Lavelle was just processing the massive plate of turkey and bowl of fruit salad Daniela had dropped in front of her when a weird feeling washed over her. Her stomach twisted. Before she could even think, she was bolting for the bathroom near the kitchen, a half-moan, half-gasp escaping her lips.
"Lavelle? What's wrong?" Daniela called out, startled.
No answer. Three minutes later, Lavelle emerged, sighing with relief, only to find Daniela staring her down from a chair at the dining table.
"Why are we even here? And why are you looking at me like that?" Lavelle asked.
"Are you serious? What the hell just happened? You're the one who begged us to go home because you were 'starving,'" Daniela said, her voice edged with frustration.
"I... don't remember that," Lavelle replied, her voice distant.
"Don't mess with me, Lavelle. I'm exhausted from practically sprinting back because of you!"
"I'm telling you, I don't remember anything." Lavelle turned away, drifting toward the cabin windows.
"You're seriously going to pretend you didn't beg me to run faster because you were dying for turkey?" Daniela pressed, her patience thinning.
"My head's spinning. I'm just... confused," Lavelle murmured, her gaze lost outside.
"Okay, this has to be because you skipped your meds. I forgot to remind you. I'll go get them—just stay here."
Before Daniela could head upstairs, the door swung open. Mark and Shotaro walked in, loaded down with plastic bags of groceries and an arsenal of survival gear: Swiss army knives, thermal blankets, water filters, high-calorie rations, a first aid kit, and heavy-duty flashlights.
"Whoa, you guys brought enough gear to survive the apocalypse. How did you haul all this on those broken-down bikes from the hospital?" Daniela asked, her eyes wide.
Shotaro shrugged casually. "Oh, I bought an off-road car. We left the bikes on the side of the road."
Shotaro—Mark's cousin and almost the same age—was the kind of teenager who looked like he'd never waited for anything in his life. If he wanted something, he bought it. That kind of easy wealth made him a target sometimes, drawing jealous shoves and taunts from campus bullies. But despite it all, he remained a gentle, kind-hearted guy who rarely lost his shy, easygoing smile.
"Wait, are you serious?" Daniela asked again, as if she hadn't heard them right the first time.
"Yeah, it's parked right outside," Mark confirmed.
Daniela shrugged. "Okay, well… put it in the cabin garage. We might need it later—you never know what could happen out here." She turned and headed upstairs to get Lavelle's medicine.
"I'll move it in a sec," Mark said, then paused, sniffing the air. "Whoa, where'd that turkey come from?"
"It smells amazing. Can we try some?" Shotaro asked eagerly.
"Go ahead, I made plenty. Just wash your hands first. I'll be right back—medicine first," Daniela called over her shoulder as she climbed.
Mark and Shotaro quickly unloaded the groceries, stuffing meat and fruit into the fridge so they wouldn't spoil. They left the survival gear by the stairs to take up later, joking around as they washed their hands. That's when they noticed Lavelle sitting silently at the dining table, head in her hands.
Daniela came back downstairs a few minutes later, moving slowly as she read the label on a small brown medicine bottle. She walked over to Lavelle and held out two pills—one red, one white.
"Take these. Don't overthink things—that's what's making you act strange," Daniela said, her voice firm but kind.
Mark stepped closer. "What's going on? You two seem… off. Is Lavelle okay?"
Daniela sighed, shrugging helplessly. "I don't even know how to explain it. We were in the woods gathering firewood, and after Lavelle went to pee in the bushes, she started acting weird. She insisted we rush back because she was desperate for turkey and fruit salad."
Mark blinked. "Okay, that's a little random, but is it really that strange?"
"It wouldn't be," Daniela said, lowering her voice, "except when we got back, she claimed she didn't remember any of it. Not the woods, not wanting the food—nothing. Then I put the plate in front of her, and she bolted to the bathroom."
Shotaro's eyes widened. "You think… a ghost messed with her?"
"I don't know," Lavelle murmured, not looking up. "Everything from the forest is just… blank. I'm not joking—it's like part of my memory got erased."
Mark rubbed the back of his neck. "Let's try to stay logical. Could it be her bipolar meds? Mood swings and memory issues can happen, especially if her condition's been unstable."
"I don't think it's the pills," Daniela said, crossing her arms. Her face was tight with confusion. She motioned for Mark and Shotaro to sit at the table. "Something else is going on."
***
Shotaro leaned back, the warm pool water swirling around him. "Okay, this is gonna sound crazy—and I didn't wanna believe it either—but people who've actually been in these woods swear this place is haunted. Like, legit unsolved mystery type stuff. But get this: other hikers say they've seen some guy in head-to-toe designer clothes just… wandering around out here. Or riding through the trees like it's a fashion week runway."
Daniela poured herself a glass of wine, lifting an eyebrow. "Where'd you hear that? Some sketchy website, or…?"
"Actually, it was on a few legit sites. And it blew up in our class group chat—you know, until Ms. Smith shut it down. But even she told us to stay out of this forest if we 'valued our futures.'"
Daniela paused, glass halfway to her lips. "Okay, if Ms. Smith took it seriously, maybe there's something to it."
Mark sighed and snagged the last piece of watermelon from the nearly empty plate. "So you actually believe those rumors?"
"I don't know what to believe," Shotaro shrugged, taking a sip of his drink. "But either way, we should keep our eyes open. This forest is basically untouched. Who knows what—or who—might be hiding out here? Could just be some psychopath ruining our vacation."
"True," Mark agreed. "We can't be careless. I did hear there's a new campsite not far from here, though."
Suddenly, Lavelle spoke up without looking up from her phone. "Vampires? Seriously? It's the 21st century, people. If anything's in these woods, it's probably just a weirdo—not some mythical creature."
All three of them turned to stare at her. They thought she'd been totally zoned out.
Daniela nearly spilled her wine. "Lavelle? Why would you say that? It's almost dark—don't freak me out!"
"I'm just being logical. Vampires aren't real. Psychopaths, on the other hand… totally are," Lavelle said flatly.
Mark cleared his throat. "Well, speaking of weird… when I went to pick up Shotaro, I saw something. A black shadow moving right in front of me. And I heard this… growl. It made the hair on my neck stand up."
Lavelle smirked. "Were you maybe… still half-asleep?"
"I'm serious! I know what I saw—and heard."
"Maybe it was just your stomach growling. Or, you know… another kind of gas."
Mark's face flushed. "Oh, come on—why would you even say that?"
"Don't try to dodge this, Mark," Lavelle said, her voice dripping with scorn. "You always let out your toxic fumes when you're nervous. You probably didn't even notice you did it."
"Do we really need to talk about this?" Daniela cut in, sounding exasperated. "Everyone farts. Can we focus? We're talking about the creepy forest across the lake, and you're being ridiculous, Lavelle."
Lavelle let out a long, tired sigh, clearly over the conversation. "It's 2021. Are we really still falling for hoaxes? Get a grip—there are actual things to worry about besides garbage news like that."
"Who cares what year it is?" Shotaro shot back. "You don't know if it's true or not. Neither do we."
"Exactly," Mark added, leaning in. "I didn't believe it either at first. But after what I saw, I started digging for info about this forest."
Daniela's interest was piqued. "What did you find? What are people saying?"
Mark took a slice of watermelon before answering. "Some say the woods across the lake belong to... another world. There's talk of shape-shifters, or vampires with glowing lime-green eyes. Others say there are ancient vampires—maybe even Dracula himself—ready to drain the blood of anyone stupid enough to wander into their territory."
Lavelle burst out laughing. "What the hell?"
"Lavelle, show some respect when someone's talking. That's just rude," Daniela snapped.
"Respect? For that nonsense?" Lavelle rolled her eyes. "Jesus, it's like you've never heard of critical thinking. I've got God on my side, anyway—what do I care?"
"Whether you believe it or not, you can at least act like an adult. We're not kids anymore," Daniela fired back.
"Oh, what do you want me to do? We're the same age," Lavelle grumbled sarcastically. "Fine. Okay, Miss Maturity."
Mark stepped between them. "Come on, we don't have time for this—"
THUD!
A loud crash cut them off mid-sentence. They all froze, then spun toward the window. A large squirrel lay splattered in blood on the porch.
"Where did that come from?" Mark whispered.
"No idea," Daniela replied, her voice tight. "We both saw the same thing."
"Should we check it out?" Shotaro suggested, trying to break the tension. "Maybe it fell from the roof or something."
"No. Don't be careless," Daniela said firmly. "I'm starting to think this might be the work of someone... or something... malicious."
"What? How?" Lavelle asked, her skepticism fading into unease.
"We're in the middle of the woods, but there are no trees near the cabin. How did a squirrel even get up there?" Daniela's eyes scanned the darkening yard. "We're locking the door. Now. Everyone upstairs."