Survival

Chapter 29

I made a hard decision. It took me two long days to finally take a decision. And I did. I knew telling 'some' students would be futile so I discarded them off my list. My friends and those willing to listen would be told. I told them to meet me at our backyard, that noon.

I sat, anxiety seeping through me. Not far from where I sat, by the pool in the far corner were loud voices and laughs of campers. I shook my head, feeling a pang strike my chest. How heartless could people be. Their classmates are missing. Even if they were their enemies, they should at least feel something. But no! All they did was keep enjoying themselves and laughing. I felt very angry just at the sound of their voices rising. This morning, Drew told me Mrs Sana informed him that the teachers were making a decision on their own. I sure hoped it would be the end of this disaster we now lived in.

Mr Cameron decided to let us go out and enjoy the sun for a short while. He and the other teachers were trying to find a solution while Anna sat outside 'watching' us.

It didn't take long for them to arrive. One after the other, we filled the chairs. After everyone arrived, I cleared my throat. I felt weird being the centre of attention. It had always made me anxious speaking to a group of people formally. So I took the shortcut. I began by telling them my encounter in the bathroom, followed by Alessio's shocking news. I omitted Alessio's theory however, of a traitor being amongst us. I just couldn't bring myself to tell them. I kept reassuring myself that there was no need to, since I had told them of the most important things.

We kept silent for a while. No one said a word. Everything was quiet except the rhythmic breathing of our noses. I waited. I felt guilt surging through my skin. I wanted some sort of anger from them. Some why didn't you tell us? Or me? At least even me? We're your best friends. Were you going to keep this forever? I'm so angry at you, Jameela. I feel used. We've been talking about this but you never opened up. Why?

But all I got was, mierde. We're in deep trouble.

I sighed a heavy sign of relief. I really was lucky to have them as my best friends. We then focused on finding a solution to everything going on.

"...If we don't do anything, we would be next. One by one. Who knows, seeing as this all started from the woods, and now they have tresspassed into the camp, I wouldn' t be surprised if they enter our rooms and take us with them. We need a solution. And quick." Mariyam finished her speech.

"Well, guys," Jamie said meekly, "there's something I should have told you too. Um. Yesterday when we went to follow the trail with Mr. Cameron, remember I trailed a bit behind?"

"Yep. We were so scared. And we even thought you were abducted too," said Ibraheem.

"Well, what happened was that I lingered behind, because I was so scared and I saw the grass leading the other way, damp. Like someone had recently walked that way. So I followed it. Well, it led me to a cabin, or shall I say, a house? It was all so quick and I was really scared, immediately I saw it, I ran back."

"Maybe it's the same cabin you saw Ryan?" I quickly asked.

Ryan shook his head. "I think so."

Nina bolted up the chair. "Guys, I've made a decision. And you better be with me. If not... well I'm doing it alone."

"What decision?" Mariyam asked, pushing her hair back against the soft blowing wind.

"I'm going...to the cabin." We looked at her in surprise and shock. "And before you say anything, let me finish. Look, I've thought this through. We are slowly reducing in number. Can't you see? Our friends are dying. We are all alone in this. When do you think help will arrive? When we are already rotting in the ground? In just two weeks time, our food supply will finish. Mr. Cameron keeps ordering us to do this and that, but we all know his solutions are useless and pointless. Since he started barking out orders, have we been safe? Think of it. We are all alone in this, I say again. I want to go to ballet school next year. Jameela, you want to pursue Pyschology, Ryan you want to be a swimmer, Aisha, you... well um a fashion mogul, I guess." We all laughed at that one. "Each has their own dreams. We can't let fear take that from us. Friends, if we want to achieve our goals, we have to face this head-on. That's all."

Maybe Nina was right. But how? How can we do that? Without thinking, I blurted out. "Jamie, can you still remember the cabin?"

"Sure. I think I can."

I continued, "guys, I agree with Nina. What do you say? We need to be all on this."

Slowly, one by one, they raised their hands. It was final. A decision. Finally. Maybe it would bring an end to this horrible nightmare. I prayed it would. That day, we kept hidden behind closed doors, plotting on the best way to achieve our objective. Everyone brought wired suggestions but at last the best prevailed. It was Drews'. He suggested that about five of us sneak to the cabin and try to find out any new details for now -- The number of people we think might be living there, could we take them on easily or not, were there signs of our friends or not.

Meanwhile, the rest would be at the camp gathering weapons we might find useful. Nina and Nat were given the task of digging more information on the book. Personally, I felt that book was more than what we knew. I felt it might have a correlation somehow with what had been going on, but I didn't know how to prove it.

"Those going to the cabin would be Joe, Jameela, Hanna, Ibraheem and Jamie." Drew said the final name slowly. He never got well with Jamie, for reasons best known to him because anytime I tried to understand, he would shrug and say, 'I don't know. He just gives me the creeps.' After that, I stopped trying to make them friends. To each their own, I guessed.

"But you guys have to be back really fast. Like really fast. Mr. Cameron has eyes everywhere now. He would notice you gone and..."

"Don't worry Sara. We will try to make it back fast. After all, what are these long legs for?" Joe flashed a wide smile. We all rolled our eyes.

~~~~~

Four hours later, we were following Jamie's lead into the forest. He was a bit confused too but managed to get it right before we got lost. In between few cuts by barks, I tried to master the way. In case we got lost on our way back. But it seemed Jamie knew what he was doing, so there would be no need for that, I noted. What concerned me the most was what would happen if we encountered the man in the cabin. Alessio said there might be more than one, but I was trying to keep my hopes up. More than one meant more trouble and difficulty in escaping in case they caught us. I was still thinking of ways to escape in case, when Jamie abruptly stopped and turned to whisper.

"We're here. I saw it behind the trees." We moved closer and moved the leaves slowly. There it was. A rickety looking cabin in the middle of nowhere. Its windows had broken, the left part of the house was falling out. A dumpster lay at the side. I suppose that was where a rotten smell was coming from.

"What on earth is this place?" Ibraheem said, by my side. That was when I heard a painful scream and a loud thud. I jumped. Ibraheem was laying motionless on the ground. Jamie was screaming his lungs out. I turned quickly, only to see a large bat swinging down on my head.

...And then I lost consciousness.

                          ~~~~~

What the hell just happened?...