Sam shoved a shirt into her duffel bag, her heart racing with excitement. This was her first time going somewhere for a few days without her parents, minus the sleepovers with Katy. Being her organized self, she had already planned out the next few days.
Obviously today was getting everything set up and comfortable.
Tomorrow they would do a scavenger hunt she had made. Which shouldn't last long, but swimming in the lake is definitely afterwards.
Then the last day would be relaxing, climbing some trees, maybe make a little hut for the three of them to visit every now and then.
Sam's lips curved into a wide smile, excited couldn't begin to explain how she felt. She zipped up her duffel bag and headed down stairs to her car. Since Sam had the tent, they all agreed she'd carry everything in her car.
Sam glanced at the time on her phone: 11:28am flashed before her. "Oh crap!" She muttered quickly diving back into the garage to grab a few more supplies. She was supposed to meet Katy and Tonya at 11:30 at their house. Slamming the back door closed, she ran to the drivers seat as she started up her black 2011 Chevy SUV. It roared to life as she fastened her seat belt. Quickly pulling out of the driveway, she flew down the road, almost forgetting proper road rules.
She felt her phone buzz against her thigh-knowing who was calling to make fun of her for being late, she didn't glance at the caller ID before speaking into the microphone.
"I know I'm late I'm almost there so don't worry I didn't die." Sam spoke fast, stopping at a red light, noticing she was by the woods, she glanced into it, her chocolate browns eyes focusing on something she saw past the trees.
Everything seemed to have slowed, she felt strangely cold. She felt her hands shaking uncontrollably, her breath had gotten caught in her lungs. She felt watched, judged, even inspected.
"Sam Klaxon!" Katy's voice shouted through the speakers of Sam's phone causing her to jump and react to the stop light, hitting the gas pedal and driving off, glancing around her, still feeling watched.
"Sorry I got distracted," Sam spoke softly.
"I should drive, you probably were up all night again." Katy joked, Sam smiled and rolled her eyes.
"You stayed up too dork!"
"You have no proof."
"We'll see who's tired tonight. Anyway be ready I'm on your street now."
"Alrighty see ya."
Sam put her phone back into her pocket. Upon seeing Katy and Tonya's house, she pulled into the driveway, shutting off the engine, and walking up the steps into their house.
"Let's go fools!" Sam shouted upon opening the front door. She heard pounding footsteps on the stairs as a small form of straight blonde short hair and blue-green eyes came into view, a few freckles spread her face, it was hard to see from a far, but upon closer inspection you could see them.
"Hey Tonya, you ready?" Sam asked, smiling at the young 16 year old.
"You bet your booty I am." Tonya smirked, Sam chuckled leading Tonya outside to her car. She opened the back for her to put her duffel bag.
Awaiting Katy, Sam leaned against her car. The sun was slightly hidden behind the clouds. Sam prayed it wouldn't rain. She tended to be a bit of a control freak, she made plans for their trip, and sure they could always go camping again, but the first time alone held a certain place in her heart. This had to go right.
Becoming impatient, Sam went inside to look for Katy to find what was taking her so long. "Katy, come on we gotta go!"
Suddenly she heard a loud thump from the bathroom upstairs. Curiously, she ran up the stairs, stopping at the closed bathroom. She hesitated before knocking, something felt off, she didn't know what it was.
Just before her hand made contact with the white wooden door, it flung open to reveal a disheveled blonde, her bangs hung in her eyes something her parents would yell at her about, but something felt off about her.
Then Sam noticed the tampon in her nose. Sam couldn't hold back her laugh. Katy glared at her and rolled her grey eyes. "Hey Katy that's for something else. Ya know wh-"
"I know!" Katy interrupted Sam, pushing past her and to her room, just across the hall. "My nose would not stop bleeding, kinda have a headache too." Katy explained coming out of her room with her duffelbag. "Happened shortly after I hung up with you. Anyway, let's not keep Tonya waiting, this is her first time camping."
Sam nodded, agreeing. But something just felt so weird about Katy, she had a weird aura around her, almost dark. Sam brushed it off as just her headache.
Without another word, the girls hopped into the car, Katy in the passenger next to Sam, and Tonya in the back, listening to her music from her phone.
"Into the woods!" Sam shouted joyfully, starting up her car as she drove towards the entrance.
"I was thinking, could we find some remote place to set up camp? I just feel like the campgrounds will be full." Katy spoke, she had removed the tampon from her nose before leaving the house, looked like it had finally decided to stop.
"Oh yeah good idea. Not in the mood for hormonal boys too." Sam chuckled.
The SUV pulled into the dirt pathway, following it towards the small parking lot. The road was bumpy, obviously not very maintained. Once the girls reached the parking lot, they realized Katy was right, it was pretty packed today.
Looking between each other they all silently agreed to Katy's plan on finding somewhere else. Parking the car, they all got out and grabbed the duffel bags, the tent, and some food.
"We can follow the trail through the woods, maybe we'll find something there." Tonya suggested, tossing her headphones in the car and shutting the door behind her.
"Alright follow me dear children!" Katy shouted leading the way, one could say she was like the leader between us.
Walking through the rough terrain, Sam almost slipped a few times, noticing a few mud spots that were around from the rain a few days ago. She sighed, adjusting the bag on her shoulder, she still felt like being watched. She tried to look around, hoping to find something, but at the same time she was worried if she did find someone watching her what would she do? She wouldn't have the guts to tell them off.
"Yo Sam, look at this!" Katy said, catching her attention, turning to her best friend she saw she was pointing to a sign, covered my ivy and nature.
The sign to was missing a few letters, but Sam made out what it would've said: Camp Lake General.
"No way," Sam muttered, looking at the sign, remembering the stories of it. "Seems the stories were true, there was a camp here years ago."
"Why'd they even shut down?" Tonya asked, Sam figured she wouldn't know, Sam only knew because her parents claimed they used to go here, and Katy knew because she loved mysteries.
"Uh there were a lot of strange things that happened, like the trees would fall randomly, and uh random dead bodies would go down the river." Sam explained.
"Which trees always fall in the forest, and if anything there was a random murderer who should be gone now." Katy explained, knowing Tonya might've been a little scared.
Sam pulled out a hair tie and put her long curly brown hair in a bun, she figured it'd be easier to deal with than having it down.
"Well anyway, let's get a move on and get our te-"
"Let's look for the old campsite!" Katy suddenly interrupted Sam and started running past the sign. Tonya and Sam looked at each other, a silent agreement that Katy was crazy. They both chuckled and followed after.
Not knowing the fate that waited for them.