Jenna MacCabe
Ms. Barklow
Monsters & Misfits
9 January 2019
“Let’s Go Girls. We are going to be late” my mom calls. My three friends and I are going on an camping trip, we are meeting our boyfriends and their families there.
“ Mom I cant find my sneakers for hiking” I yelled back.
As soon as I found them I ran downstairs with excitement. This was one place I enjoyed going to. I enjoyed being around everyone I felt comfortable with. I enjoyed going on the hikes with my boyfriend and all our friends. I enjoy going swimming in the lake and fooling around. The camping trip was full of all nighters, laughter and just so much fun. But first the dreadful part, the four and a half hour drive. We always rented two big vans one for the girls and their families and one for the boys and their families. The drive was always hard, I was so anxious to finally be at camp having the time of my life. The drive included movies I downloaded on Netflix and naps. When we got there it felt strange it even looked strange. The trails were all torn up there were holes everywhere and our places to put the tents looks like it wasn’t maintained. The grass was as high as our calves.
Mom mom suggested, “ Maybe we should try a different camping spot down the road”.
All the kids shouted, “No! This is our camping spot where we always have the time of our lives.”
Despite the strange vibes we all got we were not letting it ruin our annual camping trip. If we had to change camping spots we wouldn’t know where to go or what to do. First we pressed down and pulled all the grass that grew where our tents needed to go. We were doing anything and everything we could to keep the same camping spot.
“Do we have to do this? Why can’t we just start camping at a new camping spot?” Ryan said with frustration.
Ryan is my boyfriend we have been together for exactly a year. We got together last camping trip but we’ve been coming together as for 8 years.
“This is our spot Ryan please can we just do this so we can have the fun and enjoy our trip while it lasts?” I said.
He sighs “ yeah I guess we can.”
In my head all’s I knew was nothing was going to ruin my camping trip even if we had to put a lot of work into it. Two hours later and we finally got everything cleaned up and all of our camping stuff set up. We had a tent for the girl kids and one for the boy kids and all the parents got their own. The girls and boys stayed together most of the night because they never really slept. The first day we spent swimming, after spending the day at the lake we started exploring the trails but not to much.
“ Come on mom please let us go further” I yelled.
“No Jenna it is getting dark out and there is no way to get a hold of you kids if you get lost.” My mom yelled back.
“That’s not going to stop us” I whispered to the group of kids surrounding me.
We all got back to the camp site we washed up as much as we could but there’s no showers near us. We all planned our night while our parents prepared dinner, that we are going to stay up all night but when our parents go to bed we are going to sneak out onto the trails. We were all so anxious to go hiking it was one of our favorite things to do on vacation. We didn’t care what trouble it would cause us. During dinner all of us kids were discussing tonight.
“ I’m not so sure of this” Sophia said.
“Don’t be a baby. Have some fun for once” Her boyfriend Zyler said in laughter.
No matter who was in on it and who wasn’t we all still were going. It was going to be a little scary it being dark outside. We’ve never been on the trails when it was dark out. As a few hours go by and our parents put the fire out and are now in their tents. The kids get ready. We get warm clothes on as it is a little chilly out, we bring some waters and grab all the flashlights we can find.
“ Are we all sure we want to do this?” Sophie said in fear.
“Yes we are positive” I answered.
I was a little unsure my self if I wanted to still go. I didn’t know what could happen or what could be out there since everything is so strange. We get out there and we go maybe a quarter of a mile in we look in all the holes to see if maybe something was in them. We did not see much but a hole with dirt and rocks in them. As we continue walking we see a bigger hole so we decide to look in that one. As we all look down the wind starting to pick up. In the hole was a rock but it wasn’t a normal rock. It looked as if someone carved it to symbolize something. All of a sudden we heard a crunching from behind as if someone was behind us.
“What was that” Sophia cried.
“It was probably just an animal running around let’s not panick or get scared let’s just go back to our tents” I answered.
As we get back to our tents we were all a little scared. I didn’t know about anyone else but there was no way I was going to be able to sleep tonight. It was going through my mind like what was that rock symbolizing and why would it start being windy out and why would we hear crunching in the back. I didn’t want to scare Sophia more then she was but I was scared myself.
“Guys” I said.
“I’m not trying to scare any of you but what if that rock is really symbolizing something and what if there’s someone behind it.”
“Jenna it’s all in your head just like you said earlier it was just an animal in the woods” Ryan said.
“ Yeah I know” I replied.
“It’s all in my head”.
A few days went by and it’s the last day of the camping trip. We all have been having strange dreams at night involving the rock but we just think it’s because of our fear. It is almost time to go. It was a sad time that we had to leave but I was ready to be home in my own home and not having the fear of these woods. We all packed up and headed home. It was a great trip a little strange but overall another good trip. We said our goodbyes and continued our normal lives of getting back to school and our parents getting back to work.
Ten years later.
I’m now twenty six and working as a pediatrician. The camping trip is something that doesn’t happen anymore. Actually none of us are really friends anymore. Also none of the couples are together anymore. Some actually have new relationships and are married. Sophia is married and has a two year old girl named Olivia. One day I was at work and I got a phone call. I wasn’t sure who it was but I was on break and had time so I answered.
“Hello?” I said.
“Is this Jenna?” The no caller ID asked.
“This is who is This?” I replied
“I’m calling you to let you know you have 48 hours to live”
“ So funny prank calling me. I’m glad you enjoyed it” I said as I hung up.
I was questioning who it was prank calling me but I’m glad they did. Hopefully there day is made now. As I got home I had three missed calls on my home phone. The caller ID said the missed calls were from Sophia, Ryan and Zyler. I was confused why were they all trying to call me. We haven’t talked in a few years. I called each one of them back and they all got the same phone call I did. None of us knew what was going on and why it was happening to us. We all planned a time to meet for dinner. We planned on meeting at Longhorn the next day at three in the afternoon for a late lunch. As we meet up with each other we say our hellos and catch up but Sophia brought something strange up.
“Do you think this could be from that rock?” Sophia questioned.
“That’s crazy thinking it’s been almost ten years since we saw that” Ryan answered.
I cut Ryan off, “she’s right Ryan what if it’s the rock. It was a strange moment when we saw it. The wind picked up like a storm and then we heard something in the woods. We had strange dreams that same night. What if it was that rock and there really is someone behind it and they are going to kill us”
“That’s all just crazy thoughts” Ryan and Zyler agreed.
After the lunch meetup we had. We all agreed it was just in our heads and nothing was going to happen. We all said it was someone from our high school getting back at us for prank calls we might’ve sent them at one moment during Highschool. It was the next day which would mark forty eight hours. I got into a severe car accident which I died at the scene of the accident. Sophia drowned when she was in her pool and died. Zyler was a pilot and crashed the plane taking off. Ryan was a police officer and got shot on the scene of an active shooter. No one knew how us high school friends all died in the same time frame but they all thought it was weird. Only if our parent knew we went on the trail when they said not to. Only if we listened to them and stayed back. Only if we changed camping sites. This wouldn’t have happened to us. Now our families have lost us and it could’ve been prevented if we just listened to them.
Ms. Barklow
Monsters & Misfits
9 January 2019
“Let’s Go Girls. We are going to be late” my mom calls. My three friends and I are going on an camping trip, we are meeting our boyfriends and their families there.
“ Mom I cant find my sneakers for hiking” I yelled back.
As soon as I found them I ran downstairs with excitement. This was one place I enjoyed going to. I enjoyed being around everyone I felt comfortable with. I enjoyed going on the hikes with my boyfriend and all our friends. I enjoy going swimming in the lake and fooling around. The camping trip was full of all nighters, laughter and just so much fun. But first the dreadful part, the four and a half hour drive. We always rented two big vans one for the girls and their families and one for the boys and their families. The drive was always hard, I was so anxious to finally be at camp having the time of my life. The drive included movies I downloaded on Netflix and naps. When we got there it felt strange it even looked strange. The trails were all torn up there were holes everywhere and our places to put the tents looks like it wasn’t maintained. The grass was as high as our calves.
Mom mom suggested, “ Maybe we should try a different camping spot down the road”.
All the kids shouted, “No! This is our camping spot where we always have the time of our lives.”
Despite the strange vibes we all got we were not letting it ruin our annual camping trip. If we had to change camping spots we wouldn’t know where to go or what to do. First we pressed down and pulled all the grass that grew where our tents needed to go. We were doing anything and everything we could to keep the same camping spot.
“Do we have to do this? Why can’t we just start camping at a new camping spot?” Ryan said with frustration.
Ryan is my boyfriend we have been together for exactly a year. We got together last camping trip but we’ve been coming together as for 8 years.
“This is our spot Ryan please can we just do this so we can have the fun and enjoy our trip while it lasts?” I said.
He sighs “ yeah I guess we can.”
In my head all’s I knew was nothing was going to ruin my camping trip even if we had to put a lot of work into it. Two hours later and we finally got everything cleaned up and all of our camping stuff set up. We had a tent for the girl kids and one for the boy kids and all the parents got their own. The girls and boys stayed together most of the night because they never really slept. The first day we spent swimming, after spending the day at the lake we started exploring the trails but not to much.
“ Come on mom please let us go further” I yelled.
“No Jenna it is getting dark out and there is no way to get a hold of you kids if you get lost.” My mom yelled back.
“That’s not going to stop us” I whispered to the group of kids surrounding me.
We all got back to the camp site we washed up as much as we could but there’s no showers near us. We all planned our night while our parents prepared dinner, that we are going to stay up all night but when our parents go to bed we are going to sneak out onto the trails. We were all so anxious to go hiking it was one of our favorite things to do on vacation. We didn’t care what trouble it would cause us. During dinner all of us kids were discussing tonight.
“ I’m not so sure of this” Sophia said.
“Don’t be a baby. Have some fun for once” Her boyfriend Zyler said in laughter.
No matter who was in on it and who wasn’t we all still were going. It was going to be a little scary it being dark outside. We’ve never been on the trails when it was dark out. As a few hours go by and our parents put the fire out and are now in their tents. The kids get ready. We get warm clothes on as it is a little chilly out, we bring some waters and grab all the flashlights we can find.
“ Are we all sure we want to do this?” Sophie said in fear.
“Yes we are positive” I answered.
I was a little unsure my self if I wanted to still go. I didn’t know what could happen or what could be out there since everything is so strange. We get out there and we go maybe a quarter of a mile in we look in all the holes to see if maybe something was in them. We did not see much but a hole with dirt and rocks in them. As we continue walking we see a bigger hole so we decide to look in that one. As we all look down the wind starting to pick up. In the hole was a rock but it wasn’t a normal rock. It looked as if someone carved it to symbolize something. All of a sudden we heard a crunching from behind as if someone was behind us.
“What was that” Sophia cried.
“It was probably just an animal running around let’s not panick or get scared let’s just go back to our tents” I answered.
As we get back to our tents we were all a little scared. I didn’t know about anyone else but there was no way I was going to be able to sleep tonight. It was going through my mind like what was that rock symbolizing and why would it start being windy out and why would we hear crunching in the back. I didn’t want to scare Sophia more then she was but I was scared myself.
“Guys” I said.
“I’m not trying to scare any of you but what if that rock is really symbolizing something and what if there’s someone behind it.”
“Jenna it’s all in your head just like you said earlier it was just an animal in the woods” Ryan said.
“ Yeah I know” I replied.
“It’s all in my head”.
A few days went by and it’s the last day of the camping trip. We all have been having strange dreams at night involving the rock but we just think it’s because of our fear. It is almost time to go. It was a sad time that we had to leave but I was ready to be home in my own home and not having the fear of these woods. We all packed up and headed home. It was a great trip a little strange but overall another good trip. We said our goodbyes and continued our normal lives of getting back to school and our parents getting back to work.
Ten years later.
I’m now twenty six and working as a pediatrician. The camping trip is something that doesn’t happen anymore. Actually none of us are really friends anymore. Also none of the couples are together anymore. Some actually have new relationships and are married. Sophia is married and has a two year old girl named Olivia. One day I was at work and I got a phone call. I wasn’t sure who it was but I was on break and had time so I answered.
“Hello?” I said.
“Is this Jenna?” The no caller ID asked.
“This is who is This?” I replied
“I’m calling you to let you know you have 48 hours to live”
“ So funny prank calling me. I’m glad you enjoyed it” I said as I hung up.
I was questioning who it was prank calling me but I’m glad they did. Hopefully there day is made now. As I got home I had three missed calls on my home phone. The caller ID said the missed calls were from Sophia, Ryan and Zyler. I was confused why were they all trying to call me. We haven’t talked in a few years. I called each one of them back and they all got the same phone call I did. None of us knew what was going on and why it was happening to us. We all planned a time to meet for dinner. We planned on meeting at Longhorn the next day at three in the afternoon for a late lunch. As we meet up with each other we say our hellos and catch up but Sophia brought something strange up.
“Do you think this could be from that rock?” Sophia questioned.
“That’s crazy thinking it’s been almost ten years since we saw that” Ryan answered.
I cut Ryan off, “she’s right Ryan what if it’s the rock. It was a strange moment when we saw it. The wind picked up like a storm and then we heard something in the woods. We had strange dreams that same night. What if it was that rock and there really is someone behind it and they are going to kill us”
“That’s all just crazy thoughts” Ryan and Zyler agreed.
After the lunch meetup we had. We all agreed it was just in our heads and nothing was going to happen. We all said it was someone from our high school getting back at us for prank calls we might’ve sent them at one moment during Highschool. It was the next day which would mark forty eight hours. I got into a severe car accident which I died at the scene of the accident. Sophia drowned when she was in her pool and died. Zyler was a pilot and crashed the plane taking off. Ryan was a police officer and got shot on the scene of an active shooter. No one knew how us high school friends all died in the same time frame but they all thought it was weird. Only if our parent knew we went on the trail when they said not to. Only if we listened to them and stayed back. Only if we changed camping sites. This wouldn’t have happened to us. Now our families have lost us and it could’ve been prevented if we just listened to them.