1 CHAPTER ONE

26th October 2019

The moonlight shines on the lake, as light glistens off the water. Bright enough to send the lake into an array of light that sits on top of the surface. A warm evening, the wind bellows through the trees softly. Head lights from a car are approaching. The driver is unknown, driving through a clearing between the trees on both sides of the car. The engine revving, the unsettled stones and branches shake as the driver passes. The car enters through a clearing of trees on both sides, the terrain has been long and hazardous. Driving through uneven surfaces and broken wilderness.

The car pulls up towards the edge of a cliff. The driver switches off the ignition. Pulling down the mirror above the steering wheel. The silhouette is that of a woman's. She checks her eyeliner and reapplies some of her dark red lipstick. She places her two feet out of the car on the left hand side revealing her long slender legs. Marney, the high school teenage dream for most teenage boys, with long blonde straight hair and her assets are something to be admired.

Marney moves toward the front of her car, placing both hands on the hood and sliding herself onto it. Marney back laying on the hood, resting her back along the windshield. She over looks the lake, glistening from the natural light of the moon. Marney knows this may be the final time she can come to this specific spot. She'll be leaving for college in the morning so she figured one more hook up couldn't hurt.

She waits for her admirer to arrive. She grows impatient. Not one to be kept waiting, but is determined to have this one last hook up. Marney pulling her phone from her jacket pocket, sends a text to Trevor. "Where are you?, hurry up." This is a spot where all the teenagers come to indulge in sensual activity. Marney dozes off. Falling asleep for a number of minutes. A branch snaps, waking her from her sleep. She jolts forward nearly falling off her hood. She turns to look behind her as she slides off the side of her car. To her surprise she see's someone standing on the left hand side of the tree line. "Is that you?." She asks playfully.

The blacked out silhouette doesn't reply. Calling on Marney with their index finger to follow them. The silhouette turns around and walks into the woods, disappearing behind the tree line. Marney continues to go along with the role-play. She follows the unknown person into the into the woods. Marney stumbles through tough terrain. Maybe this wasn't one of her best ideas for a location.

She enters deeper and deeper into the woods. Although she becomes weary, she knows these woods, she grew up here so finding her around is quite natural for her. She pushes past several branches from trees. Her brand new footwear, now covered in muck and soil. This was not quite the experience she had hoped for. Her hands dirty, full of the resources from the earth. Marney finds a clearing. Looking closely she can see what looks like a overall hanging from a tree.

Marney enters the clearing, approaching the overall. Her name appears to be on a white piece of paper, stapled to the hanging object. Covering her mouth with the sleeve of her jumper asking herself,

"What is that God awful smell?."

The mood doesn't feel very playful to her now. She looks around nervously, as though it just got a lot colder. Goosebumps appear on her arms, feeling a cold shiver as she reaches for the old, dirty sheet. Her hands reaches slowly, shaking as she moves it closer to the object. Unsure of what she will find. The sweat dripping down her neck, wiping her forehead with back of her right hand. She pulls it down with one quick swoop.

Exposing the body of Trevor. The boy who was meeting Marney at the rendezvous point. The smell is undoubtedly the worst smell that Marney has encountered. Marney falling to her knees, barely able to find words to speak,

"Oh my God." She says.

Marney finds the strength go pick herself up from the soil. She turns running back toward her car. Weeping still she manages to run almost the perfect path back to her car. Running on uneven ground and harsh terrain. She finds the clearing running through the trees on both sides of her. She can see her car in the distance. She takes a massive sigh of relief and runs towards the car.

She reaches her car, pulling the drivers side door open forcefully. Marney enters her car, quickly closing the door behind her. She places both hands on the steering wheel and rests her head on it. Weeping, she tries to get a hold of herself,

"Come on Marney. Drive this fucking car." She says.

Suddenly the assailant pops up from the backseat. It's to dark in the car too get a clear description of the attacker. He grabs Marney by the back of her hair, gripping tightly. She screams, "LET GO OF ME YOU BASTARD!."

Marney frees herself from the grasp of the killer. Pulling the handle on the drivers side door open she leaps from the car. The killer opens the passenger door on the drivers side, leaning back on the seat and kicking the door open with both feet, catching her in the stomach winding her. Marney now forced to crawl prone along the rock and gravel. The killer is standing tall behind Marney. Disguised in a long rain coat and a hood that blacks out the face.

Marney tries to crawl to safety. She has been rendered helpless. The sounds of her screams muffled by the lack of air to her lungs. Marney looking behind her to see the killer stalking her methodically. The assailant takes a hook from underneath his coat. Marney never stops crawling, never giving up hope of surviving.

The killer grabs Marney by the right ankle pulling her back. Tears streaming down the face of Marney. Her weeps and pleading become constant. Desperately trying to reason with her attacker "Please, you don't have to do this. Please stop".

The assailant takes their index finger and places it over their lips, making the hush sound. Marney's tears pour down her face as the killer slowly climbs on top of Marney, pinning her down and driving the hook into her chest repeatedly. She takes her last breath laying on the rock and gravel. The merciless attacker stands over Marney, not moving, just staring.