Mel’s anger was building as he remained out in the cold. He knocked once more before allowing his emotions to get the better of him and he slammed both palms onto the door as if trying to push the entrance down. He was looking behind him every few seconds. Shadows would come into view for brief seconds before disappearing. Winds would whisper into his ear, conjuring perceived audio proof of movement from some unknown actor.

  Mel began to loosen up his shoulder as if warming up for a knockout punch. Before he could wind back, however, the door opened. No one was at the door. Mel was tentative before moving. He took two steps, his nose breaching the home, before a gun barrel appeared and kissed his forehead.

  Janet broke the silence, “Why are you alone, Mel? How the hell did you even get here?”

  Mel’s nose moved around before answering, mouth closed as he tried to hide his grinding teeth. “I’ll explain everything, just please let me go inside. I’m freezing out here. You can keep a fucking knife at my neck if it makes you feel better.”

  Janet cocked her head back and then towards Mel, signaling Tyrone and Evan to approach him. The two young men patted down the top and bottom of Mel, attempting to feel for any malicious paraphernalia. Neither of the young men were positive of their ability to properly feel for a weapon. Regardless, there was nothing to be found outside of his cell phone and keys to a vehicle. Janet asked for the two objects to be brought to her. She immediately recognized one.

  “Why the fuck do you have Carl’s keys?”

  Mel spoke in his angry, gravely voice, “Get me inside and I can explain the entire fucking-”

  “You don’t have a choice, you agitated sonofabitch. Now answer me.”

  “Somebody attacked the hotel! It wasn’t me! But they killed officer Carl and the bastard nearly got me before I managed to get the fuck out of there. I promise you! I can explain every detail to you! I just can’t think straight out here in the open!!”

  “You can freeze out there for all I care. If I don’t get some details out of your ass right now you might as well high tail it to your own place and stay cooped up in there.”

  “You might as well kill me right here and now then if you’re telling me to fuck off on my own. If you just let me go inside, I can tell you everything.”

  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  Anne had only been outside of her car for a few minutes. She moved slowly at first. The cold was unforgiving and even her young joints had difficulty feeling limber when she first stepped out. Her upper lip was red from the constant friction of her hand sporadically wiping away mucus. She knew where she had come from and she was aware of the surroundings of the cabin they stayed in. She felt confident once she could get to a half mile radius. Unfortunately, as far as she could tell, she was not within the distance yet.

  Anne’s phone was holding on to the last bits of battery life it had. Her service was atrocious, but that was to be expected. She was able to get a decent understanding of where she was in relation to her cabin’s general area by viewing her Maps app.

  Anne’s mind was running afoul with different thoughts. She estimated the hotel was roughly four to five miles from the cabin. She knew she was able to drive a bit over three miles before she could no longer drive further. If the stranger in black was able to get a car up and running, she likely only had minutes left before he would come upon the car. If he had no access to a vehicle, perhaps it could be an hour or more until he managed to make it this far. The best scenario would be that the man understood the worsening weather and decided not to give chase.

  In response to this reassuring thought, Anne was struck with the pervading memories that had been frequently interjecting themselves in her mind. She sighed, her breath beginning to waver again. A man with the kind of malignant intention she saw in the hotel would never stop giving chase. He took life like a desperate animal fighting to stave off starvation. He had no desire to stay warm, safe, and patient. He was hunting.

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  As her feet plodded through the snow, she couldn’t help but constantly move her head in all directions. The vulnerability she felt froze her more than the weather. She refused to stop moving, however. Her resolve had been decided upon and she couldn’t stomach the idea of her life ending. She wouldn’t let Tony’s attempts to help escape go in vain.

  She winced in pain.

  She clutched at her heart. Anne was hurting in the deepest part of her soul. Not just from the loss, but from her realization that she couldn’t stomach remembering his name. Each time his name appeared in her mind it was accompanied with the last visual she had of him. Eyes bulged as his blood covered his torso. He wore an apron of his own fluids.

  Anne couldn’t help but recall the conversation they all had. She remembered how she admitted to feeling as if she wasn’t worthy of fear. She remembered how each of her companions had such deep rooted feelings for why they needed to make it back home. She felt guilty.

  Her admittance was true at the time, but she no longer felt that. She would not die. She had to make it back to her parents. Her lack of trauma made her feel unworthy of survival before; it would be unfair for her to outlive the rest of them. This was no longer the case as she realized she had to survive. She had to ensure her folks didn’t experience the feelings of loss that she just lived through herself.

  Anne had to ensure she lived on so that Tony would live on through another. The others would remember him for his humor and his intellectual prowess. They would remember their good friend; all of his positive attributes and the levity his life brought into theirs. No one would remember his soft demeanor or his emotional attentiveness. No one else could properly remember him as he was in every facet of his being. She had to continue; Tony wouldn’t be lost twice. Not as long as she had breath in her lungs.

  ____________________________________________________________________________

  Mel was clearly anxious. His fingers would intermittently tap on his thighs as he sat down on a stool in the kitchen. Janet was across the room, near the stove. Jessica and Tyrone were situated on the couch, staring at the older gentleman’s back. Evan leaned against the wall to the left of Mel, but would frequently bounce off of it before landing back in position. Mel wasn’t the only one anxious. No one was yet speaking; the young adults waiting for Janet to comb through her thoughts and verbalize what she was considering.

  Mel had relayed the story of what took place at the hotel to the group. Evan had tried to call Tony, but his phone simply rang. Jessica had attempted calling Anne, but it went straight to voicemail. They chalked it up to spotty service.

  “Well, I’m spending more time in your parents’ place than my own. Might as well get the tour.” Mel was showing a cheeky smile, but this sarcastic comment felt hollow. There wasn’t the same condescension in his tone that would’ve been infused in his words a couple of days ago.

  Janet spoke up, “Probably not the best time for your stand-up. So let me get this clear, you were separated from the other three when that stranger showed up in the lobby. When he started assaulting the people in the lobby, how would you describe his actions?”

  Mel shook his head as he searched for the words, “Primal. He didn’t look around trying to locate anyone or anything. He essentially started attacking the first person he was close enough to reach.”

  “Damn it that doesn’t track anything we’ve learned about them.”

  Evan interrupted, “How can you be sure it’s the same person?”

  Janet shrugged, “Maybe I’m being simple about this, but I can’t fathom the idea that we just happen to have a killer and a domestic terrorist strolling around here at the same exact time. There’s no way.

  What that tells me is that this person went there with a purpose. Maybe he attacked the others to make his job easier, I’m not sure. This is odd though. It doesn’t match up.”

  Mel asked, “Do you think he was after the girl? Your friend… what was it, Chan?”

  Tyrone raised his voice slightly, cutting through the conversation, “Hey you racist bitch, it was Anne.”

  Mel turned to Tyrone, “I got the sound right didn’t I? What about the chubbster?”

  This comment made Tyrone get out of his seat, “That’s our boy Tony. Who the fuck are you again?”

  Mel chuckled, “Tony? Now that just doesn’t make any fuckin’ sense.”

  Jessica, still seated, put her hand on Tyrone’s abdomen. He looked down at her and sighed before sitting back down.

  Janet continued the previous conversation, “He might’ve been. There were women there, though. If he had some urge to kill a woman, he would’ve had his fill in that lobby I imagine. If he was after her, that means he is specifically targeting you kids now. That means you need to be by us as often as possible, Jessica.

  So you say that Carl let you have his keys to get the car started, right?”

  Mel nodded, “I’m not sure why he trusted me with that, but I think he had some kind of intuition. Pretty smart cop.”

  Janet let out a “hmm” and left the conversation at that. “I think we should be safe here for now, at least. I wish I could get Carl to contact me, but I’m guessing our service is shit. And his walkie is in his car. You all can’t reach your friends, either.

  Still, that doesn’t mean we have to be worried. Carl could be skittish, sure, but he was one of the best damn shooters on the squad. He was in the reserves, he knows how to handle himself.”

  Mel smiled, “Yeah he bragged a few times about it to me on the way. Funny dude. So, officer, what’s the next step?”

  Janet cleared her throat, seeming to have more energy than before. “We stay here. We outlast the storm. We get our shit collected and we get you kids home safe. If we’re lucky, maybe you’ll make it out without a scratch too, Mel.”