"This fire smells like something died." Kip pointed out, scrunching up his snout.

We were huddled around our campfire and roasting assorted food items on sticks, "Using gasoline was easier then going out to find sticks." Zoura pointed out.

"We wouldn't have had useless gas if you hadn't crashed the car." Pidgey pointed out loudly, gesturing to the wreckage of the van behind us that was smashed into a tree. About half a mile after we entered the woods, Zoura's speedy driving made getting around trees a hassle, and finally, our luck had given out. Now the van was smashed and useless, except for it's gas, which made a good fire.

Luckily, I had pulled Pidgey and Zoura into the backseat before the collision so we were only a little bruised for the most part, "I told you, the tree jumped in front of us! And you were the one who was steering." Zoura defended , taking a bite of charred berry.

"EIGHTY MILES AN HOUR ZOURA." Pidgey snapped, nearly dropping his food in hysteria.

"Alright, everyone chill. How about we tell some campfire stories." Charmander volunteered.

"I've got one, it's called, 'The Time Zoura Crashed Our Car and Left Us Lost In The Woods Where We All Died.'" Snivy snapped, glaring at the fox Pokemon who was smiling weakly.

"...The title spoils it a little bit." Psyduck commented.

"Ooh Ooh, I've got a story! Once upon a time there was a warrior princess Snivy who fell in love with a rouge Taillow and -- ow!" Zoura suffered a whap on the ear from Snivy; Charmander stood up.

"You guys are acting nuts! I've got a story, and it's the best story ever." We all settled down. Charmander told a story full of human knights and castles and fair maidens. There were sword fights and wizards and more sword fights and a dragon at one point, "And then the wizard raised his staff, and called the ghosts of the castle! They moaned and howled in ghost voices, chains rattling and--"

"Okay, that's enough." I said taking notice of Psyduck shaking. Snivy had fallen asleep during the dragon slaying and Zoura was nodding off.

"I liked it." Kip said happily.

"You guys are--" -YAWN- "--silly. There's no such thing as magic. Afterlife, and Ghost types, yeah but that's all science." Pidgey huffed, ruffling his wings and getting ready to sleep. I put my tail over nose and curled up, ready to fall asleep. I made a muffled goodnight sound and the camp agreed with me.

***

Fire.

There was fire.

It coated the walls and the floor and someone was screaming. Oh, it might've been me. "You're here." I spun around, "You came for us." I couldn't find the voice.

"Who are you?!" I tried to shout then spun to a face: fangs bristled, snout curled, eyes blank and furious.

I sat bolt upright, chest heaving in a cold sweat. I tried to lay back down, staring up at the sky that had turned a pale morning grey as the dead campfire smoke looping lazily upwards past the trees. Everyone else was asleep by the looks of it. I wondered briefly where the birds were then I remembered; hiding at my place.

I decided the nightmare was brain residue from Charmander's story. Ghosts and chains rattling and such. I couldn't fall back asleep. Should I tell them about my nightmare? No. That was selfish. Pidgey would've has some long explanation and Kip would be scared while Charmander got comfort food Zoura and Snivy would promise it's nothing. That actually sounded kinda nice but I couldn't afford to be selfish now, they've done too much for me. I thought of a chain held together by hands over a waterfall and a new movement led by us alone. I turned over.

Yeah.

Way too much.