A/N: I love it when you send such amazing banners!! Nothing makes me happier! :)
This one here is again by @NashM_
Thank you so so so much girl!! You're really creative :)
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"Are you a five year old? Derek come on, there's no such thing like a Bigfoot," I heard Tyler say. I was headed towards our table in the cafeteria.
"Exactly. Here, you get a cookie," Ashley said, passing over a cookie from her tray to Tyler. He beamed as a little kid and snatched it from her hand.
"Hey, fellas. What's up?" I asked.
"Ah, just the regular, whether there's really a Bigfoot or not.....again," Ash said in a bored tone.
"Derek, Bigfoot is not real. It's just a stupid fictional character to scare kids," I said as a matter of fact. His belief in such crazy things was out of any of our understanding. He could be a total weirdo at times.
"Exactly my point. Here, you get a cookie too," she said and tossed a cookie towards me.
"Oh, thanks mommy," I said and we all laughed. "Now will you tell me what're we doing for the weekend?" I asked. We didn't have any plans and there was no party that we had been invited to so we were pretty much free for the weekend.
"Ah, I totally forgot to tell you," she replied, slapping her forehead. I looked around and saw Derek and Tyler grinning with excitement. "Pack your stuff. We're going for camping tomorrow."
"Camping?" I asked, smiling.
"Yup, camping!" she said and smiled. Okay.....this should be fun!
***
"That crazy good-for-nothing jerk said WHAT?!" I asked Ashley in a huff. We had arrived at the camping site and were setting up our tents. We were not the only ones who had come. There were many others from school too- Sean, Brittany, Alan, Stella, Colton, Mia, Carter and.....Bree.
"Tyler said you'll have to share a tent with Bree," Ashley repeated her words in a way as if she were talking to a child.
"Why can't I share it with you?" I whined. I could bear anything but being in the same tent as Bree. What if she cuts my hair when I'd be asleep or...or...what if she drags my sleeping bag to somewhere away from the camp site when I'd be dreaming. She could do that very easily and without any hassle. And for some reason, she clearly didn't like me.
"'Cuz I'm sharing with Derek and other couples here are sharing too," she said using air quotes for couples. "That leaves you, Bree, Carter and Tyler. Haze, where are you going?" she said as I started walking away.
"Tyler...TYLER!" I shouted to grab his attention. He was setting up a tent with Bree. "Can I talk to you for a minute?" I said when he turned around to face me. He nodded and walked a few steps to where I was standing. I could spot Bree eyeing me.
"I'm not sharing with her," I said and looked in her direction.
"There's no other option. I'm sorry," he said and faked a smile.
"What do you mean there's no other option? There has to be one. I can't stand that bitch," I said and maybe my voice came out louder than I'd intended it to be because Bree came rushing to us the moment I blurted out those words.
"Who are you calling a bitch Emily?" she said right into my face with a threatening look in her eyes.
"Now you see what I mean? This li'l miss snob with literally no brain can't even remember my name," I said looking at Tyler and then smiled at Bree.
"How dare you insult me like that?" she hissed. She was actually turning red with anger. The others were crowding around us now.
"I wasn't insulting you," I pointed a finger at her, "I was describing you," I said and snorted.
"Ooh...burned!" some guy said.
"You...." she said and bolted towards me but Mia held her back.
I grimaced and looked at Tyler. "I'll share with anyone but her," I said firmly.
"If that's what you want then you can share with me," he said with a smirk.
Whoa! How could I share with him? No no no no no.....
I kept staring at him and then turned around saying, "I'm sharing with Carter." I walked towards Carter and started pulling him towards a vacant tent after grabbing his arm. I think besides Ashley and Carter's ex-girlfriend, Stella, I was the only one here who knew that he was gay. So I could easily share with him. I was not being a bit uncomfortable with that and plus we could have some bonding time. As you know, I always wanted a gay BFF.
We two were gonna rule the world!!! Or I was! He could have been my side kick!
But before I could head any further a hand grabbed my free arm and pulled me back. "No you aren't," Tyler said roughly. His tone said he meant serious business. "You can't share with him. You have to share it with me," he said taking full authority.
"Why can't I?" I said and jerked my arm to get free of him but that only made him hold on to it tighter.
"Because....he's a guy," he whisper-shouted.
"And you're not?" I asked and looked at him challengingly.
"Guys, stop it please. Hazel you come with me," Ashley said and dragged me out of there.
After an hour or so, the tents were finally up and the guys were setting up firewood for a bonfire. Soon it was going to get dark, I meant darker.
The sun was melting into the horizon and there was very little light that was being able to penetrate through the dense and thick canopy of pines overhead. The sky was of a dusky shade- deep purple with tints of black. The birds were flying in a flock, probably returning to their respective nests.
Thousands of tiny stars were twinkling with a full moon shining at the centre in the sky which was now totally dark. It was very beautiful. I had never seen the sky looking like it was blinking. When in the city, it's never this dark that you could see these stars clearly. The sun was completely down and the only source of light we now had was the burning bonfire.
I was settled with my stuff in Carter's tent. Ash had probably talked to Tyler because he didn't seem to have any problem with me sleeping in the same tent as Carter, anymore. I heard some commotion outside and then left the tent to go and see what was happening. Everyone was talking in hushed tones and the moment I joined them, they just fell silent and I could only hear Bree giggling darkly....and the sound of crickets.
Meow! Meow!
No! No! It was something like krr! krr! Or was it kirr! kirr?
Uh, whatever!!
I ignored her and joined the others who were getting seated around the bonfire and had a beer each in their hands. Tyler held one out for me with a cheesy smirk but I ignored him and walked pass him. I thought I heard him chuckle when I finally sat down on one of the mats.
They started chatting among themselves. I looked around to see where Derek and Ash were and saw them making out in a corner and sighed.
So, I was officially all by myself right now. I took out my phone and started reading a story on Wattpad. How I loved that one app! It was my favorite thing to do to save myself from dying of boredom...other than Facebook and Twitter, of course.
"Do you know there's a reason why we are here today?" Tyler asked and everybody fell silent again. From the corner of my eye I saw that even Derek and Ashley had stopped and were paying attention. It was not what he said but the way he said it. It just sorta ignited even my curiosity.
"Why?" someone asked.
"Well some say that this place- this camp site is haunted, especially on a full moon's day," he said slowly and looked up at the sky and others followed suite. He had a creepy grin on which he then replaced by pursing his lips together into a thin line.
"Oh, baloney," I said and snorted. All this was utter rubbish and I did not believe in anything supernatural. Plus, if he was gonna tell some scary story then I was not interested. I was not a fan of such horror stories or movies. They were just so creepy. But contrary to my belief that someone would back me up,I just got a slap to my shoulder by Carter.
"Shhh...." he said putting a finger on his lips. "Would you let him speak?"
Oh God! Save me!
Tyler exhaled loudly and began, totally ignoring my comment. "A few years back a group of friends came here for camping. Six guys, four girls. They ate, sang, danced and then went off to sleep."
I started clapping. "The end. Wow! That was so cool!" I faked enthusiasm.
"Shut up Haze!" Derek shrieked and asked Tyler to continue. Geez, his weirdo side was up. I ignored him and everyone else who were looking at me as if I'd interrupted someone giving a speech at a funeral. I shook my head in disbelief and glued my eyes to the story flashing on my phone screen.
"There was some psycho killer on loose and he was hiding around here. At night he started killing them one by one. And it was not a plain death that they were dying. He was torturing them. He would take one of them and then torture that one person to death. At first he took them to quite a distance so that their screaming could not be heard by anyone but as they realized what was happening and tried to escape, he started killing the person he would abduct nearer to the rest. So near that they would hear that person's painful screams," he paused and I heard someone gasp.
"Then?" I asked in a low whisper.
Okay maybe I was getting a bit interested. I'd been trying to block all this out of my head but could you really help it if the others around you were gasping and making other such noises to show their interest, like just the way he was speaking was not enough to intrigue you.
Damn him! Damn his storytelling skills!
His eyes snapped to me and then were back to looking at a distance as before.
"There was only one girl left. She was going insane with all the screaming. She was alone and feeling terribly defenseless. And then that killer came for her but somehow, after a lot of chasing and dodging, she was able to trap him in a tent and then she set that tent on fire. She just stood there and heard his screams and was then found dead at this very place," he said and pointed to somewhere in front of him. We all followed his gaze and a wave of terror hit me.
"People say the spirits of the people he killed and his own spirit still haunt this place and their screams can be heard at night. And they say he seeks revenge." He finished and after a clap started getting up. "That's why we are here. Just to see if the story's true or not."
As if on cue, everybody started to get up and leave for their tents. They were all grumbling, saying something under their breath - probably lashing out at Tyler for telling that story or for bringing them here when he knew about all this. Then suddenly they all were quite and that made the atmosphere eerier.
Honestly, I was a bit disturbed too. But without sweating it further, I quietly got up and made my way to my tent. I unlocked the screen of my phone to continue reading as I lay down in my sleeping bag but then I just locked it again as I could not stop thinking about what he had told us. Were there really - I gulped - spirits here?
I was lying in my sleeping bag and was just waiting for some sleep to take over me. It was a bit chilly. Maybe I should have taken a comforter along. I had my arm over my eyes. I was comfy enough that way. I heard the zipper unzip and well I admit I did jump thinking it was....Oh screw it!
"Ah, you're finally here. I'd have loved to talk, really. But-" I yawned. "I should better sleep now. Good night." I felt Carter settling down in his sleeping bag when I heard him sigh close to me.
"Good night, Hazel." Wait a second...
"What are you doing here?" I whisper shouted. What the hell?
"Carter was talking to Bree and then he fell asleep and I had nowhere else to go. Now can I sleep?" Tyler asked. He sounded tired or maybe was just pretending so that I could let it slip. But I was clearly not into this idea.
"You could-" I started but got interrupted in between.
"Besides who knows what could have happened if me and Bree were really left alone to share a tent for the night," he said and nudged me. Ew! Gross mental images!
"Yeah, right!" I said and rolled my eyes, though he couldn't have seen that.
He chuckled and said, "Sweet dreams, Haze."
I didn't answer him. I was getting really uncomfortable. The proximity between us was making it hard for me to even think, let alone sleep.
He had said he didn't trust himself to be alone with Bree so did he not feel the same way while being with me? I mean that was good, in a way but....it felt kinda bad to know that he didn't want me that way. And would probably never. Did he really care for her more than he cared for me? Hell, I didn't even know if he cared for me.
Oh good lord! I'm going nuts!
"Hazel,"
"Yeah,"
"Do you think that psycho killer story is true?"
"Nah!...um.." I thought about it. "I don't know," I said meekly.
Thanks a lot Tyler! I had just gotten that out of my head and you've recalled it for me again!
He just sighed and fell quite and I assumed that he was asleep already. But I on the other hand was just terrified over this crazy ghost of a psycho killer. I didn't believe in that shit. Never. But now that we were here where something as terrible as that had happened....even thinking about that sent chills down my spine. I just could not sleep. I was turning again and again. Changing my side over and over again, but that was to no avail. I was feeling extremely restless. What if I fell asleep and something bad really happened? I wouldn't even be able to fight in defense.
Suddenly an arm fell upon me, encircling my waist. The sudden weight startled me at first but then I remembered it was just him. I tried moving his arm away but I couldn't. His enfold was quite strong so I just gave up after a while. His contact relaxed my nerves though. I didn't know why but I was feeling light. I was feeling secured, safe and strong in his embrace. Maybe it was a reassurance that was dawning upon me; if anything was actually gonna happen, then I wouldn't be alone. I would have him to my side and I knew for a reason that he would protect me.
And that was it. In a couple of minutes, I was finally asleep too.
***
I heard something being dragged. I could tell that whatever it was, it was very close. I turned to my other side, to the side where Tyler was but just then I heard a loud scream and snapped my eyes open. Panic shot me as I heard the shriek again and found that I was all alone. I quickly got up and started walking outside to see what was happening. Just as I did,I started calling out his name. But I got no answer.
Fuck! Where are you Tyler?
I ran to Ash and Derek's tent only to find it vacant. I started checking others' too- nothing, no one!
Holy shit! Are they all dead? Am I gonna die too?
"Guys! Ash! Derek! Tyler! Ashley!" I started shouting out their names. My eyes were watering and I just could not think! All I was muttering now was "Shit! Shit! Shit!"
I heard something and turned around to see what the source was. Again I heard someone screech and I saw a hooded man standing next to a tree.
"Who are you?" I said trying to sound brave but my cracking voice gave away how scared I was.
He started advancing towards me. He had a large dagger in his hand that was dripping with...blood. All I could hear were excruciating screams that were just scaring the crap out of me and hurting my ears - loud and shrill and inhumanly clear. I knew my face was wearing a horrified expression. It had to be!! There was no one else around, just endless darkness and the wilderness.
I started doing what I could do- running. I could feel myself sweating heavily. I was looking back now and then in a hope that that hooded man might have finally stopped, but he hadn't. He was still after me. But then I stumbled upon something and fell to the ground. This gave him the leverage over me and he rushed with an even greater speed to where I was. I saw him raising the dagger in the air, just a silhouette actually, and I closed my eyes shut as I waited to be stabbed.
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A/N:......to be continued *serious glare*
Till then, sweet dreams! :) :)