Chapter 13 : At The Door
Jade saw the house again, the driveway leading back to the road, a trail of blood leading up the stairs to the door. She didn't want to enter, but the woods weren't safe either. She had lost the man while running, but she knew he would be back.
She walked to the stairs and looked at the door, she squinted her eyes and started sobbing. If she walked through the doors she knew she would never get out, but if she went back in the woods - she couldn't go back.
She looked around behind her and used her arm to wipe the tears from her face as she started up the stairs.
*****
"I can stand a fighting chance."
The thought came through Madison's head. She stared at the corpse of the blonde girl, lifeless. She had killed one of them - there were two left. Derek and Jade would be around, they could all team up. And Chris. Chris had to be around somewhere.
She moved towards the basement stairs and felt around. The wood railing was breaking, she tugged at it and could feel it crack. She hoped they couldn't hear it upstairs. She pulled again it snapped and she stumbled back hitting the solid concrete wall. The blunt piece of wood would have to suffice she thought.
Up the stairs again to the door. She shook as she reached for the handle.
"You can fight back," she told herself. "You have to fight back, no one else will Madison."
Her hand touched the handle. It was cold. Her hand convulsed with fear and it rattled the doorknob. She finally got it to hold steady and turned it softly.
The door flung open and the woman stood in her way, the knife clutched in her hand. Blood soaked her dress and the blade. She swung at Madison slashing at her chest. Madison jumped back, her feet hit unevenly on the stairs and she started rolling down. The piece of wood clattered over the side of the stairs and onto the floor. Lights turned on as the old woman descended the stairs. Madison hit the ground heavily and looked up at the woman as she tried to get to her feet.
"What have you done to my baby!" she yelled.
"What's wrong with you," Madison cried.
She started crawling backwards shaking. She looked around, the piece of wood was across the room near the flooded section.
"You know what's wrong with us! You hear the stories in town!"
Madison screamed.
"What stories! We were only trying to help!"
"Trying to help? Trying to help ruin us! We're a fine family, we don't need your type around here - not after what the neighbors did to us and my husband!"
"What are you talking about," Madison said.
The woman was at the bottom of the stairs now and she stopped.
"My husband is dead."
"That's not my fault!"
"You killed him!"
"No! No we didn't, we did something wrong and-"
"Driving too fast at the bottom of the street, you killed him and you came back to kill us!"
"No! We were in an accident and we tried to get help! Why won't you listen?"
"Liar" she screamed.
Her battle cry echoed through the air as she lunged. Madison rolled out of the way and saw the woman fall beside her. She got the piece of wood and rolled onto her back, getting to her feet. The old woman was halfway up, she lifted her head to stare Madison in the eyes. A look of sheer anger spread over her face.
"Die," Madison screamed.
With all her strength she swung the makeshift club. It collided with the old woman's chin and with a crack broke, but another more sickening crack came from the womans neck. Her eyes rolled up in her head and her facial expression faded as she stumbled. She took a step towards Madison, the knife clattered to the ground, and then she fell next to her daughter.
Madison spun around putting her hand against the nearby wall trying to hold herself together. SHe felt like she could vomit, and faint and just die right then and there, but she couldn't let herself. She took a moment and then started towards the stairs. She walked up them and into the hallway looking around. She saw the front door.
"I can get to the car and just... go," she thought.
She moved towards the door slowly, terrified of what could come out of any of the nearby doors. She walked past the familiar living room doors. The curtains had been torn off them and inside laid the body of the red haired girl and of another woman. Lifeless. She squinted and continued. She was halfway down the hallway.
"Just a little longer. Just a little further," she thought.
*****
Jade leaned at the door, the handle didn't work. She started knocking against it hoping someone would answer. No one came. She banged at it harder and harder, kicking at the door, hoping no one could hear her. Or that if he did he thought it was something else.
*****
Madison saw the door start shaking. The chain lock rattled. She screamed, she was unarmed.
"Go away! Go away! Go away," she yelled.
She ran at the door holding it closed as the person banged at it. No voice, just the silence and the unbearable sounds of the door banging.
*****
"Madison's holding the door. She thinks I'm him."
Jade looked behind her, she couldn't see him. She heard Madison scream for her to leave again. She opened her mouth.
"Madison! Madison it's me! Madison please open the door please," she yelled.
She heard something. She looked back. He came out of the woods, a hulking behemoth shrouded by the shadows.
"Oh God Madison he's right behind me," Jade yelled.
*****
Madison let go of the door and slid off the chain lock hoping Jade could get it open.
"It's open! It's open," Madison yelled.
The door shook again.
"It's stuck," Jade yelled.
"What? No it...," Madison said looking around.
At the top of the door was another deadbolt.
"Hurry! He's right there! He's right there," Jade yelled.
Madison reached for the deadbolt, her fingers barely touching it.
"No! No! Madison! Madison," Jade screamed.
"Jade I see it," Madison called back.
Madison jumped for the lock and twisted it halfway.
*****
Jade had her back towards the door, her hand rattling the handle. He was on the walk to the stairs. So close to her. She could hear his raspy breath, she could see his cold black eyes.
"It's halfway there," Madison called back.
"It's not helping," Jade yelled.
He was trying to break her. He just stood there at the foot of the stairs staring up at her. Waiting for her to open that door so he could get both of them. She knew it now, she knew that he saw her as the weak one. The whole time running, and now she was going to get them all killed. His eyes told her that. Each breath he took she knew...
"Jade are you there? Jade," Madison yelled.
Jade wimpered with fear.
"Jade!"
"Madison... don't open the door."
"Jade! No!"
"I can't do it. I can't do it," she yelled.
She saw him step towards her, she wimpered again. He saw it coming, she ran down the porch leaping over the railing and landing hard into the grass.
"Run Madison Run," she yelled.
And with that she took off behind the house.
*****
Madison pulled the last half of the lock down and twisted the handle tears streaking her face. It was perfect timing that as she swung the door open she heard Jade's word as she faded off running.
"Run Madison Run"
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