Alternate Version of Finding Jules

Title: Finding Jade
Word Count: 2999
Contest: Summer Adventures Contest 2018

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"Are you sure that we're in the right place?" Cindy asked tentatively, holding the map out in front of her. She squinted at the map and held it closer towards her face, her short dirty blonde hair falling into the whites of her brown eyes. "I think we need to keep going left from this point."

Fliss gave an exasperated sigh and snatched the map out of Cindy's hands. "We need to go right from here if we want to get to The Wilbridge Cabins before dusk."

"No no," Cindy interrupted, waving her arms in the air. "You're holding the map the wrong way around."

Jade sighed as her friends broke out into, yet again, another argument. She loved her friends dearly, but it was the bickering that really drove her mad on days like this.

She ran a hand through her long wavy dark brown hair and immediately folded her arms. Her piercing green eyes on her tanned skin made her stand out more so compared to her two friends, but it was her compassion and loyalty that was admired most by others. Jade was shy, similarly to Cindy, but had the wits of Fliss. She may not have been the smartest, the funniest or the strongest out of the girls, but she certainly was the most artistic. It was her creativity and artistic eye that made Jade truly unique.

Fliss continued to channel her annoyance towards Cindy, who was now chewing on the sleeves of her baby blue cardigan. The two girls always broke out into arguments, but it was their honesty and truth in every flawless piece of vision that made them gel together in a sisterly fashion.

"No, we clearly have to go right," Fliss huffed pointing at the clearing between the rows of trees surrounding the three.

The girls had travelled to Wilbridge Forest in the hopes that they could hike. They weren't ones for hiking, but Cindy's 17th birthday was quickly approaching, so the girls decided to treat their athletic best friend on a trip in the woods.

In hindsight however, they should've picked golf.

"Yeah, if the world was upside down, then it'd be on the right," Cindy quipped, gnawing away at her now-soaking cardigan. "But it's not! It's on the left."

Jade couldn't help but take in her surroundings: she stood in the centre of the clearing, turning her head around slowly to take in the gorgeous greenery. Everywhere she looked, trees and tree bark encompassed her peripheral vision.

"So beautiful," Jade sighed, smiling at the natural beauty laid before her. She noticed how little birds chirped in their nests at the top of the trees: proudly calling out to their friends and any nearby animal. She noticed how the clouds rolled above her, each perfectly shaped matters of gas moulded itself into a new form with every slow movement. She even noticed a deer that sat on top of a tree stump, as if it was completely oblivious to the sound of Jade's two best friends jeering at each other.

Wanting to seize a perfect opportunity, Jade quickly lifted up her camera that hung around her neck and attempted to take a few photographs. Without warning, the deer hopped off the stump and gracefully made its way between the trees into the distance.

Jade was never the one to make rash decisions, but in that moment in time, all she truly wanted was to capture a perfect shot of the deer that wandered before her. She was drawn by its mesmerising beauty: the way it gently side-stepped between the bushes and the trees with such poise.

It was only when Jade could no-longer hear her friends did she realise that she may have wandered too far.

She immediately put her camera down, letting it hang on her neck as she quickly spun around to face the direction she walked in from. All she saw were trees surrounding her, but what scared her the most was that she couldn't even see her friends let alone hear them.

The deer that she was following had now disappeared among the trees and the birds that were once seen on the top of the tree branches, had flown away too.

Her breathing quickened and her eyes widened, afraid that she might be lost. Jade hurriedly marched back in the direction she came in from, feeling the leaves and the sticks crunch beneath the soles of her Timberlands.

"Fliss?" Jade's voice sounded hoarse as panic started to rise deep within her. "Cindy?"

Every time she called a name in angst, the only response she received was the rustling movement of squirrels and rabbits running away from her.

Jade pulled her phone out from her back jean pocket to check her cell service. In all honesty, she didn't really know why she checked her phone in the first place: she knew there was no cell service, which was why the girls were using a book map instead.

"Still no bars," she huffed, running a hand down her face before yelling out to her friends one more time. "Fliss? Somebody!"

She could've sworn she saw movement out of the corner of her left eye; she whipped her head around immediately to see if she could catch what it was. A ghastly rustling noise echoed throughout the forest, making Jade's heart thump loudly in her ears: it resembled a bass sound held up against her head.

Her phone battery was on 3%, she had no signal, no map and the sun was starting to set. Jade wasn't afraid of the dark, wild animals or loneliness.

Hope was quickly fading and that was what she feared the most.

***

The sun was already starting to set; the pale orange hue was carefully blended into the pure blue sky, similarly to that of an artist's brush stroke. An intricate glaze of pink and purple was swiped across the horizon, signalling that dusk was fast approaching. The sight was truly breathtaking: it was just a shame that Jade's focus was on something more pressing.

A flash of grey caught her eye: she gripped the straps of her navy blue backpack tightly and marched towards it. She trudged her way through the forest, silently hoping that it was her friends looking for her. Of course, it was wishful thinking, but hope was too important to Jade.

A few moments later, Jade was faced with a truly mesmerising sight: an iridescent lake spread across the horizon with several deer drinking out of the water. The orange sky was carefully reflected against the lake, making it resemble pure satin. The water looked so smooth as it glittered in the sunlight, highlighting nature's natural beauty.

In that moment in time, the only thing Jade was itching to do was to run the tips of her fingers along the top of lake, to test if it was truly as soft as it looked.

Instead, Jade lifted her camera and took several photos of this rare beauty: it wasn't everyday that she saw a secluded bayou in the middle of the forest, surrounded by wild deer during sunset. It was truly magical and she wished that her friends were with her to witness it too.

However, it was only when she examined her photographs did she notice a small black little shed on the corner of the lake.

Deciding to throw all caution to the wind, Jade passed the bayou and made her way towards the little wooden black cabin. It was an usual, dark, archaic hut that was settled on the outskirts of the lake: it didn't match the majestic scenery surrounding it.

Upon hearing a low voice, Jade scrambled towards a small shrub beside her and hid; the door of the old cabin creaked open and out stepped a man dressed in camouflage hunting gear. He turned towards Jade's hiding spot and marched towards the shrubbery.

With panic rising within her, Jade quickly clamped a hand over her mouth to stop herself from breathing heavily.

The large man marched towards the shrubs and extended a long arm into the small bush next to Jade. In one swift motion, he pulled out a black drawstring bag and headed back inside the cabin again.

Jade released the hand over her mouth and let out a sigh of relief. She was about to climb out of the shrub until the cabin door swung open again.

The man took a step out of the cabin, no longer carrying his hunting gear or the black drawstring bag. He was now clad in a white tank top, pale brown shorts and a pair of Nike's. He quickly spun around on his heels to face the cabin and locked the door with a key buried in his back pocket.

Intrigued by his actions, Jade started to take some photographs, forgetting about the 'click' sound that resonated from the camera.

Immediately, the man's head whipped around in Jade's direction as she cursed silently under her breath. She clutched the camera close to her chest as the man continued to look in her direction, before breathing out a sigh of relief: the man went back to locking the cabin.

He pulled away from the door and quickly started to collect a few large broken tree branches from the ground. He dragged them towards the cabin and began to lift a few branches on top of the small wooden cabin. He was using the branches as camouflage.

Jade continued to take some more photographs.

He took a few steps towards the bayou and crouched before the lake. He dug his hand into his pocket and pulled out the same key he used to lock the cabin. He rubbed his thumb over grooves in the metal before thrusting his hands into the water. After a few moments, he lifted his arms out of the water, but quickly washed his hands and face. He then shook his arms quickly to remove the little water droplets. The man walked away from the cabin and headed off into the forest, away from Jade.

Jade tilted her head in confusion. Why would someone hide a cabin and the key to go along with it? She lifted her camera up and took a quick look at the photos she had taken of the man.

He was tall at around 6 foot, with straggly chestnut hair that reached his broad shoulders. He was well built; his body glistened with sweat and his white tank top stuck to his olive skin. His biceps were bulging in several of the photos and his strong, sharp facial features were enough to make anyone swoon. He had long, thin scars that traveled up his left arm and had a hint of a tattoo on his neck.

All in all, he was a form of perfect design: Jade felt her heart thumping loudly in her chest.

She hurriedly stepped of the shrub, running her hands down her arms and legs to remove the flakes of mud off of her tanned skin. She wiped the sweat off her brow; the blazing summer heat certainly didn't help, but as the sun was setting, she hoped the temperature would cool.

She removed her navy backpack and carefully placed the camera on the floor beside her. Jade scrambled towards the edge of the bayou where the mysterious man was sitting just moments before.

She carefully peered into the water and saw nothing out of the ordinary: there was no wildlife in the lake as far as she could see, but there was also no evidence of the key either. She sighed and ran a hand through her wavy hair: something she often did when she was in deep thought.

Reluctantly, Jade dipped both hands into the water, digging them deeper until she felt the floor of the lake. It was shallower than she thought it would be, but she liked the way the sand on the bed brushed against her fingers: the soft, smooth grains of sand felt like velvet.

A few moments later, Jade found the silver key wedged into the bottom of the lake. She fumbled with the key in her dainty hands and shoved it into her pocket.

Darkness now surrounded Jade: the sun had finally set. The moonlight twinkled in the reflection of the lake, a gleam of silver glazed over the waters. The deer that had once drank from the water had started to descend back into the woods.

Jade was completely alone.

She was grateful that she had worn a tank top and shorts: the sweltering heat that was once evident in the morning had only cooled slightly. Jade was still incredibly warm, but she only realised how hot she was after she pulled the branches off the cabin.

It was difficult as Jade suffered minor scratches from the tree branches and had mud buried into her fingernails; she dumped the branches in a heap beside the bayou. She wiped the layer of sweat off her brow once more, before pulling the key out of her pocket.

She looked back up at the musty cabin and ran her fingers along the grains of wood on the door. Pieces of wood were crumbling in her fingers, the panels seemed as though they were giving way and the strong smell of mold wafted up Jade's nose.

She ignored the smell as best as she could and inserted the key into the lock. In one swift motion, she unlocked the door and hauled it open.

***

Jade's breathing quickened as she ran through the forest. She stumbled over the rocks between the trees as her mind struggled to comprehend what she had just seen.

It was two long hours after Jade had walked into the cabin.

She was still alone, lost and scared; her navy backpack and her camera were long forgotten and left outside the cabin doors. She left in a haste, eager to get as far away from the cabin as possible.

She didn't notice the glowing eyes of the animals that surrounded her. She didn't notice the hoots of the owls that flew above her. She didn't notice the way the shadows of the moonlight captured the sharp detail of every wild creature living in the forest.

The only thing she could focus on was the vision of blood smeared across the inside of the cabin. The way the bodies of the dead hung limp by the rope wrapped around their necks. The way some bodies were beheaded: their heads skewered on sticks, sitting proudly on wooden crates. Trophies.

His trophies.

Jade wanted nothing more than to be at home curled up with a good book: she would much rather read a novel about an ax murderer as opposed to actually live the story out herself.

Jade ran for what seemed like hours until she saw a faint light in the far distance. It didn't fully settle in her mind that the murderer could be the one shining the torches, but she had hope even in the darkest of times.

Her legs were running on their own accord as though she couldn't even feel herself controlling them. Faster and faster Jade's legs took her, but her breathing was quick and shallow. She wanted nothing more than to be with her friends, family and girlfriend.

It was only when she saw a sign, did hope seem like more than an unobtainable glimmer.

"Yes!" Jade panted, her once luscious wavy hair was now sticky with sweat and curly in the rising humidity. Her feet skidded to a halt as she approached the entrance of The Wilbridge Cabins, praying that her friends would be inside waiting for her.

Jade gripped the brass handle and pulled the door open in one swift motion, as her breathing became erratic and ragged. Her heart jumped out of her chest when two bodies collided into her, throwing her onto the ground.

"We thought you were dead!" Fliss screamed, tears rolling down her face as she hugged Jade with all of her strength.

"We need to put you on a leash or something," Cindy giggled, her blonde hair flicking into Jade's green eyes. The girls laughed with tears streaming down their faces as they hugged their friend, happy that they were reunited.

Jade pulled away and stood up immediately, helping her friends to their feet. "We need to leave."

Cindy stepped back, a quizzical look plastered upon her face. "But you just got here?"

"Yeah, you were gone for hours and you're a complete wreck!" Fliss exclaimed, confused at Jade's strange behaviour. Cindy walked behind Jade and headed towards the reception desk to ask about their room.

"No, you don't understand!" Jade shook her head quickly and waved her hands in denial. She had so much she needed to tell the girls: they weren't safe.

"You're overreacting. We were looking for you for hours, so we thought you might've gotten lost and found this place or something. So we've been waiting here for you," Fliss nodded, but Jade didn't care.

She knew that they had to leave, but she didn't know how to form the words to the sentence she so desperately needed to say. Jade was just about to open her mouth before she was interrupted by a low voice.

"Here are your keys, ma'am."

Jade froze.

She knew that voice. Granted, she only heard it just the once, but she knew that voice. Her blood went cold and all of the baby hairs on her neck and arms rose. Her body became rigid and her breathing was hitched in her throat. She shut her eyes tight and balled her small hands into fists.

Jade took a deep breath before she slowly turned her body around to face his; her heart sank the second their eyes locked. The scars on his left arm, the neck tattoo and the sinfully attractive build: it was him. They weren't safe.

None of them were.