Nicholas returned his attention to Rebecca. "The hair question doesn't count, right?"
"Right."
"Good. Does it have fur?"
"Hold on a second," said Todd, motioning for them to be quiet. "Did you hear that?"
They all fell silent. There was a quiet rustling coming from the woods, but it was no different from the other rustling they'd been hearing all evening.
"Another squirrel," said Nicholas.
Todd listened for a moment longer, then nodded. "Yeah, you're probably right."
"Maybe we should just not talk anymore," suggested Rebecca. "Keep as quiet as possible to make sure we don't miss anything."
"No, it's not hurting anything for us to talk," said Nicholas. "That's the whole point of campfires, to sit around and talk."
"Right," said Todd.
"Maybe so," Rebecca admitted, "but these aren't exactly normal campfire conditions."
"Sure they are. We're all friends here by now, aren't we? There's nothing wrong with a group of friends sitting around the campfire enjoying a nice chat." Nicholas glanced at his watch. "In fact, I think it's just about time for campfire stories, what do you say? Have you heard 'The Hook'?"
"Lots of times," said Todd. "But you can tell it if you need to."
"So there's this boyfriend and girlfriend, and they're out parking and up to no good. Then the radio says--"
There was a rustling in the woods, much louder than any of the others. It continued for ten full seconds, sounding like somebody was trying to shake down a tree.
"I'll go check it out," Todd said.
"No!" Rebecca told him. "Don't go anywhere."
"I'll just go take a quick look. I'll be fine." Todd was breathing quickly. Nicholas placed a calming hand on his shoulder.
"No, stay here," Rebecca insisted. "It could be...it could be a bear or something."
"I don't think it's a bear. I'm sure it's nothing. I'll be back in a second." Todd got to his feet.
"Please, don't do it!" Rebecca stood up. "Stay here by the fire. Don't go over there."
"Really, I'll be fine." Todd forced a smile. "That's why men exist, to investigate strange noises."
Rebecca stepped over to him and grabbed his arm. "Don't do it."
"I have to," said Todd, violently yanking his arm away.
"Just let him do what he needs to do," Nicholas said, his voice filled with concern.
"You don't know what's out there!" Rebecca insisted.
"That's why I'm going." Todd took a deep breath then began to walk toward the woods.
"No, wait, at least take one of these," said Rebecca, holding up a spear. Todd nodded and she tossed it to him. He continued walking.
Rebecca picked up another spear and the hook-laden shirt and then stood there, absolutely horrified. "Oh God...oh God...oh God..." she whispered under her breath.
The rustling started up again, continuing for another ten seconds.
Nicholas sat on his log, hand over his mouth. One of his knees was trembling. "Be careful," he said, though not loud enough for Todd to hear.
Todd was about fifteen feet from the woods. He stopped for a moment, as if to work up his courage, then continued moving forward.
Rebecca's muscles were tensed so tightly that she thought they might snap.
Todd was almost directly in front of the trees where the rustling came from.
There was a terrible shriek.
An animalistic, bloodthirsty shriek.
And then Alan burst out of the woods, arms outstretched, a hunting knife in each hand.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Rebecca screamed.
One of the knives struck Todd in the shoulder, while the other slashed across his upper chest. He cried out in pain, dropped his makeshift spear, and spun around, revealing his bloody wounds, the knife still lodged in his shoulder. Alan grabbed him by the back of the collar as Nicholas jumped to his feet and hurried forward.
Stephen rushed out of the woods, a few feet from where Alan had emerged. He held a shotgun. "Don't move, either of you!" he shouted, pointing the weapon first at Nicholas, then at Rebecca.
Nicholas stopped, just as Alan yanked the knife out of
"Right."
"Good. Does it have fur?"
"Hold on a second," said Todd, motioning for them to be quiet. "Did you hear that?"
They all fell silent. There was a quiet rustling coming from the woods, but it was no different from the other rustling they'd been hearing all evening.
"Another squirrel," said Nicholas.
Todd listened for a moment longer, then nodded. "Yeah, you're probably right."
"Maybe we should just not talk anymore," suggested Rebecca. "Keep as quiet as possible to make sure we don't miss anything."
"No, it's not hurting anything for us to talk," said Nicholas. "That's the whole point of campfires, to sit around and talk."
"Right," said Todd.
"Maybe so," Rebecca admitted, "but these aren't exactly normal campfire conditions."
"Sure they are. We're all friends here by now, aren't we? There's nothing wrong with a group of friends sitting around the campfire enjoying a nice chat." Nicholas glanced at his watch. "In fact, I think it's just about time for campfire stories, what do you say? Have you heard 'The Hook'?"
"Lots of times," said Todd. "But you can tell it if you need to."
"So there's this boyfriend and girlfriend, and they're out parking and up to no good. Then the radio says--"
There was a rustling in the woods, much louder than any of the others. It continued for ten full seconds, sounding like somebody was trying to shake down a tree.
"I'll go check it out," Todd said.
"No!" Rebecca told him. "Don't go anywhere."
"I'll just go take a quick look. I'll be fine." Todd was breathing quickly. Nicholas placed a calming hand on his shoulder.
"No, stay here," Rebecca insisted. "It could be...it could be a bear or something."
"I don't think it's a bear. I'm sure it's nothing. I'll be back in a second." Todd got to his feet.
"Please, don't do it!" Rebecca stood up. "Stay here by the fire. Don't go over there."
"Really, I'll be fine." Todd forced a smile. "That's why men exist, to investigate strange noises."
Rebecca stepped over to him and grabbed his arm. "Don't do it."
"I have to," said Todd, violently yanking his arm away.
"Just let him do what he needs to do," Nicholas said, his voice filled with concern.
"You don't know what's out there!" Rebecca insisted.
"That's why I'm going." Todd took a deep breath then began to walk toward the woods.
"No, wait, at least take one of these," said Rebecca, holding up a spear. Todd nodded and she tossed it to him. He continued walking.
Rebecca picked up another spear and the hook-laden shirt and then stood there, absolutely horrified. "Oh God...oh God...oh God..." she whispered under her breath.
The rustling started up again, continuing for another ten seconds.
Nicholas sat on his log, hand over his mouth. One of his knees was trembling. "Be careful," he said, though not loud enough for Todd to hear.
Todd was about fifteen feet from the woods. He stopped for a moment, as if to work up his courage, then continued moving forward.
Rebecca's muscles were tensed so tightly that she thought they might snap.
Todd was almost directly in front of the trees where the rustling came from.
There was a terrible shriek.
An animalistic, bloodthirsty shriek.
And then Alan burst out of the woods, arms outstretched, a hunting knife in each hand.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Rebecca screamed.
One of the knives struck Todd in the shoulder, while the other slashed across his upper chest. He cried out in pain, dropped his makeshift spear, and spun around, revealing his bloody wounds, the knife still lodged in his shoulder. Alan grabbed him by the back of the collar as Nicholas jumped to his feet and hurried forward.
Stephen rushed out of the woods, a few feet from where Alan had emerged. He held a shotgun. "Don't move, either of you!" he shouted, pointing the weapon first at Nicholas, then at Rebecca.
Nicholas stopped, just as Alan yanked the knife out of
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