Camp Pine Cove

24 hours

"Oh my god we just lost Winn!" Q paced around the tree house hands pulling on their hair, it was 6 an and Q had been panicking like this since they got back around 3. "What the hell even was that? Who were they?". Their eyes found Sammie running from bookshelf to bookshelf "Sammie! Help!" She was still running around "Q find my journal!" They started searching as well "Why?" Sammie dug through books, flinching after each hit the ground with a thud. "It has all the information I have on the cult" Q stopped "Cult? Sammie what in the living-" Sammie looked up "Q shut up and look! We only have 24 hours until they kill Winn, we need to find my journal and go get her!" Q closed their mouth and dug through the pile pulling out a tightly bound leather journal "Is this it?" Sammie ran to them "Yes!" she undid it reading quickly but carefully. "What day is it?" "May 24 why?" Sammie read intently. "Because now I know where Winn is"

"Chris! Josh!" Q and Sammie ran into the long house sucking air into their lungs. Chris poked his head out and Josh rounded a corner, both giving a unified "What?" Sammie was practically screaming now "The Black Wisdom took Winn!" Chris stepped out as Josh ran to them "When?" Q answered "Last night" Josh and Chris exchanged looks "Sammie, you know where the weapons are"

Winn opened her eyes slowly, her chin rested on her chest as she felt herself upright in a chair, coarse fabric cut into her wrists, and the bandanna had sucked all of the moisture out of her mouth. Her eyes darted around the room in a frenzy, she couldn't think straight as the bubbling numbing panic was the only thing occupying her head. Voices buzzed around her like the static of an old television, she stopped and took deep breaths listening. "What is this? You're my lieutenant ! You bring me this? I asked for the older one, she can't be over 16" the next voice, a richer bell tone spoke up, a hint of annoyance flavored his words. "Technically sir they have to be at least 18 to be a counselor so" "Are you really arguing with me right now Michael? I will have you skinned alive" the lieutenant hesitated "Who would you replace me with? Just out of curiosity, like Jane maybe? She's qualified" There was silence until Michael spoke up again "She'll be fine for the sacrifice, she's a counselor and she's 18, it will work I promise." The leader nodded "I wanted the older one, but if she is to be the one going to die, so be it. By the end of the summer if she isn't dead, he doesn't stay, and you will never be seen again. Is that clear?" Michael must have nodded as there was no audible response. Winn took in a deep breath, she held back panicked tears as the voices got closer, and the door opened. the light hurt her eyes.

Sammie stepped over one of the larger logs as they both trekked through the woods. "What time is it?" Q glanced at their watch "10:30" Sammie nodded "We have 14 hours, we need to find the base, make a plan, get in and right back out" Q gave Sammie a weary look, "Sammie, how do you know about all of this?" they heard a sigh, "I'd rather wait until everyone gets here and we have the first staff meeting. Josh, Chris, and I will explain everything but right now, we need to find Winn" Q nodded "I guess" Sammie stopped and dug through her bag pulling two water bottles out, "How does that knife feel?" Q took it out, carefully weighing their new blade in one hand, drinking with the other. "I don't know, I've never had to use a knife before. At least not for anything like this" Sammie nodded almost guilty, "You'll get used to it" they kept walking, watching out for poison oak and Ivy. Q had no clue why they were in the woods but they had to trust Sammie, even if she had already hid things from them. "Sammie, we've been to about three different houses, why are there so many houses in the woods?" The girl kept walking "The Black Wisdom has been around for centuries, they use magic and death to bring death and destruction. Their power only works in this area, so they've stayed here for all of that time, they rarely let outsiders in, so they're pretty inbred. Disgusting yes, but that means every time they have kids their magical power increases tenfold. They prey on counselors because we're the most magic people they can get, we almost destroyed them last year, but some must have survived. That's probably why Chris and Josh had to hire you guys, the others are probably dead." Q let the information soak through their skin, it didn't sit well. "What about the kids? Sammie this is a summer camp for christ's sake!" She shrugged "The kids can't see them, so they're usually left alone. I mean, you don't remember seeing them do you? You and I have been her for 12 years. I didn't know about any of this until last year" Q had to think, they racked their memories and summers but Sammie was right, they couldn't remember a single thing about any hooded figures or monsters. "Wait wait wait, this is it" Q hadn't noticed the old colonial house they'd walked up on. It was old, it seemed like any weight placed upon its floors would send it to the ground in a heap of wood and splinters. Sammie's nose was stuck in her journal, she was mumbling to herself trying to grasp at any information she could. "Alright, this is the summer house, I have the floor plan, Chris and Josh mapped each house out for my journal. I'm keeping it for the next counselors who come along after i'm, well after i'm gone. So I'm assuming Winn is in the basement, but which one?" Q felt the color drain from their face "There's more than one?" "Three" "Oh, wonderful" "Ok, We're going to have to check all three. I'll need a distraction-" The sound of an explosion left ringing in the duo's ears, different voices ran in different directions yelling, more blasts coming from deeper into the forest. Q could almost hear familiar cries, "is that?" Sammie was grinning ear to ear "Thank god for Chris and Josh. Let's go!"