Chapter 26: To Be Or Not To Be... Haunted. Seriously, Get Me Out Of Here.

       I wish Sawyer told me that this forest was haunted before whisking me away here because I knew this whole camping trip, I was going to be paranoid. Every small sound I was going to hear, I'd probably immediately assume it was a ghost.

       Then again, even if Sawyer did tell me beforehand, he could easily convince me to come along if he told me we would sneak off someone to make out since I was a huge horn dog.

       Sawyer still better keep his promise about us sneaking off somewhere to make out or I was going to walk all the way home, even if it was two in the morning.

       Or I could just hijack Sawyer's truck.

       Apparently, the forest was a lot more haunted than I thought because the Birches only brought one huge tent, claiming that it would be safer for all of us to be together.

       Once Vincent told me that it would be safer for us to stay together when I questioned the one tent, I immediately thought of a very good innuendo but to be considerate, I tried my best to hold it in.

       Sawyer immediately sighed. "Whatever you're thinking of, don't say it, Jamie."

       "I'm not," I said. "I swear. I'm going to be a good boy and refrain myself throughout this whole camping trip."

       "Sure you will," Sawyer said sarcastically, clearly doubting my ability to refrain myself from saying my endless amount of innuendos.

       I mean, he wasn't wrong to doubt me because eventually, I was going to slip up and say something nobody else wanted to hear.

       I should apologize to them in advance but that was too much work.

       "So what exactly makes this forest haunted?" I asked as the six of us set up the tent, since it was going to take a few people because of how big it was. "You know, apart from seeing shadows or hearing random noises?"

       "You really want me to tell you?" Sawyer asked. "Because as soon as I brought up those two things, you told me to take you home."

       "I mean, I'd rather have you take me to bed."

       Sawyer gave me a flat look. "Whatever happened to you refraining from the rest of the camping trip?"

       "I couldn't help myself," I said. "You're just so..."

       "Jamie, you do know that there are other people here, right?" Vincent asked.

       I gasped dramatically. "Oh my goodness, when did the four of you get here? I thought it was just me and Sawyer, despite me talking to you earlier to ask why we have only one tent for the six of us."

       "Don't even bother telling him not to talk like that," Sawyer told his brother. "He's hopeless."

       "It's true, I am," I agreed. "So I guess I should take the time to apologize in advance for anything I might say about Sawyer."

       "Don't apologize," Posie said. "I admire you're bravery to talk like that around people."

       "Why, thank you, Posie," I said before looking at Erica. "How come you never introduced me to her earlier? You've already met my boyfriend."

       "Your boyfriend is my brother, dumbass," Erica said.

       "Sawyer, Erica is being mean to me," I said.

       Sawyer sighed. "Are you going to be bugging people the whole trip?"

       "Why, I would never," I said. "I'm such an angel and would never bug people."

       In reality, I felt bad for people who had to spend time around me.

       "So you never answered my question," I said. "What makes this forest haunted?"

       "Apart from the shadows and the random sounds?" Sawyer asked. "A lot."

       "Some people come here to do some rituals and summoning," Vincent said. "Way too many people so they ended up summoning a lot of ghosts and demons here."

       "And people always say weird things happen to them," Monica said. "Like the black out for a few moments or even an hour. Not pass out or anything. Like they're walking through the forest and suddenly, they're somewhere else and they don't remember what happened."

       "I don't get it," I said. "Why would you guys come here willingly?"

       "Why are you here?" Sawyer pointed out.

       "Dude, you literally did not tell me it was haunted until we got here," I said. 

       Sawyer shrugged as we finished setting up the tent. It actually came with some dividers you could hang up to make a maximum of four rooms.

       "Ooh, this is perfect having different rooms," I said once we were getting our stuff in the tent. "Now Sawyer and I can--"

       "Jamie," Sawyer said in a warning tone.

       "What?" I asked innocently. "I was going to say keep our stuff organized and not worry about our bags being in anyone's way."

       Sawyer obviously didn't believe me. What a rude boyfriend.

       ...Even though he was't wrong to not believe me because everyone knew I was totally going to say something different.

       After all of our stuff was in the tent, Vincent sent up the portable fire-pit while the rest of us set up our camping chairs. 

       While we were doing so, I swear I heard a growl in the far distance. I stopped setting up my chair, looking at Sawyer. "Are there animals here?"

       "We're in a forest," Sawyer said. "Of course there are animals here. But they're usually deeper in the forest. Not as close as we are now. Why?"

        "No reason," I said, going back to setting up my camping chair. "Just heard a growl, that's all."

       "A growl?" Posie repeated. "Because when Sawyer said there were animals in here, he meant small things like squirrels and rabbits and birds. Nothing big that can growl. Especially this close to the path."

       "Oh, that's great," I said. "Sawyer, take me home now."

       "You'll be fine, James," Sawyer said. "Only a few people have died here. Not too many."

       "You know, I should be concerned that people have died here but I'm too busy loving that nickname you gave me. It's making me hor--"

       "Don't finish that," Sawyer said. "And I was joking. Nobody has actually died here."

       "So we could be the very first," I said. "Sawyer, if I die, I want you to know that... I'm bisexual."

       "Sawyer, how do you put up with him?" Vincent asked.

       "Honestly, I have no idea," Sawyer said.

       "Rude," I said.

       "I'm kidding," Sawyer said. "You know I love how funny you are. Even if you can be annoying at times."

       "You know, I take being annoying as a compliment," I said.

       "Of course you do."

       Who wouldn't take being annoying as a compliment? Being annoying was awesome.

       Unless someone was annoying me. Then it wasn't awesome.

       I wasn't looking forward to the sun setting, to be honest. I was already paranoid as it was but once it started getting dark, I knew I was going to get even more paranoid.

       I swear, if I saw even one shadow, I was taking Sawyer's truck keys and driving back home. Actually, no, I was going to drive all the way across the country to Prince Edwards Island. I was going to leave British Columbia and never come back.

       When the sun was starting to set, that was when we started cooking our dinner over the fire-pit. Sawyer was going for seconds so while he was roasting his hot dog, I was constantly poking his side to get him to pay attention to me.

       Finally, he asked, "What do you want, Jamie?"

       "Can you cash in that promise right now?" I asked. "I'm bored."

       "What promise?" Sawyer asked.

       I eyed him suspiciously. "Did you genuinely forget or are you going to pretend the promise never happened?"

       "I genuinely don't know what you're talking about," Sawyer said. 

       "Uh, the one you said to get me to stay here," I said.

       "Oh, that one," Sawyer said. "Are you sure you want to do that now when the sun is starting to set?"

       "You know I'd do it any time and any place," I said, giving Sawyer a wink.

       Sawyer sighed though I could see he was trying his hardest to fight a smile that was creeping across his lips. I loved irritating him.

       "So... Is that a yes?" I asked.

       "When I'm done eating," Sawyer said.

       "Can't you two, like, text each other this kind of thing?" Erica asked. "So we don't have to hear this?"

       "Hear what?" I asked. "We're clearly talking about going ghost hunting. One hundred percent. We're not talking about anything else."

       What I didn't know what that my and Sawyer's make out session would turn into ghost hunting.

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oof 

i wanted to write more, especially about the apparent ghost hunting, but i have to wake up early to go grocery shopping with my mom.

BUT IT'S JULY 1ST HERE SO HAPPY CANADA DAY TO MY FELLOW CANADIANS.