I was feeling squishy. You know what I mean, kind of squishy like that creepy Snuggles bear. God that thing used to scare the crap out of me with his cute snugglish ways. My mother always used to buy that brand of fabric softener and I was terrified that one day that stupid ass bear would climb up to my room and smother me with his cuteness. “Hello Nick this is Snuggles I’m going to hug you until I make your eyes pop out of your head now!” Ick…I’m just shuddering thinking about that, or I may be shuddering because I’m cold. Come to think of it I’m kind of freezing to death. Anyway getting back to Snuggles…I kind of felt like I not only got attacked by Snuggles but maybe I accidentally ate him and right now he was in my body hugging me from the inside out.
Squishy.
I kind of remember what happened, kind of sort of, I felt dizzy and fell. Brian screamed my name and then I felt his hand on my back. He started barking orders at AJ to go get Kevin, like Kevin as going to be able to do anything but I guess it’s kind of an unwritten law with us that if anything happens, Kevin will fix it.
AJ stammered like a fool, he sounded so gay…seriously, if I was able to make fun of him I would have. I was kind of awake and kind of not, it was a weird feeling. I wanted to tell Brian I was okay but then again in my head I kept asking myself, ‘but am I?’ I believe the answer to that question was and is no.
Kevin and Howie came running into the tent and instantly I was turned over.
“Can you hear me little man?” Yes I was able to hear him but once again I couldn’t really vocalize that. Hrmm…wonder why that is? Stupid Snuggles.
“Nicky?” Okay Howie now if I don’t answer Kevin, why on earth would I answer you?
Now keep in mind at this point, I think I did really drift off because the next thing I remember is hearing Kevin and Brian talking about how much I weighed.
What a great thing to wake up too!
“I’m not sure Bri…I just don’t think I’d be able to carry him the whole way.”
“Maybe if we all did it together?”
“Still, that’s a long hike. I mean you remember how rough it was? It was downhill getting here so it would be uphill getting back.”
“We need to do something.”
“I know that Brian, so AJ and I are going to see if we can get to that cabin because the radio isn’t working. Maybe if we find Grim, he’ll be able to get a truck down here.”
“I don’t like the thought of you guys going alone, I mean what if we have an aftershock?”
“Brian, that’s the only thing I can think of. You and Howie stay with Nick, God why hasn’t he woken up yet? He’s scaring the crap out of me.”
I felt bad for making them worry, so I tried my best to open my eyes and speak, “No…snuggles.” And that’s what I said? Wow…
“Nicky? Did you just say something?” No Howie, let’s pretend I didn’t.
“Guys, I think he’s waking up!” within a few seconds of that exclamation I heard everyone pile into the tent. I wonder if it was daylight now? Or how much time had gone by?
“Little man?”
I tried again, “Squishy.” Well that was at least a little better then the Snuggles remark.
“Did he just say squishy?” No AJ I did not, you are hearing things.
“He said something about Snuggles a minute ago.” Damn you Howie!
“Nick open your eyes baby…please.” I fluttered my eyes until they finally opened and whoa! Talk about feeling like everyone is staring at you. I was met with four pairs of concerned eyes. But it was Kevin’s face that was directly in mine…as always.
“Nick, thank God. Are you feeling okay kiddo?”
I swallowed, “My head hurts…”
Brian handed Kevin a pillow and instantly it went under my head. “Does anything else hurt?”
I shook my head, “I want to go home.” I figured I’d take the opportunity to say that now that I had their undivided attention.
“I know that Nick, but we just had an earthquake so you’re going to wait it out for just a little while longer okay?” I nodded but still had no freaking idea what the heck Brian was talking about. We had an earthquake?
I tried sitting up but was quickly pushed back down by Kevin, “Stay there little man. AJ and I are going for help; think you’ll be okay for a little while longer?”
“Stay out of the woods Kevin…” I suddenly started to panic, remembering what my ghost had said about the woods.
“We aren’t going into the woods; we are going up to the cabin the same way we came.”
“They won’t make it.” Because I was not really paying much attention to things considering the way I was feeling, I hadn’t noticed Casper sitting there right beside Kevin on top of our cooler.
“It’s no use; they won’t get past the small path about a mile away.”
“Kevin…just stay here.” I begged, my voice was beginning to come back to normal and this time I sat up and was allowed to. I did my best to ignore the spirit as he sat and stared at the scene as if we were in a movie.
“No, I really think you need to be home Nick. We’ll be back really soon okay?” He placed a hand on my head, “You have a fever, lay back down and rest. Brian get him some more iced tea okay?”
Brian nodded and went for the cooler, “Be careful Casper is on the cooler.”
“What?” Brian asked turning around, as he opened the box Casper still sat there unmoving.
“They can’t see me you know that. Only you can see me.”
“Who the hell is Capser?” AJ asked still horribly confused, not that it took much to confuse AJ mind you.
“I think he’s hallucinating…” Brian answered as he returned from the cooler with the tea in his hands.
“We better go J, you ready?” Kevin asked the confused one as he placed a backpack on his back.
AJ nodded and the two of them started walking out of the tent. “Please be careful.” I begged.
“We will be and you hang in there little man, okay?” I nodded.
“They’re wasting time…they won’t make it you know.”
“You said that already.” I rolled my eyes at the ghost who was beginning to grate on my nerves.
“Said what already Nicky?” Howie asked me glancing over at Brian in that ‘he’s losing his mind’ kind of way.
I turned to Howie and shrugged, “It’s nothing D.”
“Nick, what happened seriously?” This time it was Brian who now was sitting across from me taking Kevin’s place, directly in front of my ghost. “You were talking to yourself before you passed out, making no sense and then you dropped.”
“I wasn’t talking to myself but you don’t care…you don’t believe me anyway. I still can’t believe you freaking told AJ about the ghost!”
“I’m going to go get some firewood for us; it’s getting a little chilly.” That was Howie’s way of tagging out of a weird conversation.
“I’m sorry Fracky, I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings but you were so serious about this thing, I couldn’t help myself.”
“Yeah well that’s because he’s real Brian, he is sitting right on top of the cooler.” I glanced over at Casper as did Brian. The ghost waved at us but of course Brian didn’t see anything.
“Nick seriously, you are really starting to worry me.”
“That’s who I was talking to before I passed out.”
“What?”
“He told me Kevin and AJ wouldn’t get very far…he said they’d get as far as a mile then have to turn back.”
“Okay and why is that?” He had that annoyed look on his face he got sometimes when he thought I was being even too stupid and immature for him to deal with.
“Because it knows I’m here and it wants me.”
“Nick you aren’t making any sense.”
“The road will be blocked…there are going to be about three downed trees in the way.” Casper said this information to me so I repeated it back to Brian.
“Nick, enough!”
“Why aren’t you listening to me?” I was getting really upset now; I felt my cheeks flushing red with anger. “Some THING is after me in these woods Brian and I don’t know what to do.”
Brian stared at me for a little while, probably trying to read my face. He was always so good at that, the only person I couldn’t pull anything over on ever. He was always able to tell if I was lying, no matter what the situation. Sometimes I loved him for that when after telling everyone that all was great at home, he would put his arm on my shoulder and ask me what was really going on. At that point I would cry to him, tell him how things really were and he would just sit there and listen. Other times though, I hated him for it, when I would swear up and down I didn’t do something only to see that smirk of his, letting me know the jig was up, I was a goner and soon the whole world would know it!
“Okay that’s it…” He said standing up and heading over to the cooler, “I summon you back to where you came from oh evil spirit!” Brian ran his hands over the cooler as both Casper and I watched mildly amused.
“What is he doing?” Casper asked me as Brian continued making weird chanting sounds.
“He’s trying to get rid of you.”
“What?” Brian turned to me.
“Casper asked me what you were doing so I told him you are trying to get rid of him.”
“Yes Casper…it’s time for you to…wait a minute…” He stopped and looked at me, “His name is Casper?”
I nodded and shrugged, Brian let out a huge laugh. “You’re too much Nick.”
“I didn’t name him.”
“Right, well anyway…Casper be gone. You need to leave my friend alone; he doesn’t want you to bother him any longer. You are scaring him so go back to whence you came from.”
“Is your friend crazy?” Casper asked me scratching his head.
“No he’s not but apparently he thinks I am.”
“Be gone!” Brian then grabbed some water and splashed it on Casper’s head which really went right through him and hit the cooler. After finishing his little ‘cleansing ritual’ let’s call it. He turned back towards me, “Now he’s gone Nick. So no more talk of ghosts, goblins or anything else.”
Of course Casper was still sitting there now looking at my best friend as if he was completely bonkers, but I didn’t say anything I knew there was no use. Brian didn’t believe me so I knew I was on my own.
“Thanks Brian.” I smiled at him and in return Brian walked over and gave me a hug.
“You gave us quite a scare before my young Frack, please no more passing out on us again. Now I’m going to go help Howie build us a fire before it gets dark. Are you going to be okay alone?”
I wanted to tell him I wasn’t alone, I was with this ghost who apparently was even worse then some of my most clingy fans, but instead I nodded at him. “Holler if you need me for anything okay? We won’t be too far, just outside the tent.”
“Okay, thanks B.”
After he left I looked over at Casper, who was becoming less scary and more of a bother than anything else. “Why don’t you leave me alone?” I whispered to him.
“Why are you mad at your parents?” Okay that came out of nowhere, although I was talking to an ex living person so what the hell was I expecting, A normal conversation? Why was I having a conversation with him at all?
“What?”
“You are angry with your parents…why?”
“And how do you know this?”
“Because I just do.”
“As much as I’d love to pour my heart and soul out to you, I’m kind of tired and want to get some sleep.”
“You shouldn’t be mad at your parents; I wish I still had my parents to talk to.”
“You want mine? Good luck, they are much to preoccupied with everything else.”
I turned over and laid down so I wasn’t facing him anymore. Maybe this was all some kind of annoying dream. Bring on the gopher Elvis again. Anything was better than this, I’m not sure what made me more upset, the fact that I was being haunted by a nosy ghost or the fact that my best friend didn’t believe me.
I think I dosed off again because this time when I woke up, I heard laughing outside the tent. I sat up and shook the sleepy feeling I had off of me. “Maybe the guys are back.” I said to myself since my ghost was happily nowhere to be found.
I smelled hot dogs being cooked over the campfire and instantly my stomach started to grumble. “How come nobody came to wake me up?” I asked but the guys weren’t out there at all. Instead it was a man and woman holding onto each other as they laughed, taking turns holding the hot dog on a stick out over the fire.
“Who the hell are you?” I asked tilting my head in confusion.
They looked over my way and motioned for me to go and join them by the fire, “Come here sweetheart and have a hot dog.”
“Do I know you?”
“Of course you know us…stop kidding around baby and come eat and where is your sister?”
I sat down and shrugged kind of confused but also kind of hungry. “Are you having a good time baby doll?” This very sweet woman asked me. I had no idea who she was but I really liked her.
“Yeah I guess, I don’t feel good though.”
“I told you not to go swimming Casper, you probably caught a cold.”
“Casper?” Now I was really confused.
“That is your name last time I checked silly.” She laughed at me as she passed me a hot dog, God they smelled so good.
I see what was going on, he told me I should like my family because he didn’t have his anymore. This was probably the family he had no more and was trying to teach me some kind of creepy lesson or something.
“Hey mommy and daddy…” I turned at the sound of a tiny little voice coming from behind me. A little blonde haired, blue eyed girl who had to be all of five years old was standing there in a purple nightgown. This must be his little sister, I said to myself as I saw her get closer.
“Hi baby.”
“Look what I can do.” She smiled wide and then put her chubby little arms over her head and in one pulling motion took her damn head right off her damn shoulders. As her head was detached she began to laugh as did her parents.
I however did not laugh. I screamed.
“AHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!” I sat up just as Kevin came running into the tent. Yes I said Kevin.
“Are you okay Nick?”
My heart was beating so fast, it was making me almost nauseous, I felt like I was having an asthma attack…minus the asthma. “I’m…okay.” I managed to get out in two big breathes.
“Did you have another bad dream?”
I nodded, “Did you bring a truck?”
Just as I said that Brian, Howie and AJ all piled into the tent. They looked kind of pale and a little scared, that had me worried but then again I just did scream bloody murder…again.
“The trail was blocked, some trees fell down right in the middle of the path so we had to turn around and come back.” I stared at Brian as Kevin was basically recounting the tale I foretold earlier. He stared back intently, looking nervous and confused.
“Don’t worry though little man, come the morning we’ll think of something. Maybe our radio will work tomorrow.”
“Yeah, maybe.” I said knowing damn well that it wouldn’t.
“I’m in the middle of starting a fire and making us some dinner, come on out when you’re ready okay Nick?” It was making me a little uneasy, how incredibly nice Kevin was being to me. When he was this nice and sweet to me, it usually meant he was really worried or he was just about to lay something big on me, like the time he took me out for ice cream only to tell me that we were going to be away for the holidays, far away from our families.
Howie followed Kevin out leaving AJ and Brian staring at each other, then staring at me. “I told you.” I decided to say not waiting until AJ left. If I was correct, most likely Brian had told AJ about my little prediction by now anyway.
“How did you know that Kaos, how did you know that was going to happen?” See? I knew he had told AJ because why else would he be asking me that question.
“Casper told me.”
“That’s the ghost.” Brian interjected before AJ had a chance to ask.
“His name is Casper?”
“We are in some serious trouble guys…” I said ignoring AJ’s head scratching and grinning. He still didn’t believe all of this but I could tell that maybe Brian was slowly beginning to.
“Jay, why don’t you go help Howie and Kevin.”
“Jeez, why don’t you just say get the hell out so I can talk to Nick alone.”
“Would that get you out of the tent any faster?”
“I’m not sure what the hell is going on here but fine, whatever…have fun.” He left in a huff.
Brian came and sat down beside me, “Nick, you have to tell me right now one last time, is this some kind of stupid prank, because if I find out it is I’ll never talk to you again.”
“Its not a prank Brian, but you knew that already.”
“So this ghost…” He started looking all around the tent.
“He’s not here.”
He breathed out a sigh of relief before continuing, “So you can actually see a ghost?”
I nodded at him, feeling a weight being lifted off of my shoulders. Now that Brian was starting to believe me, maybe I wasn’t completely losing my mind after all.
“And this…ghost keeps saying you are in some kind of danger?” I nodded once again. Not really feeling like talking much.
“Did you scream because of a dream you had?” I nodded once more, why not, I was on a roll.
“Do these dreams have to do with this ghost?”
I nodded again.
“Nick, stop nodding and talk to me, what the heck are we supposed to do?”
“What makes you think I have any idea about that?”
“Does he want something? Is he asking you to help find his body so he can rest or something?”
“No, he hasn’t said anything like that. He just keeps telling me to run when this thing comes for me.”
“But he doesn’t tell you what this thing or person is?”
“Nope.” I looked up at him, “Do you believe me now?” I wasn’t happy with the look I got in return. He was chewing on his bottom lip and then looked down at the ground.
“I’m still not sure Nick; I’m all confused about stuff.”
“Did you tell Kevin?”
“What do you think?” I laughed at him, why on earth would he tell his cousin.
“For now, let’s just stick together okay? I won’t leave you alone I promise.” He pulled me into another hug. For the first time on this camping trip I felt safe. Now Brian was looking out for me and he would never let anything bad happen to me ever.
With that thought I ventured back outside to be with my friends, leaving the thought of the headless little girl behind me as I did.
Thanks for reading! I'll be back on Wednesday with a new chapter :O)
