Catherine

"'Where is he? Is he still sleeping?' What are you talking about, Catherine? Sylvia asked, her sharp brow cutting across her forehead. Who is Mikey? They were just messing with me. They had to be messing with me. I tried to wipe the dumb expression off my face and take a breath. I felt a little stupid for falling for their little charade.

It was so typical of Mikey to want to pull a prank on the friend who slept in the longest. He was always the jester, and I was always the fool who worried and fretted over his stupid antics. The only thing that surprised me was how committed the rest of the gang was to acting out Mikey's dumb idea of a prank. Usually one of them would have cracked by now. I turned and stomped away from my friends.

It was so typical of Mikey to want to pull a prank on the friend who slept in the longest. He was always the jester, and I was always the fool who worried and fretted over his stupid antics. The only thing that surprised me was how committed the rest of the gang was to acting out Mikey's dumb idea of a prank. Usually one of them would have cracked by now. I turned and stomped away from my friends.

I was tired, and I wasn't in the mood for whatever stupid prank they were trying to pull.

I was tired, and I wasn't in the mood for whatever stupid prank they were trying to pull.

i unzipped the door to mikey's tent and was met by an empty interior a mess of clothing books and snacks littered the floor but there was no mikey inside the lumpy sleeping bag when i turned to rejoin my friends i expected to see stolen glances and stifled laughter but i was met with the same hauntingly blank confusion What are you doing? Autumn asked. I threw my hands up in exasperation.

i unzipped the door to mikey's tent and was met by an empty interior a mess of clothing books and snacks littered the floor but there was no mikey inside the lumpy sleeping bag when i turned to rejoin my friends i expected to see stolen glances and stifled laughter but i was met with the same hauntingly blank confusion What are you doing? Autumn asked. I threw my hands up in exasperation.

Well, he's not in his tent, so where is he hiding? That's my tent, Josh said. We agreed to bring two tents for the two of us because I'm such a slob, and you like your personal space. Do you not remember? He was looking at me with such confusion and concern that I had to look away, unable to meet his falsely sincere eyes. This was so stupid.

Well, he's not in his tent, so where is he hiding? That's my tent, Josh said. We agreed to bring two tents for the two of us because I'm such a slob, and you like your personal space. Do you not remember? He was looking at me with such confusion and concern that I had to look away, unable to meet his falsely sincere eyes. This was so stupid.

I was always the gullible friend the others loved to mess with, always the butt of one of their stupid jokes. No matter how stupid this prank was, their commitment had me almost doubting my own memory. It was a nauseating sensation I wanted to be rid of as soon as possible. This would all be over faster if I just went along with the joke. Okay, very funny.

I was always the gullible friend the others loved to mess with, always the butt of one of their stupid jokes. No matter how stupid this prank was, their commitment had me almost doubting my own memory. It was a nauseating sensation I wanted to be rid of as soon as possible. This would all be over faster if I just went along with the joke. Okay, very funny.

I laughed, coming to sit next to Josh on one of the logs that surrounded the fire. If he wants to hide in the woods and try to scare me instead of eating breakfast, that's his choice. I turned to give Josh a kiss, but his face was still twisted into a look of total bewilderment. He looked so convincingly dumbfounded by my words that it gave me the creeps.

I laughed, coming to sit next to Josh on one of the logs that surrounded the fire. If he wants to hide in the woods and try to scare me instead of eating breakfast, that's his choice. I turned to give Josh a kiss, but his face was still twisted into a look of total bewilderment. He looked so convincingly dumbfounded by my words that it gave me the creeps.

There was no hint of amusement or playfulness behind his eyes, only emptiness. Whatever weird joke was being played on me, he didn't show any sign of being in on it. I averted my gaze toward the flames, breathing in its smoke and letting the awkward silence wash over our circle. Everything was so quiet. Then we heard the screaming.

There was no hint of amusement or playfulness behind his eyes, only emptiness. Whatever weird joke was being played on me, he didn't show any sign of being in on it. I averted my gaze toward the flames, breathing in its smoke and letting the awkward silence wash over our circle. Everything was so quiet. Then we heard the screaming.

It was faint, but all four of us snapped our heads toward the forest where we could hear the cries echoing through the trees. They sounded like they were coming from a short distance away, just past our clearing, down the other side of the mountain. "'What the hell is that?' Autumn asked, jumping to her feet. "'It sounds like someone is crying for help,' Sylvia added, a little nervously.

It was faint, but all four of us snapped our heads toward the forest where we could hear the cries echoing through the trees. They sounded like they were coming from a short distance away, just past our clearing, down the other side of the mountain. "'What the hell is that?' Autumn asked, jumping to her feet. "'It sounds like someone is crying for help,' Sylvia added, a little nervously.

My first instinct was to call my friends out on their increasingly dumb and elaborate prank, but the cries coming from within the dense forest sounded too high-pitched and pitiful to belong to Mikey. It almost sounded like a wounded animal or a baby was wailing out calls of complete and utter desperation.'

My first instinct was to call my friends out on their increasingly dumb and elaborate prank, but the cries coming from within the dense forest sounded too high-pitched and pitiful to belong to Mikey. It almost sounded like a wounded animal or a baby was wailing out calls of complete and utter desperation.'

I could just barely make out the word help, but everything else about the cries rang out with an eerie pitch that seemed entirely inhuman, like some creature trying to mimic the cries of a child. Whatever that thing was, it wasn't Mikey. Okay guys, this seriously isn't funny anymore. Please just tell me if this is a joke or not. I pleaded. Catherine. Josh gave my shoulder a comforting squeeze.