Horror Inc sues Gun Interactive over Friday the 13th: The Game

For fans of Friday the 13th: The Game (affiliate link), the story surrounding the game has always been almost as complicated as the horror franchise itself.

What began as an ambitious attempt to bring Jason Voorhees into the world of multiplayer gaming eventually became one of the better-known asymmetrical horror games of its era. But years of legal battles, licensing problems and disagreements over the franchise ultimately brought the game to an end.

Now, the Friday the 13th saga has entered another chapter.

Gun Interactive, the company behind Friday the 13th: The Game, has publicly responded to a lawsuit brought by Horror, Inc., and the company is making it clear that it intends to fight the case.

A dispute over millions of dollars

According to Gun Interactive's August 28 statement, the central issue in the new lawsuit is royalties from Friday the 13th: The Game.

Gun says that it paid Horror, Inc. more than $18 million in royalties over the lifetime of the game and maintains that it paid everything it was contractually required to pay. The company also claims that Horror, Inc.'s representatives previously reviewed and approved the financial reports associated with those payments.

Gun says Horror, Inc. is now seeking approximately another $4 million, based on accounting methods that Gun disputes. Other reports have described the lawsuit as seeking as much as roughly $4.5 million and have reported additional allegations concerning financial records. Those allegations remain matters for the legal process to resolve.

In other words, this isn't simply a disagreement about the game's popularity or how it was managed. At the heart of the case is a financial dispute over how revenue from the game was calculated and what Horror, Inc. believes it was entitled to receive.

And that's only the latest legal problem surrounding Friday the 13th.

Friday the 13th: The Game's copyright problems

To understand why this situation is particularly frustrating for fans, it's necessary to go back several years.

Gun Interactive licensed the rights needed to make Friday the 13th: The Game in 2015. The project eventually became a multiplayer survival-horror experience in which one player controlled Jason while other players attempted to survive.

The concept was simple but effective: take one of the most recognizable slasher villains ever created and turn the movie's basic premise into a multiplayer game.

The result developed a dedicated community.

But behind the scenes, the Friday the 13th franchise was becoming entangled in a legal fight over who controlled parts of its intellectual property.

Victor Miller, the screenwriter of the original Friday the 13th, pursued termination of his U.S. copyright interests. Horror, Inc. challenged Miller's position in court.

Gun's latest statement points to that dispute as a major reason the game's post-launch development eventually became restricted.

According to Gun, the uncertainty surrounding the rights prevented the team from continuing with the new content players wanted. Horror, Inc. ultimately lost the initial case in 2018 and its appeal in 2021, according to Gun's account.

The important distinction here is that the copyright dispute and the current royalty lawsuit are separate legal matters. The new case concerns the business relationship surrounding the game rather than simply repeating the earlier copyright battle.

A game that never got the future fans wanted

This is arguably the most disappointing part of the entire story.

Friday the 13th: The Game had the ingredients for a long life.

It had a recognizable horror license, an unusual multiplayer concept and a community that clearly wanted more. The game could have continued receiving new maps, characters, Jason variations and other content for years.

Instead, the legal situation effectively put the brakes on that future.

Gun says that even after the earlier copyright dispute, it was interested in working with Horror, Inc. on a remastered version of the game and potentially giving it another life.

That never happened.

According to Gun, the license eventually expired, which brought the game's commercial life to an end. The game was removed from digital storefronts and its servers were eventually shut down. Gun also says it offered to continue paying to keep the servers running.

For players, the result was brutally simple: a game they had spent years playing was no longer something they could simply buy and play as before.

The bitter irony for the community

This is what makes the current lawsuit especially frustrating for many fans.

From a player's perspective, the game didn't die because people suddenly stopped caring about Jason Voorhees.

It died because the business and legal situation surrounding the franchise made continuing the game increasingly difficult.

Gun's position is essentially that it invested heavily in developing and supporting the game, paid substantial royalties, built a community around it and attempted to find a way to continue the project.

The company now argues that it shouldn't have to pay additional money years later based on accounting interpretations it disputes.

Horror, Inc., of course, has a different position, which is why the dispute is now in court.

Until the legal proceedings establish what actually happened, neither side's accusations should be treated as a final verdict.

Why this matters beyond Friday the 13th

The situation illustrates a bigger problem with licensed video games.

When a developer creates an original game, it generally controls the underlying intellectual property. A licensed game is different.

The developer can spend years building the technology, gameplay systems, community and reputation around a property it does not ultimately own.

If the license expires or the rights holders become involved in a legal dispute, the developer can suddenly find itself unable to continue supporting a game that players still want.

Friday the 13th: The Game is an especially painful example because its identity was inseparable from the franchise.

Gun couldn't simply remove Jason Voorhees and replace him with an original killer. That would fundamentally change the game.

The same licensing relationship that made the game special also created one of its biggest vulnerabilities.

Gun Interactive is still working with horror

Interestingly, this isn't the end of Gun Interactive's involvement in licensed horror.

The company has continued working in the genre, most notably with The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, and has also been involved with IllFonic's Halloween (affiliate link). Gun's own description of its creative philosophy emphasizes authenticity, immersion, innovation and community — qualities that have become closely associated with its approach to licensed horror projects.

The Halloween project is particularly interesting because it shows that Gun hasn't abandoned major horror properties despite the difficult history surrounding Friday the 13th.

In fact, Halloween launched in September 2026 with both single-player and multiplayer elements, giving horror fans another major licensed property to experience in game form.

That makes the current Friday the 13th dispute feel less like the end of Gun's relationship with horror and more like another chapter in a complicated history.

What happens next?

For now, the most important thing is that the case still needs to play out.

Gun Interactive has made its position very clear: it denies that it owes the additional money being claimed and says it intends to defend itself rather than settle simply because litigation is expensive.

Horror, Inc.'s claims will have to be tested through the legal process.

For fans, however, there is a much bigger question lurking behind the lawsuit.

Could Friday the 13th: The Game ever come back?

That's impossible to answer with confidence right now.

A return would require the rights holders and the game's potential developers or publishers to reach an agreement that allows the project to move forward. The current dispute certainly doesn't make that prospect any easier.

And perhaps that's the most frustrating part for the people who loved the game.

Friday the 13th: The Game proved that there was an audience for a faithful, multiplayer Jason Voorhees experience. Players showed up. The community formed. The concept worked.

But the game became trapped in circumstances that had very little to do with whether players actually wanted to keep playing it.

The latest lawsuit is therefore more than another piece of legal news for an old video game. It's a reminder of how fragile licensed games can be — and how easily years of development, community building and player loyalty can become collateral damage when the business relationships behind a franchise fall apart.

For now, Jason remains one of horror's most recognizable icons.

But his most famous multiplayer video game remains stuck in a legal nightmare of its own.

Friday the 13th: The Game Remaster?

According to Gun's statement, they wanted to do a remaster of F13 and keep the servers up and running:

Gun Interactive Statement on Horror, Inc.

 

 

How to play Friday the 13th: The Game on PS4/PS5 in 2026

For almost a year after the "death" of Friday the 13th: The Game the private server for Playstation was running smoothly, but then some invidual decided to ruin everyone's fun by a DDoS attack. Since then some extra steps are needed to be able to play F13 on Playstation. You need to verify your IP.

 

 

1) Join the Discord to get access to Playstation server: https://discord.gg/resurrected-778943077724586065

 

2) Whitelist your IP: https://whitelist.f13-resurrected.com/

 

3) Donate to keep the servers (Playstation/Resurrected) running (optional)

 

 

Playstation servers were in danger of shutting down at the end of 2025, but thanks to donations this won't happen as long as the cost of the server is covered.

 

F13: Resurrected and Playstation shutting down?

Ever since Friday the 13th: The Game died officially, fans have been blessed with private servers. Now this could come to an end.

 

 

Resurrected and Playstation servers are in danger of shutting down at the end of 2025.

 

 

It costs money to keep the mods and servers running. According to some sources these servers cost 80 dollars a month. At some point there were even links on the game's main menu screen to donate money to keep the private servers running, but they have been since removed. 

 

 

If Resurrected and Playstation are indeed shut down, that still leaves us with Camp Forest Green on PC. And some people say that a new mod, called Blood Lust, will come in early 2026. 

 

 

But for Playstation players this could be the end. 

 

EDIT

Good news. There have been enough donations to keep the servers running! The fans are refusing to let the game die.

 

 

Bad news: Playstation server was down due to hacking. 

 

 

ATTENTION ALL DNS/PLAYSTATION PLAYERS

Playstation server is back up, but to be able to play you need to verify your IP!

 

Join the Discord to get access to Playstation server: https://discord.gg/resurrected-778943077724586065

 

Here's how you can donate to keep the servers running:

 

 

Friday the 13th: The Game challenges emotes

Out of fear of losing the emotes forever I'm saving these to this blog. Even the wiki doesn't have a full list. And I'm expecting the official site of this game to disappear at some point. After all, they did remove the discussion forum years ago. There was so much good information there...

 

 

So here are unlocks for every Skull Objective in each single player Challenge in Friday the 13th: The Game

 

Challenge One: Broken Down

No Survivors: Hurry!
XP Score: Check Pockets
Undetected: The Cabin Boogie
 

Challenge Two: Power Struggle

No Survivors: Praise
XP Score: Melbourne Shuffle
Undetected: Pelvis Thrust
 

Challenge Three: Lights Out

No Survivors: Scatter
XP Score: Air Guitar
Undetected: The Mia
 

Challenge Four: Stargazing

No Survivors: Apologize
XP Score: What was that?
Undetected: The Pumpkin Patch
 

Challenge Five: Packanack Party

No Survivors: Victory Celebration
XP Score: Gun Show
Undetected: The Sexy Sway
 

Challenge Six: Snuggle by the Fire

No Survivors: Silly Gestures
XP Score: Friday Night Fever
Undetected: Crotch Grab
 

Challenge Seven: Strip Poker

No Survivors: Yawn
XP Score: Feelin’ It
Undetected: The Vincent
 

Challenge Eight: Escaping

No Survivors: Flirt
XP Score: The Freaky Friday
Undetected: Flip Off
 

Challenge Nine: JASON IS HERE

No Survivors: Temper Tantrum
XP Score: The Low Down
Undetected: The Bel-Air
 

Challenge Ten: Vacation Party

No Survivors: Threaten
XP Score: Bouncin and Boppin
Undetected: The Running Man

 

 

 

I had done these challenges on Playstation many times. Because sometimes the updates broke the game so that you had to do them again to get your emotes back. And because we needed several accounts. Again, sometimes because you couldn't play with your old account because the game was broken. Good times.

But now I was doing these for the first time on PC. And I encountered a totally new problem. Some of the challenges (4/10) in Resurrected mod are completely dark for me. Jason can only see something while using Sense. So now there is even added difficulty which I did not need. Somehow I still managed to advance to the last challenge. I thought this darkness problem in challenges was because of my inferior graphics card, but changing the card to a better one didn't fix the problem. 

So I have to ask: Has anyone else had this problem while playing Resurrected's single player challenges?

The undetected requirement has always been the most difficult one for me...

 

 

 

If you want a video of all the (officially released) emotes here's one. The PC mods Resurrected and Camp Forest Green have many more.

 

 

Friday the 13th: The Game - Offline play as counselor

How to play as a counselor in offline mode in Friday the 13th: The Game?

 

For years players have wished for it, and someone finally delivered.

Now there's a new mod where you can play in offline bots as a counselor against AI Jason in Friday the 13th: The Game. 

 

 

In this mod, when you play against bot Jason you aren't the only counselor, the other counselors are bots. Which is worse, who wins: bot Jason or bot counselors? Bot counselors are notorious for their stupidity.

Bot Jason plays like a newbie, he can't even use shift. He often gets stuck or keeps running against an obstacle or stops to calculate what is the best route to the counselor.

So it seems that playing against AI Jason is the easy mode. And that't exactly what I need! 

You should check out this gameplay video which demonstrates many features about this new AI Jason mod. 

 

 

I have to say that haven't tested this new mod myself yet. 

 

Reddit: Jason AI and Offline Bots Mod

Mod download

Offline counselor mod gameplay video 

 

Before this new mod in offline mode it was only possible to play as Jason against bots.

 

Friday the 13th: The Game Resurrected mod 2025

Friday the 13th: The Game is resurrected! You can still play the game on PC.

 

Friday the 13th: The game Resurrected mod download

The Resurrected mod for Friday the 13th: The Game is free and free to play. You don't need to own Friday the 13th: The Game on PC/Steam to play it.

You can download the Resurrected mod from here.  

 

 

 

Is Friday 13th game dead?

No, the game is not dead.

 

My experience with Resurrected 

My favorite game Friday the 13th: The Game basically died at the end of the year 2024, but in practice it is still possible to play it on PC and Playstation.

I was scared that my computer's current graphics card might not be able to run the Resurrected mod. My previous graphics card broke, and now I only have an older emergency one. Still, I downloaded the F13 Resurrected mod for PC, which includes all the cool stuff that wasn't officially released. Like finally some better and more interesting clothing for Adam...

 

 

I started experimenting, with offline challenges and bot matches. Everything else has worked fine except for the second challenge, which is almost completely dark for some reason. I can only see something when using sense as Jason.

My current graphics card doesn't support a specific way to record gameplay, but fortunately recording with Streamlabs works. Because I refuse to play Friday without recording my gameplay.

I rolled perks for several weeks in June as a "daily challenge", because every day you get cp as a login bonus. It seems like legendary and epic perks come much more often in Resurrected than in the original game. The strange thing is that there wasn't a marathon for weeks. And then when I got it, it was terrible. Finally, I hit the jackpot, a legendary marathon perk. I've never had that before.

 

 

The biggest problem, however, was the controller. I have to play with a controller, and with PS5 controllers there are always big problems with the connection of the charging cable. So the connection to the controller can be lost at any time, in the middle of a match.

When I finally went into an online match for the first time, it was impossible to play. The connection to the controller kept getting lost. But when I replaced it with a PS4 controller, the game started to work.

But then there was the other problem, the graphics card. I tried changing the graphics settings to low, but the next match was really a mess. The reason for that was revealed. The settings were high. When I actually changed them to low, everything worked fine after that.

So everything works just fine and I can play my favorite game again! Except that every time I open the game, the settings are automatically high. So I always have to remember to change it, otherwise I can't play.

I've now also been able to play with the PS5 controller, as we got a new mobile phone charging cable that also works for that purpose and which, surprisingly, stays properly attached to the controller.

 

 

 

How many years had I waited to play, for example, as Victoria in her angel costume? Resurrected mod is a dream come true for me.

 

 

The Resurrected mod has so much new stuff compared to the original game. New counselors to play, new maps (Grendel and Pinehurst small), outfits, emotes and weapons. Although Chad's legendary Shake it emote is missing, so the whole game is ruined. Although for some reason I have that emote, set as default for Chad... I just don't understand. But you can't use it on other characters.

 

 

Resurrected Rob is broken 

One of the added counselors is Rob, who dies in the opening video of the game. I was excited because that character has the best stamina of the repair counselors. But then it turned out that Rob is broken. Jason can't damage him with slashes or knives. So playing as Rob is currently cheating. I hope they either fix him or remove him from the Resurrected mod.

 

 

 

Some time ago it was revealed that Friday the 13th: The Game will get a "sequel"... but no information about what kind of game. Will it be single player or multiplayer? We'll see.

But before that, there's a Halloween game coming out, which does have multiplayer.

 

 

My stupid dreams of Friday

In a dream I played Friday with my spouse who was Jason. He was throwing knives so I had to use spray all the time. In the end, I died and came back as Tommy. I went to the exit even though the police hadn't been called. I started dancing and spouse just watched Tommy dance. It's undeniably a pretty amazing sight to see since it wasn't possible in the original game.

In another dream, I played with two streamers. The one I call shithead (fyi he doesn't play F13 anymore) was Jason, I played as Mitch. Jason came right after me but I survived for a surprisingly long time, 8 minutes. I came back as Tommy. The other streamer and one other player were in the boat. I had to push the boat past dry land as Tommy. It was tough and I thought about asking someone on the boat to push it from time to time, but no.

 

 

 

Friday the 13th: The game sequel confirmed!

We have been waiting for this day, and now it's official. Friday the 13th: The game is not dead. 

Horror Inc. has confirmed that a sequel to Friday the 13th video game is in development.

This was revealed at the San Diego Comic-Con 2025. It is said that the game is at the top of Horror Inc.'s list. The game is "in the works" and is coming. 

 

 

 

Read more: New Friday the 13th Video Game is Now Official

Can you play Friday the 13th: The Game in 2025?

This post is updated with current info/links. 

 

Is Friday the 13th: The Game dead?

For years some people had falsely claimed that this game is dead, and now it's finally true.

Friday the 13th: The Game came to an end officially on December 31, 2024. The exact time of death was at midnight EST. The game still worked for a few minutes after that, but then all the players in public lobbies and private matches were booted to the main menu, with database login failure. And this time this error is permanent.

 

The game died at 7 am my time, and I was lucky enough to see the end live on Twitch streams. Back then I didn't know when the game would stop working, I only learned about the announced time afterwards. How great that someone finally told us the time, but only 4 hours before the end.

Just before the death of Friday I saw a private match. All the counselors were around a camp fire, dancing and crying. And even Jason joined their fun. It was like a memorial service, or a wake. What a great way to send off this great game.

 

 

 

I thought that in the end I would cry, or even have a breakdown. Luckily I had been mentally preparing myself for months, saying my goodbyes to each counselor individually. I loved too many of them.

It's been heartbreaking and bittersweet to see that I'm not alone in my sorrow. That there are many others who loved this game as much as I did.

Wonder what all the kill squads, trolls, cheaters and teamers are doing now? Probably poisoning other games.

How to play Friday the 13th: The Game in 2025?

The online portion of the game is no longer officially playable on consoles. You can only play offline bots, single player challenges and the virtual cabin. And even in these you can only use Jasons part 3 and 5.

Friday the 13th: The Game back online on PS4/PS5

EDIT

Now there's also a way to play the game on PS4/PS5!

Guide: How to play Friday The 13th: Game after shutdown on Playstation 4 & 5

After just two days the game is back online on PC and PS4/PS5! Gotta love this community!

Do note that this private server might be down occasionally, and no one knows for how long this fun will last. There has been surprisingly many players (hundreds), and full lobbies.

Friday the 13th: The Game on PC in 2025

On PC there are some ways to play online matches, to enable quick play, private matches and matchmaking. 

Try these at your own risk.

[TUTORIAL] Online Fix for after 31/12

 

Youtube: Guide to play on Friday the 13th online in 2025

Then there's also a build called "Camp Forest Green", but it seems that a cease and desist is imminent. Don't ask me how to get this version.

So despite all the goodbyes and funerals, this game was dug up from its grave and hit by lightning, and lives on! Just like Jason.

Sequel to Friday the 13th: The Game?

Some people are dreaming of a sequel or a remastered version of the game, but I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for it.

But exactly how much would it cost to keep the game online? We still don't know that, and probably never will. There are people who would be willing to pay to be able to play this game.

But there always was an option, to make the game truly p2p. To make the database that still was on servers local. But of course Gun Media didn't bother to pursue this option. I mean why would they? They haven't made any money from this game for a long time, while still having to pay for it.

 

 

 

RIP Friday the 13th: The Game 2017-2024

Was it a fun ride? Most of the time it was frustrating and enraging. So many people say they are grateful for the great people and friends they met through this game. It seems I only met assholes... Well, like someone said: Maybe assholes like each others, and become friends?

 

I played Friday the 13th: The Game for 6 years and thousands of hours, and all I got was this lousy t-shirt (affiliate link), and severe hatred for mankind.

 

 

Like someone on Reddit said: "This game helped me escape reality." Especially at the start of the COVID pandemic. And during these last horrible months, after all my 3 cats died within a short period of time. Now I have to face reality again: the cats are gone, and so is Friday. And I'll never be the same again.

Rest in peace my favorite game of all time, Friday the 13th: The Game. I'll miss you forever. Life is nothing without you.

 

And by the way, my Youtube-channel is full of videos of my very boring Friday the 13th gameplay.

After the break there are some more images related to the end of the best game ever.

Saying goodbye to the love of my life

Now it's officially over, for good. In the end I only got six and a half years with you. You will forever be the love of my life. I thank you for the memories, both good and bad. Unfortunately, there are more of the bad ones, or at least they are easier to remember.

 

 

For reasons beyond our control, it was difficult from the beginning. Other parties tried to stop us from being together, to cut it short. They also predicted that it wouldn't last, they already judged it dead years ago. In that regard, I feel very lucky that it lasted this long. Even though it went badly, it could have gone worse.

In a perfect world, this wouldn't have happened, and we could have continued together for a long time. Maybe not forever, but longer than we had now. We could have had many more good years together.

I remember my first time with you. I was so scared that I hid under the bed, hoping that I wouldn't be found.

 

 

I met a lot of people through you. Too many of them only increased my hatred of people, but of course it wasn't your fault. You couldn't control what kind of people would come to you. But sometimes it felt like you brought out the worst in people. I know that at some point you tried to get rid of the assholes, but in the end you couldn't, and I can understand that. Some even took advantage of you, and I'm ashamed to admit that sometimes I caved in to it myself. I regret some of the things I did.

Your life story is so sad, and above all unfair. You were a victim of things you couldn't control. When the first problem came, you were abandoned. You were left alone, adrift. Sometimes certain people still tried, but in vain. They just broke you more and worse.

You had already been through a lot when I met you, and parts of your past are still a mystery to me. I'll never know everything about you, and like with many other things, that's one of the tragedies of life.

We argued a lot, and I admit that it was mostly my fault. I often got frustrated, and stressed out. Only in the end did I find a more relaxed way to be with you.

I don't know if I can go on without you. Of course, there are other fish in the sea, but none of them are anything compared to you. You brought me to life in a completely different way.

I wish I could say that I enjoyed every moment with you, but that wasn't the case. With you, I went through all the emotions, it was never boring. I constantly learned new sides of you, and yet I knew that I could never know you completely.

Without you, my life will be much more boring. I don't know where I could find any joy anymore. There is nothing to look forward to. Nothing to do, especially on my weekend evenings.

I had been counting down the minutes for a long time, and when the time came, I was afraid that I would cry, throw up, and break down, but surprisingly, that didn't happen. I had already done the grieving process, and overdosed on you in the last few months.

I wish we had never crossed paths. It would have been easier if I had not known you existed. Or rather, I wish I had never gotten to know you. Fallen in love with you.

Some things you just can't control, and this was one of them. I don't know if there was any way you could have been saved. At least not in this reality.

Now the plug has been pulled. I was lucky, and I got to see live the moment you crossed over from time into eternity.

Farewell the love of my life, Friday the 13th: The Game.

Rest in peace, my love.

Merry Last Christmas of Friday the 13th: The Game!

There's only one week, just seven days, left to enjoy the existence of Friday the 13th: The Game!

And what could possibly be a better way to celebrate the last Christmas ever than playing as Chad in his red speedo?

Have you been naughty or nice this year? I know for a fact that Jason has been very, very naughty. Well, come 2025 his reign of terror will be over.

 

This game coming to a dead end is the biggest horror of them all, but there's at least one positive thing about it.

"You can't get killed by Jason if you can't play the game."

 

Jason Voorhees Christmas Memes

 

Were you on Jason's Dead List this year?

 

 

When you are looking for the perfect tree...

Oh, I'm sure that more than anything you want to see photos of that promised (red) speedo Chad...

Christmas spirit achieved, am I right?! 

 

Happy holidays to everyone except Jason!

 

EDITED to add this gem:

Friday the 13th: The game | Short story | Bunny's Betrayal

This short story was inspired by true events in Friday the 13th: The Game.

 

The shrill cries of panicked campers echoed through the dense woods of Camp Crystal Lake. 

Eric Lachappa sighed in relief. Surely the worst had to be over? With his superior intelligence he had managed to repair the phone box within just seconds. Now he rushed inside the cabin.

Shadows danced across the forest floor as Eric crouched in the corner of the small cabin, fumbling with an ancient rotary phone. His glasses slid down his nose as beads of sweat formed on his forehead. Jason Voorhees was somewhere out there, and every second felt like an eternity.

"Come on, come on!" Eric muttered, his shaking fingers dialing the number for the police.

Behind him, Deborah Kim, her petite frame trembling with adrenaline, was stationed near a window. She gripped a saucepan with pale knuckles, her wide eyes scanning the darkened treeline for any sign of Jason.

 

 

Eric finally managed to connect. "I need you to listen to me! Jason Voorhees has returned, and he's killing my friends! We need you. Oh my God, we need you here right now, please!"

A calm voice on the other end replied. "Officers are en route. Stay where you are."

Eric hung up and turned to Deborah, his face lighting up with a triumphant smile. "They're coming! We just have to hold out for—"

 

 

WHACK!

Eric's sentence was cut short as the flat side of Deborah's saucepan smacked against the back of his head. He crumpled to the floor with a pained groan.

"Deborah! What the—"

Before he could finish, she swung again, this time with the pan slicing the air menacingly close to his shoulder. Eric rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the strike.

 

 

"Deborah! It's me!" he yelled, clutching his arm where a shallow cut began to bleed.

She glared at him, her voice trembling with fury. "I told you not to use the phone! Jason always comes when you use the phone!"

Eric scrambled backward, kicking over a chair in the process. "But I—"

"No buts!" Deborah hissed. Her face was pale, her lips quivering, but her eyes blazed with a mix of fear and misplaced anger. "You’ve doomed us all, Eric!"

A sudden, heavy thud at the cabin door silenced them both. Deborah froze, her saucepan raised defensively, while Eric whimpered on the floor. The door groaned under the pressure of a brutal force outside.

"He's here," Deborah whispered, her face draining of all color.

The door burst open with an explosion of splinters, revealing Jason Voorhees, his hulking frame silhouetted by the moonlight. His mask tilted as if assessing his prey.

Eric clambered to his feet, the fear in his eyes replaced by a spark of determination. "Deborah, I was trying to help!" he snapped before grabbing a nearby fire poker.

Deborah's resolve faltered as Jason lunged forward, his machete raised high. In a moment of clarity, she realized her mistake.

"Eric—"

But there was no time for apologies. Eric pushed her out of the way and swung the poker with all his might, striking Jason's arm. The killer barely flinched. Jason grabbed Eric by the neck, lifting him effortlessly.

Deborah screamed, frozen in place as Eric was slammed against the wall, his glasses shattering on impact. He managed to choke out, "Run, Deborah!"

Her feet finally obeyed, and she bolted out of the cabin, leaving Eric behind to face the wrath of Jason.

As she sprinted through the forest, guilt clawed at her chest. She hadn't thanked him—really thanked him—for calling the police. But she had no time to turn back now.

In the distance, sirens wailed, growing louder with every second. Help was coming.

But for Eric, it wouldn’t arrive in time.