The Last One | Project Fear

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐎𝐍𝐄

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The next few months are a whirlwind of so much different activity.

We sent the contract to a lawyer the day after I received it and we were assured that there was nothing screwy in it. I signed it—totally on my own, as I'm now legally an adult—and shipped it back to Tanner in Las Vegas. I've been looped into email threads between Travel Channel and the rest of us, all business stuff that I didn't really have to worry about just yet. There's also been a group chat with the four of us investigators, but I haven't done more than answer what I have to.

I've been trying to play the part of a normal girl for the rest of my senior year. I'm not allowed to really tell anyone about this, only family and close friends. I'm waiting until the trip gets closer to tell my friends, though, mostly because I don't want to chance it getting around school. I don't think my friends would say anything on purpose, but I just didn't want to risk it. I told them on our last day of classes, when we all went to the beach after we were dismissed.

Most of them seem happy for me. Some had to sing a nursery rhyme with my name and Dakota's in it. I ignored that, mostly because I couldn't focus on that.

Dance shows came and went, so did prom, and graduation. It's currently a few hours after I walked across the stage to get my diploma. I enjoyed a nice lunch with my family and now I'm running around my bedroom, trying to pack.

In the last few months, I've learned more about the format of the show. Ten different locations across the country. All are abandoned. We'll be taking an RV as our method of transportation. And only Dakota knows where we're going.

I won't lie—that makes me more scared than I thought I would be. But, I'm trying to put a brave face on as I try to figure out what to pack. I have no idea where we're going, so I don't really know what to bring. I assume that for the overnights, I'll need a decent jacket despite the fact that it's summertime. I opt to bring a lot of leggings and jeans, mostly because I wouldn't want my bare legs to be in any of the abandoned places that I know we'll be going to. I decide to pack a couple of sweatshirts, some sweaters, and some regular t-shirts and tank tops. I can always layer. As for shoes, I decide on sneakers and boots. I make sure to pack a lot of socks, a lot of undergarments, and toiletries. Knowing that we'll be on the road, however, does lessen the tension of forgetting something. We'll have built in moments to go and run to a store God forbid, so I'm not being too anal about that.

As I'm packing for my flight to Tennessee that night, where we're starting the trip, my phone lights up with a notification. It's a text message from the Destination Fear group chat, letting me know that they're about to FaceTime me and they'll be recording. A bit of panic flashes in my gut, because I'm not really prepared to be on camera just yet, but I respond back that it's fine.

I sit myself on my bed, my back to my gray bedroom wall, so that no one will be able to see the mounds of clothes strewn all over my room. I'm grateful that I haven't taken my makeup from graduation off yet, which I plan to do before I leave so that I don't have to do it when I get to the hotel in Tennessee.