To say that things had gotten weird would be the smallest understatement of the century. We were a pretty weird bunch of people to begin with. First you had AJ who would randomly break out into a dance move when he thought no one was looking and would also practice his pick up lines on inanimate objects such as brushes, door knobs, and pillows. I swear he has gone on about ten dates with my brush alone. Eww…I need a new one of those.
Then you have hair obsessed Howie, I mean the guy is completely smitten with his own hair. You see pictures of girls who brush their hair for 100 strokes before going to bed and that makes me think of Howie D. Kevin is probably the weirdest guy of all but I don’t even think I need to go into detail about that one. He’s kind of self explanatory. Lucky for those three boneheads though, you had me and Brian, the most normal of the bunch, but then again I was being stalked by a ghost who had a sister who can pull her head off as a party trick.
Ever since Brian finally started to believe me, we’d be sitting outside around the campfire and he would randomly start shooing things away as if he was being chased by invisible flies, every couple of seconds asking me, ‘is he by me?’ which was funny because ever since I had confided in Brian, Casper was nowhere to be found. Maybe that’s all I needed to do in order to get him away from me.
AJ had no idea what to make of the situation, when he would see Brian do that he would also start freaking out. I could tell maybe he kind of believed but yet would never be nerdy enough to admit it. Howie and Kevin were completely in the dark about things, which is where I personally liked to leave them as much as possible.
They were being odd in their own little ways, Kevin still being overly nice and sweet to me, every few seconds looking at me and making sure I was still breathing. Howie was being uncharacteristically moody and mean. He kept grunting and rolling his eyes as we all sat around and that’s about all we were able to do was sit around that stupid fire, even though it was the middle of the day and sunny out.
I had made the suggestion that we all go swimming to get our minds off things, you know, like being trapped in the woods from hell, and they didn’t even realize it was the woods from hell. Can you imagine if they did?
Kevin shook his head and insisted that swimming would be a horrible idea since I was so sick I was passing out randomly. No, sitting by the campfire and doing nothing would be the way to go.
“Are you okay?” There he goes again.
“I’m feeling fine Kevin; I think it was just an odd fluke or something. Maybe I ate too many S’Mores.”
“If you start feeling bad…”
“I know… I need to tell you.”
“Is he by me?” I looked over at Brian and shook my head as he bat away the air around his head. “Because I swear I feel something by me.”
“Just a mosquito.”
“Damn, I hate those things.” He answered, smacking at the insect and sending him to the ground.
“I’m sure Grim will be here soon, I mean he has to check up on his campers doesn’t he?”
We all looked over at AJ as he threw yet another stick into the campfire. “Well doesn’t he?”
“He is probably having a hard time making it down the trail. Everything is fine; I think if there was going to be an aftershock we would have gotten one by now.”
“Have you tried the walkie talkie yet?”
Kevin nodded at me, “It’s still not working, why do you ask? Are you not feeling well?”
“Kevin, he’s okay how many damn times does he have to tell you that?” And that my friends, was Howie D, quiet, soft spoken and never prone to blow up at Kevin, Howie D.
We all looked over at him shocked but he never bothered to look back at us in return, “I’m going for a walk.” He said, standing up in a huff.
“D, I think we should all stay together.”
“I need to go take a pee, would you like to come and watch me?” Kevin actually recoiled from the fierce way Howie spoke those words. He was acting odd; I hope it isn’t something evil. One thing’s for sure, if he takes off his damn head I’m running and never looking back.
“What crawled up his ass and died?”
“He’s probably tired of all the fighting and everyone’s attitudes and frankly AJ, I don’t blame him.” Naturally Kevin took the, you are all acting like babies stance, not even thinking for a minute he could also be the cause of Howard’s ill mood.
“Well I for one will be very happy when we get back home.”
“Now don’t you start that too Brian.” Kevin shook his head and placed his hands over the fire. “You think it would be a little warmer but I think it’s friggin freezing out here.”
“Probably because of all the rain yesterday.” I decided to add, looking all around for Casper but still not seeing or feeling him anywhere.
Howie came walking back towards us a few minutes later, looking a lot more relaxed then he did when he left. Maybe it was all because he had to pee. He was a weirdo; I give up trying to understand him.
He sat down beside Kevin and started whistling, “I think we should at least go swimming Kev, I mean Nicky can just sit on the deck and watch.” Howie said looking over at me and smiling. The look sent chills down my spine for some reason, maybe it had something to do with the vivid dream I had of sitting there on the deck to begin with, ending with me running through the woods for my life. “Right Nicky?”
“I…”
“Actually maybe you’re right Howie. Let’s do that guys.” Kevin stood up and started walking back towards the tent. “I’m going to go get my swimsuit on, I mean what’s the point in just sitting here sulking? Besides, maybe swimming will warm me up some.” He rubbed at his arms as he walked away.
“Well that was a fast change of heart.” Brian said as he watched his cousin walk over to the tent. My total attention however was still focused on Howie who had this sinister look in his eyes as he stared at me. I mean he was giving me a Kevin stare, and we all know what that means right? Intense, creepy and highly scary.
“I don’t think I like this very much.” I admitted to my best friend as AJ got up and walked towards the tent.
“Why Nick? Is he…”
“No, he’s not by you; I haven’t even seen him since the last time I told you I saw him.”
“Well, I guess I’m going to go get my swimsuit on too now.” Howie finally stood up and left Brian and I alone, he made sure to take one more glance over his shoulder at me before he did though.
“Does Howie seem to be acting extra weird?”
Brian looked over at me and smiled, “As opposed to how he usually acts?”
“I mean that outburst and just the way he was smiling at me a few minutes ago, I’m not getting a good feeling.”
“He’s probably uptight, I mean we just had an earthquake and he’s probably worried about his family.”
It’s weird to say but my family didn’t even come into my mind. Maybe because I was so preoccupied with all this ‘weird ghost stuff’ but I never even thought for a moment that maybe that earthquake would have affected anyone else, but now that I was thinking about it of course I was worrying. “You think they are all okay? Our families?”
“I’m sure they are fine. I meant they are probably worrying about him. You know? I bet my mom has had a few heart attacks already as well because of the earthquake and the fact I haven’t called her to let her know I was okay. I just hope it wasn’t all that bad.”
“My parents probably don’t even care.”
“Nick…stop that. They care and are probably worried as well. I wish we had brought a cell phone. Damn Kevin and his ‘no cells while camping’ rule.”
I started shivering which of course made Brian say, “Is he here? He’s standing right next to me isn’t he? I knew I felt him.”
“Brian he’s not here and I don’t know why.” I’m sure this sounds odd but now that he wasn’t showing up, I wanted him to. Without him, I was left to just my imagination and believe me, sometimes that was even scarier than an apparition.
“Why are you shivering then? You said you get really cold right before he shows up.” I nodded; he was right about that, but for some reason no Casper.
I was seeing my breath though, which Brian saw as well and it freaked him out. “Oh my God! I’m freaking out!!” See?
But Casper was still nowhere in sight, the horrible disturbing thing was that it was Howie who was walking closer and closer to us as my shivers intensified. “Nick that’s so weird…it’s not even cold why the hell can you see your friggin breath? What the hell is going on?” When Brian was scared he tended to cuss.
“Shit…shit …shit….shit.” See?
“Everything okay over here?” I looked up at Howie and nodded, I was freezing now, couldn’t even control my chattering teeth. He grabbed his towel and placed it gently around my shoulders, “Nicky you are scaring me.” Wow, like he should talk about scaring someone. Squatting down beside me, he rested his hand on my shoulder, “Are you okay?” He asked me before turning towards Brian and continuing, “Maybe we should skip swimming.”
Even though I wasn’t looking at him, I could tell Brian was shooing away a spirit or two around his head. “Shit…yeah maybe.”
“Did you just cuss Bri?”
“Yeah, sorry…um, yeah maybe we shouldn’t go swimming.” He was so smooth, Brian.
“I’m going to go get Kevin.” Howie stood up and started for the tent, that made me unfreeze for a second.
“Wait Howie…I’m okay, just got a little cold.” And luckily I was feeling okay again; the coldness I was feeling was suddenly replaced by a feeling of warmth.
“Are you sure?” He started walking back towards me and this time, I felt fine. Thank goodness.
I nodded at him, “Yeah, just got the chills, no biggie hehehe.”
Soon after that Kevin and AJ made their way back down to the campfire as Brian went to go change into his bathing suit, dragging AJ along with him as well before he even had the chance to sit down. Poor Brian, I have forever made him paranoid. He told me to stay put because I was still a little pale, something that Howie didn’t notice but he did.
“Can’t I go in the water too Kevin?” I decided maybe whining was the best way to kill the time, and besides, I wasn’t all that keen on the idea of sitting on the dock and watching them all play in the water.
“No you can not Nick.” Well that killed that idea then.
“Please? I mean God…it’s only water.”
“You passed out! What if that was to happen while you were in the water? Do you want to drown?”
“Uh…”
“Well? Do you?”
“No Kevin, I do not want to drown.” I shook my head and…you guessed it, rolled my eyes at him. “But you guys will be in there to…”
“What did I just say?” Then he turned towards Howie and said my favorite line, “Am I speaking some foreign language or did I say no in English?”
Howie laughed, he has heard this line before as well, Kevin is so predictable. Of course I HAD to say something smart ass-ish, I mean I had already missed the whole weenie thing. I wasn’t about to make the same mistake again, “No you didn’t speak it in English, you spoke it in dumbass!”
“Oh, then I KNOW you understood it!” AHHH! Stupid Kevin with his quick comebacks!
Howie got a huge kick out of that one and looked at me and shook his head as if saying, poor stupid Nick just insulted himself without even realizing it. Ugh! Go back to being evil and leave me alone!
Within about two minutes and I swear I’m not even exaggerating, Brian was in his bathing suit. He was afraid to be alone in the tent I think, not that he was all alone because AJ was with him but AJ wouldn’t be able to tell him if anything was ‘by’ him.
“Okay let’s head off to the lake then shall we?” Kevin said, extending his hand to help me up.
“I’m going to have a bad time.” Why they all laughed at this, I have no idea but apparently my misery was very funny to all of them.
“Nick, quit being a baby.” Okay AJ did NOT just say that! Me be a baby? ME be a baby?
“I’m not being a baby.” I have the best comebacks ever.
“Whatever…baby!”
“Enough with the name calling!” We both looked at each other when Kevin yelled at us and then I gave AJ the finger, ah…that made me feel better.
I stopped dead in my tracks when we got to the dock, Howie not realizing I did, just about ran me over. “Nick don’t stop short like that!” He yelled at me…uh oh he was being mean again.
I had to though, because I was staring at my dream. The dock, the water even the trees in the distance were all just as they looked in my dream, the one where Casper led me into the woods to meet up with a talking gopher.
“Brian…can I speak to you for a second.” I started backing up until I bumped into Frick.
“What is it?”
“This lake…it’s identical to a dream I had.”
“This dream, is it going to freak me out?”
“Probably.”
“Can it wait until after I get out of the water then?” Okay so much for caring, understanding Brian.
“I guess?” He placed his hand on my shoulder and squeezed before running for the water and jumping in, doing a cannonball with Kevin and then AJ shortly following. Howie stood on the dock just for a little while longer, just staring out at the water before turning to me and smiling, once again he had that weird smirk on his face. It made me uneasy.
“Too bad you’re missing out on all the fun Nick.” He said it in such a weird, mean way. If it was AJ, I wouldn’t have given it a second thought, but this was Howie D. I started getting cold again and looked around for Casper who was still nowhere in sight.
“Where the hell are you Casper?” I whispered hoping he’d suddenly appear. Of course if he did, I’d freak out.
The guys were playing a game of chicken but unlike my dream, I wasn’t going to be playing the winner this time. I started rubbing at my arms to try to warm myself up. I didn’t understand why I was so cold but yet, no Casper in sight.
“You okay Nickolas?”
I nodded at Kevin just as AJ made Howie fall off of his shoulders. “Wait no fair, I was talking to Nick!”
“You didn’t yell time out!”
“Still, that didn’t count!”
“Stop cheating Kevin!”
“I do not cheat Brian!”
I was so entranced in the little argument happening, I didn’t notice Howie D getting out of the water and sitting next to me. “What’s wrong with you Nicky?” He asked out of concern but again, I got an ill feeling in the pit of my stomach.
“Nothing, I’m just a little cold.”
“Oh.” He stood up, while the sounds of Brian calling Kevin a cheater still echoed in the background. “Come for a walk with me.”
I looked at him in disbelief, those words…identical to the ones used by Casper. It was as if he thought nothing of saying them at all. “To where?” I managed to gasp out. I was so cold now my teeth were chattering once again.
He extended his hand to me and pulled me up before I could even resist. The guys ignored us as they continued to play-argue in the water, now the game of chicken had turned into a full blown water fight. “You’ll see.” He answered once again with that smirk.
And that was it for me. When he said that, I pulled out of his grip and started running for my life, not even looking back, and ignoring his cries for me to stop. The thing was, I wasn’t paying attention to where I was running and was unaware that I was going off the path and heading right towards the woods…
I'll be back on Wednesday with a new chapter :O)
