We rode for a few miles until we came to a wide wooden cabin. It was just like I had pictured it; the stereotypical summer camp cabin. Dark wooden logs lined the outside with a window on each side.

"It’s so cute," I told Gina.

"Isn’t it?" she asked as she grabbed my duffel bag. I threw on my backpack and jumped out.
"It’s like out of a movie, don’t you think?"

I nodded in agreement. Trees surrounded it on all sides, the sunlight streaming in. I could hear birds chirping and the sound of the trees blowing lightly in the breeze. I couldn’t wait to meet the other campers. I couldn’t hear the voices of anyone else nearby and guessed they were all off doing something fun that I couldn’t wait to be a part of.  

Gina fumbled with her keys as she unlocked the front door of the cabin. I didn’t think a lock was necessary on a camp cabin, but figured she was being extra cautious since it was their first year. Maybe later I could drop a hint. I mean, I’ve stayed in tents in the woods before with no problem. Summer camps didn’t exactly tend to have issues with stealing or stuff like that. I followed behind her as she stepped in.

Inside it was one large main room with a small kitchenette against the farthest wall. There was a dirty countertop and some drawers, a few with missing knobs. An old stove and refrigerator sat side by side and looked like they hadn’t had a decent cleaning in the last century. I had expected to see bunk beds, but there was only a wobbly looking table and a chair with one broken leg. A door was on the farthest wall. Gina didn’t say anything as she jingled her keys around again. She grabbed at one of her keys and stuck it into the small door.

Another locked door?

The door creaked open. Gina turned and smiled at me.

"Come on."

I gripped my backpack straps with both hands. Just past the open door was a staircase made from unfinished wood. Gina stepped aside to make room for me and then shut the door behind us. She yanked a cord that hung down from the ceiling and a yellow light bulb flashed on providing us with dim light. I glanced at her nervously.

She started to go down the stairs and I let go of my backpack strap to hold onto the railing. The stairs creaked under our feet with each step. It grew darker the further we went. My heart started pounding and I considered turning and running back up the stairs, but I didn’t want Gina to think I was being weird. Once I met the other campers, I figured I’d feel comfortable. I’d probably even laugh about how creeped out I felt just going down the stairs.

They’d must have set up the bunk beds downstairs, although it felt more like a basement than a camp bedroom. I made a mental note to bring this up to her later as well. Maybe they didn’t have a lot of experience with summer camps? I thought. Although that would be strange for buyers of a summer camp.

We got to the bottom of the stairs and Gina turned a corner. It was dark and my eyes strained to adjust. I also bumped into a small table. The room smelled damp and musty and I coughed to clear my throat. Gina walked straight back until she came to a wall that had floor to ceiling shelves. They looked like bookshelves, but only had a few books placed on them in no particular order. The rest of the shelves were bare. It seemed like an odd style of decorating, but Gina was completely unfazed. She had made a few comments about the main cabin being rundown when I’d first met her, and that only had some old plaid couches. It wasn’t that bad. Yet down here in the dusty, dark basement there are a bunch of empty shelves with a handful of old, dusty books and somehow that was acceptable to her.

Maybe she likes it.

I tried to erase the look of disgust off my face before she looked back at me, but she was feeling up the wall of shelves. She was rubbing the cover of one of the books that was laid on its side.

Yep, she really, really likes it.

I heard a click and then Gina pushed what must have been some sort of buttons because it sounded like a keypad, although I couldn’t see for sure. There was a quick, loud beep and then Gina grabbed the side of the shelf and shoved it back and to her left. It slid behind the other shelf, disappearing.

Why would you need a hidden door in a camp cabin?

Gina stepped into the next room and I stalled. I didn’t know why, but I didn’t want to follow her anymore. She poked her head out.

"Come on, hon! There’s lot to do!" She tapped at her wristwatch.

I hesitated before walking towards her.

"Hey, Gina? I think I should-"

As I entered the next room, she yanked the door shut behind me and I spun around, watching it slide closed. The door was heavy with metal on this side of it. Gina went to take my backpack off of me with one hand and I turned around just in time to see her face. Her friendly smile was gone, replaced with a solemn expression. My smile faded as I looked at her. She took two long steps over to me quickly before grabbing my arm with her hand. Instinctively, I tried to shrug her off of me, but her grip was too tight. I saw her other hand rise up and swiftly come down.

I felt lightheaded and dizzy. Gina seemed to be moving in slow motion. I tried to focus on her hands as one was still gripping my arm and her other hand was jamming a needle into the fleshy part of my upper arm. Confused, I yelled at her, but my voice came out in a deep incoherent tone. The room was spinning. I thought I saw other girls, but couldn’t seem to actually see straight.

"Don’t fight it, Ryleigh," Gina said, and I looked at her face.

Then everything went black.


My eyes fluttered open and I instantly felt an intense throbbing in my head. I reached up and grabbed my forehead and squinted my eyes against the light. Feeling around for my blankets, I felt a chill run through me.

"Mom?" I called out.

Am I sick? Do I have a fever? My head is pounding...

My mom didn’t answer me, but my splitting headache preventing me from calling out to her any louder.

"Hey."

I groaned.

"Hey, just stay calm."

"Rachel?" I asked quietly. "Get mom."

"Just stay calm, okay?"

I opened my eyes and waited until I regained focus. I was staring down at my hands which were laid out flat on a cold, dark concrete floor.

Where am I?

As I straightened up my head, the rest of my body slowed as I pulled myself up in a hunched over sitting position. My eyes glanced to my right and I flinched. My sister, Rachel, wasn’t there. Nor was my mom. A complete stranger was staring back at me.

"Who the heck are you?" I shrieked.

"Stay calm, okay?"

I looked at her. She looked around my age, but a little shorter than I was. Her dark brown hair was long and wavy, falling over her shoulders. She wore a t-shirt and shorts, and her knees were both scratched and bloody.

"You scratched your knees," I told her in a slow voice.

She stared back at me blankly. I heard someone cough and my head snapped to my left. Another person who I didn’t know sat by my side. I didn’t see his face until he stopped coughing and raised his head. His dirty blonde hair was sticking out in all different directions. He had a small cut over his left eye that had dried blood stuck to his forehead. He was dressed in loose denim shorts and a filthy white t-shirt.

I looked away from him and back to the girl next to me.

"Where am I?" I asked her.

"You don’t remember?" the guy on my left asked, making me jump. I didn’t turn to look at him. I kept my eyes on the girl.

"It’ll come to you. It took me a few minutes to remember, too,” she replied. "You’re at camp."

I froze. My eyes grew wide as my memory pieced itself together. Camp. That’s right, I am supposed to be at summer camp.

"This isn’t camp," I told her.

"It is for us, sweetheart," the guy said.

Someone sighed. It was coming from across the room. My head still hurt with every movement, but I strained to look over.

Another guy sat across from me with his knees bent up towards his chest. I could make out part of his tan face. He had black hair and wore a bright blue shirt.

"Just take it slow," the girl next to me said.

I rubbed my head.

"Your memory will come back, don’t push it," she warned.

"What the heck is going on?" I asked.

"I’m Calla. I go by Cal. Do you know your name?" she asked me.

"Ryleigh," I answered.

"Good. That’s good," she told me. "You hit your head pretty hard."

"On what?" I asked her, confused.

"On the pavement, doll," the guy on my left answered. I looked up and stared at him.

"Cal," I repeated. She nodded. "Who’re they?"

"The guy to your left is Will. That’s Grant," she nodded with her chin to the guy across from me.

"Why are we all sitting in here?" I asked her.

"What would you suggest doing?" Grant asked.

I tried to stand up by swinging my legs around, and then I felt it. My feet were bare and around my right ankle was a metal cuff attached to a chain that extended from the wall. I reached down to my ankle and tugged at the chain.

I looked over at Cal and she showed me her leg and nodded. We were all chained up by one ankle. The four of us were prisoners.

Next Chapter: Five