Alyssa dropped the first two suitcases she had packed and shouted with glee while raising her arms up to the sky, "Yay! We're here!"
Ramiro walked up beside her with crates and bags of clothes and amenities forcing his body into awkward positions to lift all at the same time. A pebble tripped the young man who fell on top of the mountain of luggage he had suddenly created.
"Ow! My shin!" He hyperventilated and rubbed the damaged limb. The pain moved in waves up and down his leg rapidly.
Alyssa noticed Ramiro was on the ground. "Quit playing around, Ramiro! Let's go meet everyone at the campsite."
"And tell them what, exactly?" Ramiro asked, referring to the reason they were a day late.
"Duh! We tell them we got lost. It's not exactly a lie." She responded.
"Great! Now can you help me pick these things up? Why did you have to bring so much junk?"
"No, boys are meant to do all the heavy lifting. It's just nature. I'm gonna run ahead!" She waved goodbye and he stuck his tongue out at her. He began muttering curses at the young woman.
"Alyssa?" Luz was the first to see the newcomer arrive.
"If it isn't Luz?!" She sang, opening her arms to receive Luz.
Luz, ecstatic, ran up and tackled Alyssa in a hug.
"Look at you! It's hard to believe you're mom's sister! How old are you now?" Luz questioned.
Alyssa laughed, "Twenty six, would you believe?"
"You don't look a day over twenty one." Luz gestured to Alyssa who posed like a model.
"Hey!" Ramiro had greeted breathlessly, dropping every bit of luggage he had dragged with him.
"Hey, that's my stuff!" Alyssa whined.
"Sorry... we're late... we got lost..." He spoke in between breaths.
"It's good that you guys were able to make it." Luz hugged Ramiro. He patted her on the back in her embrace.
"Come on, I'll make you guys something to eat.
They walked the small distance to the picnic tables where the two new guests sat themselves down. Luz offered them a Coke. Alyssa took one but Ramiro wanted water.
"Those bags were heavy." He took the bottle Luz offered, "What's in them anyways?"
"Stuff." Alyssa replied. She hummed as she drank, "What is this? It's amazing!"
Luz laughed, "I know you're playing with me. It can't be that long since you had a Coke."
"Three days maybe." Ramiro said. That earned him a smack on the arm.
"Ow!" He whined, "Why do you beat up the innocent bystander?"
"'Cuz you're whiny." Alyssa responded.
"I am not!" He whined. Luz and Alyssa nodded at each other.
"You're whiny." They said in unison.
Ramiro rolled his eyes, "Augh. Girls."
"Alyssa? Ramiro?" Sara was surprised that someone had shown up so late into the hiking venture.
"Great; more girls." Ramiro sighed but put on a cheery smile. They don't suspect anything. I guess 'Alyssa's' acting is working.
Sara hugged the admittedly young aunt and uncle on Mia's side and they made some small talk while Luz turned on the grill and started reheating some leftover hot dogs and burgers.
"I didn't know you guys were coming over." Sara said.
"We wanted to surprise everyone. Greg invited us and we couldn't refuse when the whole family was going to be there." Alyssa explained.
"Of course it's nice to see you guys again! I gotta say you guys look a little different, but I guess the years change everyone." Sara chuckled.
Alyssa chuckled nervously. "It hasn't been that long."
Sara saw Geiney from the corner of her vision, seemingly in an agitated mood. She frowned, wondering if it had something to do with Chris again. Hoping to take his mind off that subject, she called him over.
"Come! Greet your mom's sister." Geiney looked confused but wondered over.
"Geiney! Oh my gosh, it's been forever and a day. You've grown up a lot." Alyssa gushed.
"You probably don't remember us. The last time we met you were still in diapers." Ramiro explained.
"Oh, hello!" Geiney greeted. He held his hand out to shake theirs. Geiney noticed that both of their grips were similar in strength, surprising him somewhat.
"Woah, twin handshakes." Geiney said.
"Thanks. It's been our nickname." Ramiro said.
"Yeah, these two looked like twins when they were younger. Even though they were four years apart, they dressed the same, talked the same and thought the same. It was weird to see those two grow up." Sara explained.
Luz brought over two plates. "Ramiro was attached to her even when he was a kid. Four years younger than her but he was just as tall and acted out everything she did. I would have thought they were related. Gave everyone a surprise when they got hitched."
Luz set the plates down in front of the two newcomers with plastic silverware already on the plate. Luz sat down and the two began picking at what she had re-grilled somewhat poorly, taking little bites here and there.
"I mean that handshake felt identical. I'd call them twins." Geiney commented.
"We can if you want us to be." They chanted in perfect sync.
Luz smiled, "I guess you do become who you marry. Though you two did that part first, huh?"
Ramiro whined, "Stop picking on us! We're the same age as you."
"You're not little anymore, but you're not really that different." Sara noticed that Ramiro was slightly taller by about half an inch. She was sure if they cut their hair they'd be even again.
"They were a set of troublemakers when they were younger."
"Damn right." Alyssa expressed with pride.
"I remember. When we wanted something sweet to eat, these two would go into the kitchen filled with adults and steal all the cookies without being seen. If you ever needed someone to rob in plain sight, these two were your guys."
"It's all about distraction and timing. You need the perfect distraction to keep eyes away from your target." Ramiro explained; he seemed passionate about it, "Once we can see no eyes are on our target we time the attack. The timing is everything; in the distraction, in stealing the attention, in executing the robbery. We know we only have a certain amount of seconds before we can lose them. So we must be swift, elegant and quiet."
"Wow," Geiney was struck with awe, "It's almost like you guys rob banks are something."
"Yeah, I don't think so. They were huge crybabies when they were caught." Sara chuckled.
"We were not!" Both whined.
Geiney nodded, "Perhaps." He laughed.
Greg was the first to notice the two and rounded everyone else up for a meet and greet. It seemed that the "twins" got along with even Chris and Lisa.
"You're still as small as I remember." Lisa laughed.
"Again with the small?!" Ramiro shrieked.
"I'm just messing with you, Rami." She grabbed the young man and ruffled his hair.
"Hey, I'm surprised you haven't landed in prison for scrapping yet." Alyssa teased Lisa.
"She's on her way." Chris commented.
Lisa poked herself on the nose with her thumb, "Have a little faith in me. I haven't landed in prison 'cuz I'm smooth like that."
"Either that or the cops are afraid of you." Ramiro laughed until he was brought into a headlock while Lisa noogied him.
Breaking away from the party, Geiney walked over to Chris who was grabbing herself a beer.
"Here, this is yours, isn't it?" Geiney removed the amulet from his pocket.
"Where did you find that?!" She snatched the amulet and rapidly put it on. A noticeable shiver went down her spine. She gave him a small smile.
"A raccoon took it. I don't know how but I followed its tracks to its nest."
"Thank you." She said before walking away.
"You're welcome." Geiney smiled. He felt something warm and soft rub his leg. He knelt down and petted Jasper.
"We've done our good deed for the day. Let's go back to the tent." He told the cat.
"What did you get up to today, tyke?" Luz asked him. She was already in her nightgown brushing her hair. She had a Victorian-styled pink nightgown Sara had gifted her when she had her birthday last. She had to work overtime to draw the dress and had even recruited Troy into the process. The work wasn't easy since Eva was hounding her and Roseanne when they had requested the materials. Troy ended up sewing it himself after the seventh time Sara had pricked herself and resorted to cursing; perhaps insulting it would make it sew itself, she had angrily shouted, a few expletives laden throughout.
"Well, I had to go on a rescue mission to pick up the amulet that Chris wears." He sat the cat down on the ground and he crawled over to where his sister was.
"Amulet?" Luz held one hand around her hair and brushed it with the other.
"Yeah. It seems it's part of our heritage. The amulet's shaped like a diamond, made of marble. Apparently it instills a sense of reason and calmness. Wish I knew how bad Chris needed that."
Luz chimed in. "Sara could use that at work. I don't remember anything about an amulet in our family line." Luz wracked her brain over where it may have ever come up.
"Well, it came from somewhere. I felt its power. Maybe that's why Chris was so calm before. She freaked out and accused anyone and everyone of taking her amulet. She even started picking fights with her siblings. It was bad." Geiney shuddered at the way Chris had treated him for no reason.
Luz hummed, "Where did you find her amulet?"
"A Skinstrifer took it."
Luz stopped brushing, "Skinstrifer? Here in the camp?"
"Well, one that just took the amulet and left the camp. I don't think there's one here right now."
"Where exactly did you find it?"
"In a tree a few miles from here." Geiney pointed in the general direction before turning back to his siblings. "It was a lot of work."
Jasper added as he nuzzled against his charge. "Getting assaulted by animals is indeed hard work."
"Better not have been you," Luz warned.
Luz set the brush down and crawled over to where Sara had her radio transmitter set up in a corner of the tent. She turned on the battery powered lamp and studied the map.
"Show me where." She instructed.
Geiney pointed on a spot on the map. "Around here."
"They're getting closer. We really have to be on our toes."
Geiney nodded. "I know."
Jasper meowed in agreement.
"How's your friend? Did his stitches stay in place?" Luz absentmindedly scratched behind Jasper's ears before stopping herself.
"One of my stitches opened up today. But it didn't bleed much. I'm fine now." Jasper replied in cat form.
"How did it open up?"
"A scrap with a Skinstrifer." Jasper responded.
"Geiney!" Luz glared at him.
"I didn't know that the amulet was going to be taken by a Skinstrifer!" He defended himself.
"Never mind. I can check out your stitches tomorrow since they stopped bleeding. I don't think Jasper here is in any danger." Luz explained.
"Where's Sara?" Geiney asked.
"She drank a little too much and is now sleeping it off." She gestured to a lump in the bed. "You guys should be in bed too. We'll handle the Skinstrifer situation tomorrow."
"Roger that!" Geiney responded and Led Jasper to their side of the tent.
Jasper meowed affirmatively and followed after Geiney.
On the other side of camp, Lisa, Greg, Felix, Melinda, Alyssa and Ramiro sat in a circle. They were all drunk and laughing uncontrollably
Alyssa and Ramiro were having difficulty speaking properly; they were being deliberate in each word they said as if it was a struggle to continue. Their tones were less varied and lacking proper emotion as they still somehow managed to slur a few words speaking so methodically.
"You guys sound like you're having trouble carrying that liquor now. Guess we should cut you off!" Felix laughed. Melinda was wheezing and holding her stomach from so much laughter just to his side. Alyssa and Ramiro were feeling nervous now. The alcohol made them feel funny and out of focus. But as long as they continued to make the group laugh, their "other members" could start the infiltration process.
Chris had left not too long ago. She had drunk too much and was on the verge of falling asleep. She tottered to her tent, breathing heavily. The world was slowly spinning before her very eyes. She fell down just a few inches from the flap. Her laughter sounded akin to a Windex bottle being sprayed as she laid on the ground.
She barely remembered getting in her tent. She had struggled opening the tent flap for a while. Her head began spinning and she landed on her mattress with a huff. Her eyes closed and she felt the bed begin to move. She enoyed the feel of finally hitting sleep at this stage.
In the last stages of her consciousness she heard jabbering. It must be the group... I'm glad they're having fun. I'm glad to see Alyssa and Ramiro again. They were always a fun bunch... A sinking feeling in her stomach made her eyes open. Too drowsy to comprehend the danger in front of her, she saw a small creature hunched over her, its teeth bare and slightly shining in the little light of the tent...
Geiney's morning started off with him eating a bowl of cereal and watching Alyssa, Ramiro and Chris hanging in a bunch. They were adamantly talking about something. It seemed to be a serious matter as Chris' arms were flailing about. They were off to the side of the camp. Geiney, Jasper, Luz, Sara, Felix, Melinda, and Greg were at the picnic tables.
"Where's Lisa?" Geiney asked with a mouth full with cereal.
"I don't know. I haven't seen her since last night." Felix moaned. His head hurt from all the drinking.
"How is it that those three don't have a hangover?" Melinda asked. She clutched a plastic bag full of ice against her head. "They drank more than any one of us."
"Maybe they have experience?" Greg asked, not looking too good either.
"All of us have a hangover." Felix announced.
"Yeah, we do." Sara muttered, placing her head in her arms on the table.
"I don't!" Lisa laughed triumphantly as she approached them from her tent.
"How is your head not ready to burst?" Greg asked.
"Did you forget that I've been drinking since high school?" She replied, eagerly grabbing herself a plate of food.
"After school studying my ass..." Felix reminisced.
"Remind me not to drink when I'm older." Geiney told Jasper, "I don't wanna look like that." He pointed with his spoon towards Sara. Her hair was in a mess with knots sprinkled all over. Her eyes were droopy and moist. Her breath stunk and she looked like she hadn't slept at all that night.
"I will end you." Sara moaned in her arms.
"I think I can outrun you today." Geiney shrugged off the concern.
He watched the three people from afar. Was it him or did something seem off about them? Geiney licked his spoon and picked up the disposable foam bowl. He went to the trashcan to dispose of his garbage and went back to pet Jasper.
"Stay close to me today, okay?" He whispered.
Jasper meowed, letting Geiney pet him under his chin. It was one of his favorite spots to be scratched.
"Listen up, everyone!" Greg called out to the rest of the family. Greg was dressed in black swim trunks with a red stripe down the side of his left thigh. He had sandals on and a loose T-shirt. Sunscreen was on his nose enough to leave a white spot.
"I thought we would all go swimming for the day. We can give hiking a rest."
"Alright! Swimming!" Geiney sang.
"Anyone who doesn't want to go swimming can still sit at the bank. I expect everyone else to be in the water!" Greg ordered.
Geiney rushed past his sisters nearly colliding with them.
"Watch it!" Sara whined.
"Sorry, sis!" Geiney turned back only to apologize before jogging back to the tent. He saw Sara hold an ice pack to her head and Luz, bottle of water in hand, which she kept trying to shove in her sisters' mouth.
"I don't want that!" Sara complained.
"You have a hangover because you didn't stop drinking last night. Your body is dehydrated, you skipped breakfast, and you haven't drunk anything except that weird smoothie."
"It's called a hangover cure." Sara complained, trying to push back the water bottle from her face.
"No, this is your best way to recover faster. Take some Aspirin with this entire bottle of water, get yourself something to eat, and drink some more water. You'll be fine." Luz doctored her sister.
It only took a couple minutes for Geiney to dress in his blue swim trunks with aqua colored flowers. He realized he hadn't brought a pair of sandals with him. Shrugging, he decided to go barefoot to the banks.
Jasper followed Geiney's heels as the rest of the family readied themselves for the small trip.
The next twenty minutes were excruciatingly painful for Geiney. His excitement was practically gushing out of his body. When the family was ready to regroup, Felix had started out the walk with a radio he held. A playlist containing older songs was preset and playing. Geiney walked to the beat of the music and occasionally danced in the style of the singer. When Every Step You Take came on, Geiney felt a chill run down his spine and he glanced up at the trees, expecting them to whistle. He lost himself in thought and began imagining himself riverside in 'Nam, hiding out from the Vietcong. Remembering stories Greg had told him about his history, Geiney shook his head and focused on swimming.
"You look ready to jump in the river." Luz commented.
"What? I just love swimming." Geiney shrugged.
"Why is everyone so happy?" Sara groaned, cutting in front of the two.
"You don't look so good." Geiney stated the obvious.
"She only took half of my advice." Luz explained. She turned to look at her sister, "You still need more water in your system."
"I'll just observe it through osmosis." Sara replied.
"You mean absorb?" Luz corrected.
"That's what I said."
Luz and Geiney glanced at each other and shrugged the comment off.
As expected, Geiney was the first in the water before anyone else. Greg had led them to the deep end, something he learned by the welts on his ass from hitting rocks jumping from the side of the nearest rock landing. The water was at least seven feet deep at the edge and crystal clear. The fresh water looked cool and inviting. The sun light reflected bright yellow as the water moved south.
Geiney cannon balled in first, "Ah! It's cold!" he squeaked, holding himself.
"That's why you dip your toes in it first!" Felix's laughter bellowed through the entire river. Melinda rolled her eyes and pushed Felix into the water. A geyser shot skywards when he hit the water.
Geiney laughed and pointed at Felix's submerged body.
Jasper stayed behind with Sara. Because of his stitches he wouldn't be able to swim. Luz had warned him when she checked his stitches that morning to not get his body wet. Sara placed a towel on the ground and laid down. Luz placed a towel next to her sister. Luz wanted to join Geiney in the water but she had yet to put on sun screen.
Jasper meowed and Sara reached out to pet the animal. She couldn't recall if she had ever pet Jasper. Thinking back to it, she wasn't very kind to the animal either. The feelings of guilt returned. Knowing that Jasper was an anthro didn't help either. She felt like trash... again. The headache had come back but it wasn't because of the hangover.
"Hey." She muttered to the cat, "I'm sorry if I ever did anything to hurt you. Or make you feel bad. I wasn't myself."
Jasper purred; Sara continued to pet him.
"I know there's no excuse to being mean. I'm really sorry."
Jasper meowed and nuzzled his face closer to Sara's. Sara smiled. She took that as he had accepted her apology.
Luz turned to look at her sister who was being nuzzled by the cat. She had heard her apology and couldn't help but smile. Little by little she was seeing her old sister again.
A small distance away Geiney started to feel like he was being watched. Chris, Alyssa and Ramiro were sitting next to each other on the beach. Talking to each other and staring at Geiney from afar. Geiney shivered. All he could feel was that foreboding feeling of anxiety. Their expressions were blank as they spoke to hide their feelings. He felt like a dark cloak was wrapping around his body.
Something didn't feel right anymore. All of a sudden, Alyssa and Ramiro had started keeping their distance.
Chris looked at him in a serious manner. Geiney thought she should be grateful he handed back her magical amulet. That amulet seemed to keep her calm. But where was the amulet?
"Geiney! My boy!" Geiney turned to the source of the shout. Greg was waving at him.
"Let's see who can reach the end of the river first!"
"Okay!" Geiney turned and swam towards Greg. Once he got there he turned back to see the three observers had disappeared.
"Where'd they go?"
"Chris and Alyssa never really liked swimming. Chris had to have tubes in her ears after an infection and couldn't swim for most of her childhood. Alyssa never learned how to swim. I am surprised Ramiro doesn't want to swim. He's enjoyed swimming for years. It's the one way you could pick him and Alyssa apart as kids. Maybe he didn't feel like it today."
"Right." Geiney turned back to see the three empty spaces they had seated at.
"You ready, kiddo?" Greg asked.
Lisa drew a line in the sand and ushered everyone to one side of it. The rules were no pushing or shoving or drowning each other. Melinda stared hard at Chris when that rule was named even if she wasn't participating. The adults slowly turned to Lisa who seemed to not understand why they were staring at her.
"On your marks... go!" Lisa's lion-like voice carried out through the entire forest.
Not long after the race started Luz sank herself in the water, joining Lisa. Besides the sound of splashing water and Lisa's laughter and criticism, there was another source of sound. She heard it from a great distance away but the noises carried anyways. She furrowed her eyebrows and tried to focus in on the noise. With so much commotion around her it was difficult for her to pin-point in. When she did, she thought she heard a cry of some sorts. It began to sound like a person screaming. Was it one of their group?
Even though Luz considered Greg's tales as just stories, the appearance of those monsters made her wonder if the Skinstrifers were real and not just a figment of Greg's mind.
When the race was over, the sound of the distant cries also disappeared. Greg had swum back to the edge.
"Hey, Greg." She stopped him.
"What is it, sweetie?"
"Are there any wild animals here with a high pitched scream?"
"Mountain lions are notorious for screaming like a woman in pain. Some think they use it to lure campers out." He looked her in the eyes and realized something. "Did you hear something?" He prodded.
"I think so. But it may have been just that. Mountain Lions." Sara replied.
Greg's eyes scanned Luz's face, "Okay. If you hear it again, call me. I can tell you what it actually is."
Luz smiled, "Thank you, Greg."
"Anytime, Luz." He got out of the water.
Somehow that answer wasn't very satisfactory. Luz remained wading in the water another while longer hoping to hear that same sound. She huffed when she didn't hear it after a long time. That scream just gave her a bad feeling that took over her entire body. She was unsettled by how human it had sounded; how desperate. What made her skin crawl was that it… sounded familiar.
Maybe she was overthinking it. Then again, Geiney was attacked twice by Skinstrifers. So maybe... Could they really mimic people? Would they be capable?
All of a sudden, Luz came to an unsettling conclusion... Everyone was a suspect.
