Half Agony, Half Hope

Day One: The top half of an oak bunkbed. A white sheet drapes over the edge, leaving half my body exposed, chilly. I climb down three rungs, each barely the width of my foot, and try to avoid the ladder creaking. I push thoughts of home out of my head and sneak outside barefooted to explore.

I feel the warmth of the path on my feet, as I spring from plank to plank. The tall Canadian trees that make me feel small, the overwhelming scent of pines. I run downhill towards the great lake, where the sun ripples invitingly across the water, and dip my bare legs in, but it’s icy-cold. The same breeze that tugs at the branches brushes my shoulder. I am alone. There’s a rustle in the forest. Yellow eyes lock onto mine… I dismiss it as the camp cat. 

There’s a rowing boat heading towards me, sending out great circular ripples like a radar; the crashing of its oars invades my solitude. 

‘Sorry, I didn’t think anyone would be about.’ He sweeps chestnut hair backwards. ‘Don’t suppose you could give me a hand?’ he asks, leaping smoothly from the boat to the platform. I bend down and grab one of the handles, trying to conceal that it’s heavier than expected. 

‘So, what brings you to Camp Caribou?’

‘Adventure?’ I cringe. ‘I just wanted to escape. I live in the middle of nowhere and there’s not much to do. You?’ 

‘I’m an instructor. I row for my Uni and needed the extra cash.’ 

‘You’re from the U.K. too, right?’

‘Kent.’

‘Ah, cool. I’m from Norfolk.’ We swing the boat up onto the rack.

‘I’m James by the way. And you are?’

‘Amelia, well, Mimi, if you want.’

‘Well, I’ll see you round, Mimi.’

‘See you round, James.’ 

Back at my cabin, the other girls are awake. 

‘Where did you go?’ A short girl called Lauren, asks. 

‘Oh, just for a walk.’ 

‘Have you seen the activities rota?’

‘Not yet. Should I see if it’s on the door?’ 

‘Could you? I don’t know what to wear?’ Asks blonde Savannah.

I return with a pink sheet, ‘We have rowing this morning.’ I smile at the prospect of James instructing us. ‘So I guess wear stuff you don’t mind getting wet. Hey, maybe we’ll see the camp cat again, I saw it on my walk.’

‘I thought they didn’t have one anymore because people were allergic.’

‘Oh. Wanna head to breakfast?’

‘Sure.’ 

The canteen is a large, oak cabin. I grab a tray and a small roll.

‘A full English and the British girl has a roll!’ Savannah cackles.

‘I don’t eat meat.’

‘Weirdo.’ 

‘Hey, I’m veggie too.’ James pops up behind me at the juice machine. His green t-shirt matches his eyes perfectly. ‘What’s your schedule today?’ he grins.

‘Rowing.’ 

He raises an eyebrow. ‘See you later then.’ 

I read the bright yellow lettering on his back as he walks away, ‘Rowing Instructor’.

‘He’s kinda cute.’ Savannah says as we sit down.

‘Yeah.’ I agree, smiling into my glass of orange juice.

‘Do you guys wanna go to the campfire tonight?’ Alison asks. 

‘I’m not really a fan of the dark.’ Lauren admits.

                                                             ***

‘I’m James, and I’ll be your instructor for today.’ 

‘Hey, it’s that guy from breakfast.’ Savannah gushes.

‘Ever rowed before?’ James is beside me, his voice deep.

‘Once. I was awful.’ 

‘Fancy going for a trip later? I have something to show you.’ He whispers.

‘Sure.’ I smile.

‘Two-thirty, boat house.’

‘Sure.’

‘Okay,’ he suddenly shouts. ‘Let’s get some boats out everyone.’ 

                                                  ***

‘Sorry I’m a bit late.’ Beside James is a wooden crate, tied up with thick red rope.

‘It’s ok. Could you help me get the boat out?’

‘Sure,’ I say, gasping. ‘What’s in the box?’

‘That’s what I want to show you. Wait ‘til we’re out though.’ 

We clamber into the boat, the box between us, and he paddles us out so we’re in the centre of the lake.

‘No-one can see us here. Promise you won’t freak out? I don’t want it to fall in the water. I don’t think it can swim.’

‘Keep calm?’ My stomach is gurgling, my white fingers clench the sides of the boat. He begins to untie the box and it’s rattling. I realise how vulnerable I am, alone in the middle of a lake with a stranger. He lifts the lid.

‘What the hell is that?!’ I flinch away, rocking the boat.

A creature growls at me. Its skin is crimson and hairless, apart from a rough around its neck. Its head is disproportionately large to its body and its bared yellow teeth match large yellow eyes.

‘I found it in a bush. Our eyes kind of connected and now it won’t stop following me. I’ve had to lock it in this box, but it seems pretty harmless.’ The creature continues to growl at me, but doesn’t move. ‘I had to show someone, to prove to myself it’s real, that I wasn’t going mad, and you seem… cool?’

‘Believe me, inside I’m freaking out. Is it a mutant, or an alien or something?’ It starts to scratch at the box. ‘Maybe keep it locked in your cabin for now?’

He gages my discomfort and puts the lid back on. ‘You’ll meet me later to work out what to do?’

‘Sure, at the campfire?’

                                                             ***

‘Mimi. Mimi.’ I feel James’ finger pressing into my back. ‘Come with me. Now!’ 

I glance at my friends wondering whether to make an excuse. He grabs my hand and we’re running. When we reach his cabin, I see the pallor of his face, the terror in his eyes.

‘What?’

‘I can’t go in.’ His voice is shaky, like he’s on the high-ropes and he’s just realised his harness isn’t attached. 

‘Oh my god!’ I scream as I run out and crouch over a bush, throwing up the campfire dinner. He pulls the hair away from my face with a trembling hand.

‘I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.’ He’s sobbing.

‘Who is it?’ I ask, wiping my mouth.

‘My roommate, Jack.’ 

Inside the room is Jack’s body. Chunks of flesh scatter the floor, along with fragments of wood; the crate. Luke crouches by the door, his head between his legs. 

‘What do we do?’

‘I don’t know. Maybe… I think we should go back, and pretend that we never saw anything.’ 

‘It’s my fault. I didn’t tell anyone.’ 

I touch his arm, ‘You told me, and I said to keep it in your room. It’s both of our fault. But if we don’t leave now, everyone will know that, and we’ll be punished, badly, and that thing could be anywhere by now.’

I hold out a shaking hand to help him up and we run back to the campfire. I wish I was running back home, into the embrace of my parents. I wish we could be back in that boat and running away from this place.

Grey clouds are looming over the trees. It’s eerily quiet. We step out from behind the canteen, hand in hand…

It’s a field of red. Dozens of crimson creatures stand triumphantly on bloodied logs like they’re thrones. The fire casts monstrous shadows behind them; the stench of corpses burning to ash floods the air. I turn back, thinking that the lake is our only escape, but they’re behind us as well now. And there’s one, at the front, that I recognise. It turns away from a carcass, towards us, teeth as red as its skin, growling.