Page 77 of Girl, Deceived

Because there was someone else here, and whoever she was, she’d knotted herself onto the killer’s back.

The masked man flailed around, arms waving, firing off gunshot after gunshot, raining dust and lightbulb shards from the ceiling. The woman was a young brunette, athletic and intense, clothed in a white, bloodstained dress and now assaulting the masked man like a maniac bride from hell.

At last, she heard the man's voice. His guttural screams reverberated off the few remaining glass cases as he and the stranger flurried in a circle. Ella crept low, out of the bullet's direction. She counted three, four, five bullets.

Time to strike.

Time to get real.

Ella raced towards the unexpected human knot, fists clenched, fire burning through every vein in her body. Adrenaline replaced the pain, and as the killer spun to face her, Ella thrust her knuckles into his face.

The recoil sent shockwaves down her arm as he toppled back. The girl on his back, though smaller, was a whirlwind of fury, her fingers dug deep into his flesh and her teeth biting down on any skin she could find. She climbed off his back, kicked him in the spine and sent him back in Ella’s direction. Ella swung again, connecting with the man’s nose and erupting blood beneath his disguise. It poured out like a stream, disorienting him, felling him to his knees. The mystery woman took another jab at the base of his skull, rocking him like a bobblehead, then Ella summoned every ounce of strength she had left, shifted it to her leg and delivered a final crescent kick to his temple.

The killer collapsed in a heap. Motionless, possibly dead. Ella saw no signs of life, no twitching.

‘Perfect ending,’ Ella said as she fell against one of the props. She clutched her wound, now feeling the weight of her injuries. ‘Thanks for saving my ass.’

The mystery woman cautiously circled the fallen monster, her breathing uneven, eyes darting everywhere, anticipating the next threat. She hesitated, then gingerly offered her hand to Ella. ‘I'm Aurora,’ she whispered, her voice barely audible.

‘Good to meet you. You’re the final girl in this stupid film?’

Aurora's eyes welled up. ‘I thought this was just a movie set. I didn't expect... this.’ She shuddered, her gaze fixed on the fallen killer. ‘Yes, I think we’re both final girls.’

Ella, despite her pain, tried to reassure her. ‘We survived. That's the most important part.’

‘Turns out it was a trap,’ Aurora said, her voice shaky.

‘We’re alive. Not sure about that guy,’ Ella nodded at the fallen killer. ‘Now let’s cancel this production.’

The two final girls exchanged a look, one that spoke volumes of their shared ordeal. There was an understanding, a bond forged from the horrors they’d endured.

A silence enveloped them, broken only by their heavy breaths, but the silence was abruptly shattered. The shards of glass began to crackle as the masked man suddenly rose from the dead, jumping to life from beyond the grave, blood still pouring from what remained of his latex mask.

Aurora froze, her face drained of color. Her eyes were filled with terror, and her body shook uncontrollably.

Using one hand to push himself up, he revealed a sharp, glinting shard of glass clutched in the other.

One last scare.

Ella, though weakened, was the first to react, shoving Aurora to the side. ‘Move!’

The killer lunged, groaning alien grunts as he crossed the glass pathway towards his intended victims. Ella readied herself for one more fight, one final twist. It was the only way such a horror could end.

Bang.

The sound pierced her eardrums, sparked a fire in her senses.

What the hell happened?

The masked man crumpled in a graceless heap. Behind him, the silhouette of Mia Ripley came into view, smoking pistol in hand.

In a swift movement, she removed her cuffs and slapped them on the nameless man’s wrists.

‘Ma’am, are you alright?’ Mia asked as she sheathed her gun. ‘Do we need medics?’

Aurora waved off the request. She glanced between her saviors and asked, ‘Still breathing. Who are you both, by the way?’

‘FBI,’ Ella said. ‘I’m Agent Dark. That’s Agent Ripley.’

---