I Went Camping On a Ranch

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A/N: an idea rattling around gif months now. I'm researching as I go to make sure this makes sense. Ranch name has been changed. All people are fictional.

Warnings: light horror. strong language. talk of death. skinwalkers.

Listen to the narration by Campfire Tales here: https://youtu.be/u4jigu0jaZ8

Being the new kid in  town is never easy; it's harder when you move across states

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Being the new kid in town is never easy; it's harder when you move across states. My parents both decided a change was needed; mostly because they couldn't stop arguing or cheating on each other - but couldn't leave each other either. So instead of divorcing and I'd have two birthdays, two Christmasses, two thanksgivings and two houses; they decided to continue their arguing but a few states and multiple days travel away. Friends I'd had since I was two cried as we said goodbye and though we knew we'd still video call we also knew it would happen less and less, we'd forget each other and we'd never see each other again. We'd likely keep up passively using social media but that's as far as it would go.

It's not that I disliked my new school, it's that it was different. Starting halfway through a semester was never going to endear me to anyone; they already had their friends groups and I was this new kid trying to fit in. I'd never been popular but I'd had friends, being thrown into this new school meant I started with nothing and nobody. My parents would ask me how my days were, had I made any friends?

I'd half laugh and shake my head "it's been a week and barely anyone speaks to me. I'm gonna do my homework." I'd hide away in my room and watch my screen waiting for a reply from my old friends... but none ever came.

I'd been at the new school for a month when I received new friend requests on the school's private social media programme. A certain high profile app and page were blocked within school so they'd come up with their own version that was accessible inside and outside school as long as you were a student. Six requests; they were all popular kids in well known circles and I had to question why they wanted to be my friends. It took me a full hour to accept and add them in return, seconds later a chat request popped up - I had been added to a group chat.

— Chat Begins —

Mike: hey, what up newbie?

Newbie?! They didn't even use my name?

Me: I have a name.

Lucy: and we'll use it once you come with us this weekend camping in the ranch.

Me: Camping? Ranch?

Daniel: Yes. You heard about the Ol' Cookson Ranch?

Gary: How could she not have?

Lucy: unless she lives under a rock.

Me: I've heard rumours about it. Does that count?

Daniel: Depends on the rumours.

I sigh to myself and rub my face, why was I even entertaining this idea? Did I want to be accepted this badly? The rumours were terrifying in themselves - kids went missing all the time after sneaking on to the ranch and nothing was ever found of them, only their camp was left behind. Security had to be upped but there were blind spots and holes in the surrounding fence. It was up a trail into the mountains where there was no cell signal and no way to get help when something inevitably went wrong.

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