Late night murder victim

Part 1

The rain poured relentlessly, hammering against the windows of the dilapidated cabin like skeletal fingers seeking entry. Inside, five survivors huddled together, their faces pale with exhaustion and fear. They had escaped the m******e—at least, that’s what they told themselves.

Daniel sat near the fire, his hands trembling as he clutched a cup of instant coffee. His clothes were torn, stained with dried blood that wasn’t his. He glanced at the others, measuring their expressions. Fear, paranoia, grief—he had seen it all before. He had worn those masks himself.

“It’s gotta be one of us,” Lindsay whispered, her voice barely audible over the crackling flames. “No way it’s just some random killer out there. They’d be dead by now.”

No one responded. Silence stretched between them like a noose tightening around their throats.

Elliot, the youngest of the group, wiped at the cut on his forehead. “We saw him, though. The guy in the mask. He was out there, hunting us. He—” His voice broke. “He killed Anna.”

Daniel shifted slightly, ensuring his face remained cast in shadow. He had been careful. He had screamed when the others screamed, had run when they ran. He had helped barricade the door against himself. It was almost funny.

“We need to stay awake,” Oliver said, running a hand through his damp, matted hair. “If we fall asleep, we won’t wake up.”

“Agreed,” Lindsay said. She glanced toward Daniel, eyes narrowed. “Daniel, you were the last one with Anna before she—before she—”

Daniel looked up, feigning the appropriate mix of horror and offense. “You think I had something to do with it?”,

Lindsay’s gaze didn’t waver. “I think someone here isn’t who they say they are.”

Daniel let a slow breath pass between his lips. This was the part he loved the most—the unraveling. The paranoia creeping in, turning them against one another. Soon, they would either tear each other apart or make it easy for him to finish what he started.

Lightning split the sky outside, casting long shadows against the cabin walls. Daniel smiled, just a little. They were trapped. And the night was still young.