CHAPTER 2
The squad simmered down and the seven friends climbed out of the Escalade in a cloud of dust, the Escalade parked right up in front. Everyone grabbed their backpacks out from the trunk and gathered on the front porch of the massive cabin.
"All right squad, and James," said Jimmy giving a quick glare at James. "This is what I've appropriately dubbed the Christmas Cabin. Go right on in and make yourselves at home." without further notice the rest of the group opened up the twin heavy wooden doors that were painted to emulate the bark of a tree and streamed in chaotically past Jimmy and Ariel. James stuck behind carrying a leather rifle case in his hand and gripping a compass in the other.
Ariel gripped Jimmy's arm as if she was nervous or tensed and she looked up with worried doe eyes. "Babe..." she said quietly, tugging on the cuff of his sleeve as James stood across from them; the shade from the visor of his hat ominously covering his eyes in blackness.
"Hey, James, remember we aren’t here to hunt..." said Jimmy shakily as he danced his fingers around the cold metal of the revolver in his holster. James stood quietly, a crooked smile spread slowly and creepily across his lips.
"I know, just uh…” He paused “Something to have in case of an emergency." Quietly resumed James in a shallow matter, slinging the strap of the rifle case easily over his shoulder.
"You wanna come inside bud?" Jimmy asked, his fingers still prancing around the revolver, ready to draw as a contingency. His other arm was protectively around Ariel, holding her closer, like a bear protecting it’s kin.
"No, I think I'll explore the woods a little bit." he said a little louder, more in his normal tone.
"Ok. Just... don't get lost. Ok?" chimed in Ariel, less tense and no longer appearing to be nervous at all. "We'd hate to have anything happen to you, James."
"Oh, I won't; you love birds, you." he said with a laugh, holding up a compass in a plain silver case.
"Ok." said Ariel, no longer tense and her head on Jimmy's chest; his heart was beating extremely fast. Jimmy seemed a little off edge, he was suspicious. "Just be back by dark."
"Yeah, totally, we'll have fun,” said Jimmy, his heart rate accelerating. "Come on babe." he put his hand on Ariel's back and led themselves inside the cabin and turned around, pulling both heavy wooden doors closed with a loud clang that echoed through the cabin and the surroundings and woods alike.
*****
James heard the soft trampling of grass underneath his cowboy boots, glancing every now and then at his silver compass. He figured he would just walk the perimeter of the property and return before nightfall.
He noticed a hot springs just a couple yards from the back porch and noticed the back wall was made entirely of glass. He saw the Super Six, as they branded themselves, were drinking soda and talking around the gigantic fireplace of which the glow of the fire that clearly illuminated the back porch with an orange-red tinge.
James had always been treated like an outsider, he was not part of the Super Six but instead the butt of every joke despite Kylie constantly trying to protect him. So sometimes he just liked to escape from the group, even from Kylie; just to be alone with nothing but his thoughts was a rare commodity he indulged on whenever he could.
He walked off into the darkness before reaching a steep cliff overlooking the small town of Cenk. But to James' surprise, a pillar of smoke rose from towards the center of the town, but he nothing of it; just a small town fire he supposed.
James decided that he had been alone for long enough and decided to head back to the cabin and join the party inside. Things were going fine as he walked through the woods on the way back to the cabin and his wife and baby who must've been eagerly awaiting his return; until he noticed something strange engulfed in shade, slumped against a tree.
It was a deer, a fairly big one with a pretty big set of antlers. It had to be at least 400 pounds and it was oddly propped against the tree like how a person would sit against a tree. It had it's throat lashed out, like a bear slashed its throat out.
To James' horror, blood painted the bark of the tree the deer sat against. it's nostrils were wide open, It's beady black eyes were still wide open and it's jaw hung slack with it's tongue hanging out of it's mouth.
Horrified, and rightfully so, James sprinted back in the direction. He darted in between dozens of other blood speckled trees, he ran and ran; as much as his physical capabilities would allow him to, until he stepped on something that went -SPLAT!
He stopped dead in his tracks and looked down at his boot in horror as he lifted it and strands of meat and blood rose with it. From his experience it appeared that he had just stepped in a disembodied deer liver. He was revolted, for he wondered what on God's green Earth was happening.
James resumed his sprint, the cabin now in view. He hurriedly climbed the porch stairs, tripped, got up; and banged on the single heavy solid wood door on the glass wall.
Kylie opened the door looking disappointed with her hair neatly brushed down to her shoulders, the first time that day that James didn't see her with baby Kenneth.
"What's wrong with you?" screamed Kylie as she grabbed him by his plaid dress collar and practically threw him inside the cabin and slamming the door closed.
"What's wrong with YOU?" exclaimed James frustrated and confused of why his wife was so mad. Maybe it was her bipolar condition. Probably. Everyone was looking at the couple now.
Matt stepped in between the quarreling couple who were now facing down in an epic and face-melting stand off for the records. He turned to his left and looked up at James, still meeting his eyes, he was concerned for James; "Dude, do you know how long you've been gone for?" interrogated Matt.
"Yeah, I actually do." said James aggressively and pushing Matt away and raising his wrist, "I was gone for maybe, MAYBE, for 30 mi-" he stopped as he looked at the face of his watch which read 8:05 P.M., that was 3 hours after he'd initially left for the woods. "Oh god." he whispered and then mumbled under his breath again (an old habit of his).
"Yeah..." said Matt calmly while nodding his head slowly, "It's been 3 hours, James, wake up; what were you doing?" he began to count off on the fingers of one of his hands, "shrooms, squatting, burning, shooting, or all of the above?"
"No. None of that, I swear." said James surprised his friend was accusing him of these things.
"Don't swear. Then what were you doing?" Matt questioned further.
"Uhhh... There was a deer and... livers... guts everywhere." said James trying to explain himself but failing, only to make himself sound like a crazed lunatic with a horrible case of PTSD.
"Ohhh... I get it." interjected Kylie hysterically and on the verge of tears, her hands balling up into fists and her face turning cherry red with anger.
"Oh yeah?" And what is it that you get?" said James defensively.
"You meet another girl out there?" she was screaming now, her paranoia was kicking into overdrive and getting the best of her.
"Oh suuuure. Out in the middle of the woods I met a fair maiden. Sure. Fair maiden my ass. " Said James sarcastically.
Driven by rage she stomped forward, "Is she prettier than me James?" she really didn't look very nice when she was angry.
"No, no. No! Honey, let me... let me explain." sputtered James who was just now realizing the severity of the situation and was enveloped in fear, for he knew the unbridled rage of his wife and it was oceans away from the land of pleasantry.
"Don't..." tears gathered in her eyes and her knuckles turned white as she winded up her fist, "'Honey' me!" Her fist collided with her husband's face like a comet striking a planet or like a shotgun slug to the side of his face. James fell over on the polished hardwood floor.
Jimmy and Ariel ran forward and held Kylie back by her elbows while Ed and Matt kneeled beside James. Sara ran back to the fridge and came back with an ice pack and held it to his bruised lip, which immediately brought James back to consciousness.
James stood up and stormed over to Kylie, "I'm sick of this! You can't slap me around like this anymore! Especially not around the baby." he said pointing to another bruise just behind his ear, "We're done!" he shakily took of his wedding band and it bounced off the hardwood floor with a quiet ping, practically declaring the death of a marriage.
The once festive cabin came to a complete standstill as James just stood there in front of Kylie who was still being restrained by Jimmy and Ariel. She was crying and struggling desperately to escape their grasps.
"Wait." Sara spoke up, "What's that on your boot? All eyes attracted to the gooey red substance on James' cowboy boot.
"Yeah. And it's all over my floor!" exclaimed Jimmy.
"C'mon babe. Calm down. That's not the issue at hand here." said Ariel to her boyfriend.
"Yeah, yeah, I know." said Jimmy understandingly while combing his fingers through his hair.
"Yeah... about the liver..." said James like he was talking to schoolchildren.
"So you stepped on a liver?" asked Ariel, confused.
"Yes. There's also a deer with its throat slashed out in the forest." said James; the squad was clearly not buying his story.
Jimmy released Kylie, setting her on the couch, and stood up to James face-to-face, almost bumping chests. "Show us."
