Delinquent Camp

Chapter Twenty-One

            Rhyson takes a step towards me, his eyes narrowed.

            “Well,” I reply, nodding my head awkwardly. “I better get going. I wanted to grab a shower before bed. Bye!”

            As quickly as I can, I turn around and start sprinting as fast as I can out of the forest. It hasn’t even been a few seconds before I hear Rhyson chasing after me, catching up quickly.

            I jerk my head around to see how close he is when I feel my ankle hit something hard. For a moment, everything is going too fast as I fall onto the ground. My knees hit what I assume to be a log and my torso comes tumbling after. I put my hands out to break my fall, only to realize that one of my hands is in a cast. My good hand lands on the ground but without the other for support, I fall to the side. I feel my head hit something hard and then everything is blurry.

            “Gemma?” Someone calls, their voice distant. “Oh my god, Gemma!” I feel arms around my shoulders, gently picking me up. My head rolls back as they move me onto flat ground.

            “Dude! I told you not to chase her!”

            “Shut up, Danny!”

            “It’s true!”

            “I said shut up!” There’s a thump beside me and then it’s quiet.

            “Ow,” someone mutters after a few quiet moments.

            Suddenly someone is cupping my cheek, moving my head slowly back and forth as if I’m saying no. Their blurry figure is hovering above me, but I can’t tell what they look like. My head starts to pound and I groan. It’s giving me a headache.

            “Gemma, you’re going to be okay, alright?” I close my eyes, not wanting to stare at the blurry colours anymore. “You need to stay awake, Gemma.”

            I groan again. I don’t want to stay awake. My body feels exhausted and my head hurts. Rolling my head to the side, I start to give in to the temptation of sleep.

            “We need to get her back.”

            I barely feel the hands that lift me as I start to drift off into the swirling blackness.

~~~

            When I open my eyes, everything is dark. Looking around me, I see I’m on a deserted road, the pavement damp from earlier rain. I recognize the street and decide it’s time to head home. However before I can take a step, a loud, squealing sound breaks through the air.

            Suddenly, everything is engulfed in blinding light. The once dark road can barely be seen. I put my hand over my eyes, blocking the light but it still doesn’t help. The light just gets brighter and brighter, as if someone’s holding a flashlight in front of your eyes and keeps moving it closer.