Kate
Hey girl! You headed to the lake soon?
Janet
Thanks again for inviting me and Tyler.
Kate
Ben and I are excited to get to know you two a bit better š
Kate
Weāre already on our way.
Janet
Perfect! Tyler and I are just about to head out.
Kate
Can I ask you a favor?
Janet
Sure thing. Whatās up?
Kate
Could you pack a knife?
Kate
I know, weird request, right?!
Kate
Ben says we forgot to grab oneā¦
Kate
He claims heāll need it for some outdoorsy stuff š
Janet
Wait, what kind of knife?
Janet
I donāt think I have anything outdoorsy.
Janet
Just kitchen knives.
Kate
Thatāll actually be perfect.
Kate
Just grab the biggest one.
Kate
Great! See you soon!
Tyler
Hey babe, Iām outside your apartment.
Tyler
Need help with your bag?
Janet
I think Iāve got it. Be out in a sec.
Janet grabs her duffel bag and goes downstairs.
Sheās about to walk out the doorā¦
But she remembers Kateās request.
Janet makes her way to the kitchenā
And tucks it safely in her bag between two articles of clothing.
Janet sits in the passenger seat of Tylerās carā¦
Tyler
So, weāre really doing this?
Janet
Oh my God, would you stop?
Janet
Kate was nice enough to invite us on this trip.
Janet
Can you please be grateful?
Tyler
Grateful?! I just want to make sure I donāt get murdered in the woods.
Janet
Well, if you keep this up, I just might murder you myself.
Tyler
Iām just saying. That night you met Kate?
Janet
Do we have to do this again?
Janet
Weāve talked about this SO many times.
Tyler
Because it was weird!
Janet
I try not to think about itā¦
Tyler
The fact that you donāt remember the entire night?
Tyler
Itās strange, babe.
Janet
For the last timeā¦
Janet
I had too much to drinkā¦
Janet
And that probably didnāt mix well with the meds I take.
Janet
I blacked out. It happens.
Tyler
Rightā¦it happens.
Tyler
I just feel like normally, people donāt wake up the next morning with a new best friendā¦
Tyler
Who they donāt even remember meeting.
Tyler
I shouldāve been thereā¦
Janet
Donāt beat yourself up about it.
Janet
You were 2 states away.
Janet
Not much you could do.
Janet
And like you said, I made a new friend out of the whole ordeal.
Janet
I think it was fate.
Janet thinks back to the party she attended a month earlier.
She doesnāt remember a thing about that night.
She only remembers waking up in a strangerās bed.
Before she could panic, Kate had walked in with breakfast on a tray.
Kate claimed Janet had passed outā¦
And that she had taken care of Janetā
Tyler
Well, weāre almost there.
Tyler
Just 10 more miles and weāll hopefully be able to relax.
Janet lounges on a floaty in a lakeā¦
Kate floating along by her side.
Both have drinks in hand.
Janet watches Tyler and Ben play Frisbee on the shoreā¦
Her boyfriend looking much less coordinated than Kateās.
Kate
So, have you enjoyed the lake so far?
Janet
I canāt think of a better way to end the summer than this.
Janet
Thank you again for having us.
Kate
Iām so glad it worked out!
Kate
I wouldāve done anything to get you up here.
Janet takes a sip of her drinkā¦
All of a sudden, she remembersā¦
Janet
Oh, I just brought it.
Janet
Ha, okay. Should I just leave it in the kitchen or something?
Kate
No. Keep it for now.
Kate smiles and closes her eyes again.
They float in a heavy silence for a few seconds.
Kate
How long have you and Tyler been together?
Janet
We met our freshmen year of college.
Janet
We both lived in the same dormā¦
Janet
And after the first week of schoolā
Janet
We just kind of knew we were right for each other.
Janet
Sometimes I wonder if heās getting bored of me.
Kate
Please, how could he ever get bored of you?
Kate
Look at you! Youāre amazing!
Janet
How long have you and Ben been together?
Kate
Weāve been partners in crime for 10 years now.
Janet
Wait, what?! 10 years?!
Janet
How is that even possible?
Kate
We met in middle school.
Kate
Kind of. Our first date was in detention.
Janet
What did you guys do?
Kate
It was dissection day in all the science classesā¦
Kate
Ben and I wanted to give the frogs a fair chance.
Janet
Iām sorry, I donāt understand.
Kate
Well, they kept the frogs locked up in tanks.
Kate
Whereās the justice in killing a creature when itās got nowhere to run?
Kate
Like, whatās fun about shooting fish in a barrel?
Kate
So we let the frogs loose.
Janet
Ohā¦and what happened to them?
Kate
Not sure. Supposedly the janitor had to hunt them down.
Kate
But Ben and I have been together ever since.
Kate
Sometimes I think weāre the same person.
They sit in another bit of silence.
Janet
Kate, can I ask you something?
Janet
Why did you take care of me after that party?
Janet
It was so nice of you, butā¦
Janet
You didnāt know me or anythingā¦
Kate
Thereās something you should know about meā
Kate
I donāt like most people.
Kate
Well, letās just sayā¦
Kate
I knew you were just the type of person Iād want to have around.
A loud crash sounds from the direction of the shore.
Janet whips her head around.
Tyler is frozen, his arm outstretchedā
As if the Frisbee just left his hand.
And he has a panicked look on his face.
Janet follows his gaze to the houseā¦
And sees the window he just broke.
Tyler
I knew I was bad at throwing a Frisbee.
Tyler
But I didnāt know I was that bad.
Kate laughs, waving her hand.
Kate
Donāt worry about it!
Kate
Weāll get it fixed.
Kate
There isnāt any rain in the forecast for the next few daysā
Kate
We should be just fine.
Kate paddles to the shoreā¦
As Ben stands near the water, waiting for her.
Kate
Whoās ready for some margaritas?!
While Tyler roams around their roomā¦
Looking at the different animal heads mounted on the walls.
Janet
Is that sarcasm I detect?
Tyler
Other than breaking a windowā¦
Tyler
And trying to make conversation with someone who doesnāt talkā
Tyler
Iām having a GREAT time.
Tyler
I think itās pretty obvious he doesnāt like me.
Janet
Oh, Iām sorry baby.
Janet
Thank you for coming here with me.
Tyler grunts in response.
Janet lies back on the bed.
Reluctantly, Tyler goes over and lies down beside Janet.
She pulls him on top of her and begins kissing him.
She sighs as he moves to kissing her neck.
Then thereās a knock on the door.
They break apart, Janetās face turning red.
She tip-toes to the door and gently cracks it open.
At her feet are a bottle of wine, some glassesā¦
Reaching down, she grabs the bottle and reads the note.
Janet
I think Kate left us this.
She holds up the wine bottle.
Tyler
What does the note say?
Janet
āGet ready for a night you wonāt forgetā¦ā
Janet
āHereās a little something to get your blood flowing.ā
Tyler
What does that mean?
Tyler
Youāve made some weird new friends.
Janet
Sheās just trying to be nice.
Janet
Letās just try to enjoy ourselves, okay?
Tyler
Then nah, Iām good.
Janet
I just need to find a bottle opener.
Tyler
There wasnāt one with the bottle?
Janet looks around the room.
She opens the dresser and nightstand drawers.
Tyler
You really think one will be in there?
Janet pulls out a binder labeled āguestbookā from one of the drawers.
Janet
I guess we can sign our names.
She opens the book and flips through page after pageā¦
Each one showing a different smiling couple standing next to Ben and Kate.
Janet
Wowā¦they have a lot of friends.
Tyler hovers over her shoulder, looking at the photos with her.
Janet turns back the page to a blonde coupleā¦
Their skin slightly burnt from the sun.
Tyler
I know those namesā¦
Janet
Tom Holt and Ali Cooper?
Tyler
Yeahā¦Iāve heard those names beforeā¦
Tyler
I just canāt remember where.
Janet
Do you recognize them?
Tyler
But I donāt remember meeting them.
Tyler
Ugh, itās gonna bug me.
Tyler tries to click on his phone, but he is met with a black screen.
Tyler
Shootā¦mineās dead.
Tyler
Did you bring a charger?
Tyler
I forgot mine at home.
Janet
In my bag, but I donāt get much service out here.
Tyler digs through Janetās bag.
Janet
What?! Whatās wrong?
Tyler
Janet, what is this?
Tyler gingerly lifts a kitchen knife from Janetās bag.
Janet
Oh my God, did you cut yourself?!
Tyler
Just a nick, but it couldāve been worse.
Tyler
Why did you pack a knife?!
Janet
This is going to sound weird butā¦
Janet
Yeah she said Ben needed one.
Janet
That he forgot his and wanted to do outdoorsy stuff.
Janet
That actually might work as a bottle opener!
Tyler hands Janet the knifeā¦
Which she sticks into the corkā
Slowly turning until the cork comes out with a pop.
She pours a glass and takes a sip.
A familiar, earthy taste sticks to her tongue.
She continues flipping through the guestbookā¦
Marveling at all the different faces staring back at her.
Tyler
Janetā¦somethingās not right.
Tyler
Look at me for a second.
Janet turns around and sees Tyler leaning over his bagā¦
Heās holding a pocket knife.
Tyler
A couple days before we came hereā¦
Tyler
I got a text from an unknown number.
Tyler
Turns out it was Benā
Tyler
And he asked me if I could bring somethingā¦
Janet
I mean, that makes senseā¦
Janet
Kate said he needed one.
Janet
He probably didnāt know Kate asked me for one too.
Tyler
He didnāt say he needed it for anything.
Tyler
He said I needed itā¦
Tyler
For an āoutdoor activityā we all were going to do.
Janet
You worry too much. Iām sure itās nothing.
Janetās fingers tingle.
Just a couple sips and sheās already feeling the wine.
She didnāt know she was such a lightweight.
She turns to the last page of the guestbook.
But thereās a pair of names written on the pageā¦
Tyler tentatively walks over.
Janet
Weāre in the guest book.
Tyler looks at the last page.
And there, written in the same manner as all the other pagesā¦
Are Tyler and Janetās names.
Janet
Guess theyāll add our photo after the trip?
Tyler
I just rememberedā
Tyler
The blonde-haired couple.
Tyler
I know why their names are so familiar.
Janet flips back to their entry in the book.
Tyler
Thatās the couple that went missing.
Tyler
Remember. In the news?
Tyler
They supposedly left to go on vacationā
Tyler
And were never seen again.
Tyler
Go back a couple more pages.
Janet flips the pages to a couple named Kyler Lock and Marie Claire.
Tyler
My Godā¦remember them?!
They also went missing a few months ago.
They were traveling across the country.
Trying to erase the dizziness thatās clouding her brain.
Tyler
Knives, a secluded lake houseā¦
Tyler
Pictures of missing peopleā¦
Tyler
Janet, we need to go.
So she offers a quick nod.
Tyler stuffs their things into their bags and throws them over his shoulder.
He grabs Janetās hand and leads her to the doorā¦
Placing his finger over his mouthā¦
He pulls Janet into the hallwayā¦
Moving carefully, trying not to make the floorboards creak.
They pass the broken windowā¦
Wind howling through the holeā¦
Filling the house with cold air.
As they reach the living roomā¦
Janet can see the front door.
She fights the urge to break into a run.
But before they can take another stepā¦
Standing across the roomā¦
And a faint smile on his lips.
Tyler pushes Janet behind him.
Tyler
Sorry if we woke you upā¦
His hand tightening around the knife.
Tyler
Janetās not feeling wellā¦
Tyler
So I think weāre going to head home early.
Tyler
What are you doingā¦
Tyler takes a step toward the doorā
But Ben mirrors his movementsā¦
Tyler
Quit messing aroundā¦
Tyler
Youāre freaking us out!
Suddenly, the hallway is plunged back into darkness.
The sound of footsteps rushes toward them.
Tyler pushes Janet toward the broken windowā
She stumbles over the rug.
Before she gets to the windowā
She quickly unzips her bagā¦
Retrieving the kitchen knife.
Her limbs feel sluggishā¦
But she manages to use the handle of the knife to punch out the rest of the window.
As she hits the groundā¦
As she tries to stumble to her feetā
She hears a crash come from inside the house.
Janet stands and stares back through the window.
Nothing but silence from the house.
A sing-song voice rings out from the front of the house.
Kate
Whereād you run off to?
A dark figure emerges from around the corner of the house.
Kate
Good. You got your knife.
Janet bursts into a sprint in the opposite directionā
Tears blurring her vision.
She doesnāt know where sheās goingā
She just knows she has to get away.
And frantically looks back for Kateā¦
But her foot catches on a root and she falls to the forest floorā¦
Her outstretched hand landing on the knife.
The wound on her hand gushes with blood.
Janet crawls behind a large bushā¦
Hugging her knees tightly to her chest.
Kate
Are you feeling okay sweetie?
Janet tries to steady her breathā¦
Trying to still her shaking body.
Kate
You know, you really shouldnāt accept a drink from a strangerā¦
Kate
You made the same mistake that night at the party.
Kate
A glass of wine from me and you were out like a light!
Janet holds her breath as Kate walks by the bush.
Kate scans the area around her.
Kate
Youād be perfect for our little game.
Kate
Letting those frogs loose was how Ben and I fell in love.
Kate
We both knew we had to give the frogs the chance to runā¦
Kate
So we could hunt them down.
Janet feels like her heart is going to burst out of her chest.
She can hear Kateās feet crunching on the groundā¦
Kate
We have so many shared interests, Ben and I.
Kate
The same interest in huntingā¦
Kate
Well, a particular type of hunting.
Kate
We like to let our animals go firstā¦
Kate
Itās more fun that way.
Kate
But of course, hunting animals got too boringā¦
Kate prowls closer, checking behind every tree.
Kate
So, we found new preyā¦
Kate
Prey that is much moreā¦
Kateās footsteps start to fade.
And then thereās silence.
After a few moments, she takes a breathā¦
Chancing a glance from behind the bush.
Kate is nowhere to be seen.
Janet waits for what seems like hours.
Then she begins to crawl from behind the bush.
She stands, her ankle and legs aching, as she moves back toward the house.
Janet spins around, her heart stoppingā
As she sees Kate making her way down the dockā¦
Kate
I was silly enough to think you might have jumped in the lake!
Janet spins around, sprinting back toward the woods.
Kateās laugh follows close behind herā¦
Kate
Youāre faster than I thought you would be!
Janet feels a sharp movement fly past her earā
Which lands with a thud in the tree in front of her.
Kate
Oopsies! Looks like I missed!
Janet swerves to the rightā
Ducking beneath a tree branch as she continues to sprint.
Kate laughs again, a girlish giggle that sounds closer than before.
Suddenly Janet clears the trees.
Sheās running down the road that leads to the house.
Janet dares a look over her shoulder, but sees nothing.
Kate
No use in running anymore.
A stabbing pain shoots through Janetās calfā
And she falls to the ground, sobbingā¦
Staring at the arrow protruding from her leg.
She hears a crunch behind herā¦
Kate stands in the middle of the roadā¦
Another arrow pointed directly between Janetās eyes.
Kate
Looks like you werenāt a hard catch after all.
Kate draws her arm back, tightening the bow.
Janet closes her eyes and takes a breathā¦
And wishing sheād never insisted on this lake house trip.
A dull light begins to fill her vision as she clenches her eyes shutā¦
Waiting for the moment the arrow is let loose.
But then the light gets brighter.
Thereās an explosive, sharp thudā
And Janet opens her eyes.
Car headlights soak Janet in a bright yellow.
Kate lies motionless atop the windshield.
Tyler stumbles out of the carā
A large gash across his armā¦
His nose splattered with blood.
He runs to Janetās side, grabbing her into his arms.
Tyler
I dunno, dead maybe.
Tyler
He had his knife against my throatā
Tyler
But I grabbed a shard of glass from the broken windowā¦
Tyler
Then I ran to find you.
Tyler
Thank God I could hear Kate from the road.
Just then, Kate lets out a groan.
Tyler
We tie them up and call the police.
Janet nods as Tyler makes his way back to his carā¦
He grabs some cables from the trunkā¦
And starts wrapping them around Kateās wrists and feet.
Kate wanes in and out of consciousnessā¦
Her mouth moving to form one word.
Janet runs her fingers through Tylerās hair, her computer on his lap.
The online article reads, āKiller couple captured, dozens of missing cases solved.ā
Janet stares at Kate and Benās mugshotsā¦
Bruises and cuts etched on their faces.
Janet
You know, itās funnyā¦
Janet
I actually told Kate I was worriedā¦
Janet
That you were getting bored with me.
Tyler snorts, shutting the laptopā¦
And turning toward Janet.
Tyler
Babe, even if you didnāt take me to that lakeā¦
Tyler
And if we werenāt almost murdered by 2 maniacsā¦
Tyler
I could STILL never be bored with you.
Janet smiles as Tyler kisses her lips.
Tyler
Iām dating the most interesting person I know.
Tyler
And I wouldnāt have it any other way.
