The sky over the campsite glows with the soft gold of a setting sun, casting long shadows through the towering trees. Tents are pitched in neat rows, a modest campfire crackling at the center, its warm light flickering against the students' faces. Laughter fills the air—nervous, forced, but still present.
"Alright, everyone," the principal, Ms. Florence, calls out, clapping her hands to gather the students. "The forest guide will be here shortly, so please don't wander too far. Stay in groups, and stick close to the campsite."
A wave of nods and "Yes, ma'am" ripple through the crowd.
"We could play something until then!" says Olivia, the cheerful class monitor. "How about… hide and seek?"
"Seriously?" one student groans. "That's so childish."
"Better than sitting here in awkward silence," another chimes in, grabbing a flashlight. "Come on, let's make it fun. Forest hide and seek. First one found is the seeker next round!"
As the group scatters into the woods with flashlights and laughs, Caleb stays behind, parked beside the campfire. Ms. Florence settles into a camp chair next to him, sighing as she watches the students vanish into the shadows.
"They're trying to act normal," she murmurs.
Caleb glances at her. "You don't think this camp should've been canceled?"
Ms. Florence folds her arms. "Honestly… I don't know. The higher-ups insisted. Said the murders weren't proven to be connected. That maybe... a little nature would calm things down."
Caleb hums lowly. "This forest feels like it's holding its breath."
She smiles at him softly. "You've always had a way with words."
They sit in silence for a while, the fire crackling, the shadows growing deeper. Time ticks. The laughter and footsteps fade. A chill slips through the air.
Ms. Florence checks her watch, then frowns. "It's been a while. They should've come back by now."
"I'm sure they're just messing around," Caleb says, but his voice isn't confident.
"No. It's getting too dark. I'll go find them."
"I'll tell my bodyguard to go with you," Caleb offers. "You shouldn't go alone."
With a grateful nod, she rises, and Caleb waves over his bodyguard. "Stay with her," he says firmly. "Bring them back."
As the two vanish into the forest, Caleb is left alone beside the dwindling fire. The once lively clearing is now disturbingly quiet—no rustling, no owls, no crickets. Just the soft hiss of dying flames.
He checks his phone. No service. Not even a flicker of signal.
"Of course," he mutters and flicks on his torch.
A small beam cuts through the darkness as he wheels himself slowly toward the edge of the trees. He doesn't know why he moves forward. Maybe to feel less alone. Maybe to check if he can see them. Maybe—
Trickle.
He pauses. Something wet slides down his cheek. Rain?
He looks up.
Not rain.
Not water.
The torchlight trembles in his hand as it slowly illuminates what hangs above—his classmates' bodies. Dangling by the waist from a thick branch, head limp, mouth agape… and legs missing. His hands are tied behind his back, a look of pure terror frozen on his face.
"No…" Caleb whispers, his voice cracking.
And there are more. One by one, the light catches them—Olivia, the laughing girl from earlier, another boy from his class. All hanging. All legless. Blood drips like a slow, terrible rhythm onto the forest floor.
Caleb's breathing sharpens, panic surging through his chest.
"I have to get out—I have to—"
He spins his wheelchair around, rolling fast, too fast. The ground beneath him is uneven, and suddenly—
Crash.
His front wheels hit a jagged rock. Caleb flies forward, hitting the cold ground with a thud. The torch rolls out of his hand, the beam spinning wildly, lighting up the trees in dizzy circles.
Groaning, Caleb tries to push himself up. But before he can grab his chair—
Footsteps.
Soft. Close.
He freezes.
A shadow looms from behind.
The beam of the torch catches just a sliver of movement—feet stepping into the light.
"W-Who…" Caleb's voice is faint. "Who's there?"
No answer.
Only silence.
And then, a whisper, almost affectionate.
"You shouldn't have come into the woods, Brother."