Chapter Five: Hide And Seek

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Dani's heart pounded with terror as she ran down the hallway, her friends right behind her, Colin holding Julie, as they ran for their lives from the massacre that had been the senior prom of '86.

From the one who had killed everyone in the gym. 

Tabitha. The prom queen. The killer.

She killed them. She killed them. She snapped and she murdered them all. She killed them.

She's going to kill us all.

The thought terrified Dani, that Tabitha was going to kill her and her friends, hunting them down one by one.

Turning a corner, the five ran into an abandoned classroom, slamming the door shut. The chairs were on the tables, their shapes elongated in the night, but none of them took one, panting heavily as the adrenaline died down and the panic flooded in.

"What the fuck happened back there?" Mitch breathed, eyes wide.

"Murder. Murder happened. Tabitha... she killed them," Colin said, face haggard.

"She was going to kill me," Julie whispered, eyes wide, face still pale. "She looked at us, all the prom queen candidates, as if to say we're next. Then Colin grabbed me and shouted at Zoe and Mitch to get you, Dani, and then... then..."

The decorations falling. The crushed students and teachers. Tabitha, drenched in blood and stabbing people. So much blood.

"We have to get out of here. W-we have to get out of the school, get into town, just get out of here," Mitch said, her normally strong voice shaking.

"Mitch, we'll die if we run!" Zoe yelled, voice shrill.

"We'll be slaughtered if we stay!" Mitch screamed.

Tense silence.

"We need a plan," Julie said, voice quavering. "That's what we need. A plan, a solid plan. To... to survive."

No one offered a plan, not even Colin or Julie herself, arguably the smartest people here, their brains still rattled from shock, panic and horror of what had happened, of the feeling they were now going to be hunted down, one by one, until they were all dead.

No. That's not going to happen, Dani thought. We'll survive. I'm going to get us out of here. I'm going to.

"We... we have to get to the front entrance," Dani said, drawing all eyes to her. "Once we get out, we can get into Colin's car and drive away. Maybe get some help from the police."

No one disagreed, all thinking that it sounded Ike a plan. That it could work.

"Okay, it sounds quiet outside. On the count of three, I'll open this door and we run and get the fuck out of here," Dani told them, sounding more confident than she felt, only knowing she had to try and get herself and her friends out of this prom night from hell, she had to.

Gripping the doorknob as Mitch and Colin readied to help Julie if she needed it, Dani turned to them and counted, "On three. One, two—"

Before she could say "Three" a bloodied hand slammed against the door, making them all scream as someone shouted, "Let us in! She's right after us! Oh God, please let us in!"

Dani opened the door, letting in two shaken and bloodied students, trembling.

"Thank you, oh thank God, thank you," one, a reedy boy Dani recognised from her Biology class as Miles Tanner, thanked, supporting the other, blinking dazedly, face covered in blood.

"Oh my God, that's Racquel," Zoe breathed, as now Dani recognised her—Racquel Porter, one of the candidates for Prom Queen, who had blood dripping down her face as she stared at them unseeingly, swaying slightly as she leaned heavily on Miles.

"What the hell happened to you?" Colin questioned, helping Miles with Racquel as Julie pulled a chair down, setting the dazed and bloodied prom queen to be on it. Once she was, Dani could see blood soaking her torn dress, around her leg.

"We got out of the gym and ran, but she was behind us. She... she stabbed Racquel in the leg and tried to bludgeon her to death with the sceptre. I pushed her away and got Racquel out of there," Miles explained. "Kiara and someone else was with us but they're..."

He didn't say anything else, the implication enough—Tabitha had killed them, Miles and Racquel barely escaping.

"Did you see anyone else? Any teachers?" Julie questioned.

Miles shook his head. "No. You're the first ones we've seen who also survived."

"Then everyone else either got out or..." Dani said, trailing off, but she didn't need to finish. Dead. They could all be dead.

They could be the only ones alive in the school right now, along with Tabitha.

"It's the curse," Miles whispered, voice shaky. "It's the goddamned curse, it made Tabitha snap and now we're all going to die—"

"It's not a curse. She just... snapped. And we're not going to die. We're going to get out of here," Dani interrupted firmly. "We have a plan, to get out of here."

This time, it was Racquel who spoke instead of Miles, voice rasping. "How? She's... she's on the hunt. She won't stop until we're all dead."

"We're going to get to the main entrance. Then, we'll run to Colin's car and drive away," Dani explained, voice steady for their benefit and hers. "You can come with us. We can get Racquel to the hospital."

Miles and Racquel looked at each other, a silent conversation passing between them that could only be shared among best friends, before Miles nodded. "Okay. Okay."

"Okay, it doesn't sound like she's out there. We're going to try to sneak past, then run like hell to the car," Dani explained as she grabbed the door again. "On three. One, two, three."

She opened the door and stepped out—only to watch as another student, a jock, sprinted past, screaming, "RUN! SHE'S COMING!"

Dani watched in horror as Tabitha ran past, bloodier than ever and now wearing her sash and crown which were just as bloody as she was, and tackled the jock with strength she shouldn't possess, straddling him as she raised the knife and stabbed him over and over again, the jock's screams gargled as blood pooled beneath him.

"Go, now!" Dani yelled and the seven of them ran out, Miles supporting Racquel and Colin supporting Julie.

They just turned the corner when Dani heard the click of heels on linoleum.

Dani looked around wildly, before she saw it—a janitor's closet.

"In there, now," Dani commanded, yanking it open. 

There was no need to be told twice as everyone filed in, cramming into the tight space. Dani watched as Tabitha advanced, prowling like a predator toward her prey, slasher-smile fixed on her face.

Once Julie was inside, Dani darted in and closed the door, wedging herself into the tight press of bodies, everyone holding their breath as the click of heels sounded in the silent hallway, sending palpitations of fear into Dani with every step.

Tabitha's shadow slithered on the linoleum, visible through the crack under the door as she stopped. Dani clapped her mouth shut, holding her breath along with the six other people in the closet as Tabitha stood there, drops of blood dripping onto the linoleum.

Then, Tabitha spoke.

"Long live the queen. Long live the queen."

The words skittered down Dani's spine, the flat, sing-song tone shuddering through her. Whatever remained of the girl Dani had talked to... it was gone. Nothing was left but this killer who couldn't stop, wouldn't stop, until everyone in this building was dead.

Tabitha singsonged the words a third time before, finally, she walked away, the click of her heels fading. Dani pressed her ear to the door, but she couldn't hear anything.

"Is it safe?" Miles asked in a whisper.

"I think so," Dani murmured.

At hearing that, Miles grabbed the door, opening it just as Julie hissed, "Wait, Miles, it might be a—"

The door opened and Miles ran, Dani right behind him—only to freeze as a knife sprouted between Miles' chest, blood splattering over her face and dress.

"—trap," Julie squeaked.

Miles gurgled, choking on blood as his hands twitched. Behind him, Dani could see Tabitha, grinning her slasher's smile. Tabitha, who hadn't left but merely waited for them to think she was gone before striking when they thought they were safe.

"R-run," Miles choked out.

Tabitha pulled the knife out, looking at Dani, her weapons raised.

But before she could stab Dani, Racquel launched herself at Tabitha, tackling her as she screamed, "RUN!"

That was the last word she spoke as Tabitha stabbed her in the throat, blood gushing down on Tabitha as Racquel twitched.

Dani didn't hesitate, running, Zoe, Mitch, Colin and Julie right behind her. They ran to the end of the corridor and turned the other corner, only to stumble in horror.

Bodies piled the hallway, blood stagnant pools on the floor, staining the suits and dresses of the victims, spattered against the walls and the prom and prom queen candidate posters. Throats were slashed, eyes gored mercilessly, heads bludgeoned, chests stabbed and sliced open—so many variations of death from Tabitha's weapons it was almost dizzying.

Dani wanted to hurl at the sight, at the smell of copper and death, but the sound of clicking heels refocused her and had her run again past the bodies, her friends running with her.

The corridor ended in a flight of stairs and without hesitation they ran up them—until Julie screamed.

"JULIE!" Colin yelled as Dani twisted and saw Tabitha had Julie, holding her real leg as Julie struggled to get free, knife raised.

Before Dani could do anything, Zoe barrelled down the stairs and tackled Tabitha with all her weight, sending them crashing down to the floor as Colin and Mitch ran down and helped Julie up the stairs to where Dani was, staring in horror.

"ZOE!" Dani screamed as she ran down to save her best friend from where she still wrestled Tabitha, but her best friend looked up, hair wild and dress torn at the hem and one sleeve hanging down her shoulder, and yelled, "Dani, run! Get everyone out of here! Just run!"

"I'm not leaving you!" Dani yelled, running down the stairs, but Mitch grabbed her. "Mitch! Let me go!"

"Dani, run!" Zoe yelled—and Tabitha slashed her throat open.

Dani screamed, fighting free of Mitch as she ran down the last steps and grabbed Zoe as she slumped off of Tabitha, her weight nearly sending Dani to her knees. Her blood, warm and sticky, gushed down from the gaping wound in her neck, her body trembling as she spluttered, choking on her own blood, eyes locking with Dani.

"Zoe," Dani sobbed, holding her best friend, her best friend she knew from childhood, who she saw as a sister.

Zoe's glazed eyes fixed on her, and she gurgled, "Run."

She slumped against Dani, the struggling beat of her heart the only tell Dani had that she was still alive.

Dani howled, begging Zoe to stay with her, pressing her hands against the slash, her hands soaked in blood, oblivious to everything but Zoe, she was dying, Dani had to save her, she needed to save her best friend, she had to, until she was thrown to the ground.

Dani fought back, looking up to see Colin there before he was dragging her up and away from the stairs, where she saw his face tight with pain and the bloody wound slashed in his right sleeve, saw Tabitha stand there before she turned to Zoe, couldn't even watch as she screamed and fought against Colin as they ran up the stairs and away from Tabitha, away from Zoe.

Away from her best friend as she died.

***

So... how are we feeling?

Yeah, the group was shellshocked before Dani came up with a plan, and they were joined by two more survivors. Unfortunately, they didn't survive :( 

And now we have our first casualty of the main group—Zoe, sacrificing herself to save Julie and having her throat slashed as Dani watched her best friend be killed, narrowly avoiding being killed herself thanks to Colin. It hurt, writing her trying to save Zoe 😭

And there will only be more...

Please read, comment and vote!