chapter 2-Strange

"Fuck me, man, how long we gonna stay stranded," Tommy said as he exhaled what seemed like mist from his breath

I gazed down at my hands, their vividness almost surreal. My vision was blurred, and exhaustion weighed heavily on me. The rest of the group looked just as worn out, with Tommy being the only one who seemed to have any energy left.

We strutted forward, our feet aching as they sank into the mushy terrain, the dead leaves saturated with moisture. The forest enveloped us, its towering trees casting long shadows that danced in the fading light. 

The air was thick with the earthy scent of damp soil and the faint rustle of unseen creatures.

I reached just behind Debbie.

"Uh, um excuse me, Debbie. I can vouch for the team, but I think we need a break, maybe some kind of signal if we are almost at the campsite."

"Don't worry, little one. This is only the start, but be assured, though a brave soul, passed through the winds of the forgotten realm the heart of man shall not perish," she said.

I came to the realization; it hit me all at once. The way she reacted, talked, and made us walk in the wrong direction a couple of times. My analytical mind worked overtime, a chill ran down my spine, and my eyes focused. It hit me fast and hard; my conclusion had two possibilities, which were shocking and others might not believe. 

But my two hypothetical theories are: one, she is drunk; two, she is high. The problem is, which one is the right one? I focused my mind even harder than before, standing in my spot. I am not a stranger to this kind of field; actually, I was quite experienced...

"Hey James, what are you doing? Are you going to stand there in a trance, or are you going to follow the rest of the group?" Ellie said, a blank expression evident on her face. With the group, she was the slowest and lagging behind. If she caught up now, then that meant I was overthinking too much for too long.

"Nah, I'm good, just thinking, you know. The real question is, do you need any help?" Though I wanted to help and was being polite, the truth was, I was exhausted with my own baggage.

"I'm pretty good, I'm tougher than you think," she said, yet I could see the sweat roll down her chin.

"You're far tougher than me. Are you sure you don't need help?"

"Maybe on second thought..." I flinched, ready to retake my statement.

"Can you grab my water bottle? It's on the side, I'm pretty thirsty."

"Sure, love to," I said as I reached for her water bottle. She then chugged down massive gulps.

"Come on, we need to catch up with the rest," she nodded, as I placed the water bottle back in the side pocket of her bag.

Her dyed blue highlighted hair shone vibrant when the light shone past the trees' branches, creating a ray of light effect.

"Yes, finally here! Let's motherfucking go!!" Tommy shouted, and I could hear him.

After we regrouped with the team, what greeted us on a hill was a cabin. It seemed to be the camping spot. I thought we would use tents, yet it seemed fate was on our side. Comfortable beds, warmth inside.

"Hey, I've seen a lot, I mean a lot of horror films. This feels really cliché, don't you feel like something is off?" Ellie whispered to me.

Before I could respond, Debbie cut in, "Now, once we enter, place your bags beside your bed. There are three rooms: one for yours truly, me; one for the boys which have two bunk beds; and another for the girls. I don't want any of you sneaking around. I will have sensors. Behave. We have fresh water, air conditioning, and something much more fun awaiting you all," Debbie announced.

As we entered, I looked around. It wasn't cold or creepy. It didn't give off that horror-like vibe. Ellie was probably having a hard time distinguishing between fiction and reality. 

I wished I could do that, just escape. But in my life, I never had time to focus on what's not real. Reality was the challenging life I was given, and I was going to make something out of it.

"Tommy, shotgun the top," I said as I started racing towards the boys' section within the cabin. 

I ran past the fridge and sink area, and past a giant table in the middle of the cabin. I reached for the door handle, but I felt a tug on my backpack. I was going to fall; the pull was strong, too strong. In a millisecond, I knew who it was. Thomas, the goddamn jet engine, was behind me.

"Maybe next time, mate," Tommy said.