Chapter 4: Blood and Chainsaw

The air was thick with tension as Alex watched the others scramble out of the house. Sally, Pam, Jerry, and Franklin were rushing toward the van, but Leatherface was close behind. The roar of his chainsaw echoed through the air, and for a brief moment, Alex wondered if he had made a mistake. Was he just delaying the inevitable?

There was no time to second-guess himself.

The massive figure of Leatherface loomed in the doorway, the chainsaw in his hands revving louder, cutting through the night's silence. Alex gritted his teeth, his mind racing as he scanned the room. The System had forced him into this horror show, but he couldn't just accept the bloodshed. Not like this.

Fight or flight? It was a choice he didn't have time to make. Fight had to be the answer.

Side Quest: Disable Leatherface's Chainsaw

Task: Disable the chainsaw for a short time.

Reward: +15 Strength

Alex's eyes fell on the chainsaw, its engine sputtering as Leatherface took a step forward. The chainsaw roared to life again as he swung it toward Alex. The blades gleamed in the dim light, ready to tear through his flesh.

I can't outrun him. The thought was clear in his mind. The only thing he could do now was to survive long enough for the others to escape. He had to disable the chainsaw, at least for a moment, to give them a fighting chance.

With a swift motion, Alex grabbed the nearest heavy object—a rusty pipe wrench lying on the floor—and threw it at Leatherface's chainsaw arm. The wrench clanged against the chainsaw, and Leatherface faltered for a moment, his grip on the weapon loosening.

That split second was all Alex needed. He dashed toward the chainsaw, lunging at the blades with all his might. His hands gripped the chainsaw's handle, pushing against the massive weight of the tool, trying to pull it out of Leatherface's hands.

The chainsaw sputtered, then stopped. For a moment, it was completely silent, the only sound being Alex's heavy breathing as he stared at the lifeless weapon in his grip.

Alex had done it.

He had disabled Leatherface's chainsaw—at least temporarily.

The Sawyer Family's Reaction

Leatherface stood there, staring at Alex with an empty expression. For a moment, it felt like the entire world had frozen. But then, a low growl rumbled from deep within Leatherface's chest. His eyes narrowed, and his grip on the chainsaw began to shift.

But Alex had no time to focus on Leatherface anymore. He heard the faint sound of footsteps from the other side of the room. More Sawyer family members were coming.

The moment the chainsaw stopped, the front door slammed open again, and Alex felt a sharp chill run down his spine.

The man who walked through the door was tall, lanky, and dressed in what looked like a worn, patched-up suit. Drayton Sawyer, the patriarch of the family, stood there, his gaze dark and calculating. Behind him, Nubbins, the psychotic hitchhiker, followed, his eyes gleaming with sadistic glee.

"Well, well, well. Looks like we got ourselves a problem," Drayton said, his voice low and menacing. "Leatherface, you let this one get away?"

Alex gritted his teeth, trying to force himself to stay calm. He had avoided the Hitchhiker encounter earlier, but the rest of the family wasn't going to give him a break. The System wouldn't let him off so easily. The Sawyers were here, and they had their sights set on him.

Side Quest: Defeat the Sawyer Family

Task: Prevent the Sawyers from capturing you.

Reward: +10 Agility

Alex's instincts kicked in, and he bolted toward the back door. There was no way he was going to face all of them—not yet. He needed a chance to breathe, a moment to plan.

But the moment his hand touched the door, a scream echoed from the front yard.

"No!" Franklin's voice pierced the night air, full of panic.

Alex's heart skipped a beat. The others had escaped, but they hadn't gotten far enough.

Without thinking, Alex dashed toward the front of the house, eyes darting between the figures inside. Drayton and Nubbins were blocking the door, and Leatherface was behind them, his mask still partially visible in the shadows. But there was one thing Alex could do. He knew where the weak points were. He just had to make it there before the Sawyers could stop him.

The Trap

Franklin was struggling, his voice muffled as he screamed for help. The van had broken down not far from the house, and the others had nowhere to run. The Sawyers had cornered them, and Alex wasn't sure if they could get away this time.

His mind raced, trying to think of anything he could do. He could run, but where would that lead? The Sawyer house was a maze, and he was already too deep. He couldn't let them get Franklin—not again.

"Get away from him!" Alex shouted as he charged toward the doorway, trying to push past Drayton and Nubbins.

But they were too strong. Drayton grabbed him by the collar, lifting him off the ground with ease. "You're in my house now, boy. You don't make the rules here."

Alex gasped for breath, trying to pry the man's fingers off him, but it was no use. Leatherface's chainsaw roared to life again, the sound shaking the walls.

Then, suddenly, a shot rang out.

The entire room froze.

Sally's Escape

Sally, pale and shaken but holding a shotgun in her hands, stood in the doorway, her eyes wide with fear but determination. She had come back for him.

"Sally?" Alex gasped.

"I wasn't going to leave you," she said, her voice steady. "But we need to go. Now."

Without waiting for another word, she pulled the trigger again, the shotgun blast sending Drayton Sawyer stumbling backward. His grip loosened on Alex's collar, and he collapsed to the floor with a grunt.

"Sally!" Alex yelled, scrambling to his feet. "Let's go!"

Without hesitation, Sally raised her shotgun and fired again, forcing the Sawyers back into the shadows. There was no time to waste. Alex and Sally ran toward the front door, but as they reached it, the sudden clang of a chain was heard.

Leatherface wasn't far behind.

With one powerful swing, the chainsaw-man raised the weapon, its deadly teeth glinting in the moonlight as he advanced. The noise alone was deafening.

Alex grabbed Sally's arm, pulling her away from the door just as Leatherface swung his chainsaw down toward them. The blade barely missed them, slicing through the doorframe with a sickening screech.

"Run!" Alex shouted. "Go! Now!"

They bolted out the front door, but the moment they hit the yard, the other members of the Sawyer family appeared, closing off every possible exit. Drayton was first, blocking one side with his wide stance, while Nubbins and Leatherface flanked them.

Alex's pulse thundered in his ears. They had no escape route. They were surrounded.

Final Confrontation

The shotgun was the only thing keeping them from being butchered, but the shots were too limited. Alex could feel the pressure mounting. Leatherface raised his chainsaw again, the roar loud enough to make the earth itself tremble.

"I'll take care of this," Sally muttered, taking another shot at Drayton. The blast hit him in the chest, but he didn't fall. Instead, he let out an angry growl, and he pulled his shotgun from the back of his belt.

Alex's eyes widened in realization.

"Sally—watch out!"

But it was too late.

The next blast sent her sprawling back into Alex's arms, and Leatherface took advantage of the distraction. With a deep, guttural roar, he swung the chainsaw wildly, aiming for Alex's midsection.

The chainsaw whirled dangerously close to his ribs, but Alex reacted in the nick of time. He lunged forward, driving the rusty fire poker into Leatherface's side. The chainsaw sputtered, but Alex didn't have much time. With a roar of his own, he grabbed Leatherface's mask, yanking it off his face.

For the first time, he saw the man beneath the mask—a twisted, grotesque figure, with a wild, but terrified look in his eyes.

"Run!"

Sally's voice snapped Alex back to the present. They had no time to lose. As Leatherface shrieked in frustration, Alex grabbed Sally and dragged her toward the van.

The nightmare had only just begun, but they had made it out—barely.

To Be Continued…