Chapter 9

As they reached the clearing—a spot that had looked small on the map but was actually quite spacious in reality—they couldn’t help but feel relieved. The journey had already been exhausting, and they all silently agreed that choosing the longer path would have been a nightmare.

“Uh… guys? It’s already pretty late. Don’t you think we should set up camp for the night? I am soooo tired!” Mason groaned dramatically before fake-fainting onto the ground.

Zariyah let out a sigh, shaking her head at his antics. “Fine. I suppose this place isn’t too bad to spend the night. Get your camping gear out, everyone. I hope no one forgot theirs.”

They dropped their backpacks onto the soft earth and began unpacking their supplies.

Tyler finished setting up his tent first and stretched his arms with a tired sigh. “Ugh, today was exhausting.” As he turned to head inside, he noticed Alicia struggling with hers. Without a second thought, he walked over.

“Here, let me help.” He crouched down, securing one of the tent poles while Alicia held the fabric in place. But as he adjusted the structure, his eyes landed on something concerning.

“Uh… Alicia? Bad news.”

She frowned. “What is it?”

Tyler hesitated before pointing to the side of her tent. “Your tent… it’s torn.”

"Uh-oh. Looks like someone’s going to have to share their tent with Alicia!" Mason announced, his voice dripping with mischief. "You can always hop into mine if you want!"

"Uh, no. She’s staying with me." Tyler cut in, his tone leaving no room for discussion.

Before things could escalate, Zariyah stepped in. "Before you two start a full-blown argument, I have a better plan. She’s staying with me." Her voice was firm, shutting down any further debate.

Tyler muttered under his breath, "Better than staying with Mason."

"Hey! I heard that!" Mason yelled from across the camp.

"You were supposed to! Duh!" Tyler shot back.

"Alright, alright!" Zariyah clapped her hands to regain control. "How about we split into pairs? One team gathers firewood, while the other stays here to make sure no wild animals get any ideas about stealing our supplies."

"Sounds good!" Tyler jumped in quickly. "I’ll stay with Alicia. She’s afraid of the dark, so it makes sense."

Zariyah arched a brow. She knew what Tyler had just done—cutting her off mid-sentence was a direct challenge to her authority. Normally, she wouldn’t let that slide. But since she knew Alicia liked him, she decided to let it go this time. Tyler wasn’t stupid. He knew what he had done, and she trusted he wouldn’t make the same mistake again.

"Fine," she finally said. "Since that’s settled, Mason and I will handle the firewood." With that, she turned and strode into the dense forest, Mason trailing close behind.

"So... no wild animals are gonna attack us, right?" Mason asked, trailing behind Zariyah while picking up any decent-sized logs or branches he could find.

Zariyah, still facing forward, smirked. "I never said that." She paused to grab another thick branch. "In fact, we probably have a better chance of running into a wild bear than those two back at camp." Her voice carried a teasing lilt, a quiet chuckle slipping through.

Mason froze mid-step, his grip tightening around the wood in his hands. "What?!" His voice pitched slightly. "Why didn’t you tell me before we came out here? I don't plan on being anyone’s dinner today!" He dramatically looked up at the sky, clasping his hands as if offering a prayer. "Oh Lord, grant me the strength to survive the foul stench of a wild bear’s breath."

Zariyah let out an amused sigh, finally turning her head slightly to glance at him. "Stop overreacting. We’ll be fine. At least, I will. If a bear shows up, I’ll just throw you to it and make my escape. Sounds like a solid plan, don’t you think?"

Mason’s face drained of color. "You wouldn’t."

Her light hazel eyes gleamed mischievously in the dim forest light. Then she turned back around and let out a small giggle.

"Oh, please don’t," Mason whined. "I swear, if you spare me, I’ll make sure we get out of here alive!"

Zariyah raised a brow. "And how exactly do you plan on doing that?"

"Uh... well... I’ll figure something out!" He fumbled with the wood in his arms, clearly trying to sound convincing.

Zariyah shook her head in amusement. "Well, we’ve gathered enough for tonight. Let’s head back."

Mason practically jumped with joy. "Yes! Finally! No wild bears—"

His voice cut off.

Zariyah’s smirk returned as her gaze shifted.

"Or so we thought," she finished for him.

Mason turned slowly, dread pooling in his stomach as his eyes locked onto the dark shape looming behind them.

A wild bear.

Watching.

Waiting.

And it had been there all along.

T. B. C.

Did yo expect this plot twist?

Happy Reading!