[A/N: this is a flashback, it says so in the banner but some of you are missing it? Remember to check 'Contents' if you are offline.]

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The woods are alive with chatter, the once quiet night, gone. I stand huddled with the other girls from my cabin - Ashlynn, Brooklynn, Natalia, Vivian and Peyton - waiting for tonight's activity to start. A loud beep blasts over the huddles of campers and turns our attention to the senior counsellors.

"Our midnight hike is about to begin, please stick with your groups and follow the trail. There have been some weather warnings but we have been cleared by our adviser to proceed," Gianna's voice rings out over the noise. "And remember to have fun!"

Group by group, the campers in front of us take off until finally it's our turn. We walk in silence for ten minutes or so, simply enjoying the serenity of the atmosphere. That is at least until Brooklynn lets out a groan.

"This is so boring. I thought being thirteen and being in the older half of camp gave us more freedom. So far our first 'privilege', of a later curfew, has been used to go on the most boring adventure ever. This is so lame!"

"I'm actually quite enjoying the walk," Peyton mutters.

"But you only arrived this year! Sure, they're fun the first couple of times but after five years? Well, they become unbearable."

"I'm with Brooke, this sucks."

"Nat, don't be a drama queen. These walks are so we can learn new things." Vivian looks pointedly at both Natalia and Brooke.

"But I thought I was at a summer camp, not school."

"Brooke, stop being such a baby! These walks are very peaceful and if we're lucky we might see an owl!" Ashlynn's beam lights up the dark for us.

Brooklynn groans again. "No way am I putting myself through another one of these walks. Let's split from the group and go exploring."

No one speaks for five or maybe six steps as we take in the statement.

"We only have three flashlights between us. Won't it be really dark?" I ask. What if there's bears out there?

"No, we'll be fine. Let's go it will be exciting! And we can loop back up with the rest of the camp later!" Natalia grins.

"Natalia! Don't encourage her!"

"Vivian, stop being such a goody two shoes, it will be fun." And slowly but surely, Brooklynn, manages to convince us.

Ten minutes pass before we make our move.

"Okay, now!" We quickly dash out of the trail, rounding a corner. Not one of us breathes behind the bush we hide, waiting till only three spotlights illuminate us before we finally do so.

"What now?" Peyton whispers.

All five of us turn to look at Brooklynn, expectedly. "Why are you looking at me?"

"Because this was your bright idea, genius."

"If I asked you to jump off a cliff, would you?" She crosses her arms.

Ashlynn and Brooklynn argue for what feels like an age, back and forth consecutively, before Brooklynn finally submits to glaring. Her sister raises her head and stands a little taller, not wavering under the harsh stare.

"Okay, fine! Let's just start moving and see what happens?"

The strawberry blonde on my left nudges me, waking beside me at the back of the group. "I know I'm new here but surely this is a big no, no? I mean this is ridiculous!"

I let out a tiny giggle, covering my mouth with my hands. I had grown close to Peyton over the last few weeks, we just clicked. Whilst the other girls were all confident in their own rights, we lacked the same self-esteem, preferring to bury our heads in books and observe the goings-on. Those reasons and more, meant that our three weeks felt like five years. Our ship had sailed.

"You shouldn't be here!" Our heads snap up to watch Edna marching up to us, a grim scowl on her face.

"Edna, when you transferred last year out of our dorm, we assumed we'd gotten rid of a five-year-old, bad smell, but apparently it follows us everywhere." Natalia crosses her arms and eyes her enemy hardly.

"Natalia, Natalia, Natalia." Edna takes a menacing step forward, "Will you ever learn? When the clock strikes one, the lion finds his target. When the clock strikes two, he gets ready to pounce. And when the clock strikes three? Well, you better run."

"Did you understand any of that?" Peyton whispers into my ear. I shake my head; Edna is just crazy. Plus, she looks like Edna from the Incredibles with her mousy hair, short statue and large, black rimmed glasses.

"English? We speak English? We're not fluent in insane." Brooklynn smirks.

You'd think Ashlynn and Brooklynn would be the perfect pair, but they're polar opposites. Natalia and Brooklynn flow far better. Play with them and you dance with the devil.

"Jumping to Ditzy's honour again? How lovely."

"Why are you here, Edna, this is pointless," Vivian says, her expression one of annoyance.

"I'm here because you're not supposed to be here. I'm taking you back to Gianna and when I do she'll add another strike to your name."

"Do you take pleasure in our misery? Because news flash you left too and the 'lion' loves to eat mice or whatever." Edna flushes upon Brooklynn's statement. She's in the same boat as us.

"This is all your fault! If you hadn't left, I wouldn't have had to come after you and my record would still be intact!"

"Maybe, you can explain?" My voice cuts through the air.

"So naive. So, so naive. Listen princess, this is the real world, you can't get away with nothing," she growls.

I look to the ground, playing with the bracelet on my wrist nervously. Am I really that naive?

"Hey, she didn't say anything wrong, she didn't deserve that!" Peyton frowns at Edna who clenches her fists at her side.

My mouth gapes open. Peyton never gets angry. Nor makes it clear vocally. Huh?

"Oh, look if it isn't the knight in shining armour, here to save his princess? Grow up."

I hear a vicious shout and turn to see Brooklynn ready to pounce on Edna. Ashlynn quickly grabs her arm to restrain her, her sister's body jerking away from her in a struggle.

"Down boy." Edna grins wickedly.

Another snarl sounds around us, this time sending a chill down my spine. Even when it finishes, it continues to send ripples down the length of my back, each one growing tenser.

"Brooklynn, that's enough now," Natalia whispers, her latina accent thick on her tongue.

Subconsciously we move closer together like a magnet is pulling at us.

"It wasn't me that time."

"Brookie, please!" Ashlynn's face contorts with terror.

The loud rumble blares through the air again. Like a crescendo it grows, capturing my ears in a spell. When, finally, all I can hear is a faint echo, the hairs on the back of my neck rise and I grow frigid. I don't dare move, frozen in a perturbed trance.

"Brooke, stop it," Natalia cries out.

"I told you, it isn't me!"

"Well, what — who, is it?" Ashlynn rushes, still clinging to Brooklynn but with more urgency now.

To my left, I hear a faint brush of leaves. If it wasn't for my ears standing on high alert, I might not have heard it.

"What was that?" I can't make out who said it because I'm frozen still, too scared to move.

"What if it's a bear?" I rub my arms, feeling suddenly cold.

"I read somewhere that bears only eat humans when they are really hungry," Vivian says, adjusting her glasses feverishly. We turn to look at her, our eyes wide.

"Great. Viv, you've scared the cats." Brooklynn shakes her head.

"We're seconds away from being killed, I'll pee my pants if I want to!"

"For god's sake Natalia, you're such an air head."

"I don't know why you're acting so smug; we'll sacrifice you first!" Natalia retaliates.

"Nat, Edna. Please, don't argue, it might hear us," Ashlynn whispers.

As if she waved a magic wand, both girls shut up. Sensing our fear, the unrecognisable noise starts again. We're screwed.

"Let's just head back. There's nothing to worry about," Brooke speaks up, her voice quiet.

"Brooke, if we can hear the fear in your voice, it can too."

"I'm not scared, Edna."

"Yes, you are."

"Sshh!" Ashlynn moves her hand to her lips, her innocent eyes unguarded and letting the panic in her eyes tell a thousand stories.

One look at her sister's vulnerable state and Brooklynn silences the argument that was dancing on the tip of her tongue. Instead she unwraps Ashlynn stiff fingers from her t-shirt and encircles her own around her body. Ashlynn accepts the invitation and latches onto her for dear life, her terror diminishing ever so slightly.

This time when the lurid growl begins it lasts longer, scaring the light out of one of the flashlights. Literally.

"My torch, its dead." Peyton flicks the switch continually, shaking it. In the end, she gives up and turns to us in defeat.

"That's not our only problem... is it just me, or did it sound closer?"

"Viv, you're not helping here," Brooklynn snaps.

The bushes on my left rustle again, this time clearer. All sets of eyes snap over to see the blackthorn wriggle.

"We need to move. Now." Without a second thought, we start to run. Following no path but running in the same direction like we'd previously arranged the best get away option.

Heavy footsteps, or rather thuds, follow us. My heart rate spikes and the severity of the situation rises. The hands pumping back and forth at my sides become clammy and my footwork uncoordinated, dread blinding me.

"Edna, keep up!"

"I can't. I'm–I'm not as ath–athletic, as you guys," she pants.

Her breaths are becoming shorter and more laboured by the minute. The distance between her and us shrinks and going against my better judgement, I start to slow. Shock covers Edna's face but she doesn't put up a fight when I loop back and wrap her arm over my shoulder. Together we run but no matter how hard I fight, for the both of us, we fail to catch up.

"Lexi!" Brooklynn looks over her shoulder and instantly spots our struggle. "We need to– no. Ah. I can't think!"

"Cotibus Creek!" On Vivians shout, we steer left, our feet pounding harder but our pace unfaltering.

Sweat drips down each of our foreheads, both from exhaustion and distress. Mud coats the back of our legs, wrecking all seven pairs of shoes.

We'll never make it.

Natalia, who is closest to Edna and I, sees our struggle and settles her enemies arm around her neck. With the extra help, we move at a more rapid speed.

Upon spotting the trees that push aside to reveal the open clearing, we make a mad dash. Branches swing back and forth, and side to side, hurriedly, we escape the woods.

My eyes tilt downwards, peering towards the sharp points of rocks guiding to the bottomless depths, once I reach the end of the trail. The alcoves and nooks where the water used to flow uninviting, warning us to stay away. Cliff Cotibus, formerly know as Cotibus Creek, was a one stop shop. Meaning, somehow, we now had two enemies: a somewhat breathtaking yet menacing overhang and it. And we're trapped between them.

"Now what?" Brooklynn asks, her pony tail's askew and strands of hair stick out randomly.

"I don't know but I lost my light on the run."

"Please tell me your joking, Natalia? Seriously, we only have two torches left if you count Edna's!" Vivian all but growls.

Screwed. Hopelessly and utterly, screwed.

"This has to be some sort of sick joke." Edna buries her head in her hands, sitting on a large rock trying to regulate her breathing.

"Why did we leave the trail? Whose great idea was that?"

"Yours!" six voices shout.

"Whatever."

My attention transfers to Peyton who is nearing the trees. As she approaches our only line of defence against it, my heart rate accelerates. "Guys, where did it go? I can't hear it."

The trees start to writhe ever so slightly and I catch a glimpse of a shadow. Peyton goes closer to peer through the gaps and my eyes widen.

"Peyton, get back!"

Her ear shattering scream is louder than the snarl that comes next because the shadow has lunged.

and it's up! this is nearly identical to a chapter you've read before but the changed placement in the story is crucial! from now on all previous chapters have gone and disappeared forever, so no new readers will ever know of them. my chiccas who have stuck with me from the start can just think of the previous chapters as bonus ones!

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qotc: what happened to peyton?!

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cotc: will be revealed next week!

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This amazing cover is by: @SMMBooks !!

thankyou so much for spending the time to make such a lovely fan cover! <33

if anyone else would love to make one and become featured, send them to [email protected]

See you soon (next friday to be exact) and I love you all! <33

xoxo,

jessie.