*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧—chapter ten: there are no bears

August 22, 2021
Hackett's Quarry
Upstate New York, New York

CASSIDY SHAKES HIS HEAD, SMILING LIKE AN IDIOT AS HE TURNS AROUND AND HEADS BACK THE OTHER WAY. He was going to go look for Sawyer, Emma, and Abi. The three of them weren't back yet and he wondered if his girlfriend went off to go help the other two girls with whatever they were doing.

He soon nears the cabins and walks along the path leading to them. As he follows the path, he passes by the red golf cart, eyeing it with a look of disgust. He's crashed that thing so many times in the past few years—but he swears it wasn't his fault! The most recent time it happened, though, was like two years ago and the day right before camp started that year. He was test driving it to make sure it worked, or else he was supposed to get Caleb to fix it. Cassidy crashed it into a ditch in the woods just outside of camp after it malfunctioned. He knows how to drive a golf cart! He swears it was Gabriel who had sabotaged it that one time, which was during when he had to bring him his phone because he left it at the house. And because Gabriel absolutely hates his guts.

That wasn't a fun time.

He crosses the short wooden bridge and enters the cabin area.

Abigail Blyg was seated on the steps to her cabin, her sketchbook resting in her lap as she draws in it with her pencil.

"Hey, Abi," Cassidy greets as he walks over to her. He sits beside her, trying to sneak a peek at her sketchbook. "Whatcha drawing?"

"No one!" She says quickly, pressing the sketchbook against her chest to hide it from him. "I- I mean nothing..."

"Hey, there, party bear. Hey, Cass," Emma says, a smile on her face as she walks over to them.

"Status report?" Abi questions her, looking up at her.

"We are officially empty nesters," Emma answers, raising her hand. "High five! Up top!"

Abi raises her hand and high fives her. "...Oh, boy," she says afterward, noticing the look on Emma's face. "You're about to get your phone back, aren't you?"

"Let's go collect our bags and away from this mosquito-infested backwoods dump," Emma says, nodding as she heads up the steps.

"Quick question before you do anything: Have either of you seen Sawyer?" Cassidy asks, getting up from the steps. "She's, like, the only reason I'm over here."

"Oh! You just missed her," Emma informs. "She went back to the front of camp, but not from the normal way. She did that on purpose and wanted me to tell you."

Cassidy tosses his head back, a groan leaving his lips. "Well, that's just great..."

"Hey, keep your dick in your pants, dude." Emma replies, grabbing the door handle and trying to open the door. It wouldn't turn.

"Door's locked," Abi says when she hears Emma's failed attempt to push the door open. "Bags inside."

"Fuck me," Emma groans.

"Yep."

"Hey, Cass, do you, maybe, like, I don't know, have a key?"

"Last time I had keys, I lost them all. So, never ask me for a key because I don't have any," Cassidy says immediately, going to stand at the bottom of the steps.

"Okay, never mind, then," she sighs. "Well, it's obvious what we have to do here."

"Find someone with a key?" Abi glances over her shoulder as she speaks.

"Shape our destiny," Emma looks at her. "And by shape our destiny, I mean, shape our way through this crappy lock and bag our bags."

"You could've just said you wanted to break the door down," Cassidy walks up the steps, an amused grin on his face.

"Okay," Abi sighs, taking off her backpack and unzipping it to put her sketchbook and pencil away. She zips it back up and slips the straps back over her shoulders before getting up and walking up the steps. "Let's do it. We'd better not get in trouble."

"I won't tell if you won't tell," Emma confirms, facing the door.

"Mr. Hackett's gonna find out—"

"I don't think he'll be mad if the door breaks. I mean, it's an easy fix," Cassidy replies.

"So what?" Emma asks, shrugging. "He'll just think it was a bear or something."

Abi gives her a look. "Have you ever seen a bear in these woods?"

"No, but that doesn't mean they're not out there."

"Fair point."

Cassidy takes his phone out of his pocket, waiting until Emma and Abigail have their attention on the door, before going to the camera app.

"Alright," Emma takes a step back, preparing herself. "Let's do this. On three. One... Two... Three!"

Both girls shove their shoulders against the door, but it opens a bit too easily, and they fall on the floor of the cabin.

"Totally caught that on video," Cassidy laughs, shaking his head as he lowers his phone, grinning as he puts his phone in his pocket. "You look ridiculous."

"All about the power of positive thinking," Emma says, out of breath, as she stands up.

"Why do I ever listen to you?" Abi asks, brushing herself off.

"Because I'm always right?" Emma answers, bending down to grab the bags.

"Are you sure they're gonna think it was a bear?" Abi asks anxiously.

"Oh, my God, relax," Emma says as she heads over to the door. "It's not like we killed someone." She adds that last bit over her shoulder as she walks out.

"Alright..." Abi sighs. "Well, I'm just gonna take another look around, make sure we didn't miss anything."

"And I'll be joining you, Abi, because I like finding things," Cassidy adds, pushing off from the railing to sneak a quick look around the girls' cabin.

"Go nuts," Emma replies, descending the stairs.

The first thing the two of them notice is a newspaper headline scrap resting on one of the tables in between two sets of bunks.

Cassidy picks the paper reads it. "'Freak Show Goes Up In Flames'."

"Why would this place be in the news?" Abi asks, furrowing her brows as she looks at the headline.

"No idea," Cassidy sets it back down and walks away from the table, going to look for other things.

Something was on top of the empty cubby. "What's this?" He picks it up and examines it. It seemed to be some type of rabbit plush toy one of the campers had left behind.

"Aw, this was little Izzy's," Abi says as she walks over to him, taking the plush from his hands. She turns it around and pulls the string on the back.

"I wanna play a game!" is what comes from it.

"Let's get you back to Izzy." She says to the toy as she takes off her backpack and unzips it.

"I'll be outside," Cassidy says, heading to the door.

"Okay. I'll be out there in a bit."

He nods, leaving the cabin and descending the steps. There were so many things to find if you looked in the right places. He wonders how he and his friends never noticed anything before.

He walks over to the big oak tree at the center of camp, where he was just almost an hour ago. He looks between the roots and the painted tires, before noticing a small object tucked in a nook by the thick branches.

"What's this doing here?" He reaches for it, pulling it down from where it sat in the tree. It was an empty glass vial. He pops the cork off and inspects it, taking a whiff of whatever had been in it. He scrunches up his nose in disgust at the smell, and he sees specks of dried blood at the bottom of the vial. "Gross. Who would leave this here?" He takes a picture of the vial with his phone before putting it back up in the tree.

As he's leaving the tree, he notices a tarot card under one of the wooden branches, hidden in the grass. He bends down to pick it up, flipping it over.

TAROT CARD FOUND
2 OF ??
THE TOWER

There was a creature chasing after him. His distraction had worked, at least, to save himself some time and be able to run away. But there was a chance it could cost him his life.

He continues running, ducking under a tree branch and vaulting a log, before skidding to a stop at the edge of a cliff. He had limited options and his time was running out. He could hear the thundering steps of the beast as it ran, following his scent in oder to catch up with him. He had two options, one risky and one safe: jump the gap and hope to make it safely on the other side, or find a safer way across. There was water below and he was sure the creature wouldn't be making it across anyway. And it didn't look too deep either, so if the jump was miscalculated...

He takes a few steps back to prepare himself before running. Reaching the edge, he jumps, hoping the momentum would get him across.

Cassidy puts the card in his pocket with the one from earlier. Standing up, he walks away from the center of camp.

He follows one of the paths until he reaches the short wooden bridge leading out of the main area. Emma and Abi were leaning against the golf cart, waiting for him.

"Ready to roll?" Emma asks, pushing off of the golf cart.

"Yep," Cassidy nods to her as the two girls move away to let him sit on the back of the golf cart. He moves the bags over before sitting down.

Abi heads around to the driver's side. Emma sits in the front passenger's side.

"Time to let loose and vamoose this caboose!" Emma exclaims as Abi starts to drive the golf cart.

"Oh, my God..." Cassidy chuckles.

"How are you so..." Abi trails off, trying to think of the right word to describe her friend.

"Dramatic?"

"Annoying?" Abi answers. The word choice causes Emma give her a look. "Confident," she corrects.

"Eh... it's just acting," Emma looks straight ahead as she answers the girl's question. "It's what the people want."

"So you're faking it?"

"I mean, in a way... 'faking it' is just being yourself... but louder," Emma replies. "You should try it sometime—you never know who you might impress."

"Nah..." Abi shakes her head in response. "It's too late now, anyway."

"Too late for what, Abi?" Cassidy questions, turning around in the seat to look at the girl, a smirk on his face. "To confess your undying love for Nick?"

"You'll never know unless you put yourself out there,"
Emma says.

Abi swerves, narrowly avoiding a group of rocks in the middle of the trail. Trying not to fall out the golf cart anytime soon, Cassidy holds onto the safety grab bar.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Nice steerin', Tex!" Emma comments.

"...Jinkies," Abi replies, continuing driving. "Okay, so, hypothetically... If I were to 'put myself out there'—" she goes back to their previous topic, "... what if he just ends up being a dud? Kinda like you and Jacob."

"Well... he's actually really sweet," Emma says as she leans against the seat, quickly looking over at Abi before looking straight ahead again.

"Then why'd you quit it?"

"Summer fling," the Mountebank girl answers. "We're going to school like four stares away. I— He gets it."

"Yeah, sure, he totally understands that," Cassidy mutters.

"What was that, Cass?" Emma asks, looking behind her at the boy.

"Nothing," he replies, crossing his arms. Jacob's an idiot and now you guys can't go home.

Emma wasn't too sure about that as she faces the front again, looking at Abi. "But that's us. You and Nick... could be different. Why don't you get his handle? Hit him up."

"Oh, I already have his email," Abi informs. "It's in the packet they gave to us on the first day."

"Email?" Both Emma and Cassidy question.

"Are you ninety-three?" Emma asks.

"What's wrong with email?" Abi questions, glancing behind her at Cassidy and Emma, a slight frown on her face, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"I'm really gonna miss you, Abi," Emma says quietly and then turns to look at Cassidy. "You too, Cass."

"I'll miss you guys, too," Cassidy replies.

"Oh! Hold up!" Emma taps the steering wheel, causing Abi to slow down, giving the girl a weird look. The Mountebank girl sticks her right hand out the side of the golf cart, waving her hand.

"Emma, what are you doing?" Cassidy asks, turning around in the seat to watch her gesture for Abi to take a right.

"Oh, but the Lodge is that way..." Abi points to the left.

"Go right here," Emma demands.

"Why?"

"C'mon," Emma begs. "Scenic route. One last victory lap around the camp."

Abi sighs, starting to drive again, taking a right at the fork.

"Yes!"

"Sure," Abi mumbles. "What's the victory?"

"Two months, no technology!"

"I kind of thought it was nice to be offline."

Emma groans. "I didn't. Plus, my subs need me."

"You know what?" Abi questions, looking at her. "I actually believe you."

"Abi... was that a compliment?"

"Oh, here we go," Cassidy grins, rolling his eyes in a playful manner as he looks at the two girls.

"Your charm is infectious, what can I say?" Abi answers. "I'd subscribe."

"You better." Emma is still looking at her. "When you get home: sub, share, smash that like button! The holy trinity!"

"Okay, well now I'm really regretting it."

"Oh, no. You love me," Emma laughs, making kissy nosies. Abi doesn't respond, so she turns back to the front.

The golf cart starts to slow down and come to a stop once they reach the next area.

Emma gasps. "My favorite spot."

"The fire pit?" Abi questions, raising an eyebrow.

"The fire pit is boring, Abi. Why would that be her favorite spot?" Cassidy asks in response.

"What? You never know with Emma," Abi replies, shrugging.

"The island!" Emma corrects, giving both of then a look before looking out over the water. "Mad secluded, right?"

There was smoke in the distance and Emma's face falls as she furrows her brows.

"Is... Is that smoke?"

"Uh-oh," Cassidy says, watching the smoke cloud rise.

"Huh... Should we tell someone?" Abi asks, looking at both of them.

"Hmm... It looks pretty contained," Emma notes. "It's probably just Mr. H burning some stuff before... you know, he closes camp for the summer."

"I don't think so," Cassidy says quietly so that they wouldn't hear him.

"Speaking of which..." Abi adds, "we should— we should probably, you know, get back."

"Oh, yeah," Emma teases her. "Worried Nick's... y'know... gonna leave without you?"

"Well, no, they're probably, like, all waiting for us," the Blyg girl answers.

"Mhm," Emma turns to look out the side of the golf cart.

"Everyone's waiting for us."

"Everyone, yeah. Nick, waiting for you... All... Everyone. Same." Emma replies as Abi starts to drive them back to the front of camp.

"Emma, leave her alone," Cassidy comments.

"No can do, buckaroo!"

author's note
why are they so funny?

07.22.22