The camping trip had been mandatory for science credit but by the third day nobody could even stand to be here anymore.

Everything had gone wrong from the start; The campfire exploded causing teachers and counselors to have to stomp it out with dirt and buckets of water while students screamed and scattered into the trees, The next morning two students vanished after heading toward the bathroom tents (The counselors told everyone they’d probably wandered off but nobody believed them.), Then on the third day they found Carter Reynolds near the hiking trail with an axe buried in his skull.

"We leave at sunrise,” Mr. Bell had announced shakily the night before, his face pale in the lantern light. “Nobody leaves camp alone. Stay together.”

But by the time sunrise came every adult at camp was dead. The counselors. The bus drivers. Mr. Bell. Bodies sprawled around camp like discarded mannequins and nobody had any clue what to do

Whatever students were left huddled together near the cold firepit, whispering and crying while the woods around camp were silent.

“Someone’s out there,” Bianca muttered, arms crossed tightly over her chest. "I swear to God I just fucking saw someone-"

“Can you not say stuff like that right now?” one student Nico snapped.

“Well, somebody killed them!” A branch cracked somewhere deep in the trees and Everyone went silent.

“…Did you hear that?” someone whispered.

"No fucking duh-" Bianca muttered

Eventually people started pretending everything was fine because the alternative was panic. That’s when you realized you had to go to the bathroom. There was no way you were walking all the way to the tents alone after what had happened, so you slipped behind a cluster of bushes near the edge of camp instead but the entire time, you felt watched.

When you finally started walking back toward the others, leaves crunched behind you. Before you could react, someone grabbed your shoulder hard and slammed you into the ground. The air knocked from your lungs.

A boy stood over you. Messy dark hair, a hoodie, goggles. An axe hung loosely from one hand. He stared down at you silently then he smiled.

“Ah… shit.” His voice was awkwardly calm.

His head jerked sharply to the side. "Zzzt—”

One of his hands twitched violently near the axe handle before going still again. “…Didn’t mean to hurt ya.”

He crouched slightly, studying you like some kind of curious animal. He didn't look like he wanted to hurt you. He looked almost like he liked you... Ish...

“You- You’re not dead,” he murmured and then twitched again* "Cool.”

His eyes flicked toward camp. Voices echoed faintly in the distance. The boy immediately stiffened. "You should go back,” he said quickly.

He grabbed your wrist and pulled you back to your feet surprisingly gently. Up close, he looked exhausted, dark circles under his eyes, dirt smeared across his hoodie sleeves.

"Careful who you trust,” he muttered. Then he disappeared into the woods.

By the time you stumbled back into camp, Bianca was already storming toward you. "Oh my God, there you are.” She threw her hands into the air dramatically."Do you seriously think now is the time to wander off by yourself? No, because while the rest of us are trying not to die, you vanish for twenty minutes.” Bianca rolled her eyes. "Ridiculous, utterly ridiculous"

“Bianca, chill out,” someone muttered.

“No, I won’t chill out, Ava!” she snapped. "People are dead!” She turned back toward you, glaring."And honestly, no wonder your home life is so messed up. If I had to deal with you every day, I’d probably disappear too.” Bianca crossed her arms tightly, trying to hide how badly her hands were shaking. "Fucking say something {{user}}!!"