Cat And Mouse

The wind blew through Chloe’s wild blonde hair as she screamed out the lyrics to her favorite song. Her sister Maeve trying to focus on the dimly lit road, but her eyes kept drifting to the girl with the loudest voice and biggest smile. She was also distracted with her brown long hair getting in her face. Chloe and Maeve just graduated from Red Valley High School. They decided to spend some nice quality sister time together by camping in the forest. The forest was a known spot for teenagers to drink beer, party, and smoke. They parked Maeve‘s car at the motel just one mile away from the path that leads into the woods. They set up there tent and decided a quick dip in the lake would be a good way to relax. All you could hear was soft splashes from Chloe who couldn’t wait to go for a swim, crickets, and every once in a while a word spoken from a wise owl. Maeve was just about to get in when she heard something rattle from behind her. She noted how the rattle sounded like a baby rattle. She was then distracted by a voice she knew too well.

“Get in already!” yelled Chloe.

”The water is freezing“ Maeve tried to tell her sister, but Chloe was already underwater swimming towards her. In the blink of an eye, Chloe jumped up scaring Maeve which caused her to be unbalanced and fall right into the water.

“You’re so going to pay for that!” Maeve screamed angrily.

“If you can catch me“ Chloe said as she swam away. The night was full of laughs, splashing, and swallowing to much lake water. They each took turns of getting dry and changing in the tent. While Maeve was waiting for Chloe to be done, she heard the same rattle noise again. As she was just about to walk off and investigate, Chloe finished and came out of the tent.

“What’s wrong M?” Chloe said after seeing the disturbed expression on Maeve‘s face.

“I keep hearing rattle sounds.” Maeve told her sister as she got into the tent and zipped it up.

“Rattle noises? like a rattle snake?” Chloe asked.

”No, it sounds more like a baby rattle.” Maeve told Chloe with a hint of uncertainty in her voice.

“Like the toy?” Chloe said while she lightly chuckled at her sister paranoia.

“Don’t laugh at me!” Maeve said sarcastically.

Maeve finished getting ready for bed and she let Chloe in and zipped up the tent but not without scanning the dark, cold, and foggy forest around her.

”We didn’t plan this trip well. It’s cold and foggy.” Maeve told her sister who was already in bed trying to sleep.

“Mhm” replies Chloe trying to keep the conversation small.

Chloe finally feel asleep after tossing, turning, and complaining about how noisy the forest is. Maeve couldn‘t get that rattle out of her head. Soon enough she was defeated by the weight of her eyelids and she slowly sunk further into sleep. Not long after Maeve woke up due to Chloe climbing over her.

”What the hell are you doing?” Maeve asked.

“I need to pee!” Chloe replied with urgency.

Chloe left the tent leaving Maeve alone. What seems about five minutes go by and Maeve hears the rattle again. She is tired of being bothered and mocked by the noise, so she grabs her flashlight and leave the tent making sure it’s zipped up. Just as she waking toward the noise she hears a shivering scream! She runs towards the direction her sister went and instantly wishes she never went on this trip. Before her she saw Chloe screaming at the sight of a dead deer hanging on a tree. Maeve is shocked and she grabs Chloe. They rushed back to the tent. The tent was open but Maeve was sure she closed it. They go in and find everything was trashes and in the middle of the tent is a rattle toy with a note attached to it. Chloe picked up the note.

”Sleep tight” Chloe read almost as a whisper. The note was written like a child had wrote it. It was messy and tight was spelled wrong.

“We’re leaving. NOW!” Maeve told Chloe. They didn’t waste a second. They grabbed what was important and quickly attempted to walk to the car fast but quite in case anyone was still around.

“Crap!” Chloe whispered yelled.

“Shhh! What?” Maeve whispered.

“I left my phone!” Chloe said turning back to the campsite.

”Are you stupid? You can get a new phone!” Maeve said annoyed.

Chloe turned around and say’s to Maeve

“Go to the car i’ll be right there.”

Hesitantly, Maeve walked away with a bad feeling in her gut. She sat in the car and started it waiting for Chloe to make it to her. Fifteen minutes past and Chloe wasn’t there. Maeve got out of the car cursing her sister out under her breath, as she walked back to the place she so badly wanted to get as far away from. Maeve got to the campsite but Chloe wasn’t there. She started quietly yelling out for her sister, hoping this was just a sick prank. Then, she heard it. That noise that made her stop in her tracks. This time instead of just rattling she heard laughing too. It was a man. She heard the noice coming from behind a tree about 10 feet in front of her. She so slowly walked up to the tree and said

“Chloe?” in a shaky voice. A deep voice replied

“Nope.” He laughed.

Maeve slowly stepped back as the man stepped out in front of her. He was at least 6’2, dark hair, and wearing baby clothe. Two things stood out to Maeve most. The baby rattle in his left hand and her sisters head in the right hand. Maeve screamed and ran as fast as she could to get to the car. She got in and immediately locked the doors and started driving. While driving she looked around for the man, except the man didn’t chase her. Her thoughts consumed her

”Why didn’t chase me and kill me?” He was a lot stronger then a 5’5 foot petite 18 year old girl. A couple months later the man in the woods was identified as Mark Chance. He was just let out of a mental hospital in Richmond, Virginia and hitchhiked up to a small town in Iowa. It was Maeve’s I.D that he was founded guilty and sentenced to death or life without parole. Mark chose death. When asked “why he teased Chloe and Maeve and only killed one sister but not the other?“ he responded

“I like to play with my food before i eat it. The hunts the best part. The thrill you get, you play god. Plus, brunettes aren’t my type.”

THE END