Every time I glanced at my leg, I'm haunted by memories.

The pain was gone, as was most of the injury, but the scar was still there. It looked

like something tried to bite my leg clean off, and that's usually the story I tell people when they ask.

Fighting off an animal is a lot more believable than what actually happened. The other boys in my cabin

had decided to skip out on the campfire one night and investigate the forest.

Much to my surprise, they invited me.

Blinded by the idea of having friends, I didn't think twice about joining them.

I've come to regret that day ever since.

Once the campfire started and we told the cabin counselor that we were going to sleep, we set out to

the forest. The leader of the group, a kid named Braden, took the lead and led us deeper and

deeper into the woods. Camp Nightingale had a rumor that there was a monster lurking within its

woods. Of course, no one believed it. Or at least, I thought they didn't. As I looked to my left, I noticed that

Daniel, a kid with a body type more similar to mine, was wielding a slingshot. Any good that

would do, I thought. We're not actually going to find anything. You guys know that, right?

I asked, looking around the group of laughing and joking boys who were all sporting

various amounts of weapons. They just laughed. Probably not, but it would be awesome if we did.

The kid said, aiming his slingshot at me and preparing to launch whatever he was aiming at.

I flinched, instantly stopping my walk as the group chuckled.

Still the butt of the joke, I thought.

That's when I heard it.

It was so synced with my footsteps that I almost missed it, but the moment I stopped,

something behind me took another step before pausing.

...