C.P. followed her, the flashlight beam bouncing, and Mattie pulled open the top drawer. There were boxes of ammunition there, and several hunting knives of various sizes, and the extra grenades that William hadn’t put in his pack that morning.
“Holy hell,” C.P. said. “Grenades? What is he going to use them for?”
“The . . . creature,” Mattie said. “He . . . thinks . . . it’s . . . a . . . demon.”
“For real? Like he really thinks that thing is an actual demon in the woods?”
Mattie nodded. Their faces were just barely illuminated by the circle of light from the flashlight.
“And he’s what, exactly? Some kind of holy warrior out to smite it?”
“Yes,” Mattie said.
“This is getting more fucked up by the second,” he said. He grabbed several boxes of ammunition and stuffed them in his jacket pockets.
“Do . . . you . . . know . . . how?” Mattie asked, indicating the rifle.
“Yeah, I’ve been target shooting since I was pretty young. My dad loves it so he taught me.”
Now they had a gun, and someone who knew how to use it. But Mattie still wasn’t sure how they were going to get out of the cabin. William had positioned himself right by the door. If they opened it he could just pick them off one by one as they went through. Even if he didn’t manage to hit any of them—an unlikely prospect, given that William was a seasoned marksman—then he would just follow after them.
And they had Jen, who was now unconscious. Griffin had also been unconscious, and C.P. and Jen had barely managed to drag him along. Mattie was much shorter than Jen. She couldn’t imagine supporting the taller woman, even with C.P.’s help. And William would easily catch up to them.
Unless we kill him. The only way to make him stop coming after us is to kill him.
But she wouldn’t be the one to do that. She didn’t know how to use the rifle. C.P. would have to kill him. Could she ask this stranger to take on that burden?
Mattie rubbed her head. Every decision seemed so full of consequences that would lead to more troubles. She felt a sudden surge of anger at Griffin and C.P. Why hadn’t they left the mountain when she told them to? Why hadn’t they listened? If they had listened then none of this would have happened. She wouldn’t be burdened with the responsibility of their lives as well as her own.
I can barely take care of myself. How can I save them, too?
She swayed on her feet, suddenly lightheaded. She needed to rest. Her body was shutting down, defending itself.
“Hey,” C.P. said, putting his hand on her shoulder so she wouldn’t tip over.
Mattie knew he was only trying to help. She knew it, but she couldn’t help wriggling away when he touched her. She couldn’t help thinking of William, who would pretend to be kind and then hurt her in the next moment.
“I was just trying to help. You looked like a bowling pin about to fall,” C.P. said, and his irritation was clear in his voice.
Mattie shifted a few extra inches away from him. She didn’t want to be within arm’s reach, although she didn’t know where she could run to inside the cabin. He had the gun, too.
What have I done? William is outside with a gun and the only other man is inside with a gun and I have nothing, nothing to keep them from me if they want to hurt me.
She took a deep breath, because panic was bubbling up again and there was no value to it. C.P. wouldn’t hurt her, wouldn’t hit her. He had no reason to. They were in this together. They had to find a way to get past William, and safely get all three of them down to the village.
Four. He’ll never leave without Griffin.
“I’m going to check on Jen,” C.P. said when Mattie didn’t respond. He left the bedroom in a huff, taking the flashlight with him, leaving her standing in the darkness.
There was a tap at the bedroom window.
Mattie spun around, staring at the curtains she’d pulled closed. William was there. William was on the other side of the glass. If she opened the curtains he would be there, waving at her, asking her to open the window.
Just like he did before.
* * *
? ? ?
William waved at her and she got out of bed and pulled open the glass even though it was the middle of the night. She had to stand on her desk chair to push the window up because she was so small.
He told her to stay in the bedroom, that he had a surprise for Mom. So she’d gotten back into bed because her feet were cold and she’d pulled up the covers to her chin and waited to hear her mother’s cries of happiness when she saw whatever surprise William had for her, but then she was curious about the surprise.