Sophia

The girls around me stood quaking in fear and frozen in place. It was a sharp reminder of the kind of people I had surrounded myself with and what set us apart. When confronted with shit like this, they didn't know how to process it. Didn't even have the experience to fall back on their primal instincts. That switch in their heads, the one that pushed you towards fight or flight, had gotten stuck. Now, they were nothing but targets.

It was a stupid fucking move. You shouldn't need to think about this stuff. It was something built into every living thing on this earth. All instinct. A wildebeest ran from a hunter. A cougar chased after its prey. It was the natural order of things.

Emma was a survivor, but she wasn't a fighter. I knew she'd get there. I wouldn't have run into that alley with my grandpa's shotgun screaming that a cape was coming if I thought she was hopeless. Right now though, she was a long way off from that. It was why she still needed me around. She could play up her persona, get the girls to go along with it, but she didn't have experience with facing something head-on. She froze like all the rest of them.

I was glad to see she recovered fast though. Shoved that midget Madison down and booked it. It made me smile. Yeah, she still had good instincts.

There was no time to think about it though. I was already moving.

The rest of them finally snapped out of their fog. I could hear girls running every which way, trying to put as much distance between them and that thing as they could. Cape? Monster? Devil?

It didn't matter what it was. I wasn't gonna leave myself defenseless. I knew how this shit went. A group of girls split up after the guy in charge dies? That thing would be picking us off one by one. I'd seen the movies. Something like this could tear apart the whole camp.

I ran forward. I was taking back control, with a Mossberg 500.

I'd seen the gun land after the creature had attacked the ranger. It was too late for him. No use trying to help. What mattered now was keeping myself from ending up like him. A shotgun seemed like a pretty good way to do that in my mind.

My eyes didn't leave the creature for a second, not even to blink. I wasn't making that mistake. I knew what would happen. It had been on that ranger before he even had time to shoot. Look away and I'd be looking back at its claw rushing down at my head.

I wasn't trying to be stealthy. This close to the thing? Not possible. There wasn't shit between me and him but some dried-up grass. Feet thudded on the ground and I tracked every movement as he kept eating. If he noticed me, he didn't show it.

I skidded to a halt beside my prize. My hand gripped the shotgun. I picked it up and opened the chamber. Seemed the ranger had managed to reload before he met his end. Good news for me. I jerked it closed with a metallic click.

The monster's head shot up. Its eyes locked on me.

A set of guts hung loosely from its lips and dropped to the ground with a meaty slap as its jaw swung open. It rose to its full height, eyes drilling into me. I didn't realize how unnatural it moved until I was up close to see it.

It was like watching a film reel with some of the scenes missing. It stuttered forward. Its steps were a slow lunge but it flickered inch by inch, crossing space far quicker than it moved. I thought it was teleporting for a second, but it was more like the world shifted out of its way. A cloud resembling tv static formed behind it with every move it made. Until it was right in front of me.

The gun in my hands discharged, barking out a deafening blast that nearly had me tripping backward. Good thing I'd caught myself. It would have spelled my doom.

It roared like hell had cracked open. I shook like I'd been tasered. The creature crashed back down on all fours, claws digging into the dirt. I stared down eyes, red like burning cigarettes, and teeth, bloody with a dead man, glistened even in the low light. The smell of iron washed over me.

I fired the other shot and tossed the gun forward, hoping it would slow that thing down for even one more second.

I ran.

I'd fucked up by going forward. I was sure it would stay occupied eating that guy. Why the fuck would it quit to come after me? But of course, it did. Fuck. It was better than if I hadn't had the gun, but now it was fucking pissed.

I rushed towards the only cover in sight, not even sure what I'd do once I got there. I hoped the cabin would be close enough. I pushed myself as hard as I could, feeling the burn rush through my legs as I ran faster than I'd ever done in my entire life. I could feel it behind me; the sound of claws wrenching through dirt, hot breath running down my neck, and growls that shook the world around me. If I tripped, I was dead. That was it. There wasn't room to fuck around.

I breezed past the left side of the cabin, hugging the wall until it ended. I twisted right, grabbing at the corner, trying to wrap a hand around anything to angle my speed in the right direction before rushing off again. I couldn't slow down, didn't have the luxury.

It smashed into something behind me. I heard wood rip and tear as it gave off another cry, even louder than the last. A chorus of girls screamed with it, some in pain, some in fear. I didn't even care, I was already rushing towards the next cabin.

Some girls had started to trickle out of their rooms. They could tell something was going on and fear had won out over sense. They were either trying to see what was happening or about to make a run for it. Most were half changed into pajamas and hurriedly putting on shoes. I grinned as I rushed towards the closest group, ducking and weaving as I tried to lose my tail in the crowd. I hoped the creature would get its eyes on someone else and I could make a break for it. I chanced a glance back for a moment. Burning eyes locked onto mine. It renewed chase with a warped step forward.

I cursed and built back my speed, my legs cramping at the exertion. Screams had started up behind me, loud and shrill, but I couldn't pay attention to them. Everything around me blurred together, becoming just objects to dash around, obstacles in my way. I didn't have time to think about where I was going, what I was doing. It was faster than me. I could feel myself getting angry at the thought.

That was what killed the ranger. He tried to beat it in a battle of speed and there hadn't been a single chance he would win. It wasn't running like a person. It was cheating with its warping powers. I'd have to lose it, get it stuck under debris, or get its focus on somebody else.

I made it to the next cabin and rushed to the rear, pressing my back against the wall. It hadn't been as quick this time. I'd had a bigger lead. I held my breath, trying to make out sounds behind the rush of voices and frantic steps echoing through the courtyard. The building shook as something crashed into it. I was running again a moment before the creature burst through the wall. I wanted to hide, try to stay down, and remain unseen beneath the cover of darkness, but I couldn't chance it. It had picked me out of a crowd. What were the odds I'd get away with hiding?

There wasn't any dodging this thing. My legs burned and my chest ached. I knew I didn't have much time. I was pushing myself as hard as I possibly could just to keep ahead by seconds and it was wearing me out. This thing didn't look like it was getting tired. It wasn't even running really, how could it get tired? How the fuck was I supposed to fight something like this? I didn't have powers. All it needed was one hit and I was dead. I needed to get away, I needed to move but there wasn't enough in me to do it.

I swerved around the next cabin, my footing sloppy. It didn't even bother trying to be smart. It smashed through the side. I swung left and was running back towards the cafeteria and main hall, knowing it was suicide. It was the only chance there was.

Not for these fuckers, was the only thought that went through my head. I wasn't going to die while these idiots lived. This was all backwards. It wasn't how it was meant to be. I was the one who made it out alive while others faded around me. I was the one who survived things like this where others perished.

As I felt the last of my strength give way, a memory ran through my head. When I was a kid, I ran away from home. The shitty boyfriend my mom had been dating had been fucking with me, being an asshole, and playing it off like friendliness. I couldn't prove it, but I knew what he was doing and wasn't gonna stick around to let him keep going at it.

I ran. Ran as many blocks as I could manage and hid out in an abandoned building till the cops came and found me. My mom had fucking listened after that.

Running was a way to gain ground. It was a way to push forward. It was the only thing you could do in a situation like this and I knew it wouldn't be enough. I felt my jaw clench at the idea this monster, who wasn't even trying was going to get the better of me. I fell to my knees, the last of my energy giving way.

And then I saw something massive. I blinked as stars swam in my vision until I realized I was flat on my back, staring up at the night sky.

Madison

This was supposed to be the start of something new.

Middle school had been two of the worst years of my life. I didn't get bullied, but only because there was nothing about me worth bullying. I was the baby of the class, too cute to be taken seriously and pushed to the side because of it. I tried to remain as forgettable as possible. I slot myself into whatever role I could find, with whoever was willing to take me, just to blend in. I had been as bland as the school's paint and half as dry. I hated it and hated myself for doing it.

I wanted to start high school somewhere fresh, where nobody knew who I was before. Where I could finally make my own place in the world, be recognized as me. I'd looked up videos, learned makeup, and figured out how to dress. I'd watched teen dramas and comedies and imagined myself walking through the halls. I was going to make friends with the popular girls. I was going to be invited to parties and sleepovers and hang-out sessions at the mall. I'd meet guys and woo them with how cool I was. I wasn't going to be the baby girl left out as everyone else walked away laughing.

I lay face down in the dirt, scared I'd die if I moved, but more scared of being eaten alive if I didn't. It felt pathetic that my first thought was how I'd gotten dirt all over the front of my top. My leg distracted me from that. Someone had pushed me and my foot got caught during the fall. Now, even the slightest turn of my ankle made it flare up in pain. It had to be twisted. I wanted to cry. Why was this happening to me?

The blast of a shotgun shook me out of my moping. I needed to move before it was too late.

I got on all fours and fought back tears as I pushed myself to my feet. Something charged past me and I screamed as I realized it was the monster, but it didn't slow down. It was chasing someone. Something trailed behind it, some cloud that strained my eyes just looking at it. I wasn't going to wait around long enough to find out what that was. The monster would come back and finish me off.

I limped forward, moving as carefully as I could to not put stress on my right leg. I could barely walk. Every moment was so staggeringly painful that it made it difficult to push through, but I didn't have any choice. I tried to think about happy things. Getting home, eating snickerdoodles, and taking a bath after all this. Tears ran down my face.

I needed to get somewhere I could hide. It was the only way I was going to be safe.

I knew it was out there and I knew it was hunting. I could hear screams and crashes in the distance and its yell staggered me, to the point I thought I was going to fall again. I tried to pay attention, looking for any sight of it, but it was so hard. I was basically blind in this light and could barely think through the agony.

More girls started leaving their cabins and it became even more difficult to tell what was going on. I begged some of the people passing by me for help, but only got a glance as they hurried their own way. Everyone looked so scared. Being surrounded by dozens of people didn't feel safe, it felt like I was trapped.

A scream rose up in the crowd and a mob of campers pushed backwards. I squeezed past the girls around me, stumbling in the other direction, scared I'd find the monster running up on me before I even realized it was coming.

Then I finally saw it. The monster was running through the middle of the group. A girl moved too slowly and was swatted out of the way, her body crumpling as it hit the ground. I was too scared to look to see if she got back up. Too scared I would recognize her.

Another girl was run over by the monster as it shifted right in its chase. It didn't seem like it was running quick, but it hit with the force of a freight train. A foot smashed into her back with a meaty snap. She didn't get up. Her cries continued long after it passed.

I gasped when I recognized Heather standing at the front of the group, only feet from where the monster had been. I wanted to call out but was too afraid to do it. I was that little girl in middle school, watching others live their lives. She glanced behind as if looking for something, then darted forward towards the road. It was the only way out but blocked by the weird clouds coming off the monster. Uncaring for the danger, she ran into the distortions as if her life depended on it.

Her arm stretched left, dislocating out of its socket as skin ripped and bone snapped. Her rib cage caved in, curving inward and forcing all the air out with a groan. Her spine stretched and popped as she gained several inches in height. She didn't even scream. It happened so fast, done in only a second. She made it two steps past the other side before she fell to the ground, her body distorted and broken.

She didn't move.

I shut my eyes and tried to turn away, but I couldn't get the image out of my head. Her arm bleeding from where it had torn. Her body twisting and stretching like clay. I wiped weakly at my face, trying to rub away enough tears to see. I needed to know where I was going. I needed to see this thing before it saw me. I did an awkward limping jog, every movement a jolt of pain, but it couldn't be worse than if I got caught.

I didn't know if the others were even alive out there. Heather was dead. I felt like I was gonna throw up and tried to force my stomach to calm down. I couldn't, not now. I'd been so angry at my new friends and now I'd never get to see one of them again. I might never get to see any of them again.

My leg gave out and I fell. On my hands and knees, I crawled through the dirt towards the only shelter I saw. Mud tracked across my arms, grass scraped along my stomach, and tears leaked down my chin.

I got to a cabin before I collapsed, too tired to make it to the door. My ankle pulsed with white, hot agony and I knew I wouldn't be moving again. I tucked myself into a ball and hoped I was small enough to stay hidden. To be beneath anyone's notice. My breaths came out in sobs and I tried not to think about Heather. Tried not to imagine Sophia, Emma, or Julia in a similar state. Ripped apart. Broken. Murdered.

The building shattered behind me and I was peppered with shrapnel. Bits of wood and splinters tore at my skin and I screamed as I got cut. Hot breath washed over me. I couldn't stop my bawling. Little baby Madison, crying to her death.

There wasn't any escaping. I couldn't run, I couldn't hide. There was nothing here to protect me. Not family, not friends, not even who I thought I was.

Something loomed over me, something massive and all-encompassing. I grabbed at the grass beneath my feet as it rose up around me.

Emma

Everything around me was in total panic. The roar of that thing and the sound of gunfire shook the world until I was too unnerved to think. My feet flew in front of me in a constant rhythm and it took a second before I realized I was running blind. A quick glance around and I couldn't see anyone. A cabin was situated close by, but other than that, I couldn't find my three friends. It left me feeling anxious and exposed.

Not that I needed others around me to feel comfortable. It was just that without anyone else here I was unarmed. I understood them, I knew what they were capable of, and it was easy to work together. Right now, it was like someone had grabbed the chessboard I'd been working on these past few days and thrown it, scattering pieces across the floor.

How the fuck was I supposed to have contingencies for something like this? I thought this would be a fucking high school trip. I kept glancing around, hoping I would see something to give myself an advantage, an edge to keep ahead of what was happening.

A crash sounded off to my left. I twisted to the side and squinted into the distance. A massive shape stood far away, next to the remains of a cabin. Giant in comparison and frightening even from a distance. The thing let out a howl and I could see it running again. I could just barely keep up with it following something, a trail of darkness left in its wake.

I stared at the darkness, half-convinced it was something I was imagining, but it stood out sharp against the background. Whatever that was, it probably wasn't safe to get near. And with the way the thing was running, it was going to circle the camp. We were going to be corralled in, like cattle for the slaughter. Trapped.

This thing would kill us. I wasn't an idiot, there was no fighting something like this. The Protectorate wasn't going to come rushing out here any time soon, we were miles away from the nearest town. That was if they even knew that something was happening. We were on our own.

Should I try to run? Hide? I didn't trust my odds either way. There were too many options and it was impossible to choose when every single one of them could be wrong!

I didn't know what had happened to the others and felt a spike of anxiety at what could be going on where I couldn't see. I'd planned so many things out for these girls and all of that might be dust in the wind. How the fuck was I supposed to know this would happen! Losing anyone in that trio of hangers-on would be awful. Even worse, if something happened to Sophia, I don't know what I would do.

I took a breath. That wouldn't happen. She was a survivor, like me. She would find a way forward. She would be okay. The other girls would be fine.

I looked up and realized I'd lost sight again as more girls started gathering in clumps, probably scared by the noise. I wanted to hide among them but didn't trust that either. They were all targets during something like this. I needed to be smarter than them. I turned back to the cabin and spied a girl peeking out. Her eyes were scanning the situation like mine had been and I instantly understood what I had to do. I ran towards her, waving my hands above my head to make sure she didn't slam the door shut in my face.

"Hey, hey!" I yelled, moving frantically as she eyed me with fear, "You need to get out of here, something's attacking the camp."

As if heralded by my announcement, a monstrous crash sounded out somewhere behind us followed by a series of screams. Any doubt about my words crumpled in an instant and I saw all resolve collapse out of the girl. She swung the door open and made a run for it, the four others in her cabin, grouped up like lost ducklings, following behind her. Some didn't even bother putting on shoes. They looked like a group of latchkey kids.

"Try and make a run for the road," I called after her, though I doubted anyone was listening to me.

They were scared, absolutely terrified. They couldn't handle this sort of situation. I could. Even with everything gone, my friends scattered, I'd found something I could do to make myself safe. I would survive this.

I gave one last glance to the group of running girls. The thing might get them or they might make it out of the camp. They'd survive or they wouldn't. There was nothing else I could do about it.

I snuck inside the cabin, shutting the door silently behind me. I needed things around me I could use, but there was no point trusting random girls to be my shield, not now. Not when it meant life or death. This wasn't something you trained for, wasn't something you ever expected to happen to you. I needed to get back control.

I did a quick look around the cabin. Was anything here useful to me? The beds weren't made, sheets scattered around them, but I doubted I was going to wrap that thing up in those. I spied a few bags, but it'd take too long to sort through clothes and, really, what could they have brought I would want? A bear plushie sat on the bed, smiling at me in the dark. I reached a hand out, shaking, and pulled back like I'd been burned.

With a yell I smacked it, watching it fall to the floor. I couldn't help but think of Taylor. This small little animal, smiling like an idiot surrounded by danger. I kicked it across the cabin. I was moving away from things like that. Anything that reminded me of her. She was tempting me even here and now.

I gave up on my search for supplies. I needed to get a view of what was going on. I still wasn't sure whether I should stay hidden here or not. I knew where the monster had been but what use was that? Even knowing what it was doing was pointless when I didn't have any means to stop it.

Information was the only thing I had right now though, so I rushed to the window and tried to remain unseen while getting a vantage point on the going-ons outside. The shifting mass of people were moving every which way, screaming and running. I wasn't sure if I should stay here or go out and join them. Try and rally them to fight the monster? Use them as a distraction while I escape?

A cabin lay ripped apart in the distance, half-collapsed on itself, only proving how exposed I was even in here. It wasn't hard to track the trail of destruction from there and I realized with dread I wasn't sure where it was going. I followed the mist this beast left behind but it swerved to the side and a wall blocked my line of sight.

I ducked to the floor and hurried over to the other window. Risky, I could be seen, but I needed to know what was happening. I felt overwhelmed with options and hoped that maybe one more piece of information could push me towards the right answer. Another crash sounded to my right and I squat below the window. I rose an inch, just enough to get my eyes over and see.

A skull was rushing towards me.

With a scream I threw myself backwards, falling on my ass. I tried to crawl away but only managed a few bare feet. The wall I'd been at exploded inwards, shattering with only one blow. I heard the building creak but it seemed so inconsequential in comparison to what loomed over me.

It stood in the hole it had ripped open. An oily red substance dripped down the cracks in its skull and it swelled up as it took a deep breath. The air that came out tasted like metal and rot. I gagged at the smell.

Its eyes turned to me. I couldn't move, couldn't breathe. There was nothing for me to reach for, no one to put between me and this thing.

And then I was so far away. Something towered above me, something bigger than I could ever hope to comprehend. So large, so dangerous. The world swam around me as I tried to pull away.

Taylor

We'd turned the lights off to try and make it seem like the cabin was empty. Pushed a shelf and our bags in front of the door to make a barricade. Locked everything down and kept away from the windows.

We hoped that whoever was outside figured it wasn't worth the effort to try and break in.

It was what we were taught to do in these scenarios. We'd had school drills to practice for situations like this, but they never lived up to the reality. Maybe we were supposed to bundle up and stay hidden right now. Maybe leave to find somewhere more secure. I didn't know.

There was supposed to be someone in charge. A teacher there to guide you. An announcement to let you know what was happening. With the way things were going and the sounds we were hearing, I didn't know if any of our active cape drills even made sense to follow anymore. No one else seemed to be sure either, so we sat on our beds and hoped for the best.

I couldn't stay like this. Everyone was so frightened that it created a feedback loop. Everywhere I looked I could see it on their faces. Nobody wanted to make the first move or voice their discomfort, but nobody wanted to stay like this either. It was this well of anxious energy that made the atmosphere stifling and only fed right back into itself. I needed to break the silence because it was affecting me worst of all.

"D-do you think we should take a peek outside?" I whispered, too afraid to speak fully in the dour atmosphere of the cabin.

No one answered, and I wasn't even sure if they'd heard me. Hailey and Lyn were sitting together on the bottom bunk of their beds, both sets of eyes glued to the ground. They were holding each other's hands. Liz and Dominique sat on their bed, Liz muttering to herself under her breath and Dominique was gripping the handle of a baseball bat with white knuckles, as though hoping she'd get at least one good swing in if something came barging through that door.

With the sounds going on outside, I had a feeling a baseball bat wasn't going to do much. But I understood she needed something to hold on to.

"We… we need to do something. We can't just stay here," I whispered again, a little louder this time. "What if we get hurt? I don't think whatever's outside is a-"

"Taylor, please stop. Just… stop," Liz said. The usual bite to her words was gone.

I didn't respond, just tucked my head into my chest and tried to hide under my covers. It shouldn't have hurt as much as it did, but her words were painful. I couldn't help it. This was a part of who I was, worrying like this. Wanting to do something when it seemed like you couldn't. I knew she didn't mean it in a cruel way, but it felt like something Emma would have said to me. I hated to think that. I'd had enough loss for one lifetime. Mom had been the first and Dad shortly after. He had never come back from her death, not really.

I hadn't expected Emma to… I never had, but I knew she might be gone to me too. Some of the things she had said to me, the things she did to me. It didn't seem like she was going to stop. I could see this spiraling out for years, a million tiny cuts, her using things I told her in confidence to hurt me. It was painful to even think about. I hated her for it.

If she was the one to send Isabelle out into those woods, I didn't know if I could ever forgive her. A dark pit formed in my stomach at the thought that this was my fault. I'd stepped in the blood. I'd brought something back to camp. It sounded so stupid, like a plot out of Maggie Holt, but I couldn't get it out of my head.

I took a deep breath and thought about talking, but I blew it out instead, wrapped myself in my blanket, and tried to close my eyes. I didn't want to drive any more people away. I needed to relax. It would all be over soon.

We'd expected something to come in through the door. A shooter, a monster, maybe an evil villain. Instead, something came through the wall.

Claws tore through wood like it was marshmallow fluff. The supports buckled and ruptured, collapsing in on themselves. The ceiling fell inward so quickly we didn't have time to do anything but scream. Lyn and Hailey were almost skewered by claws, and they jumped to their feet. Dominique and Liz hugged their wall, safe in the corner that was unharmed from the attack.

I struggled to get out of my sheets, but it was too late. As the walls came down, the ceiling collapsed on top of me.

Not fully. I thanked whatever had saved me that I wasn't stuck beneath a pile of wood and metal. I wiggled my way out, beams of lumber and steel plating shifted and collapsed as I tried to free myself in a rush. Pain ran up my arms and legs and I knew I'd be covered in bruises and cuts come morning, but I was alive. That's what mattered. Things shifted off of me and clattered to the ground. I pulled one last time to get myself out.

My leg wouldn't move.

Realization dawned in slow motion. I turned to stare at where my leg was pinched between a metal sheet ripped in two and a shattered piece of wood. I tugged again and felt rebar pulling at my skin and something sharp dug into my tendon. I wasn't any closer to getting my leg out.

I cried out in pain. "Guys, I need help! I think I'm stuck."

My roommates were pushing the bookshelf to the side, throwing bags out of the way with a frenzy. Our barricade gave way and the door was shoved open. Dominique ran before I realized what was happening, and I looked at the three others.

"No! Please, I can't get out. I need help. Lyn, Liz, Hailey!"

I knew they could hear me, but they acted like I hadn't spoken. Didn't look at me, didn't acknowledge me. I gripped my thigh for one final pull but it did less than nothing.

Lyn was the last one standing in the doorway.

"Please," I choked out the words, fighting back tears.

They shot me one last look, sorrow on their face, and for a second I thought they were going to run back in and help me. They started forward until another roar shook the building. Even at a distance, it trembled through me. I swore it might bring the ceiling down on force alone.

Lyn looked terrified. With a mouthed, "I'm sorry," they ran for the exit.

I watched them leave, pulling pitifully on my leg, before giving up on even that. Nobody was coming to help me. Nobody cared enough to do it. I sat in a cabin as my only friends departed. Left behind again.

A being floated in a void, a creature so vast words lost meaning when attempting to describe it. It swam and it spun in a dance that defied gravity. Around it, millions of smaller creatures swarmed, so alien to understanding that they couldn't be viewed as living things. The being was surrounded, like flies on a corpse, as they joined it in its dance. A million points of light. A million fragments.

They were a part of the being, not separate. A greater whole.

With each shake and twist, the creatures departed. They left glimmering trails behind them as they disappeared, like comets stretching out across the night sky. A million points of light that slowly faded into darkness, until there was nothing left.

The being floated alone.