what we’re missing.”
“I’m not so sure , guys,” Javier entered the conversation. “I could see it being fun. It’s just like acting. I was in the drama club in high school and I played a knight once. It was cool.”
“ Except Larping is lame,” Rick offered. “At least there’re chicks in the drama club, so there’s some hope. I don’t see any chicks Larping.”
“Oh , yeah, there are,” Donovan added.
Rick raised his hand. “Sorry, let me rephrase that. I don’t see any hot chicks Larping.”
Donovan opened his mouth, but didn’t reply right away.
“My point exactly ,” Rick said.
“I bet there’re some.” Donovan shrugged. “Just not in my group.”
Something in the woods caught Zack’s eye. He reached into his pocket and took out his high-powered LED flashlight. When he shined it into the woods, he saw a brief reflection, that then flittered away.
“What is it?” Rick asked.
Zack narrowed his eyes and followed the beam. “I saw something.”
“Bear?”
“Not unless a bear has something reflective on him.”
“Eyes?”
“No, it wasn’t eye shine. This looked like glass or metal.”
Rick looked around. “There ’re probably other campers around here somewhere. This place isn’t that far from the trail.”
Zack scanned the perimeter with the light. “I’m sure there are. But why would they be stalking us from the woods?”
Donovan shook his head adamantly. “No way guys. This is way off the beaten path. We’re two miles off the alternate route and at least three miles off the AT, and at least a mile from any marked cabins or campsites.”
“True ,” Zack offered, “ But
but
there’s a trail here. We found this place ,
.
I’m sure there’s something around here we didn’t see.”
“There ’re cabins,” Rick said. “All along the AT there are cabins that aren’t on the maps. My Uncle Liam has hiked this trail in its entirety three times, and he said you find all sorts of weirdoes and bizarre things off the map. That’s why he wanted me to take a gun.”
Javier looked around nervously. “Maybe we should have one.”
Zack nodded. “I imagine there are weirdoes out here.” He looked up and saw the stars were starting to pop. It was really a beautiful night. The moon was not up yet—it was somewhere over the horizon—but last night it had been about two-thirds full.
Rick looked up. “When’s that meteor shower supposed to start?”
“It starts tomorrow , but peaks the night after. We should be up at Coalville by then, so the view should be amazing.”
“We can camp there on the open pasture, ” Donovan added, “totally unobstructed view. I planned that, you’re welcome.”
Zack looked into the woods again and swore he saw something. He snapped his light on and saw something move. “What the…?”
“What is it?” Rick asked.
“There’s something in those woods.”
Rick shrugged it off. “Probably an animal. We’re invading their territory and they’re probably pissed.”
He was probably right.
Chapter 9
Emily woke up in the middle of the night when the door opened. Harry came into the cabin, clearly bothered. “What’s wrong?”
“There’re campers, right down the trail at the lake.”
“So what?”
“ No one should be around here. This isn’t good. This is way too remote for anyone to’ve just happened onto this place. They could be a threat.”
Emily sat up on the edge of the bed. “Why would they be a threat? I’m sure they’re not.”
“We can’t take any chances.” He took out a rifle and started digging out rounds of ammunition from a large green box.
“What’re you doing?”
“I have to eliminate the threat.”
Emily sprang up to her feet in alarm. “What? You can’t just kill random people. They probably don’t have anything to do with us.”
Harry didn’t reply, he didn’t look up, he just continued loading the magazine with bullets.
“Harry, I’m
“I’m not so sure , guys,” Javier entered the conversation. “I could see it being fun. It’s just like acting. I was in the drama club in high school and I played a knight once. It was cool.”
“ Except Larping is lame,” Rick offered. “At least there’re chicks in the drama club, so there’s some hope. I don’t see any chicks Larping.”
“Oh , yeah, there are,” Donovan added.
Rick raised his hand. “Sorry, let me rephrase that. I don’t see any hot chicks Larping.”
Donovan opened his mouth, but didn’t reply right away.
“My point exactly ,” Rick said.
“I bet there’re some.” Donovan shrugged. “Just not in my group.”
Something in the woods caught Zack’s eye. He reached into his pocket and took out his high-powered LED flashlight. When he shined it into the woods, he saw a brief reflection, that then flittered away.
“What is it?” Rick asked.
Zack narrowed his eyes and followed the beam. “I saw something.”
“Bear?”
“Not unless a bear has something reflective on him.”
“Eyes?”
“No, it wasn’t eye shine. This looked like glass or metal.”
Rick looked around. “There ’re probably other campers around here somewhere. This place isn’t that far from the trail.”
Zack scanned the perimeter with the light. “I’m sure there are. But why would they be stalking us from the woods?”
Donovan shook his head adamantly. “No way guys. This is way off the beaten path. We’re two miles off the alternate route and at least three miles off the AT, and at least a mile from any marked cabins or campsites.”
“True ,” Zack offered, “ But
but
there’s a trail here. We found this place ,
.
I’m sure there’s something around here we didn’t see.”
“There ’re cabins,” Rick said. “All along the AT there are cabins that aren’t on the maps. My Uncle Liam has hiked this trail in its entirety three times, and he said you find all sorts of weirdoes and bizarre things off the map. That’s why he wanted me to take a gun.”
Javier looked around nervously. “Maybe we should have one.”
Zack nodded. “I imagine there are weirdoes out here.” He looked up and saw the stars were starting to pop. It was really a beautiful night. The moon was not up yet—it was somewhere over the horizon—but last night it had been about two-thirds full.
Rick looked up. “When’s that meteor shower supposed to start?”
“It starts tomorrow , but peaks the night after. We should be up at Coalville by then, so the view should be amazing.”
“We can camp there on the open pasture, ” Donovan added, “totally unobstructed view. I planned that, you’re welcome.”
Zack looked into the woods again and swore he saw something. He snapped his light on and saw something move. “What the…?”
“What is it?” Rick asked.
“There’s something in those woods.”
Rick shrugged it off. “Probably an animal. We’re invading their territory and they’re probably pissed.”
He was probably right.
Chapter 9
Emily woke up in the middle of the night when the door opened. Harry came into the cabin, clearly bothered. “What’s wrong?”
“There’re campers, right down the trail at the lake.”
“So what?”
“ No one should be around here. This isn’t good. This is way too remote for anyone to’ve just happened onto this place. They could be a threat.”
Emily sat up on the edge of the bed. “Why would they be a threat? I’m sure they’re not.”
“We can’t take any chances.” He took out a rifle and started digging out rounds of ammunition from a large green box.
“What’re you doing?”
“I have to eliminate the threat.”
Emily sprang up to her feet in alarm. “What? You can’t just kill random people. They probably don’t have anything to do with us.”
Harry didn’t reply, he didn’t look up, he just continued loading the magazine with bullets.
“Harry, I’m
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