CHAPTER 5

The next morning, Emiliana woke up with a heavy heart. She tried to shake off the disturbing events of the previous night, but the memory lingers like a dark cloud hovering over the camp.

Emiliana rubs her eyes and stretches her arms. She feels the soreness in her muscles from the long hike the day before. She takes a deep breath and looks around the cabin. The morning light filters in through the curtains, casting a warm glow over the room.

She took her bath and dressed up, then went to Jace’s cabin immediately.

Jace is already up, sitting at the table with a cup of coffee in his hand. He looks up and sees Emiliana coming toward him. "Good morning," he says, smiling weakly when she got to his doorstep. His door was widely opened.

Emiliana nods, still lost in thought. She enters and sits down next to him and pours herself a cup of coffee. She takes a sip and sighs. "I can't believe what we saw last night," she says.

Jace nods, his expression serious. "Yeah, it was pretty messed up."

They sit in silence for a few moments, sipping their coffee and staring out the window. Emiliana notices the way the sunlight plays on the leaves of the trees outside, casting intricate patterns on the ground.

Eventually, Jace breaks the silence. "We need to talk to someone about what we saw," he says.

Emiliana nods, knowing he's right. "But who do we talk to? And what do we say?"

Jace shrugs. "I don't know. Maybe we should just tell the camp director or something."

Emiliana frowns, unsure. "But what if they're involved? What if they're part of it?"

Jace shakes his head. "I don't think so. They seemed genuinely concerned about us last night."

Emiliana nods, considering. "Okay, but we still need to be careful. We don't want to put ourselves in danger."

Jace nods, understanding. "Agreed."

They finish their coffee in silence and get dressed for the day. Emiliana puts on her hiking boots and a light jacket, while Jace wears his favorite baseball cap and a pair of sunglasses.

As they step outside, they're greeted by the crisp morning air and the sounds of birds chirping in the distance. Emiliana takes a deep breath and feels a sense of calm wash over her.

They walk down the path toward the main lodge, taking in the sights and sounds of the camp. They see kids running around and playing games, counselors setting up activities for the day, and a group of campers gathering around a campfire, singing songs.

Emiliana notices the way Jace's face lights up as they walk. She sees the way he smiles at the kids, the way he nods and greets the counselors and the way he seems to be at home in this place.

They reach the main lodge and see the camp director sitting at a desk, typing away on a computer. She looks up and sees them, smiling warmly.

"Good morning, Emiliana and Jace," she says. "How was your night?"

Emiliana and Jace exchange a nervous glance, unsure of how to proceed. They take a deep breath and decide to tell the truth.

"We saw something last night that we need to talk to you about," Emiliana says, her voice trembling.

The camp director's smile fades, replaced by a look of concern. "What did you see?" she asks.

Emiliana takes a deep breath and tells her everything. She describes the hooded figures, the strange symbols, and the feeling of dread that hung in the air.

The camp director listens carefully, her expression growing more and more serious. When Emiliana finishes, she takes a deep breath and speaks.

"I'm sorry you had to see that," she says. "But I can assure you that we take the safety and well-being of everyone here.

Emiliana interrupts her, "Don't give us that crap, Hannah. We saw what we saw. You can't hide it from us."

Hannah looks taken aback by Emiliana's bluntness. "What are you talking about?" she asks, trying to maintain her composure.

"Don't play dumb with us," Jace says, stepping forward. "We saw that man. We saw what he was doing."

Hannah's eyes widen in fear, and for a moment, she seems lost for words. Then, she takes a deep breath and says, "I don't know what you're talking about. But if you saw something that made you uncomfortable, I urge you to come talk to me or one of the other counselors. We're here to help you."

"We don't need your help," Emiliana says, her voice sharp. "We need answers. Who was that man? What was he doing? And why are you trying to cover it up?"

Hannah's face pales, and she takes a step back. "I can't say anything more right now," she says. "But I promise you, I will look into this and get back to you as soon as possible. In the meantime, I urge you to keep this to yourselves. We don't want to cause panic among the other campers."

Jace and Emiliana exchange a skeptical look, but they don't press the issue any further. As they walk back to their cabin, they can't help but feel uneasy. Something weird is lurking beneath the surface of this seemingly idyllic summer camp, and they're not sure they want to be a part of it anymore.

They both went to Jace’s cabin. She slept over that night.

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It was morning the next day and Emiliana woke up on Jace’s bed with a disturbed look on her face. Jace was sitting at the other end of the bed.

"Emiliana, what's wrong?" he asks, placing a gentle hand on hers.

"It's just... I don't know if I can trust them," she says, her voice barely above a whisper. "After what we saw last night, I'm not sure if anyone is who they seem."

Jace nods, understanding her fears. "But we can't jump to conclusions. We need to find out what's going on before we make any assumptions."

Emiliana sighs, leaning back in her chair. "I know, you're right. But it's hard not to feel paranoid when there's so much we don't know."

Jace nods in agreement, glancing around the room. The walls are covered in rustic wood panels, with antique lanterns hanging from the ceiling. The furniture is simple, but sturdy, made of dark wood with plaid cushions.

As he looks back at Emiliana, he notices her eyes flicker toward the door. He follows her gaze and sees two figures walking toward them. It's the camp director, Mr. Johnson, and the head counselor, Sarah.

Jace tenses up, unsure of what to expect. But as they approach, he sees that they both look calm and collected. Mr. Johnson greets them with a warm smile and a handshake.

"Good morning, Jace and Emiliana. I hope you slept well," he says.

Emiliana nods, still looking wary. "Yes, thank you. But we were hoping to talk to you about what we saw last night."

Mr. Johnson's smile falters slightly, but he remains composed. "Of course. Let's go to my office and we can discuss it in private."

Jace and Emiliana follow the two adults down a hallway and into a small room with a wooden desk and bookshelves lining the walls. Mr. Johnson gestures for them to sit down, and they all take their seats.

"Now, what did you see last night?" he asks, his voice gentle but firm.

Emiliana takes a deep breath and begins to describe what they witnessed by the lake. Mr. Johnson listens attentively, his face growing more serious with each passing moment.

Once Emiliana finishes her story, there's a tense silence in the room. Sarah, the head counselor, clears her throat and speaks up.

"I understand how this must look to you, but I can assure you that we take the safety of our campers very seriously. We have strict rules and protocols in place to prevent any misconduct."

Jace nods, but he can see that Emiliana is still skeptical. "Can you tell us more about those rules and protocols?" he asks.

Sarah nods and begins to outline the various safety measures that are in place at the camp. As she speaks, Jace can see that Emiliana is starting to relax a bit, her posture becoming less rigid.

By the end of the meeting, Jace and Emiliana feel more assured that the camp is doing everything they can to keep everyone safe. Mr. Johnson and Sarah left after the discussion and headed to their office. Jace can't ignore the feeling that there's still more to all of that.