Shona shrieked as Jason rounded on her, the tent spike held aloft in one fist.

As Halo ran toward the maniac's right, every cell in her body blazed with fear and anger. She swung the machete with a grunt. To her amazement, it sunk lengthways across Jason's neck.

Jesus. Have I cut his head off?

Shona shrieked again, this time with a hysterical jubilance. Thick black slime oozed from Jason's wound and the tent spike clattered on the ground. His fists opened and closed erratically.

Halo tried to pull the machete's blade out. It stuck fast.

She opted to release the handle, to distance herself from Jason.

The women stared at each other as Jason swayed, then slowly reached up to grab the embedded weapon.

"Run like hell!" said Halo, seeing in Shona's eyes that she would be up to the task, pulled muscle or not. Adrenaline was a great instant Band-aid.

The pair scrambled for the door.

For a split-second they were stuck in its mouth, side by side, resembling dumb cartoon characters. Then they burst out into the open air like champagne corks, their lungs sucking in breaths that they had never expected to take.

Jason's head jerked and twitched as he tugged the machete.

It came loose. More black slime gathered at the neck wound, oozing its way over his shoulder. He turned the machete around in his hands, gazing intently down at it. He firmly gripped the handle with his right fist. Then he walked out of the door, leaving small black dots on the floorboards.

   Friday the 13th: Hate Kill Repeat, chapter 11