CAMPING (IV)

RYAN

The sun was starting to dip lower in the sky, casting long shadows across the forest floor. I leaned against a tree, frustration simmering just beneath the surface. We'd been at this for what felt like an hour, searching every inch of the damn place, and we had nothing to show for it.

With a sigh, I checked the time and pulled out my phone, sending a quick message to the group.

MEET BACK WHERE WE SPLIT UP.

I pocketed the phone and glanced around, the forest quiet except for the rustling of leaves and distant calls of birds. It was peaceful in a way, but it did nothing to calm the restlessness gnawing at me. This whole scavenger hunt had turned into a joke.

After a few minutes, Sarah was the first to show up. She emerged from between the trees, looking just as tired and irritated as I felt.

“Anything?” I asked, though I already knew the answer.

She shook her head, running a hand through his messy hair. “Nothing. Not even a hint of that plant. This whole thing is stupid.”

I grunted in agreement, shifting my weight as the others started to trickle in. Luke showed up next, followed by a few others, all looking equally annoyed. Evelyn was the last to arrive, looking as if she had just survived some personal tragedy.

“Can we call it quits now?” she complained, brushing a leaf off her shirt. “This is ridiculous. I’m not about to keep wandering around this place for some stupid plant.”

I ignored her, glancing around. “Is that everyone?” I asked, scanning the small group.

“Yeah, I think so,” Luke replied, but then paused, frowning. “Wait...where’s Violet?”

My stomach tightened. I looked around again, slower this time, counting heads. There were five of us. Violet was nowhere to be seen.

“She should be here by now,” I muttered, pulling out my phone. “She’s not answering the group message.”

Evelyn rolled her eyes. “Maybe she’s just taking her time. Or maybe she found the plant and decided to bring it back on her own.”

“Or maybe she’s lost,” Luke said, his voice edged with concern. “We said we wouldn’t go far from each other. She should’ve been here by now.”

I tried calling her, pressing the phone to my ear and waiting. The line rang once, then twice, before dropping to voicemail. I frowned, trying again, but the result was the same—nothing.

“No answer,” I said, tension creeping into my voice. “She’s not picking up.”

Katie pulled out her own phone, trying the same, but after a few seconds, she shook her head. “Still no luck.”

“What the hell?” I muttered, a wave of unease rolling through me. She couldn’t just vanish.

Evelyn sighed, clearly impatient. “She’s probably fine. You guys are overreacting.”

“Shut up, Evelyn,” I snapped, my frustration boiling over. “If she was fine, she’d be here. Or at least answering her phone.”

Luke stepped forward, his brow furrowed. “Maybe we should retrace her steps? She couldn’t have gone far. We split up not that long ago.”

I nodded, my jaw tight. “Yeah, let’s do that”

The others murmured their agreement, and we set off, heading towards the direction she walked off earlier.I led the way, my thoughts racing. Something wasn’t right, and I could feel it in my gut.

“Dammit” I muttered under my breath, shoving my phone back into my pocket.

“Violet!!”Luke called out,his face mirroring my own unease. We waited for a response but none came.

The others called out too but no response again,no response. Evelyn lounged against a tree like she had all the time in the world. Typical.

“She’s probably just wandering off somewhere,” Evelyn said with a shrug. “Maybe she found that stupid plant and didn’t feel the need to come back here.”

Her indifference made my blood boil. I rounded on her, my voice sharp. “Would you shut the hell up for once, Evelyn?”

Her eyes widened, and she pushed herself off the tree, giving me a cold glare. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me,” I snapped, stepping toward her. “Violet’s out there, alone, not answering her phone, and you think she’s just taking her time? Get over yourself.”

Evelyn scoffed, crossing her arms. “Wow, getting all worked up over Violet now? What, you’re suddenly her knight in shining armor?”

I glared at her, the anger surging up like wildfire. “Don’t test me right now.”

She opened her mouth, but Luke cut in, stepping between us. “This isn’t helping. We need to find Violet, not argue.”

I shot Evelyn one last glare before turning away, running a hand through my hair in frustration. My pulse was pounding, and the unease in my chest twisted into something darker. It wasn’t like Violet to just vanish. Something had happened. I could feel it in my gut, and it was eating me alive.

We kept walking. The thought of her somewhere out there, alone, stuck, or worse, made my muscles tense with frustration.

Every snap of a twig made my head jerk up, my heart racing. But it was never her. Just birds, or the damn wind playing tricks on me. I cursed under my breath again, every second she wasn’t here making me angrier.

“Where the hell is she?” I muttered, pacing in a tight circle. .

Katie gave me a look of concern, her voice soft. “She could be lost... or maybe her phone died?”

“That’s not the point!” I snapped, louder than I intended. Everyone flinched, but I didn’t care. “She shouldn’t be lost in the first place. We said we wouldn’t go far. She’s not answering her phone. That’s a problem.”

Luke stepped in again, his hand landing on my shoulder. “We’ll find her, man. Let’s not jump to conclusions”

I shook him off, pacing again, my hands itching to hit something. My mind was racing with possibilities, none of them good. Was she hurt? Trapped somewhere? The thought of her lying somewhere in pain, or worse, made my stomach twist.
“I can’t just wait around hoping we’ll find her.” Frustration pulsed through me as I quickened my pace, walking away from the others.

“Ryan,” Luke called after me, his voice steady but concerned. I didn’t bother looking back. A second later, I heard his footsteps close behind, matching mine in silence. At least he wasn’t trying to stop me.

We kept calling out her name, but again—nothing. My frustration only grew, twisting tighter with every unanswered shout.

Then I spotted it.

“Wait,” I said, stopping abruptly. I crouched down, noticing a small, visible trail in the dirt. “Her footsteps.”

Luke caught up, his gaze following mine. “Yeah, this is hers.” He nodded, and for the first time since she’d gone missing, I felt a small flicker of relief.

Together, we followed the faint trail, shouting her name as we went. I strained my ears, desperate to hear anything—any sign of her.

Then, finally, a response.

“I’m here…”

The voice was faint but unmistakable. I looked ahead and saw it—a pit, half-hidden by foliage. Shit. She must’ve fallen in. Without a second thought, I jumped down, landing softly in the pit below.

Violet was curled up in a corner, her face streaked with tears, dirt clinging to her clothes. Her wide, tearful eyes shot up the second she saw me.

“Ryan…” she whispered, her voice shaking. “Luke…”

A thud sounded behind me as Luke jumped down, quickly crossing over to her. He crouched by her side, his hands already checking for any signs of injury. Seeing them like that twisted something in my gut, but I swallowed it down.

“Let’s get the hell out of here,” I muttered, extending my hand toward her, ready to pull her up.

But before I could, Luke beat me to it. He bent down, offering his back. Without hesitation, Violet climbed on, wrapping her arms around his shoulders as he hoisted her up. I watched silently as they ascended together.

She glanced back at me, her eyes soft with a quiet gratitude. “Thank you,” she murmured, her voice barely audible

Then they disappeared over the edge, leaving me alone in the pit, my hand still stretched out in the empty space where she had been.