Sweet Summer

Chapter Eleven :

Alina rushed out of her cabin, her heart pounding in her chest. Something wasn't right. She could feel it deep in her bones, but she couldn't put her finger on it. The eerie stillness of the morning air was broken by a piercing scream, cutting through the camp like a knife. She jumped, eyes wide, adrenaline surging as she ran toward the sound.

As she neared the clearing, she spotted Hayden and Parker standing near the commotion, their faces pale with confusion and worry. She sprinted over to them, breathless and frantic.

"What happened? Why the hell are people screaming?" Alina demanded, her voice sharp with urgency. She looked between the two boys, waiting for an answer as fear began to creep in.

Hayden shook his head, still in shock. "We don't know. We just got here, too."

Parker looked around, his jaw clenched, eyes scanning the camp as if searching for something—or someone. "Something's wrong, Alina," he said quietly, his voice low and tense. "I can feel it... Where's Natalia?"

Alina's stomach dropped at the mention of Natalia's name. The unease she had been feeling all morning suddenly sharpened into a terrifying realization. Without another word, she bolted toward Natalia's cabin, ignoring Parker and Hayden's calls behind her.

Opening the door to Natalia's cabin, her striking amber eyes taking in the horrific sight of Natalia..Her neck tattered along with her clothes, animal like scratches over her eye and her once neat & perfect hair now a mess and unevenly cut.

The already pit in her stomach now dropped lower as she felt like vomiting, "Natalia.." Alina whispered, taking a step closer before dropping to her knees as she couldn't control the tears that threatened to spill.

"..Nat..please, this isn't funny anymore.." she croaked as she held her closer, she begging..no, pleading that this was all some sick prank, that she was hiding somewhere and was gonna come out soon. "..Please..I-..I can't lose you.."

The room was silent along with the scent of blood and rotten skin..with some strange stench. Despite how warm Alina's body was, Natalia's skin remained cold and stiff as her expression was lifeless and distant in a way. Her eyes once brown and full of life were now black and just..nothing.

Alina sat on the cold floor, cradling Natalia's lifeless body, her tears mixing with the bloodstains on the ground. The weight of the moment felt unbearable. Parker and Hayden stood frozen at the door, their faces pale with shock and disbelief.

"I should've known," Alina muttered, her voice barely a whisper. "I should've come sooner." She brushed Natalia's hair from her face, her fingers trembling as she traced the uneven, jagged cuts across her neck. It didn't make sense—nothing made sense.

Parker finally stepped forward, hesitant but filled with a need to comfort Alina. "We'll figure this out," he said softly, though his own voice cracked. "But we need to get her help."

The mention of help snapped Alina back to reality. She quickly scrambled to her feet. "The hospital!" she exclaimed, almost to herself. "Maybe—maybe it's not too late."

With a last look at Natalia's broken form, they rushed out of the cabin, carrying her fragile body to seek the help they so desperately needed.

Seeing the others scream or vomit only made the situation worse. Alina stood frozen, her mind spinning in disbelief as they handed Natalia's lifeless body to Counselor Richard. His usually stern face had gone pale, eyes wide with shock, but he kept his composure for the sake of the panicked students.

The camp had turned into chaos. Counselors were ushering the kids away from the scene, shouting orders to get back to their cabins as the sound of an approaching ambulance filled the air. Alina barely registered any of it. She watched numbly as the paramedics rushed in, quickly placing Natalia onto a stretcher and loading her into the back of the ambulance.

Alina's legs felt weak as Parker put a hand on her shoulder. "She'll be okay," he said, his voice not as confident as he wanted it to sound. Alina's eyes remained fixed on the ambulance doors closing with a heavy thud, the sound cutting through her like a knife.

"She has to be," Alina whispered, her voice trembling. "She just has to."

But deep down, an unsettling feeling gnawed at her. Something about this whole situation felt wrong.

As the ambulance sped away, Alina clenched her fist as her lip quivered—the noticeable tremble as seen as she walked back to her cabin. Parker and Hayden shared glances before following after.

There, as Alina sobbed, Parker let her cry on his shoulder, and Hayden rubbed her back gently. The weight of despair hung heavy in the air, thickening with each tear that fell.

"..Sigh..What a shame.." The same mocking, honeyed voice came again, slithering through the silence like a serpent.

The words curled around them, wrapping tighter as if they were caught in a web of their own grief. Parker's heart raced, his eyes darting around the room, searching for the source.

"Who's there?" he called out, his voice shaky yet defiant.

But the only answer was the echo of Alina's cries and the soft rustling of leaves outside the window.

"Why do they cry?" the voice continued, dripping with false sympathy. "They don't even know the half of it. Such innocent lives, unaware of the darkness creeping ever closer."

Alina's sobs intensified, and Hayden clenched his fists, glancing nervously at Parker, who felt a chill run down his spine.

"Stop it!" Parker shouted, his voice a mix of anger and fear. "Show yourself!"

A low, sinister laugh echoed around them, reverberating off the walls as if the very room was mocking their pain.

"Why would I? This is so much more fun. Just wait; it's only just beginning."

The shadows in the room seemed to deepen, and for a moment, Parker swore he saw something flicker at the edge of his vision, a figure lurking just beyond the light.

But when he turned to look, there was nothing there—just the suffocating weight of what's been happening.