Chapter 7
Kayla
There is only so much peopling I can do for one day, and as I look through my camper window, watching Ethan and his family laughing and eating, I grimace. If I go out there now, I will be bombarded by small talk. And I fucking hate small talk.
Instead, I throw on a swimsuit, covering myself with my black overcoat, and head for the falls. Best case, I’ll find someone to kill, and worst case, I’ll just go for a swim and head back. Either option sounds fine in this moment. I could use a good swim.
I sneak around the campsite, making sure no one sees me before heading through the trees to a secluded spot by the water. Much to my surprise, there is someone up ahead. An older gentleman stands on the rocks on the other side of the lake, holding a beer in one hand and a fishing rod in the other.
I look around and don’t see anyone else.
I take stock of his height, measuring in my head how heavy he is and how difficult it would be to take him down.
Looking at the rocks below him, if I could get close enough, I could just push him onto them, and it would probably knock him out long enough for me to strike.
My carving station isn’t very far from here either, so it would be a pretty easy kill. And then I would be done.
I creep through the trees, walking closer to the water’s edge, when the man spots me. He looks shocked at first, but covers it up with a wave. “Hey, want a beer?”
I shake my head. “No thanks. It’s a little too early for me.”
He shrugs. “Suit yourself.”
I wade through the river to the other side and start walking toward him. I have a friendly smile plastered on my face, as if I mean no harm. “Catching any fish today?”
He shakes his head. “No, the fish hate me this morning. But I just like tossing my line in and relaxing.”
I check our surroundings again. “You don’t have anyone fishing with you today?”
“Nope. My son wanted to sleep in this morning. I’ve been out here for hours, it seems.”
Good. That means no one saw him leave the campsite.
Stepping closer to him, I make my foot slip on one of the rocks to act like a meek woman, and it does exactly what I want it to.
The man puts down his rod and offers to help me up the steep slope before we settle at the top.
He doesn’t see me as a threat. They never do.
“Kayla!” I hear my name being called through the trees and jolt. Who the hell is calling my name?
The man looks down at me, picking up his rod. “You here with someone?”
I shake my head. “I’m not supposed to be,” I grumble, looking in the direction my name is coming from. That's when I see him. Ethan and his shaggy red curls were looking all over the place.
He stops when he sees me and waves. “Hey! There you are.”
I roll my eyes even though he can’t see me from this far and make my way down the hill again.
I silently curse him under my breath for ruining my easy kill.
I could have gone home tonight. Once I reach the water’s edge, I trudge back through the shallow water to the other side, where Ethan waits for me. “What do you want?”
He gives a low whistle. “Man, you are prickly. Susie-May sent me after you. She said she saw you go into the woods and wanted me to formally invite you to come swimming with us.”
I squint my eyes at him. I can’t even argue a reason why I can’t do it. I’m literally in my swimsuit and by the fucking water. Finally, I sigh. “Fine.” This kid is gonna be the death of me.
I would say I hated swimming and playing with a four-year-old, but then I would be a liar. Susie-May is the sweetest kid. Doesn’t take no for an answer and forces you so far out of your comfort zone that you don’t even know how you ended up there.
Now, as I sit in my camper, freshly showered and letting my hair dry, I think back to the man on the rocks. I could have killed him. I would be done, and he would be in my freezer right now. But Ethan had to go and ruin my perfect kill. Now what the hell am I going to do?
A loud bang on my camper door nearly startles me out of my chair. I groan. “You have got to be kidding me,” I mumble under my breath. Does having my camper as far away from everyone else not scream “Leave me the fuck alone”?
I swing the door open only to be greeted by Ethan and a tiny Susie-May. “Hi!” she beams at me, holding out her hand.
Ethan smirks at me before motioning toward the trees. “We come bearing an invitation.” Then he bows… fucking bows. Who the hell bows?
“Another one?” I raise my brow.
Susie-May giggles and reaches into my camper to grab my hand. She is strong for a four-year-old. I make sure to close my camper door before I follow reluctantly behind wherever she is taking me.
I can feel Ethan staring at me with every step we take, but I make it a point not to look at him. I’m still annoyed at him from earlier.
But to my surprise, we walk past where people are usually hanging out and head toward the large open field in the middle of the camp, where around a hundred people sit in folding chairs like they are waiting on something. I glance over my shoulder at Ethan. “What is happening?”
He smiles at me. “Fourth of July parade,” he checks his watch. “It starts in ten minutes.”
A parade? I grumble unintelligible words under my breath, too low for Susie-May to hear, and roll my eyes. This is not what I wanted to do today.
The parade is exactly what I expected. Fucking loud. People cheered from the sidelines like we were watching the president go by. Gold carts roll past, covered in red, white, and blue streamers. Someone drives by in an old pickup truck blasting patriotic music while kids throw candy into the crowd.
I watch as Susie-May rushes around our little area to grab each piece she can find, like they are priceless treasures. She holds one out to me, and I take it with a smile.
“So she does smile,” Ethan says.
My smile falls immediately. “I’m not smiling.”
He smirks. “Your smile was so big for that piece of candy. I saw it with my own eyes.”
I roll my eyes at him, turning back to watch the parade. “I wasn’t smiling.”
By the time evening rolls around, the entire campground smells like grilled food and smoke. The bonfire is bigger tonight. More chairs were stationed around it, and many more people than there were last night. I want to vomit. So many people.
Someone is passing out little shots of liquid as we find a seat near the fire. As people start finding their seats, a woman stands in the middle of the group on the other side. “Alright, everyone! Tonight’s part of the couples retreat tradition!”
Couples retreat? That explains why there are so many people here this week.
The woman then turns toward the rest of us and smiles. “As for the rest of you. I’m sorry for all the talking that is about to happen. But you guys can enjoy the show!”
She turns back toward her group and continues with whatever tradition she is hosting, and my mind wanders off to anything else. I think about how my freezer is still empty. I think about how I haven’t even gotten to use my tools yet. I think about…
Susie-May grabs my hand and squeezes it. “They are going to shoot fireworks in a little bit. Do you like fireworks?”
“Not really. I never understood…” I’m cut off by Ethan clearing his throat at me and giving me a look that says, “We don’t say that shit around her”. I clear my throat. “I mean, of course I do. Who doesn’t like seeing flashing lights in the sky?” I grit through my teeth and scowl at Ethan.
A group of men carries boxes of fireworks around the fire and heads toward the opening through which the parade was passing. Susie-May gasps. “Look at all of those!”
“Looks like it’s going to be a big show.”
At exactly 9:30, the first firework explodes in the sky. Bright red bursts scatter across the darkness, followed by streaks of blue and gold. Everyone cheers as another one shoots into the sky. Even I have to admit it’s beautiful. Pointless… but beautiful.
Susie-May grips my hand as another one goes off. “Look! That one looks like a flower.”
I nod my agreement.
As the next firework shoots into the sky, I hear a scream come from the tree line. It sounded like a woman. But by the time the cheering dies down, it’s silent. But I can tell some of the others heard what I did as they all looked in the direction it came from.
I excuse myself from the group, stating I need to use the bathroom and head toward where the scream came from.
The sound of low voices gets louder the closer I get to a camper on the far end of the campsite.
There are at least two people on the other side.
I quietly move around the corner until they come into view.
Two men and a woman stand over a man’s dead body.
The woman looks like she is falling apart or having a panic attack.
Her shallow breaths are deafening the closer I get.
A twig snaps under my boot, and all eyes turn toward me. The woman is the first to speak, throwing her hands out in front of her. “I didn’t mean to! It was an accident. I promise.”
But I don’t really care what she has to say. There is an opportunity lying on the ground at their feet. I can fill my freezer, and I can also help these people. I hold out my hand to stop her rambling and point at the body. “Can I have that?”
One of the men tilts his head to the side in confusion. “The body?”
I nod and bite my lip. “Um, yeah. You guys look like you need a clean up, and let's just say, I am good at that.”
They all look at each other before the other man nods. “Sure. He’s all yours.”
I grab the man by his arms and begin dragging him through the trees. His weight pulls against the dirt, leaving a dark trail behind us, but I don’t care. By the time I reach my clearing, my arms ache. But the sight waiting for me makes it all worth it.
My carving station shines in the moonlight, just begging for me to use it. I tie my rope around the man’s ankles and hoist him into the tree, letting him dangle, his body swaying back and forth.
Blood from his head wound is already dripping to the ground, but I unsheath my knife from my waist and cut his neck to help it flow faster.
Finally, my freezer will be full.