Celeste wasn't kidding when she said the other campers would be excited to see us. As soon as we entered camp, we barely had time to observe the cabins and fields when we were greeted by a horde of screaming, running kids. I was almost knocked off my feet, and I held out my hands to shield myself.

"I've been waiting for this day for so long!"

"I can't believe it! New arrivals!"

"How long has it been since we've had new arrivals?"

I stepped backward, almost wishing I was in the woods again. I could barely move with the group of kids that had surrounded me, inspecting me as if I was a piece of fresh meat. They were doing the same with David, who really did fall to the ground, his face almost as pale as when he was faced with the snake.

"Enough!" Celeste yelled so loudly, and so deeply that it made me jump as well. They immediately quietened down and stepped back, apologizing to me.

"Is that any way to treat our guests?" Celeste demanded, her hands on her hips. "No manners whatsoever!"

They hurriedly began to apologize, but I was too busy gaping in shock at the greeting we had been given. Celeste had understated how they'd act. I wasn't expecting them to be this excited! It was as if they had never seen other humans before. David looked just as shocked, and a little scared. I couldn't blame him.

Once they calmed down, they looked a little disappointed by the lack of people. "Only two new arrivals?" a blonde girl asked, staring at us in dismay.

"I'm afraid so, Caroline," said Celeste. "Our advertisement didn't attract many people this year. Maybe that's for the better." Those words confused me. I thought they all had signed up for camp because of the advertisements. And what did she mean, for the better?

"I'm so sorry about that," Celeste apologized to us. "I told you they get a little overenthusiastic." That's putting it mildly, I thought. "It's just been so long since we get new campers, and they're all friendly and desperate to make friends. Surely you can understand. It gets a little tiring having the same campers every year, doesn't it?"

I didn't think that was nearly enough to provoke such a reaction, but I just nodded, not knowing what to say.

"Everyone, this is Adelaide and David," Celeste announced. "I would tell you to give them a warm welcome, but it appears you've already done that."

Everyone laughed, even me awkwardly. Maybe they really were just overenthusiastic, I told myself. At least they were trying to be friendly instead of shutting us out for being new like some of the kids at my school had done when I first arrived. Some of them had even made jokes when they learned I was going to camp, asking if I was going to be sleeping in tents outside with my tribe.

Celeste led us down the row of cabins, telling us all about Camp Starlight. "It's a good thing you like sports, Adelaide," she said. "We have a tennis field, plus a baseball diamond. And canoes for the lake. We go canoeing every week."

"Sounds like David's nightmare," I joked.

"Oh, wait until you see the lake," assured Celeste. "Even he'll like it."

David looked like he wanted to go home right now. I almost wished the same, but I had to be open-minded. I loved adventure, after all. I wasn't going to let a few minor setbacks and oddities stop me from enjoying my time here.

"Wait until we have our campfire," said Celeste. "That's the best part. We look up at the night sky and tell ghost stories. And we have a special ceremony for the newbies."

"Uh... where's the campfire?" I asked, suspecting I already knew, but hoping it wasn't true.

Celeste's words made my groan internally. "Oh, just past the woods."

"No way!" David spoke up, his face pale.

"Oh, you don't have to go," Celeste assured. "I wouldn't blame you. But I'm sure Adelaide wouldn't pass up the chance. Would you?"

"Uh... I guess not," I said. I was no wimp like David.

"Hey, look on the bright side," Celeste said. "At least you'll get to tell your cabin mates all about what a hero you were. Actually, maybe I'll tell everyone at the campfire. I'll give a big announcement about your deeds in the woods."

"Really? Thanks," I said. That did sound cool. Everyone would be so impressed when I heard how I had saved my brother from a snake. It would be the perfect way to introduce myself at camp. I imagined their looks of awe and admiration.

"Besides, I think you left your baseball cap in the woods," Celeste pointed out. "You might want to get it back."

"Oh, yeah! You're right." I raised my hand to my head, running my fingers through my messy hair. My head felt so bare without my usual cap. "But it isn't on the straight path through the woods, is it? It dropped while I was running through the woods while carrying David."

"Well, if you really want it, you can take a flashlight and have one of the older girls supervise you through the woods," Celeste suggested. "Just make sure not to run into any snakes—and even if you do, after the way you bravely fought that snake off, I doubt it'll be much of a threat for you."

"You know, I think you're right," I said. I didn't want to seem like a wimp, even though I was already slightly scared of the idea of venturing back into the woods while staying on the path. "Finding my baseball cap should be easy."

David was still shaking slightly. "I really don't know if I want to come... what if there's another snake?"

Usually, I would be teasing him, but seeing how scared he was, I tried to comfort him instead. "You can tell the other boys how you were almost attacked by a snake," I suggested. "They'll definitely want to be friends with you after such a cool story."

"I guess," he muttered uncertainly.

"You can even embellish it a little and pretend I didn't save you and you did it all on your own," I suggested. That cheered him up a little as well.

I was relieved that the cabins didn't have names beyond "Cabin One" or "Cabin Two". The last summer camp I had been to when I was little (without David, thankfully), all the cabins had been named after Native American places, and all the girls had teased me, saying I should watch out for my tribe. I had ended up punching them and gotten grounded from most camp activities for the rest of the summer.

As we were assigned our cabins, David still looked miserable as he entered his, so I grabbed his hand.

"Hey, don't worry," I assured. "I'm here at camp for you. If you ever need something, just tell me." I felt a protectiveness towards him after I had saved him. I was surprised by my own actions.

"Okay, Adelaide," David replied, looking too surprised to argue.

As I entered my cabin, the other girls inside still looked excited just to see me. I winced, not knowing what the big deal was. Well, all except one – the Asian girl near the back of the cabin. She was quiet and subdued, staring at me from behind her dark bangs with an expression of regret and dismay. Maybe even pity.

"You don't know how long we've been waiting for this," the blonde girl named Caroline gushed, her curls shifting from side to side as she spoke. "It's been so long since—"

"Caroline, enough," another blonde girl, but with a darker shade, scolded her. "That's no way to treat our newest arrival." Why did they keep using that word? Arrival.

She smiled at me, her honey blonde waves framing the sides of her face. She looked very pretty with her lipstick and flushed cheeks, but a little too pretty. She looked more like a model than a camper. I didn't know how she could look so fancy and dolled-up at camp.

"Hi, Adelaide. I'm Amber," she introduced herself. "I hope you'll find camp as enjoyable as possible."

"I know I will," I assured. "I love the outdoors. I can tell I'm going to have a great time, even if it's been a little... strange so far."

Amber blushed. "Oh, I'm so sorry about that," she apologized. "We were just excited. It's been so long..."

"Well, I wasn't." The Asian girl spoke up for the first time in her soft voice. She hadn't joined the others, hanging around in the shadow of her bunk. "I didn't want someone new to come."

"Oh, you always say that, Natalie," said Amber. "I like seeing new faces. It gets tiring seeing the same people every year here, don't you think?"

I saw Natalie roll her eyes. "Yeah, that's the only reason..."

"Oh, stop complaining, Nat," Caroline scolded. "You don't know what it's like. You've only been here for one year. Amber and I have been here for ages."

Amber gave Caroline a warning look and then glanced over at me, as if worried she'd said too much. "She means we've kept coming to this camp for summer every year, of course. Our parents keep making us. I didn't mind it too much at first, but I must admit that now, it's getting a little tiresome."

Caroline stared at her in disbelief. "Are you kidding, Amber? You detested camp the first time you came. You kept complaining about how you couldn't stand getting your hair messy and clothes dirty."

"She still hasn't stopped complaining about it," Natalie added.

Amber glowered at them. "Well, you two aren't thrilled about returning every year, either!"

I was confused. Why did they keep returning if they didn't like camp? Maybe their parents made them once or twice, but every single year?

"Sounds like my brother," I remarked. "He didn't want to come, either. He's a total wimp. Hates the outdoors and getting dirty. Not like me. I was excited to come. I'm sure I'll have a great time here."

"A great enough time to stay for—" Caroline nudged her. "For the whole summer?" Amber asked, as if she changed what she was going to say at the last moment. She stared at me with an almost eager expression.

"Well... I don't know about that," I admitted. "This isn't the camp my parents signed me up for. But we had been driving around in the middle of nowhere for so long, they said we might as well go to a camp for the summer. I'm already getting into trouble, though. Do you know what David and I saw when we went through the woods to get here?"

"Oh, I hate that part," Amber shuddered. "The woods are so dark and dense..."

"You just hate getting your hair messy and makeup stained, Amber," Caroline teased. "And I like it. We so rarely get to do it. I wished I could come with Celeste when she went."

I thought that remark was odd. I thought they went through the woods every time they went to the campfire. But I ignored that and described my brother and I's terrifying escapade. They gasped in shock, their eyes widening as I described the snake.

"That's the one thing I don't like about the woods," Caroline shuddered. "Crawling with snakes and other creatures. Even if they can't hurt me, I still hate it." Did that mean they weren't poisonous? David would tell me I meant venomous.

"I'm terrified just hearing that!" Amber exclaimed, shivering. "I can't imagine how you and your brother felt."

"Oh, I'll probably have nightmares about it tonight," I admitted. Even Natalie had raised her head and glanced over at us, looking alarmed. "But I fought the snake off."

"Really?" Caroline exclaimed.

I laughed. "Well, not exactly."

As I described how I rescued my brother and carried him to safety, their eyes widened in astonishment.

"That's so cool!" Caroline exclaimed in awe. "You were a real hero."

"I could never do that," Amber added. "I'd just start screaming and run away. Well, it's no wonder you're such a mess." Caroline nudged her.

"Oh, it wasn't anything special," I insisted, feeling a little embarrassed by how they were staring at me. "I just told him to run and then carried him off."

I claimed a high bunk next to the window. They had been saving it for me, to my relief. I liked seeing the sky outside, and pretending I was lying high in the trees of the forest. I kept talking to my new cabin mates until the sky darkened outside. They warmed up to me, even Natalie, who I was sharing my bunk with.

"I love your bracelet," said Caroline. "Where did you get it from?"

"It's a little plain," added Amber. I thought she was a little vain.

"My friend Jade," I said. "She lives in the city. We made friendship bracelets for each other. There were beads in it, but I lost them." For some reason, that made Amber look down, her face falling.

"Oh, that's so cool!" Caroline enthused. "We should make friendship bracelets!"

"We only just met," Natalie pointed out. Anyway, I don't think we have time. It's almost time for the campfire."

Amber and Caroline's eyes lit up. "Oh, I can't wait!" Caroline squealed. She was always excited and enthusiastic, but even more so now. "It feels like ages since we've had a real campfire."

"Even I'm excited," Amber agreed. "Even though I hate going through the woods." Even Natalie looked excited, her face lighting up.

"I thought you had a campfire every night," I said, confused.

I watched as they seemed to force themselves to be less excited around me. "Oh... not every night," clarified Amber. "Just most nights. We've been doing it less and less recently. Some kids don't like fighting their way through the woods to get to the campfire."

I realized I was excited as well. I imagined Celeste telling everyone about my deed in the woods, and how they'd all stare at me in awe. Too bad David wouldn't be there. He was probably too scared.

"I can't wait either," I agreed.

"Oh, wait until you hear the camp song," said Caroline. "Maybe we should teach her."

"No," protested Amber. "It's best if she hears it herself. I remember my first time hearing it..."

"Maybe you should hear Amber sing it," suggested Natalie. "She has a lovely voice."

"Forget the song," said Caroline. "What about the ghost story we tell all the new campers? That's way better."

"That's even worse!" Natalie insisted. "I hate hearing it."

"So do I," Amber agreed, her face falling again. Even Caroline looked uncomfortable with mentioning it.

"Wait until you hear it, Adelaide," Caroline said. "It's really scary. You'll probably have nightmares about it."

"I'll already have nightmares about the snake," I quipped.

"It's fake," Amber insisted, but she sounded unsure as she said that. "Not one part of it is true. It's just a stupid ghost story, but a pretty good one." I perked up a little. I loved ghost stories, especially scaring my brother with them.

"Adelaide, look outside!" Caroline called, leaping onto her bunk and scrabbling over to the window. "This is where the camp got its name."

I scrambled over and peered out. It was dark out now, the sky like a velvety black blanket. Stars were dotted across the wide, dark expanse like glitter.

"What's so great about it? It's just the sky," Natalie muttered despondently.

"Well, it isn't too amazing here," Caroline admitted. "But wait until you see it at the campfire. You'll be blown away."

"No, she'll be more blown away by the campfire itself," Amber insisted. "Maybe you'll even get to see Celeste light it."

Soon we had to leave. I took a shower in the cabin bathroom, which felt amazing, and tried to wipe away my scrapes and brush my hair as best as possible. I guess Mom's words about looking presentable had made an effect on me. Amber offered to help me brush and even curl my hair, but I refused.

"Uh, no thanks," I said as she took her hair curler out of the wooden dresser next to her bunk. I tied my hair back into a simple ponytail. Mom wouldn't let me cut my hair, thinking it was already too short, so I often kept it in a ponytail to keep it out of my face.

"Were you seriously going to curl Adelaide's hair?" Natalie rolled her eyes.

Amber blushed. "I was just going to use it on my own hair."

"Let's run out while Amber spends hours on her hair," Caroline whispered to me. I was surprised she hadn't left already. She was practically bouncing up and down from excitement.

"I heard that!" Amber protested, putting the hair curler down. "I just thought Adelaide could stand to make a good impression."

"I'll already make a good impression with what everyone will find out at the campfire," I said. They looked at me weirdly.

As we left the cabin, I was glad I had chosen to dress warmly. The cool night air seemed to surround me even through my levels of denim and flannel. I shivered and drew my arms up around myself. It was a beautiful sight, though. The cabins and lakes and fields seemed to shimmer underneath the starlight, the reflection of the silvery full moon glistening in one of the lakes. It felt like I was at a totally different place, even though it was the same one. Everything looked somehow even brighter than it would in the daytime. But it was also more eerie and mysterious.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Amber told me. "No wonder our camp has its name."

"The woods aren't so beautiful," Natalie quipped.

"I think they are," Caroline spoke up. "From outside, at least."

"Oh, yeah. From outside, it's beautiful," admitted Amber. "Not so much when you enter."

I had to admit they were right. As we all lined up outside the woods, the dark trees seemed to glow even brighter than the rest of the camp. The moon seemed to be lined up right above the dense expanse, and it looked so bright and welcoming that I was almost willing to enter.

Everyone around us was practically jumping up and down, talking excitedly. Caroline squealed, and even Natalie beamed with excitement. Amber got knocked over and dirtied her perfect clothes, but she didn't even seem to care. I was confused, to say the least. Did they really have a campfire so rarely? I thought that was one of the staples of camp.

"Now, everyone, calm down," Celeste instructed. They all quietened down immediately. "I know you're all excited, and you all should be, but remember to remain as quiet and calm as possible when entering the woods. Our newcomers had an encounter with a snake recently."

Everyone looked shocked, except for my cabin mates and some boys standing near David. He looked embarrassed by everyone finding out. I was surprised to see him. I wondered why he was here when I was sure he'd be too scared.

"Don't worry. They're fine now," Celeste assured. "I actually have a story to tell about their experience, but I'll tell it at the campfire, if you all remain calm enough to pass the woods."

Everyone quickly became as still as statues. I grinned. I could barely wait for the campfire.

I watched as the first kids entered the woods, the dense trees seeming to encompass them. We were all in a long, single-file line reaching to the last cabins at the end. I was somewhere in the middle with my new friends. I looked around for David and saw him a little way ahead. He looked terrified, but didn't back away, as Celeste assured him it was okay to do. The boys near him were cheering him on, thumping him on the back. Then I got it. They must've dared him after he told them about his encounter in the woods. He could never back down from someone teasing him and calling him a chicken, as I used to my advantage.

I felt kind of bad for him, but I had to admire his pluck as I saw him enter the woods. "Your brother looks so scared," Natalie whispered.

"He doesn't like the woods," I whispered back. "I can't believe he's entering after he almost got attacked by a snake."

"He's brave," Amber agreed. "I hate to enter even when I've never been hurt by any animal."

"I used to love exploring the woods," Natalie admitted. "My new house was right in front of the woods in my town. I spent more time there than with other people. But now..." She stared up at the woods with a strange look in her eyes. "Now that I know that I'll never be able to escape past—"

"Shh!" Amber hissed. "Don't scare Adelaide off." I found her words odd, especially the way she stared up at the woods with sadness and nostalgia.

Too quickly, it was our turn. My heart caught in my chest as I looked up at the dark trees towering over us. It didn't seem bright and welcoming up close. It seemed more ominous now. I remembered the long trek from the woods to the camp.

I forced myself to snap out of it. If David could enter, so could I. I forced myself into the opening between the trees.

Thankfully, the trees were less close to us than through the opening of camp. They weren't closing in on me like last time, at least not yet. The few branches that snagged my clothes I managed to shrug off. But I still felt the familiar panicked sensation as I gazed around at the darkness visible through the trees and spotted creatures scampering over the ground. I forced myself to calm down. I wasn't David.

But my unease was nothing compared to everyone else's excitement. They seemed thrilled to be in the woods. I heard them gasping in awe, running their hands over the trees and bending down to feel the dirt and rocks. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw David and the boys from his cabin pick rocks off the ground and begin pelting them at each other.

"Break it up, guys," one of the older girls instructed. She had long brown hair tied back in a bandana. She dodged as they accidentally (or not so accidentally) threw one at her. "Seriously, cut it out. Stop fooling around."

"Oh, come on, Rachel. What's the harm?" an African-American boy asked while aiming a rock at David. He let out a cry as it connected with his arm, raising a hand. "It's not like we can hurt each other."

"You just hurt me!" David protested, rubbing his arm while wincing.

"Aside from the newbies," he griped. "Want to volunteer as the target, Rach?" He raised a rock and pointed it directly at Rachel.

"Ha, ha. Very funny, Russell," Rachel replied sarcastically, raising a hand to tighten her bandana. "You might not be capable of hurting each other, but you're delaying the time it takes for us to reach the campfire." I found her words odd. Why wouldn't they hurt each other?

"I know! I'll use Amber as the target instead," Russell suggested. He raised a rock and pulled his arm back as he aimed at Amber, who was trying to duck under the branches. The other boys snickered in agreement.

Rachel rolled her eyes as Russell released his grip. At the last moment, Amber turned around – and the rock zoomed right into her face, hitting her in the nose.

"Hey!" Amber protested, raising a hand to her face. I winced, knowing how much that had to hurt. Especially for a girl like Amber.

But to my shock, she didn't even flinch. Just rolled her eyes and groaned as she picked the rock off the ground.

"Could you be any more immature?" Amber scoffed, throwing the rock back at Russell. He easily dodged, sticking his tongue out at her.

"Are... are you okay?" David called tentatively, looking as confused by her lack of reaction as I was. "Did that hurt you?"

Amber just scoffed. Her face wasn't even slightly red from where the rock had hit her, and she showed no signs of discomfort. "Well, I'm glad at least one of you has decency."

"But—" David protested. But Amber had already turned away.

He stared at me in confusion, and I shrugged. Maybe the rock had been small. Or maybe Amber was tougher than I thought.

Or maybe they were too excited to be in the woods to care, I thought. I saw some of the girls eagerly gripping the branches or picking grass off the ground. I loved the outdoors, but even I was confused by their behavior. They were acting like they had never been outside before. Which couldn't possibly be true, since they were all at a summer camp.

Even Natalie, who seemed very quiet, eagerly grabbed onto a branch and began climbing a tree. I was surprised by her impulsive behavior, but the others didn't seem to be. "I haven't done this in so long," she enthused while reaching up. Her legs swung quickly and precisely through the air, gripping easily to the branches. In no time, she had reached the top, beaming down at everyone. I was impressed. She was almost as skilled as I was.

Then, her expression changed. She gazed at the tree she was leaning against with an odd, almost saddened look on her face. She rubbed her hand gently over the bark, almost as if it were a pet. I thought I saw her whisper something. Then she gazed down at the woods with a wistful expression, as if she was remembering something. I remembered she told me she used to live in front of the woods. Maybe she was remembering that.

"Nice skills," I called, making her jump. "I'm great at climbing trees, too. But can you land as gracefully?"

"I'll help her land!" one of the boys called. A red-haired one this time. He picked up a rock and aimed at Natalie.

"Cut it out!" Rachel groaned, grabbing his arm. "You can throw rocks at each other all day long once you're back in your cabins."

He ignored her, pulling his arm back. "Before she tries talking to the trees, like she always does." The other boys laughed.

"I can't blame her. They're better conversationalists than you, Liam," Rachel quipped.

Before he could throw the rock, Natalie fell off the tree. I gasped in surprise, but she seemed remarkably unconcerned, without a single yell escaping. In fact, the way she loosened her grip on the branch seemed almost intentional. I watched as she tumbled down and landed in a heap on the ground.

I winced again, but Natalie just got up and brushed herself off. She calmly picked leaves out of her long black hair and glanced smugly at Liam.

"Are... are you alright?" I called, running over to her side. Even I had reacted more when falling off.

"I'm fine," Natalie muttered, her dark bangs falling over her face. She suddenly seemed to realize that she shouldn't have done that – at least, in front of me. "I told you. I, uh... used to explore the woods a lot at home." I decided to leave her alone.

I watched as a few of the older girls headed off the path to gather twigs for the campfire. I followed one of them – Rachel – remembering how I'd lost my baseball cap. It probably wasn't the brightest idea, but my head felt bare without it.

Rachel turned to stare at me. "You're one of the new arrivals, aren't you?"

"I'm Adelaide," I said. "I, uh... lost my baseball cap in the woods. I suddenly stiffened, remembering what else had happened in the woods. But it was too late to turn back now. I couldn't see the path anymore.

"I'll keep an eye out for it," Rachel offered. "Could you pick up some twigs to throw into the campfire?"

I reached down to collect the twigs. I kept expecting to find a snake under the leaves. I jumped as I felt something moving under the pile of twigs I just picked up. I relaxed as I realized it was just an ant.

"I've been at this camp longer than anyone." Rachel placed the log on the ground to adjust the bandana around her long brown hair. "And I'm one of the oldest in age, aside from Celeste. I liked the camp at first, but now... I almost hate it." I stared at her in surprise. "It's so dull to be stuck in the same place for so long, with the same cabins and fields and people..."

"I guess it would be," I admitted, searching along the ground for my baseball cap. I wasn't too worried about it – if I didn't find it now, I could search for it in the morning. That was probably a better idea. When I finally found it, it'd probably be overrun by bugs and covered in dirt and mud, but it was already pretty old and tattered. And I was used to my clothing getting dirty, to my mom's irritation.

I turned my attention to Rachel, who was staring off into the distance. "My brother and I used to visit our grandparents. They lived out in the country, right in the middle of nowhere. I'd run around outside in the fields, while my brother would stay cooped up inside their house. It's a shame he didn't come to this camp. He'd hate it, but I really miss him." She glanced away. "Then again, I guess it's a good thing he didn't come."

I found her remark odd, but didn't ask. "Just like my brother. I'm surprised he didn't run screaming from the woods," I remarked. "But you go home after the summer, don't you? You still get to see your house and your family." I found it odd she was acting so saddened and nostalgic, just like Natalie.

"Uh... yeah," Rachel hurriedly said. "I just spend so much time here, it feels like I stay here all the time."

I wondered why she stayed if she was starting to hate it. I thought about asking, but decided not to press it. She seemed really sad about being stuck here. Maybe her parents were forcing her to go, like mine did with my brother.

Rachel lifted another log under her other arm. I watched with awe as she tucked the long, heavy logs under both of her arms while walking forward. I didn't think even I could do that.

Rachel laughed at my shocked expression. "I have a lot of practice with this kind of stuff."

I walked deeper into the woods and scanned the ground for my baseball cap, pretending to be scanning for more twigs as I collected them in my hands. Just as I was about to give up and stand up, I spotted it. Nestled on top of a patch of leaves and moss, against a tree trunk.

It was dirty and had a few twigs stuck to it, as I expected, but I eagerly picked it up, dropping most of my gathered twigs in the process. I brushed off the patch of moss stuck to the side and shook it to get rid of the slight dampness coating the front. I was about to shove the baseball cap back onto my head, when I got an idea. I turned it upside down and placed the twigs I had gathered inside.

Just then, I heard a loud thud and looked behind me. I saw that a branch from one of the trees overhead had broken off and fallen directly onto Rachel's head. As the branch fell to the ground, Rachel rubbed her head and glanced up, but more in confusion than pain. I winced. The branch had been thin and twig-like, which was probably why it had fallen, but I'd definitely be yelping if a branch fell on my head. It had happened to me before, except with lemons and apples instead.

"Are you alright?" I called.

Rachel turned to stare at me. "Yes, I'm fine. My brother used to drop things on my head all the time," Rachel continued as we made our way back onto the path. "He once dropped a tree branch with a spider crawling through it. Then I gave him a bloody nose."

As we found the path, I bumped straight into Amber, who was trying to tangle a tree branch out of her golden hair. She let out a yelp as I bumped into her and jumped backwards in surprise, the strands of hair attached to the branch moving back as well. I winced. That had to have hurt. But Amber just raised her hand to her head and kept trying to untangle her hair.

"Everyone, stop!" Rachel called out sarcastically. "We've got a real emergency. Amber got her hair stuck in a tree branch."

Everyone laughed and snickered, while Amber glowered angrily. "It's not funny," she insisted.

I took pity on her and reached my hand up to the branch part of her silky golden locks were stuck in. Then I pulled it. Hard.

"Hey!" Amber yelled in surprise while stumbling backwards. She raised her hand to her hair, staring in disdain at the strands still stuck on the now loose tree branch. But to my surprise, she only yelled in surprise, not pain. She ran her hand through her precious hair in panic, searching for the part that had been yanked off.

"Relax, Amber," Caroline said. "You still have plenty of hair left."

Amber let out a groan. "This is why I hate going through the woods."

"Look on the bright side," Rachel said. "At least you didn't try cutting your hair, and then it never grew back."

I realized for the first time how uneven her hair was. It seemed long, but maybe that was just because it was tied up in a bandana. Some parts were choppily cut above her ears, or just below her chin.

Rachel must've noticed me staring, because she reached up to her hair and pulled out the bandana. I watched as her hair tumbled down... just below her shoulders. It was very choppy where it was cut off, sticking out in every direction.

"Amazing how long a bandana can make hair seem," Rachel muttered, tying her hair back up and smiling at my shocked gaze. "I used to hate my long hair... but now I want it back."

"Don't worry. I'm sure it'll grow back soon," I assured, trying to cheer her up.

Rachel just chuckled, but there was no humor in her eyes. "I highly doubt that," she said cryptically.

We exited the woods a lot quicker than I expected. It really wasn't as large or deep as it felt the first time. When we exited, I let out a sigh of relief, breathing the open night air instead of the piney forest air. I heard everyone squealing around me, even more excited than when they were in the woods. I was almost knocked over again as they started running around, even more excited about this place than they were meeting David and me.

I managed to spot David in the crowd, glancing around in fear and uncertainty. I made my way over to him.

"These kids are beyond weird," David whispered to me.

"I know," I agreed. "They act like they've never seen humans or a campfire before. Kind of like you. You spend all your time indoors."

"Do not!" he insisted, punching me in the arm.

"Why did you come through the woods, anyway?" I asked. "I thought you were too scared."

David blushed. "The boys in my cabin kept saying I should. They said if I was brave enough to wrestle a snake off me, I should be brave enough to enter the forest again. I wanted to prove them right."

"Wrestle a snake off you?" I raised an eyebrow. "You do know Celeste's going to be telling everyone what really happened, right?"

David groaned, lowering his head. "I should've thought about that. I wasn't going to make things up, but they kept asking for more details, and they looked so impressed that I had even encountered a snake to begin with."

"Well, it was pretty brave of you to come into the woods, even if you lied," I said. "I was expecting you to spend the entirety of camp curled up in your cabin."

"I will be, after those boys find out I lied," David admitted, biting his lip.

"Hey, don't worry," I assured, brushing back his curls. "If they make fun of you, I'll beat them up."

"Really?" He stared up at me.

"Of course," I said. "I'm the only one who's allowed to make fun of you."

Celeste had already started the fire, and some of the kids were scattering twigs and leaves from the woods over the low flames. I walked over and turned my baseball cap upside down, letting the twigs I had stored inside fall over the crackling flames. I could feel the heat radiating from the fire despite how small it was, making my cheeks burn and arms tingle.

I backed away, the cold night air covering my body again. I glanced up at the night sky. I immediately felt tiny, as if the sky was going to leap down and devour me. I felt like it was sucking me into its expanse of blackness. I saw smoke rising towards the sparkling stars. I could smell it, but it didn't make the air seem any less fresh. It added a warm, inviting undertone that made me feel like I was helping Mom cook dinner back at home.

Soon everyone sat down around the campfire. Some of them sat on logs they had brought from the woods, and Amber tried to snatch one, not wanting to sit on the floor. I ended up sitting on the grassy ground next to David. He was shivering despite the heat emanating from the fire, and I put my arm around him.

Natalie sat down next to us. The light from the fire reflected in her dark eyes as she stared into the crackling flames, a strand of dark hair falling over her face.

"You okay?" I asked.

She jumped before turning to look at me. "I wish I was back in the woods," she admitted. "It reminds me of when I used to explore back at home... but it's different. The trees feel so... so lifeless. Without..." She trailed off.

I stared at her, but she had turned back to the fire. Before I could say anything, Celeste's loud, clear voice rose over the campfire.

"I can tell you're all excited," Celeste said, waving her hand to quieten everyone down. "I am as well. I can't tell you how much. It's been so long since we've been able to do this."

I glanced around in confusion. They talked like they hadn't been here in years. Just why was everyone so excited about minor things?

"We'll introduce the newcomers to our song," Celeste continued. "I'm sure they'll love it." Some kids groaned while others laughed. "But first, I have a story to tell you about them. The new arrivals, I mean."

I listened to Celeste talk about our encounter with the snake. Some kids gasped in shock and backed away in disgust. Others looked at David with pity. He shuddered just from the memory.

"Actually, maybe Adelaide should tell this part," admitted Celeste. "She knows better how she fought off the snake in the woods and rescued her brother."

David grimaced as I saw some boys snicker, obviously having guessed his bluff already.

"Oh, I didn't do much," I said. "I just—"

"Come over here," Celeste instructed.

I got to my feet and walked up next to Celeste. I felt self-conscious as I faced everyone staring at me with anticipation. "I just grabbed a stick on the ground and leveled it towards David. He's the one who got up by himself and ran away."

"But you carried him through the forest," Celeste pointed out. "He couldn't even move."

"Well, I can't blame him," I said. "I'd probably be stock still after something like that as well."

Everyone was staring at me in awe despite my attempt to downplay my actions. "Well, it's one way to be introduced to this camp," I said, trying to joke. "I hadn't even entered, and I was already fighting off vicious animals."

"Well, it made a memorable first impression, at least," said Celeste. "You'll fit right in at camp. We do stuff like that all the time, don't we?" Everyone laughed.

"I think we owe Adelaide a round of applause," declared Celeste. Everyone started clapping, and I felt myself blushing. I liked all the awe and attention I was getting, but not in front of a large audience. David was clapping harder than anyone, despite his embarrassment at the boys finding out he had lied.

"Now it's time for the ghost story," Celeste announced as I returned to my seat.

Everyone stopped clapping when she said that, their faces falling. The dread and dismay on their faces shone and flickered in the glowing fire. I could tell this wasn't just not wanting to hear a boring story they'd already heard a bunch of times. They were actually dreading hearing it, as if listening to it saddened them.

"No, not this story," the usually cheerful Caroline groaned, closing her eyes and lowering her head, her blonde curls falling over her face.

"Let's just get it over with," Natalie suggested, fiddling with her hair. I was alarmed to see that there were tears in her eyes.

"Is it really that scary?" I tried to joke.

"Uh, yeah," said Amber, but I could tell that wasn't the reason they looked so miserable. "It might be too scary for you."

"Too scary for David, definitely. He's such a wimp." Amber giggled while David glowered at me. "You might want to cover your ears during this story," I told him. "You'll probably run off screaming into the woods." I tried to cover his ears, causing him to swat my hand away and punch me.

But something about the discontent expressions on the campers' faces unnerved me as well. I had a feeling there was a reason they were so afraid of the story. But how scary could it be, anyway?

A lot of the characters are from earlier books. I actually changed my mind about Natalie - she was supposed to be from a Piano Lessons Can Be Murder inspired book, but I changed it to a much longer one about the woods (which is one of the 40k ones).