The story I’m going to tell you takes place on one of my many Chiro camps. It was already pretty late and we, the oldest group and the counsellors were sitting around the bonfire. Everyone was softly talking or just staring at the fire. Two people stood up, Marie and Catho ‘Were going to the toilet they said.’ A couple of people nodded or mumbled an ok, but that was it. I was watching them walking on the dark campsite to the toilets nearby the forest when an unexpected shiver ran down my back. I didn’t had a good feeling about it and when I didn’t see them anymore, a sickening feeling began building up in my stomach. I was just staring at the fire, hadn’t spoken for a while when worries began taking over my mind. Why were they not back yet? ‘Guys, I’m going to search for Marie and Catho. They went to the toilet about half an hour ago an still aren’t back.’ I said. It seemed like nobody really minded what I was doing or cared that the dynamic duo was gone. Not even the counsellors! Lien came to me and whispered that she was going with me. We walked in silence to the toilets, we didn’t really needed words, because we both knew from each other how worried we were and what the other was thinking. The leaves were crackling underneath our feet when suddenly we saw something dark laying next to the toilet. Lien picked it up, it was Catho’s purple scarf. ‘Uhm Hasse, it’s sticky. I think it’s blood.’ Lien spoke up, concern and panic leaking into her voice. 'Uhm maybe she fell?’ I offered but Lien stayed silent and had a doubtful look on her face. ‘You know what Lien? I’m going to get my flashlight from the tent and then we’ll search properly for them. I’m sure nothing happened and that they’re just playing a prank on us.’ I said to reassure her. After I said that Lien nodded and a little hope glittered in her eyes. I quickly ran to the tent and searched for the flashlight. When I got to the toilets Lien was gone, the sickening feeling in my stomach got worse when I discovered that. ‘Okay Hasse, just calm down! Everything is going to be alright. We’re just going to find them and everything will be okay’ I thought, trying to reassure the negative and now panicked little voice in my mind. I went into the forest, the moonlight and branches of the trees were giving me a spooky vibe. I was trying to stay calm but with every noise I heard I jumped slightly in fright. When I saw a little derelict cottage, I came to a halt. The courageous part of my mind wanted to go inside and save my friends but the frightened part was questioning that idea. What if there was a serial killer inside? After debating with myself I finally took the risk. I pushed the wooden door open and it made an awful creaking noise. When I took a step inside dust flew everywhere. I overlooked the room and saw a broken mirror at the other side. ‘Hmm bad luck already’ was the first thing that went through my mind. I took a few more steps inside when suddenly ‘BANG’ the door closed behind me. I let out a scream but quickly put a hand in front of my mouth, I had to be silent and sneaky if I wanted to save them. I hurriedly went to the staircase, while passing the mirror I saw somebody behind me. I froze abruptly. The Mario theme song began to play and a deep voice said ‘Hi I’m Mario and this isn’t the adventure where I’ll eat mushrooms and do ridiculous stunts. This is the adventure where you and your friends will die a slow death!’ A jolt of adrenaline went through my body and I sprinted the stairs up to the attic. While trying to catch my breath I saw Marie, Catho and some others of my group sitting on the ground. They were gagged and their hands bound behind their back. The fright was evident in their eyes. I just had freed Catho and Eli when I heard his voice: ‘Oh come down Hasse, the mouse is in the house so the big bad cat wants to play.’ Everyone went silent. I gulped and whispered: ‘Ok guys , I’m going to go down. I’ll distract him and you all escape. Okay?’ Almost everyone protested but eventually I could convince them. I stumbled down the stairs and came face to face with freaking Mario Kart. He twirled a knife around in his hands and the evil smirk was on point. He looked like a real villain. He took a step forwards and I backed away. We went on like that till my back hit the wall, once again I gulped. He began dragging the point of the knife down my check and I felt a trickle of blood going down. He was the predator and he played with me like a cat would do with a mouse, suddenly I had enough. A jolt of courage went down my body and took my rational thinking over for a while. My fist came up and I punched him right in the face, because of the force his cap flew of. His nose began to bleed and there clicked something in his eyes, he was outraged. He hummed the Mario song and then said: ‘Oh Hasse, now the little mouse is surely going to die.’ All my courage was gone and a strange noise escaped my throat. ‘Good, you’re scared. That makes it only more fun for me to play with you’ he grumbled. He took me by my leather necklace and jolted me forward. Now our faces were only mere centimetres away. His hands wrapped around my neck, strangling me. I began choking and coughing and then he spoke up ‘Tut tut tut, no no little mouse you can’t die yet. It isn’t going to be that easy for you’ and then he chuckled darkly.
‘Hasse, hey Hasse wake up. Come on wake up!’ I heard softly. I opened my eyes and jumped upright. It was only a dream, I had fallen asleep at the bonfire. Luckily everyone and everything was okay but from that day on I made sure that I didn’t go to the toilets alone in the dark.
