August 19, 2020 - Camp Willaby

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I was expecting to hear the sweet sound of children's laughter echoing from inside the camp, but this place is desolate. I guess they shut down operations in the last few years. The doors are rusted shut and there are several warning signs plastered on the mildew infested gates. I pace nervously outside the camp, waiting for whoever "us" is to show up. The thunderous rumbling of two cars approaching nearly causes me a heart attack. Two sleek shiny sports cars pull up just in front of me. Holy crap, is that a Lamborghini?

Nico and Gabby exit together from one car, and Janice and Trey from the other. They all look like shit. I mean, their clothes probably cost more than my rent, but their faces are pale, and searing with pain.

"Emily!" Gabby shouts as she runs up to me and grabs my arm. "Show me your hand!"

I pull my hand out of her grasp and step back aggressively. "What is wrong with you?"

Nico stomps towards me, smelling of alcohol. "Give her your fucking hand, Emily!"

I look to Janice and Trey for help, but their eyes both blaze with a hollow emptiness. What the fuck? I realize that I'm shaking at this point, and Gabby uses the opportunity to yank on my hand.

"Shit!" she exclaims as her eyes widen in distress. "Come here, guys!"

Nico, Trey, and Janice all hover around me, staring intently at my palm. Trey runs both hands through his hair and curses repeatedly.

"What is going on?" I whisper quietly. "You guys are scaring me."

The four of them gather around me, talking to each other through their eyes. Gabby nods and they all hold out their right hand. I gasp as I stumble backward. Burned into the center of all of their palms is three out of five points of a pentagram. There's dried blood and scorch marks around the etching.

Janice retracts her hand and collapses on the floor. "But we did everything right," she mutters to herself. "This shouldn't be happening."

I have had enough of this cryptic bullshit. "Someone better tell me what's going on right now, or I'm leaving."

Janice turns towards me, her glossy blue eyes pierce mine. "Don't you see, Emily? It worked."

"What worked?"

Trey narrows his eyes, marches towards me, and snatches my arm. "It worked? Really? Then why the fuck is there nothing here?"

Janice drops her face into her hands. "I don't know. I don't fucking know."

Gabby takes a deep breath to level herself. "Emily, listen. Remember the summer we were all counselors here together?" I nod. "Remember Cecelia's book?" Oh, you've got to be kidding me.

"This is what it's all about? Really? Her little black spellbook?" I laugh. "You guys, that was just a game." Although, I vaguely remember being scared shitless, until nothing ended up happening.

"No, Em. It was real." Nico shakes his head. "It took about a year, but we all got what we wanted."

I look around the group. "What does that even mean?"

Janice stands up and dusts off her ivory pantsuit. "It means that somehow, we fucked up. Because you're still a fucking server."

"Ok, enough! Stop criticizing me." I don't remember her ever being this bitchy.

"I'm not criticizing you. I'm saying that you clearly did not get what you wanted. Which means we fucked up!"

Trey grunts."I got a football scholarship after high school even though I ranked fourth. Somehow, I ended up being drafted to the NFL. Emily, my body weight and speed increased by 30% without training," he explains.

Gabby steps towards me. "I got lead anchor at CKW News 11 before even graduating college. I have my own network cable show now."

I look at Nico. "An app I created in high school got purchased for 60 million dollars a few years back."

Janice grabs my hand. "I got married sophomore year to the nicest man I've ever met, and I have a little girl."

I blink rapidly trying to wrap my head around what she's saying. "But...you can't have kids."

Janice looks away. "I know, but it happened."

"You guys, this could all just be a coincidence. I mean, congratulations on all your success, but maybe you just worked hard and got what you wanted," I try to rationalize.

Trey scoffs as he puts out his smoke. "Then what the fuck is this?" He holds out his hand.

"Are you blaming that on me?" I ask, horrified.

"Did you cut your palm that night, Emily?" Nico barks from behind me. "Did you see blood come out?"

"Yes! I did." Peer pressure and all. "I even have a faint scar to prove it!"

"We need that book back." Janice shakes her head. "We need to find Cece."

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