The night seemed darker as Mia, Natalie, and Jason walked briskly back to the motel. The dim lights lining the path did little to ease the gnawing sense of dread in the air. As they approached the motel room, Mia reached out and pushed the door open cautiously.
The room was empty. Nothing seemed out of place, and there was no sign of Ryan or Ashley.
Jason sighed in relief. "See? Probably just us overreacting. Josh was right. They're probably just fooling around somewhere else."
Mia stepped further inside, glancing around. "Yeah, maybe they wanted to get more adventurous. You know how they are."
But Natalie stood at the doorway, clutching her cross as her eyes darted around. "I still don't like this. Something's wrong here, I can feel it. What if someone took them or—"
Mia shook her head. "Come on, Nat, you're letting your imagination get the best of you. There's no one else here. We're just spooking ourselves."
Jason turned to them. "Alright, how about this: you two go back to the lake and find Josh. I'll stick around here and look a bit more, just to be sure."
Mia gave him a curious look. "What are you planning to do?"
Jason shrugged. "I dunno, just check around the other rooms, maybe peek outside. Won't take long. I'll catch up soon."
She walked up to him and kissed him softly on the lips. "Okay, but don't take forever. Come find us as soon as you're done."
Jason watched as Mia and Natalie left the room and headed back toward the lake. As the door clicked shut, his expression shifted. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, opening the gallery. His thumb scrolled through the images until he landed on some pictures of Ashley, most of them taken during their previous trips. She was laughing in some, wearing a bikini in others.
He'd always had a thing for Ashley—something about her wild nature drew him in. Mia was sweet, but Ashley had a raw edge he couldn't resist. And as much as he hated to admit it, the thought of her with Ryan always sparked a bitter jealousy inside him.
His hand started to drift lower as he stared at the pictures, his breathing growing heavier. "God, I wish it was me instead of Ryan…" he murmured, his mind racing with fantasies. He closed his eyes, letting himself get lost in the thought of her.
But a soft thud behind him made his eyes snap open.
He froze, heart pounding, and turned his head slowly.
Something rolled out from under the bed, and Jason's stomach twisted when he saw what it was. A body.
It was Ashley.
Her lifeless eyes stared up at the ceiling, her mouth hanging open as if caught mid-scream. Her body, bloodied and broken, lay twisted on the floor. Her skin was pale, and the gaping wound across her abdomen spilled dark crimson across the carpet.
Jason stumbled backward, horrified. "A-Ashley…? What… how…?" He dropped his phone, hands trembling as he crouched next to her, reaching out to touch her cold, blood-streaked face.
But before he could process the nightmare before him, a shadow loomed over him from behind.
He barely had time to turn around before the hammer swung down, crashing against the back of his head with a sickening thwack. Pain shot through his skull, his vision blurring instantly as he staggered forward, collapsing onto Ashley's body.
The hammer came down again.
And again.
Each blow was accompanied by the dull crunch of bone and wet splatter of blood, the metallic scent filling the air as Jason's body went limp, lifeless.
Meanwhile, Natalie and Mia reached the lake, their footsteps crunching softly on the gravel path as they scanned the area. There was no sign of Josh. The music had stopped, and the faint sound of the water lapping against the shore was the only thing that broke the silence.
"Josh!" Mia called out, her voice echoing across the still lake. "Where are you?"
Natalie's grip on her cross tightened as she looked around, her heart racing. "Something's wrong. He wouldn't just wander off without his drink. He was here a few minutes ago."
"Well, maybe he's just screwing around," Mia said, though her tone betrayed her own growing fear. "You know how he is."
Natalie shook her head. "No, he wouldn't just vanish like this… Not without saying something."
Mia sighed, the cold air prickling at her skin. "Alright, let's split up. You check the left side of the lake, I'll take the right. Just holler if you see anything."
Natalie nodded, though every instinct screamed at her to stay together. She glanced at the dark, still water, then turned and started down the path to the left, gripping her cross so tightly that her knuckles turned white.
Mia went in the opposite direction, her heart beating faster with every step, the eerie calm of the lake stretching endlessly before her. As she moved further along the shore, her breath formed small clouds in the chilly air, and an unsettling feeling grew deep within her chest.