# A Thrilling Camping Trip

Title: A Thrilling Camping Trip
Status: Incomplete
Characters: Anon, Fang, Naser, Trish, Reed, Naomi, Stella, Rosa
Rating: SFW
Classification: One Shot
Author: Examanon
​
The car, usually spacious, felt suffocating to Anon. It was packed with the most colorful bunch of individuals, yapping on about a variety of topics, none that he cared about. Surely, he would have jumped out of the car already if it wasn't for the deadly impenetrable forest around them. That, and the dino holding his hand with vigor. Her patience must have been nearing its end too. It made him wonder how the two of them could end up in this situation.
It all began a few days before. Could have been just the averagest of average days, but fate had other plans from them. If not fate, a certain pink marmelade menace definitely did. She approached the duo in the cafeteria before they could have retreated to the music room, cornering them with a tired Naser in tow.
"Camping! Doesn't it sound great? I know that it's going to be just great!" Naomi exclaimed for all to hear "It's a well maintanined national park, so we're sure to have a nice time! Plus half of the school will be there! Isn't that exciting?"
Exciting wasn't really the word Anon would have used, though in this situation he rather opted to remain silent. He was sure that Fang will make her discontent known in just a second. To his surprise, she stayed more or less calm. Intrigued, in fact.
"Which park?" Fang asked.
"Volcaderan Valleys! Ooooh, I can't wait to get going!"
Naomi was just as energetic as ever. This time even Naser seemed to be apprehensive of this.
"Calm down, would you? The trip isn't for another week. There's a lot of paperwork we have to do, and besides, I think that--"
"Wait, the one by the volcano?" Fang interrupted, her tone was that one of disbelief.
"Yep, isn't that great? The most memorable landmark for a thousand miles, and we live right next to it!"
That actually piqued Anon's interest as well. He knew about the mountains nearby, but never really made the connection to the name `Volcadera Bluffs`. There was a legit volcano? Must be dormant.
"Like the dinorat's domain? Seriously?"
This time it was a nearby standing Stella who interjected. Under normal circumstances, it would have been rude to just barge into a conversation like that, although it wasn't like Naomi and Fang were having a personal chat. About half the cafeteria must have heard them, whether they liked it or not.
"What's a dinorat?" Anon asked, confused.
He imagined a furry bipedal raptor with a wormy tail, like that of a rat. Red eyes, mouth frothing with rabid desire to maim.
"Not what, who." Fang explained "He's like, the most badass serial killer in town."
"Was." Naomi swiftly corrected "And that's only if you believe in urban legends. There is no evidence that he, or anyone for that matter, lived there. And certainly nobody did any of those awful things!"
"No way! There are witnesses to back it up too!" The lime stego protested "He kidnapped and tortured a ton of people, and then sacrificed them to the volcano! And it was a she, not a he!"
"Really? I've always heard that it was a guy." Fang asked, totally entrenched in the conversation.
Before Stella could have answered, Naomi saw it fit to cut their exchange short. Apparently, she considered the nuances of serial killings less important than a promotion for a school-wide field trip.
"There wasn't, and isn't any kind of killer there or in town. The student council takes these things seriously, and we have done our due research. So please, Stella, keep these superstitions to yourself! There is no need to be afraid!"
She deliberately raised her voice for the last sentence, addressing everyone in the room. Anon just now noticed how many students were listening in on their conversation. At the exact moment, the bell rang. The little congregation parted ways there.
From there on, Fang was adamant on going. Truth be told, Anon was on edge too. Not that the idea of a schooltrip was to his taste, but seeing Fang this excited made him excited in turn. Stella's words kept creeping into his mind every now and again as well.
A serial killer sacrificing peope. He never really believed in all that occult mumbo-jumbo, but he considered it metal nonetheless. With a reputation like that, Anon could imagine the park being a hotspot for youngsters playing dares on eachother.
And thus, the two of them made sure Naser would file the paperwork with their names plastered onto it, application deadline be cursed. They've also spent the entire week getting supplies. Fang seemed dead set on finding the killer. A killer. Someone.
Anon was more concerned about actual wildlife and outdoors survival, finally making use of all the knowledge he gathered up from browsing endless nope threads. Sharp knife? Check. Lighter? Check. Compass? Check. Big ass backpack? Rope? MAP? Check, check, double check. Fang even managed to get her hands on a couple of old timey walkie-talkies from his dad. In the end, the only thing they were missing was a gun. It couldn't have hurt, but then again there deemed to be a lot of drunk teens. Maybe bringing a weapon wouldn't have been the best idea.
It was also a pleasant surprise to learn that only a handful of teachers would supervise them, and even then the chill ones. Certainly not Spears. In his words at the official announcement, he had complete faith in the capabilities of the student council. To Anon that pretty much translated to Spears not wanting to be around Naomi for an entire week.
And thus, the small group of friends embarked on their journey. Anon and Fang, Trish who just couldn't stay put once she learned about Fang going, Reed who just kind of tagged along, Naser and Naomi as official staff, and finally Stella and a last-minute-invited Rosa.
​
* * *
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As such, the Arin's car was packed to the brim. Luckily the girls from the gardening club had their own method of transportation, but Trish and Reed didn't. At first it seemed they won't fit at all unless someone sits in somebody else's lap. Fang and Anon should have been to be the logical choice, but Fang wouldn't have that. No surprises there.
Then it was Reed and Anon. In some unfathomable way Reed was cool with that. In the end though Trish volunteered to sit in Reed's lap. He was down with that also, making it obvious for everyone that he's actually somewhere far, far away from the physical realm. Naomi was displeased, but got overruled in a matter of seconds. They were late already, something that didn't really bode well for the actual organizers.
The day turned to afternoon, and then to evening by the time they got to the forest, still quite a ways from the actual park. The vegetation started getting increasingly dense, and the road more and more rough, which wasn't helping the case. Halfways there Naomi got a text from the teachers that they would head inside with the students, and that they'll set up the first campsite.
Naomi's chipper mood deflated afterwards. More than that, everyone slumped into their seats in silence. Anon couldn't have been more glad for that. Trish's inane ramblings about how they should have been allowed to play a show each night just about drove him insane.
The only noteworthy thing to happen during the rest of the ride was their coming across a couple of police cars. They didn't have sirens on, just parked by the side of the road. One of them was empty, the other had a very bored officer reading a book by the wheel.
In absence of better entertainment, Anon started theorizing about a manhunt for the Dinorat. It would have been the biggest cliché, having a serial killer on the loose during a schooltrip. Still, he couldn't really explain what two cop cars would be doing out here this late. The reading guy looked to be bored out of his mind, so he must have been sitting there for a while.
Maybe Fang or Naser would have some ideas, he thought. Afterall their father was the head of the police. Or a chief inspector. Someone high ranking. They've explained it to Anon once, but he forgot almost immediately and has been too scared to ask again.
"What do you think they were doing?" He whispered to Fang.
"Huh, who?"
"The cops."
"How should I know, dweeb?"
To everyone's surprise, Naser spoke up - for the first time since they got going. Props to him, driving for this many hours without pause, save for toilet breaks of course.
"Dad's probably told them about the trip, so they're doing a sweep. Just to make sure, you know. Nobody wants to lose their kids in a landslide."
His tone was flat and serious, must have given it some thought. It didn't really sit well with Anon though.
"But like, this late? And wouldn't that be the park rangers' job?"
"If you want something done well, you know?"
That didn't really make any more sense. Maybe Naser just didn't want the girls to spook and he thought that something might be going on? A quick check on Naomi told Anon that might very well be the case. She looked just as concerned, but trying to hide it. Trish didn't seem to be picking up on it, and Reed was just blankly staring out of the window.
Suddenly, Fang's hold tightened on Anon's hand. She, too, looked more serious now. She gave Anon a glance, implying that he should shut his face right about now.
That really fucking worried him. Both Naser and Fang seemed to have some idea about what was really going on, trying to be hush-hush in their own ways. It was weird to see them cooperate like that. As if the rest of the group were civilians of some sort. Civilians, that needed protection, apparently...
​
* * *
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Just as the sun has begun nearing the horizon, the six of them finally made it to the visitor center. It was a long and flat wooden building, its side lined by parking spaces and picnic tables. A dozen or so students lingered around. They were probably late too, and have been waiting for Naser and Naomi to arrive and take them inside. What was weird, the students were huddled around one of the tables, the one closest to the floodlight. Normally they would have been spread out one by one or in groups of three at most, fiddling with their phones and whatnot. Then and there, they looked like a gaggle of scared geese. It was only then that Anon realized how much the huge pines towered over them.
Naser mutely parked by the gates, then announced their arrival. Trish had since fallen asleep in Reed's lap, who seemed to be equally out of his mind despite his eyes being open. It occurred to Anon that their friend might have literally overdosed this time.
They got out of the car, Naser and Naomi immediately making their way to the group of other students. Both of them were trying to hide their worries and tiredness, probably for the best. A heated argument soon broke out. The only things Anon could make out while grabbing his stuff from the trunk were something about noises coming from the treeline, and that a couple of cops came by not long ago, and that these supposed cops were scared too.
A few minutes later Naser gathered everyone up, climbing on a bench to give a short speech.
"All right people, calm down! The main group has already set up camp at the first checkpoint. I want to reach them before nightfall, so we're gonna sport a pretty good tempo. I want everyone to get a pair. You will be responsible for the other person. Take care that they don't fall or injure themselves, and that they do not lag behind! Nobody is to go off the path, not even to take a piss. Is that all clear?"
As Naser went on about the rest of the rules and safety tips, Anon had to admire his spirit. Naser must have been half dead from such a long ride, and yet he was being an inspiring presence. A spectacle for the troops. Being an athlete can do that, probably. Still, there was something in his voice telling of his anxiety.
It was then that Anon decided enough was enough, pulling Fang aside.
"What's going on, for real? What's up with the police?" He asked, muffling his voice best he could.
"Don't freak, okay?" She took a look around, making sure that nobody was listening "There are a couple of pedos on the loose, and they were last seen in the area."
Well, that's a load off the mind, Anon thought. The premise of being sacrificed has just turned into the premise of being raped.
"Look," Fang continued "it makes no sense for them to stay here cause there's no food and shit, right? And there is no way they would attack a group this large. The teachers have been told too."
There was undeniable logic in what she was saying, but Anon still wasn't convinced. It all sounded like some smoke and mirrors bullshit one would say to the press when interviewed about a case. Something wasn't right. Too many little details didn't add up.
"How come you know about it? You and Naser?"
She took another look around. The others have already paired up in front of Naomi, who was reciting the rules over. Naser on the other hand was going straight for Anon and Fang.
"I'll tell you later, okay?" She quickly added before addressing her brother "Whatup retard, we goin' or what?"
"Momentarily. Can I trust you as a rearguard?"
"Yeah."
Once again, their exchange weirded Anon out. The two siblings were normally at eachother's throats, so seeing them super serious and working together was, well, weird. Somehow Fang was okay with Naser taking charge of the situation too, which was so out of character for her that Anon started considering if all of this was just a dream.
They took their place at the end of the convoy, and the column headed into the park. Even though Naser wanted to get to the camp before it went dark, that was definitely not going to happen. Fortunately most of the students had flashlights, and Naomi could hand out a few to those who didn't. Still, being in a dark forest at night made the already stressful atmosphere much worse. Almost unbearable, in fact.
People kept jumping at every noise coming from the trees, and looking behind their backs instead of paying attention to where they were going. Someone almost fell over a root because of that, and has been limping along since. Naser wasn't kidding about the speed either. It was nothing short of a forced march. Although thanks to that, only after an hour or so he announced that they should be getting there soon.
Amazingly, being at the back didn't get to Anon as bad as he thought it would. Not until a shrill cry came from deep within the forest, echoing through the trees, stopping the group in their tracks. The teens looked between eachother, not yet sure if they were hallucinating.
"Did you hear that?"
"Dude, I think I just heard the dinorat!"
"What was that?"
"Anyone heard that?"
And then came another. The scream lasted for a good ten seconds, eerily sounding like a woman being tortured to death. Just about everyone lost their shit at that point. The mighty Naser tried to salvage the situation, to little effect.
"It's probably just a mountain lion guys, they can sound like that. Let's continue!"
He tried to feign calmness, but his cracking voice betrayed him. He must have known that he didn't convince a single soul cause he tried again, only to be interrupted by more screams. That exact moment, hell broke loose.
People started running both towards the camp and back up the trail. Some of them dropped their backpacks in the process, freeing themselves of the burden. In all honesty, it took Anon all of his willpower not to join them. Caught up in the moment he could do little to help Fang, who was trying to stop the runners. At least Naser and Naomi managed to catch a teary-eyed shaking Trish, but that was all. Their group of twenty swiftly dwindled down to half.
Those who remained showed varying degrees of pants-pissing fear and hopelessness. With the exclusion of Reed of course, who only then started to register that something weird happened. Naomi - still holding onto Trish - started calling someone on her phone, probably the teachers. Maybe the police. Fang was too busy yelling obscenities at the scenery.
Naser seemed helpless, mirroring how Anon felt himself. His hands were shaking uncontrollably, more so than Trish. His heart was beating so hard and loud that he was sure it was going to lure in whoever or whatever was hunting them. He was honestly scared for his life.
The seconds passed by painfully slow. Everyone seemed to be anticipating something horrible happening, their flight or fight response completely shat down. The only two things to be heard were Fang's continuous swearing and Naomi's phone beeping. A few moments later someone picked up, and a panicked Naomi started shouting into the machine.
"COME AND GET US! THIS IS SO SHITTED UP!"
It was the first instance of Anon hearing her curse. Not that it was a good one, but still.
"The trail! We're at... Naser! Naser where are we? Naseeerrr!"
Naomi was bordering on hysterical. Thankfully Naser had some semblance of self-composure, taking the phone from her hands.
"W-we're at, we're just before the last f-fork to the checkpoint. There's a mountain lion nearby, please hurry. We'll stay here."
"Stay here?!" Fang shouted at him "Like hell! If you think that I'll--"
"Shut the fuck up Fang!" Naser shouted right back before returning to the phone, explaining what happened.
His comeback came out so harsh that it really did shut Fang up. She was huffing and puffing, eyeing daggers at Naser. Ultimately though, she's accepted the situation. It was then that Anon found himself capable of moving again. The rest of the group too, as if some spell was lifted, started moving about. Some flat out fell on their asses, others started looking around nervously, hugging eachother and crying. Thankfully the screams never came back.
The teachers and some other staff members arrived relatively fast. From there on they've split into two groups. Naomi and a few others going to the campsite, while Naser and the rest of the teachers went to find the runners. As he mentioned, the path forked about half a mile before the camp, so they were looking towards a long night of searching. There was no debate about letting Fang join the rescue party, however much she wanted to. Anon was seriously relieved at that, feeling way out of his element.
​
* * *
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The campsite was a spacious clearing with about a hundred small tents and a gazebo in the middle, surrounded by a well-lit chainlink fence. It felt much, much safer than the path, enticing a relieved sigh from the arrivals. There was a huge fire roaring next to the gazebo, students gathered up around it. The recent antics probably woke them, and now they were waiting for their friends. A lot of them came running once they heard Naomi's voice. She was more or less back to her normal self, writing down the incident as them being idiots who got scared by the wildlife. Or so she tried to explain away, no doubt to keep the charade going.