Earlier that day, the fifty qualified students had been called to the assembly hall to receive the rules of the event.
"To win this event, each group must comply with the following rules," announced Eric Brayden, the Biology teacher, his eyes shining with an unsettling excitement. "The first thing to note is that this event is structured like a quest. Each group must use their knowledge of History and Geography to discover as many hidden artifacts as possible."
He paused, letting the information sink in.
"Each team will receive a pamphlet containing essential information. This pamphlet lists various ancient tribes and images of the artifacts you need to find. Your task is to use your academic knowledge to correctly link the tribes to their corresponding artifacts and find these artifacts. A specialized map will also be provided to aid your discovery."
"In addition, each team receives a recording device. You must mark the artifacts with your unique group marker before recording the find. This is strictly to prevent cheating and arguments."
"Furthermore, each artifact obtained and recorded will yield your team five points. This applies to all artifacts except one. There is a single, unique artifact known as the Moonstone... whichever team discovers this, a whopping twenty points will be given!"
A low, collective gasp swept through the students. They all shared one immediate, driving thought: My team must get the artifact worth twenty points.
"I hope we all understood all that I have said?" Eric continued, his grin widening.
"Once we arrive at the venue, you'll be given more localized information and provided with all necessities."
"Lastly, I want you all to know that the artifacts you see are just replicas. Have in mind that they are not worth anything if you intend to keep them for yourselves," Eric stated pointedly, his gaze sweeping over James's group
.
With the rules established, the groups quickly gathered at the school gate and boarded the bus. The fifty students were accompanied by the four supervising teachers: Eric (Biology teacher), John (History teacher), Stella (Geography teacher), and Dave (Chemistry teacher).
They had been on the road for nearly an hour and a half, and the journey showed no signs of concluding.
"Aren't we there yet? How far is this place? We've been driving for almost two hours, and for the last thirty minutes, I've only been seeing endless trees. Are we really out of town?" Robert, a student from 10A, complained loudly.
"We're almost there, students. Everything has been prepared!" Eric replied, his huge, unnerving grin reflecting in the glass.
'Haq! This man freaks me out. What a weirdo,' James thought, leaning his head against the cold windowpane.
"So, are we going to decide who the leader is, or what?" Tolly asked, her voice sharp and practical.
"I don't really care who you pick, as long as it's not that butt-head," James replied, pointing a finger toward Jeremy, who merely shrugged, utterly unbothered.
"I think Kelvin will do a good job," Priscilla timidly suggested.
"Yeah, Kelvin is fine," James agreed easily.
"Okay then. Kelvin it is," Tolly confirmed.
"Seriously? No one is going to ask for my own opinion?" Jeremy complained, feigning offense.
"I think the group has decided. Whether you're in support or not, the majority wins the vote," Tolly replied, her tone cold and dismissive.
'For someone as pretty as her, she is cold. I like it,' Jeremy thought, a wicked, private grin plastered on his face.
Just as the thought finished, the bus shuddered to a halt. When the students looked out, they were surrounded by an oppressive density of towering trees.
"Great! Now we have a flat tyre," Robert griped.
"Flat tyre? Who said that? Students, we've arrived at our destination."
"WHAT?! IN THE WOODS?!" Robert screamed, jumping to his feet. "This is not what we signed up for! Why are we here?! Dangerous animals can attack us at any time!"
"Relax, boy. There are no dangerous animals here. There's nothing here other than trees and the artifacts, of course," John, the History teacher, said, attempting to soothe the rising panic.
"Let's move away from the roadside, driver. Let's find a clearing," John instructed the bus driver.
Most students quickly abandoned the cramped bus. Others remained hesitant, their eyes darting into the growing gloom of the forest.
"Since it's getting late, we'll set up tents and give you all sleeping bags."
The teams were quickly issued their gear. The tents were set up in a large circle in a small clearing. A huge campfire was roaring in the middle, a welcome beacon against the forest's deepening shadow. Each team also received a food box for dinner.
The students, exhausted from the journey and the tension, ate quickly and soon began to fall asleep. All except for one tent.
Inside James's tent, the five teammates were still awake, speaking in hushed whispers.
"Why do we have to be in a tent with boys?" Tolly complained, folding her arms.
"There's nothing bad as long as we don't do anything..." Kelvin mumbled, his face turning bright red as he trailed off.
"Let's put that aside," Priscilla said, pulling the conversation back. "What strategy are we to implement to win this event?"
Jeremy opened his mouth to reply, but a sound from the adjacent tent stopped them all cold.
A low, wet, rhythmic thudding sound.
"What's that?" James whispered, his voice sharp.
Not sure of the source, they all pressed their faces against the canvas wall of the tent.
"Be careful, or you'll ruin the tent!" Kelvin warned nervously.
"Shhh," the others hissed in unison.
They listened for twenty agonizing seconds.
Then, the realization hit them all
simultaneously. They retracted from the canvas, their faces mirroring a deepening horror.
James, Kelvin, Priscilla, and Tolly stared at each other, their eyes wide with disbelief.
But Jeremy was different. A creepy, knowing smile was etched onto his face.
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We're on the move, guys! It's closer than you think.
What do you think will happen? I want your wildest imaginations in the comments section.