"It happened a long time ago, at this very camp." As soon as Celeste started talking, everyone went silent. The crackling fire and wind rustling through the woods sounded deafening. Even the stars in the sky seemed to make a sound, a faint, twinkling sound that I could almost hear through the silence. Celeste spoke barely loud enough to be heard over the crackling of the fire, but everyone heard her perfectly.

"It was a cool, dark night, just like this one. The moon was full, but it seemed dim and tiny compared to the light from the stars." It seemed that way tonight as well. The myriad of stars seemed to overpower the huge, shining moon. "All of the campers were asleep in their cabins, after a long day of canoeing and hiking and swimming. They were all having a great time here. But one of the campers couldn't sleep."

Celeste paused, and the fire crackled loudly. I glanced over at David and saw that his face was already pale and strained, though it was more from the atmosphere than the story. Everyone was listening intently, but at the same time, they looked like they wished they didn't have to listen.

"He tossed and turned in his bunk, but the light shining through his window made it impossible for him to fall asleep. He felt as if it was brighter that night than it was earlier in the daylight." I had a feeling it would be that way, even though I hadn't experienced the camp in the daytime yet. "He stayed up until after midnight. That's when he decided to leave his cabin."

There was another pause. I could almost hear everyone's heartbeats. "It was against the rules to leave your cabin after midnight. At any point past lights out, but especially after midnight. The counselors were very firm about that, to the confusion of the campers. They weren't as strict about leaving the cabins at any other time. But this camper was restless by all the light he could see outside his bunk. It felt as if it was calling to him, drawing him outside. He wandered outside, and almost had to shield his eyes from the light shining down from the midnight sky. It felt like it was washing over him. He felt it almost as much as he felt the sunlight during the daytime."

I shuddered. I felt that way as well, and it wasn't even midnight. But I didn't feel it as much as the sun. This story, though, was making me draw my arms around myself, as if to shield myself from the starlight.

"He wandered around, amazed by how new and fresh everything seemed. For a moment, he thought that he was in the wrong place. The starlight seemed to cast everything in a different light." I glanced around the campfire, thinking it already looked completely different from just earlier in the evening, let alone in broad daylight.

"He found himself drawn to the sky. He lay down on the grass and looked up, but he had to close his eyes. The stars were too bright. He felt the light washing over him, as if covering him in a cool blanket. It was a nice feeling, and he began to feel himself lulled into sleep.

But at the last moment, he felt a sudden jolt of panic and unease. He opened his eyes, and found that he wasn't on the ground anymore. He was in the sky. Camp was far, far away, down below. He felt like he was floating, flying in the air. It was a peaceful feeling, but at the same time, also an uneasy one. He knew he was going to be trapped this way forever, unable to leave."

I felt a shudder run down my back. Everyone was completely silent, and I thought the story was over. But then Celeste spoke up, lifting her gaze to the sky.

"Now every night, we can see little Timmy," she said, focusing on the sky. "If we just look up as the first stars appear in the sky at camp. We're sure to see him as one of the stars."

I gasped. My voice caught in my throat, and the hairs on my neck stood up. I could feel David trembling next to me. Nobody else looked particularly frightened, but saddened. As if it had really happened.

To my surprise, Rachel grinned. "And that's why you should never leave your cabin after lights out," she said. "It's a pretty good story to scare you into staying in your cabins, isn't it?"

"It works every time," Celeste added, forcing a smile. Everyone laughed awkwardly.

I started to relax, but I still felt uneasy. Something told me the story wasn't made up. It was the way everyone had looked, saddened and melancholy, as if they had personally experienced it.

"And now it's time for the campfire song," Celeste announced, forcing a smile. Everyone cheered up at that, but only slightly. "Put your all into it. It's the first time the newcomers will hear it. I want you all singing with all of your heart poured into it. Uh, not you, Adelaide and David. You can stay silent and listen."

Good, I thought. When I sang, I sounded like our cat having its tail stepped on.

Everyone glanced up at the night sky, so in tune that I did as well. It seemed even larger when I was on the ground, but I noticed the stars more. The smoke of the fire dulled them slightly, but they still seemed to bathe all of us in their shimmering glow. I felt a strange chill run down my body, but not an unpleasant one. I felt like I could feel the stars, feel their shine running over my body.

When I lowered my head, everyone was still staring up at the night sky. It kind of creeped me out. They seemed hypnotized by the stars above, not moving their heads a bit. I glanced at Amber and Caroline, and saw a strange gleam in their eyes, as if they were glazed over. It made a shudder run down my body.

Their singing made me shudder even more. They sang in perfect unison, in a lifeless, monotone way. It sounded like a cult singing. Their voices were perfectly in tune, and perfectly lifeless.

I was so creeped out by their singing, I almost didn't notice the lyrics.

Look up, up into the blackness of night

Lit by the stars' luminescent light

Light in the darkness, surrounding me

Trapping me, enclosing me

I feel it shining down

Filling me right to the ground

Bathed in false serenity

It could trap me, or it could set me free

I shuddered. If the singing wasn't enough, the strange lyrics filled me with unease. It didn't sound anything like a cheery camp song. I glanced over at David and saw him shivering as well, and not just from the cold.

I was relieved when they stopped singing. If this is what they considered a camp song, I didn't want to know what they considered a funeral march.

"I know, I know. It's a little dreary," Celeste admitted. "But you can't deny that it fits the atmosphere."

"Do you know any cheerful songs?" I dared to ask. Everyone laughed.

"No, we're all serious and gloomy here at Camp Starlight," joked Rachel. "Don't worry, Adelaide. It only gets more cheerful from now." She sounded sarcastic as she said that. "We're going to be telling ghost stories."

I still felt uneasy as we headed back to our cabins through the woods. I was relieved I couldn't see the night sky past the dense trees overhead. When we exited, I kept my gaze focused on the ground, avoiding the sky as much as possible. I didn't raise my head again until we entered our cabin, and then I avoided looking out the window of my bunk. Suddenly, sleeping in the top bunk didn't seem so great anymore.

"That was a great story, wasn't it?" Amber said, forcing a smile. "It fools the new campers every time. We got you, didn't we, Adelaide?"

"You didn't look like it was a made up story," I noted. "You guys really looked scared."

"We were just putting on a show for you," Caroline insisted, giving a nervous laugh. "It's part of the act. It always scares the newbies when they see how scared we are of the story."

Natalie rolled her eyes. "I don't have to fake it. I dread listening to it for real after all the times I've heard it."

That made sense. But I couldn't shake off the feeling that they were lying. They couldn't fake such genuine dismay and sadness over just listening to the story. They weren't just scared and nervous of hearing it. It was as if they were reliving the experience.

As I settled into my bunk, I turned away from the window, but I could still sense the starlight, covering my body. It really felt as if I could feel it washing over me, even though logically I knew that I couldn't. I could barely get to sleep, but I never once sat up, let alone got out of my bunk. I couldn't block out the starlight I felt over my body, as if shrouding me.