Betty was running as fast as her legs could carry her. She wanted to be alone—far away from everyone she once called friends.
Only when she collapsed onto the sand did she start catching her breath and look around. She was near the rocks, where the waves crashed with fury, like water demons.
She dropped to her knees and broke down crying. Furthermore, she regretted going to Mason's party, regretted ever stepping onto that damned yacht. If she'd stayed home that day, she wouldn't be stuck in this nightmare.
She wasn't innocent—she knew that. But did she really deserve this? Deserve to die?
Things were happening here that made no sense. People were dying. Maybe it was just drugs and paranoia? Or perhaps… they really weren't alone?
She could still see Daniel's body. Lifeless. She saw him trying to strangle Will. Then something shattered the window, she fell—and everything went blank, like a dream. But it couldn't have been a dream.
No, this wasn't a movie or a book. And yet, someone—or something—was haunting them.
Her stomach growled. That's when she realized just how hungry she was. What if no one found them? Would they really have to fish like in survival movies?
Hunched over by the rocks, she let her tears flow. The tough, snarky Betty was now just a terrified redheaded girl. And she didn't know if she'd live to see another day.
She wiped her cheeks and stood up. She climbed the rocks, letting the wind and water crash against her body. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she saw something strange—four wooden crates.
She climbed down carefully. Her heart pounded like a drum. A trap? Or hope?
She placed her hand on one of the lids and pulled.
Inside—personal hygiene products. In the others: food, drinks, clothes. Even alcohol.
First, she cried with joy. Then fear took over. This wasn't an accident. Someone planned this. Someone lured them here. Furthermore, someone who wanted to play with them.
And that scared her more than anything else.
***
"What are you talking about, crazy girl? What crates?" Jennifer complained, walking behind her.
Betty didn't answer. She led them through the rocks. When the group saw the crates, they froze. They stared in disbelief.
Mason knelt down, examining the contents. He spoke seriously:
"Food, drinks, all fresh. Hygiene products, even pads. Clothes with tags, all in our sizes. Someone prepared this specifically for us."
Will furrowed his brow.
"You're saying some psycho set all this up? That he wants to mess with us?"
Jake, standing off to the side, spoke quietly:
"This isn't a coincidence. I dreamed I was my grandfather in the seventies. He was co-owner of this hotel. I saw Daniel's grandfather too. And he's already dead."
"You're talking nonsense," Mason cut in. "We've all seen weird stuff, but dreams about the past? That's absurd."
He turned to his brother, who had just joined them, winded.
"Where were you?"
"Betty slipped out of sight," Noah replied.
Mason said nothing. But something didn't sit right with him.
Nancy was staring toward the forest. Suddenly, she went pale.
"Someone was there," she whispered, pointing. "A man. He hid behind a tree."
They all looked, but saw nothing.
"Maybe it was your imagination," Will muttered.
"I swear! I saw him!"
"Perhaps he's the one watching us," Betty added. "Possibly, he's turning this into a show."
"Or perhaps he was Daniel's accomplice," Mason said. "We need to stick together."
Everyone nodded.
"Let's take the crates to the hotel. I need food and a shower. Just a moment of normal."
***
The brothers, freshly washed in freezing water, felt like new men. Before heading to the common room, Mason stopped Noah:
"Don't lie to me. You didn't lose sight of Betty—you went off the path. Where were you?"
"I saw a man in the woods. I chased after him. I couldn't catch him."
"Did you see his face?"
"No. Just his back."
"We need to tell the others."
"Let's not panic. We'll check it out ourselves."
"You're not hiding him, are you?"
"Are you crazy? He could be a murderer. Why would I hide him?"
"Fine. Let's go."
They went downstairs. The others had cleared out the restaurant. It was simple, but bearable.
Will walked over to Betty, and asked to speak with her privately.
"You saw Daniel trying to strangle me that night. If it weren't for you, I'd be dead."
"What happened?"
"He thought I started the drama between him and Noah. He snapped."
"And after the window shattered?"
Will hesitated.
"I saw a woman. Stunning. She looked like an angel, but her eyes… they were red. Blood-red."
Jake, passing by, stopped. Those words… He had seen the same eyes in his dream. She looked at him—or at his grandfather.
"Let it go," Mason said, lifting a bottle. "Someone left us alcohol. Let's drink to surviving."
"Maybe it's a trap," Nancy pointed out.
"If someone wants to kill us, they'll do it whether we're sober or not. Let's just be together for a while."
The second night was approaching.
And it would be worse than the first.