Aaron was silent as he checked Aly’s pulse a second time. Katie sat in the dirt, hugging her knees, next to Andrew who was still unconscious. She avoided looking at his arm and leg that were bent out of shape.
“So… you erased a drawing of a butterfly, and the guy that was going to attach you just… stopped?”
“Yeah, kinda weird,” Aaron said, “I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn’t seen it. Ah… She’s done for.”
They knew even before he checked that Aly wasn't going to make it, but it was hard for Katie to hear Aaron confirm it. First Spencer and now her? This time was different, because Katie hadn't witnessed Spencer’s brutal end, but she definitely saw Aly’s guts get punctured. And she was killed by a horror movie character?
“That’s awful…” Katie said, “I bet they all had lives and people to get back home to.”
Aaron nodded. They stayed hidden in the dark trees while they formulated a plan. If what Aaron said is true, then they didn't need to worry about the crazy people finding them anymore. Right?
“There’s something else,” Katie started, “I don't know if I’m just over thinking things… But I noticed the men here who attacked us had very stereotypical serial killer traits. For example, their weapons.”
“Chainsaw?” Aaron asked.
“Well that, I had someone come at me with a kitchen knife too. And physical coincidences too, like the man with the burn scars downstairs and then the man covered in bees.”
“I’m lost.”
Katie sighed, “The chainsaw is Texas Chainsaw Massacre, the knife is Michael Meyers, the burns could be Freddy Krueger, and the bees would’ve been The Candy Man.”
Aaron pondered, “Guess all we’re missing is Jason with his machete.”
“Don’t tease like that,” Katie snapped.
“Sorry. So, dumb question, but were you able to see signs of anywhere close by we could get help?”
“Honestly, I saw nothing, just trees, and that awful house.”
“So should I not get excited about those car headlights in the distance?”
Katie turned to face where Aaron’s eyes were searching. Through the trees, they spotted something that had to be a car. Two bright lights moving swiftly towards the east. Her heart did a somersault.
“What if it’s another bad guy?” Katie asked.
“They don’t seem interested in what’s happening this way,” Aaron said, “That means there’s a road up there, we need to get to someone!”
Katie stood up, “I can run.”
“What?”
“I can do it. I’m a decent runner.”
“I believe you, but you can't be faster than a car,” Aaron said.
“Follow behind me with Andrew, or stay here with them and… I’ll bring back help.”
Aaron frowned, “Hmm, you going alone sounds like a terrible idea. Let’s do this together. We’ll come back for them.”
Katie was admittedly relieved. She didn't want to be alone again, but she knew running was something she could contribute. Aaron definitely wasn't as fast as she was, but it was still reassuring to hear him close by.
It felt good to run towards something. Katie did her best to avoid tripping over foliage and rocks, stumbling here and there. Twigs grazed her cheeks, but for the most part, she was numb.
Her shoes finally hit something other than dirt and grass. She breathed heavily.
“There’s road!” Katie called back, “There’s… there’s the car!”
Katie threw her hands up and waved frantically. Please stop! Please, please, stop!
“Hey!” she waved and danced in the road, “Stop, please! We need help!”
The car slowed, the lights blinding Katie, and came to a stop. Katie could’ve cried for joy.
“You have to help us! We need an ambulance, the cops, anyone!”
“What’s this bout the cops?”
A middle-aged man and, Katie’s guess, his older son, excited the car. Katie moved out of the headlights and saw that it was an old truck, and the men both looked like farmers.
“We were kidnapped, we… We were attacked and…”
Aaron finally arrived on the scene, having heard Katie stammering.
“We have two dead and one injured,” Aaron said, “We need to get help right away, please.”
The farm family looked baffled but nodded slowly, “Yeah, alright. Where’s the injured one?”
Aaron, Katie, and Andrew all sat in the cramped back seat of the truck. They agreed to head to the nearest hospital first. The driver apparently didn't own a cell phone. He said they could contact whoever they needed to retrieve the bodies and investigate at the hospital and also help Andrew.
Aside from a few questions here and there, it seemed like the farmers didn't want to get too involved. Finding them was help enough, Katie thought.
The younger man was playing with the radio, changing from one bad country station to another.
YOU CHEATED.
Katie’s hand latched onto Aaron’s arm. She couldn’t believe it, what was that? For a split second, while the stations were filtering through, a familiar distorted voice spoke quite threateningly.
“Did you hear that?” Katie asked.
“Hear what?” the driver sounded bored.
Katie looked up at Aaron, and he nodded to her, knowingly. That couldn't be, Katie told herself, they’d escaped and there was no more Thanato Project.
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