Carrie blinked owlishly, as if a guy had never touched her before. It suddenly struck Jen that maybe she was disturbed by Jason’s touch because her ex-boyfriend had been worse than she’d let on. Jen felt a sudden rush of sympathy—and trepidation. Tiffany, however, looked ready to spit broken glass. Cheerleader Barbie wanted her Ken back.
“We should take a vote,” Patrick said.
“Who wants to get the fuck out of Dodge?” Freddy said.
Everyone put up their hand except Patrick. And Jen. She was still warring with herself. It didn’t make sense to be afraid of the kind of spooky atmosphere she normally loved. To feel anxious about disregarding the Final Girl’s warning. To let old movie tropes influence her choices.
Yet the voice at the back of her head screamed for her to leave.
“Jen?” Patrick said hopefully. “What’s your vote?”
“It’s still a majority without her,” said Tiffany.
Jen half smiled and slowly raised her hand. She didn’t really believe there was a psycho stalking them, but maybe the universe was telling them that coming back to the cabin had been a mistake. “Sorry, Patrick.” She gestured around the room with its moldering thrift store props. “I mean, this is great and all, but I can see why they’re tearing this place down. It’s barely fit for human habitation anymore.”
Even in the shadows, Jen could see the flush traveling up his face. Poor Patrick. He liked thingsjust so,and got flustered when his routines went belly-up.
“I just—I hadplans,” he sputtered.
Mikey clapped him on the back. “We can come back tomorrow, when it’s daylight. The power should be back on, and we’ll all have a good laugh. But right now the girls aren’t feeling comfortable—”
“And me!” Freddy interjected.
“The girls and Freddy don’t feel comfortable, so we should go,” Mikey said, playing the affable hero. Jen would’ve rolled her eyes if she weren’t glad to be going. “Freddy, can you take us all in your van? I think it’s best if we stick together.”
Freddy nodded. “We should get our stuff,” Patrick said.
“Fuck, no,” said Tiffany. “I vote we go before Carrie’s ex finds us. We can crash at my parents’ house. Mom and Dad will be thrilled to see all of you. I think they’re a bit lonely since Alice is at sleepaway camp.” She motioned her head in the direction of the lake. “I’ve got extra toothbrushes, don’t worry, Patrick.”
Patrick’s mouth puckered like he’d sucked a lemon. But he crouched over the box of supplies and started handing out flashlights.
Jen took hers and turned it on as she stepped out onto the front porch with the others. The rain had thankfully petered out into a drizzle, but the dirt driveway in front of the cabin had turned into a dark slurry. Tiffany scowled as her white Keds sank into the muck, and Jen wasn’t looking forward to scraping the mud off her boots, either.
“Shotgun!” Mikey yelled, darting to the van’s passenger-side door.
Jen shot him a dirty look. “Fuck you, Pipsqueak.”
Freddy opened the van’s back doors. “Sorry, the rest of you will have to sit in here. I promise I won’t drive too fast.”
Patrick sneezed at the sudden waft of sandalwood incense. Jen shone her flashlight into the belly of the white whale and shuddered. There weren’t any seats, only a grubby mattress on the floor, scattered piles of clothing, and a few Grateful Dead posters taped up on the walls.
Jen sucked her teeth. “Jesus, Slick. Either the women of Cedar Lake are really hard up for weed or you’re really good in the sack.”
Freddy grinned. “Why not both?”
Tiffany let out a little gasp, reaching for an object lying on a discarded T-shirt.
Jen would’ve warned her not to touch anything in the van, not until they confirmed one of them was carrying heavy-duty hand sanitizer (her money was on Patrick), but it was too late. Tiffany lifted a white mask, with holes cut out for the eyes and nose. The kind of mask you might buy at a craft store around Halloween to take home and decorate.
ASlashermask.
Tiffany’s hand trembled as she thrust the mask out at Freddy. “It was you!Youtried to drown me.”
Jen brayed with laughter, but then reconsidered. Freddy wasn’t much of an athlete, but he was wiry and had been a surprisingly strong swimmer when they’d splashed in the lake after their Rialto performances. Working as a custodian at the theater probably kept him in decent shape. And—
She couldn’t remember where he’d been when Tiffany had gone out for a swim.
“No! I would never!” Freddy said.
