As the scream echoed throughout the night sky, the hairs on the back of Josie's neck stood up.
"Anna? Are you okay?"
No reply.
It was the first time in her life that Josie had looked over at Sarah and found the colour drained from her face. Her voice was barely a whisper when she broke the silence.
"Should we go out there? See what's going on?"
Josie hesitated for a moment. She'd never been in a situation like this before. If it was Anna's scream, which it most likely was, then that means that something must be out there that caused it. Adrenaline snaked it's way through Josie's veins and caused her heart to pound against her chest as she answered Sarah.
"I think we need to."
She turned to Kaity, who was trembling with fear. It was blatantly obvious that she was in no fit state to go out into the dark night to investigate with Josie and Sarah.
"I... I think I'll stay here."
Josie nodded understandingly towards Kaity. She and Sarah exchanged looks, then they both pulled on their coats and shoes almost simultaneously and headed out of the tent.
It was eerier than Josie had expected outside. She had a torch, but that only added to the creepiness as it highlighted every detail of the never ending trees. They couldn't see Anna anywhere within close proximity of the tent, so they tried shouting her again.
"Anna!"
"Anna, are you there?"
"Anna if you're playing a prank on us I swear to god, it isn't funny anymore."
"Anna, where are you?"
Still no reply.
How could she just disappear into thin air?
"Right, I think we're gonna have to venture further into the forest."
"I agree. I mean, she has to be somewhere around here. But what about Kaity? We can't just leave her by herself."
"I know what we can do. What if we packed up the tent and just set it back up when we find Anna? It seems more logical than leaving it when we won't remember our way back."
However, when Sarah reported her idea back to Kaity, she firmly shook her head.
"I ain't going nowhere, Sarah. I'm sorry, I mean I really do want to help you look for Anna but I'm so scared. What if something's happened to her? And there's someone else out there in the woods? I'm staying firmly put."
Sarah tried to persuade Kaity that by staying on her own she was putting herself into a much more dangerous position than if they kept moving, but Kaity was having none of it. Reluctantly, Josie packed up her things to follow Sarah.
"Are you sure you'll be alright, Kate?"
"Absolutely positive. Don't worry about me. You need to find Anna, and I would only get in the way of that."
"She's got a point, Jo. Besides, I bet Anna isn't even-"
CRUNCH.
Josie whipped her head around to the source of the sound, before realising she was still in the tent and couldn't see anything on the outside.
"Did you guys hear that?"
"Yeah, what the hell was that?"
I don't know, but it sounded like footst-"
Within the blink of an eye, a flash of sharp metal sliced through the tent- right where one of the girls were sitting...