but not finding any words.
“We’re going to be alright. We have everything we need to take the time to figure it all out,” I say, more convincingly than I had hoped. Jo’s eyes shut, and after a brief pause, she nods.
The other bed rustles as Jo climbs in.
It feels like only a moment has passed, but deep down I know that it’s been much longer. Maybe more than an hour. I won’t let them down. Nobody should be able to make it out here for a while anyway, if ever.
“ Don’t let me down again…” Those words run through my head on loop, echoing through my mind. Eventually, sleep breaks through and takes me.
Chapter 13: Sara
A creak. It can’t be the wind; there are no other creaks to go with it. There is no whistle, not even the sound of the trees. My eyes dart around the room, but it’s so dark. I remember Jocelyn went to sleep on the bottom bunk of the other bed, and Caitlyn is below me, but I don’t know where Jon is. Please be him, please be him…
Another creak. It’s coming from the front of the cabin. Why would Jon be sneaking this late? Maybe he doesn't want to wake us. My chest feels tight and I feel like screaming, but I don’t know what will happen. The more I try to listen the more I hear my heart beating: faster and faster.
Another creak, longer this time, but it’s different. The front door is opening! The outline of a man becomes clear, but he’s leaving! It’s not Jon; Jon isn’t that tall. What does he have in his hand?
I can’t hold it in. I try so hard, but I can’t do it. A little whimper escapes me and the man turns with a start, looking right at me. There’s no way he can see me. It’s too dark! Please don’t see me. Trembling, I look at the shadowy man. I won’t even breathe. Even if I wanted to, I don’t think I could. Just leave!
Almost as abruptly as he had looked at me, the man darts out the door, silently. I won’t move, not yet. He needs to be far away. My heart is still beating so loudly that I can’t hear anything else.
Just another moment, and then I’ll climb down. I need to find out what he was doing. I slowly pull my blanket back with my right hand. A flashlight is in my left hand. I pull it back so slowly so that when I’m uncovered, enough time will have passed. It’s so hard to climb off the top bunk.
My legs swing over the head rail, and I find the rungs. They’re cold and damp. It feels like the room is foggy. Three more rungs. It’s hard to climb while holding something. Two more rungs. Why are they wet? And why is it so cold? I can’t slip! I’ll make too much noise. He might still be close enough to hear. One more rung. I extend with my right arm as much as I can so I can lower my foot to the ground.
But it doesn’t reach the ground. It stops short on something, and slips. I let out a squeal as my hand falls off the bed rail. I fall onto this thing in a total panic. I can’t even think. I stand up as quickly as I can and turn on the flashlight.
All I can do now is scream, and it echoes through the whole cabin. I had landed on the body of the nurse from the hospital. I try to turn away but there are just more of the people from the hospital on the floor, lying there. I don’t remember inhaling, but I scream again, and I keep screaming. Why is nobody waking up? Where is Jon? Where is Jocelyn? Where is Caitlyn?
I hear a slam and I wheel around just in time to see the outline of the man in the open door frame.
“Wake up!” I hear
“We’re going to be alright. We have everything we need to take the time to figure it all out,” I say, more convincingly than I had hoped. Jo’s eyes shut, and after a brief pause, she nods.
The other bed rustles as Jo climbs in.
It feels like only a moment has passed, but deep down I know that it’s been much longer. Maybe more than an hour. I won’t let them down. Nobody should be able to make it out here for a while anyway, if ever.
“ Don’t let me down again…” Those words run through my head on loop, echoing through my mind. Eventually, sleep breaks through and takes me.
Chapter 13: Sara
A creak. It can’t be the wind; there are no other creaks to go with it. There is no whistle, not even the sound of the trees. My eyes dart around the room, but it’s so dark. I remember Jocelyn went to sleep on the bottom bunk of the other bed, and Caitlyn is below me, but I don’t know where Jon is. Please be him, please be him…
Another creak. It’s coming from the front of the cabin. Why would Jon be sneaking this late? Maybe he doesn't want to wake us. My chest feels tight and I feel like screaming, but I don’t know what will happen. The more I try to listen the more I hear my heart beating: faster and faster.
Another creak, longer this time, but it’s different. The front door is opening! The outline of a man becomes clear, but he’s leaving! It’s not Jon; Jon isn’t that tall. What does he have in his hand?
I can’t hold it in. I try so hard, but I can’t do it. A little whimper escapes me and the man turns with a start, looking right at me. There’s no way he can see me. It’s too dark! Please don’t see me. Trembling, I look at the shadowy man. I won’t even breathe. Even if I wanted to, I don’t think I could. Just leave!
Almost as abruptly as he had looked at me, the man darts out the door, silently. I won’t move, not yet. He needs to be far away. My heart is still beating so loudly that I can’t hear anything else.
Just another moment, and then I’ll climb down. I need to find out what he was doing. I slowly pull my blanket back with my right hand. A flashlight is in my left hand. I pull it back so slowly so that when I’m uncovered, enough time will have passed. It’s so hard to climb off the top bunk.
My legs swing over the head rail, and I find the rungs. They’re cold and damp. It feels like the room is foggy. Three more rungs. It’s hard to climb while holding something. Two more rungs. Why are they wet? And why is it so cold? I can’t slip! I’ll make too much noise. He might still be close enough to hear. One more rung. I extend with my right arm as much as I can so I can lower my foot to the ground.
But it doesn’t reach the ground. It stops short on something, and slips. I let out a squeal as my hand falls off the bed rail. I fall onto this thing in a total panic. I can’t even think. I stand up as quickly as I can and turn on the flashlight.
All I can do now is scream, and it echoes through the whole cabin. I had landed on the body of the nurse from the hospital. I try to turn away but there are just more of the people from the hospital on the floor, lying there. I don’t remember inhaling, but I scream again, and I keep screaming. Why is nobody waking up? Where is Jon? Where is Jocelyn? Where is Caitlyn?
I hear a slam and I wheel around just in time to see the outline of the man in the open door frame.
“Wake up!” I hear
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