Present Day
I wake up feeling fully rested, a feeling I haven't felt in days.
I roll on my side and grab my phone.
Fifty-seven new messages, all from a group chat of everyone who went to camp.
I scroll through the messages briefly. It was mainly just a bunch of pictures people took at camp.
I turn my phone off and roll out of bed.
I walk into my bathroom to get ready. Once I was finished, I look in the mirror and sigh.
"Welp, back to school, I guess."
I walk out of my bathroom and down the hallway.
The hallway was decently long. It had three rooms Not counting my room, which was at the end of the hallway, two bedrooms and a bathroom.
I walk down the hallway and to the stairs.
I tell my mom bye, put on my shoes, and then leave my house.
I decided to walk to school today. It wasn't too far from my house, and I thought the fresh air might be nice.
Walking through town, I can't help but think about the cabin.
"She's dead," I mumble. "There was too much blood."
The image of the cabin plays back in my mind over and over again.
I feel my phone buzz.
There were new texts in the group chat.
Everyone started talking about what the cops could have been doing there. Some thought someone might have been hiding illegal substances in the cabin. Others said it was a ghost.
The group chat was more active than usual, probably just people killing time before class starts.
I noticed everyone had texted in the chat.
Everyone except Layla.
Eventually I make it to school.
I see Ken walking in, but he was too far for me to catch up to without running.
I make it inside the doors.
"Hey," Ken said. He had waited for me inside.
"Didn't know you saw me coming," I said.
"I always check behind me before I let a door close," he said.
Adrian walked in.
"Looks like he decided to show up," I said.
"Consider yourselves lucky. I almost didn't come," he said.
"Whatever. By the way, where's Conner?" I said.
We hear a bang followed by a voice.
We walk over to the sound and see Conner against a locker with someone walking away.
We walk over to him.
He was holding his shoulder.
"You good, dude?" I ask.
"Yeah, I'm fine," he said.
Ken looked at the person walking away.
"Who was that?" he said.
Conner looks at him.
"It was no one."
He starts walking off toward our classroom.
"We're gonna be late," he said.
We all follow behind him.
He held his shoulder halfway to the room.
Once inside, we all sit in our seats.
None of us were next to each other. We got separated because we would always cause trouble in class.
We all sat in silence listening.
Eventually, I started zoning out.
I look at the time.
We hadn't been in here very long.
Class felt slow today, slower than usual.
I look over.
My friends all looked uninterested in what the teacher was saying.
To be honest, I didn't even know what she was talking about. I hadn't paid any attention.
I started to doze off.
I kept seeing flashes of that cabin whenever my eyes would close.
But not the cabin from camp.
The one from that dream.
The bell rang out, ripping me out of the daze.
I grab my bag and head out to the cafeteria.
On the way there, I see Clover.
I walk over to her.
"Hey, have you seen Layla anywhere?" I ask.
She stands there looking nervous, or maybe hesitant.
"No, I haven't. Why?" she says.
"Oh, I was just wondering. It's no big deal. Thanks," I said before starting to walk off.
"Wait," she said.
I turn around.
"Yeah?"
"Never mind," she said.
She looks even more nervous now.
I walk away and start back toward the cafeteria.
Once there, I get my food and sit down with the rest of my friends.
"What took you so long?" Adrian said.
"Sorry, I got stopped by Clover."
"Clover?" he said. "Why Clover?"
"I was asking her if she's seen Layla recently," I said.
"Because of what you saw, right?" he said.
"Yeah."
I look at my food.
"I did some research last night…"
They all look at me.
"I found an old paper talking about some magician who went missing without a trace."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Adrian said.
"Well, it happened near the campsite, so, you know, I just thought what if it was what happened to Layla."
They all look at me like I'm crazy.
"So you think some random disappearance from years ago was the same thing that you saw?" Ken said.
"I'm sorry, but that makes no sense."
"I know it's crazy, but didn't you notice how Layla was the only one who didn't text in the group chat?" I said.
"She could have just been on Do Not Disturb," Adrian said.
I look at him.
"Yeah, well, where is she then?"
"I don't know, Joel," he said.
Everyone went quiet.
"So what? You all just think I'm crazy? That everything I saw wasn't real?"
No one responded.
I look around the cafeteria.
Everyone was sitting with their friends.
Everyone except Clover.
She was sitting alone.
She never sat alone.
Layla was always with her.
She looked sad.
I hear the cafeteria door open.
My eyes widen.
Layla was standing there.