Camp Apocalypse: An Apocalyptic Thriller, page 33
Will shrugged. “I probably wouldn’t have found you guys.”
“I’m glad you did.”
“Me too!” He grinned.
“So, when do you want to leave?”
“Soon.” He replied. “Before sunrise. I want to let them sleep a little longer.”
“Do you want some sleep?”
“I don’t think so.” He shrugged. “I’m not tired.”
She pursed her lips. “You sure?”
He nodded. “Thanks, anyway.”
A long time passed as Will kept a careful watch, and Molly fell asleep. The rain soon drizzled out, and dawn was breaking. He wished more than anything he could be back at home with his parents, safe from all this.
Soon, it was time to go.
“Everybody, wake up.” He whispered. “We need to get moving.”
“It’s still dark,” Wyatt complained groggily, rising from the soaking wet ground.
“Where are we going?” Maddie asked.
“Parking lot,” Will replied. “Maybe our parents are there waiting for us. Time to move.”
Picking up the branches and sticks, they walked quickly, descending the hill, climbing the path, and skirting the Lodge. As they passed the dumpster, Will recalled that horrifying night he’d found the body. So much had happened since then, and he wished he could go back in time and tell his past self what he had learned; maybe he could have prevented it.
Soon, they stood at the edge of the parking lot.
Will looked at each car in turn.
One by one, he ruled out every car, despairing that neither his parents nor Maddie’s had come.
There was no sign of whoever had fired the shots the day before, nor was there any sign Hayden, Jenna, and Anabelle had waited. Why would they have? It had been three days.
He lowered his head with a heavy sigh.
“Not here, then?” Noah asked. “What do we do?”
Will shrugged. “We find the others. I don’t see them either. They may be nearby.”
“Will?” Maddie muttered.
He looked at her.
“We have to consider the possibility that— That they didn’t make it.”
“Don’t you think I know that?” He growled. “I can’t even complete the thought. It scares me so bad. But, it’s always there, gnawing at me!”
“I know, Will.” She looked him in the eyes. “But, you can’t let that throw off your judgment. We need to make decisions that are best for the group.”
“I have to keep looking for her.” He said quietly. “I can’t stop.”
“We’ll look for as long as we can, Will.” She replied. “I promise.”
He turned away, blinking, trying to keep the tears back. A knot was forming in his gut. He didn’t want to face his parents and tell them his sister, their only daughter, was missing, probably dead. He couldn’t bear that weight. He had to find her no matter what; he couldn’t give up until she was safe.
Safe or dead.
“Maddie?”
Will looked up; everyone looked around, as confused as him. The voice hadn’t come from any of them; it had been quiet, distant.
He looked around for the source.
“Will? Is that you down there?”
Will looked toward the lodge.
“Noah!” The voice said. “Molly! It is you!”
Will looked up to the top story to see Winnie peeking through a window, waving.
“Winnie!” Maddie shouted. “How’d you get up there?”
“Stairs.” She replied.
“Is Jamie with you?” Will asked.
Winnie nodded. “She is. So is Sofia, Sam, and Ben.”
“She’s okay.” He mumbled, relief washing over him.
“Do you have food?” Noah called up.
Winnie shrugged. “A little. We were gonna look for more today.”
“Let’s get up there.” Will stepped toward the lodge.
“Wait, Will!” Winnie warned. “The lobby is packed with them!”
Will raised an eyebrow. “Packed?”
“Yeah,” Winnie replied. “There’s at least a dozen, probably more.”
“Could you guys climb down through the window?” Wyatt asked.
Winnie shook her head. “Ben got bit a few days ago. He’s sick. I think it’s infected.”
“Infected?” Molly asked. “I thought we couldn’t get sick because of our negative blood type.”
“You need to get him out of there before he tries to eat you guys,” Noah called up.
Winnie shook her head. “Not infected like the sick kids, infected like bacteria and stuff. It’s all red, and pus is coming out of it, and he’s got a nasty fever.” Her voice quieted. “I don’t know if he’ll make it, but we can’t leave him, and we can’t move him.”
“Then we need to get up there,” Maddie said. “Strength in numbers.”
“But, what about the lobby?” Will said. “We won’t make it through a dozen, not all of us.”
Maddie pulled out her gun. “We’ll make it.”
“We only have a few shots left,” Will argued.
She shrugged. “We’ll make good use of them. We’ll make a path.”
“How?” Noah asked.
Maddie nodded toward the lodge. “Follow me.”
They followed her to the porch.
“I’ll see what we can do to help!” Winnie called down, disappearing.
“What do we do?” Molly asked.
Maddie held up the gun. “They’ll come to the sound.”
“What?” Will questioned. “Please don’t do what I think you’re about to do.”
She shrugged. “I have no way of knowing what you think I’m about to do; just be ready when that lobby clears.”
“Maddie, no!” Will said.
“It’ll be all right, Will.” She smiled, stepping away. “I’ll see you upstairs.”
“No!” Will shouted after her.
She disappeared around the corner, and a loud howl startled Will, directing his attention toward the front doors, where it had originated. He looked in through the window as two bloody hands scraped across the glass window in the door.
“What are we doing?” Lisa asked. “Where is she going?”
“She’s gonna distract them,” Will replied. “So we can get inside and run upstairs.”
“What if they don’t all fall for the trick?” Wyatt questioned.
“Then, use those sticks as weapons; fight your way to the stairs.”
“What if Maddie can’t outrun them?” Molly asked.
“She will.” He answered, pulling out his gun. “I’ll make sure.”
He started around the corner.
“Wait, Will!” Noah called.
Will turned.
Noah shrugged. “You’d better get up there right behind us, mate. Or, I’m not gonna be happy with you.”
“You got it, man.” He grinned. “As soon as you hear the gunshot, open the door and run until you reach the third floor. Don’t stop. Don’t look back.”
And, with that, he took off, skirting the lodge to the back.
He turned the corner to see Maddie, standing by the back door, gun in hand, her other hand on the door handle.
“Wait!” He shouted.
She jumped, turning. “Will?”
“Wait for me.”
She let go of the handle. “We don’t both need to do this. Go back.”
“No.” He shook his head. “No way.”
“Come on, Will.” She pleaded. “We don’t both need to die.”
“We won’t die!” He replied. “And, I’m not about to let you put yourself in danger without help.”
Maddie shook her head. “I can’t watch you die, Will.”
He was taken aback by the sincerity in her eyes.
“I can’t.” She said.
“You won’t.”
He pointed the gun at the window in the back door and squeezed the trigger.
The shot echoed all around them, followed by the cries of the beasts inside.
“That door’s not gonna hold them long!” She shouted.
Will’s eyes were fixed on the door as Maddie grabbed his arm, pulling him away. He glanced back as the door flew open, the force behind it too much for the latch.
They sprinted from the lodge, tucking the handgun away.
He wasn’t sure where, but they needed to run. He looked back; the monsters were gaining.
“Faster!” Maddie shouted, out of breath.
He picked up his pace. “We need to get somewhere safe.”
She looked around. “Quick! This way!”
He turned with her toward the mess hall, feeling his strength running out.
“There’s too many!” He cried. “And, the windows are broken!”
“We aren’t hiding in the mess hall!”
They continued up the hill, avoiding tree roots and rocks littering the trail.
It dawned on Will where she was leading them.
“Maddie!” He cried. “No!”
“Straight up the ladder to the zipline!” She shouted. “That’s the fastest way away from them.”
“Please, no!” He shouted again.
“You can do it, Will!” She called back. “We have to!”
They reached the base of the zipline, and Will looked up in fear, briefly feeling that staying with the monsters was a better option.
“Go up!” She shouted.
Will started up, trying to ignore the ever-increasing height, taking each rung one at a time.
Maddie followed right after him, and the sick were right below her.
Will reached the top, gripping onto the pole, not willing to look down or at the zipline.
“Come on, Will!” Maddie shouted. “They’re almost up.”
Will looked at Maddie, seeing the fear in her eyes and the hands reaching toward her.
In a moment of resolution and determination, he grabbed her hand, pulling her toward the edge, and gripped the handle.
“Jump!” He shouted.
Together, they launched themselves into the air, holding on with both hands. Will didn’t look back, but he felt something clawing for his pant leg. He clenched his eyes shut as they descended rapidly toward the lake.
Will’s throat felt like it was in a knot.
“We need to let go soon!” Maddie shouted. “If we go too far, we’ll miss the lake.”
Will nodded, unable to speak.
“Ready?”
Will gulped.
“Now!”
Will felt Maddie let go, but he couldn’t. He couldn’t even open his eyes.
But, Maddie knew him well; as she fell, she grabbed onto his foot, yanking him off the handle as they plummeted to the water below.
He gasped when he hit the water.
Bubbles gurgled around him as he clawed his way to the surface.
He exhaled, breathing rapidly.
“You all right?” Maddie shouted.
Will nodded. “Yeah!”
“Good! Let’s go!”
Will nodded, and they began swimming, paddling harder than he ever had in his life. He looked back. Many of the sick kids had already reached the dock, some already leaping into the water.
They were swimming toward them, fast.
“Faster!” Will shouted, splashing water all around and going nowhere.
It was like Anabelle had taught him in the canoe: slow, steady strokes. He had to remain calm, pushing hard but focused.
He was catching up to Maddie when he looked back again.
The monsters were closing in on them, swimming with inhuman speed and coordination.
But that wasn’t the only danger.
The others on the dock had decided to pursue a different option. They began circling the lake, heading toward the amphitheater.
“Hurry!” Will gurgled.
Maddie looked back, redoubling her efforts.
Finally, just as those behind them had nearly closed the gap, they reached the shore.
“Run!” Maddie shouted. “They’re trying to cut us off!”
Will looked back as they crossed the sandy beach, the monsters emerging from the water like something out of a horror movie.
As they passed the stage, Will looked to the top of the amphitheater. The sick kids who had circled the lake didn’t try to catch them at the shore; Maddie was right: they were trying to cut them off on the steps.
With the swimmers barreling toward them, they had only one choice and not a moment to waste.
“Quick!” Will shouted. “The stage! Get to the trapdoor.”
Maddie took the lead, climbing up onto the steps with Will right behind her. Their footsteps thumped as they ran, barely reaching the trapdoor as the two groups pursuing them converged.
“Open it!” Will shouted. “They’re coming!”
Maddie flung the door open and jumped down. Will nearly landed on top of her. As he landed, he looked back to see a hand reaching desperately for him.
He stumbled back in terror, hitting his back hard on the far side of the opening. Maddie jumped up, using her handgun as a club and whipping the monster’s face hard enough to knock it over.
“Get down!” She shouted as more moved in.
Will obediently ducked, and Maddie slammed the trapdoor.
He sighed. “Thank you.”
“I told you I should have done this alone!”
He frowned. “We’re safe now. That’s what matters.”
She sighed. “I guess you’re right.”
They sat in the darkness for a long while, wringing the water dripping from their clothes.
The noises above had mostly died down.
Will sighed. “I’m sorry, Maddie.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m sorry I haven’t gotten us out of this yet.”
She laughed.
“What?”
“It’s not your fault.”
“I’m not so sure. Everyone is expecting me to get them home.”
“No, they aren’t.” She argued. “Nobody expects anyone to do something like that.”
“What are you talking about? Of course, they do.”
“We’re all just doing the best we can, Will.” She explained. “Molly, Noah, you, me. We can’t expect more than that. We’re all trying to get everyone out of here. There’s no extra weight on you.”
He shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“It’s not always about you, Will,” Maddie said bluntly.
Normally, this would have made Will angry, but today, it opened his eyes.
“I’m sorry,” Maddie said. “That was uncalled for.”
“No.” He replied. “No, you’re right. It isn’t always about me. Everyone is doing their best, and so am I. That’s all we can ask.”
“True, but that’s not what I meant.”
“Oh.” He said, confused.
“I meant earlier when I said that I should have done this without you. I didn’t mean it. I’m happy you came. I thought they would catch me. I thought I was gonna die.” She paused for a moment. “I was ready to die.”
He sighed. “Not today, Maddie. Not for a long time.”
She smiled. “Yeah, looks like we’re stuck with each other for a little longer.”
He smiled. “Right! We can’t break up the team.”
Her words made him realize that everyone felt the same responsibility to protect their friends. That was how they worked together so well. That was why they were still alive.
And, that was how they would stay alive.
They sat for hours in the dark. They could hear scuffling, sniffing, howling overhead.
“Do you think the others made it?” Maddie whispered, breaking the silence.
Will shrugged. “I hope so.”
“I guess we’ll find out when they leave.”
He nodded, taking a deep breath as the sound of scratching came from the trapdoor. He hoped they wouldn’t figure out how to open it.
“Do you feel that?” Maddie asked after a few minutes.
“What?” He responded, but he quickly guessed what she was talking about.
“I feel... Weird.”
Will didn’t respond. He was too distracted by the tingly sensation on his skin.
“Feels like stat—”
She was cut off when an explosion, louder than Will had ever heard, went off right overhead. The stage above shook violently as if hit by a shockwave.
Will instinctively put his hands over his ears. A buzzing or ringing sound was echoing around in his head.
“What was that?!” Maddie shouted.
As Will’s ears recovered, he could hear her voice and the sound of the animalized as they scurried off, clearly frightened by the sound.
He shook his head. “I have no idea.” He opened his mouth wide, trying to adjust the pressure in his ear.
Maddie let out a heavy breath. “Was that lightning?”
Will looked up. “I guess it could have been. I’ve never been struck by lightning before.”
“Me neither.”
“Must have been right above us.”
“Sounds like it scared away the sick kids, though.”
“That’s a relief,” Will replied. “We should see if we can get out of here.”
He crawled over to the trapdoor and, as quietly as possible, lifted the lid, peering out.
“What do you see?” Maddie asked.
Will looked out at the stage. It was empty, and he was about to say so, but as he looked around, he realized they couldn’t leave.
The sick who had pursued them were still within sight, surrounding the amphitheater, watching the stage, but coming no closer.
“What are they doing?” He whispered to himself.
“Can we go?” Maddie asked.
Will lowered the trapdoor. “No. They’re still out there.”
“I thought they ran off.”
He shrugged. “They did. They’re waiting for us to leave.”
She shuddered. “That is so creepy.”
“We might be here a while.”
Will settled in to wait, but as more time passed, a subtle at first but increasingly strong and acrid smell reached his nose.
Suddenly, it hit him. “I smell smoke.”
“What?” Maddie said, sniffing.
“Smoke,” Will responded. “Something’s burning.”
“Oh no,” Maddie said, grabbing Will’s arm. “We need to get out of here!”
“But, we can’t! They’ll catch us!”
