u/BPRoberts-Thank you for pointing out a certain flaw in Marco's dialogue so I may adjust accordingly.

So here it is! Chapter 1, actually chapter 1, I AM going to finish this fanfiction! I promise, the 90 views and 1 review I've had since I first posted this is very encouraging, without further adieu, chapter 1! In this you will notice that something more was changed that was...less than obvious. What is it? You'll have to figure it out for yourself!

Dawn

So, I suppose we should get this started. My name is Jake. Just Jake. No last name; if I'm giving you a last name it has to be a fake. Sorry, but we can't be too careful, and we can't exactly break or bend the rules that were put in place to keep us alive.

If it were up to me I wouldn't be writing this at all, but the others insisted. The idea is to leave behind some sort of record of what happened, and for some reason the others decided I'd be the best person to begin the story. I only agreed after some extra conditions were put in place, like the first-name-only rule, but in the end I found writing the experiences down to be… cathartic.

Now. With introductions out of the way let's get to the gist of why I'm writing this. My God, I wouldn't have believed it at the time, but what's about to transpire in this story is just insane.

Long story short, the Earth is being invaded. Still. This isn't like the ones you know about from the news. They're the deadliest yet. And much sneakier. The Controllers are as brutal and monstrous as they come.

What is a Controller, you might ask? Well, we don't actually know what they call themselves, if anything. All we know is that they're a parasite, sort of like a tapeworm. Only this tapeworm is the size of a large slug that crawls up your nose and turns you into a puppet, to that point where you're a slave with absolutely no control over your own body. You can't control your mouth, your eyes, the tips of your fingers… Not even your mind is safe from their grasp. If you're lucky, you may be able to twitch a little. If you manage to distract the Controller, that is.

Now, let's begin. It was the last day of Summer Camp. She wanted us all to come so badly that she even paid for our admission, though with her kind of allowance that's not as big of a feat as it may seem. Her mom's a lawyer.

We were in the camp's central pavilion, just after sunrise. We had just finished breakfast and were listening to the head councilor's announcement.

I was sitting by the people from my Cabin, as was everyone else. The kids I was grouped with came from all over the state, but aside from that I didn't know them too well. I spent more time with Marco and Rachel.

"Now, I don't know about you, but these were some of the most memorable two weeks I've ever had. Wouldn't you agree?" Jenny asked, to which most of the room made sounds of agreement.

"Now, one last announcement. The buses that will bring you home will be here at 10. Until then, you're free to do whatever you want as long as it's within the camp boundaries. If you want to go on a hike, ask your counselor to accompany you. That'll be all, have a good day."

The pavilion came to life with the noise of people socializing. I pushed my way through the crowd to the table where my best friend Marco was sitting at, to find that he was already on his way to mine.

"Hey Marco, what's up?" I said when we got close enough to hear each other.

"Nothing much, just enjoying the outdoors."

I raised my eyebrows. "I thought you didn't want to go to this camp?"

"I have a better appreciation for nature now. Turns out I like going on hikes, I just prefer to do it with the benefit of bug spray."

"So, does that mean you're down to go on one last hike?" I whispered to him.

"Why are you whispering? Wait, are you saying we're going by the ghost town?"

"Rachel has a friend who agreed to take us and anyone I want to bring down there."

"Then by all means count me in!" Marco said as he initiated a fist bump between us before we began walking. "Now, to find Miss Blond Bombshell."

"Dude! She's my cousin!"

"Chillax, I promise I won't be creepy or anything. But if she asks me out, I definitely won't mind."

We made our way over to the table my cousin was supposed to be sitting at. It was one of the girl's cabins that was occupying the space. Except Rachel wasn't there.

"Uh, Marco? We have a problem." I announced.

"What?"

"Rachel's not there." I motioned to the table where she was supposed to be sitting at.

"What? Of course she's there! She has to be there! That's… her… table." Marco insisted before seeing the evidence for himself, then trailing off. "Alright, where's Waldo?" Marco said in an annoyed tone of voice.

"I don't know, where is he?" A voice spoke up from behind us, when I turned to respond I gasped.

In front of us was a kid our age with dirty blond hair. He had a sort of dorky looking appearance, but was really, really big. Like, the tallest guy I've ever seen. He was wearing a pair of ratty jeans, and some shoes that had seen better days. His eyes had a sort of vacant look in them, as if he was daydreaming; I know this guy.

"Tobias?" I asked in a disbelieving voice.

"Oh, sorry," the kid said in a very nasal voice. "You must be thinking of someone else."

Oops, not him.

"Excuse me, Rick." Rachel said as she shooed the stranger to the side.

"Rachel! There you are!" I said as I walked over to her and hugged her. Rachel is very pretty, though I don't really think of her that way since she's my cousin. She has crystal clear blue eyes, blond hair, and one look at her and you'd know she wouldn't look out of place on a runway. But she is more interested in being a professional gymnast, despite being abnormally tall, even for an adult.

"Mind if I join in?" Marco asked jokingly, his arms spread wide.

"Sorry, but no, Marco," Rachel said. "Hugs are only for people who are close."

"But I'm Jake's best friend!"

"Sure, but that doesn't mean you're close enough to me for a hug."

He shrugged. "Well, worth a try." He walked next to us instead, and lowered his voice to a whisper. "Then how about this little trip we're going on. Did you find our guide yet?"

"Sure, but you both have to promise me that you won't back down."

It was almost like she was a playground kid daring her friends to do something.

"Uh, what's going to happen on this hike?" I asked.

"Oh, nothing." Rachel said coyly, "I just want your word that you won't back out."

"I don't know…" I mumbled, unsure.

"I'm only going as long as Jake's going," Marco said offhandedly.

"Oh, so you're going to back out of this even though a girl like myself didn't even hesitate?"

"It's not that I'm scared!" Marco scoffed. "But I can't just leave Jake here all by himself, can I?" Then he gave me a nudge and motioned for me not to chicken out behind Rachel's back.

Fine.

"Alright, I'm in," I sighed. "I promise I won't back out."

"Yes!" Rachel said, an excited look appearing in her eyes as she started to walk. "Our guide's waiting right next to the pool, we should be going out there right n-"

She didn't even get to finish before it happened.

Ring ring ring ring ring ring ring ring ring ring!

We flinched at the sound, looking around for its cause. At a moment's notice the entire pavilion was in chaos. The councilors were scrambling around, looking for whatever triggered the fire alarm.

"Run! Fire! Run!" Saddler, my other cousin, yelled at the top of his lungs. My eyebrows were raised.

"Did you seriously set off the fire alarms?" Marco asked my cousin incredulously.

"We have to make a break for it before they lock us down!" She quickly said before running off. We both followed and left the pavilion unnoticed. We sprinted as fast as we could to make sure we left their sight as quickly as possible. Marco fell behind, being the shortest, but not by much. Rachel was tall and the most athletic of the group, so she was in the lead.

Before long, we passed into the trees that stood between the pavilion and the side of the camp where the path to the pool and hiking trails were. The alarm was still blaring by the time we faded from their sight, with the trees hiding us we slowed down.

"Rachel…" I started over the sound of us running over the gravel path.

"It wasn't me, I swear!" Rachel said with an annoyed tone. "Saddler just happened to pull the switch right that moment. I had nothing to do with it."

I don't know whether Rachel was lying, but I decided to drop it. I wasn't about to let that ruin what was supposed to be a good time.

After a bit, we slowed to a walk. I was content to listen to the birds and bugs let out their chorus of noise that was everywhere in the forest during the summer. We didn't say a word until we came up to the hill where the pool was at. Its most notable feature was a series of wide concrete stairs going all the way up to the top of the hill, where the pool was located. I looked to the top to see a fenced area with a changing room looming above it, then I looked around some more, and yet…

"Hey guys? Anyone else out of breath?" Marco panted.

"No," My cousin said curtly, flipping her hair with her hands. Despite the running and the general camp activities from the past two weeks, her hair was somehow still supermodel perfect. I have no idea how she manages that.

"So Rach, where is this guide?" I asked her. "And who is he?"

"Heheh, you'll see soon enough," she chuckled and whispered to me before yelling out towards the treeline. "You can come out now!"

When our guide emerged from behind the trees, I instantly understood Rachel's intentions. Because out of the trees came Cassie.

Cassie's Rachel's best friend, even though they're pretty much polar opposites. She's a short African American girl who doesn't dress like most other girls. She wears her hair short and was in her signature overalls.

She's also the girl I have a crush on, and despite my best efforts, Rachel knows it.

Rachel was trying to play matchmaker on us!

And there it is! Chapter 1, hope you enjoyed it, and if you decide to comment, please leave behind any criticisms, questions, and suggestions you have. Have a wonderful day! And kudos for the wonderful flaks314, for editing this new chapter!