do with Lilith. She doesn't even know how I feel."

"How you feel?" Abigail repeated, her voice rising. "So you do like her!"

Nick sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Abi, please. This isn't the time or place for this. Nothing's been going on. Lilith and I are just--"

"Just what, Nick?" Abigail shouted, tears now streaming down her face. "When were you planning to tell me? When we're all dead?"

Lilith stood up, her face a mask of guilt and confusion. "Abigail, I swear, I had no idea. I never meant to--"

"Save it!" Abigail cut her off.

Nick attempted to stand, wincing in pain. "Abigail, listen to me. Lilith didn't do anything. If you want to be angry at someone, be angry at me. I'm the one who--"

Suddenly, the door burst open. Kaitlyn stood there, her face pale and her gun raised. The argument died instantly as they all turned to face her.

"We need to move, now!" she hissed urgently. "There's someone in the lodge."

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As they hurried out of the lodge, Nick leaning heavily on Lilith for support, they all noticed the dark, glistening substance covering Kaitlyn's clothes and skin.

"Kaitlyn, is that... blood?" Abigail gasped, her earlier anger momentarily forgotten.

Kaitlyn nodded grimly as they made their way towards the radio hut. "There was this guy in the lodge," she explained, her voice shaky. "I don't know who he was or where he came from, but he... he just poured blood all over me. It was like some sick ritual or something."

"What the hell is going on here?" Nick muttered, wincing with each step.

"I don't know," Kaitlyn replied, "but we need to get to the radio hut. Dylan and Ryan are there, and we need to call for help."

As they approached the radio hut, they could see Dylan and Ryan through the window, seemingly in an intense discussion before Ryan raced over to the PA system when he saw them.

"Guys! Get into a cabin, now! it's out there, the thing is out there!" Ryan's voice suddenly blared through the PA system, startling them all.

Without hesitation, they darted towards the nearest cabin. Lilith practically dragged Nick inside, with Kaitlyn and Abigail right behind them. They huddled together, barely daring to breathe as they heard the creature moving outside.

The group in the cabin held their breath, straining to hear what was happening in the radio hut. The sounds of struggle and pain were almost unbearable.

Suddenly, a high-pitched whine filled the air, growing in intensity until it was nearly painful. The creature on the roof of the radio hut let out a bone-chilling howl before the sound of heavy footsteps faded into the distance.

Cautiously, the group emerged from their hiding place and rushed to meet Dylan and Ryan.

"Oh my god, Dylan!" Kaitlyn gasped, her eyes wide at the sight of his injury.

Dylan managed a weak smile. "Hey, at least I'm still in one piece... mostly."

Ryan looked pale and shaken. "We need to get him somewhere safe, treat the wound properly."

"Is it gone?" Abigail asked, her voice trembling. "The monster, is it really gone?"

Ryan glanced around, his expression uncertain. Ryan shook his head slightly. "I don't know," he admitted. "The feedback loop drove it away, but... the hunters are still out there. We can't let our guard down."

"So what was that thing?" Nick asked, still leaning on Lilith for support. "And what's this about hunters?"

Before anyone could answer, the crack of gunshots split the night air. They all ducked instinctively, then peered out from behind the cabins.

In the distance, they could make out two figures. One was running, clearly terrified. The other, in hot pursuit, was a woman with an eyepatch, her gun raised.

"Oh god," Lilith whispered, her grip on Nick tightening.

They watched in horror as the woman caught up to her target. There was another gunshot, and the figure stumbled, then fell, tumbling into what looked like the camp's swimming pool.

Without thinking, they all rushed towards the pool, hope against hope that they might be able to help. But as they reached the edge, they knew it was too late.

The body floated face-down in the water, motionless. Blood spread in a dark cloud around it, staining the once-clear water.

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