Camp Annihilation

11

A silent breath escaped my lips. I was walking through the woods in the middle of the camp. I didn't know how I got here or what was happening. I was breathing silent, heavy breaths. It was as if I'd been running except no sound could escape me. 

I stared ahead through the trees. I thought I saw a figure of a person. A silhouette. It disappeared the moment I'd processed the shape. 

I could feel myself beginning to panic. My body was shaking, and I could feel my chest rising up and down at a quicker pace. I still couldn't hear myself, though. I couldn't hear my breathing, my heart, my footsteps on the leafy ground. There was absolutely nothing audible. Had I gone deaf?

I stared at my feet, not moving, trying to focus on anything. Any sound I thought I'd be able to hear in a forest. Birds chirping, sticks breaking, maybe even the low chattering of chipmunks in a nearby log. I heard nothing, not even when I forcefully broke a stick beside my ears.

I looked up again, this time trying to find out where I was. This didn't make any sense. I didn't remember leaving the dorm. I didn't remember waking up. I'd never had a lucid dream before....was this what it was like? If so, I didn't enjoy it. I wasn't really in control of anything. All that was happening was that I was self aware. 

Suddenly, I saw the movement again. The silhouette  reappeared. I took a greater step forward, wanting to catch up with the strange being, but it vanished again. I felt my shoulders slump in defeat.

A shrill scream made me jump. My eyes flickered to my right, spotting a shadowy person in the distance. No, two people. I squinted my eyes to try to get a better look, but I couldn't see anything clearly. 

I slowly made my way towards the two strangers, taking note that I still couldn't hear the sound of my own footsteps on the forest floor. Why was I able to hear the scream of the girl?

When I was close enough to see better, I froze. I noticed a long knife in the hand of a man. The girl, who I assumed had screamed, had her mouth open and her eyes wide. She stared at me, straight through me.

A shiver passed through my body. She couldn't see me. I was invisible. Not being able to hear myself began to make more sense, but that thought soon disappeared from my mind when the man lifted the hand holding the knife clear above his head.

I couldn't see his face. It was dark, and covered with a hood. Not even the slightest glimpse of his nose.   Only the clear sound of him heavily breathing in the girls ear, maybe even whispering something to her. 

I could tell from where I was standing that she was whimpering, shaking. Tears rolled down her cheeks. She cried out again, except this time it was cut short. The knife came down onto the top of her head, ending her life quickly. 

I felt my mouth open, and scream emitting from my own throat. The man immediately turned towards me, and I was no longer invisible. 

I tried to move my feet to run, but it was as if I was glued in place. I shook my head, closing my mouth, as the man strode towards me. He had detached the bloodied knife from the girl's head, carrying it in his right hand. 

I shook my head, pleading silently for him to let me go. 

Then, the man spoke.

"Alayla!" He screamed.

I lashed out, my upper body being the only part of me that seemed to be cooperating with my brain. 

"Alayla, wake up! Please. Alayla! Ouch!" He yelled.

He dropped the knife and brought his hands to my shoulder. With a firm grip he began to shake me.

"Alayla wake up" The words came from his mouth, but they no longer sounded like his voice.