Slashed Summer

Prologue

The air was cold and crisp while the wind howled. Laughter filled Camp Haven, with teenagers huddled around a fire. Chatter filled the atmosphere, and counsellors roasted hotdogs over the crackling fire. Music played quietly underneath the already loud gossiping. The camp was at peace. Everything was comfortable.

That was until a girl covered in blood ran to a counsellor, screaming. Tears trickled down her face as she screeched. "There's a body! It's in the woods!" The girl collapsed as more counsellors ran over to her. "Where?" "Who?" The counsellors asked, leaving her no time to speak." By the... By the river! It's a boy, I don't know who! He's wearing a blue hoodie, his glasses are broken... I tried to help! I promise." She sobbed. Her words broke into a billion little pieces.

A counsellor stood up from his knee, "Everyone! Get to the mess hall!" He exclaimed, grabbing the girl and his phone. The rest of the counsellors ushered campers into the mess hall.The counsellor pressed his back against the door. 'Is everyone here?' he demanded, his voice carrying an edge of urgency. Another counsellor nodded in confirmation.

"Alright," he continued, "form a single-file line. I'll lead the way. Logan and Vira, you'll be right behind the campers. Jose, you're behind me." He pointed out the roles to different counsellors, and the group moved swiftly, keeping close together as they made their way to the waiting bus.

They boarded the bus quickly, the engine rumbling to life, its exhaust mingling with the chill of the dark night sky. As the bus pulled away, a gnawing feeling settled in their guts like something important had slipped through the cracks. They couldn't shake the sense that they had left something vital behind.

And they had.

Music from a portable speaker echoed through the woods as a group of teenagers lugged coolers and clutched beers, their laughter punctuated by random jokes.

"Oh my god," a girl with short, curly brown hair drawled, her voice dripping with sarcasm as she extended the word 'god.' She crossed her arms, one nestled beneath the other. "I'm so glad we're not at the fire. That stuff's always so boring. It's like the same thing every night!"

"Right!" chimed in another girl, Siobhan, brushing a stray lock of straightened brown hair from her face as she rested her head on a boy's shoulder. "They seriously need to change it up, like, a lot!"

The boy she rested her head on, Liam, nodded in agreement. Another boy, Nathan's voice laced with laughter, added, "Yeah, they should let me and Taryn open mouth kiss over the fire."

Taryn, the girl with short, curly blonde hair, quickly retorted, "As if! I'd rather make out with Cian!" She fiddled with her fingers, glancing around at the group. A third boy, Carter, brow furrowing, chimed in, "Speaking of which, where is Cian?"

Liam looked up from his lap, concern, etching his features. The crackling fire cast eerie, shifting shadows on the faces around him. "How... How long has he been gone?"

The girl whose head leaned on his shoulder looked down at her phone, its screen casting a soft glow on her face. "Like forty-five minutes... Wasn't he supposed to just be going to the bathroom?"

Nathan started, "Maybe he's just taking a shit?"

Liam looked at him, his worry deepening, "then go see if he's there."

Nathan stood up, placing his hands on his hips, "he's your brother!"

Liam rolled his eyes, "Okay, I'll be back then, I guess." He pecked Siobhan on the lips and then headed down the small hill they were seated on, leaves crunching under his sneakers as he disappeared into the dark woods.