A/N: Thanks for the reviews guys!
The location of the camp was extremely tranquil; surrounded by tall pines, where nature abounded. There was a slow-running river flowing not far away and the indescribable scent of the great outdoors was ever-present – crisp and rejuvenating.
The serenity, of course, was provisional. You get the nature if you come for two weeks of ghost-crazy teens and subsequent social torture. Not a great trade off.
An instructor, who had introduced himself as Peter, had shepherded the campers off the bus and towards a large open field. He ushered the teens to take a seat on the worn logs. Some of them wriggled with excitement, after all, this was the trip they'd been waiting for their whole lives, while others looked physically ill. The tall boy from the bus sat motionless in the front, a female companion on his right. I, of course, slunk into the background, hoping to remain somewhat unnoticed. It would seem we were about to be thrust into our first task.
"Welcome, young hunters! We're so pleased to have you here at the Specter Centre, it'll be a great two weeks." Peter's smile was refreshingly genuine. "You're here amongst the very best, to learn how to best annihilate our common enemy – ghosts! I have to say, you guys are a stellar bunch on paper. So much potential here in one place, really it is going to be fantastic.
"But first, a few ground rules. Anyone found beyond the ghost shield will be reprimanded immediately. It is strictly forbidden. Secondly, no hunting equipment will be allowed in your rooms; it will be kept at a secure location for daytime use only. And finally, any violence or misconduct will not be tolerated. We're all on the same page? Good.
"So here's how this is gunna work. This entire experience is a competition. You'll earn points in rewards for good progress or success in the challenges, which will then subsequently rank you against your campmates. The better you do, the more advantages you'll be provided in the grand challenge at the end of your time here. They were going to scrap the competition and focus just on participation, but where's the fun in that? Where's the incentive?" Peter chuckled to himself.
"We're gunna assume you know nothing, so we'll be starting from absolute scratch. Nothing to worry about!"
I sighed internally. I knew these kids were really no match for my abilities. I'd have to play dumb. I'd have to play fair.
"Now we're going to rank you initially based on pure ability and instinct. This is an easy challenge. All you have to do is avoid being caught for the longest. Essentially hide and seek, but with ectoguns. If you get zapped by the ectogun of the exercise leader, you're out. Last man, or woman, standing will start their time at camp on the top of the ladder"
This was going to be too easy. Three years of dodging his own parents hadn't gone astray for this exercise. Sure, the other teens probably weren't half bad themselves, but I really did have an unfair advantage. I could hear the sound of an ectogun firing up a block away.
As Peter walked off to summon the leader who was going to serve as the predator for this exercise, an excited chatter emerged. My solitude on the bus hadn't been very productive in making friends. In all honesty, I didn't really care too much. It was kind of nice to know that I could forget about Phantom for a little while – ironically at a ghost camp.
I turned to the guy beside me and made a half-attempt at a smile. What kind of ice-breaker do you use on these kind of occasions? "Lovely weather today?" or "so how long have you been hunting ghosts?" I don't think there's well-established etiquette rules in this area.
He beat me to it, obviously sensing the awkwardness that must've been plastered across my face.
"So how long have you been hunting ghosts?"
Ah. Option 2 it is.
"I haven't really done too much of it really, it's my parents who are the fanatics. I think they wanted to try and get me to follow in the family profession."
His friendly eyes smiled knowingly back at me.
"Oh man, I get it, I really do." His accent was definitely foreign. Australian perhaps? Maybe South African. I couldn't quite figure it out.
I opened my mouth as though to reply, but we were interrupted. I turned my head to the sound of a man clearing his throat unnecessarily loudly, anticipating the presence of the instructor who'd be seeking us.
My mouth dropped even further open of its own accord. I almost fell off the log, my heart constricting in my chest for a few too many moments.
Standing in front of this budding young group of ghost hunters was none other than Vlad Masters.
Vlad.
Masters.
This fortnight just got exponentially worse. And my strategy to lie low just went out the window.
A smirk creeped across his face, his evil eyes boring directly into mine. It was the unmistakable face of a man who had won, the face of a man who was immensely proud of himself. It was as though I could read his mind. He didn't even have to say the words for me to imagine them slipping through his lips in my head.
"Hello dear Daniel. It would appear the two of us will be spending some quality time together over the next two weeks."
My eyebrows furrowed in anger, my fists balling at the sight of him. My initial shock had been overcome by fury. How dare he follow me here. I hadn't seen Masters in over a year, the last time we met I'd made him well aware of the fact that he was no longer welcome in my life, or my family's lives for that matter. The warning obviously had not been heeded. This unwelcome interlude was quite obviously premeditated.
"Hello young campers, I'll be playing the cat in this wonderful little game of cat and mouse we're playing today!" Vlad exclaimed with false warmth, "Now never you mind about this ectogun here, it won't harm humans. It'll latch on to any spectral energy and absolutely shock its brains out, but us humans, we'll be fine!" He chuckled and his gaze returned to my angry eyes.
"And while I know some of you are competent ghost hunters with the ability to stay out of trouble, there are others who I know may not be quite so capable. So we'll make this a fair game and I'll give you a thirty-second head start. Get going."
The other teens scrambled, scattering in every direction as fast as their legs would carry them. I couldn't move, I was so consumed with rage. I could feel it bubbling up inside of me, and my eyes flashed a familiar, brilliant green.
Masters sauntered over to the place where I was sitting, his ectogun slung casually over his shoulder.
"Now young Daniel, you must learn to control your temper." His condescending tone dripped off every syllable.
"Piss off, Plasmius," I spat through gritted teeth.
"Ahem, Daniel, I believe it may be you who is required to, as you say, piss off. You've got ten seconds until this wonderful contraption puts you on the ground for the next thirty minutes. Wouldn't want to seem weak on your first day now would you?"
I held his eyes for a moment longer and decisively pushed past him, running across the field. I knew he wasn't going to pursue me first. He wanted to put on a show, to make a fool of me in front of the rest of the camp. He wanted revenge. He wanted me to look weak and insignificant. He wanted to assert his dominance over me now that I was forced to play as a human.
I'd just have to win. I couldn't afford to be zapped and writhing in pain in front of the country's most suspicious teenagers.
I ran past a small, slender girl, who had freckles peppered across her nose. She had pushed herself up against the roots of an enormous tree, her eyes darting suspiciously from side to side. If it weren't for her bright blue t-shirt, I wouldn't have noticed her. I kept moving and consciously decided to refrain from using my powers when I was this angry. Consequences would've been dire.
In the distance, the ectogun fired. Someone was out. Vlad's aim would prove to be too good for five consecutive campers, the dull boom reverberating through the trees within moments of one another. There were twelve remaining.
Boom
Boom
Boom
Boom
Boom
Boom
Campers were dropping like flies- embarrassingly quickly. The sounds were getting closer. I took a moment to look back towards the field where we'd begun. Vlad had just found the girl in the blue t-shirt, zapping her from several feet away from her place behind the tree. He turned around swiftly after hearing the footfall of another camper, who I recognised as the wanker from the bus. Vlad fired with almost perfect aim.
Almost perfect.
The boy ducked swiftly, and continued to run in the opposite direction, weaving effortlessly through the pines. His companion, who had been only moments ahead, had caught the aftermath of the blazing ectoenergy, slamming into her shoulder. Her slight figure recoiled with the power of the blast, but frustration coloured her face.
I looked up after hearing a dull rustle in the canopy above me. The Australian-South African boy was poised perfectly on the edge of a branch and had sent a few twigs to the ground while readjusting his position. I knew for certain that Vlad's heightened senses would've heard it.
Surely enough, Vlad pivoted to find me like a sitting duck, momentarily distracted by the boy in the tree. Without even looking, he fired into the canopy
"Damn it!" The boy had been hit. Three remained.
Vlad smiled and I could've sworn his repulsive pointy teeth slipped through his lips. He took four long strides towards me, his shoulders squared in a show of seniority. I could've run but the temptation to mess with Plasmius overrode my senses. I crouched in anticipation for his attack, my eyes, which I'm sure were glowing green, welcoming the challenge that would follow. It'd been a long time since Vlad and I had a bout in human form.
He fired his weapon lazily, far too slow for my supernatural reactions. I ducked as the green ecto-energy flew over my head, charring the wood on the tree behind me. Vlad fired thrice more, one hurtling dangerously close to my arm.
"A bit out of practice are we?" I taunted.
Vlad's eyebrows furrowed in frustration, his temper weening.
A short, stumpy boy fumbled into the clearing, shock and fear flashing across his face as he witnessed the stand-off before him. His glasses fell from his face into the leaves that littered the ground, and he backed away slowly in the hope Vlad hadn't yet seen him.
He was, of course, wrong, and Vlad turned momentarily to shoot the boy squarely in the chest.
It had been the fleeting moment that I'd needed to formulate a plan.
I took off back towards the field, following the path that led to the sunlight. I was almost certain that the eliminated campers would be in the field, awaiting their winner. If I was correct, the tall blonde boy with the pony tail will have assumed he was the victor. After all, Vlad had fired at me four times.
I sprinted towards the field. I knew Vlad was right on my tail, I could hear his heavy footfall only moments behind me. I launched my body through the final tree line and dropped and rolled gracefully onto the ground only a foot or two in front of him.
Check-mate.
Vlad had too much momentum, I'd caught him entirely by surprise. He was trapped – there was no way he could use his powers to get him out of this one, the entire camp was watching. It was too late for him to jump.
He slammed into me, launching his body to the ground with the momentum. The ectogun flew out of his hands, landing only a few feet away. I almost laughed at the spectacle. What a rookie error. His desire to one-up me had led to his embarrassment.
I scrambled to get my hands on the ectogun as Vlad got back to his feet.
Success.
I held it steadily in my two hands, eyes focused on the tall blonde boy who had been standing only moments away, his eyes wide in realisation that he hadn't yet won. I took aim and fired. It made perfect contact with the teen, his rage evident across his face. He stamped his foot like a small child, his pony tail flicking back and forth.
I laughed and turned back to Vlad.
"Nice try, fruit loop."