Werewolf Bites (Completed)

Chapter 3

It was late September when we got around to the camping trip. We piled into Dante's car after the end of our Friday classes. I had a job interview on Monday to work at the library. It was nothing glamorous, but my aunt and uncle reminded me the importance of having one.

"I borrowed my sister's four person tent. It'll be a tight fit, but it'll do." Said Pax as we finished packing up Dante's small red car. He played 70's music on the entire car ride. We drove up to Washington, a few hours north.

"Can we listen to the radio or something?" Said Lidia.

"Driver picks the music. Lid. Unless you wanna drive to a haunted, spooky forest?"

She didn't say anything.

"I didn't think so."

"C'mon, guys! Where's your sense of adventure? There's a lake nearby! We can go swimming." Suggested Nadine.

"It might be a bit cold for that." Said Pax.

"Oh it'll be fine! Don't be a baby. Are you excited, Erin?" Asked Nadine.

"I am. I've never gone camping before. What do you do?"

"Suffer." Said Dante.

"You guys are such a buzzkill! It'll be fun to be out in nature, and not be stressed about school for a couple days." Nadine said.

We arrived, we parked the car in the lot and began to hike in the woods to find a perfect camp spot. The trees were tall, the sky was grey. It was good weather for a sweatshirt and a beanie. No one else was here, just us.

Nadine found a solid spot surrounded by trees. Her and Lidia began to pitch the tent together.

"There's a fire pit down by the lake. We can have a fire tonight!" Lidia suggested, sorting the parts of the tent. I offered to help but they had it under control.

Nadine and I went for a walk together around the woods when they finished with the tent. It was so quiet, there were barely any sounds of animals. The lake sounds were low and gentle.

"This place is perfect." I said.

"No one else seems to think so." She said, stuffing her chilled hands in her coat pocket.

"They'll warm up to it. We can light a fire tonight, I brought marshmallows."

"Thank you, Erin." She gave me a hug. It was unexpected, but nice to have a friend. I felt like I knew her forever.

Once we began to get the fire going and the s'mores cooking later that night, everyone's mood seemed lifted. We circled around the fire. Dante brought a bottle of vodka and a few beers he was passing around. He handed me a beer. I took a sip and tried not to spit it out. It tasted like stale wheat water and piss. I tried to slam it back without letting it touch my tongue.

They all seemed to have a lot in common. They all knew the same people, had gone to the same places. I felt a bit like an outsider accepted into their little group.

"So what about you, Erin?" Said Dante in mid beer sip.

"Yeah? What about me?"

"We know everything about each other, but nothing about you. Where you from? What's your family like?"

"Okay, I'm from Silver Point. Lived there my whole life. My parents died when I was young, so my aunt and uncle raised me."

"Oh, shit. Sorry man." Said Dante.

"No, it's okay. I don't really remember them."

"Do your aunt and uncle keep you under some stairs? Like Harry Potter?" Asked Pax.

I laughed.

"No, not quite like Harry Potter. They were good to me. They didn't have any kids of their own so they didn't mind taking me in."

"What happened to them? Your parents?" Lidia asked.

"House fire. It was a long time ago though, I don't think about it much."

There was a silence. I didn't know what else to say. I didn't intend to make them uncomfortable with my dead parent talk.

"I know what we could do! Let's tell scary stories!" Nadine broke the silence. She was my savior.

"Nadine, are you trying to get us killed? We're gonna accidentally summon the child killer!" Exclaimed Dante.

"Dante, that was years ago. I'm sure the murderer or animal has moved on by now." Lidia said.

"Dante is just chicken." Nadine taunted.

"I am not! I'll tell a scary story right now!"

"Perfect!"

"Once upon a time. There was a giant clown. Who hid in the woods and stepped on people in their sleep."

Nadine laughed.

"That's not how you tell a scary story."

"I'd like you to do better."

"Oh I will." She took a deep breath.

"Five. Five teenagers went into the woods on an innocent camping trip. They went in late fall, when the sun began to set early. They thought they were alone. Until the first night they were sitting around the campfire, they heard a noise. It didn't seem like much at first, but the noise got louder. Something crept towards them, closer, and closer. Then, it stopped. That night, they heard breathing by their tent. Then, a scream! Blood splattered the tent from the outside!"

Dante looked frightened. He deepened his voice in an attempt to look cool.

"W-what happened next?"

"I don't know, guess we'll have to see which one of us is dead in the morning."

"Nadine!" Dante threw a marshmallow at her.

"It's just a made up story, Dante, it's alright." Said Nadine.

"Yeah, it's just a story Dante. Don't worry, I'll keep you safe." Lidia put her hand on his.

"I know! Let's play a drinking game." Pax suggested. This eased all tensions, from dead parents to tall clowns, it had been a very spooky night.

We played never have I ever into the late hours of the night. I continuously sipped my beer until it was almost gone. Everyone got a bit drunk, I was the most sober.

There was a crunching sound behind me, as if someone was stepping on leaves.

"Did you guys hear that?" Said Pax.