I never meant to find that cabin with Kate and Zoe. I never meant to stay out in the woods after dark, or leave the lantern in that tree. I thought I could use it to find my way back to the campsite, but I was wrong. Was it a punishment from forces I could not see? I doubt I'll ever find out. Not since I found a permanent home in a watery grave.

Mia was the one that suggested it. I miss how her sapphire eyes would sparkle with excitement at the thought of an adventure. Zoe was skeptical, but as always, she gave in. She never really stood her ground. I wish she had, though. I wish I had said something sooner. I wish I had said no.

After we went into that cabin, we lost Zoe. Sweet, quiet, innocent Zoe with her emerald eyes that would sparkle when she laughed, and her red hair that bounced against her back when she ran during her track meets. I wish I had seen those yellow eyes sooner, and if I did, we might've all survived. When the wolves sprung out from their hiding spot, the scent of blood followed them. Their muzzles were coated in the blood of their prey, as were their teeth. Zoe tried to fend them off, but they just dragged her away, kicking and screaming. I felt like I could still hear her heartbeat in the back of my mind, even after the wolves had dragged her away.

Unlike Mia, I didn't plan on waiting for them to come back. Instead, I pulled her to her feet and we ran. It was at that very moment that I realized I should have never left the campsite, or at least not without my parents knowing. In the back of my mind, the edges of my subconscious, I can still hear her sobbing as we ran, and I can still feel the warm, sticky blood as it ran from a cut on my cheek. There was almost no light in the woods as we wove between trees, dodging vines and thorns. The only sounds were the distant howling of the wolves, the wind that chilled us to our bones, and the leaves crunching beneath our feet. We were far away from the cabin by then, but we still weren't safe. The howling got closer and closer, as did the sound of paws thundering through the trees. We kept running until our legs felt like they were made from lead and our hearts sounded as if they would beat straight out of our chests.

We kept going, though. We ducked under fallen logs and leapt over exposed roots. We could see the lantern, still hanging from the tree. As we raced towards it, we both forgot about the river separating us from it. Only a few feet away from it, we slipped on the rocks and fell into the river below. Upon impact, Kate hit her head on a rock, leaving her with a massive gash in her forehead. We then tried to climb the damp, rocky walls, but to no avail. People were calling our names by now, and we could see the beams of light coming from phones and flashlights above us. We called for help, for someone to rescue us from this nightmare, but nobody could hear our frantic voices over the rushing water.

Eventually, someone saw the lantern. We continued our attempts to be seen or heard, but we finally gave up from exhaustion. The icy water stung as my legs slowly lost feeling. Kate soon gave up, sinking below the water. I tried to scream her name, or call for help again, but I was so tired, no noise came out. They wouldn't find me. They would never find Kate, or at least find her while she was alive. She was gone forever. I had to stay alive for her. For her and for Zoe.

As the night progressed, I struggled to keep my head above water. Every wave felt like a pile of bricks and kick in the water felt heavier, like it was made of slowly drying concrete. I fought to keep awake like there was no tomorrow. After all, if I fell asleep, I would never wake up to a tomorrow again. I could barely keep afloat, finally sinking beneath the waves and rushing water. I didn't even know when I died. I just felt like I was sleeping. Sleeping forever, blissfully unaware of my own death.