Nikki sat in her seat, squirming down so that she was more comfortable. The car drove on, the blurs of the outside world whizzing by. She could see mostly trees, tall in nature and giving shade to unknowing squirrels who hastily ran around in search of food. The entire cycle swam its way through Nikki's head, clogging her thoughts and fogging her mind.

"Excited?" Her mother asked from the steering wheel, quicjly glancing back to make sure her daughter was okay.

"A little. I'm still pretty tired from my nap, though, so it might take me a while," she said, yawning at the thought. Her mother only chuckled warmly.

"You must be sleepy, because you don't even realize how close we are."

"To camp?"

"No, to Alaska." Nikki smiled at the remark, rolling her eyes and peering out of the window once more. Blurry trees had changed to less blurry trees, and Nikki could actually make out the dirt road they bumped and banged on. The car had slowed significantly, and Nikki's heartbeat quickened. They were finally here! She had been looking forward to this trip for months! A large sign confirmed her thoughts and spread a huge smile across her face. In white print the words stated,

Camp Wakaman

"We're here!" Nikki exclaimed.

"I told you so, now you're excited!" Her mother grinned from the drivers seat. She pulled into a parking spot among several other vehicles that were already parked with both kids and adults filing out of them. Nikki noticed that all of the kids were her age, and a rush of adrenaline ran through her. Making new friends was always a thrill to her, and this was no exception.

"Just think hon, one of these people could very well end up becoming your greatest friend in the world. Why, you could be together for the rest of your life!"

"Mom! That's maybe a little too optimistic..." But on the inside, Nikki hoped the exact same. Nikki's mother hummed to herself, ignoring her comment and getting out of the car, Nikki following suit. They went to the trunk and pulled out a large, very full duffel bag, and a small backpack that contained everything a girl could need for a week at camp; clothes, a flashlight, a s'more kit, tampons, she was all set!

"Do you have your pillow?" Her mother clarified worriedly.

"Yes, mom."

"Toothbrush? Please tell me you brought deodorant..." These questions followed for the entire walk down to the sign-in area, where a fairly long line had already formed.

"Tampons?" she whispered that one, as to not embarrass her, but Nikki blushed anyway.

"Mom!" She tucked a strand of long, nutmeg hair behind her ear. "Yes," she muttered after a second.

"Um..." A squeaky voice shyly announced itself behind us. "H-Hello! It looks like we're, um, in the same cabin..." Her curtain of ivory hair hid her shallow, pointy face. The girl was quite short, significantly more than Nikki, and twiddled her thumbs as she spoke. At first, Nikki thought that she had to be years younger than her, but a quick reminder from her brain told her that everyone at this camp was in between fifteen and seventeen years old.

"Oh, hi. I'm Nikki. Nikki Abergrone." She held out a hand to shake. The girl hesitantly shook her hand. Nikki uncomfortably noted that her hands were freezing, not to mention tiny in comparison to hers.

"Jenna," The petite girl said quietly, a faint smile caressing her lips.

"Next, please!" A woman's stern voice ordered. Nikki mouthed a quick 'bye' and quickly caught up with her mother at the sign-in desk.

"And you are...?" She scrolled through a large file of papers.

"Abergorne. Nikki Abergorne. I'm her mother, Felicia." Her mother answered for her. The woman looked up from her massive paper pile and shook her mother's hand. "Pleasure to make your acquaintance. Aren't you...?"

"Yes. I'd rather not have everyone know, if you may." The woman nodded, the magic of feminine understanding crossing her mind as she waved the comment away. "Not to worry, my dear, but I am a big fan. Though I won't pester you for anything, it's lovely to finally meet you." Nikki got a better look at the woman's features now that she had lifted her head from that ungodly stack of shredded trees.

Her baby blue eyes shined among the many wrinkles that covered her face. Though her wrinkles were definitely evident, she still had to only be in her forty's, for she still looked a little youthful. Her graying ebony hair was pulled into a tight bun with a loose strand of hair nowhere to be seen. Her dress was that of a nice maroon, which went from the collar of her neck to barely an inch from the ground. She definitely liked to keep herself covered. Nikki forced some stereotypical thoughts about religion out of her head. She had popped in a pansy, perhaps from a nearby garden, in her breast pocket, and gave an official look to all that surrounded her. You could place her beside a shabby, ill-dressed person and she could shine an aura of business across them.

"And who might you be?" Nikki's mother asked politely.

"I am Miss Constance Bloom, the head of this camp. Campers will know me by Madam, nothing more, nothing less, and it will be noted that I am one of very few staff members, so patience and respect will obviously be expected." She casted a wary eye upon Nikki, her glare turning icy.

"One of the only staff?" Her mother sounded surprised. "My, my, it must be difficult running things with such limited people!" Madam chuckled warmly, taking her hawk eye off of Nikki. Nikki breathed a sigh of relief, the tightness in her chest gone.

"Once you get into the swing of it it's not so bad. Ah, Nikki Abergorne. I have you checked in now, and I hope it will be a pleasure having you here. Next, please!" she called.

"Bye!" Nikki and her mother waved.

"Ooh, I'm just so excited for you!" Her mother squealed.

"That definitely makes one of us," Nikki grinned. Her mother rolled her eyes at her.

"I know you're excited on the inside. Now, I'll walk with you to your cabin, help get things set up, and then I'm gone. For an entire week!"

"Yep," she clarified.

"For a week!" Her mother repeated with the same amount of brisk enthusiasm.

"Mom, it'll be okay! I can even write you a letter if it makes a difference, they let you do that here."

"No!" She raised a hand directly in Nikki's face. "This is going to be a week of friendship building and life relationships! At least, I hope so. Anyway, I'll hear it all next Saturday morning."

"Alright, but don't complain when you miss me!" Nikki joked, unable to stop the smile. Her mother nudged her arm. "Come on, Nikki. Be kind to your mother." She giggled a little.

"Alright."

***

They made their way up a short forest path that led up to a wide circle of cabins. All of the cabins indeed circled each other, all of them looking the exact same except for one. Rather than the traditional log style cabin look, one cabin was painted white and had wooden planks instead of logs. There was a towering bell that stood beside it, and Nikki had the sudden inclination to jump and see if she could ring it. Though she knew that her dream of bell ringing would never quite happen, since the bell was another Nikki taller than she was.

"Which cabin are you in again? They all look the same..." Her mother squinted at the circle, shading the sun out of her eyes.

"I'm in the 'Eye of the Eagle' cabin. Weird names, don't you think?"

"Every camp has weird names to their cabin, I do think. Ah - here we are!" They stopped in front of a log cabin, a dusty sign reading Eye of the Eagle in a dark font. As Nikki and her mother stepped inside, Nikki was pleased to see that some of her cabin mates were already getting their beds ready. Upon their entry, all of them looked up to see who had entered. One of the girls who had already finished setting up her bed jumped down from the top bunk and bounced over to them.

"Heya!" she said. "I'm Britney!" Her blonde curls bounced with her body, swirling around soft, hazel eyes that stared right through Nikki.

"Hi," Nikki said nervously. "I'm Nikki." They shook hands as Britney gave her a once over. She cocked her head to the side curiously, but whatever she thought of, she must have shaken it off, for the look vanished and a wide grin appeared again.

"Make yourself at home. There's the bunk underneath mine, and the top over there available, and just so you know we're in tight cahoots so don't let anyone hate you. Other than that, I hope you're just as excited as I am!" Nikki saw a slight bit of her red lipstick had made a dot on one of her front teeth. She said nothing about this. Britney's batting eyelashes barely supported a fine layer of violet eye-shadow and ebony eyeliner. Something about her appearance told Nikki that this girl wasn't all that prepared for the nitty gritty that came with camping.

She looked to the top bunk on the other side of the room.

"I think I'll take that one," she said, slowly making her way over to the bunk. Her mother had said nothing thus far, but still seemed to be enjoying herself. Nikki took out her blankets, beginning to tuck in her thin sheets and then covering the entire thing with the best part of the bed - a big, warm, fuzzy blanket. Nikki swore that this thing could save her in a blizzard. Who needs real protective wear when you had a blanket home! Nikki reached into her duffel bag one more time, and grabbed something very familiar. She removed it slowly, making sure that no soul (except her mom) would see her holding such a thing.

It was an old stuffed animal, a beanie baby monkey that had a kind face which calmed her down in any situation. A week without Baby Monkey was a week faced with horror, so she couldn't help but bring him. Nikki hid the monkey under her pillow, silently apologizing for suffocating him for a few hours until she would be able to cuddle with him again.

"I think I'm finished, then." Nikki said matter-of-factly.

"Well, then perhaps we should say goodbye." She motioned to go outside. Nikki smiled, knowing that she wouldn't want to embarrass her in front of new people. They stepped outside, and as soon as they were out of sight, her mother enveloped Nikki in a tight embrace.

"I'll miss you," she said, squeezing her daughter tightly. Nikki hugged her back.

"I'll miss you, too."

They broke apart, her mother wiping her eyes and smiling. As they did so, the huge bell over by the white cabin rang out with a clear, echoing sound. Other people broke from their cabins, eagerly running towards the white cabin.

"Looks like I"ll be taking my leave, then. Go on! Have fun and make some new friends. I love you." She kissed Nikki's forehead.

"I love you, too!" Nikki waved goodbye, beginning to run to the cabin with the other people she saw flocking towards it. Her mother slowly vanished from view, and Nikki turned to the white cabin that came closer and closer, where Madam stood on the porch, accompanied by about five other people. Nikki was stuck on the excitement that fluttered inside of her chest like a butterfly trying to get out of its cage, ecstatic for what the week would bring.

2: Chapter 2: Bonds

"Attention, attention campers!" Madam spoke through a megaphone to get everyone's attention. Once most eyes were on her, she handed the megaphone to one of the guys beside her. He took it and placed it gingerly on the white porch.

"As some of you newcomers may have realized, when one of the staff rings the bell, you will all gather here. Oldies, this will be but simple review. If you are not a staff member, all of whom are wearing these shirts - " She gestured to the fluorescent coloured orange T-shirts that had the camp name displayed in bold print.

"...and if you are not one of the staff, don't touch the bell! Simple, yes? Now, onto some other rules..." Her words bored into Nikki's head. She gathered most of what she was saying, but let her eyes wander elsewhere. A butterfly flew by a section of daisies, its wings a glorious midnight blue. Elsewhere, a crow cawed as it flew over the cabins. Nikki's eyes scanned over the horizon, until something peculiar caught her eye after a double-take.

It was almost transparent, which was what first caught her off-guard, but the way it just stood there, gloomy against the cheery background of the camp just unsettled her. Nikki squinted at the figure, but couldn't make out any details. The most she could tell was that it took on the form of a small girl, her ivory hair blocking out her face. It reminded her of something straight out of The Ring. Nikki shivered, and as she blinked, the figure disappeared.

"Now, with rules out of the way, our time seems to be at..." She checked her watch. "Five forty-five on the dot. Well, there's free time until the bell, which will signify dinner. That's fifteen minutes, alright? Any parents that are still here may now leave." Madam finished her speech and turned around to speak with the other staff, all of whom listened intently. Nikki barely grasped the message, as her mind was still stuck on the odd girl she saw. The way she just stood there was unnerving at best, and Nikki had the uncertain feeling that she had been standing there awhile.

"Hey," an unfamiliar voice said. Nikki snapped out of her thoughts, focusing her attention on a redheaded girl that peered at her through green eyes. She was slightly taller than she was, and had quite a bit of muscle built up. Her green and blue plaid shirt sleeves were rolled up to her elbows, and her weathered, old jeans hung loosely by her hips. Nikki could see that there were some dirt stains along her arms, and briefly wondered what she could have been doing.

"Hi," Nikki said conversationally. There was a period of silence where nothing was said and the two simply sat and stared at each other.

"Uh," The girl cleared her throat. "I'm Wendy. We're in the same cabin. Figured I should introduce myself."

"Oh!" Nikki exclaimed. "That explains why there was a wolf pelt on one of the beds. I mean - if that's even yours to begin with but really I shouldn't be one to judge I think I've messed this all up uhh can we start over?" Wendy looked at Nikki blankly for a beat, and then abruptly burst into laughter. She wiped her eye. "You're alright, you know? Yeah, I'm the one with the creepy wolf pelt. My Dad insisted that I brought it here in case an apocalyptic blizzard shook the camp. I told him it was summer, too."

Nikki laughed. "That's interesting, actually. I brought an Eskimo blanket that could work better than protective gear in a blizzard. Who knew we would both pack something so unnecessary?"

"Ah, ah, ah." Wendy held a finger up to silence her. "These are two totally necessary things that we could definitely not live without. At least, that's what the adults say." They both laughed again.

"You're a newbie, aren't you? First year at camp?" she questioned.

"Yeah, I've heard a lot about this place. So many people love it - when I applied the spaced were almost full!"

"That can be expected. A lot of people here are rich kids sent away from home by their parents, so they take the earliest chance they can get to send them away for a week. I think we might be some of the only sensible ones here. You don't have the air or prissy aura of a rich kid." Nikki briefly thought of Britney, but shook the thought from her mind. Her mother always said not to stereotype. But her mind couldn't help considering it...

"What about you, then? How many years have you been coming here?" They began to walk around the camp, passing by some people on swings and sitting around on the green grass.

"Seven, if you count this one," she breathed out a laugh. "Guess I keep finding the resolve to come back to this crummy place, huh?"

"Crummy?" Nikki protested. "I think it's beautiful here." Wendy stared at a slug that was inching its was along the ground. "You get used to it after a while. The scenery's nice, for sure, but..." Nikki opened her mouth to ask what was on her mind, but the bell ringing promptly stopped such a thing from happening. She decided to drop it, and walked over to the white cabin with Wendy. They changed subjects, instead discussing hobbies. Nikki learned that Wendy loved hunting and being in forests.

"It's just so serene, I can never get over how peaceful it can be in a forest when there's just so much absolute crap going in in a city!" That was how she described it, and Nikki wondered if she could ever feel the same. She only enjoyed looking at nature and its glorious creations, with no intention to shoot something down for food. Though Nikki had to admit that Wendy was right about cities; there was so much going on that someone could die and most people wouldn't notice. This thought also troubled her, for she thought of her mother staying in their apartment for a week. She'd be alright, right?

What was she thinking?! Of course she would! Her mother had lived on her own before Nikki came around, and had even managed to take care of her all on her own! She could definitely handle a week on her own. Nikki still thought of writing her a letter, though, even though she protested at the thought.

"Settle down, settle down!" The Madam's voice interrupted her thoughts once more. Sighing to herself, she gazed towards the pursed face of the Madam.

"It's time for dinner, as I have mentioned earlier. Before you all go to the dining hall I have one more rule to share with you all. That simple rule is camp boundaries. By now, you should have all noticed how we're surrounded by forests. No camper shall tread in there, unless they wish to be sent home. The woods are dangerous, especially at night, so it is simply a precaution. There is also a river that runs by the eastern side of camp - don't go there either. There was an incident many years ago where a little girl fell in and drowned." There were murmurs throughout the crowd. "Now, we must enforce our rules tenfold to avoid such a situation from ever arising again, understood?" There were a few nods, but most people stood silently with jaws clenched and sweaty hands rubbing against their jeans.

"Well, that's all. You may all head to the dining hall, which is just outside the cabin circle near where you all signed in. Go on, and enjoy the food!" She shooed them all away, and chatter broke out as soon as she had uttered her last word.

"Drowned? Can you imagine such a thing? Poor girl!" One girl expressed to her friend.

"I think it's a ruse. Something to scare us into not going near the place." The boy beside her shook his head. "What, do they think we're little kids?" Nikki's brow kneaded with worry. The tale sounded sketchy, she had to admit, but there was no evidence to prove it falsely or truthful.

"Hey, don't worry about that old ghost tale." Wendy bumped her on the shoulder. "The ol' witch's been telling that to us for years. It scared me when I was a kid, don't worry. As far as I care, she's just lying to keep us safe. 'Course, there are some of the more gullible ones among us all..." She glanced to the girl who was quivering with chattering teeth. Nikki giggled.

"Besides, I think we should focus on more important matters. Have you seen who's all in our cabin?" Nikki counted the ones she knew on her fingers.

"Well, there's you, Britney, and a small one called Jenna." Wendy stuck her tongue out. "Britney? That basket-case? Geez, we're in for a tough ride. I've been stuck in her cabin forever, and the big guys won't take a hint! So every year I have to deal with her." She folded her arms crossly.

"She's a little...energetic." Nikki said weakly.

"Don't even get me started," Wendy moaned as they came towards the dining hall. A towering, crowded and loud room beckoned to them, and Nikki felt herself get slightly nauseous.

"Oh, it's like this all the time," Wendy said, noticing how pale Nikki had turned. "As with a lot of things here, you'll get used to it."

"Right," Nikki gulped, tiptoeing inside the wide open, wooden double doors.

Wendy was right. Once she got used to the buzz in the back of the room, the gigantic table that everyone sat at, and hands grabbing food everywhere, it became a system. One person would retrieve their hand away, a chicken leg grasped firmly in their hand, and then Nikki would strike, launching her left hand all the way to the mashed potatoes, where someone grabbed the bowl the exact same time as her. Squinting through the mess of hands, she saw Jenna blushing and apologizing furiously. Nikki protested, saying that she had grabbed to bowl first and should take some. This process went on for the first bit until everyone had their first plate of food in front of them, and the clattering of forks and knives against plates replaced most of the sound.

"So, who might you ladies be?" The boy from before who was mocking the drowning girl legend looked from Nikki to Wendy.

"Wendy," she introduced herself, taking a huge bite of stuffing and pointing her fork over to Nikki.

"Nikki," she smiled. His eyes glinted evilly, and the black contents twinkled maliciously.

"Oh? A newbie?" he chuckled with a sinister expression.

"That's Mark," Wendy rolled her eyes. "we call him the camp playboy. Though he's never actually managed to score any girl here. Kind of like a plunger, you know? Pulls and pulls and pulls, but only ever gets shit." Nikki almost spat out her milk, she was guffawing so hard. The rest of the people who were within earshot laughed as well, and Mark turned a bright red. Wendy smirked, pleased by her joke.

"I just haven't found the right one yet," Mark tried to make a recovery. He pushed his black frames up on his nose. "haven't you ever heard of a soulmate?"

"Like the one you don't have?" Wendy remarked. Small giggles circled the table.

"I don't see you with Mr. Dreamboat."

"Probably because I'm not that desperate. Come on, Mark, you're only sixteen. Live a little, you might find someone someday. Maybe. Maybe not. Probably not." Wendy grinned, chugging down some water. Mark sighed. "Well, back on topic. You're new?" he directed the question at Nikki.

"Y-Yeah," Nikki averted her eyes. A couple people made 'Ooh' noises mockingly, but went back to their dinners.

"So this means we get to put you to the right of passage! I ha-"

"SHHHH!" At least five people shushed him. Wendy shook her head. "Idiot! Don't blow that trumpet too hard, we can't have the witch shoving her nose into our business!"

"Sorry, sorry!" Mark held up his hands in defense. "I just wasn't thinking. Anyway, we haven't gotten to do this in a couple years. There aren't that many people who are new to this camp anymore unless you're, like, five. Should we do it tonight?"

Wendy swallowed her food. "Maybe. Depends on how watchful the hawk is. If she's on eagle-level surveillance, we wait. Got it? This might be the last right of passage we ever do, so we've got to make it count."

"Understood." Mark saluted like a soldier. Nikki felt troubled.

"Um," she started. Wendy smiled, waving a hand. "You'll see. The right of passage is tradition, it's nothing harmful though. It just makes sure that you're finally one of us, so to say. You up for it?"

"Hell yeah," Nikki stated. She took a bite out of her chicken, her mind racing with what the right of passage could be. Would she be subject to a game of truth or dare? A physical task, maybe? Something stupid that she would have to wear around camp for a day? The possibilities were endless, but swam through her mind like moths at a lamp. Nikki curiously pondered about what the future would bring.

3: Chapter 3: The Eccentric Circle

Nikki sat in her bed, staring up at the ceiling. There was a bit of chatter among her cabin mates, the loudest of which being Wendy and Britney having it out with each other. Neither was pleased that they were in the same cabin, even though they were on opposite sides of the room.

"Well you'd better keep those slimy hands away from my bed! If I find that you've even touched my perfect sheets, I'll rip you in half!" Nikki glanced over at Britney's bed. It reminded her of a princess' bed, with its pretty pink sheets and elegant blanket.

Wendy snorted. "As if I'd even dream of sleeping in something as prissy as that! I'm just telling you that you'd better not pull anything this year. I'll throw you in that river and watch you drown, just like that other girl." Britney went quiet all of a sudden. "H-How could you say such a thing! How disrespectful!"

"What? You don't actually believe that trash story, do you?"

"N-No! Not at all! I was more worried that you'd ruin the run for everyone else!" She blushed furiously, turning her back to Wendy. Wendy scoffed, trudging over to her bed. "Whatever," she shrugged.

Nikki looked over to Jenna, who was sitting by herself underneath Britney's princess bed. She had only brought a sleeping bag and pillow.

"Won't you be cold?" Nikki asked Jenna. The small girl looked up at her with big eyes, whispering a response that Nikki couldn't hear. When she noticed that she hadn't heard her, Jenna spoke up.

"N-No! This sleeping bag is...is very warm! I...I've been warm in winter before with it."

"Oh, okay. I was just making sure. I have an extra blanket somewhere if you want it, though." Jenna was so flustered she barely managed to squeak out a pitiful "Thank you!" before squirming back into her corner of the bed. Nikki glanced at the other characters in their cabin, all of whom had seemed to be enjoying Wendy and Britney's quarrel. In total, there were eight of them total in the cabin, so this meant that Nikki still had four people to befriend if she wanted to be thoroughly impressed with herself. Though she wasn't quite sure of Britney. That girl did have some sort of problem.

One girl was quietly drawing in a sketchbook. Her pencil swiftly made lines, both soft and harsh, across the page. In the absence of the bear and the swan's obnoxious arguments, her scribbling was one of the only things to be heard. The girl underneath Nikki was muttering gibberish to herself and decorating her space. Nikki decided to make conversation.

"So, who are the rest of you guys?" she asked.

"Ann," grunted the girl from below her.

"Kaedyn," said the sketcher.

"Zoe," moaned another.

"Ellie," came a hidden voice from around the corner.

"Cool," Nikki let the words hang in the air. "So, uh, what are you drawing?" She directed the question at Kaedyn. The girl looked at her, slowly turning around her sketchbook to reveal a highly detailed drawing of a-

"Grilled cheese," she said.

"Grilled cheese?" Nikki repeated.

"Grilled cheese!" Kaedyn exclaimed.

"Honestly, I'm not surprised," Wendy drawled from the top bunk across from Nikki's. "She's been raving about them ever since she first had one here. Never knew someone to have an almost fetish-like love for the things."

Kaedyn rolled her eyes. "You don't get it, do you? The savory melted-ness of the cheese upon the crisp, oven-fresh bread..."

"Aaand here she goes. This about the time I tune her out." Wendy buried her face in a book titled "Guns: A Handbook", clearly making the effort to avoid human contact. Nikki glanced out the small window by her bedside. It was dark now, the Madam having announced that after a long-winded game of capture the flag, in which the opposing team which Wendy, Ellie, and Jenna were on had won, that they were to head to bed and have free time until ten o'clock. The watch upon Nikki's wrist told her it was eight-thirty. Her eyes returned to the outside world, and she felt herself get absorbed within the beauty of it all.

The moon had risen high, it's serene glimmer shimmering across the grass, where dew was already starting to form. Nikki imagined running out into the brisk air, breathing it in and falling flat on her back to watch the stars as they spoke their stories to her. As a little girl, Nikki's mother told her that all stars had a story. She knew that this couldn't be true, for stars couldn't talk, but Nikki always found that she had most clarity while gazing at the stars. There was just something different about them instead of a cozy corner in her bedroom.

She gazed at the stars and smiled, a memory of her lying on the grass and watching them surfacing. She had remained there for so long that she fell asleep and her mother had to carry her inside. Nikki woke up the next morning amazed that she had teleported to her bed.

Her gaze shifted to a dark butterfly, barely visible in the dim light of the moon. It fluttered around mindlessly, being the only moving life form that dared to face the night. Nikki couldn't tell what colour it was, which slightly disappointed her, but she still stared out the window even as the butterfly sheltered itself from view.

"Have you thought about what you're going to do for the right of passage this year?" Ellie asked Wendy.

"Oh, I've got loads of ideas...but I won't spill them now, Nikki can't know a thing prior to the challenge."

"Not even one?"

"Nope. Hey, Ann, don't you think that pencil is a little short? It seems like it would be a pain to hold..." Wendy pointed to the idle pencil that was shaved down to the smallest fragment. Ann was scribbling in her notebook, writing some unseen nonsense, but abruptly stopped when Wendy addressed her.

"Short? ...SHORT?! I'll have you know that this pencil is perfectly fine, thank. You. Very. MUCH!" she shouted the last word. Wendy held her hands up in defense. "Whoa, chill out. I just thought I'd help a girl out. What's your problem with shortness, anyway?" The pencil dropped to the floor, making a silent thud as it fell. Ann stood up, her head quite a few inches shorter than the top bunk in which Wendy sat upon.

"I have a low tolerance of people who make fun of the shortness of others, that's all. And I would appreciate it if you did not use the word to describe me." Wendy looked like she was struggling not to laugh.

"What?" Ann scoffed.

"Please, I've got to know...how tall are you?" Nikki could have sworn she saw a vein bulge in Ann's neck.

"Four. Feet. Ten. Inches."

"That's adorable!" Wendy exclaimed, giggling her head off. Ann's head could have been hot enough to cook an egg. "Shut up!" she said. "I'm not growing anywhere but outwards! It's enough to drive me insane!" Wendy stifled her giggles.

"Okay," she said, clearing her throat. "Okay. I'm done laughing. I think you're actually shorter than Jenna. This is amazing! I'm sure you'll grow eventually."

Ann scoffed. "As if,"

Ellie spoke up. "Hey, at least she has spirit."

"Spirit? This poor girl is a little too hotheaded, if you ask me." Britney brushed her hair behind her shoulder. Ann glared at her, descending back into her bed space.

Wendy sighed, jumping off the top bunk and sitting in the center of the room. "Well, I figure that this will be as good a time as any. If you'd all please, a circle." Nobody moved. "I said get in a circle you ungrateful little shits." Everyone slowly made a misshapen circle.

"Good. Now we're going to settle some things. First, we all know names and such, aye?"

"...Aye?" A mixed chorus of girls sounded.

"Sweet. Now we're going to tolerate each other somehow, right? Right. So I know it sounds cheesy-" Kaedyn chuckled at the mention of cheese. Wendy continued, "but we're gonna go around and say our hobbies, okay? Great. I like hunting. Next, Zoe."

"Er...I kind of like listening to music."

"What kind?" Wendy persisted.

"Classical. It lets me think of all the problems society faces today." Wendy opened her mouth to say something most likely sarcastic, but ultimately decided to point to Ellie, who was next in the circle.

"I don't really have a specific hobby. I just like hanging out with people." Next up was Britney, who was rightfully on the opposite side of the circle - as far away from Wendy as she could be.

"Well, if you must know, I play the violin, enjoy chatting with other aristocrats, typically over tea, and by far one of my favourite things to talk abou-"

"Okay, next." Wendy interrupted, a bored look on her face. Britney fired a striking glare at her.

"I-I'm fine with reading. Books are nice," Jenna squeaked, blushing and staring at her feet. Ann clicked her tongue. "Music is fine. I won't get started on the type, though, nobody else ever likes it." Wendy took it all the same. The last answer awaited on Nikki's shoulders.

"I'm a fan of stargazing." She shrugged. And silence ensued. After a moment of this, Wendy stood up and walked over to her bed.

"This was a bad idea. I'm going to sleep. Goodnight." She pulled the wolf pelt over her head and lay there for a while, still as the night. There were a few glances exchanged and thrown around, but ultimately most ended up in their areas once more. Nikki didn't feel like sleeping, however. She wanted to talk. She wanted to make another friend. Her eyes drifted to where Jenna sat, already lost in the contents of a book, a soft smile caressing her petite face as she read on. Maybe it was time to strengthen a friendship instead of forming a new one.

"Hey," Nikki slid her way over to Jenna, still sitting on the ground. Jenna looked nervous, but still replied with a quiet "Hello".

"What are you reading?" Nikki asked. Jenna breathed out a small laugh. "It's kind of in its own niche...not very many people that I've met like it. Have you heard of...the Harry Potter series?" Nikki's eyes lit up. "Not very many people you've met like Harry Potter?! What kind of insane friends do you have? I know dozens of people who love the series!"

"Well, I don't know that many people. You're actually one of few that I've met who even knows the series."

"Why don't you tell me about it?" Nikki put her head in her hands. "Harry Potter, I mean. Tell me your favourite parts and what you criticize the most." Jenna went pink. "What? But...wouldn't that be a bother? Surely you don't want to hear me rant on something like this."

"Go ahead." The next hour was filled with Jenna genuinely expressing her thoughts on Harry Potter, everything from the film to book comparisons to tiny character points she disagreed with. Nikki had never seen her so passionate about something. She listened intently, only ever speaking when Jenna ran out of words to say on a given topic. Nikki and Jenna only went to bed when several of the other girls told them to stop talking it was so late. Nikki fell asleep with a smile on her face and a reassuring feeling in her heart.

4: Chapter 4: Grim Surprise

"He can't possibly do it."

"It's impossible!"

"What the hell?! He's doing it!" Those who were gathered around the table at breakfast witnessed an extraordinary sight. Mark, who had a heaping plate of eggs in front of him, had completely abandoned said eggs and instead decided to show the rest of the table the impressive talent he had - being highly flexible and double jointed. His arm bent the wrong way, the elbow sticking out at a revolting angle, and Mark enjoyed every expression turning from neutral to disgusted in less than a second.

"But that's not all, folks, I've been saving my best trick for last. Do you think you're ready to see such a thing?" he was grinning from ear to ear.

"Pff, and what is this grand finale?" Britney was not impressed by Mark's intriguing display. She had been trying to find a way to convince him out of his continuous performance, and was clearly at her wits end, since nothing seemed to snap the guy out of his own ego.

"This," Mark stated, rolling up his sweater sleeve and pulling his arm back, sticking his tongue out and licking his elbow. The crowd went wild, a massive cheer so loud that the Madam yelled out a deafening "Shhh!" to hush them. The group descended into a chorus of whispers, countless people ogling over Mark's incredible ability.

"Hah," Britney took a sip of her milk. "You think that's all glorious? Enjoying the spotlight as it shines down on you? What you have is simply a mess of genetics that don't know what to do with themselves. I, on the other hand, can perform much more elegant displays of talent."

"Shove off, Brit." Mark rolled his eyes. "You're show-offiness won't work on me. Besides, I've been working on the entire 'licking my elbow' thing for a while. It's not all weird genes. Though most of it is." He put a finger to his chin, smirking and returning to his eager eggs. The remaining boys around him laughed, and Britney fell silent, scoffing and returning to her pancake, which was evenly coated in syrup and whipped cream.

***

"Attention, attention," The recognizable voice of the Madam compelled them all to listen again. She stood before the entire camp, her voice carrying throughout the entire building. "Once we have all finished breakfast, campers will be divided as a cabin and will meet at the white cabin. The events that will take place then will be discussed when they need to be. That is all." Chatter broke out a beat after the Madam finished speaking.

"A surprise? They've never done this before..."

"Do you think it's because we're the older group?"

"No, no...well, maybe. Do you think they're just trying something new?"

"I think she's crazy..."

"It is a reason to be caught off-guard, though," Wendy speculated, playing with a hash-brown on her plate. "they've never done this before. I wonder if the Madam's actually up to something."

"What do you mean?" Nikki asked.

"I mean that it's too unlike her to try something new, especially given how long she's been running this place."

"She just seems like she wants to try a new game or something. That's normal, isn't it?"

"Not for the Madam," Wendy said gravely. "she's stuck-up, set in her ways like an old prune, not to mention she has those other staff members hanging onto her every word like their lives depend on it." She took a swig of her milk, draining the glass. "All I'm saying is to keep your back up. I don't trust her for a second."

Nikki felt her mind swarm with worry. The Madam? Untrustworthy? Maybe Wendy was just a little on edge from last night. Perhaps she just had a long history with the Madam, and had something against her. Surely they wouldn't let someone distrustful run a summer camp, right? Nikki stared down at her cereal, her appetite suddenly gone.

***

"Today we will be going on a sort of treasure hunt," The Madam began, everyone just having gotten gathered together at the white cabin. A few murmurs fired through the crowd. The Madam held her hand up to silence them. "Each of your cabins will have a set place to start. Eye of the Eagle, you'll start at the dining hall. Rigid Racers, you'll be here, at the white cabin..." She went on to detail the rest of the cabin's locations.

"I can't believe this. A treasure hunt? It seems awfully suspicious. I can't let this go!" Wendy muttered in Nikki's ear.

"Just wait and see how it plays out. It could be different than what you think, who knows?" she whispered back.

"I just hope you're right." Wendy seethed.

"...All cabins will find a note detailing where the next note will be. Keep doing such until you find the last note, which will say where the treasure is hidden. Have fun." The Madam smiled as she finished her speech, and all the cabins scrambled to find each other, setting off at a run to their destination. Wendy glanced worriedly at Nikki.

"To hell we go," Wendy gulped.

To find what you seek you must first be sure,

Where can you find the perfect cure?

"Well, this is easy." Ellie said after reading the note that was stapled to the door of the dining hall. "It's the First-Aid Station, right? The word 'cure' makes that evident."

"Are you sure?" Zoe pondered. "It could be something deeper than that, don't you think? We're the older group, remember. It shouldn't be that easy."

"As much as I hate to admit it, it seems that the easy way is the right way this time around," Wendy said.

"Honestly, that much was clear from the start." Britney held her head up high. "Such a simple riddle should be taken as such. Let us go."

The group climbed up a small hill to the main office, where the First-Aid Station was planted directly beside it. Sure enough, there was another mysterious note with a hastily scrawled message upon it.

Don't give up yet!

The next note lies where we all first met.

"First met?" Ann blinked. "What kind of stupid place is that?" An idea popped into Nikki's head.

"Maybe at the sign-in station?"

"But isn't that right by the dining hall?" Wendy objected.

"Was it? I thought it was near the sign when we came in." Nikki scratched her head.

"Let's try by the sign, then, since we've already been to the dining hall.

Sure enough, when the group of panting girls ran all the way to the sign where a triumphant 'Camp Wakaman' was displayed, a small note with only one line greeted them.

Go to your cabin to collect the true treasure.

"What? Already? This seems a little rushed, don't you think?" Even Britney was expressing her concern.

"Maybe the treasure is another game," Nikki suggested dully.

"God, I hope not." Wendy prayed.

***

The girls stood in front of their cabin, all anticipating what could possibly be inside.

"Maybe it'll be a pie to the face," Kaedyn pondered. "actually, that might not be so bad."

"I can't have a foolish prank ruin my hair!" Britney exclaimed. "I worked on this all morning!"

"It could be a chest inside there," Nikki offered.

"But with what inside it?" Zoe inquired.

"Maybe another pie," Kaedyn grinned.

"Let's stop bickering and just find out already!" Ann charged through the door, much to everyone's surprise. There was nothing but silence after that, which wasn't exactly helpful.

"Do you think she's dead?" Zoe whispered.

"I'm not dead, you idiot!" Came Ann's voice from inside the cabin. "But I really expected something more climactic."

"What do you mean?" peeped Jenna.

"Come in and find out for yourselves," she said bluntly. They all walked in, and felt the anticipation that had been building in their chest slowly sink like the Titanic. The only treasure that awaited them was-

"Nothing," Wendy said weakly. "Nothing has changed." Indeed, their cabin was exactly the way they had left it, untidy with clothes and belongings strewn in such a chaos that everyone knew where everything was. It was a messy sort of system, but it worked. Nevertheless, the girls and Nikki were disappointed to find that not a thrown pair of underwear was out of place.

"What is this?" Ann exclaimed, gesturing to the entire cabin. "Some sort of ruse? Do they think we're fucking stupid?!"

"Ann, chill out, I'm sure there was just some sort of mix-up, or..." Nikki tried to come up with a solution, but nothing could pop itself in her mind.

"There's no goddamn mix-up, they planned this all!"

"But why?" Britney said quietly. "Why would they have us run around the camp a couple times just to have us rendezvous back to our cabins? It just doesn't make sense!" As the girls puzzled themselves around this mystery, they all jumped, Britney letting out a shrill screech as the cabin door slammed behind them all. Wendy braced herself, getting into a fighting stance. Britney quivered in her spot. Ann looked like she was ready to punch someone in the face, Zoe was startled and searching for a culprit, Jenna shook in her spot, Kaedyn got a chill up her spine. Ellie was frozen, looking neither fearful or ready to fight. Nikki felt her heart jump into her throat, and scanned the room wildly to find the devilish delinquent.

"This isn't funny, Mark!" Britney called into the deadly quiet cabin, her voice shaking madly. "Cut it out!"

"I don't think this is a prank, Britney," Even Wendy sounded scared. Before any of them could react, the sound of a gas being sprayed into the cabin filled their ears. The girls looked at each other with expressions of terror. Britney began to cough, and soon the cough spread to all of them. Wendy yelled, bashing her arms on the door with all the strength she could muster, which was actually quite a lot, considering she dented the door. But it would not break free. The handle was locked, it couldn't be opened. Ann resorted to trying to break the windows, but somehow they would not break.

"What the hell?! Aren't windows supposed to be made of glass?!" Her rage got the best of her, and she beat on the windows with a childish force. Jenna began to hyperventilate, sinking to the ground below as she fell unconscious.

"Oh my God, Jenna! Hey, wake up, it's going to be alright...Jenna? Jenna?!" Nikki panicked, rushing to her side and shaking her wildly. Looking back, Nikki watched in horror as Wendy and Ann's attempts to break out were slowly getting the better of them. Their attacks were weakening, and Ann was the first to fall. Wendy struggled, giving Nikki a last glance, in which her eyes were only filled with fear, the revelation of the fact that they would not escape finally sinking into her. Kaedyn was already down. Ellie was, too, along with Zoe, whom she was hanging onto for dear life. The last ones left were Britney and herself. Nikki felt her world shifting back and forth, back and forth. Her world was spinning, there was no way she could keep fighting to stay awake...

Nikki fell to the cold ground, unconscious with the struggle gone from her face.

5: Chapter 5: Fabricated Reality

Nikki felt groggy. The sleep she had found herself in was so comfortable, she didn't want to wake up.

"...ikki? Nikki?" A voice called her name. No, no. It was too early...go away and come back later!

"Nikki?! Nikki, wake up!" Wait, the voice sounded familiar. Nikki strained to identify who the speaker was.

"Nikki, please!" Jenna?

Nikki's eyes snapped open. The room she was in was bright and reeked of hand sanitizer. She had been lying on the floor, which was cool and tiled. Jenna knelt beside her, her face overcome with tears and panic.

"Urggh...Jenna? Where are we? What happened? Who..." Nikki stopped the questions. Jenna's face told her enough. She shook her head and slowly descended into sobs. Nikki pulled her into a brief embrace, long enough for the jerking tears to fade into nothing more than hiccups.

"I'm so scared." Her entire body was shaking.

"So am I," Nikki whispered truthfully.

"You two are awake, too?" A soft voice edged closer to them. It was a boy Nikki had never met before. Jenna hid her face in her shoulder, not wanting the boy to see her tears.

"Yeah. Who are you?" Nikki answered.

"Call me Chett. Er, I'm in Mark's cabin, if that helps." Nikki nodded. "Did you guys end up at your cabin when you read the last note?" he asked. Nikki nodded again. "It was weird. We thought that it was just a really lame game until -" she gulped. "Until some sort of gas was released when we were inside. The door was locked...we couldn't break any of the windows." Nikki confirmed this to herself as well, her memory piecing itself together.

"The same thing happened with us," Chett continued. "Our cabin was exactly the same as we left it, mind, it was utterly filthy so I'm not that certain that something would change and we would know. But my point still stands! I was the first to pass out, so I don't know what else happened...now I'm separated from my cabin and can't find anyone else I know anywhere. I was about to give up when I saw you two."

"Just how big is this place?" Nikki wondered aloud, only now gazing around at the vast emptiness they were contained in.

"Dunno. I was able to walk around for a few minutes without much changing. It's just one gigantic room."

"There are more people," Jenna said quietly. "I saw them when they were taking us in here. I was already awake. It was scary. There were people in these lab-coats that had us piled on stretchers. I saw them drop people off in random places. Wendy, Mark, Kaedyn...all of them." Her body shook again as she pulled away from Nikki, finally able to hold her own. Kind of.

"Shit..." The boy swore, running a hand through his ivory hair that gently fell just above his sapphire eyes. He looked to Nikki. "Well, what do you suppose we should do?"

She stood up. "We're going to find everyone. Come on, I'm sure we'll spot someone with three of us looking." Jenna and Chett nodded in agreement, standing with her with looks of determination on their faces.

***

"Honestly, the apocalypse happens and of course I get stuck with the worst person on the planet!" Britney threw her hands in the air, shooting lasers at the redhead beside her.

"Calm your tits, princess. I'm about as enthusiastic about this as you are."Wendy walked alongside her, arms crossed and creating as much distance as she could between them.

"Ugh! I just can't bear this! Even monkey-boy would have been a better companion than you!"

"You mean Mark? Honestly, I think he would have made your life hell. God, I wish he was here." Britney cried out in frustration, fuming as she stomped across the sparkling, tiled floor, her boots clicking against it. "Besides, it's not the apocalypse. We were knocked out, remember?"

"Really? Explain the vast nothingness of this place! Tell me why there is nothing but white walls, white floors, white everything! White is the worst colour that the afterlife could have decided to show me...it totally ruins this outfit..." Wendy rolled her eyes.

"If we were dead I definitely wouldn't be here with you," she sighed. "I'm sure we'll find someone soon enough. We have each other - that has to mean that there's other people around."

"Ooh, I hope so." Britney clenched her fists together, grumbling.

***

Zoe blinked her emerald eyes open. Odd. She was in some sort of white room, with no sort of decoration. The entire situation had her puzzled. Was there anyone else around here? Was she dead? Zoe pinched herself. She didn't seem to be that dead. She heaved a sigh as she shakily stood up on her feet. It seemed to be a better idea to roam around and explore rather than just sitting there waiting to actually die.

It was quiet. Too quiet. Zoe shook the horrid cliche from her mind, suddenly aware of what her mind was up to.

No stereotyping for me today, she thought. No, sir.

Click, clap, click, clap. Her running shoes were the only sound that occupied the blank space. Zoe stared at them, her mind running elsewhere. This didn't seem much like how camp usually was, that was evident. And it didn't seem like the Madam was trying a super-cool-new-fun-game extravaganza. That reminded her of something. Why would the Madam do something like this? It didn't make much sense. She didn't know too much about the woman, but she knew enough to know that it was unlike her to change the rules or schedule in any way.

Maybe she was crazy. Maybe she was secretly young and had been disguising herself as an old lady all this time...no, that didn't seem right. The Madam couldn't have that much money to have a body suit as convincing as that. Hmm, maybe it was something else...

She could just hate them all. But that seemed rude. Besides, if she simply hated the campers, she would have resigned as camp director and gotten on with her life. That was the smart thing to do. Then again, there were many people in the world who thought they were doing the right thing but in reality were only hurting those around them. But the Madam couldn't be the kind of person to hurt another. Unless you count those times she had to discipline wrongdoers by not letting them participate in a game or two. Zoe didn't really think that counted, though.

She saw a figure in the distance. It seemed to be drifting in the air, silently floating as if waiting for her. As she stepped closer, she could see that the figure was that of a little girl. She couldn't have been any more than ten years old at best, and even then still looked younger. Her long, ebony hair made a curtain in front of her face, so her eyes and mouth were hidden. But the small tip of her nose peeked through. She wore a tattered pair of jeans and a pink shirt that said the word "Princess" on it in sparkly writing. Upon closer examination, the girl was soaking wet.

"Hey," Zoe decided to strike up a conversation. "Are you okay?" The girl said nothing. She remained motionless, standing before Zoe without uttering a sound. Zoe looked down at the girl's feet, and noticed that a shoe was missing. The bare foot wiggled its toes. Good thing this girl wasn't some hypo-realistic statue.

"You're missing a shoe," Zoe tried again. "Do you know where it went?"

"...er..." The girl mumbled the quietest of sounds. At least she was trying to talk.

"Sorry, what was that? I couldn't hear you." Instead of repeating herself, the girl motioned for Zoe to bring her ear closer. She listened intently, the girl's raspy voice whispering delicately. Once the girl finished, Zoe straightened up.

"Well," she said. "I'll help you find it. Can I take your hand?" She offered her palm. The girl raised a bruised, beaten-up hand and laced her fingers around Zoe's. Zoe smiled warmly at the child. "Come on, let's go."

***

Kaedyn sat across from Mark, squeezing his arm lightly.

"Ouch." He flinched.

"Stay still, I can get it out." Kaedyn focused on her work, edging the splinter out of Mark's arm. "Almost there..." The splinter fell to the floor with a soft tink. Kaedyn grinned. "There we go! Is that better?"

"Definitely. You're a lifesaver, Kaedyn." He rubbed the spot where his splinter was briefly before looking at her again. "Don't tell anyone about this, okay?" She stuck her tongue out. "No problem." Mark smiled, looking around at the endless room. "Hey, do you think we should walk around and try to find other people?"

"No," Kaedyn said simply. "I'm sure the others are walking around, too. They'll stumble across us one way or another." She pulled out a set of knitting needles and a pink yarn ball.

"Are you sure? Maybe we should - hey, what are you doing?"

"What does it look like?"

"I didn't know you could knit." Mark stated, watching as Kaedyn's hands worked impressively.

"It keeps my hands busy. Hey, can you hold this ball? I don't want it to roll across the room or anything, I may never get it back if it does." Mark grabbed the ball and held it lightly in his hands.

"This feels really weird,"

"Never thought you were the type to never have held a ball of yarn before,"

"No, I mean sitting here and waiting. I feel like we should be doing something, finding people..."

"And soon we'll be found." Kaedyn didn't look up from her work, her hands still working at a steady speed. "Do you think I should this European or continental?"

"But, I, what - what's the difference? What are you even making, by the way?"

"You'll see. Just pick a style."

"European sounds nice." He scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

"Interesting. European it is." She continued knitting. "Now, while we're waiting, you should tell me about yourself. There's nothing better to do." Mark laughed hollowly. "The problem is, I don't know the first thing about myself."

"Hmm, then let's start with something simple. What's your name?"

"Uh, Mark. You knew that alrea-"

"Your full name, dunderhead."

"Mark Hedgecock. I still don't really see the point in this. We're just sitting ducks..."

"How old are you? Tell me some of your hobbies," Mark sighed audibly. "I'm sixteen. I like cracking jokes and making people laugh."

"Why?" Kaedyn asked.

"What do you mean, why?"

"Why do you like to make people laugh?" Mark thought about this for a second. "I don't really know," he said. "I can try to explain, but it might take forever."

"We have all the time in the world." Kaedyn glanced up at him long enough to flash a small smile before averting her eyes back to her work.

6: Chapter 6: Blind Insanity

Nikki swiveled her head to and fro. None of the scenery had changed in the while Chett, her, and Jenna had been walking.

"Just how big is this room?" she complained.

"Big enough to spend an eternity working our legs off for nothing," Chett sighed. "Maybe we should try to the left?"

"But where is left?" Nikki stressed. "Everything is just around us, I can't tell where any given direction is! We might just be wandering in circles, and...and..."

"Calm down, will you?" Chett put a hand on her shoulder. "Let's just try it. I'm not saying it's the only way, but it might beat walking straight for eons." Nikki nodded, squeezing her arms against her chest. She felt as if she was about to burst into tears. The pressure of finding a way out was starting to get to her. Nikki stressed on the idea of perhaps never finding a way out, fearing that she would be stuck in this insane place forever. That and the burden of leading her friends onto the same path was enough to make a girl lose a bit of herself.

"If it makes you feel any better, I can kind of see some sort of figure up ahead." Chett squinted. Nikki didn't believe him.

"Really? Are you sure you're not just hallucinating?" Nikki asked dully.

"No, actually I think there's someone there." He started towards the imaginary figure. "Hey!" he called. "Over here!" Jenna tapped Nikki's shoulder.

"He's not lying," she said. "there's really someone there. Two people, maybe." Nikki turned to see what was truly happening, and was almost overcome. Two figures, blurry in the distance, were slowly making their way up to them. Nikki was so overjoyed, she broke out into a run to greet them. The familiar face of Zoe began to materialize, and without a second-glance, Nikki enveloped her in a tight hug.

"Whoa," Zoe chuckled, hugging her back. "I missed you too. Are you guys okay?" Chett and Jenna had caught up to them by now as they broke apart.

"Yeah," Chett echoed. "Just lost in wherever here is...er, if you don't mind me asking, who's the girl?" He nervously pointed to the eerie little girl in the pink shirt.

"Oh!" Zoe jumped, as if startled. "Don't worry, she's on our side! She led me to where you guys were, and she says that she knows a way out of here. I thought I'd offer a way out." The rest of them exchanged glances.

"Zoe?" Nikki spoke up after a long pause.

"Yes?" she seemed to be fairly absent-minded.

"I don't think you should trust what that girl says," she gulped. Zoe frowned, looking from the girl to Nikki. "Why not?" Nikki bit her lip. "Because...doesn't she seem to be a little...odd to you?" Zoe almost looked offended. "What?! She may look a little different, but what should that matter? I think she's a fine girl."

"Then what's her name?"

"We haven't gotten to that part yet." Chett cleared his throat. "Have you also not noticed the fact that she's hovering slightly?" Zoe blushed. "I thought she was light on her feet."

"Zoe!" All three of them chorused. She flushed a deep red.

"It's fine! She led me to you guys, didn't she? That has to count for something! Hey, girlie..." She bent her knees to get to the girl's height. "Don't you know where everyone else is, too? Couldn't we find them?" After a moments hesitation, there was no mistaking that the eerie girl slowly nodded her head.

"No...find..." her voice sounded like she had long forgotten how to use it.

"What? Why not? Wouldn't that be a better idea?" Zoe's smile faded. The girl shook her head, pointing to the right of her.

"Exit," she said, drifting off in that direction. Zoe was rooted to the spot. Nikki looked to her. "What do you propose we do?" she asked. She stared hard at the floor.

"Let's follow her. We don't have much else to do, right?" she giggled nervously, any amusement absent from her laugh. Nikki shot her a worried look that she never returned. Knowing that there was no other way they knew that led to freedom, Zoe, Chett, Jenna and Nikki followed the strange girl as she guided them to some other untold horror.

They all came to a door. A gigantic, wooden, medieval style door that had splintering pieces of wood spouting out of it and a rusted handle that looked like it could break at any second. Nikki still didn't know what to think. This girl had led them to a door, sure, but the problem was they didn't know what was behind the door.

"How do we open it?" Zoe voiced what they were all thinking. "It isn't locked, is it?"

"I don't know," Chett replied. "but that handle looks like it could break if we pull it too hard, not to mention that this door is so huge that it might be impossible to budge."

"Come on, guys," Nikki tried to be motivational. "We have to try something! Let's just see if it will open, okay? If there's a way out, it has to be this one!" They all looked uncertainly at her.

"Look," Zoe rubbed her arm nervously. "I'm not even sure of this anymore. I thought this little girl was going to lead me somewhere nice, but now I'm just more uneasy than anything. Don't you think we should call this off and get away from here as fast as we can?" Nikki's hands paused, they were already grasping the rusted handle of the door. "We have to try," she said this mostly to herself. Without further consolation, Nikki pulled on the handle with as much force as she could muster. The door refused to budge at all. Nikki felt her face go red with the amount of force she was using on this door.

"A little help, please?" She managed to breathe out to the others. They exchanged glances, but all laid their hands on the handle, pulling and tugging with all their strength. A sound, as if the two doors were glued together, came from in between as the doors separated. Suddenly, the door flew open in a flash, knocking Nikki, Chett, Zoe and Jenna off their feet, leaving the door wide open and peaceful once again.

Nikki sat up, shaking her head and rubbing her butt. That bruise was going to hurt in the morning...she looked up and felt a rush of excitement.

"It's open!" she exclaimed. "It's open, it's open, it's open! We can finally leave this place!" The other's faces split into wide grins. Regardless of any horrible thing that could be locked up in there, the fact that they had made progress to finding a way out was a marveling sight.

"What about the others?" Jenna spoke up. "Shouldn't we go and get them, as well?" Nikki's grin vanished. On the one hand, it would be great to get everyone they knew into this door and out of the endless white room, but then again, who could say that they would ever find them?

"Yes..." Nikki said hesitantly. She gazed behind her, the vast space of the room filling her stomach with unsettling butterflies.

"How could we find them?" Chett spoke for her. "It's because of this weird girl that we found this door to begin with. There's no telling whether or not the others will ever find her, but how could we just go back and probably never find this place again?"

Jenna stared at the ground. "That's okay. I can stay and look for more people and lead them here. If...if you would help me, er...what's your name?" She looked to the little girl.

"Wait, stay?!" Nikki interjected. "But we've come so far! You can't just leave and...and..."

"It's okay. I can always find my way back. Besides, if I have this little girl with me, well, she helped Zoe find us and a way back, maybe she can help other people, too." Nikki's eyes saddened as she gazed into her friend's eyes. She didn't know if she wanted to let this happen or not. What if they never saw each other again, what if she died looking for other people and was stuck here forever? Nikki couldn't let that happen. But she also couldn't stop Jenna from doing what she wanted.

"Are you sure?" Nikki asked pitifully.

"Yes." She offered her hand to the little girl. The girl made a motion for her to come closer. Jenna bent her knees, not having to squat down far. The girl whispered something in her ear, and a look of surprise crossed over Jenna's face. Jenna stood back up, and the girl took her hand.

"She says that she'll help me find the others. But she won't let me tell you her name, it's top secret." Nikki felt puzzled.

"Only if you think it's right. And hey, don't get stuck here forever, okay?" Jenna smiled warmly, waving for them to go on ahead. "Go on, tell me all about it when I come back, okay?"

"Okay." Nikki, Chett, and Zoe watched until Jenna and the girl walked out of sight, lost in the endless room once again. Nikki still didn't want to believe that Jenna wanted to go back. She couldn't believe that she'd let a friend walk away all over again. She was too scared to do a thing about it then and now.

"Shall we?" Zoe cleared her throat, gesturing to the ajar wooden door. Nikki nodded, forcing her feet to be uprooted from the ground and taking a seventh-glance as she slowly disappeared behind the door.

The room they all had walked in was dark. Pitch-black, with nothing to be seen. They stalked ahead blindly, tripping over each others feet ("Ouch! Watch where you're walking, Chett!" "Sorry, Zoe! I can't see a thing...") and making their way through the awful haze that presented itself to them. Nikki could only hear her ragged breathing along with the other breathless panting of her comrades.

"Do you think we're there yet?" she asked Chett.

"If only I knew where 'there' was. This passage could lead to anywhere, you know. What if we're not even on camp borders anymore?"

"I don't know...we were knocked out for a while, but who can say how far we actually traveled in that time. Say, Jenna woke up and saw a bit of what was happening, did you see anything?"

"No," Chett answered glumly. "You?"

"Nada. The only thing I woke up to was Jenna shaking me. What about you, Zoe?"

There was no answer.

"Zoe? Helloooo? Where did you go?" A gasp from her left, and panic began to rise in Nikki's throat. "Chett?" her voice quivered. "Was that you? Hey, this isn't funny...speak to me!" But still, no answer came.

Nikki was alone. Afraid. Blind. There was nothing ahead of her or behind her, in fact, she wasn't sure that she was entirely there herself. All she could do was keep moving forward, even if her feet were icy and gluing themselves to the ground with each and every step she took. And then there was something grasping her ankle. A scream, loud, and petrifying, rang throughout the dark room. It took Nikki a moment to realize that it was her own, but it was already too late by then.

She was being dragged by her ankle. Behind, to the left, to the right, it all went so fast she could barely comprehend , the thing on her ankle let go, and Nikki felt herself free falling. It was still dark, she hit a tunnel on her rump, still sliding down. Where was she? Some sort of tunnel? A shoot? She gained speed, accelerating downwards fast, and then there was light.

THUD. She hit the ground on her butt, hard. Now that was really going to hurt in the morning.

"Nikki?" Came a voice from above her.

"Wendy?"

7: Chapter 7: Secrets Revealed

"Looks like you finally made it." Wendy outstretched her hand to Nikki, who was sitting on the floor. She took her hand, getting to her feet.

"Where are we? Nikki asked, bewildered and disoriented by her fall. 

"If only I knew," she said. "We've all been flying through that stupid chute for the past hour. Half of the camp is already here! Zoe and Chett just landed...oh, boy, just wait until you see how many people are crammed in here." Nikki gazed around at the now cramped room she was in. It was a bunker - but instead of your standard eight or so beds, there had to be at least a hundred. Row after row of beds were everywhere, separated by walls of glass with glass doors after every eight beds.

It was astounding just how many beds there were, but also very mystifying. The beds themselves were plain and simple. A rock-hard pillow with thin looking navy blue sheets. Nikki was even willing to bet that the mattress was like a stone. 

"This is amazing. How could one even fit this many beds in one place?"

"Beats me." Wendy put her hand on her hip. "But what I do know is that it seems we're all going to be staying here for a while - the entire camp! Just think, there's no rules, so the guys can hang out with us, too! I've been dying to give Mark a sharpie mustache..." Nikki gazed over to where Zoe and Chett were recovering. Zoe had already jumped onto Ellie, and Chett was getting his share of bro-hugs from his other cabin mates.

"At least we're all together again," Nikki said with a sigh.

"Hell yeah," Wendy grinned. "I'm ready to party! But - hey, where's Jenna? Did you see her at all?" 

"Ah - yeah, I saw her. We came to the doors and she said that she'd go back to find other people. I don't know if she'll be coming back. I hope so." Wendy's grin faded. "Oh, no...that's rough. She has to have some way of finding the door again, right?"

"Well, there is this weird little girl that she stuck with."

"Kinda creepy and wears a Princess shirt?"

"Exactly! So you saw her too?"

"She's the reason we got out of that crazy dump. Now we're just in another, slightly better looking dump." They laughed. 

"Well, you said that a lot of the camp had been coming out through that tunnel, right? If people keep piling through then that has to mean that Jenna and the other campers will be here soon enough, right?"

"I suppose." Wendy scratched her head. "But there might be some who don't find the door." Nikki furrowed her brow. "But that girl brought us here...maybe she wants to make sure that everyone makes it out safe. I - I don't know. I'm just kind of throwing out ideas."

"Ideas are all we got, sister." Wendy shrugged. "Let's just hope for the best. Now come on, get in on some of the fun! I bet there's going to be a party all night. Like I said, no rules, no witch, it's almost like a dream!" Nikki smiled. Maybe it would do her some good to relax and have fun. She tagged alongside Wendy as they walked around, getting introduced to other people she hadn't met yet. 

Along with Chett was a guy called Zach, who had extremely messy hair, Noah, who lay on a bed and stared at the ceiling, and another guy who had a sixth toe. Wendy kindly referred to him as Toey Joey, aka TJ, and he didn't seem to mind it much. Nikki noticed that Britney was here as well, but there was no sign of Kaedyn or Mark. She briefly wondered if they were still in the room, and was a bit unsettled to think that they were wandering around with nothing but themselves to keep them sane. It didn't rest well with her, but she tried to keep an open mind.

***

"I swear, it's like people these days don't appreciate good comedy!" Mark had gone off into a rant again, and Kaedyn was more than happy to listen. "It's like...like I say a good joke, right? Maybe a pun to lighten the mood, but no, this pure gold isn't enough for them! All I get is the stare - you know it, right? Well, the stare just pierces me, and that's when I realized that society as we know it is probably facing a downhill slope." He ended this breathlessly, hair strewn from his constant messing with it and the sweat still running down his face.

"Well, it sounds like you're pretty passionate about it, anyway." Kaedyn was grinning. She had been for a while. "But don't you think that realization escalated a little quickly?"

"It happens every time I crack a joke, though. Every time," he stressed.

"Ah," she said. "Well, on another completely different note, I finished it."

"Finished what?"

"What I was making. Here, try it on. It's homemade." She handed him the freshly woven yarn. Mark put it on his head. Kaedyn stared at him for a while, giving him a thrice-over.

"Well?" Mark broke the tension.

"I think blue is a nice colour on you. Especially the lighter one. Why don't you keep it? I have dozens more at home." Mark touched the soft beanie on his head. "Are you sure? You spent all that time making it." Kaedyn chuckled. "And you spent all that time ranting. I think it has your soul permanently woven into it, there's no turning back now. Keep it."

"Okay," the faintest of smiles crossed Mark's face. "It's, uh, warm."

"That's generally the purpose of a warm hat. Glad you noticed." She was tucking her knitting needles into a very large pocket.

"Now that we have those boulders off our shoulders, what do you say we try and find a way out?" Mark gave her a confused look. "But I thought you said it was a better idea to stay here and have patience. Why change your mind?" She shrugged.

"My legs hurt from sitting so long. Let's walk." She stood up, leaving Mark to blankly stare at her. He got up, too. "Fine, have it your way. Where are we going?" She shrugged again. "Hell if I know."

Tip tap tip tap. Came the girl's footsteps. Mark and Kaedyn didn't hear her at first, but turned when her footsteps drew close. She was alone. Her hair was tied in pigtails, and she seemed to be about their age. The only difference was that this girl was so pale, her skin was almost transparent. Her eyes sank into her skull, her lips chapped and thin. She looked like death itself.

"A-Are you okay?" Mark asked, wary of the girl.

"Come with me," she said. "I know the way out." Kaedyn glanced at Mark, who gave her an uncertain look.

"I don't know," Mark said uncertainly. "doesn't this seem suspicious?" 

"Of course it is," Kaedyn sympathized. "But I'm not exactly sure we have much of a choice. Sitting won't show us the way out, and we sure don't have the slightest idea where to go. Maybe this could be the reward for our patience, who knows." Mark's brow knitted together worriedly. "Well...okay. I don't really like it, but I'll stick with you. Any sign that this girl is going to hurt us and I'll punch her lights out - er, no offense."

The girl was silent. She turned around and started to walk. Mark and Kaedyn followed, sticking together. 

***

Jenna felt herself falling. Down, down, down. Her body felt heavier than lead, groggy like she had just woken up. She felt a warm liquid running down her face, obscuring part of her vision. Blood? She couldn't remember getting hit at all, but then again, she could barely remember a thing.

She was walking with the little girl, searching for more people. Then...oh, what had happened? She scanned her mind vigorously, searching for the answer. They didn't find anyone, that was for sure. The girl was whispering something, something she couldn't hear. When she bent down to hear her, she said something, and then she fell down. 

She couldn't have been hit, could she? The girl didn't make any sort of move to hit her. In fact, the girl stared right at her as she fell to the ground, and then the floor opened up and consumed her. Wait, that didn't sound right. How could the floor have just opened up on its own? Jenna was puzzled. She didn't know where this odd tunnel was taking her, but it seemed to have a fairly good idea of where to go, for the turns it took her on jerked her this way and that, and Jenna felt like she was going to be sick. 

And then it all stopped.  She was staring up into the dark hole she had came out of, which seemed to be some sort of chute, and gasping for air. There were murmurs of voices surrounding her, and everything she saw seemed to be in slow motion. 

"Jenna!" That was Nikki's voice. She was at her side in an instant, and Jenna felt herself smile. They were together again. Jenna took a deep breath, slowly closing her eyes and falling unconscious.

8: Chapter 8: Party Time

Nikki stood by one of the beds on the far end of the room. Every now and again she would glance up to see if she had moved at all, but no such sight greeted her weary eyes. 

An intelligent looking boy came up to her, took a peek at the girl in the bed, and then looked back to Nikki. He had short, oak hair and a pair of worn, ivory frames that accented a pair of cool brown eyes.

"Is she going to be okay?" Nikki asked worriedly.

"Look, I'm not a doctor. None of us are. The only stuff I know is from my dad - he was the one who dealt with a lot of injuries and the such. I learned a lot from him, but don't expect my predictions to be right. From what I can tell, she only has a bit of damage to her head, must have been hit on the way down or something. She's not going to die or anything. I'd expect her to wake up within the next day or so. What was her name again?"

"Jenna," Nikki answered, relieved.

"Right. Well, I should be going. The guys are bothering me about a splinter situation. You'd think they'd be man enough to pull it out themselves...they're lucky I keep a pair of tweezers in my pockets." The boy rolled his eyes, waving as he left down the corridor. Nikki looked back to Jenna, trusting the boy's word that she would be alright. As soon as she woke up, Nikki knew she would have to prod her for answers. Had the girl done this to her? It made her sick. She knew that she should have pushed harder for her to stick with them. Nikki gazed at Jenna. Her face was peaceful and serene, with no stress or care in the world.

"Hey, Nikki! Guess what the chute popped out!" Wendy called from afar. Nikki, with a last glance at Jenna, dashed down the lines of beds, sliding through one set of glass doors and coming face to face with two familiar faces.

"Mark! Kaedyn! You two are alright after all." They both looked really ragged, most likely from the journey through the chute. Mark had spots of dirt and grime all over him, with an especially noticeable spot on his nose, and seemed to had adopted a light blue beanie atop his head. Kaedyn was dirty, too, with her hair in a tangled mess and her hands marked with filth. Nikki wondered if she had tried to slow her fall by using her hands.

"That has to be one of the best roller-coaster rides I've been on in a while," Mark laughed, dusting some of the dirt off his arms and legs.

"It was more like a free-fall, I'd say." Kaedyn fiddled with her hair, shaking some of the dirt out and making it a bit more manageable. "It looks like we're some of the last ones to drop in though, huh?"

"Yeah, I think there's only a couple others that we'd be missing." Wendy confirmed. "But hey, don't let it get you down! We're all planning on having a hang out party later once everyone is here. Can you imagine it? The entire camp - boys and girls - just having a night of fun? I've been waiting for this moment since forever!"

"But what'll we do for snacks?" Kaedyn inquired. "It can't be much of a party without food!" 

Wendy scratched her head. "Well, that's true. Unfortunately we don't have any access to a supply of food at the moment. We're not even sure how we'll all survive this if there's no food for a while. All we can do is hope for something else to happen." Nikki felt a stone sink itself in her stomach.

"No food?" she repeated. Wendy nodded glumly.

"I know it's bad, and we should probably look for some grub and everything, but the guys have already tried searching for a way out. There is none."

"What about at the very end of the bed corridor?" Nikki suggested. "Surely there has to be something other than wall there, right?"

"Well, there is some futuristic-looking metal thing. It looks like it would be a door, but there's no gap in between it or anything, just a huge, thick slab of steel in our way." She blew a flap of hair out of her face. "Shit happens."

"Are you sure there's no way to open it?" Kaedyn bit her cheek.

"We tried everything. Chett was even willing to use the old 'Open Sesame' trick. That didn't work either." Wendy sighed gravelly. "But, if this is one of our last nights together, we might as well make it a good one, right?" she struggled out a smile.

"Yeah," Kaedyn worked herself up enough to express a tiny grin. 

Nikki's thoughts turned onto a dark path. No food? They would all starve, if they didn't resort to a more morbid appetite instead. Nikki felt a little sick, as if she was doomed to never feel at ease again. All she wanted was to have a week of fun. Make some new friends, create memories, and go home. Now it seemed like she may never see the light of day again. 

***

It was dark now, with the lights of the torches stationed at every few beds the only source of visibility. Nikki wasn't sure if the light they were seeing was natural light or not. It seemed to replicate the passing of day and night though, so Nikki could only assume as such.

There were people of all sorts talking among themselves, with no regard for normal camp rules. Boys sat with girls and cracked jokes, others cuddled together in the dim rays of the torches, it was a wonderful sight. For the first time all day, Nikki noticed that people seemed to be happy. Sure, they weren't under normal camp situations, but everyone was together and expressing joy. It lifted her spirits a little.

"Hey, Nikki. We're going to play a game of truth or dare. Want to join?" Ellie came up to her with a grin on her oval face. Her brown hair fell just below her chin, and the chocolate eyes shimmered at her.

"Truth or dare? Hah, that old game? Sure, why the heck not. Count me in." Nikki walked over to a circle of people with Ellie. She sat down next to Chett and Jenna, who had a piece of fabric tied around her head. Nikki knew that the fabric was really just a piece ripped off of some guy's plaid jacket, but it would have to do asa bandage for now. 

Around the rest of the circle were many people she knew, and many she didn't. There was Wendy, Britney, Zoe, Jenna and Chett, who sat alongside Mark, Toey Joey, Kaedyn, Zach, and even Noah were all gathered in a tight circle. 

"The more the merrier," Zach said, rubbing his hands together. "at least, that's what they always say."

"Alright!" Wendy clapped once, as soon as Nikki had sat down. "Let the games begin! As CEO of our little band here, I think it's only right if I start out." There was a couple grumbles in the circle, but no direct complaints aside from the daggers Britney shot out of her eyes at Wendy, which she willfully ignored. "Hmm, TJ, truth or dare."

TJ seemed shocked that he had been picked first. But not too shocked. He already had his answer well prepared in advance. 

"Truth," he said.

"Playing it safe, I see? Well, there's no escape either way! Tell me, out of the people in this group, who would you want to kill first?" TJ looked like he was sweating. Tensions were high as he carefully scanned everyone in the circle, occasionally going back on someone again, to which the person in question would look like they were about to be executed for real. Finally, he took a deep breath.

"Chett. Definitely Chett." Chett mimicked him getting shot in the chest, promptly falling down  on the ground and twitching humorously. A chorus of giggles and guffaws went around the circle, as well as a few sighs of relief. Chett smirked, sitting back up and sticking his tongue out.

"I'll know to avoid you in an apocalypse setting, then."

"No offense, man. Just gotta do what I gotta do." He shrugged, and began to wonder who to pick on next. "Hmm, okay. Britney, truth or dare?" She drew herself up in a refined position.

"Why, I wouldn't pick anything other than a dare. I can pull through anything you fire at me." Wendy snorted in the background.

"Fair enough. I dare you..." he looked at her, first from her face down to her rose coloured socks. TJ had an idea. "...to wear your socks on your hands for the rest of the evening." Britney glanced down at her socks in disgust, the thought of wearing such a thing on her hands probably repulsive to her.

"If I must," she said, and without further ado, pulled off her socks to reveal neatly painted toes and reluctantly put the socks on her hands. "There. Happy?" Everyone smiled, a couple snickering at her. "My hands are going to smell awful after this, I hope you realize. Don't expect me to not subject you to some sort of torment after tonight." The threat dangled like a loose string on a sweater. It wasn't very...threatening.

Britney huffed a sigh, choosing her next victim. An evil smile crossed her face. "Wendy," she said in a voice as smooth as caramel. "Truth or dare?" The circle was completely silent. They all knew that something was about to go down.

"I'll give you the displeasure of a truth," she smirked. Britney's lip curled into an odd sort of smile. 

"Fine then. Tell us about the incident of second year." Wendy froze. Clearly, whatever this 'incident' was, it meant a whole lot more to Wendy.

"You wouldn't dare," she warned. 

"Oh, but I would. Because if you won't tell it, then I will." Britney had a smug look over her face. Wendy was angry.

"Fuck no. You keep that trap of yours shut or I will end you." 

Britney rested her head on her sock-covered hand. "Well, the story goes like this. It was a long day in our second-year of camp. Wendy and I were in a feud, when suddenly I - " 

"SHUT UP!" Wendy outright tackled Britney, sending her to the ground with a shriek. The circle disbanded, with the two girls fighting it out with each other.

"Come on, it's just part of the game!" Britney yelled, defending herself with pitiful, sock-ey slaps. 

"That doesn't mean you can just blabber about something like that!" Wendy held her arms to the ground firmly, her strength far outweighing Britney's. 

"Get a grip, it happened so long ago!" 

"So forget about it!" 

They went on like this for a while, each yelling over the others voice. The gang decided that it would be best to leave them to their own devices and settle things themselves, so they all went to the other room where they chatted and joked about what could happen. A couple people made bets. Just about everyone voted that Wendy would beat Britney in a physical war any day. 

Everyone talked through the night, trying to ignore the lurching in their stomachs as hunger started to become a slight problem. Nevertheless, they all enjoyed themselves, Nikki finally being able to relax and unwind. Her worries about Jenna were gone, as she was alive and well on her way to a good recovery. She was able to connect once more with her friends, and enjoy the moments as they lasted.