The Indoor Type

-3-

Day One 

-9/20-

"Harper! Are you kidding me?!" I asked, feeling a huge wave of relief run down my spine and relax my tensed muscles.

"It's a deer, Harper! Have you ever watched the Disney movie 'Bambie'? Deer are harmless, unless you try to attack it, of course." Austin said, looking relieved as well.

"I actually once read that if you ever approach a deer, you should leave it alone because it will attack you if you attempt to do anything else." Harper said, crouching behind me, to hide herself from the deer, while clutching onto my shorts.

"Whatever." Austin rolled his eyes and went back to the van.

It took us around two hours to set the damn tents, and to light a fire because Harper was nagging about how cold it was. Even though my phone said it was 25 degrees Celsius. 

After everybody settled in, and we all ate our sandwiches that my mom happily made, Max was the first to notice that Jeremy was missing. 

"WHAT?!" Austin stood up, breathing heavily. We sat in a circle, around the fire, playing truth or dare when Max blurted it out.

"But... when?" Ben asked, looking worried.

"Wait, there's a Jeremy? How come I haven't seen him?" Harper asked obliviously.

"Ugh, from how quiet he was, nobody noticed him when he went missing. I even ate his sandwich, thinking it was an extra." I sighed. "Let me try to remember when was the last time I saw him. I remember seeing him in the van, when I woke up. And surprisingly, he knew exactly how to build a tent, and after he helped me build each and every one... I... I don't remember. Oh my god!" I started to panic.

"It's going to be all on me! He was my responsibility and my younger brother. I should have kept a close eye on him. Oh my god! My parents are going to be so angry!" Austin cried. 

"I think he's having a panic attack." I sighed, "That's the last thing we need, to be honest."

"I'll comfort him, don't worry about it." Harper said with a smirk, walking towards him, and hugging him, he wrapped his arms around her.

"While you guys are going to have a cuddle session, I'm going to go and look for Jeremy, who is actually not my brother." I said, stomping my foot to grab their attention. "I feel ants crawling up my legs and my arms itch from like two mosquito bites. I am obviously not enjoying this, so I would like it if someone would join me."

"I will!" Ben said, coming out of his tent.

"So, do you think he's gone far?" I asked. We were walking on mud, between large trees in the dark forest. The trees were thick, and Spiders as big as my thumb crawled around the visible roots of the trees. Ben and I were using our phones as flashlights.

"How would I know?" Ben asked, directing the light at a dead snake lying in the middle of the way and then shivering.

"Oh, I don't know, didn't you go to school together?" I said, sarcasm dripping from my tone.

"Oh, I don't know, yes? I mean, he's one grade older than me, and we never really talked. He was like the weird, smart kid thats not really popular. I mean, he confuses me a lot because most of the people he hangs out with are really cute girls, but, I mean we're not really close. You know what I mean?" Ben said. We passed by two dead squirrels in less than a few minutes.

"Yes, are you even aware of how much you say 'I mean'? Like, you say it a lot?" I said.

"Uh, Alex. I don't trust how dead animals are just lying on the ground here and there. It's not normal!" Ben started panting when we saw another three dead rabbits lying next to each other, blocking our way. Instead of stepping over them, we stop. 

"I agree. But there are no claw marks or teeth marks on all the animals we saw. But I see your point, I don't think Jeremy is here." I nodded, feeling goosebumps on my hands at the sight of the defunct rabbits.

"Yeah. I mean, it would be better if we head back. And I mean, like, right now." Ben said.

We started heading back, and in the same spot where the snake lay dead next to a tree, there were two snakes lying there this time.

"Oh, my, god." Ben whimpered. "Do you see that? I mean, there was only one snake, as I remember." 

"You're right. This isn't right. Come on." Ben and I started walking faster towards our small camp site.

The number of unexpected dead animals increased on our way back.

"I'm starting to freak out, I mean, none of these animals were here. More importantly, exactly how did they die?" Ben was shaking, I knew that because he was clinging to my sleeve as we started running back.

When we finally reached the camp site, panting and feeling my heart beat so loud and quick, I felt my legs were shaking uncontrollably..  Ben was next to me panting heavily and covered in sweat. I almost felt relieved to be away from danger. Almost.

"Where is everyone?" Ben asked, "I mean, this is not good." 

"Can you stop it with your 'I mean's, it's extremely annoying." I rolled my eyes. "But yes, I agree. This isn't good."

Harper and Austin were not in sight, Jeremy was still missing, and Justin and Max weren't there as well. We checked all the tents and the van. Nothing. 

"I say we wait for them here, where it's safe." Ben said as he got comfortable on a beanie bag that he brought with him for the trip.

"Don't you get it? It's not safe anywhere! Animals dying could be because of a hungry predator, but because there were no marks of claws or anything like that on the animals it means maybe they were poisoned, which is also not safe! We can't just sit here and wait! Wait for what, something bad to happen?" It was truly outrageous how 13 year old children's brain works.

As I stood there, looking at Ben with a frown on my face in silence for a few seconds, we both heard it. A scream. And then another. And Another. Each coming from a different person. I recognized Harper's, and Austin's. I looked at Ben.

"What should we do?" He asked.