The Summer Reunion (unedited version)

37| Butterflies Or Bears?

I tensed, too afraid to turn around. If I don't look, will it still be there? The rustling grew louder behind me and each step taken towards us crept up my spine in a chill. Who knows what's lurking in the middle of the forest. For all I know, we could be about to discover bigfoot. This is why I should always walk in the middle of the line! 

I turned slowly, bracing for the worst. Multiple colourful silhouettes pushed through the trees. My fear dissipated quickly and was replaced with relief. It wasn't a bear. It was our campers.

Wait-

Mac, Kenny, and Daniel ran towards us shouting and screaming over one another. It was hard to hear what any of them were saying.

"What are you guys doing here?" I placed my hand over my pounding heart. "You're supposed to stay on the path." 

"So were you," Mac answered. "We saw you disappeared and turned back to find you. When we saw you get into the forest we followed you."

"No, you forced us to follow them," Kenny interjected. "I was against the idea."

"Yeah cause Mac was too afraid to go by herself," Daniel teased her, which earned him a smack upside the head from her. 

"Will you two whiny bitches shut up?" she smacked both of them this time. "We have to move."

The three of us stared at the three of them, confused.

"Why do we have to move?" Tosh asked.

"Oh, right." Mac looked down the path they just came from. She seemed to be the calmest of the three of them, even though Daniel was trying to act unbothered. "I think I saw a bear."

"WHAT!?" the three of us shouted, and Kenny, who jumped a foot in the air. 

"What?! You didn't mention that Mackenzie!" his face turned bright red and his eyes bugged out. 

"I didn't want to freak you out," she turned and grabbed his shoulders. "Stop freaking out!"

Kenny looked wired with fear. His head darted around the forest and his body curled into itself, his shoulders hunched slightly. I felt bad for the kid. He looked really scared. 

"We should climb the trees!" Kenny shouted.

Grayson stepped closer to the kids. "No Kenny, we shouldn't."

"You're right," he said, "We should hide!"

"No," Grayson said again, trying to stop the train wreck of ideas his thoughts were following, "We're not doing that either." 

Tosh started pacing back and forth with a hand at her side. I'd say this was karma, but I don't think this is the time to point that out.

"Okay," Grayson tried to get our attention. Mainly Kenny's attention, as he was now hyperventilating and had Mac asking if she needed to slap him. "We all need to start moving. You guys saw the bear behind you?"

They all nodded at him.

"About two minutes ago. It was coming from the right and was heading diagonally towards our path," Mac said.

Kenny bent over and started dry heaving.

"Oh my god Kenny," Mac grabbed his shoulders again and shook him more violently this time. "If you don't stop you're going to get left behind! We don't need you slowing us down. We will let the bear eat you."

"No we wont," Grayson tried to stop her from freaking Kenny out more.

While Kenny's eyes were still wide behind his glasses, and his shoulders were visibly shaking, he stopped heaving. I guess that's an improvement.