The Summer We Weren't Supposed to Have

Chapter 1: Camp Evergreen

The bus was packed with students.

Backpacks filled the overhead compartments, teachers walked up and down the aisle, and students talked loudly about what they were going to do during the six-week camp.

Maya Carter sat beside her best friend, Zoey, near the middle of the bus. Tyler sat across the aisle, trying to balance a bag of chips on his knee.

“I still can't believe we're staying here for six weeks,” Maya said.

Zoey smiled. “It's going to be fun.”

Tyler looked over.

“Fun? We're going to spend six weeks hiking, waking up early, and probably getting eaten alive by mosquitoes.”

Zoey laughed.

“You complain about everything.”

“I do not.”

“You complained about the bus this morning.”

“Because it was late.”

Maya laughed.

A teacher walking past them shook her head.

“Keep your voices down, you three.”

“Sorry, Ms. Collins,” Tyler said.

The bus continued down the long road.

Slowly, the houses disappeared.

Then the stores.

Then the traffic.

Soon, there were only trees on both sides of the road.

Maya looked through the window.

“Are we even still in town?”

Tyler leaned across the aisle.

“I don't think so.”

Zoey looked outside.

“Wow.”

The trees seemed to stretch forever.

After another few minutes, the bus passed through a large wooden gate.

Everyone suddenly became excited.

“Look!”

“We're here!”

“Camp Evergreen!”

The bus rolled into the camp and stopped beside a row of wooden cabins.

Students grabbed their bags and hurried outside.

Maya stepped off the bus and looked around.

There was a large lake in the distance, several cabins, a dining hall, and beyond everything...

A huge forest.

It was darker than the rest of the camp.

Maya stared at it.

“That's a lot of trees.”

“Too many,” Tyler said.

Before Maya could answer—

PHEEEEEET!

A sharp whistle made everyone turn.

A tall woman stood beside the main building.

She wore a dark green camp jacket and had her arms crossed.

She didn't look happy.

“Everyone, gather here.”

The students slowly formed a crowd.

The woman looked around.

“I am Ms. Harper, the director of Camp Evergreen.”

The talking stopped.

“You will be here for six weeks. I expect everyone to follow the rules.”

She raised one finger.

“Rule number one: Lights out at 9:00 p.m. Every night.”

Several students groaned.

Ms. Harper didn't react.

“Rule number two: Nobody goes deep into the forest past the marked trails.”

She pointed toward the trees.

“And if anyone is caught doing so, there will be consequences.”

A boy near the front raised his hand.

“What kind of consequences?”

Ms. Harper stared at him.

“The kind you will remember.”

The boy slowly lowered his hand.

A few students laughed.

Ms. Harper's expression remained serious.

“I am not joking.”

The laughter stopped.

She looked toward the forest.

“Students have gone too far into those woods before.”

Everyone became quiet.

“Some of them disappeared.”

A nervous murmur moved through the crowd.

Tyler leaned toward Maya.

“She’s serious?”

Maya shrugged.

Ms. Harper continued.

“They never returned.”

Zoey's eyes widened.

Maya looked toward the forest again.

There was something unsettling about it.

But before she could say anything, a girl pushed her way through the crowd.

She was wearing expensive sunglasses and carrying a large suitcase.

“Excuse me,” the girl said. “Which cabin is mine?”

Ms. Harper looked at her.

“Cabin Four.”

The girl frowned.

“That's it?”

“Yes.”

“I thought the cabins would be nicer.”

Tyler whispered, “We haven't even been here ten minutes.”

The girl heard him.

She turned around.

“My name is Chloe Bennett.”

Tyler raised an eyebrow.

“Okay?”

Chloe smiled proudly.

“My dad owns three hotels.”

Zoey whispered to Maya, “That explains a lot.”

Chloe pointed at them.

“And I don't like people touching my things.”

“We weren't planning to,” Zoey replied.

Chloe turned away.

“Good.”

Tyler grinned.

“I think we're going to get along great.”

Maya laughed.

Ms. Harper blew her whistle again.

“Enough talking! Teachers will show you to your cabins.”

The students began moving.

Maya, Zoey, and Tyler followed their teacher.

But before Maya entered the cabin, she looked back at the forest.

The wind had stopped.

The trees weren't moving anymore.

Then—

CRACK.

A branch snapped somewhere deep inside the woods.

Maya froze.

Zoey stopped beside her.

“What was that?”

Tyler looked toward the trees.

“I don't know.”

Maya stared into the forest.

For a second, she thought she saw something yellow between the trees.

Then it was gone.

“Guys…”

Before she could finish, Ms. Harper's voice came from behind them.

“Inside. Now.”

They turned.

Ms. Harper was staring directly at them.

Her face looked different now.

Not angry.

Not strict.

Worried.

Maya pointed toward the forest.

“I saw something.”

Ms. Harper's eyes immediately moved toward the trees.

“What did you see?”

“A yellow—”

“Inside.”

“But—”

“Now.”

The three friends hurried into the cabin.

Maya looked back through the window.

Ms. Harper was still standing outside.

She wasn't watching the students.

She was watching the forest.

Then Maya noticed something.

Far between the trees...

a small yellow light flickered once.

Maya blinked.

It was gone.

And somewhere deep in the forest...

something moved. Rate