Under The Cover of Darkness

-chapter 10-~reconstructing~

My eyes seemed to open on their own, traveling upwards to meet the pink morning sky.
Wait, I thought... Morning?
I shot up in my sleeping bag, my head swiveling almost 360 degrees like a damn owl.
Everyone in camp was sound asleep, i felt like i was looking at a baby nursery. Not a soul was awake.
Something was wrong.
My eyes sought out the opposite facing tree stumps where i'd last seen Brighton and Henry scowling at each other, each looked as if no one had ever sat on them at all.
My heart beat fast like it knew what kind of trouble was coming.
Where did they go? And why didn't they wake up the next round of watch?
Just then the breeze picked up from my left. The air carried a light intoxicating smell. It reminded me of pine sap and excited my brain the same way the smell of gasoline does.
That's how I knew Brighton wasn't far. With him as my mate I could always sniff him out. As unfortunate as it was in most cases, how lovely it felt to be around him, i felt extremely lucky at the moment.
I peered over at Lieutenant Turner who lay softly sleeping in her sleeping bag near the edge of our camp. I'd only be right back, I thought. I'd go quickly find Brighton and Henry and I'd bring them back to camp before anyone even noticed. Besides, I thought, what's a bit of extra sleep going to hurt anyone?
I quickly rummaged through my bag to grab two daggers, both used for hunting, which I placed in my belt just in case, before I trudged towards Brighton's scent.
I walked farther and farther away from the camp as Brighton's scent seemed so close that i could feel the tips of my toes tingling like spidey senses. I looked around in a full circle.
There was a thick covering of debris, twigs leaves and pine needles littered the dirt ground. Trees soared towards the sky and I imagined they'd been there many lifetimes.
I stared at the bark of one of the trees that stood closest to me. I wished silently that I could ask it where those boys had gone, especially since my nose was telling me they should both be here, or so close to here.
I neglected to call out for them. I didn't want to wake up the camp even though they were far from ear shot by now.
I tried walking in a loose circle, but the scent just stopped.
My eyebrows were huddled together, and I paced back and forth trying to remember the specific tracking tactics from that course at camp.
What did they say about vanishing trails?
I thought back to that day in the woods where we were all meant to track a bandana that smelled like citrus. It was supposed to be easy except that we'd all gotten stumped at the end of the trail. Coach West had said "When you think you're there, you probably are."
Then someone had thought to look up and there in the tree branches was the bandana, bright red and billowing like a warning flag.
I half heartedly tilted my face towards the sky. Sure enough, no Brighton or Henry was to be found. I almost giggled at the thought of either one of them tip toeing on the edge of a tiny branch.
I just couldn't put my finger on it. Where were they?
"Danny!" I jumped half way to the sky, both from fright and because that voice and my name always did that to me. I whirled around to face a sweaty and panting Brighton stumbling towards me with a bloodied Henry slung over his shoulders.
"Oh my god!" I ran towards them both and struggled to check a large gash on Henry's forehead. I put my hand on his forehead and not a sound came from his mouth. His eyes which were partially closed only shown white. "What happened? Henry, can you hear me?"
I placed the back of my hand on his cheek, he wasn't warm at all, he was oddly cold.
"Brighton!" I yelled. When I met his eyes i realized i had blocked out whatever attempts he had been trying to make.
"I - I don't know, Danny, I followed him out here. One minute we were just on watch duty and the next he was just walking away from camp. I followed him all the way here but that's when they came."
I looked at him with panic, "they came? Brighton who?"
He looked at me with wide eyes,"I don't know. but then Henry just did this. I don't know what's wrong with him!"
"Okay okay, uh," I tried to swallow my panic at the increasing blood loss through Henry's forehead long enough to form a plan. "We have to get him back to camp!"
Brighton nodded at me. I offered to help him with Henry's large body but he refused. If I wasn't entirely occupied with Henry's poor state I would've marveled at my ex mates strength.
We made it back to the exact location of the camp from the previous night, only my stomach sank to my feet, because the only evidence that this spot had been used as camp grounds was the ashes from the fire, and the flattened down areas of pine needles where sleeping bags previously lay. Not a soul remained.