A String of Secrets

Chapter 7

I wasn't able to sleep for the rest of the night. My mind kept spinning with awful ideas about what Dana could be hiding or who messaged me to stay away from Eli.

At close to seven in the morning, I gave up on trying to sleep and took a hot shower so I could prepare for the day ahead. Once I was done, I wrapped a towel around my body and went back into my room, picking up my phone to check for anything ominous.

My heart sank when I read the calendar notification about Alex's funeral tomorrow. I wasn't ready for it, but I had no choice but to be. Perhaps a part of me kept thinking -- wishing for all of this to be a fucked up nightmare, and that Alex would come back.

But then the other part knew that he was gone for good, and it left me feeling sick every single time the thought echoed through my head.

I shook the thought away and started getting ready. I had class, then I wanted to go do some studying at the library, then go to Silver Meadows' Trail. When I left my room, I noticed that Dana wasn't anywhere in the apartment. She actually left early like she said she would.

Good, because I wouldn't know what to say to her.

After I got into my car, I started driving towards the cafe so I could get some coffee before I went to class. I walked inside, and as I was waiting in line, I did some calculations and wondered if I would have enough time to walk the Trail after I went to class and studied for a few hours.

Probably not.

"Hi, Mari," the barista said to me once it was my turn. "The usual?"

"Yes," I said as I made a decision. "Could I get that and a bagel to-go?"

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I wasn't the type to skip class, -- especially any crime-related class since I loved them so much -- but I could afford to miss one day. I emailed Professor Rize and told him that I wasn't feeling good, and once I had my coffee and bagel, I got into my car and started making the drive towards the Trail.

I kept track of how long the drive took. It was close to forty-five minutes. I was thankful I wore something comfortable to walk in. I finished my food, tossed it into the garbage near the entrance of the Trail and pulled up the screenshots of directions to Phantom's Campsite from last night on my phone.

The stories about the campsite are 100% true. It is haunted, and it's terrifying. If you decide to go, protect yourself and keep a friend with you. Here's the directions on how to get there. It's better to make your journey at night when the Trail is closed so no one will notice you. Just be ready to hop the gate.

1. Walk the Silver Meadows' Trail and stop when you get to the bottom of the stairs that lead to the flower gardens. It is a beautiful trail, so enjoy it.

2. Find the path that's between the tulips and the rose bushes and walk straight until you get to the second part of the Trail.

3. There's a small opening between two large trees that's closed off for "development." When no one's looking, hop over the chain and hide yourself in the trees so no one notices you.

4. There's a small, but noticeable dirt trail. Be careful, because it's hard to walk on it. It's a long walk, but go until you see a sign with a few symbols of ghosts drawn on it. That's the entrance to the campsite.

5. Enjoy your trip, and beware of the phantoms.

I took a deep breath, and I put my phone into my pocket so I could pull my hair into a low bun, leaving a few curls out to frame my face. Once I was finished, I checked my messages once more, finding one from Eli.