Camp Stories

Chapter 6

*Tyler*

I pant as I'm out of breath. Clay catches his breath as well. We are both best red in the face dripping in sweat. "Helen...." I muttered in my deep breaths. "Gone." Is the only word Clay could manage to create. After a moment of catching out breaths and recollecting our thoughts, we begin to walk ahead.

"Now what?" I asked Clay as the leaves crunch beneath our muddy shoes. "Well we need to find the others..... or what's left ." He said softly and bluntly. "So then counting everyone who came in the car.... it was Ruthie, Darien, Alysa, You, and myself. Joey and Helen are already gone." I state as my tone drops slightly.

"So then we need to find them before they are goners too." He said with a determined look. As I give him a tiny smile I look ahead to see a somewhat campsite set up. "Clay look!" I said running ahead. "Wait!" Clay said as I reach the site. There was a camp set up with familiar bags and items. "This is our friends stuff!" I state with excitement as I check their bags. It looks all untouched. I apologize deeply as I look for their phones, all of them where either not there, or had no reception. "Clay what do you...." I turn around to find him missing. "Clay?" I ask as my voice becomes scared.

Before I have the will to venture out I leave a note on the bag.

" Guys Helen and Joey are dead.... hard to believe but there is a mad man on the loose killing us! Please focus on escaping and finding each other! Good luck and hopefully see you soon." I then placed it on the bag as I venture back into the winding woods.

As the leaves crunch my against my feet and more and more my heart skips a beat. I carefully examine the surroundings with my phones flash light. "Nothing." I mumble softly afraid of who might hear me. Then I see a hand slumped over.... I hesitantly look. And to my dismay it's a friend.... Nathan. He has a large hatchet mashed into his face. "God...." I said as I feel my face flush with pale heat and my stomach churn. His face was stuck in a permanent look of dismay and fear, then the idea hit me.

The hatchet! I could use it for protection. "I-I'm sorry Nathan." I say as I shakily grabbed the hatchet on his face. The dried and sticky blood clings to my hand as I grab the handle. I grip tightly and pull, it slowly shifts out. The noise and smell makes me gag, as the squish of the hatchet travels outside his body and the smell of thick iron and guts fill my nose.

"Hhhh!" I groan as tears attack my eyes. Finally pulling it out as I fall on my behind. As soon as the hatchet exited his face his body falls to the side. I feel gross and like a disgrace. "Dammit.... you were the best in this situation.... why'd you go and die so soon." I said as hot tears rolled down my face.

I clean off the hatchet with grass and my clothing to make it look and smell less menacing and noticeable. I then grip it tightly as I go and try to find the others. Deeper and deeper I tracked not knowing my location as I come across the same place where Joey's death occurred. But it was odd, the stump was still there bloody dry. But joeys remains, where gone. Poof! Vanished into air.

I look around carefully, even the bits and chunks of his smashed brain are gone. I become even more afraid as I know who was the janitor of this mess. I turn around as I take a step in deep mud and trip. "Gah!" I state as I fall and splat onto the ground. I groaned as I get up slowly, then I noticed something helpful. Footprints.

There was a set of three to the right, one in the middle, and two to the left. I assumed the two where Clay's and mine. The middle ones were Helen's, and the others on the right. Determined I follow the right tracks at a brisk run. I will find them and I promise no one else will die.

After about ten minutes give or take I start to loose hope as the tracks are more barren and confusing. "Nathan would of found them by now." I sighed concerned. But then I hear a large ruffle in the bushes and then with the hatchet. "Whose there!" I yell. "Tyler?!" I hear a frantic voice. It takes a moment but I understand it. "Alysa?!" I asked. Out of the bush pops Alysa dirty in mud and scraps. She runs up and hugs me, I hug her back tightly. "Thank god!" I say as I squeeze her tightly. As we let go she explains to me what happened.

Ruthie, Darien and herself where running until they split up as Alysa lead them away. She then hid in the bushes until she saw me. I then explained what happened on my end. "So Helen is....." she said sadly. Before she finishes I respond with a nod. "Then we have to get out." She says bravely, but you can tell the fear in her dry voice.

"Alright then let's go." I say as I lead with the hatchet in my hand. Alysa directs me to where they spilt up and we follow from there. What lies ahead we don't know, but for sure it isn't good.