Echoes in the Woods by Georgina Scott (ebook reader web txt) 📕

he was having a fit, his whole body convulsed. It took about four to six minutes for Justin to die. Jake took out his knife and thrust the knife into his ribs and twisted, puncturing his lung. He took a step back and watched him die.

***

It wasn’t long for Jake to pick up the trail of George and Natasha; they were arguing, and with Natasha threatening him, George told her to “Fuck off”, shoved her hand off him and then walked away in Jake’s direction.

“Kevin will kill you if you stop looking, weasel,” she shouted out putting her hands on her hips. She turned and walked deeper into the woods.

Jake knelt down, hiding himself in the undergrowth and watched George marched past him. He quietly followed him back to the woods opening. Jake took out his knife, jumped out of the bushes and stabbed George in the ribs, turning the knife. He grabbed the scruff of his neck, throwing George forward in the direction of his tree.

George, disorientated, held his ribs with his hand as though they were falling out, trying to balance but was unable to and kept falling forward. Dirt sprayed up in his face and into his mouth, making him cough and spit. Jake thought to himself, “This is taking way too long.” He kicked George up the arse, then said, “Move. Move faster,” and then kicked him again.

Finally reaching their destination, after a lot of dragging and kicking, with George practically unconscious, Jake went through the motions of taping up his hands and feet then tying him to the tree. He heard a rustling noise about ten feet away. He saw a mass of blonde hair sticking out from the top of the undergrowth. “Well, now,” he thought to himself.

He slowly made his way over, picking up a stone. Then, all of a sudden, Natasha sprang up and out from under the undergrowth, holding a big stick and into Jake’s direct line of sight. He threw the stone, but only hit her temple, not enough to unbalance her, but enough to open up a flesh wound. “Where’s George? What have you done with him?” said Natasha.

Jake looked behind himself and pointed to a tree, “Over there.”

“Where? I can’t see him.”

“Behind that tree, over there,” he said, looking back.

Natasha walked slowly, crossing her feet, as she walked in the direction of where George was, swinging her stick every so often, with Jake in toe, keeping a distance. Natasha gasped bringing her hands up to her mouth, dropping her stick, as her eyes fell onto George.

“Well that was stupid,” said Jake, then stuck the knife into her back; she screamed and fell to her knees. Her screams echoed through the woodland. Stopping Kevin and Wilf in their tracks, both turned and headed in the direction of the screams.

Smacking her on the side of the head with the back of his knife, he taped her hands behind her back grabbing her hair and pulling her in the direction of her tree. He could feel her hair coming away from her head as he yanked it; she was quite resistant and kept lashing out with her feet by trying to kick him. Jake grabbed her heel and lifted her leg, sending her backwards onto her back crashing into the ground.

Not far from her tree, he stabbed her in the thigh, twisting the knife. Her thigh bled out, and he knew she hadn’t got long before she became unconscious. With all his strength, he dragged her to her final destination but he didn’t tie her up, instead he cut her throat and stabbed her fourteen times throughout her body, then wrote ‘BITCH’ on her forehead.

Jake headed back to the tree, where he left his rucksack; he climbed the tree and took out a tuna and cucumber sandwich and ate it, washing it down with some water. Leaning back on the trunk, resting, he started thinking about his next move; the adrenaline was still rushing through his body with the feeling of invincibility. His plan was to leave Kevin until last; he saw him as a formidable opponent and will relish in his demise.

Still in the tree with his arm resting behind his head, Jake heard voices; it was Wilf and Kevin.

“Wilf.”

“Kev.”

They both said in unison. “Did you hear the screams?” said Wilf.

“Yes, but whose?”

“Have you seen any of the others?”

“No,” said Kevin, shaking his head.

“I do not like this Kev.”

“I don’t either, nothing to see back there, no sign of that little fucker.”

“I think we should get out of here?”

“Not without the others, and not until we have found that little bastard.”

“Sod you, I’m going.”

Wilf turned and was about to walk off when Kevin grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and pushed him up against the tree. “I said not until we find the others, okay,” applying pressure, pushing Wilf into the tree. “Okay, okay,” said Wilf taking in a deep sigh.

“We are going this way,” said Kevin, walking in the direction of the dead four.

“Why that way, there is no path,” shouted Wilf.

“Can’t you see the undergrowth has been disturbed and broken in places,” said Kevin, shaking his head in disbelief.

As Wilf and Kevin headed into the undergrowth, it was Jakes cue to climb down from the tree and follow them. Keeping the knife in his right hand, he moved quickly, gaining speed, and approaching Wilf. He whistled as Wilf turned his head looking back over his right shoulder, and sheer terror fell over his face, seeing only a knife flying through the air in his direction. Before he could react, the knife penetrated deep into his left eye. Feeling the cold steel slicing through his organ, it felt pretty surreal. At first it felt odd, a sharp, but not intense pain.

The stabbing was awful, he felt the life drain from his body. For what seemed like an age he was paralysed and in shock as the knife went in, turning his knees to jelly as