When it seemed like the sound of the roaring plant was at enough of a distance, Ferris, Hannah, and Guthrie stopped running and leaned over, exhausted. Guthrie coughed, trying to get his breath as Hannah fanned herself with her hand, wondering what in the world they were going to do now. She looked around and realized what they had done.

"Shit..." she said.

The boys looked over at her and she ran her fingers through her hair.

"What is it?" Ferris asked.

"We ran away from camp... we're in the middle of a freaky carnivorous forest and we are nowhere near the camp! Great! Just great!" She growled, pacing back and forth.

Ferris looked at Guthrie as he shook his head in dismissal, used to Hannah's emotional melodrama, having been her friend and neighbor since forever.

"We're going to die. Yup. We're going to die and no one will find us and we will be just like Bethany and Allegra and-"

"Hannah, Hannah..." Guthrie said, finally catching his breath and going over to his friend, putting his hands on her shoulders. "We'll be fine."

"How do you know though? We thought we'd be fine when we signed up for this trip, we thought we'd be fine when we entered the forest... this whole place is upside down and freaky and full of weird stuff and-"

"Hannah, you're just making synonyms for shitty." Ferris growled as he walked over as well. He casually brushed Guthrie aside and took his place, holding Hannah's shoulders. "You're overreacting about the situation. Yes, we ended up in some hell forest but the good thing is that you're not alone. You've got me here and I'll protect you from whatever comes our way."

"So will I." Guthrie added, although aware that it was pretty futile to be her knight in shining armor.

Hannah seemed to calm down knowing that her two favorite men were there to protect her; her big, strong boyfriend and her caring, dependable friend.

Seeing that she was visibly calm, Ferris opted to let go of her shoulders and take a step back. He looked around at the quiet forest and looked at Guthrie, who was also looking around. He went over to him and nudged him a little.

"So what do you think we should do? I mean, who knows where we are in relation to camp or the road."

"We went pretty deep, I can tell you that. Towards the edge of the forest it seems that the trees are pretty spread out and there's more of an underbrush type thing going on but I can't see a break in the trees at all. This is also solid ground with no growth to it..."

"AKA, you don't know where we are either."

"I just know that we are deeper into the forest than we really want to be. We should try to get back to the edge of the forest. At least then if something is coming we can hear it through the dead leaves and stuff on the ground. With this hard ground, you wouldn't be able to hear anything coming."

"We'd be taken by surprise... But we didn't hear those deer that ate Allegra and Bethany."

"We were all exhausted and half of us sleep like rocks. I heard Desiree and Clayton were the only ones who were awake at the time. Back to the point, these deer aren't exactly normal like the forest. They're smart, methodical... I'm sure they know the grounds of this forest with their eyes closed so sneaking up on a bunch of unsuspecting high school kids wouldn't be hard for them. I think someone told me that Clayton said they stabbed Allegra and Bethany in the throat with their antlers to keep them quiet. How messed up is that?"

"Yeah... So, what do we do? Sit tight and wait or just keep walking and either end up deeper into the forest and can't get out or back at the road where the deer can pick us off?"

"We have no cell service whatsoever." They heard Hannah say.

The two turned to her as she held her phone up in the air and was standing on a boulder of some sort. Looking back down, she looked over at them.

"What?"

"That's your worry right now?" Ferris snapped. "What are you going to do, take a selfie with #lostinforest?"

Guthrie snickered. "Good one."

Hannah frowned at both of them. "For your information, I was trying to get at least a little bar so that I can pull up my mapping program and get a compass going to have some friggin directions. Do you really think I'm that vapid? I'm not Nika and Mimi."

"It just really seems like your main concern."

"I'm trying to help us out. Why are you being such a dick about everything?"

"Hannah, we're in a dark and very expensive forest with carnivorous deer and fucking Audrey II coming out of the ground at weird times of the night ready to eat one of us. We're all on edge and scared." Guthrie said. "Here's an even scarier question: where and how are we going to sleep?"

The three looked at each other skeptically.

"Well," Hannah said, coming down from the rock. "There's only two ways of doing this: one way is that we all spoon together and keep each other warm, me in the middle of course, or the other is that two sleep and one keeps watch and then we switch off."

"I'm not letting you stand watch by yourself." Guthrie growled.

"Guthrie's right, we're not going to put you in harm's way." Ferris agreed.

"Well then we need to figure out how we're going to do this because we only have so much moonlight beaming down on us. We will be able to have better success traveling in the day time."

Guthrie and Ferris looked at each other as Guthrie made a face at him.

"Well?"

"Why am I the deciding factor?" He asked.

"Well, the decision is at one point have your girlfriend be all alone to 'stand watch' or let me be able to spoon with her."

Ferris growled a little. "I know you've spooned with her before. Don't act like I don't know how deep your friendship goes. She's lived next to you forever, she uses you as a rebound for all her emotional needs."

"Hey, don't talk about her like that. You make it seem like she's some sort of slut."

"Yeah and I don't use him as an emotional rebound. What's gotten into you?"

"I'm tired and cranky... We'll just do the spoon thing... but you're facing away from me. I don't need him getting ideas in the night."

Guthrie and Hannah looked at each other.

"Um... if my butt is against you then that means I'm facing Guthrie."

"I know. In case he gets a boner in the night, it won't be up against you."

"And what about your boner?" Hannah asked, putting her hands on her hips.

"I'm your boyfriend, at least if I dream about you it's okay."

Hannah scoffed. "It doesn't matter. All of us are tired and cranky and can't think. Let's just spoon and get it over with. Hopefully one of us won't be dead in morning."

Reluctantly, the three of them came together and eventually fell asleep.

*********************************

During the night, a loud squeal woke Hannah up and she opened her eyes. The forest was quiet except for the random squeals of a wild boar somewhere in the forest. She began to hyperventilate a little. She looked at Guthrie, who was in front of her and felt the arm that Ferris had around her waist but it wasn't enough. She didn't feel safe at all.

"What's wrong?" she heard someone whisper.

She focused her attention back on Guthrie, who was looking at her with sleepy eyes.

"Did I wake you?" she asked.

"Not really. I wasn't really sleeping that deeply anyway." Guthrie made a face. "Unlike your boyfriend there..."

Hannah made a face as well but she listened and could hear Ferris snoring softly behind her. She sighed. "No one said he was a good protector."

"No one should have to; it's kind of his job."

"Hey, shut up, I'm trying to sleep." Ferris grumbled in his sleep, pushing away from Hannah and rolling over.

Hannah looked over at his back and frowned as Guthrie got up on his elbow and tsked.

"I don't understand what you see in that guy."

"Don't start." She grumbled.

"I'm not starting anything. I'm asking a legit question. I'm not the only one who asks these questions, I hope you know. A lot of my friends ask me about you two."

"Are you sure it's not because you like me and your friends are on your side?"

Guthrie sneered at her. "I'm sorry I wasn't good enough for you. I took a pretty big leap when I told you that and now you're just going to throw it in my face like that? That's cheap, Hannah."

"Guys! Shut the fuck up!" Ferris snarled, turning around on the ground. "We haven't even slept for like four hours yet and you two are already up and at each other's throats about some stupid shit? Seriously!"

He turned back over and Hannah sighed again. "I'm sorry."

"Yeah..." Guthrie said, turning away from her and trying to go back to sleep.

Hannah felt alone but didn't know who she wanted to keep her safe. Ferris wasn't exactly the 'saving' type but Guthrie was having a little pity party because he told her he liked her too late. They were stuck in a weird phase of friendship and a-little-bit-more-but-not-quite. Hannah had known her best friend had liked her since middle school. He had changed a little towards her after seventh grade and it didn't take her (or her friends) long to figure out he liked her. She had waited for him to say something, even postponed dating other people, but he never said anything. She didn't like him like that per se, but she thought it might be nice to have the option to have a deeper relationship with him. They already knew each other so well and she didn't think she'd have a problem eventually loving him like he did her.

But he waited too long and when he finally confessed, Hannah was pretty convinced he was in the friend zone. So when he told her, it was very awkward and she had just started dating Ferris since he decided to ask her out. She had known Ferris a while too, him being Guthrie's friend through school, and so it wasn't that big of a deal to date him... she thought. Being the middle of a dangerous forest with wildlife that is trying to end your life seemed to put hers into perspective. So far, it looked like neither of the men accompanying her was going to do a thing for her.

"Here." She heard beside her.

She looked over and saw Guthrie holding out his jacket to her.

"What's this for?"

"A pillow if you needed it."

She pushed the jacket back. "No way, you'll freeze to death if you don't have that on... unless you plan on sleeping next to each other."

"I'm not going to get a boner if you don't."

She laughed as he put the coat back on and settled next to her. She scooted into him and he laid his chin on her head.

"This is why I was asking about Ferris... I mean, there he is, sleeping like a big fat rock while you're over here having an emotional issue. If I was your boyfriend, I'd be holding you like this and daring the other guy to touch you."

"Not to be the fly in the Chardonnay but at least that's what friends are for."

"You are not kind." She giggled. "Seriously though, even though we were friends and he suddenly got super hot over the summer and stuff, he still should try to be your knight in shining armor."

"That's what I have you for." Hannah said softly, finally feeling better and comfortable enough to fall back asleep.

Guthrie was beaming though. She had just technically told him that he was her knight in shining armor. He'd never willing try to break the two up, but it gave him hope.

****************************

"You know, it's a good thing I'm not a super jealous guy or I'd need an explanation."

Guthrie opened his eyes and saw Ferris standing over him. He shielded his eyes from a sunbeam that was able to pierce through the trees and saw what Ferris was talking about. In the night, he and Hannah had rolled over and she ended up sleeping on his chest as Guthrie slept on his back. He moved and Hannah woke up, sitting up and rubbing her eyes. She stretched and then looked up.

"Ferris."

"You switch men?"

"Well you were over there in la la land and didn't seem to care about me." She said with a frump.

"Sorry about that." He said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. "I didn't mean to. The thing with Bethany and Allegra and all that just made me exhausted. I mean, trying to go about life as normal was almost impossible and just tired me out physically and emotionally."

"You didn't even know them." Guthrie quipped.

"For your information, the issue itself was the problem, not who it affected. The fact that we had to burn our classmates and then go about the rest of the day like nothing happened was pretty traumatic for me. Maybe you're not the sensitive guy you claim to be."

"I never said I was. Don't act like you're not a drama geek either. You may have gotten hot over the summer but you're still dumb as rocks."

"Really, guys? We just woke up."

"Do you get how annoying it is being with a guy who is a third-wheel all the time?"

"You invite me!" Guthrie yelled.

"Because I'm being considerate! You're Hannah's friend and mine too. You don't always have to take up the offers! It's called 'courtesy' but in your case it's more like pity because all you do is stare at us when we make plans like some lovesick puppy. It's annoying and really uncomfortable."

"Maybe it's because you kind of broke the code regarding secrets and secret admirers! I told you in confidence that I liked Hannah and that I wanted to ask her out. You went behind my back and asked her out before I could!"

"Guys-"

"You had your chances! You had like six years to confess to her but you didn't! Yeah, I don't know why I got cuter but when I noticed it, I took advantage of the opportunity."

"Hey-"

"So you're trying to say that Hannah is vapid and only goes by looks?"

"Of course not! Now you're trying to make me look bad so you can hold her and stuff and be the guy you've always wanted to be."

"Um... hey, guys..." They two continued to argue. "Guys... GUYS!"

"WHAT?!" they both yelled.

Hannah pointed behind them. "I... that..."

The two turned around and found that waiting for them to finish their part as well was a grizzly bear. This grizzly, like the deer, looked different and seemed to act different than a bear usually would.

"You guys have to get out of there." Hannah whispered.

"Easy for you to say. This is weird behavior anywAAAYYY!"

The grizzly got up on its back feet and then let out a roar, suddenly charging. The two moved out of the way but it seemed that it wasn't after either of them: it was after Hannah. Scared stiff, she braced for impact.