The Immortal Slave

2)Bad Feeling

"People Are Strange" by The Doors
A/N The story has gone through a massive rewrite. Jack Frost was replaced by Triton as an accomplice to Kohl. Sorry for the confusion to anyone coming back to this book to re-read! 
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Cami spent the hour-long drive listening to music on her phone, unable to tolerate Kohl's incessant boasting about his worldly travels. Unlike Kohl, Triton remained eerily quiet, seemingly disinterested in engaging with anyone. Cami struggled to pinpoint exactly why she felt uneasy around them. It wasn't that Kohl was rude—he was quite pleasant, polite, and maintained good eye contact unlike Triton. Yet, something about him made Cami feel uncomfortable. It wasn't just his recent acquaintance status or the way he looked at everyone, which went beyond mere interest in a couple of cute girls. Even the nineteen-year-old Hayden wasn't immune to Kohl's unsettling gaze. Triton, on the other hand, was a blank slate. He stared vacantly at his lap, his demeanor a mix of sullen and detached.
"Cams, you listening?" Britney's voice cut through the music as she turned down the radio. Cami blinked, momentarily disoriented.
"Huh?"

Pulling out her earbuds, Cami noticed they were nearing the exit for the cabin by the lake. Hayden and Kohl had switched seats, placing Kohl closer to Britney and herself. Kohl's gaze was fixed on her as he asked, "I asked if you like the outdoors." Even though Cami avoided eye contact, she could still feel his scrutiny through the rearview mirror.

"Yeah," Cami replied tersely. Normally, she was far from shy—bubbly and sweet-natured to everyone she met. But tonight, she was struggling to mask her frustration with Nicole's decision to invite these strangers along. Had Nicole never seen The Hitcher or The Texas Chainsaw Massacre? Cami had watched those with her older brothers, and she knew firsthand that bad things could happen when people weren't careful. She always felt uneasy at the sight of hitchhikers, and even though these guys were impeccably dressed, her instincts remained on high alert. It was June, and they were heading to the Bald Mountain Range campgrounds on a sweltering summer night. The guys' pristine clothing only fueled Cami's suspicions. She shook off her paranoia, reminding herself that there was safety in numbers. With a total of eight people in their group—four girls and four guys—they outnumbered the trio. If necessary, they could easily defend themselves. Kohl was no match for Adam or Braydon, who had played varsity baseball throughout high school. "Not too talkative, are you?" Kohl's voice broke through her thoughts.

Cami blinked, realizing Kohl was speaking directly to her. His gaze was fixed intently on her, and she noted a faint accent in his voice—Scottish, perhaps? She wasn't sure. "My mama taught me not to talk to strangers," she replied curtly.
It was true. Her strict Catholic mother had drilled into her the importance of caution. But that was just the start—her mother had also been adamant about not spending the night with boys in cabins and avoiding the use of fake IDs to buy alcohol. At this point, talking to a stranger seemed like the least of Cami's concerns. She ignored the disapproving glance Britney shot her way and tried to push aside the nagging feeling that her mother would not be pleased if she could see her now. If her parents knew what Cami was up to tonight, she'd probably be grounded until she was thirty! Her four older brothers would deliver a stern lecture, and even her little brother would be disappointed.

Instead of taking offense at Cami's curt reply, Kohl chuckled. "That's actually sound advice. Did you know that over six-hundred-thousand people go missing every year? And that's just in the U.S. alone," he mused. "Globally, who knows?"
"Those statistics aren't making me any feel better having you here," Cami replied, her gaze fixed out the window. She ignored Nicole's exasperated huff and Hayden's derisive snort.
Nicole snapped, "Could you like, remove the stick from your ass?" Her sarcasm was audible to everyone, and her attempt at apology to Kohl was equally clear.

Cami resisted the urge to point out that the same stick might be lodged in Nicole's head, impairing her judgment. Instead, she kept quiet. Cami noticed Nicole's small hand sneaking across Kohl's lap to touch his inner thigh. Cami rolled her eyes and focused on the passing trees and shrubbery. If Nicole wanted to sleep with a stranger, that was her decision, no matter how stupid Cami thought it was.

"So, has anyone here ever played the 'reveal-your-blood-type' game?" Kohl asked casually.
Cami's eyes widened in alarm as they pulled into the long driveway leading to Melanie's family cabin. The guy was definitely odd. A blood-type game? Why not just ask how they'd prefer to be murdered? Cami thought cynically. She regretted not opting for the other car with Melanie and her brother. There, she would have been enjoying rock music and listening to the guys banter about their Netflix marathon for the next two weeks. But Britney had pouted like an overgrown toddler, insisting that Cami ride with her in the jeep. It seemed this was what caused Britney and Hayden to fall silent. They must have thought his comment as odd as well.

"Oh, why the awkward silence?" Kohl asked, his tone tinged with curiosity. "Haven't you heard that's the med school way to take shots?" Cami allowed her shoulders to relax slightly as the others laughed. It dawned on her that Kohl was referring to a drinking game.
Kohl continued, "You pick a specific blood type and then secretly ask everyone what theirs is. For every person with the same type, the one asking has to take a shot."
"Oh my gosh, we should totally play that," Nicole said, smiling broadly. Cami half expected she would agree with anything this stranger said even if Kohl had suggested piercing their own ears with blunt needles.
"I don't know mine," Hayden confessed, looking disappointed.
"Don't you worry, mate. There's always a way to tell such a thing," Kohl smiled wistfully.