The Battle Of The Ghouls

Chapter Two

My mom pulled me into a goodbye hug. I pulled myself closer into her arms, breathing in her scent in like I would never see her again.

      We ended the swift embrace as the taxi pulled up to the driveway. I glanced to look at my surroundings one last time for the summer.

      My mom smiled sadly at me, while my father stood stone faced behind her. Our house painted a smooth tan seemed to be giving me its own farewell as the curtains in the open windows blew softly in the wind.

      I turned around and the driver in the taxi waved impatiently at me. I sighed and grabbed my small suitcase packed with a short supply of clothes and other necessities.

      "Bye," I said simply to my parents.

      "Goodbye, Ilya." My mother waved bittersweetly as I stepped down from the porch and walked to the yellow taxi.

      "Stay safe," I heard my father whisper, barely audible. The taxi man stepped out of the car and took my suitcase to put in the back.

      I turned once more to look at my parents. My dad had his hand on my mother's shoulder.

      "I will," I told him and got into the taxi.

      We drove away silently down the road. I sat still in my seat and wondered, what did I have to be so afraid of that my father would say something like that?

      My thoughts were swirling in my head throughout the whole drive.

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      I wondered how long we had been driving for when suddenly we turned down a smaller road, and soon smaller after that, and smaller still.

      Eventually, we were driving down an abandoned dirt trail.

      The trees crowded around the trail and branches blocked out almost all sun from sight.

      A creepy eerie feeling soaked into the car. The driver seemed to stiffen, and I realized I hadn't talked to him during the whole ride.

      "Hey, uh... where exactly is this summer camp?" I leaned forward and asked him patiently. No answer.

      I decided to tap on his shoulder."Hey, summer camp? Where is it?" I persisted.

      That's when the brakes came on. The car came to a sudden stop, sending me straight forward into the driver's seat.

      I sat up and rubbed my head, what the hell just happened?

      I opened my eyes to see the driver out of the car. He grabbed my suitcase and opened my door of the taxi.

      He still didn't say anything, but I knew he was ordering me to get out.

      I climbed out,"What's wrong?" I asked him as my feet landed on the ground. He simply handed me my suitcase.

      I grabbed the cold handle and brought it closer to me, what was going on?

      None of my questions were answered, because that's when he climbed back into the taxi and began to turn the car around.

      "Hey! Wait up, where are you going!?" I dropped my bag on the dusty road and ran up to the car.

      "Where am I supposed to go!?" I demanded and banged my fist on the window.

      He looked me straight in the eye. I saw nothing, as I realized, his eyes were blank and dead.

      "Tell me!" I commanded.

      Slowly, he lifted his hand off the wheel and pointed it behind him, at the road that went on forever through the dark woods.

      "Wha--?" I had no chance to say anything else before he sped off. Leaving me in the dust.

I sat in the silence, the dust settling around me.

"What the hell?" I looked around, suddenly panicked.

I was in the middle of nowhere, with no food. No water. No supplies. I was screwed.

I reached for my bag and set it on the dirt,"Please let there be something," I begged, unzipping it.

Shirts. Pants. Toothbrush. Comb. "AHA!" I yelled triumphantly, my voice echoing around me,"A flashlight!"

I pulled the small flashlight out of my suitcase, at least I have light.

I clicked the button. Nothing happened. I pushed it again, still nothing.

"What!?" I opened it up. There were no batteries inside.

I cursed to the wind, to the woods, to this blasted 'Summer Camp'. Not even my flashlight was working, I forgot the batteries.

It would have been better to just stay home, I told myself.

Because now I was stranded. I had no clue where on earth I could be. We had drove for multiple hours on end, I could be halfway across the state.

I threw the flashlight carelessly back into my messy suitcase and zipped it back up.

"At least I can try walking." I told myself, heading the way the driver had pointed to.

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I heard the rustling in the trees before I saw her jump out of the bushes.

I had been walking for half an hour before she did show up, and she scared me straight out of my mind. I fell back onto the hard ground, just managing to not hit my head a second time today.

She had tan skin despite the dark forest, and long light brown hair that was braided down to her chest.

She was short, about my height. I didn't see much of her face under her blood red hood and cloak, but I could see a bright smile and freckles dotting her small nose.

She had a impressive bow in her hands, and a quiver full of arrows tucked across her back.

"Hello," she told me, extending her empty hand,"I'm Meadow."