December 14, 2020
Gabriel slammed the door behind him, halting Edward and Gabriel's escape. The floorboards rattled, the light flickered, and a cold piercing wind stabbed into Edward. They were coming. They had finally caught up to Edward and were ready to take their much deserved reward. They had killed Aaron, Robert, and now Rebecca. Edward would be next.
"Fucking bastard!" Edward yelled. He slammed his shoulder into the door, finding no success. Jordan twisted the knob, flashing Edward a terrified, yet slightly judgmental, expression. The back door swung open and Edward could see Gabriel trudging through the snow, not looking back.
"I have to go get Dana and the kids!" Jordan yelled as Edward began chasing after Gabriel.
"There's not time! If you go back, those things will fucking kill you!"
Jordan paused at the door, continuously looking back and forth between Edward and the hallway. "Those things will kill her and everyone upstairs!"
Edward didn't want his children to die, he truly didn't. However, he knew that it was simply suicide and their efforts would be futile.
"Jordan, listen to me; if we go back there, we will fucking die and they'll die too! We need to draw their attention away so that they can get out!"
Jordan once more looked back to the hallway before taking a step out into the cold. Edward had convinced him. There was no time to celebrate though. He had to get as far away from the house as possible and maybe even break Gabriel's nose. He jumped off the porch, over the bushes, and gave pursuit behind Gabriel. Jordan caught up to him quickly, given that he was much lighter and much more in shape than Edward.
The wind howled, as cold flakes of snow shot down from the sky into Edward's eyes. Seemingly, the Faceless had control over the elements themselves. They would do anything they could to slow their escape into the forest. The thing that Edward didn't understand was how they didn't catch up already. The creatures seemingly could teleport or even fly at a whim. Were they playing with their prey. Did they love the thrill of the chase, the thrill of cold meat, or even the thrill of scaring the ever living holy shit out of their victims. To that question, Edward didn't have the answer. One thing was for certain, however, they killed three people. They killed three people and would kill more, given the chance. It wasn't a myth. The Faceless were real and they were killers. Those who went missing in the forest didn't simply vanish. No, the Faceless mercilessly and viciously murdered them. A fate that Edward would soon face unless, somehow, he could get away. If only he could kill the creatures.
Edward watched as Gabriel began to disappear into the tree line. The bastard wouldn't escape. If Edward was to die, Gabriel would die as well.
And even if the Faceless don't kill me, I may still kill Gabriel.
How could he forget everything Gabriel had done? He manipulated his wife into cheating on him with Aaron. He drugged his son and tried to have his daughter kidnapped. He forced his family to flee from their old home to live in his manor. And he tried getting Edward and Jordan killed. The list went on and on but everything that had happened in these last several months had some part to do with Gabriel. He was pulling the strings the entire time and used people to harass the Porters. Why shouldn't Edward plunge his knife into Gabriel's neck? Given that Gabriel was sick of his twisted game, he would have surely taken the first chance he got to plunge his knife into Edward, Sarah, Isaac, Lillian, Jordan, Dana, and Mabel's neck. And his reason for it? Ethan. The man who Sarah first cheated on Edward with was Gabriel's crush. Jealousy was a hell of a thing.
Edward closed his eyes and, for but a fraction of a moment, thought of Ethan's face. His deep blue eyes filled him with anger. "Edward, please stop. I'm so sorry for everything. I promise you, I didn't know Sarah was married," He could hear Ethan saying. Edward smashed his fist into Ethan's skull repeatedly. That would teach the fucker. How he wished he could go find Ethan again and bash his skull in. Bash his skull in for all the problems he caused Edward all those years ago and all the problems he caused Edward to this day.
"Get the fuck away from me!" Edward heard Gabriel scream in front of him.
For a moment, Edward forgot he was chasing Gabriel and not, simply, trying to escape with his life. Jordan was matching his pace, constantly looking back to see if they were being followed. Edward would look back for a moment as well and saw nothing. Nothing but a dark tree line with the moon slightly shining through the leaves.
"Edward, we need to circle our way back around. The snow is going to keep coming down and I don't want to get lost out here," Jordan said. He looked into Edward's eyes, seeing the burning hatred within. "He'll get what's coming to him, one way or another. But we need to get back, make sure the kids are safe. Edward? Edward, are you listening?"
The truth was, Edward was listening. He was listening but he was ignoring. Jordan could circle back around if he so desired but Edward had no intention of stopping until he caught Gabriel. He would beat Gabriel the same way he beat Ethan all those years ago. So long as adrenaline pumped through his veins, he would catch Gabriel.
"Go then," Edward said. "I have some unfished business."
Jordan said nothing and kept following. What Jordan was about to see was going to be unpleasant. He had wished that his brother would turn back around.
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Isaac stared at the corpse, pale faced, as he listened to Aunt Mabel scream in terror. Aunt Dana was carrying Lillian and trying to shelter her eyes from the body that was bleeding out over the porch.
"Mabel..." Dana said, trying to pull her attention from the corpse. It was useless, however. Aunt Mabel was paralyzed with fear and it was a surprise to Isaac that she hadn't collapsed right then and there. Dana then turned to Isaac.
"Isaac, listen to me darling. We need to get Aunt Mabel and your sister out of here and find your mother, okay?" Dana said.
Isaac slowly nodded his head, his gaze not leaving the body of the woman he knew as Rebecca. It appeared that her throat was slashed.
"Aunt Dana, where did daddy and Uncle Jordan go?"
Dana rocked Lillian back and forth, while holding her head tightly to her shoulder. Isaac could see the look in her eye that said she didn't know what to say. She didn't know how to explain to a little girl that a woman was just killed at the manor and that their dad, Jordan, and Gabriel fled from the place.
"They went to go get help sweetie," Was all that she could muster.
Lillian's head began rotating but Dana quickly forced her head back behind her. "Don't look baby girl. Don't look for Aunt Dana, okay?"68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsQP7UG7w6v
68Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxBMnMm9DZP
Lillian whispered, "Okay."
"Good girl. That's a good girl."
Aunt Mabel began to recompose herself and control her breathing. Her eyes were closed as she tried to come to reality. Of everyone, she was taking it the hardest. Isaac slowly walked down the stairs, right after Dana. They looked as far into both side hallways as they could, seeing if they could spot whoever killed Rebecca. As far as they could tell, it was clear.
Sheltering Lillian from the body, Dana scooted past Rebecca's corpse and hurried down the front stairs. Isaac paused and looked down at Rebecca. Her lifeless face laid in a pool of blood. She was a very kind and sweet lady and, now, she was dead.
Aunt Mabel followed behind Isaac and they both slowly exited the front doors, closing them behind them. It took all of Isaac's will to not look at the corpse that was now at his feet.
"Alright sweet girl, go get in Aunt Dana's car, alright?"
Lillian held nodded her head and darted for the car. Dana looked to Isaac and Mabel, her face spelling utter panic.
"Did either of you see where Jordan and Edward went?" She asked.
Mabel remained speechless, almost entirely silent if it wasn't for her heavy breathing.
"I thought I heard them go out the back doors," Isaac replied.
He watched Dana frantically brushed her fingers through her hair. She wasn't sure what to do. Everything had happened so fast and both of the adults were lost.
"We need to get out of here," Isaac said.
Dana shook her head, agreeing with his plan. "Yes, yes we do. But we need to..." She cut off, unsure of what she wanted to say. No doubt, her mind was flooded with thoughts. Without Jordan, Dana was indecisive, on the verge of panicking.
"Alright..." She continued. "We need to get a hold of the sheriff and find your mother. I don't know when your father or Jordan will return and I don't want to wait her to find out."
Isaac and Mabel nodded their heads.
"Okay... Okay..." Dana said taking deep breaths. She placed her hand on Mabel's back, essentially escorting her to the car.
Isaac stood in place for a moment, looking back at the Manor that he was growing accustomed to calling home. The door slowly swung open and, in the entrance, a man without a face watched. Isaac noticed that Rebecca's corpse began moving and stood up along side the faceless man, blood gushing out of her neck. She smiled at waved her hand at him.
Thanks for visiting, come again soon.
The entire house flickered on and Isaac watched in horror as every window had a silhouette casting out of it. The manor was seemingly smiling and laughing at Isaac as he slowly backed away. With one continuous wave of hands, a large screech blasted from the house and the door shut.
Dana rushed back and pulled Isaac up, almost dragging him to the car. She placed him in the back seat with Lillian and began speeding off. Whatever it was that Isaac just heard, she must have heard it as well.
He watched as his home disappeared behind the trees. Come again soon.
Isaac looked to the front of the car, seeing Dana dial 911. They pulled out of the manor's driveway and were on the highway. They were safe. He could only hope that his father was safe too.
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How much time has passed by? Five, ten, twenty minutes? An hour? They had been running for so long that it was a miracle one of them had collapsed and died right there in the snow. No matter how long they ran, the Faceless could still catch them. Edward knew they weren't safe. The Faceless were everywhere and saw everything that happened in their forest. They were likely toying with Edward, Jordan, and Gabriel. They could strike at any moment and take all of them out at once if they so wished. But they didn't want that. They wanted to smell their fear - feel their hearts thumping and the blood shoot through their veins. They were sick bastards and were just waiting and biding their time. But that didn't matter to Edward at the moment. What mattered was the man in front of him, barely a few feet ahead of him.
Edward would catch Gabriel and make him pay.
Gabriel's light jog finally came to a stop right next to a tree. The chase was over and Edward had caught his own prey. Jordan stopped right next to Edward, panting for breath and looking back for any sign of the creatures that were now stalking the forest. Edward, however, felt just as energized as he was leaving the house.
"You caught me, Edward. Happy?" Gabriel said, struggling to catch his breath.
No, he wasn't happy. Not yet. He skimmed his hand across his pocket, feeling the pocket knife bulging out. How easy it would be...
"You did this," Edward said.
Gabriel scoffed. "Did what? Make you chase me through a fucking forest like a lunatic? No, my friend, you have done that yourself."
Jordan grabbed Edward's shoulder, slightly using it for his own support. "We need to go back now Edward. We caught him. It's over. We to make sure everyone's safe."
Edward only looked forward to the man he thought was a friend. It was all a lie. A trick. He harassed his family - brought him to the God forsaken forest of Idaho. Edward wasn't sure if he'd go as far as to call him an evil genius but, somehow, this sad little man pulled it off. He wasn't going to let him get away with it.
"You should listen to your brother, Edward. Yet, somehow, I doubt you can even do that, can you? I doubt anything gets through that dumb, thick skull of yours."
Edward lunged forward, only for Jordan to interject and push him back. "Leave it be, Edward! He's not worth it."
"Let go of me, Jordan."
But Jordan would stand his ground. "No, Edward. I can't let you do this."
You don't have much of a choice.
"Don't bother with this clown. He only listens to Baby Jesus," Gabriel laughed. "I'm a loyal man. I'm a married man. What the fuck is that? Is that what you say every time you look at Rebecca's ass?"
Edward stared into Gabriel's eyes, feeling the fire in his body burn hotter.
"Yeah, I know," Gabriel continued. "You didn't think I'd hear you murmur to yourself that you're a good little boy? Or that I would see you silently repent every time you watched her walk into a room? I saw it, Edward. God saw it too and let me tell you... He's super fucking pissed at you."
Edward threw Jordan into the snow and tackled Gabriel to the ground. Almost unnaturally quick, Edward delivered several strikes to Gabriel's nose, hearing it crack as his knuckles connected. Small little splatters of blood flung into the snow and it wasn't long before Gabriel kicked Edward in the groin and threw him off.
"I'll fucking kill you!" Edward shouted.
Gabriel laughed at him, wiping the blood from his lips. "Like you killed Rebecca, you fucking psychopath? Or would you have me believe that a fucking monster came and slit her throat?"
"You saw it! You saw it stand over her corpse!" Edward yelled.
"All I saw was a fucking lunatic and his brother standing over my girlfriend's corpse! You killed her, you son of a bitch! And now I'm going to fucking kill you!"
Both men charged at each other, colliding at a stalemate. Edward tried reaching for Gabriel's legs, while Gabriel pressed his hands to Edward's face, pulling it back. This wasn't your typical fight between two angry teenagers. Edward and Gabriel were going for blood and one of them likely wasn't going to make it out of this forest alive.
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Jordan brushed his face off of snow and took a moment to regain his composure. His brother threw him to the ground with such viciousness that he was almost hesitant to stand in his way again. But he had to. He didn't know who or what killed Rebecca but he knew that these two men killing each other over it wasn't going to help either.
He slowly stood up, brushing even more snow off of himself and already feeling its icy bite inside of his coat. The temperature was dropping fast and, if they didn't get back to shelter soon, they would all freeze to death. Never mind whoever or whatever may have been chasing them - the weather was their enemy now.
Shouting and grunting came from the two men grappling each other - both desperately trying to get the upper hand on the other. If he didn't stop this, one of them would kill each other. The sound of crunching snow came up behind Jordan and he could see dim shadows on both sides of him.
Jordan looked to both sides, not quite sure he believed what he was seeing. It was his parents.
"Mom? Dad?" Jordan said, his eyes already beginning to feel watery.
He felt his mom's arms wrap around him and, all at once, he could feel her warmth once more. It had been so long, so very long since he felt her embrace. His dad came in next, patting Jordan on the back several times. A flurry of emotions came to him all at once.
"What? But, how?" Jordan asked.
His mom smiled at him and looked from Jordan to Edward and Gabriel. "We missed you boys," She said.
A single tear came from his cheek. He hadn't heard his mother's voice in so long. It was so pure... so comforting.
"We've missed you too," Jordan said, trying not to sob.
"We came to make sure you boys were okay. Looking out for each other," His father said.
Jordan looked over to Edward and Gabriel once more, seeing that Edward was gaining a slight advantage.
"Always," Jordan said.
His mom smiled at him, a single tear rolling down her cheek. She reached up and pressed her hand to Jordan's cheek. "Always look out for each other." She looked to Edward and then back to Jordan. "We love you boys, never forget that."
Jordan felt her hand glide off his face. He looked to Edward and seeing the hatred in his eyes. He was going to kill Gabriel if he didn't stop him. He looked back to his mom. She wasn't there. Quickly, he turned to his right side to where his dad was. He was gone as well. Not a footprint was to be seen.
He rushed forward, determined to save his brother.
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Edward pulled his head back and swung it forward into Gabriel's nose. If it wasn't broken before, it was now. He quickly pulled out his blade and plunged it right into Gabriel's shoulder, hearing his scream fill the forest. He pulled it back out and delivered a swift kick to Gabriel's right knee.
Gabriel fell to the ground - his face a bloodied mess and screamed in sheer agony.
"You're going to fucking die now," Edward said, spitting out the little blood he had in his mouth.
Gabriel smiled and lowered his defenses. "Do it you sick son of a bitch. You killed Ethan... You killed Rebecca... Now you're going to kill me. You're a coward, Edward." He spit at Edward's feet. "I'll see you in hell real soon."
Edwards took several deep breaths and, before he could plunge his knife into Gabriel, Jordan tackled him into the snow.
Gabriel sprung up and limped into the woods.
"Get off of me!" Edward screamed. "He's getting the fuck away."
But Jordan wouldn't let go. "I can't let you do this, Edward! You're not a killer! You're not a killer!"
Summoning whatever might was left in his body, Edward flung Jordan off of him and quickly rose to his feet, his blade still firmly in his hand. His eyes returned to Gabriel and he felt his feet move automatically.
"No!" Jordan yelled. He flung himself in front of Edward once more, stopping him.
"Damnit Jordan! That son of a bitch is going to die for what he's done!"
"No, not like this!"
He raised his fist and felt his body hesitate? Would he strike his own brother for vengeance? His breathing slowed and the blood that filled his head has begun to settle. Edward lowered his fist and closed his eyes. No, he wouldn't.
"I'm sorry, Jordan. I... I don't know what overcame me."
He opened his eyes, seeing his brother smile. "Let's go home," Jordan said.
Edward smiled before feeling the cold that he had grown accustomed to feeling. The winds shifted and the forest became increasingly dark. "Edward?" Jordan said.
There was no escape. The Faceless were here.
He looked to his brother one last time. "I love you," Edward said.
It was the last time his brother would look at him. It was the last time he would look at his brother before blood poured out of his heart. Jordan looked at Edward in disbelief and fell to the ground.
Edward screamed, feeling like everything had happened in slow motion. He fell to his knees, seeing the legs of the Faceless man standing above him and his brother.
And then, his breathing became even slower and his head went cold. He failed.
Mom.
Dad.
Sarah.
Rebecca.
Isaac.
Lillian.
And now Jordan.
He failed them all.
And all he could feel was...
Nothing.
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