Campground Mystery

Submitted into Contest #143 in response to: Set your story in the woods or on a campground. ... view prompt

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Fiction Mystery

Two years earlier

Three best friends Emmie, Theo and Cassie head to North Pines campground for a weekend of fun only to never be seen or heard from again.

The search for Emma, Theo and Cassie went on for two weeks, no sign of them has ever been found.

Those who go to North Pines for a weekend of camping are haunted by the disappearance of the three friends and they never last the full weekend.

A sign is posted at the entrance of the camping ground reads "Camp at your own risk."

Now two years after the disappearance of Emmie, Theo and Cassie, a new group of friends are set to go camping at North Pines.

Two years later

North Pines. What can I say about North Pines? No one goes there, only the brave go there.

What was I thinking letting my friends talk me into going to North Pines? I must be crazy and yet I said yes to going.

I remember the investigation into the disappearance of Emmie, Theo and Cassie. The whole town came to North Pines to look for them, me include.

I remember the aftermath of the investigation and what took place at North Pines. The campground is haunted.

I know it sounds crazy, but it's the truth and now I'm going there.

Today I leave for North Pines campground with my friends and I got to tell you the truth I'm not looking forward to it.

Yes, I'm looking forward to spending time with my friends, but I wish it was someplace else.

I've heard the stories of families going to North Pines only to come back scared out of their minds.

Many people have tried to solve the mystery of the missing three, that's what we call Emmie, Theo and Cassie.

Sky is here to pick me up. I gather my stuff and greet Sky. I walk to the car and greet my other friends.

Everyone of my friends Sky, Raven, Hunter and Finn are excited to go to North Pines expect me.

I on the other hand is terrified to go, that's why I'm carrying a radio lots of food, water, bandages and six flashlights.

I'm doing all this because I know my dear friends won't come prepare. They will just bring tents and sleeping bags.

The drive to North Pines is a good five hours. On the drive there I listen to my friends talk about the missing three.

Well. we are here. Sky makes the turn to North Pines campground.

"Camp at your own risk" is hanging for all to see and yes, we are risking a lot by coming here mainly our sanity.

Sky parks the car. We all get out and grab our belongings. Raven tells me everything is going to be fine, but I sense dread and foreboding. Nothing good is going to come of this trip.

I look around and only see a few faint lights. I guess we are not the only ones here.

Hunter is leading the way. I'm in the middle between Raven and Sky. Finn is in the back.

We are at the campground. Hunter and Finn are setting up the tents. Raven and Sky are preparing the food I brought and whatever they brought.

I on the other hand am standing looking at the campground. It's very eerie.

I remember a time when North Pines use to be the place to be. The summers spent here were one in a million.

I came here every summer with my family and friends. We would have the time of our lives.

We would go to the lake, jump off the dock and swim for hours. Good times. Good memories.

Hunter and Finn are finished putting the tents up, now they are building a fire. Sky and Raven are helping with building the fire.

I fell like an idiot watching my friends do all the work. I walk to them and ask if they need help. They tell me no, everything is ready.

"Relax Genesis. We're here to have fun."

Sky is right. We're here to have fun even though I feel scared.

We're sitting around the campfire, Raven cooking the burgers. Hunter and Finn telling crazy jokes. Me and Sky laughing hysterically. Raven shaking her head.

The food is ready, everyone grabs a plate and stuffs it. Thank God I brought a lot of food.

We sit down and enjoy the peacefulness of the woods.

North Pines always has a calming effect on the campers.

Once we're done eating, we make s'mores and tell stories.

Hunter starts what we call a group story about what really happened to Emmie, Theo and Cassie.

Campfire stories. I love campfire stories, but this one is freaking me out. Hunter is telling the story of what people think really happened to Emmie, Theo and Cassie.

Here is what Hunter is saying.

"Emmie, Theo and Cassie were best friends, inseparable that is until Emmie and Theo began to get close. Cassie starts to get jealous of her two best friends especially jealous of Emmie and the reason is Cassie had a crush in Theo and she couldn't stand her onetime best friend getting in her way.

So, Cassie invites Emmie and Theo to go camping here at North Pines with the intention of harming Emmie.

But something goes horribly wrong and that's where the mystery ends.

Then Raven continues the story.

Raven goes on to say "Emmie found out what Cassie was planning on doing. When they got to the camping ground Emmie confronts Cassie and they both starting fighting and what happens next no one knows."

All of a sudden it begins to get extremely cold. The fire is going out.

I tell my friends to stop telling about Emmie, Theo and Cassie. There is something or someone out there who doesn't want the truth to be revealed.

My friends look at me like I'm crazy. Well, I'm not crazy and now it's time for bed.

I'm sharing a tent with Sky and Raven. I get into my sleeping bag and close my eyes. A few minutes later I feel Raven and Sky getting into their sleeping bags.

I start dreaming about North Pines. My dream is telling me to go to Campground 12.

Campground 12 is where Emmie, Theo and Cassie were last seen.

I'm still in my dream, unable to wake up. I see a young girl around my age, but I can't make out her face or what she is trying to tell me.

I wake up startled, scared. It's still dark outside. The wind is getting stronger and stronger.

I don't know what to do. This dream is telling me something. But what?

I heard rumors about campers who try to solve the mystery and let me tell you, it's not good.

But I still can't get that dream out of my head.

I open the tent and step out into the cold night air. I look up at the moon, close my eyes and listen to my heart.

My heart is telling me to go to campground 12. I grab a flashlight and the pocket knife my father gave me and head to campground 12.

Along the way I see other campgrounds that use to be filled with happy campers.

As I reach campground 12, I begin to sense dread and foreboding. The same feeling I sensed when I first got to North Pines.

Campground 12 is up ahead. I walk slowly, very slowly. I feel like I'm being watched. I turn around, there is nothing behind me.

I begin to see campground 12 and as I move closer, I begin to see why no one comes to North Pines anymore.

It's like going back in time. Emmie, Theo and Cassie's belongings are everywhere. For two years their belongings haven't been moved.

I move closer, but then I remember the dream and the girl. She was trying to tell me something.

I look around the campground, noting goes to me, then by chance I look down and see a picture. I pick up the picture and see Emmie, Theo and Cassie.

Then I notice Cassie's hair, it's the same color and length as the girl in my dreams.

What is Cassie trying to tell me?

I keep looking around the campground some more, but I find nothing.

I turn around to go back to campground 20 where my friends are, but as I turn around to go back, I see a figure walking to me.

The figure is not big, but not small, the size of a woman. I back up, but slip on a rock.

The figure stops in front of me. My eyes are closed. Do I tempt fate and open my eyes?

I tempt fate and open my eyes, standing in front of me is Cassie, but something is wrong.

This is not the Cassie I remember. This Cassie is a lifeless Cassie.

Cassie is pointing towards the lake, then she disappears.

Oh my god! Cassie is dead. Could Cassie be at the bottom of the lake?

What should I do know?

Campground 12 is nothing but memories, but maybe if I could find the truth about what really happened here at North Pines then maybe, just maybe we can put the mystery to rest and North Pines can once again be filled with campers.

I walk down to the lake, it's calm and eerie. I point my flashlight around the lake and I notice something at the end of the lake.

I walk there and under the bushes is a notebook. I carefully dig under the bushes and take out the notebook.

In big bold letters is the name Cassie. This is Cassie's journal. What is Cassie's journal doing out here?

I open the book and the first page is very startling. It reads. "If anything happens to me Emmie and Theo are to blame. They set me up. They took me to North Pines campground under false pretenses and murdered me. I hid my journal in my favorite place in the hopes someone will find it and find me."

I don't understand why nobody found Cassie's journal and solved the mystery?

There is one more thing. Where is Emmie and Theo?

The rumors the town has been spreading about Emmie and Cassie fighting over Theo that Cassie was jealous of Emmie are not true.

Cassie is the true victim. I walk back to campground 20 with Cassie's journal.

I quietly slip back into the tent I share with my two best friends Sky and Raven.

I can't understand why three people who have been best friends for so long can turn on their suppose friend.

Hopefully one day Cassie's body will be found and she can finally Rest In Peace and that North Pines campground can finally be filled with campers.

April 28, 2022 22:17

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1 comment

Michael Regan
19:38 May 05, 2022

The story line is good - the disappearance of three friends. However, the are lot of the short one and two sentence paragraphs could be brought together to make the story more readable. Also, there is a lot of repetition. In the nine sentences describing the walk to 'Campground 12' you mention 'Campground 12' five times.

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