So some people may have been wondering what happened to my family. Well, it all started four days ago with a simple conversation between my parents.

Four Days ago

"Melissa?" My dad says, leaning back in his chair. "Why don't we go on a camping trip with Fawn and Cecilia?"

"A camping trip?" My mom nearly spits out her mocha. "Dave, Fawn probably doesn't even know what the word nature means," she chuckles to herself. "She spends all day on her phone."

I so badly want to jump in and say, nature, noun. the phenomena of the physical world collectively, including plants, animals, the landscape, and other features and products of the earth, as opposed to humans or human creations, but I hold myself back. I'm supposed to be asleep, but I almost speak because I pride myself on being smart, and the fact that my parents almost entirely ignore that fact really bothers me.

"That's exactly why I want to go on this trip," my father continues. "It could be good for them, being able to see the outside world. They could learn a thing or two," he flexes his muscles. Eww.

My mom chuckles. "Alright, alright," she holds up her hands in surrender. She stands up and walks into another room (probably to get another mocha) and ends the conversation.

Twenty-four hours later

"Fa-awn," my mom sings, twirling herself into my room. "Get yourself packed for our camping trip!"

I tug my earbuds out and crouch down to get my duffel bag from under my bed. I stuff some jeans and tee-shirts in, along with some other necessities. I brush my hair out and clean my glasses, then look into the mirror. Good enough, I tell myself. I throw myself back on my bed and barely hear This is Gospel for the fallen ones, locked away in permanent slumber, before my dad calls me.

"Time to go, Fawn!" He calls joyfully.

I climb into the car and fall asleep listening to Mama. Mama, we all go to hell, Mama, we all go to hell, I'm writing this letter and wishing you well, Mama, we all go to hell. 

I wake up to Cecilia shaking me. "Fawn! Fawn we're here!" She bounds out of the car. "Mom, look! Deer! Mom, look! A Butterfly!"

"Mom, look, a leaf on the ground," I mumble, rubbing my eyes.

"Fawn! Let's go on a hike!" Cecilia says, dancing around me.

"Not yet, sweetheart," Dad says, rubbing her head. "We have to set up our tents."

"Fawn," my mother whispers in my ear. "Keep an eye on Cecilia for me, okay?" I don't want to, but I nod anyway.

"Cecilia, want to share a tent?" I mumble.

"Yay! Sharing a tent with Fawn! This will be the best camping trip ever!" Cecilia hugs me around my waist.

I grab the smaller tent from the trunk and start to scan over the instructions. Dad helps, but eventually I get the tent up. Mom and Cecilia were cooking hot dogs for dinner.

"Sorry kiddo," mom says, looking up at the sky. "We have to hike tomorrow."

Cecilia shrugs. "That's okay," she says with a mouthful of hot dog. "We can go tomorrow." 

I eat more or less alone and in silence. I'm listening and, behind all of those cricket chirps, I can hear whispers coming from trees and bushes. They were barely audible, but they still drove me nuts.

I forget about the voices and climb into my tent as mom is singing another campfire song. I flick on a light (from my bag of necessities) and start to read.

I guess I fell asleep with the book on my face, because in the morning, I wake up with the light off (ran out of batteries, I guess) and the book lying on my chest. I sit up and the blankets fall off my face. I adjust my glasses and look around. Cecilia isn't in the tent, so either she got scared and slept with my parents (likely) or she was cooking breakfast with mom. I don't hear a fire, but I step outside. There's no fire, and no one there. I check my parents' tent, but nothing. I start to panic(!) and check all over the campsite, asking other families if they've seen my parents.

They were gone. G-O-N-E. I grab my duffel bag and sling it over my shoulder, running into the woods. I don't know where I'm going, but I know I needed to find my family. Maybe they went on the hike without me.

W-R-O-N-G.

I run for about five minutes straight, calling for my parents until I see an old woman smiling and waving, beckoning me. I go up to her, because, what other choice did I have? Maybe she could help me.

W-R-O-N-G again.