Page 45 of R for Rough

“Goddammit!” I slipped right on the edge and slid down into the cold water. I gasped and grabbed a fistful of grass, scrambling to get up, and that was when Griffin landed in the shallow water with a loud splash. I looked over my shoulder, hoping he’d be on his ass, but he wasn’t. Fuck. He stood there with a dark grin on his face, boots firmly planted on the rocky bottom. Water reached his calves. And he just strode toward me.

“What’re your thoughts on waterboarding, boy?”

Oh my God.

I widened my eyes, then hurriedly climbed up on dry land, and I managed to escape before he could get a proper grip on my hoodie. It made him curse.

I ran as fast as I could, my sneakers making squishy sounds the whole fucking way. Damn, that water was cold.

All of a sudden, I saw someone else. Was that Cal? Oh shit, he was being chased by someone wearing a ski mask.

I changed direction again, and I ran and ran until I realized I couldn’t hear any screams anymore. It’d been a while since I’d heard Justin and Kit.

Throwing a glance over my shoulder, I…didn’t see anyone at all.

I was alone.

I swallowed against the dryness in my throat and slowed to a stop. Where was Griffin? He didn’t have the tablet, so he couldn’t be sure where I was. Had I outrun him?

Gasping for air, I leaned against a tree and blinked rapidly. Trees everywhere. No Griffin. Maybe over there, where I could spot thicker vegetation and cliffs. Was he hiding? Biding his time? Waiting to ambush me?

In a matter of seconds, nerves frazzled me and formed a knot in my stomach. I breathed too heavily and couldn’t really calm down—or stand still. I looked around me, just waiting for him to appear.

Funny how the woods suddenly appeared darker and more ominous.

I heard an owl in the distance.

I wiped my hands off on my pants, and I peered down at my shoes. Soaking wet, the bottom of my pants too.

Deep breaths. Deep, slow breaths.

“I know you can see me!” I croaked out.

I didn’t fucking know, though.

Feeling parched, I licked my lips and figured I couldn’t stay here the whole night. Either I went on the prowl for Griffin, or I tried to find my way back to my friends—hopefully with time to be of use. And I could find water on the way.

I exhaled shakily and flexed my limbs, noticing how sore I was all over. Sometimes, it wasn’t a hard blow or the crack of a whip that did one in. The never-ending discomforts of fighting and landing wrong added up. My ankle was still hurting a bit, and I had bruises forming all over my arms from the constant grabbing.

So, um…this way or that way?

Shit. I wasn’t sure of the exact direction that would bring me back to where I’d left the others, but I started walking. Carefully. Quietly.

Being alone heightened my senses, especially my hearing, and the forest was full of tiny sounds that made me all jumpy. My breath hitched when I heard twigs snapping, only for me to realize I was the one causing the twigs to break.

Moron.

I stopped when someone screamed. It was so far away, and I had no idea who it was, but the sound was laden with pain.

You’re next.

I swallowed hard and shuddered.

Maybe I was a little scared now.

CHAPTER 11

Griffin Lawson

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