The camping

Chapter 12

They rushed to her. At first glance, she was conscious. Blood came out of her nose and an open wound was above her right eye. She tried to straighten up, but her arms seemed unable to bear her weight. David slowly put her back to her feet.

"What did... happened?" the girl babbled. "Where...?"

"That's kind of our question," David replied, leading her up to the picnic table.

"Where is Kristine?" Judith asked, looking around. "She wasn't with you?"

Suzie seemed very confused. She looked at the girl before turning to the boy. Was she looking for an answer to give them or was she still lost in the mists of unconsciousness? She raised her hand to touch her head. She grimaced and her gaze was lost away. Judith came to wonder if she had understood the question.

"The woods... I... We..."

"You?" Judith asked. "Was Kristine with you?"

"Yes... and we were both back..."

"When?" David said. "There is no one else..."

"The woods!" Suzie repeated in a more lively voice. "The noise...!"

She straightened herself, but she was unable to maintain her balance. David caught up with her before she collapsed.

"We came back and heard a noise in the wood," the girl explained in a more assured voice, "but we didn't see anything. I... I turned to our lot and..."

Her eyes widened.

"There was someone behind us."

"What do you mean?" David asked. "Someone came out of the woods and..."

"Kristine! Where's Kristine? He took her...!"

David and Judith looked at each other for a short moment, thinking of the same thing: the guy who beat up Jonathan. So where was Kristine? Suzie began to cry as she was about to run towards the woods. David kept her from getting up. Judith approached the forest and scanned for a moment before heading for the camper. She went inside to get a flashlight. Then she remembered David had one. She went back to the door when she heard Annie's sleeping voice ask her what was going on.

"Kristine is gone."

"No... She's surely with Jonathan..."

"There was an attacked and she disappeared!"

"Who was attacked...?"

"Are you doing this on purpose or what?"

"Let me remind you that I was asleep a few seconds ago!"

"Kristine and Suzie were attacked near the woods," Judith replied as calmly as possible. "Suzie is a little shaken, but Kristine is not there. And now that you're awake, you're going to come help me find her!"

Annie finally came back to reality. She told the girl where to find a flashlight. As she put on her shoes, she asked her:

"What did you tell her?"

Judith stopped her research to look at her.

"There were attacked."

"Sometimes..."

"I told you she was attacked with Suzie."

She resumed her research.

"And Suzie? What did she see?"

"Not much."

Judith raised her hands, giving up her research. She took the sit map and put it in her back pocket. Annie looked quickly around her before heading to a closet in a corner of the little living room. She rummaged inside to pull out a baseball bat. A little smile on her lips, she beckoned to Judith that they could now leave.