Black Rose

Chapter 17

Kate

The final bell rang as I was packing up my belongings. I exited the classroom and walked over to Bethany's, which happened to be right next to mine.

We headed outside to Bethany's car, glad that the school day was over with. "Let's skip coffee today. I have a surprise for you. We just need to make a quick stop," Bethany told me.

"No problem. I can't wait to see what it is!" I said excitedly. We got into her car and began driving. I looked out the window, thinking of where we could possibly be going. I did not recognize my surroundings at all.

We were driving for almost thirty minutes until Bethany pulled into a residential part of town. The neighborhood we were entering looked very pristine. All the houses were grand and had a large expanse of land around them. Bethany pulled into the driveway of a beige house with brown trimming.

"Stay here," Bethany ordered. She unbuckled her seatbelt and got out of the car. She walked to the door, leaving me and my curious mind behind.

Bethany stood at the door a moment longer and then retreated back to the car. A petite, blond girl was following her, smiling from ear to ear.

"Oh my gosh!" I exclaimed, scrambling out of the car as fast as I could. I enveloped Caitlin in a hug, being careful not to hurt her small frame. I had not seen her in months. She was usually very busy with school. Whenever we saw each other at Black Rose, it was for a fleeting moment.

"I missed you so much!" Caitlin cried. She shared a quick glance with Bethany, then continued talking. "Bethany and I decided to go camping with you tonight. Our bags are already packed," she continued.

I mustered a smile. I was secretly disappointed about this surprise trip. The first and only time I went camping was a disaster. I tried not to dwell on my past memories, but I couldn't help seeing my tent go up in flames.

"Fun! How long are we going?" I asked, trying to fake interest. It looked like Bethany and Caitlin did not notice because they replied, "Three days, two nights." The way they said it immediately prompted me to think of a hotel, which I would have gladly taken over a tent.

There was a beat of silence before Bethany said, "Okay, let's go!" With that, we got into the car and pulled out of the driveway. Caitlin reached over to turn up the music. Ghost by Ella Henderson filled the car.

I keep going to the river to pray
'Cause I need something that can wash all the pain

We drove into the less-populated, woodsy area of New York, passing stores and restaurants along the way.

And at most I'm sleeping all these demons away
But your ghost, the ghost of you
It keeps me awake

We finally reached the forest. Bethany pulled into a parking space at the edge of the woods, popping the trunk and removing our duffel bags. We silently walked into the forest, watching our step as we climbed over logs and broken tree branches. The large oak and redwood trees formed a canopy above us.

We began walking into the woods, dragging our bags behind us and being careful not to trip over anything. Looking behind us, I noticed how we were no longer able to see the clearing where Bethany's car was parked. That was when I began to worry.

"How are we getting back to the car?" I asked, trying to hide the tremor in my voice.

Bethany shrugged. "We'll find a way back," she answered. My heart began to pick up speed and my hands were slick with sweat.

Suddenly, Bethany and Caitlin started cracking up. I shot them a confused look on top of my nervous one. "What?"

"I marked every tree that we passed and made a trail behind us before we arrived. Trust me, we won't get lost," Bethany explained.

"Besides," Caitlin added, "I took a survival class back in middle school. I know my way around a forest."

I relaxed a bit. I still didn't like the idea of being in the middle of the woods, but at least my friends were well off and could protect me. Bethany started setting up the tents. "Why don't you guys get some firewood?" Bethany suggested.

"Alright. Kate, come with me," Caitlin said. I trailed after her, keeping an eye on my surroundings.

As we looked around for the biggest pieces of wood, I thought I heard someone yelling for help. I shrugged it off, not letting my wild imagination get the best of me. I was scared but I wasn't crazy.

Although when I heard the cry for help again, I knew it wasn't my imagination. The voice was closer this time.

"Do you hear that?" I whispered, stopping in my tracks. Caitlin paused as well. We both strained our ears to listen to any sounds. I then heard the voice for the third time.

It sounded like it was right next to us.

I turned my head to the left and screamed. There was a girl lying on the ground looking up at us. Her black hair was tangled and disheveled. Her eyes were wide, begging for help. I suddenly noticed something: she had a large ankle bracelet around her left leg.

"Valerie!" I whispered, hurrying over to her and bending down so that my face was level with hers. Valerie cringed as I came closer.

"Get away Kate," she growled. I stopped and backed away. There was no need to upset her anymore.

Meanwhile, Caitlin walked up beside me. "Listen, Valerie. You can either stay here and risk your life or you can come back to our camp and be safe. It's your choice."

Valerie frowned. I honestly did not know why she found this decision so difficult to make. It was either life or death, nothing in between. "Fine. I'll go with you guys. Don't cause any trouble for me," she mumbled.

My anger flared at her last comment. The only person that would cause trouble would be her. I could not believe she and I used to be friends.

We briskly walked back to the camp, keeping a close eye on Valerie. Luckily, she made no moves to escape. We finally reached the camp where three tents were already set up. Bethany smiled when she saw us but it quickly disappeared when she noticed Valerie.

"Looks like I'm making another tent," she muttered. Bethany turned around and began working, ignoring Valerie. I walked over to a log and sat down, feeling the tension grow thicker than the trees around us.