Silent Night

Chapter Seven

Chapter seven

My eyes opened and closed a few times, my mind and body being in a debate if I should wake up or go back to sleep. Chills went through me making me shiver like a dog in the winter, even with a blanket it didn't help. That's when I realized the zipper for the tent door was pulled down. I turned to wake Jackson up to see he wasn't there. I stared out into the darkness and it seemed as if it were staring back at me. It started to make me uncomfortable, but I didn't want to move an inch.

You're safe inside the camp circle. My mind echoed the words, but it wouldn't register fully. The sound of rustling outside the tent snapped me back to reality. The reality of me being silly and over-thinking things. It could of just been Jackson going out for some fresh air. But still, I had a bad feeling, maybe it was the rustling noise outside the tent or eerie silent night.

The sleepiness I felt when I woke up had withered away, leaving me feeling nothing except for cold and nervous.

"Jackson?" I whispered as I peeped my head outside into the darkness, I couldn't see anything.

My phone! How did I not think of that before? I felt around, my hands being my eyes in the tent for a few seconds before remembering my phone was in my bag. Which was in the tent with Lainey and Mouse.

With an exasperated sigh, I got up and out of the tent. The fire didn't exist anymore. No light source whatsoever. I shuffled my way over to the tent with my bag in it, hoping I would make it there in one piece without tripping and breaking one of my bones. The wind hit my skin, making me shudder. And like a brick to the head, it hit me. Jackson never responded. Should I try to call out for him?

When deciding I should wait for others to be awake to search for him, I hastily made my way to my destination.

I reached for the zipper, pulled it open and climbed in, maneuvering my body to not step on my friends. So far I had good luck, it was like they.. "Weren't even here.." My lips spoke the words my mind wouldn't dare to think.

I felt around the tent, no one was here, neither was any of our bags. Panic settled in me, making me feel sick to my stomach. My legs began to shake then soon enough I collapsed, feeling the tears start to build up in my eyes. "Mouse.. Lainey.." My voice cracked.

At any moment I would wake up and it would be daytime and my friends would be there. I pinched myself, but this was all too real to be just be a dream. Hopelessness and heartache possessed my body as I realized no one was here to help me, I knew if I went to check if Ginger and Charlie were here, I'd be disappointed. Alone, I was alone with no one here to help me through this confusing situation. Where had my friends gone? Did they abandon me or had something happened?

After countless sniffles and many tears, a sound distracted me from having a breakdown. A noise that gave me hope and an uneasy feeling. It didn't sound like someone walking or stepping on a twig. It had more of crackle sound to it as if someone were cracking a nut. A fire. It was a fire! I turned around in the tent to see a glowing light-source. The flames seemed to hypnotizing as I stepped out of the tent, walking towards it with curiosity. I felt like a caveman seeing it for the first time.

Questions were raised in my head as I stared at it. Who lit it? Were my friends still here, playing a cruel trick on me? "Guys?" I called out with hope in my voice.

"Run Marla!" Someone called out, it sounded like Charlie. Screams and inaudible words came after that. No hesitation went through my mind, it came as a reaction as I started to run. Running away from voice that sounded like my friend, away from the light, away from anything else that was there.

Like an invisible wall had been put there, I bumped into something that stopped me from running and made me fall flat on my ass. I looked up to see a tall figure. A guy with big muscles, tattoos on his arms, bald, he looked like he could be in a biker gang. He stood in front of me, smiling down at me with his crooked teeth. "You're a runner, I like that." He picked me up by my shirt and dragged me back to the campsite then threw me on the ground.