Chapter 35 The Uneasy Ground
Elena POV
The bus was moving, but all my attention was on the girl standing beside our seat. It was Stacy. Instead of her usual angry look, she was smiling, but something about it felt off. She stood there calmly, staring at me like asking for my seat was completely normal.
Liam’s reaction was instant. His face went hard and frank. He shifted in his seat, his jaw setting tightly as if he were bracing for a fight right there in the aisle.
"What do you think you are doing, Stacy?" Liam’s voice was a low growl.
Stacy didn’t even look at Liam. Her eyes stayed locked on mine, flickering with a strange light. "I just told you. I can’t handle the back. The bumps are too much. Elena doesn't mind, do you?"
I opened my mouth to respond, my heart hammering against my ribs, but the words felt stuck. The atmosphere in the bus shifted instantly. Students in the seats around us stopped talking, their heads turning toward the noise. Whispers broke out, sharp, hushed sounds that filled the cramped space.
Before things could boil over, the heavy tread of boots echoed from the front. Mr. Miller appeared, his clipboard tucked under his arm. He took one look at Stacy in the aisle and Liam’s rigid posture and blew a sharp burst on his whistle.
"What is the problem here?" Mr. Miller barked.
Stacy turned, her fake smile shifting into a look of feigned innocence. "Nothing, sir. I was just asking if—"
"I don't care what you were asking," Mr. Miller interrupted, pointing toward the back. "Assignments were posted for a reason. Get to your assigned seat, Stacy. Now. If I see you out of your seat again, you’ll spend the night in the supply van."
Stacy didn't argue. She gave me one last, lingering look and turned on her heel. I watched her walk back, the whispering following her like a tailwind. The moment was awkward, leaving a heavy silence in our row.
"You okay?" Liam muttered, his hand reaching over to grip mine.
"I'm fine," I lied, leaning my head back against the vibrating window.
The rest of the trip passed quietly as the bus drove past long roads and trees. By the time it finally stopped near the mountain trail, it was already getting dark, and the sky had turned deep purple.
"Everybody out! Bags in hand!" Mr. Miller’s voice echoed. "We’re losing light. If those tents aren't up in twenty minutes, you’re sleeping on the ground!"
The cool mountain air hit me like a weight as I stepped off. My body felt stiff, and my muscles protested every movement.
"Listen up!" Mr. Miller shouted. "Because of the late arrival, we’re doubling up. Assignments are: Stacy and Elena, Tent 4. Liam and Marcus, Tent 5."
My stomach dropped. I looked at Stacy, who was already dragging a canvas bag toward a clearing. She caught my eye and tipped her head, that same hollow smile back on her face.
We started trying to set up the tent, but it was a disaster. My hands were shaking from exhaustion, and the heavy fabric kept collapsing. Stacy was fumbling with the poles, her movements clumsy.
"This is ridiculous," Stacy muttered, her voice sounding strained. "It’s not staying up."
"It would stay up if you held the center pole like I asked," I snapped, my patience wearing thin.
“It wouldn’t keep falling if you held the center pole like I told you,” I said, already losing my patience.
Suddenly, Liam walked over. He looked at the mess on the ground and then at me, checking to see if I was steady. He reached down and grabbed the center pole, helping Stacy pull the fabric taut.
"Elena, go find sit down for a minute," Liam said. "You’re exhausted. I’ll help Stacy finish this."
"I can do it, Liam," I argued, even as my knees felt like they were about to buckle.
"Go," he repeated.
I stepped back, leaning against a nearby tree to catch my breath. As Liam worked to drive the stakes into the hard earth, Stacy stayed right in his space. She moved with him, reaching for the same ropes, her shoulder constantly brushing his arm. She was putting on a show, her face lit up with a bright smile.
"Thanks, Liam," she whispered. "I don't know what I would have done without you. It’s so dark out here."
Liam nodded, focusing on the tent. He didn't pull away when she leaned closer. Stacy shifted her weight, suddenly, her foot caught on a protruding root.
"Oh!" she gasped, her body tilting toward the rocky ground.
Liam reacted instantly. He lunged forward, his arms catching her around the waist before she could hit the dirt. Stacy clutched at his shoulders, her face inches from his as he held her steady. She looked up at him with wide, grateful eyes, her hands lingering on his chest for several seconds.
"Careful," Liam said, his voice steady as he helped her regain her balance.
"Thank you," Stacy breathed. "You're always there when I need you, aren't you?"
Liam stepped back once he was sure she was stable. He finished the last of the stakes quickly. "There. It’s secure. Get inside and get some rest, Elena."
He walked away toward his own tent. Stacy didn't follow him. Instead, she moved with surprising efficiency, already having arranged her load and her sleeping bag inside. She checked her reflection in a mirror, smoothed her jacket, and turned to me.
"I'm going to find the girls at the fire," she said, her voice cold and flat again. She didn't wait for an answer before ducking out.
I was too tired to care. I crawled into the tent, unrolled my bag, and lay down. The fatigue finally won, and my eyes drifted shut.
I was right on the edge of sleep when the moonlight shifted. The moon was bright outside, illuminating the thin fabric of the tent wall like a screen.
I blinked, trying to clear my vision. A shadow was pressed against the nylon. It wasn't a tree. It was the shape of two large, spindly hands. They were splayed out against the fabric, positioned exactly where my head was resting.
I froze, my breath hitching in my throat. The shadows grew larger, the fingers curling. They began to move down the fabric, centering right over where my neck was. They weren't just leaning, the fingers were closing in a slow, deliberate strangling motion, as if trying to reach through the material to grab my throat.
The sight of those dark, reaching fingers in the silence of the woods broke me.
"Help!" I screamed, the sound tearing through the camp as I scrambled backward, away from the wall.