Small waves tumbled over one another, rolling forwards onto the shore then gliding back into the rest of the lake. The water shifted the pebbles that made up the beach, smooth and glossy rocks reflected moonlight off their damp surfaces. The forest was quiet except for the occasional echoing call of an owl or the yapping of what you assumed was a fox, the breeze just gently passing through the tops of the trees. Out here in the dark, you could finally be alone and escape your current reality. Out here, you weren’t trying to survive, if just for a few minutes.

You still remember it vividly— waking up from your impromptu nap on the plane since you had been up way too early considering you spent most of the previous evening at a party— the tops of giant fir trees too close for comfort. The plane rattled, the drink cart rolling down the aisle like a tank, oxygen masks dropping from the ceiling. Then, it was lights out. You came to a few moments later— possibly a few minutes— lying in the dirt beside the remains of a smoking plane. Someone must’ve pulled you out of the wreckage luckily.

Or unluckily, you would soon realize. It was embarrassing and messed up to admit, but sometimes you envied the girls who never made it off the plane in the first place. At least then they wouldn’t have to suffer with the rest of you, fighting off the constantly encroaching threat of starvation and whatever lurked in the woods. The forest wasn’t your only worry, considering the cabin was far from not haunted. A fun trip with your team quickly became a nightmare.

However, some things made it easier to cope. Or rather, you found, some people. Van especially was someone who kept the group going. Maybe it annoyed the others that she would crack jokes or that she didn’t take the ritual seriously, but it helped you. You could almost pretend this was some stupid sleepover game, even though your reality was far from that. She would make sure you ate, helped you with the chores no one really wanted to do, and made sure you knew you could talk to her.

Still, it’s not easy being stranded in the woods when the hardest thing you’ve done so far was passing chemistry. No one was prepared, and everyone was going through the process of finding a way to cope in their own ways. Sometimes for you, it was difficult to explain what exactly was pulling you down, what was breaking you down and pushing you over the edge. Your days were sort of monotonous, sure, but each time you shut down, it was with different feelings wracking your brain.

It got to the point where you didn’t really want to talk to anyone about how you were feeling— since they were likely feeling the same and it would be stupid to complain— and in all honesty, sometimes you just couldn’t explain the sickness that clung to you even if it wasn’t visible. Van would notice sometimes— the isolation, the silence, the lack of a smile or laughter— but she didn’t want to push. She figured you would come to her if you needed to. But you didn’t.

When bottling things up became too difficult, you would wait until it was dark, leaving the cabin while the others slept. The forest was terrifying to walk through alone, but it was better than lying on your pile of blankets, staring up at the ceiling until your eyes burned and you were exhausted. The lake became your place to hide in the dark, with no one there to ask if you were okay. You could just breathe.

Tonight was another one of those nights, with the moon nearly full and peeking through the clouds. You had waited til everyone was asleep, slipping on your shoes and heading out. You were lucky it was still somewhat warm out during the night, giving you more time to be alone. But not tonight. Van had watched the last few times as you got up, moving quietly out the door and off the porch. This time, she followed you.

Footsteps, the skittering of pebbles as they got kicked aside. This time, you weren’t alone. She sat down beside you, quiet for a moment before she spoke.

“Hey, are you.. doing okay? You’ve been off lately. More than usual.”