Burn the Bodies
by
Olisa Okigbo
The sun slowly moved down, creating a beautiful sunset as the campsite director led a group of 50-people through the thick forest. After a long walk, the group finally made their way to the Pine Valley Campsite.
Noah James, also known as NJ, felt a familiar thrill of excitement in his stomach. "Bro, this is gonna be epic!" he yelled, shoving his hands deep into the pockets of his black hoodie. Beside him, Ruby, his annoying sister, jumped in joy, her blue soccer jersey making her look like a professional soccer player. "I can't wait to play soccer by the lake!" she yelled, eyes wide with happiness.
Joining them was Sammy, a tall man with expensive hiking gear, wearing Gucci glasses that he never took off. He looked at the kids with a mix of amusement and concern. He had only come to help his neighbor Peter take care of his kids for a weekend at the campsite. Sammy owned an extreme sports store and had been eager to get away from the chaos and stress of life. He was excited to dive into the wilderness and escape. "Just remember kids, nature can be unpredictable. Just be alert. Things always happen in places like this", Sammy warned as they set up camp. Ruby gave him a thumbs-up while NJ rolled his eyes. As they settled in for the night, the crackling of the fire mixed with the sounds of their laughter and the soft strumming from Sammy's guitar.
But the peace was interrupted. Around midnight, NJ noticed a distant orange glow through the thick trees. He heard a loud scream. "Yo! You guys see that?" NJ shouted, pointing toward the glowing light. "What is it?" Ruby asked, clearly worried.
"It's probably just fireworks. Chill!" Sammy told her, though his voice lacked confidence. But as minutes passed and the glow became more ominous, NJ stood up. "That's not fireworks, it's a fire. We need to run now!"
Panic went through the group as they grabbed their gear, their hearts pounding louder than the approaching fire. "Shouldn't we go to the lake?" Ruby screamed.
"No, it's too close to the fire we wouldn't reach there in time, the fire will reach it before we do", NJ replied.
The smell of smoke hit them as they ran, adrenaline making them run faster through the massive forest. "Where do we go?" Ruby shouted, her voice trembling.
"Follow me!" Peter yelled as he led the way deeper into the forest. The crash of trees grew louder, and the smell of smoke became stronger. They stumbled upon a dark cave. "Get inside!" Sammy ordered, pushing the children in just as a loud scream was heard.
They huddled together in the cool darkness, panting and wide-eyed. NJ felt small in the dark cave, the reality of their situation settling in. Thick smoke was passing outside the cave. "Is anyone hurt?" Sammy asked, checking for injuries. "I'm fine!" Ruby said. NJ nodded, still trying to shake off the fear. As the hours passed, they focused on each other, thinking of their next steps. But even when they were safe in the cave, they were still scared. When NJ suggested a game to pass the time, it only raised the tension within the group. Frustrated, NJ said, "This is so lame, bro! Can't we talk about something more fun?" playing with his hoodie.
"Like what?" Ruby yelled back. "You think beating a video game can save us? All you ever do is play Moto XM and Fortnite."
"Maybe we should all tell stories." Sammy insisted as a way to distract their minds.
Just then, a loud crash echoed from deeper in the cave, followed by an eerie silence. "What was that?" NJ's bravado faltered as fear raced through him. Peter moved to investigate, but as he did, Ruby grabbed NJ's arm as he rose to follow Peter. "Don't leave us!"
"The fire is getting closer!" Sammy warned, eyes widening as he peered through the darkness. Suddenly, NJ heard a soft whimpering sound, seeming to drift from the shadows. "What's that?" he whispered.
Sammy grabbed his flashlight and began looking around. He started walking back into the cave, but he didn't find anything. "It was nothing, just a bunch of rocks," he whispered in a scared tone.
"What's that?" NJ screamed when he saw something covered with a blanket. He crept towards it slowly and lifted the blanket. To his surprise, a dead body rolled towards him. It was a white man, probably in his mid-thirties. He had multiple knife wounds on his stomach, back, and his palm.
"No! No! This can't be happening!" NJ shouted, backing away. As the ground trembled beneath them, he looked toward Sammy and Ruby. "We need to leave now!" he said.
Suddenly, the cave began to rumble violently, rocks breaking free from above. When they were about to run out, a dark figure loomed above them at the entrance of the cave. He was holding a bloodied knife and a torch, his clothes covered in blood, glowering at the frightened mass.
Nice story