It wasn't until nightfall when the problem started.
We were all gathered around multiple campfires, singing, laughing, and talking. The stars were shining like city lights and the moon was a bowl of pure white milk.
I was sitting at a campfire with my friends, laughing my butt off (one of the guys at a neighboring campfire got his marshmallow on fire and he was spazzing out, waving it around randomly like a manic) when a boy burst out of the woods.
"Help! Help!" His hair was drenched in sweat and his face was as red as a tomato. He looked like he ran 5 miles straight without stopping and was panting as hard as a dog on a hot summer day. His arm, which had a long gash on it, was bleeding badly. I recognized him immediately from science. Kyle Miller. He was a mischievous little seventh grader who loved to play pranks.
"Help. Please." His knees gave away and he collapsed on the ground. A bunch of teachers rushed to his aid.
"Kyle, would you please tell us what happened." Mrs. Rollor said.
Kyle opened his mouth to say something that turned into coughing and wheezing. "Water." He rasped.
One of the teachers gave him a bottle of water which he drank gratefully.
"Now would you please kindly tell us what happened in the woods and why you were out there when no students are allowed in the woods after sundown?" Mrs. Rollor was getting impatient.
"I was attacked! Ambushed! Assaulted!"
"What are you talking about Mr. Miller?" Mr. Davis asked.
"I was in the woods with a friend and something; I don't know what, came out of nowhere and attacked us! It grabbed me and slashed my arm! "
"I swear Kyle, if this is one of your tricks again...."
"It's not!"
"Mr. Miller, if what you say is true, some evidence would be nice. For all we know, you could have gone in the woods and put fake blood all over that arm."
"You want proof? There's your proof over there!" Kyle nodded to the place in woods where he came from.
I'll spare you the details for your sake but lying a few feet away was a grotesque blood splattered body. I may never eat again. Lying a few feet away was a grotesque blood splattered body. Gasps spread through the crowd. The school nurse, Mrs. Red, pushed through the crowd and knelt down near the body. She checked its pulse.
"There's no pulse." She announced.
Kyle's face was streaked with tears.
"I had to carry her all the way here. It should have been me. I should have been the one who got the worst. Not her. "
The body was his girlfriend's, Juliet Rover's. People, especially those who knew her well, began to grieve for the girl.
"Kyle, can you please describe who did this to you and Juliet?"
"It's dark out. I couldn't see who or what it was. All I know is that it has one hell of a grip and claws. It didn't look human either."
Suddenly, a bloodcurdling scream broke out. Heads turned in the direction it came from. Another series of gasps passed. I couldn't see what happened because some very large heads were blocking the way. God, with those huge heads you'd think they'd be extremely smart and intelligent but apparently not.
"THE ZOMBIE ACOPCALYPSE IS HERE! I KNEW THIS WAS COMING! I TOLD YOU GUYS!" Some guy next to me yelled. This caused murmurs throughout the crowd.
Ms. Red climbed onto a rock and took out her megaphone. Her face was pale and she was shaking violently. She could barely hold the megaphone. Ms. Red turned the phone on and started.
"Ladies and g-gentlemen I am s- sorry to say t-that-." She dropped the megaphone and it hit the ground with a screech. Everyone cringed at the noise. Ms. Red bent down quickly and grabbed it. She was about to continue but Mr. Albecker, the history teacher, took over.
"This camping trip is over. There has been some trouble and we must go home immediately."
"But we've been waiting to go on this trip ever since you guys announced it!" Someone yelled.
"I'm sorry perhaps another year." Mr. Albecker answered. We all knew that wasn't true.
"What about the eighth graders? We're leaving this year; we're not going to go on another camping trip!" Supporters agreed aloud and booed the teacher.
"Half of the families here don't have time to go on a camping trip like this!" More out loud agreeing.
I don't know who this guy is but he's causing a riot.
Mr. Albecker lost his patience. "ENOUGH! There has been two deaths of innocent people, killed by unknown things with sharp claws. For all we know it could be a panther or something. Who knows who will die next? If you want to stay here and possibly die, that's fine by me!"
The crowd silenced, surprised by Mr. Albecker's outburst.
"Should we call the police?"
"No. The culprit could still be out there. By the time they get here, we'd all be dead."
"How are we supposed to get home? It's about 8 o' clock. The bus drivers would be out or sleeping by now. No one's going to come here and bring us back home."
"We have 2 buses here in case of emergencies."
"How are we supposed to fit all of us plus all of our equipment in 2 buses?"
"We'll have to squeeze the equipment in one bus and us in the other. Now get packing!"
The students groaned.
"What about the dead bodies?"
"We'll take them with us. I'm sure the families would want to see them."
