Wish You Were Here

25

I took a gulp of water and handed my bottle over to Cal. We shoved the couch out of the way of the door just enough for the three of us to squeeze through. Grant made Cal promise to move the couch back in front of the door as soon as we left.

Will had covered the dead body with the blue tarp we had found downstairs. It wasn't very large and was pretty torn, but it would do the job. Cal and Beth knew that if they really needed to, they could go down there and at least they wouldn't have to see it.

I didn't want to waste any of our water, but I also couldn't bear having blood all over me. I took off my button down shirt and rolled it into a ball, tossing it in the corner. My white tank top I had underneath wasn't so white anymore, but was sufficient. I'd worn my baby blue bikini under my clothes. I almost shook my head at the thought. Had I been that excited to get to camp that I didn't even want to waste the few minutes it would take to change into a swimsuit? When I was sitting on the plane, I had silently congratulated myself on such a smart decision; planning on tossing my bags onto whichever bunk I'd be assigned and then running straight to the lake.

Now look at you!

My head was pounding. My hair was dirty, pulled up into a knotted mess. Blood, dirt, and sweat stained my clothes. My blue bikini was double knotted around my neck as if it didn't dare come undone and get left behind in this awful place.

I promised Cal and Beth that we would return as fast as possible. They both looked nervous, which I didn't blame them for being.

The full moon provided some light as we cautiously stepped out of the cabin and back into the woods. Grant led the way and I followed behind him. Will stayed behind me and I kept checking over my shoulder just to make sure he was still there.

They had marked the spot where we needed to turn by bending a large branch in half. We ducked into the woods where Aaron had originally turned and left us.

"Alright," Grant whispered. "Let's go slow. Be on the lookout for anything. You okay, Ryleigh?"

I nodded, knife in hand. Will gave a quick nod and Grant exhaled slowly. The woods were thicker over there, so there wasn't much light. We moved behind trees, searching for possible traps, cameras, or worse - other people. Grant tried to stay on the exact path he and Will had gone on before since they had already cleared it for anything dangerous. Still, in the darkness, it must have had a much creepier vibe to it because Grant appeared incredibly on edge. I turned to see Will behind me and he stuck his tongue out at me. I faced front, unsure if he was being playful or just a brat. Probably a little of both, I decided.

Grant slowed and then came to a stop. The three of us huddled close together.

"It's around that tree right there. Follow me. Stay super close! Once we get closer to the cabin, we'll have to crouch down by the bushes. You'll see what I mean when we're there. We need to get to the side of it," Grant whispered to us and we both nodded in agreement.

My heart was pounding. I followed as closely as I could, almost bumping into Grant a few times. As we approached the cabin, I got a good look at it. It was definitely nicer than the few others we'd seen, and was two stories tall. The exterior was newer looking and it had small patio lights illuminating the front door. We couldn't see inside any of the windows. All the curtains had been drawn tight. No lights were on inside, but I knew not to assume that meant no one was home. I only hoped Gina and Dean weren't there.

Hedges aligned the front walkway and Grant crouched down. I followed, and we crawled on our hands and knees. The knife was clumsily dragging along the dirt in my hand. We got to the side of the cabin and stood up, dusting ourselves off slightly. There was a side window that was too high for me to see inside. I stood on my toes but still couldn't get a peek. Will was sizing it up silently. Grant held up his fingers and counted to three so Will could yank the window open. It made a clinking sound as he gripped the glass and the metal rubbed against itself. The three of us froze for a few seconds, waiting before Will continued.

The window was wide open and didn't have a screen. It was too dark to know what was on the other side, but we figured Aaron was in there somewhere. Grant opted to go first since he was a bit shorter than Will. He had Will hoist him up and he gripped the window pane with both hands, lifting himself up. I watched as he tried to swing his leg up, but it wouldn't go. He tried his other leg and that didn't work either. They both had planned this big rescue and neither of them had thought of how to actually get in through the window.

I sighed and sat down, hiding myself in between two hedges. I tried to hide a yawn as I watched Will push Grant's butt up. It was almost comical the way they tried to communicate without actually speaking. They were mouthing words to each other and pointing, motioning with their hands.

They would make terrible burglars.

I wanted to lay down and rest. Exhaustion was hitting me the longer I sat there. My body ached, which was nothing new, but now that my muscles had a chance to relax, my body didn't fight it. I tried to clear my head. If I allowed myself to get too deep into thought, I was afraid I'd have a total breakdown. Instead, I created a mental file of everything I would have to confront; just not now. Not while I was still on that island. My mental strength and overall sanity was hanging by a thread. I knew it. I could feel it.

Besides the handful of summer camps I had traveled to, I was constricted to the bubble that was my life. Most of my friends I had known since I was very young. My family didn't go on many vacations. Our town had minimal crime and that really only consisted of shoplifters at the mall or unpaid parking tickets. My parents had chosen our home specifically because of those reasons. Good schools, cookie cutter homes with white picket fences, a community pool with attentive life guards. You get the idea. They'd chosen it because it was the best place to raise children, they were told.

But now as I sat in the dirt between hedges that mildly scratched at my arms, watching Grant and Will struggle to break into a cabin at night to rescue a kidnapped camper? I cursed the town I grew up in. I knew nothing about the real world. Everything I had ever seen in movies was unrealistic and exaggerated. I hadn't learned any life skills from actual firsthand experience. My parents would tell you that's a good thing. Why would you want to grow up learning how to survive, defending yourself, or going days without food?

I could hear my mom's voice in my head as I thought all of this. She would remind me how lucky I was to live where we lived, to have food on the table and clothes on my back. And she would be right. I was lucky. I just hadn't realized it until now. Yet part of me was still angry. My lack of street smarts or the physical ability to defend myself were the reasons I ended up on that island to begin with.

I rubbed my forehead. I was only making my head hurt worse than it already did by allowing my thoughts to go deeper into the black hole I felt sucked towards. It was like a tug of war of my emotions. There was no way I could even attempt to rationalize my thoughts or feelings at that time, considering the situation. I was in the middle of nowhere, stuck on some island with a group of people I barely knew, not to mention those who were wandering around somewhere out to get me. I was tired, hungry, and running on fumes.

File it away for later.

I pushed my thoughts away into the already overflowing mental file cabinet that I'd have to clean out after I got home. If I got home. I made myself pretend that my emotions were controlled by a switch that I could turn on and off like a light. I closed my eyes and imagined switching it off. It was the only way I could prevent myself from losing total control.