Serena

Making up with Trenton puts less stress off of me and him included. His anger management has gotten out of hand. Who jumps out of a plane? He does. He's going to hurt himself one day. I climb back into my seat next to Aly and she puts her hand on my shoulder. She doesn't say anything. Just a comforting hand. That's what I like about Aly. She knows exactly what to do. About half an hour later, we arrive at the airport.

"Alrighty folks! We have arrived! Now time to clean you lot up!" Pilot Rogers chirps. She glances at me and her mouth drops open in shock.

"How did you do that?!" she whispers in awe.

"Do what?" I reply even though I know exactly what she means. My wounds are gone.

"You're all better!" she cries. I nod and look away.

"Take what you need!" Rory smiles. "It's all yours." Trenton and Kathryn shake his hand and we begin picking through the supplies.

"Oh! Might I suggest coats? It's a bit chilly out there," Amy winks. We nod and begin picking out warm clothes. Soon we are all decked out in heavy jackets, long pants, and good shoes. We throw food and water into each of our backpacks.

"You guys have a place to stay right?" Rory asks worriedly.

"Yes we will be fine. Thank you." Kathryn smiles and we file out of the plane into the freezing air. I wrap myself tighter in my jacket. This is definitely the coldest place we've visited. It’s not even winter yet, and I’m already shivering. Eric puts his arm around me and pulls me closer to him as we walk. We make it to the main road outside the airport and Kathryn hails a cab. Once we all pile in, the cabbie slams the doors.

"Where am I taking you?" The cabbie says with a thick German accent.

"Black Forest campground please," I reply. He gasps and grabs my hand.

"My dear girl. You and your friends are so brave. I'm so sorry." He bottom lip quivers.

“What's wrong?"

"The Slenderman! He lives in those woods and he will strike."

"Oh please, he's not real," I laugh lightly, but it doesn't hide the shakiness from my voice. The cabbie shakes his head and puts the keys in. The car rumbles to a start and we are off.

At about 6pm, we stand in front of our cabin in the middle of the woods.

"We are so dead." Dawson mutters. Kathryn hits him and pushes the door open. The cabin is huge. On first floor is spread out. On the left is a large, wooden table with a crystal chandelier above it. Next to that is a fireplace with a fire crackling merrily in the hearth. Above the fire is a flat screen TV. Two comfy armchairs and a sofa surround the fireplace area. A giant bookshelf completes the left side of the room. On the right side is a small kitchen and a bathroom. A beautiful wooden staircase is next to that. On the wall directly across from the door is a small room with a bathroom attached to it. We bound up the stairs and reach a indoor balcony overlooking the first floor. Down the balcony are two identical rooms with two bunk beds each, a table with two more comfy chairs, and a cabinet to store our things. When you keep following the hall of the inside balcony, it opens up into a wooden outside balcony with the perfect view of the stars at night.

"THIS PLACE IS AMAZING! IT HAS COFFEE, AND BOOKS, AND YOU CAN SEE THE STARS!!!" She sprints down the stairs most likely to make her coffee. We laugh and head into our rooms. Boys in one, girls in another. No one takes the downstairs bedroom; it's too creepy to be alone here. Aly climbs up into the bunk above me and falls asleep immediately. Kathryn grabs the shower and I throw my stuff down on my bed. I unravel my braid and waves tumble down my back. I head into the other bathroom to clean up a bit. I brush my teeth and my tangled hair with the supplies Amy and Rory gave us. When I come back out, Kylie is curled up in one of the armchairs by the fire with a book and a cup of coffee. I climb back upstairs and onto the outside balcony. The sun has almost set creating a light purple/ pink sky. I rest my hands on the rail and close my eyes. The sliding door behind me opens and closes again. Eric's hand lands on my shoulder.

"What are you thinking about?" he whispers.

"Things." I open my eyes and turn around. He stands there with the stars glittering in his crystal blue eyes. I sigh.

"What's wrong?" he asks, pushing a stray strand of hair behind my ear.

"Nothing. It's just a lot to handle."

"Hey, you have me." He laughs a little. "Come on, Serena. It's ok."

"I don't know. Now I feel like if we don't watch out backs every second, he's gonna come. He hasn't for awhile."

"He's going for the torture from far away strategy."

"I'm scared." Eric hugs me. I sigh again.

"The stars shine brighter here,” he says musically.

"They make me uneasy."

"Why?"

"They are too happy." He laughs again.

"That's a weird reason."

"The stars are so pretty and happy. It's not right," I groan.

"Well they aren't literally happy. They just look it. They are pretty though, just like you," he winks and comes closer to me. He is about two inches from me. We both lean forward, but I jerk back.

"What's wrong?" Eric's asks almost painfully.

"I'm sorry." Tears come to my eyes.

"Serena..."

"I just can't get any closer to you. What if I die? I'm sorry," I sob and run inside. I feel his eyes burn into my back as he stands alone in the cold.