DEAD MANS CABIN

BY: Alyssa Coppage A WHY SETTLE FOR BORING

Dedicated to:
Audrey Ferguson, Emily Turner, and Holly Watkins, for being my friends, being nice, and just being there?

TA !E "F #"$TE$T%: &rologue ' ( ) * + , . /

&rologue

0 ne1er thought 02d die only being ')3 Then again, 0 ha1en2t thought much to dying3 ut here 0 am, face to face 4ith death3 0 took a ste5 to4ards Dead 6an2s #abin3 The house 4as only one story, no basement3 The light blue 5aint 4as 5eeled and the 4indo4s 4ere cracked3 0 turned to4ard the glass door, and studied my a55earance, for 5robably the last time3 6y hair 4as knotted by t4igs and lea1es, and my face 4as co1ered in blood and on my tongue 0 could taste the 4arn li7uid, my eyes 4ere 4ild and my neck 4as co1ered in scratches3 6y shirt 4as torn from the to5 of my torso to my 4aist lea1ing my scratched8u5 stomach e95osed3 6y stomach had dried on

blood: 6y #a5ri2s 4ere stained from dirt and grass, and from my knee on do4n, it 4as bruised3 6y socks 4ere hanging limb by limb, and 0 had lost my sneakers long ago3 0 turned a4ay from the reflection3 0 thought of that last te9t 0 got3 ;4en, These are your instructions3 <ou must take your friends to Dead 6an2s #abin2s 4oods, and go through to Dead 6an2s #abin3 <ou 4ill find 4hat is 4aiting for you3 0 glanced around my surroundings3 0 sa4 a tree car1ed, =%TA< AWA<>? Whate1er, 02m here any4ay3 0 7uickly remembered 4hy 0 am here3 0 took my last ste5 to4ards the door and reached for the knob3 0t creaked o5en by itself3

0 5eeked around the door, and sa4 her. 0 stifled a gas53 0 had e95ected to find her here but 0 didn2t e95ect to find so much blood3 Another girl 4as facing her3 All 0 sa4 4as a 4a1e of bro4n hair, 0 heard an e1il laugh and 0 scream, and a flash, before 0 4oke u5 screaming in 5ain3 #HA&TE@ ' 0 stared at the ceiling, thinking about 4hat 0 4as going to do today3 Any4ay, 02m ;4endalin %ealie, a straight # student3 0 ha1e green eyes, and red hair3 0 ha1e fi1e best friends, !illie Amsterdam, aillee #aA#e, !e9iana #aA#e, #aci Bar, and Boey E1ergrens3

=;4endalin, are you listening?? 6r3 !ittle sna55ed3 0 looked u5 to see his black eyes burning into my skin3 0 felt my face red as 0 ans4ered3 =<8yes? 0 said3 %omething about his eyes al4ays startles me3 6aybe it2s because they look like they are a bruise, they ha1e a bluish tone to them3 =0f you 4ere listening, 4hat2s the ans4er?? He asked fiercely3 0 7uickly got a te9t, and looked do4n3 From: (859) 234-98160 Baillee Ca`Ce Subje !: "#$%er &%e#'ali#( )he a#$%er i$ *6+ Baillee

=The ans4er is -,3? 0 said3 ="k, Fine3? He mumbled at me3 0 smirked and 4ent to sit back do4n at my desk3 0 started to get bored again, so 0 started to mess around in my desk3 ,o%( !hi$ !hi#- i$ a me$$+ 0 thought, and started to organiCe3 y the time 0 4as done, 0 had found candy 4ra55ers, crumbs, and 5encil lead scattered around the midnight colored base of the desk3 0 also found 5e55ermint 4ra55ers from testing last fall, 5osted notes from mine and !illi2s notes, and a card that says: Hello, 02m Gwendalin Sealie, from the begging of the year 4hen 4e didn2t kno4 anyone3

=&%e#'ali#(. 6r3 !ittle sna55ed at me3 0 7uickly 5erked u5 to 5retend 0 4as hanging on to e1ery 4ord he said3 He seemed satisfied 4ith himself because he2s a strict, and he thinks he can make anyone listen to them, 4hen he sna5s at you3 As 0 started to 4alk home, 0 thought there 4ere 5eo5le follo4ing me3 0 kee5 hearing rustlings, and footste5s about a fe4 feet behind me3 0 didn2t dare turn around3 S!u/i' Camero# 0or ma1i#- me %al1$ home. #ameron, 5art of =The &o5ular ;irls %ociety?, 4as the only one left in the halls 4ith me3 0 started to make a run for it, before she did something e1il, but too late, she 5ushed me 4ith a lot of force, into the restrooms 4here Delsi

held o5en the boys one, and 0 4as 5ushed into the stalls3 0 ran to4ards the door, ignoring the 5ain, and struggled to o5en the door3 0 heard a little click, and tinkling laughter3 0 5ut t4o and t4o together, and realiCed #ameron and Delsi just locked me in here3 %o, here 0 am 4alking home because 0 missed the bus3 =%tu5id &o5ulars,? 0 started to mumble to myself3 ="h great, no4 02m talking to myself3? 0 murmured3 =0t2s not like you didn2t talk to yourself before>? %tartled, 0 heard a high 5itched 1oice 0 didn2t recogniCe3 0 started looking around me, getting familiar 4ith my surroundings, but found no one3 As 0 ke5t 4alking, my encircles get darker3

0nstantly, it 4as almost 5itch black, and 0 found myself 4alking through an alley3 0 4as 5ushed u5 against the 5assages 4all3 0 sa4 four teenagers glaring at me3 The first one had greasy black hair in a 5ony tail, and had red eyes3 0 gas5ed out loud3 He is one of America2s 6ost Wanted> His name is lake Anderson3 The second oneE Well 02m going to just kee5 it as ugly3 He 4as lake2s best friend, 4hen they met in 5rison3 0 belie1e they esca5ed from 5rison3 The ne9t boy 0 didn2t recogniCe, so 0 think he2s a ne4 addition3 He had blond hair and green eyes3 As my eyes ho1ered o1er the last -irl 0 4heeCed

out a gust of air3 This -irl had black hair, black eyes and black make8u53 Bella 6arine, the only ;oth in homeroom3 "h my gosh she2s only '), and is 5art of the =America2s 6ost Wanted? grou5> lake stuck his 5asty hand in his black 5ocket, and 5ulled out a shiny object3 Bella sucked in a dee5 breath, and the blond guy started to 4alk a4ay, but lake2s second in command, 5ulled him back by 5ulling on his hair3 lake raised his hand higher, and 0 could make out the sil1er sha5e3 0t had 5rickles on the end, and had a black gri53 2h m3 -o$h+ " 1#i0e+ 45m -oi#- !o 'ie+ A sigh of terror esca5ed my li5s3

He raised the sterling knife o1er my head, and 0 sucked in my breath3 =%T"&, <"F2@E F$DE@ A@@E%T>? 0 heard a male 1oice shout3 Daddy> 6y dad is a 5olice officer, and 0 belie1e he got 4orried about me, and kne4 0 4ould 5robably be do4n here3 Dad yanked the knife out of the lake2s hand3 lake, Andre4 and %ammy ran, but Bella stuck around3 =!ook,? Bella started in her dee5, mysterious 1oice3 =02m sorry about him3 He 0or e' me to join3 0t2s not like 02m 5roud of it, or 4hate1er3? %he continued3 Dad masked a stern look on his face, and Bella 4alked a4ay sluggishly3 GHon, are you o3k3?? 6y dad asked a hint of 5anic in his 1oice3 =<eah 02m fine3 ut, 0 could

ha1e been deadE? 0 didn2t bother to finish the sentence3 As 4e 5ulled into my dri1e84ay to the three story house, 0 eagerly got out of the car before it sto55ed3 0 do that a lot 4hen 02m u5set3 0 slammed the car door shut, and ran through my garage to the door3 0 4alked in to see my mom crying on the table3 =;4endalin !e9i %ealie> We 4ere so 4orried about you> What ha55ened?? %he shouted at me3 ="h, almost got killed, same old, same old3? 0 ble4 it off3 %he 5ut her hands on her hi5s, sighed and ga1e me a look that had a ,a! h-i!-mi$$3 look on her face3 0 smirked and ran u5 to my room3

0 o5ened the boarded door, and ste55ed back out3 =Are you !r3i#- to gi1e me a heart attack?? 0 asked3 6y three best friends 4ere sitting on my bed cross8legged, and my other best friend 4as on my green la5to53 BoH 4as 4earing a blue tu5e8to5 and faded blue ermuda2s, !illi had on a =!ife 0s ;ood? T8shirt, and #aci had on a =&anthers? t8shirt, and 5ink ca5ree2s, and ailleeE Well aillee looked as 5retty as e1er in a red mini dress and black stilettos3 aillee smirked at me: Boey ne1er stirred from her 5osition, !illi 4inced for some reason, and #aci had her nose in a big, fat book3 6o% !o $ummo# a ,i! h( 0s 4hat is called? =Hey #ace, 4hat2re you reading?? !illi asked ner1ously, her grey eyes

flickering an9iously around my bedroom3 #aci blushed3 ="h, it2s, um nothing3? %he blushed3 =0 justE umE umE somethingEne1er mind3? Boey raised one eyebro43 !illi got u5 and started 5acing3 =!illi, 4hat2s 4rong, you ha1en2t talked in like ten seconds> 0 think 4e should call a doctor>? Boey joked3 !illi stuck her tongue out and aillee rolled her eyes3 GHey,? 0 started suddenly3 =02ll be right back3? 0 ran do4n the ste5s, three at a time3 =Hey mom,? 0 called3 =<ea, s4eetie, 4hat do you need?? 6y mom, Audrey, yelled back3 =0f they can, can my friends slee5 o1er?? =FhE 0 guess so, honey, if it2s ok 4ith their 5arentsE0 guessE? =Thanks>?

=FghE Where2s my cell?? 0 mumbled to myself3 =Did you check your 5urse?? A 1oice asked3 )he $ame o#e 0rom %he# 4 %a$ %al1i#- home 3e$!er'a3+ Iuickly, 0 grabbed my !ouis Juitton, and found the green blackberry aillee had 5ersonaliCed for my birthday3 0 7uickly o5ened it, and dialed Boey2s number3 The ne9t day $!ar!e' ou! normal3 0 4oke u5 and had breakfast 4ith my friends, and my 5arents, hung out at the mall, and took a na53 ut, 4hen 0 4oke u5, 0 couldn2t remember 4hat had a4akened me3 Then, 0 remembered hearing ladies chanting something3 The ladies

a55earance 4as only gray, gray skin and gray ruffled dresses3 0 tried to think of 4hat they chanting3 Then my brain kicked u5, and 0 remembered 4hat they 4ere intoning3 =Dead 6an2s #abin, Dead 6an2s #abin, Dead 6an2s #abin,? They had recited in deadly 1oices3 "h, Dead 6an2s #abin> %uCie 6ieyrs, from the ',KK2s, had accused her best friend of being a 4itch3 Her name 4as 6ay #line3 6ay 4as s4eet, and old3 %he 4as in her +K2s 4hen she 4as burnt to stake3 %uCie 4as bitter, mean, and no one belie1ed s4eet old 6ay liked mean old %uCie3 Well, %uCie accused 6ay because she 4as jealous3 6ay 4as a doctor, and

made u5 something u5 like, =0 belie1e 6ay uses her 5o4ers to heal 5eo5le3?