Camden sighs deeply, pulling open the fridge door in hopes of finding something edible but her aunt Georgina hadn't gone grocery shopping yet and so the options were scarce. A styrofoam container of butter chicken from the night before, one banana, half a dozen eggs, half a carton of milk and a tub of yoghurt remained in the fridge. 

The Sawyer family began to change their weekly trips to the grocery store to fortnightly ones when the bills began to pile up the previous few months. Camden and Joan offered to get jobs but were shot down quick by the older lady for she refused to place further stress on the two seniors.

Camden felt the familiar coil of guilt in her gut as while her cousin had yet to turn eighteen, she was nineteen and still in high school without a job to help repay her aunt. 

She had brought up the subject of her getting a job after her sixteenth birthday and her aunt had so vehemently rejected the idea that Camden feared she had insulted her by insinuating her aunt couldn't cope on her own. She hadn't meant to be so forthcoming in her concern for their financial stability but when Camden spoke up, she was forward and to the point. 

She would never understand her aunt's bruised ego for her simply stating the truth. 

The ding of the fridge door shook her from her thoughts and she cracked her neck in contemplation. 

"How does an omelet and fruit salad sound for breakfast?" Camden called over her shoulder to her cousin Joan who resided at the kitchen island.

"Sounds like a plan," Joan's soft spoken voice grins over the newspaper and Camden clenches her jaw to hold back a jealous remark. Her voice was once like that.

"Has Gina left for the station yet?" Camden pulls out the egg and milk cartons from the fridge, letting the door slam shut on its own accord. 

"No, Charlie checked in on the station before he left for the day. Mum's heading over soon though, she'll have time for breakfast," Joan nods, understanding what Camden meant.

Camden doesn't choose to respond, her focus now on whisking the remaining eggs in a bowl alongside a generous splash of milk. Camden pours a third of the mixture into the pan with a teaspoon of butter. She turns the heat up slightly and glances at her cousin's reflection in the mirror above the stove.

Joan is sitting ram rod straight at the kitchen island, her tawny coloured hands grasping the grey paper, flipping the page with an excited giggle as she finds the comic strips. Camden smiles to herself at the childlike grin on her cousin's face as she pushes her straight black hair behind her ear. 

"The eggs are gonna burn, Cammie," her aunt's amused voice rings out across the kitchen as her figure walks through the doorway. 

Her aunt shares the same straight hair as Joan, however her eyes, those she shared with Georgina's brother and Camden's father. She always thought her brown eyes were inherited from Anita but during her hospitalisation, Georgina had sat beside her bed with identical eyes that proved otherwise.

Camden's eyes snap down to the pan and sure enough, the eggs are well past done. "Shit, shit, shit."

"Wow, failing this early? I wonder how the rest of your day will go," Joan's voice is teasing as she and Georgina laugh at Camden's panicked movements. 

Camden picks up the spatula and tries to scoop the omelet up but only succeeds in tearing the egg in half. Camden shrugs in indifference and pours the remaining egg mixture into the pan. Scrambled eggs were much tastier in Camden's opinion.

She scrapes the plastic spatula continuously against the bottom of the pan, her ears tuning out the conversation taking place behind her. Placing the lid over the pan, she allows the eggs to simmer for a minute. 

Grabbing porcelain bowls from the overhead cupboard, she cuts the bananas up in the bowl alongside the remaining quarter of the yoghurt container. Camden's eyes furrow, they really needed to go grocery shopping soon. 

Plating the eggs up, Camden places each bowl on the placemats before making a second trip and bringing the plate of eggs over to the island. "Bon appetite."

"Thanks Cam, I sure love these omelettes," Joan grins, her fork reaching out to poke the scrambled eggs pointedly with a smirk. 

"Do you really wanna get on the bad side of the only cook in this house, Joan?" Camden asks, crunching down on the burnt egg. 

Camden by no means was a good cook but in comparison to her aunt and cousin, she was Gordan Ramsay on steroids in the kitchen. 

"So, what are your plans for today girls?" Georgina asks, her mouth full of yoghurt and banana making Camden look away quickly, her stomach rolling in disgust. 

"I'm gonna head down to First Beach with Lauren and Jess. Jess is gonna help us with our surfing so we don't embarrass ourselves in front of the boys again," Joan speaks up first, lifting her bowl to scrape the last mouthful of yoghurt in her mouth. 

Camden chuckles at the memory of the two girls crying on the beach with matching broken noses. Joan glares at her fiercely, cheeks burning in embarrassment. 

"It's not funny! We broke our noses in front of Tyler and Eric! It was mortifying!" Joan whines, her voice breaking in distraught. 

Georgina chuckles alongside Camden as she finishes off her yoghurt. "You both did it with the same board! That's humorous, sweetie."

Georgina turns to Camden, her identical mocha eyes softening as Camden scoops the remaining scrambled eggs into her mouth. "And you, Cammie? What are you up to today?"

"Oh! Bells and I are looking for a meadow," Camden nods along with her words as if to confirm their accuracy. 

Georgina and Joan stare at her, eyes blank and she tilts her head to the side in confusion. 

"What?" 

"You're spending your free time, looking for a meadow? How lame is your life, Cam?" Joan groans in disgust, her eyes rolling in her head.

"It's for Bella and hiking is fun. You can fall over and get back up again, just like therapy," Camden jokes, noticing the way her cousin shuffles in her seat uncomfortably. 

Her cousin was a supportive person but she would never understand the importance of therapy in Camden's life. Camden suspected Joan blamed their financial struggles on Camden's therapy visits and she did too, but Anita still paid a monthly child support charge to cover the therapy sessions. Joan and Anita just didn't know what the money was used for.

"Cammie..." her aunt begins, voice tense. "There's been sightings of bears around and Angela Weber put in a report of one near town. I don't know how I feel about you girls going into those woods."

Camden's heart fell and she turns to her aunt wide-eyed. "Oh please, Gina! We're heading in the opposite direction of the sighting, I promise. We'll be sticking to the trail and I've already sent you a photo of the map so you'll know where we are. Please, the fresh air will help us both!"

Georgina stares straight faced at Camden for a moment and Camden knew she was studying her. Studying her tense posture, hunched shoulders, pouted lips and last of all, her eyes that remind her aunt so much of her deceased brother.

Her aunt sighs in defeat and nods her head, her long hair swishing from side to side in its low ponytail. "Okay but you need to call me when you get there and when you're on your way back."

Camden rolls her eyes in disbelief before shaking her head in disagreement. "How about I text you?"

"Fine," Georgina shakes Camden's outstretched hand in agreement.

"Great! I'm going to go get my jacket and then I'll be on my way. Oh, Joan?" Camden waits for her cousin's attention to be pulled away from the comics once more. "Can we borrow your compass please? Bella doesn't have one."

"Yeah, I'll bring it up for you. I think it's in the garage somewhere," Joan mumbles to herself in thought, raising from the kitchen bench. 

Camden stands too, brushing crumbs off her chest with a huff. 

"Well, it's time for me to head out girls. Please stay safe the both of you. I'll see you when I get home later tonight. I'll bring home something from the diner. I'll have to go grocery shopping tomorrow I suppose." Camden and Joan share a glance, both agreeing that one of them would have to go otherwise Gina would forget half the list.

Gina leans over and kisses both girls' foreheads, her chapped lips brushing their skin tenderly. "I love you."

Camden and Joan respond in unison before leaving the kitchen. Camden makes her way up the stairs, her footsteps heavy against the carpet. Her mind too preoccupied with the heavy feeling in her stomach to control the sound of her footsteps. 

Pushes her door open with her foot, she slips in and picks up her drink bottle. After a few slow sips, the heavy feeling fades away and Camden sags her shoulders in relief. 

That is until she catches a glance of herself in the mirror. She's adorning denim shorts just a little longer than her mid-thigh and a plain green shirt. Her eyes focus on her thighs and the way the shorts seem to dig into her skin, creating a muffin top look and the non-existent space between them. 

Camden sits down on her bed and faces the mirror with slow breaths before reciting the mantra Cheng advised her to use.

Number one was her sturdy ankles that help carry her to the places she loved. Camden depended on them to help her move and be independent. Two were her long legs that gave her powerful strides. She adored the strength they held by carrying her body day in and day out. 

Three were her hips and how beautifully they curve, connecting her legs to her stomach. Camden liked how it felt for someone to hug her and hold her by her hips. Four was her lighting bolt covered stomach that stores what she eats. She depending on them to show her past and store enough nutrients to bring her to the future.

Five were her breasts that gave her confidence. Camden felt feminine with her heavy breasts and how beautiful they looked in lace lingerie. Six was her neck with its long expanse of skin that allowed her to express her creativity with bedazzled jewels. 

Seven was her chin and the delicate curve of it. She allowed her chin to soften her exterior and enjoyed how it allowed her to express her moods by lifting or lowering it in conversations. Eight were her cheeks, blushing and proud. She adored her cheeks because they reminded her that she was alive and that was a comforting reassurance for Camden. 

Camden stares at her lips in the mirror, hesitating for a moment before reaching her fingers up to trace them. She breathes deeply for a few moments reminding herself to stay positive.

Number nine was her voice that showed her story. Camden liked that it could remind her of her past and how she had managed to overcome it - how she still was overcoming her past. Ten was her copper skin that was warm and soft as it protected her from the outside dangers. Camden adored the way it was deceiving to the eye and how innocent it looked when it was really an impenetrable armour. 

"Cam-" Joan's voice stops, as her footsteps enter the room softly. 

Camden frowns bitterly. Everyone's footsteps but hers are always so soft.

Camden looks away from her reflection and to her cousin standing beside her. "I'm sure Bella won't object to a rain check."

Camden hesitates before shaking her head firmly. She could get through today, she just needed to take the first step out of the house and she would be okay. "I can go."

Joan purses her lips but doesn't object. "Here's the compass and a coffee. I'll take care of the dishes, have fun today."

Camden stands up and hugs her cousin good bye. She takes the compass and coffee mug out of Joan's outstretched hand and grabs a sweatshirt and backpack on her way out of the room. It was time she headed over to the Swan house.

The walk to the Swan house was filled with silence and the soothing sound of Frank Ocean blasting through her ears at full volume whilst occasionally sipping at the bitter liquid.

Camden walks up the Swan's driveway, her feet slapping against the ground as pushes a sweaty curl behind her ear. The Swan house was only a block away and she was already out of breath, how was she suppose to handle hiking?

The door swings open and the father daughter duo were both dressed in flannel. Camden smiles at the cuteness of their awkward relationship. "Good morning Charlie, Bells."

"Hello Camden, how are you?" Charlie responds, his voice gruff like Camden's.

"Good, I'm ready to get this Trig revision over and done with," she lies as asked by Bella. Charlie apparently wasn't as accepting of their outing as her aunt.

Charlie's chestnut eyes scan her face for a moment and Camden could feel a bead of sweat run down the back of her neck. She really hated his detective eyes. Thankfully Charlie seems to find something worth trusting in Camden's stilted expression as he smiles and claps a mitten covered hand against her shoulder softly. 

"Aren't you glad to have a friend like her, Bells?" Charlie grins cheekily, eyes sparkling with mischief. 

"Yeah, yeah. We're not gonna thank you for setting us up, dad," Bella responds, her arms crossing and hip popping to the side.

Charlie raises his hands in surrender and gives them a wave before sliding into his cruiser swiftly. "Where's he going so early?"

"Fishing, we've got enough time to get to the meadow and back before he's even thinking of coming home," Bella smiles, raising her dainty hand to wave alongside Camden as they watch the cruiser pull out of the street. 

Bella turns to Camden with a grin as she locks the door shut. "You ready?" 

Camden gulps at the wild look in Bella's eyes, her cheeks heating up. "As I'll ever be. Now let's get going before one of your neighbours spots us and snitches to your dad or my aunt."

A few minutes later, the two girls were seated in Bella's parked truck with the heater on full blast. They silently stare at the map spread across both of their laps and compass on the dashboard. 

"I think we head east at this little bend here, but other than that we're just walking forward," Bella mutters, her index finger tracing the path they were going to take.

"Ok, let's go get some closure!" Camden cheers, grabbing the compass and slinging her backpack over both arms.

Bella exits the truck with an uneasy smile to which Camden reaches out and links her hand with Bella's. Bella squeezes her fingers and they set off determined to reach there as soon as possible. If Charlie had figured something was up before, he might come home early from fishing to catch them in the act.

Camden observes their surroundings in wonder, sipping at her tepid coffee. The forest was lively and bright, yet the ever presence of doom was looming over their shoulders making her feel on edge. 

Every time a bird chirps and caws, she flinches, speeding up her pace to match her friend's in fear of losing her. The insects buzz noisily and she stomps louder, hoping to drown out the noises of nature with one she's become accustomed to hearing. Camden was suddenly very thankful for her heavy footing.

Bella glances back at her and Camden grimaces as her foot almost slides in the moss coated tree branch. "So, what was that look about yesterday when I mentioned Jasper Hale?"

Camden trips, her hands slamming against the nearest tree to catch herself and Bella rushes over to help her steady herself. "W-What are you talking about?"

Bella fixes her with a blank stare, eyebrow raised in an unimpressed manner. "Come on, Cam. Did you really think I wouldn't notice? You blushed more than you usually do."

"I- He was sweet, that's all. I had a little school girl crush on him when he got to town," Camden admits, her voice a whisper as they walk side by side. 

Bella hums in encouragement as she keeps her hand on Camden's lower back. 

Camden exhales, sweat forming under her arms and breathing became difficult from exertion. "He was sweet but in a shy way. He never spoke to anyone else, just kind of observed everyone as if on the look out. He - he had these beautiful amber eyes that would look dark when the weather was bad."

Camden pushes her curls behind her ear once more in agitation. She shouldn't have used that hair mask the night before, now it wouldn't stay within the elastic for the life of her. 

"He had the dangerous vibe but not one that suggested aggression, just defensive I guess. Like, he was prepared for any situation, you know?" Camden turns to Bella, wanting her friend to understand her thought process to which the other girl nods.

"His voice, was, well, he had that handsome southern accent that made even history sound hot. As in, need a cold shower hot," Camden winks saucily at Bella, giggling as Bella stumbles over a rock in her disgust.

"I never made a move because obviously he and Alice are together and I didn't want to be a home wrecker or anything like that," Camden shrugs, ignoring the pain in her chest at the thought of Jasper Hale again after so many months.

"He wasn't dating Alice. They're friends, nothing more," Bella disagrees and Camden looks at her in shock. 

"Oh, Lauren said she heard that they were dating," Camden mumbles. "That bitch just wanted him to herself, ugh!"

Bella giggles and Camden pouts at her angrily. "It's not funny, I could've at least been rejected by him but thought I was doing the good thing by staying away."

Bella looks at her in sympathy making Camden groan. "Don't look at me like that! Anyway, it's still for the best. He wouldn't have been able to handle all this."

Bella lets out a boisterous laugh as Camden gestures to her body with her hand. Camden checks the compass and gestured for Bella to turn east with her when she heard her friend gasp. 

Camden looks up at there she sees through the arch made by two vine maples, is the meadow she's heard about. The purple wildflowers and long grass were dead as the season had changed and the oval shaped meadow just brought on an uneasy feeling inside Camden. 

Her inner voice told her to leave, that something wasn't right about this place. It was the same feeling she got when she would drive past her old house - a feeling of terror. 

Camden lifts the mug up to her mouth and gulps down the remaining liquid, her throat parched from the hard labour. She sends her aunt a quick text notifying her of their arrival and slips the device back into her backpack.

Camden glances at Bella worriedly only to find the girl crouching on the ground, her hand running over the dead fauna. A haunted look overcomes Bella's face and tears slip down her face as she grieves for her lost relationship. 

Camden steps beside her, placing a hand on her shoulder and staying silent as she lets her friend grieve. Half an hour must've passed when Bella's tears had finally dried and her sobs had quietened. She glances up at Camden with red rimmed eyes and she reaches for her hand. 

Camden hauls Bella up on her feet without hesitation and brings the girl into a tight embrace. "It might be silly to ask, but are you alright?"

"Not really, I thought being here would help but..." Bella trails off, freezing in Camden's arms and she pulls away to look at her friend's surprised eyes focusing on something over her shoulder.

Camden turns around, arms still around the shorter girl's shoulders when she catches sight of a figure stepping out from the trees a in front of them. The figure is motionless and Camden needs to squint to study the man closely. 

His dark hair is in dreadlocks, feet seemingly bare and skin darker than Camden's but what shocked Camden the most was Bella calling out an unfamiliar name. "Laurent!"

Bella's voice is filled with surprise but not fear. She knew this strange man and didn't fear him like Camden. 

"Bella!" Camden hisses, grasping Bella's elbow tightly as the younger girl strides happily in the man's direction.

"Bella?" the man's voice questions in a purr and sounds alluring even to Camden who is shaking in fear.

Camden focuses on their surroundings as Bella conversed with the stranger. She calculated the distance between them that was steadily decreasing as the man walked forward deliberately. If they left now, they'd have the advantage of a head start and there was a high possibility that they would make it to the truck and have time to lock the doors before he reached them. 

Camden would just need to be fast and in this moment, she feared she'd fall. 

Bella was now behind her, hand latched onto Camden's elbow, tugging her backwards when Laurent's eyes lock onto Camden's. Laurent's bloody, red eyes. 

Camden's breathing picks up, a trail of sweat running down her neck and disappearing into her chest. She notices his terrifying eyes tracking the movement and she fights off a whimper. This man wasn't a friend of Bella's, at least not anymore.

"She won't be happy about this," Laurent's words are slow and his voice and his angelic face scrunches up in mock disappointment.

Camden steps back, her steps faltering as Bella stands still, refusing to budge. "About what?"

"About me killing you." 

Camden's heart goes into overdrive, her eyes looking wildly around the meadow in hopes to find something to defend them with. There was a branch a few feet away but terror washed over her as she noticed his eyes track hers to the same branch. His gaze hardens and Camden gulps.

Shit, shit, shit.

They were dead, well, Camden was. She could hopefully hold him off long enough for Bella to get away. Camden straightens her stance and steps in front of Bella defensively. 

A gust of wind blew over the two girls and the man was suddenly only an arms length away and Camden gapes in shock. She didn't understand how he could get to them so fast, was he on something?

Laurent leaned forward and sniffed the two girls, a whimper escaping Camden's throat as his red eyes fixated on her friend behind her. "Mouthwatering."

Laurent leans forward and Camden's body seems to work faster than her brain because her fist is flying towards her jaw before her brain could stop it. Pain erupts throughout her arm and Camden swore she saw the bone in her wrist move as her knuckles made contact with the man's jaw. 

She just feels pain and stumbles back into Bella as he turns his attention on her, his red eyes burning with rage. Camden braces herself for his attack when the man before them freezes.

"I don't believe it," his voice is a low whisper and he steps away from the girls.

Camden allows herself to lower her guard as she cradles her arm, tears falling down her face. Her entire arm felt on fire and she couldn't move her fingers. A sob leaves her throat and she suddenly wants her aunt to be with them, she wants her cousin's lame jokes and her aunt's tight embrace. 

She wanted to be anywhere but here.

Camden glances up to see the man, Laurent, running in the opposite direction to them and she glances to her left to find another horror.

Five huge shapes were stalking out of the forest silently, their frames enormous - bear like but not quite. With their muscular frames and long muscles revealing daggers, they reminded Camden of wolves. But, wolves couldn't grow that big, could they?

 A growl escapes the grey one's mouth - the closer one to Camden - as it stares her down, eyes daring her to move as she clutches her arm crying. She steps back, forcing Bella to move away from the creatures and suddenly, the creatures are moving. 

They run in the direction of Laurent and Camden collapses on the ground.  She couldn't breathe, she couldn't feel her arm. Camden didn't know what was going on but she didn't like it one bit. 

She suddenly wished she was studying for her trigonometry test - god knows she needs the extra revision. At least she'd be safe, unlike right now.

Camden is aware of Bella's sobbing figure beside her but she couldn't find it in herself to comfort her friend. She was in pain and scared, she didn't know that man - Bella did. 

She turns to Bella accusingly, "Who was that man?"

Bella's head shoots up at Camden's sob and glances wildly around the meadow. "We need to get out of here before one of them comes back!"

Camden doesn't bother arguing, accepting Bella's hand with her pain free arm. The two girls sprint into the forest. 

Camden's heart is racing and every time either one of them steps on a branch she cries out, tears blurring her vision and making her stumble. Her injured arm isn't seeming to co-operate with her brains demands anymore and just flails behind her as she runs, causing more irritation and agony to the injury.

After what felt like a decade, Camden's feet hit gravel and sobs in relief as her eyes catch sight of Bella's rusted truck. Bella tugs her along and they stumble towards the vehicle, both exhausted.

Camden yanks the door open and jumps in, her arm brushing against the leather seat causing a scream to escape her throat.

Bella's eyes snap over to her, wild and scared. "What's wrong?"

"I can't feel my arm! I can't move it!" Camden sobs and allows Bella to tug her further into the truck by her feet.

The door slams shut and both girls scream at the sound. Camden's throat feels raw and her chest tightens to the point of suffocation. She fumbles with the zipper to her bag and Bella understands her actions enough to retrieve the water bottle.

Camden drinks quickly from the bottle as her friend holds the plastic against her shaking lips. "We need to get you to a hospital."

"It hurts! I want my aunt, I just want to go home," Camden sobs, her heart aching and arm screaming in agony. 

She sees Bella nod in her peripheral vision and Camden has the difficult task of moving her arm so she could sit on the seat safely.

Her arm felt like someone was tearing it out of the socket as she drags it across the back of the seat and a pained cry escapes her pouted lips. "Bells, I think it's bad. What was that guy made of?"

"Just forget about him," Bella's voice is small and shaky as she pulls out of the side street and begins their journey to the hospital.

"What?!" Camden snaps, her gaze heated and chest heaving. 

"I understand if you're confused-"

"I'm in agony Isabella! I can't move my arm and I can't breathe! Just stop talking and get me to the hospital. Now!" Camden hisses, her mind racing and voice breaking. "I-I just need to call my aunt. She'll know what to do."

Bella turns to her with a wild look on her face. "You can't mention Laurent. Camden, promise me you won't mention Laurent!"

Bella's arm reaches out and grips Camden's thigh tightly and Camden flinches, sobbing as her arm burns. She nods in agreement and shakily dials her aunts number.

"Just get me to the hospital," Camden begged, her vision blurry.

She leaned her head against the window and cried in despair and agony, waiting for her aunt to answer the phone. Camden really wished she had listened to Joan and asked Bella to reschedule. 

Camden smiled bitterly through her tears. Why couldn't she have had a shred of self preservation?

"Cammie honey? Are you girls having fun?" her aunt's cheerful voice echoes through the speakers, soft and soothing.

A sob wrenches itself from her chest and she shudders in pain. "G-Gina, c-an you meet u-us at the ho-hospital?"

( N O T E )

Please let me know if you liked it or not. Feedback is appreciated.

What do you think of the new covers? I decided to create a simple look from scratch instead of with a template. 

Love you.

(30/05/20)