Amar Feller
All stories begin with a
“Once upon a time.”
Mine begins with a forest.
Hi, my name is Amar Feller. I just turned twelve, and right now I’m standing in the middle of a camp in the most unsettling forest in Transylvania.
Yes. Transylvania.
The place where normal people assume there are only vampires and ancient castles.
Spoiler: I wish that were the problem.
The cabins are made of dark wood—too dark. The trees are so tall they barely let any light through. And there’s something in the air… as if the forest were breathing. Watching.
I’m here because my school decided this was a “mandatory educational experience” for seventh-grade students.
According to the principals, it will encourage teamwork, discipline, and respect for nature.
According to me, this is a terrible idea.
Especially because Hannah is here.
She has six letters in her name and zero respect for rules. When they told her the camp had a strict schedule, curfew, and dress code—even in the forest—she almost fainted. I’m completely sure she’ll break at least three rules before the first day is over.
—Amar, stop talking to yourself.—Hannah whispered beside me.—People are starting to look at you weird.
I’m not talking to myself. I’m narrating mentally. There’s a difference.
By the way, if I mysteriously disappear this week, I want it on record that it wasn’t my fault. I voted to stay home watching movies and sleeping in.
But no.
The problem started when they assigned the cabins.
They made us line up in front of an old wooden table where the principal held a list like she was reading out sentences.
—Cabin number three… Amar Feller.—
Perfect.
Hannah Roths.
Even more perfect.
We exchanged a victorious smile that lasted exactly three seconds.
Charlotte Collins.
Diana Smith.
Marlia Roy.
Adriana Laurent.
Hannah looked at me with that expression that means: this is going to be interesting or disastrous.
Cabin number three was a bit farther away from the others. It was big—too big to be just “rustic.” The wood was dark, almost black, and the windows were long but narrow, as if the cabin wanted to look out without being looked back at.
—I don’t like it.—Hannah murmured.
—It’s a cabin, not an evil spirit.— I replied.
But honestly… I didn’t like it either.
Inside, it was even stranger. There were eight beds perfectly aligned, all with white sheets far too clean for a camp in the middle of a forest. In the center stood a round table with an antique lamp that didn’t match anything. And on the back wall, a small door.
Too small.
Charlotte
Charlotte was the first to walk in, as if she already knew this was her place. Her brown hair—not ordinary brown, but that dark shade that almost looks like bitter chocolate—fell loose over her shoulders. Her green eyes, deep and alert, scanned the room in seconds.
—I want the bed by the window.—she announced, smiling.
And when she smiled, her slightly large teeth made it even more noticeable. It wasn’t a shy smile; it was the kind that takes up space. Charlotte was short, but not small in presence. At five-foot-one, she seemed determined to make up for every inch with energy.
In less than a minute, she was talking as if we’d known each other since elementary school.
Diana
Diana entered next, and for a moment, the cabin didn’t seem so dark.
Her blonde hair wasn’t just light—it glowed, as if the forest light had chosen her first. When she lifted her gaze, her blue eyes reflected the sky you could barely see between the trees.
—Well… at least it’s big.— she said, spinning around as if she were evaluating a hotel instead of a creepy cabin.
She smiled.
One of those soft, slightly tilted smiles that doesn’t need exaggeration to stand out. It wasn’t loud like Charlotte’s; it was luminous. Calm. The kind that makes you trust someone without knowing why.
She was almost the same height as Charlotte, just a centimeter taller, but the way she moved made her seem taller. More confident.
Hannah nudged me.
—Okay, I like her.— she whispered.
I wasn’t convinced yet.
I didn’t have time to doubt before another girl entered.
Marlia
Marlia came in almost silently.
Her dark blonde hair, cut just at shoulder length, barely moved when she walked. It didn’t shine like Diana’s or have the intensity of Charlotte’s brown. It was more… discreet. Like her.
Her light green eyes scanned the cabin carefully, without comment. She didn’t look scared. Not excited either. Just… observing.
She sat on one of the beds at the back and placed her backpack down carefully, as if she didn’t want to disturb even the air.
When she looked up, I noticed the light freckles across her nose. They gave her a calm, almost sweet look. The kind of person who seems reserved at first but—if you decide to get close—probably hides something much more interesting than they let on.
Hannah whispered:
—She’s the quiet type who turns out to be the most intense.—
I didn’t know whether to agree… but something told me she was right.
Adriana
Adriana was the last to step inside.
She didn’t make a dramatic entrance or a clever comment. She just walked in… and the atmosphere steadied a little.
Her dark brown hair fell neatly down her back, contrasting with her deep brown, attentive eyes. They weren’t eyes that looked down on others; they were eyes that evaluated and understood.
—We can organize ourselves so everyone has space,” she said with a calm smile—the kind that doesn’t need exaggeration to feel reassuring.
She was a bit taller than the rest, but her posture made her seem firmer. There was something about her that didn’t impose… but organized.
When Diana suggested dividing drawers and Charlotte tried to claim the best area of the cabin, Adriana didn’t argue.
—If we organize it well, we’ll all fit without a problem.— she added calmly.
And she said it like someone used to being listened to.
She didn’t seem like the type to exclude others. Quite the opposite. She was the kind of person who gives advice without it feeling like criticism. The kind who notices when someone falls behind.
In a group of eight girls in the middle of a strange forest, having a leader wasn’t a bad thing.
What was worrying… was that we might actually need one.
Adriana was the first to break the awkward silence after we finished unpacking.
—I guess we should properly introduce ourselves.—she said, leaning against the edge of the round table. —If we’re going to survive here together.—
Charlotte raised her hand like she was in class.
—Charlotte. England. And I don’t snore… I think.—
She smiled confidently, showing her big teeth without the slightest insecurity. Her green eyes gleamed, challenging, as if she were already ready to claim the cabin as her territory.
—Diana.— the glowing blonde said next, adjusting the hair that reflected the little light coming through the window.—Also from England.—
Her accent was soft, elegant. When she smiled, it was that tilted smile that seemed to say everything will be fine, even when it clearly wouldn’t be.
Marlia hesitated a second before speaking.
—Marlia… I’m from Canada.—
Her voice was calm, low. Her light green eyes looked at each of us as if she were filing information away. She didn’t seem nervous. Just reserved.
Adriana nodded.
—I’m Adriana. France.—
She said it naturally, but there was something firm in her tone. She didn’t need to raise her voice for her presence to be felt.
Hannah nudged me.
—Your turn, professional narrator.—
I rolled my eyes.
—Amar. Transylvania. And if something weird happens in this forest… I said it first.—
Charlotte laughed.
—Weird like what? Vampires?—
The wood creaked again.
This time, no one laughed.
I crossed my arms.
–Well… since you asked.—
Hannah gave me a don’t start look.
—Before coming here, I researched the forest.— I continued. —Not out of paranoia. Academic curiosity.—
—Sure.—Diana murmured with an amused smile.
—Turns out, about a twenty-minute walk from here, there’s a ruined cabin. Abandoned for years. No one knows exactly who built it… or why it was left that way.—
Marlia stopped looking at her backpack.
—And?—
I lowered my voice slightly.
—There are stories. People from the village say that at night, lights can be seen inside. And that decades ago, animals disappeared near that area. Some say they were wolves. Others… don’t.—
Charlotte raised an eyebrow.
—And the vampire part?—
—Oh. Right. That.—
I shrugged.
—Some say the cabin was used by a strange family. Very strange. That they never went out during the day. And well… Transylvania has its reputation for a reason.—
Silence.
Diana let out a small laugh.
—That sounds like a tourist legend.—
—Totally.— Adriana said calmly.—Every forest has a story like that.—
—Yeah.—Charlotte added.—Tomorrow we’ll probably find glitter and a bat being dramatic.—
Several girls laughed.
But no one said they wanted to go.
Marlia stared out the dark window.
—Twenty minutes, you said?—
—More or less.— I replied.
Adriana rested her arms on the table.
—We’re not doing anything reckless.—
She said it firmly.
Too firmly.
Hannah smiled sideways.
—So… we’re definitely going.—
No one confirmed it.
No one denied it either.
Outside, the wind stirred the trees.
And for a second… I could’ve sworn something moved between them.
Charlotte was the first to speak.
—I mean… it sounds interesting. But I don’t believe in that stuff.—
She said it too fast.
Diana crossed her arms.
—Besides, we’re at a school camp. We’re not just going to wander into the forest.—
Adriana nodded.
—Exactly. It’s irresponsible.—
Silence.
Marlia kept staring out the window. Outside, the sun was beginning to sink between the trees. Orange light streamed in long strips through the wooden cracks, as if the forest were slowly closing its eyes.
—How far did you say?— Marlia asked without looking at me.
—Twenty minutes walking.—
—That’s nothing.—Charlotte murmured.
—We’re not going.— Adriana cut in.
Hannah flopped onto the bed.
—You’re all so boring.—
No one laughed this time.
The forest was changing its sound. The birds weren’t singing the same way. The wind felt colder. Closer.
Diana moved toward the window.
—It’s ridiculous… but it looks darker than normal.—
—Because the sun is setting.— Charlotte said.
But she didn’t move.
Curiosity began to fill the cabin like invisible smoke. No one said let’s go. No one said I’m scared. But we were all imagining the same thing: the ruined cabin, the lights at night, something moving between the trees.
Adriana took a deep breath.
—Tomorrow. If anyone wants to explore… it’ll be tomorrow. During the day.—
That sounded logical.
Safe.
Responsible.
And yet…
None of us looked away from the forest when the last ray of sunlight disappeared.
Because curiosity doesn’t need permission.
And the forest knew it had ours.
The silence lasted too long.
Adriana was the first to step away from the window.
—That’s it. No one’s going out. It’s dangerous, and it’s already getting dark.—
It sounded reasonable.
Too reasonable.
Charlotte sighed dramatically and dropped onto her bed, staring at the ceiling.
—Okay. So we’re just going to stay here… all night… imagining things.—
No one answered.
—Because that’s better, right?—she continued, sitting up. —Thinking about mysterious lights and vampire families without checking anything.—
Diana frowned.
—It’s not fear. It’s common sense.—
Charlotte looked at her with a tilted smile.
—Sure. Totally common sense. Or… we could walk twenty minutes, confirm it’s just an old dusty cabin, and come back laughing.—
Hannah sat up instantly.
—That sounds more fun.—
Adriana crossed her arms.
—And if someone sees us leaving, we’re dead.—
—They won’t.—Charlotte replied calmly.—It’s shift change right now. The teachers are having dinner. And the side trail is behind our cabin. I saw it when we arrived.—
That made everyone look at her.
—Were you already planning this?— I asked.
—Not planning.—she corrected.—Observing.—
Marlia bit her lower lip.
—It would just be… go, look, and come back.—
Diana hesitated.
—And if there’s nothing… no one else has to know.—
Charlotte stood up.
—Exactly. Five minutes there. We confirm it’s a ridiculous legend and come back before anyone notices we’re gone.—
Adriana took a deep breath.
She was calculating.
You could tell.
Outside, the forest was almost completely black now. Only a strip of violet remained in the sky.
—Twenty minutes there.—Adriana said finally. —Ten minutes max at the site. And we come back together. If anything feels wrong, we turn back immediately.—
Charlotte smiled victoriously.
—I knew you weren’t boring.—
My stomach twisted slightly.
It wasn’t exactly fear.
It was that feeling… when you know you’re about to cross an invisible line.
Hannah looked at me.
—Well, official forest researcher… you’re leading.—
Outside, the wind blew harder.
And for the first time since we arrived, I felt like the forest wasn’t waiting for us to go.
I felt like it already knew we were going.
I like it. Humor before danger makes the fear hit harder later.
Let’s go with the scene: cloaks, attitude, and a journey with light tension.
—If we’re going out.—Adriana said.—at least not in pajamas.—
Charlotte pointed to the coat rack by the door.
The camp had given us thick black cloaks “for supervised night walks.” According to the brochure, they were meant to protect us from the cold.
According to me, they looked like they were pulled straight out of a badly written medieval tale.
I grabbed one and put it on. The fabric was heavy, rough, with a wide hood that almost covered half my face.
—This is ridiculous—Diana muttered, adjusting hers.—We look like a school cult.—
Charlotte spun around.
—Admit it. It’s dramatic.—
Marlia examined the sleeves, watching how the black fabric contrasted with her pale freckles.
Adriana was already ready—firm, practical.
And then…
Hannah opened her suitcase.
—You can go in mystery mode.— she said calmly.—I won’t.—
She pulled out a pastel pink cloak covered in tiny silver sparkles.
Silence.
—You brought that?—I asked.
—Obviously.—
She put it on theatrically, lifting the hood like she was on a runway.
—If I’m going to do something irresponsible… I’ll do it with style.—
Charlotte burst out laughing.
—Perfect. If something attacks us, it’ll go for the glowing cape first.—
—Jealousy.—Hannah replied.
Even Adriana smiled.
—Five minutes to get organized, then we leave.— she said, trying to maintain leadership while clearly suppressing laughter.
The forest greeted us with colder air than I expected.
The black cloaks moved with the wind, brushing against our legs as if they were walking on their own. The side path was covered in damp leaves that crunched under our steps.
—This already feels illegal.—Diana whispered.
—Because it is.—I replied.
Charlotte walked at the front with me.
—Official guide, which way?—
I pointed to the narrower path, where the trees seemed to crowd closer together.
—That way.—
—Of course it is.— Marlia murmured.
The sky was almost completely dark now. Only a deep blue strip survived between the branches. Shadows stretched and blended, making every trunk look like a different figure.
Hannah walked behind us, her pink cloak subtly glowing whenever moonlight filtered through.
—If we die—she said quietly.—at least there’ll be visual witnesses.—
—We’re not gonna die.—Adriana said.
But she tightened her cloak a little more.
A sharp sound came from our right.
We all stopped.
—That was a branch.—Charlotte said quickly.
Another sound.
Deeper.
Like something stepping on wet leaves.
No one spoke.
Curiosity kept pushing us forward.
But now it was walking beside fear.
And the forest… no longer felt like just a forest.
