Trip

:

The train slowly rolled into the station. It braked with a terrible clatter of metal scraping against itself. The station looked like a set for an old spaghetti western – a decaying red brick building, a few stylized benches on the platform, and on one of them two bearded old men curiously watching the passengers disembark.

A teenage girl first threw her backpack onto the platform and then jumped over the steps. Immediately after her, more young people jumped off the train. They seemed to be forming a group. They all carried stuffed backpacks with mess kits attached, sleeping bags, and blankets. There were seven of them: three girls and four boys.

"Oh my, what a place this is," moaned one of the girls, a tall, slim brunette with a straw hat.

"Great, we've found a dead end," added the stocky blonde.

"I like it." The girl who had first jumped off the train slung her backpack over her shoulders with a deft movement. Despite her average height and slight build, she looked fit and able to withstand the rigors of hiking.

"Jammie, Ricky, don't just stand there like pillars, let's get going," she commanded, as if she were the leader of the pack.

The blonde and the other, reddish-haired boy exchanged a significant look. The tall, dark-haired handsome man in a colorful, open shirt chuckled maliciously.

"Is there something you don't like, Chris?" The girl looked at him cheekily.

"On the contrary, I'm liking you more and more," he replied.

Surprised, she was momentarily flustered, but quickly regained her composure.

"Enough of this talk, we're going to town to find a place to stay for tonight, and we'll set off tomorrow morning.

" "Wouldn't it be better to start today?" "Why pay extra for some dingy hotel when we can sleep under the stars?

" "Gosh, Neville, you're a romantic!" The redhead laughed.

"I like that idea," the brunette in the hat said. "Sleeping outdoors, under the stars, that's exactly what we wanted. Besides, we won't have to get up in the morning."

The charismatic blonde thought for a moment, then nodded in agreement.

"Fine. Then we follow the tracks and then turn left into the forest. We should be at the river before evening."

With a similar grinding sound as it had entered, the train left the station, and when it disappeared into the distance, a group of friends stepped onto the tracks and followed. A lively blonde girl led the way, followed by a brunette in a hat and a dark-skinned girl with a colorful scarf wrapped around her head. Neville and Chris followed close behind, followed by the redhead and the blonde. At first, they marched steadily, accompanied by music from the radio Jammie carried, shouting over the hits blaring from the speakers. After a while, they quieted down. Despite it being mid-afternoon, the heat was unbearable. The boys behind them slowed their pace. They practically dragged their feet, groaning every now and then.

"Damn you, Neville, with your ideas!" Jammie groaned.

"We could have been drinking cold beer in some nice bar," added the redheaded Ricky.

"Aren't you ashamed?" Chris turned to them. "The girls are holding their own, and you're giving up." Look at how strong Brenda is.

"Maybe she'll carry me," Jammie retorted. "My legs hurt.

" "What are you complaining about, Jammie?" The blonde paused for a moment.

"Nothing, nothing, Brenda," he replied quickly.

"He mentioned he'd like to carry you," Chris hurried to explain. Jammie shot him a furious look, then pursed his lips and remained silent for the rest of the way.

They marched along the tracks to a place where the tall grassy plain gave way first to a sparser grove, and then to an increasingly dense forest. Then Brenda decided to deviate from their current course and delve deeper into the undergrowth. Everyone was relieved to enter the green canopies of trees, which finally provided welcome shade. The heat had visibly eased. The terrain rose upward, the vegetation became denser, and it also became significantly cooler. Brenda found a thick branch and used it to clear a path.

"Can't we rest for a moment?" asked the girl in the hat. "My arms are about to give out.

" "I feel we're close," Brenda replied. "No point in stopping.

" "Wait," Neville said to the brunette. "Give me your backpack, I'll carry it.

" "Oh ho ho, what a gentleman," Chris snorted. Ignoring this, Neville took the backpack from the girl and strapped it to his front.

"Why don't you take mine too," Chris sneered.

"Stop it and keep going, we have to set up camp before it gets dark," Brenda ordered

. "Can't we just crash into the bushes?" Ricky groaned

. "You can, Ricky, I want to eat dinner and get comfortable in my sleeping bag," she replied.

They walked slower and slower. There were no paths in the forest, which meant they avoided clumps of densely growing bushes. Brenda kept checking her direction on a small pocket compass. After another half hour of walking, they finally heard the sound of water.

"The river, we've arrived!" the dark-skinned girl said, quieting down.

This gave everyone renewed energy. Even Jammie and Ricky didn't hesitate any longer. After a dozen or so minutes, they emerged from the exceptionally dense bushes onto the riverbank. The view took their breath away for a moment. The sun, which had just dipped behind the forest, left pink and orange streaks in the sky, their reflections blending fantastically with the silhouettes of trees reflected on the dark water.

"God, it's beautiful here," the brunette sighed.

"That's nothing," Neville replied. "You'll see what it's like at the waterfalls." "

Oh, it's so good to be free of all these burdens," Ricky said, throwing off his backpack.

Jammie lay down straight on the sand. Chris dumped his things next to them and began undressing.

"Hey, what are you doing?" the Black woman asked.

"I've been waiting for this all day," he replied. "I'm going to jump in and wash all the dust off me.

" "Now?

" "The water's the best right now, warmed up after a long day. Come on, Alison, join me."

The dark-skinned girl shook her head doubtfully.

"I understand, you're afraid Brenda might be jealous.

" "Something too!" The girl in question snorted. "We'll splash around later, first we have to get the camp ready.

" "I'm back for dinner," Chris shouted back, jumping into the water.

"A sheep," Brenda muttered. "And you two," she turned to the boys lying on the sand. "Get moving, gather sticks for the fire, once!"

Under her stern gaze, they rose obediently. They preferred to get out of her sight. The girls took off their heavy boots and began leveling the sand on the beach with their bare feet. Neville was setting out sleeping bags. Chris, unconcerned, splashed in the water.

No sooner had the boys, sent out to gather wood, disappeared from view than Ricky found a mossy stump and, with a long grunt, sat down on it.

"What are you doing?" Jammie asked.

"Can't you see?" I'm resting

. Brenda will kill us if we come back empty-handed

. Are you that afraid of her?

Come on!

We'll just sit there for half an hour, wait for them to get everything ready, and then come back with a few sticks.

You have ideas too! Man, he sighed, pushing back the blond strands of hair stuck to his forehead. I'm all sticky. Do you think if I crouch in the bushes by the river they'll notice me?

Not if you go a little further. Just don't get lost, Ricky laughed

. You know what? You're pissing me off!

Jammie left his friend and headed through the undergrowth, looking for a convenient spot to dip into the water. He regretted now that he hadn't joined Chris. At least Chris wasn't worried about anything. Jammie was a little envious of his friend's ease, freedom, and resourcefulness. Chris was always coming up with new ideas, and this trip was his suggestion, too. Frankly, Jammie had a bad feeling ever since he heard about this trip. He felt his anxiety growing with each passing moment, but he wasn't sure where it was coming from. So far, everything was going according to plan. They weren't even arguing like they usually did.

He reached a spot where the bushes thickly covered the riverbank. Hiding in the leaves, he reached the water, leaned over the surface, scooped some water into his hands, and splashed it on his face. He breathed a sigh of relief. He quickly took off his shoes and dipped his aching feet. With a loud sigh, he lay down on the grass. The sky above him was dark blue, growing darker with each passing moment. The first stars were also appearing. The voices of his friends echoed just above the flowing water. Suddenly, he heard a rustle beside him. He jumped up and lost his balance for a moment. He grabbed the nearest branch, only by doing so he avoided sliding straight into the river. He stood, listening. The rustle repeated. Slowly, trying to be as quiet as possible, the boy began to move in the direction he thought the sound was coming from. He pushed aside the bushes that were getting in the way and stopped dead in his tracks. A completely naked girl knelt by the bank, slowly brushing her wet hair. She had very fair skin, almost as white as milk. Her auburn hair straightened with the brush, only to curl into delicate waves a moment later.

The girl stopped brushing. She froze, listening, and after a moment, as if waiting for him to arrive, she slowly turned toward Jammie. She had a beautiful face with delicate features and extraordinary eyes. She looked at the enchanted intruder, more with curiosity than fear, then jumped to her feet, grabbed a dress lying nearby, and disappeared into the bushes.

"Hey, wait!" Jammie snapped out of his reverie.

He wanted to run after her, but he'd barely taken a step when he stepped on a twig and hissed in pain. He was barefoot. He cursed under his breath. He had to go back for his shoes, and it was getting darker, so chasing the girl might get lost. Besides, he'd lost track of where she'd gone anyway. He decided to return to camp. He walked as if spellbound. He hadn't expected to encounter anyone like her here. She looked like a ghost, or some kind of mermaid. Although he'd only seen her for a moment, he still pictured her hair curling down her bare back, her slightly parted lips, and her rounded breasts.

Dusk had already fallen, and it was getting chilly. The friends' belongings were scattered on the beach, their backpacks supporting the low sandbank surrounding the camp. A tarp strung on two poles formed a sort of roof, which protected the backpacks on one side and also served as a screen.

"Where are the branches for the fire?" Jammie's friends greeted him as soon as he emerged from the undergrowth onto the beach. Oh yes, he had completely forgotten his assigned task.

"You'll be going back to the forest soon," Brenda threatened. "You won't get dinner if you don't gather the sticks."

Unconcerned, he sat down on the sand, right next to the slowly burning fire.

"You won't believe what just happened to me," he said slowly .

"Don't tell me you were attacked by wild animals," Chris laughed

. "Quite the opposite," he replied. He looked at his friends' faces. They were watching him with interest.

"A few steps from here," he began, "the most beautiful girl I've ever seen was bathing completely naked.

" "Oh," Ricky admitted. "The sun's bad for your head." He added

. "It's not a hallucination, she was there, literally within arm's reach.

" "And where is she now?" Chris asked, interested.

"She ran away at the sight of me." "

Well, I'll believe

that," Brenda laughed. "You think I made that up?" He became angry. "I don't know what she was doing here, but she was real.

" "She probably had white, delicate skin," Neville said. "Auburn hair and eyes that reflected the stars."

Jammie was momentarily speechless

. "Exactly!" He admitted. "How do you know?

" "Well, Jammie, I pity you, you've stumbled upon a drowning woman. According to legend, she lives by this river and appears from time to time to poor people, wanting to kidnap them and drag them into its depths."

Chris and Ricky chuckled.

"Say what you will, I know what I saw," he said, offended

. "I believe you," Neville added. Jammie was surprised by a strange seriousness in his friend's eyes.

He shrugged, however, and fell silent. He blamed his friends for making jokes about everything. It was hard to blame them, really. No one would believe his story. He was already starting to believe it himself. Maybe he really was imagining things?

Meanwhile, the friends had settled down around the fire on their blankets and sleeping bags. Brenda was expertly loading new film into her camera. Chris, gnawing on a blade of grass, watched her with admiration. Neville and dark-haired Tina had wrapped themselves in the blanket together and were now snuggled together, whispering sweet nothings. Alison was leafing through an illustrated magazine for the races with Ricky, eating chips from a large plastic bag. The radio hummed softly.

Jammie closed his eyes. For a brief moment, he saw that extraordinary figure again behind his eyelids. Now he was only beginning to understand why the sight of her had so transfixed him. He had been completely unprepared for such a sight, especially in the middle of the forest. The mysterious stranger captivated him with her naturalness. She stood before him naked, exactly as nature had created her, without a trace of makeup, hair dye, or tanning bed tan. She was nothing like the city girls he had known, those beauties who spent hours at fitness clubs and saved every penny for plastic surgery. She was perfect. Those eyes… how had Neville described them? Eyes that reflected the stars… And how was it possible for him to provide such a precise description?

Jammie remembered that at the beginning of their acquaintance, in their first years at school, Nell had been considered an oddity. He constantly got on the wrong side of the teachers, even though he was a good student. They probably didn't like his extravagance. His style, more suited to a character from a cheap crime movie, involved slinking through the school hallways in a dark coat, a loose brown sweater, or a faded T-shirt, depending on the season, with the inevitable bandana wrapped around his neck and dark glasses perched on his nose. As if all that weren't enough, Neville propagated some bizarre theories, reading books on the occult, parapsychology, voodoo, and possession. Some suspected him of Satanism, others thought he was just a harmless madman. Jammie remembered Nell once showing off his ability to read thoughts and predict the future, which he'd acquired on one of the bizarre courses he'd been taking constantly. Perhaps he had truly mastered this art and perhaps still used it? Admittedly, his friend had changed beyond recognition since then. Overnight, he'd become an ordinary boy. He'd burned his books and talismans. He was certain his dabbling with magic had caused an accident to one of the teachers. By pure coincidence, the day after a small argument in math class, when the mathematician had called Neville a lunatic and advised him to change schools—a move he often suggested to other students—the teacher's mutilated body was found. Since then, the boy had not only abandoned his style but also transformed from an eccentric eccentric into a completely average person, perhaps a little more reserved than others. However, there was a possibility he was still using what he'd once learned... And anyway, damn him!

Jammie opened his eyes. It seemed to him he'd been lying there thinking for only a moment, while the fire was dying down and his friends were asleep, wrapped in their sleeping bags. Darkness reigned all around. The boy rose from the ground, rubbed his numb legs, made himself comfortable, then quickly shed his jeans and shirt and climbed into his sleeping bag.

"Jammie..." he heard someone whisper.

"What?"

- You can't sleep either?

"I don't know, I'm just trying to sleep," he replied, trying to see who he was talking to in the darkness.

"That apparition you saw today is bothering me.

" "Is that you, Neville? Don't be silly, I just imagined it."

"No, I must have heard or read about her.

" "This nonsense again? I thought you were over it." Jammie was a little irritated. He felt like he was still the butt of stupid jokes.

For a short moment, there was silence. Jammie settled back, determined not to worry about the whole thing.

"Jammie…" came the voice from the darkness again. "I have a feeling something bad is going to happen.

" "Shut up and let me sleep!" The boy pulled the blanket over his head. He suddenly felt cold. He had a bad feeling too.

*******

Although the morning was beautiful and warm, the young people wrapped in their sleeping bags were shivering. The sand on the beach seemed slightly damp. Brenda was the first to climb out of her bed. She immediately began warming up with gymnastic exercises. She stretched her joints, jumped, and waved her arms. After a moment, Chris joined her. The girl pretended not to notice his enigmatic smile and his persistent gaze. Chris didn't give up, never leaving her side.

"Did you sleep badly?" he asked. "

Quite the opposite," she replied between bends.

"So why are you so scowling?

" "Do you think so?"

"Let's go for a bath," he suggested.

"The water's too cold.

" "Hey, guys, let's save the baths for the waterfalls," Neville interjected. "I tell you, it's wonderful."

Brenda stood, breathing heavily.

"If we're going to get there at a decent hour, we need to quickly prepare breakfast and break down this makeshift camp." she said.

"What exactly are we in a hurry for?" Ricky was still lying on his bed. "Will someone cut our heads off if we stay here a while?

" "If we don't follow the plan, we'll run out of food," Brenda declared. "

Big deal!" Ricky snorted. "We'll catch a fish!"

Chris chuckled evilly.

"Ricky, the trapper, self-sufficient, resistant to hardship and adversity, seasoned in the worst conditions!" He sneered. "What are you going to catch that fish with, you idiot?

" "What's in it for Ricky!" Neville chimed in. "He'll rig a rod or catch it with his bare hands. Easy as pie!

" "Piss off!" he growled, mockingly. "I have to do everything according to plan and on cue, like in school!

" "Get ready, the army is waiting!" Chris laughed

. "Stop fooling around and get to breakfast!" Brenda ordered.

They obediently went their separate ways. The girls busied themselves with making sandwiches, the boys with packing their things. After a while, not a trace of the camp remained. The sun was already high in the sky when they set off along the river towards the waterfalls. This time, the heat wasn't as bothersome. The surrounding bushes provided plenty of shade, and a pleasant cool breeze blew in from the river. Ricky, Chris, and Neville had forgotten their argument and, keeping a little back, exchanged opinions about their friends. Jammie didn't seem interested. He walked alone, lost in thought. The girls, sensing the boys were discussing them, kept turning to their friends.

"Hey, what are you doing there?" they shouted. "They're definitely painting us!

" "Worse than girls," Brenda said.

"By the way, Chris has a huge crush on you," Alison observed.

"He's pathetic," Brenda shrugged

. "Don't exaggerate, lots of girls are after him." I wouldn't be indifferent.

"Then take him!

" "It's not like we can decide about him like that, besides, he doesn't pay any attention to me." She sighed. "Speaking of which, Tina, how are things with Nell?

" "Very well!" The brunette perked up. "He's so romantic...

" "I hope you've talked him out of that nonsense he used to do?"

Tina suddenly frowned.

"I don't believe it, he's still practicing witchcraft?" Alison was surprised

. "No.

" "So, what's the matter?

" "Leave her alone," Brenda interjected

. "If someone has a problem, they share it with their friends, that's what they're there for," Alison retorted. "Don't you want to tell us, Tina?"

The girl hesitated for a long moment.

"It's not a big deal," she replied reluctantly. "Actually, it's not about Nell. Something strange is happening to me.

" "What do you mean?

" "You'll think I'm sick.

" "Speak up! Now you have to tell us.

" "I..." she began. She looked at her friends. They were casting curious glances her way. "Sometimes I start to believe these things myself.

" "How so?

" "I can't explain it," she sighed. "Everything seems normal, Neville is the most wonderful guy in the world, and yet I feel like what he used to do has left a mark on him. He often avoids me, goes his own way, tells me nothing about himself. Sometimes I feel a great coldness from him, and it's not just about feelings... It's so hard to explain. "

The girls remained silent. The boys' giggles came from behind them.

"You know," Brenda said, "Every one of them seems possessed. Guys just don't grow up. They're really just little kids pursuing their own childish passions.

" "You're probably right," Tina said quietly.

The heat began to intensify. Now even the shade of the trees offered no relief. The forest grew increasingly stifling. The young people slowed their pace. Alison performed a well-received applause by putting on sunscreen while walking. The boys took off their shirts. Neville threw his sweatshirt over his head and secured it with his baseball cap. This protected not only his head but also part of his back from the sun. Ricky occasionally doused himself with water, Jammie tried to fan himself with a small frying pan, and only Chris seemed unconcerned by the scorching sun. His beautiful, bronze tan indicated he often enjoyed the pleasant weather.

At one point, Brenda stopped. As the others joined her, they heard a distinct rustling sound. They exchanged glances and wordlessly moved in the direction of the sound. With each step, the clattering grew louder. They couldn't go too fast, as the terrain sloped upwards and they encountered obstacles, first smaller, then larger rocks. After about half an hour of climbing, they finally saw the waterfalls.

The rock over which the water flowed wasn't very high. Its walls seemed slippery with slime, overgrown with greenish algae. Streams of water flowed down channels carved into the stone, occasionally splashing over protruding outlets, then pouring in a steady stream, smooth as a wall of glass. Drops of water on the leaves of the surrounding trees sparkled in the sun. At the foot of the waterfall, the river formed something like a small lake, with grass growing on one side and a cluster of rocks on the other.

The young people reveled in the sight. Brenda pulled out her camera and began photographing the area.

"Get in position," she directed. "Are these supposed to be conqueror's poses?" You look like a bundle of misery!

"Neville, how do you know places like this?" Alison asked.

"I was here once, as a child, with my uncle

." "Oh my, what cold water!" Ricky dipped his hand into the "pond.

" "This is the best," Chris said. "Who goes for a dip?

" "I think we should first..." Brenda began

. "Don't worry," he interrupted. "If we only do what's right and what's right, we'll soon go crazy."

She shrugged, offended. She wanted to leave, but as soon as she turned around, Chris grabbed her in his arms, as easily as if she weighed nothing, and threw her into the water with all his might. She surfaced, sneezing and sputtering.

"You idiot! I could have drowned!" she screamed. "I could have had a cramp! You ruined my clothes! This water is bloody cold!"

Her friends' laughter answered her from the shore.

"I'll join you soon, honey," Chris teased.

"Come here and I'll beat you so hard you won't recognize yourself in the mirror!" The girl threatened him

. "You're a tough woman, don't you dare!" Chris chuckled. "I'm coming to you now, my dear."

He jumped into the water and swam toward Brenda. They began splashing each other, shrieking and laughing.

Ricky took off his shoes but only dipped his feet in the water. Jammie washed his face. Alison climbed onto the rocks and walked up to the falls. She set down a juice bottle, grabbed some water, and drank it.

"Want some?" she called

. "Sure!

" Tina changed into her swimsuit, but as soon as she felt the icy cold wash over her feet, she retreated to the grass. Neville, on the other hand, slipped off the rocks and plunged into the water. He swam to the falls, pulled himself up, and stood directly under the spray.

Alison lay down next to Tina, pulled out some sunscreen, and began rubbing it on herself.

"I don't know how your boyfriend can stand that shower," she said. "It gives me chills just looking at him.

" "I don't understand how they can splash around like that either." They'll catch a cold!

Brenda and Chris swam over to Neville. They seemed to want to use the natural shower, just like him. Brenda jumped away after a few seconds, shivering from the cold. Despite her uncomfortable, wet clothes, she climbed onto the slippery rocks and climbed ashore. She ran to her sunbathing friends and stood over them, pale, hunched over unnaturally, shivering, and chattering.

"Pneumonia for sure," Alison declared, throwing her a towel

. "Guys, get out of there, you'll get cramps!" Tina shouted.

As if the sound of that voice was a command, they both jumped off the rocks and started swimming towards the shore. Chris was faster. They emerged panting and shaking off water droplets. When they sat down on the grass, Alison and Tina almost forcibly began drying them off.

"It's a shame we didn't go swimming too," Ricky said. "I wonder if they'd be jumping around us too.

" "God, you're so cold!" Alison remarked. "You need to get some sun now.

" "Oh no!" Neville jumped up, gathered up his scattered clothes, and walked toward the thicker undergrowth. "I've been frying all day, now I'll sit in the shade," he added, disappearing into the bushes.

Brenda, changed into a dry tracksuit, her head wrapped in a towel, began to set out her things—a sleeping bag, blankets, a warmer jacket for the evening.

"Can't you just give it a rest for once?" Chris sighed.

"I wonder how we'll sleep with this rushing water," she said, ignoring him.

"Girl," Chris laughed. "You've lived in the city your whole life and you're not bothered by the noise, the roar of cars, ambulances, and police cars with sirens blaring. The sound of water is a symphony to the ears."

- Just so we don't have to run into the bushes too often - Ricky laughed.

Brenda began unpacking her food. The others felt themselves getting hungry too. Within moments, canned goods, bread, peanut butter, tomatoes, cookies, crackers, and chips appeared on the blanket. Chris was pouring juice into plastic cups.

"Feast, feast!" Ricky called.

"Nell, get out of those bushes!" Alison urged, exchanging a knowing look with Tina.

"Leave him alone," Chris interjected. "There'll be more for us."

They settled on the edge of the blanket. Brenda took a few photos. They fooled around a bit. Chris and Ricky placed the empty cups on their heads, while Alison and Tina stuffed the largest tomatoes under their sunbeds, giving themselves ridiculously large breasts. Only Jammie sat there, looking glum. Finally, he grabbed a few biscuits and walked toward the bushes. The others exchanged meaningful glances and, as if on cue, burst out laughing.

"I think someone's fallen in love," Chris said.

"With a drowning woman," Ricky snorted

. Jammie pretended not to have heard anything. He sank deeper into the dense vegetation. He walked, looking around. The shade of the trees was pleasantly cool. He saw Neville lying in a depression between the roots of a tall tree. The ground was covered with soft, aquamarine-green moss.

Jammie approached and sat on a protruding branch. Neville didn't move; he looked as if he were asleep. His head was still wrapped in a towel.

"I brought you some cookies," Jammie whispered, checking if his friend was actually asleep.

"Thanks, but I don't feel like it," came a voice from the man

. "Is something wrong? Don't you want to go to everyone?" Jammie probed. He was looking for a reason, wanting to talk to Neville, who was the only one he could talk to right now.

His friend slid the towel off his head and opened his eyes. Jammie felt a cold shiver run down his spine. He saw Neville's incredibly dilated pupils shrink within seconds to barely visible pinpricks in the center of his green irises. His friend's icy hand tightened on Jammie's arm.

"You'll see her again today," Neville hissed. "And you'll die!

" "Stop it!" Jammie wrenched himself free.

He jumped up, scattering biscuits in the process. He quickly walked away, still hearing his friend's muffled laughter behind him. He was filled with rage at everyone and himself for having been talked into this foolish excursion. They were having a wonderful time at his expense. He walked forward, knocking over branches, tearing leaves from trees, kicking small stones and twigs. He regretted not bringing his cigarettes. He wanted to take a long drag. He reached a larger group of rocks. He sat down on the flattest one. He slowly calmed down, watching the sun disappear in the treetops. He squeezed his eyes shut and inhaled. Those eyes of Neville's… he still remembered them. He'd never seen anything like it. And that coldness… Jammie wasn't so sure anymore if what he'd experienced was just his friend's prank. Or was Nell in some kind of trance? No, that couldn't be possible. He'd sooner gotten high. Yes, he'd definitely gone into the bushes to help himself. Hence the dilated pupils!

Something flashed among the foliage. Jammie strained his eyes. A shape was moving behind the branches. The boy froze, listening. If this was another prank by his friends, he decided to ignore it. First, he saw a flowing blue fabric, bare feet, and hands parting the branches of the bushes. Finally, the whole figure emerged. He recognized her immediately. Chestnut hair fell softly over her shoulders and back, a thin dress that reached her ankles, covering her shoulders but simultaneously accentuating the girl's perfect body. In the setting sun, her skin no longer appeared milky white. It now took on a faint golden hue.

He stared at the stranger as if she were an otherworldly phenomenon. He couldn't move, holding his breath. The beauty slowly approached him. She stood before him, placed her hands on his shoulders, and then, quite unexpectedly, kissed him. Jammie couldn't believe what was happening. He wanted to say something, to ask who this forest fairy was and what she was doing there, but all he could manage was a sigh. Cool fingers gently slid along his back, lips brushing his eyes, nose, cheeks, before meeting his again. He closed his eyes. It didn't matter who she was, whether she even existed, or whether she had arisen from his desires and imagination, this moment was the most important.

******

Sparks burst into the sky. Tongues of flame danced, wrapping their hot embrace around the thick, neatly stacked branches. Backpacks laid around the fire formed a circle, within which the young people sat. They didn't speak. They were tired from the two-day trek and the heat. Now, as night fell, it became pleasantly cool. From the forest came the sounds of night birds and the buzzing of insects. The waterfall roared monotonously.

Ricky poked a stick in the fire, occasionally raising sparks. Brenda rested her chin on her drawn-up knees and stared thoughtfully ahead. Tina snuggled into Neville's arm. Chris tossed a small pocketknife. Only Alison seemed uneasy. She glanced around nervously, constantly shifting positions, as if unable to sit still. Finally, she couldn't take it anymore.

"Let's do something," she said. "This is taking too long, something could have happened to him

." "He's chasing his nymphs!" Chris snorted.

"What if something has happened to him?" She persisted.

"Alison's right," Neville agreed. "We have to find Jammy."

"He's getting back at us," Ricky said. "Now he's making fun of us.

" "I hope you're right," Neville muttered

. "What do you mean?" "

Nothing, I just..." He looked at their friends' faces. "I just have a bad feeling," he finished.

Everyone fell silent. Chris and Ricky exchanged meaningful glances.

"I have a bad feeling too," Alison said. "I'm going to look for him."

She rose from her seat, took a flashlight from her backpack, pulled on her jacket, and stood ready, waiting for some response from her friends. Brenda and Neville rose as well. Chris laughed, but seeing that no one else was amused, he joined the three.

"Okay, Ricky and Tina will let us know in case Jammie shows up in the meantime," Brenda ordered. "Let's go, preferably in pairs, Alison and I going one way, and the guys going the other.

" "Oh no!" Chris protested. "It's too dangerous. Alison will go with Neville, and we'll go together."

Before she could protest, he took her by the arm and pulled her toward the forest. The trees were pitch black. Flashlights illuminated only the immediate surroundings. They moved slowly, calling out to Jammie every now and then.

"He's definitely lost," Brenda said. "It gets dark quickly here, he didn't make it to camp.

" "Possibly," Chris agreed. "He's probably sitting under a bush, shaking with fear. Hey, Jammie, you loser, it's us!

" "Don't shout in my ear!

" "Sorry, honey, ouch!" He doubled over from a sharp shove in the side. "You're a real bitch .

" "Will you be quiet, I thought I heard something.

" "I don't hear anything.

" "Stop talking!"

They stopped. Silence fell for a moment. The rustling sound Brenda had heard was not repeated. They continued on. They had taken a few more steps when suddenly, from somewhere behind them, a piercing scream rang out. Without hesitation, they ran in that direction. Scrambling through the bushes, they became entangled in branches, and Brenda ripped the sleeve of her jacket. As soon as they emerged from the bushes, they ran into Neville.

"Did you hear that?" Chris asked. "What was that? Where's Alison?"

"I don't know," he replied. "I thought I heard something moving in the bushes, and I went to check it out. Alison was supposed to be waiting under a tree. When I returned, she was gone and I heard that scream. It was from the camp. She must have run that way.

" "Let's go there, faster!" Brenda urged them.

In the darkness, it was difficult to find their way back. For a while, they wandered in circles. They had to stop, calm down, and distinguish the sound of water from the night sounds. They reached the camp from the direction of the waterfall. They saw no movement. The fire was burning quietly, the stars reflected in the water. Complete peace.

Ricky seemed to be asleep, wrapped in a blanket, and Tina was singing a monotonous Indian song. They approached. Something was wrong.

Tina didn't react to their sight. She rocked back and forth rhythmically. She wasn't singing, more like wailing.

"Tina?" Brenda crouched down next to her friend. "What's wrong?" She gently touched her hair.

The girl recoiled as if scalded and, uttering a series of short screams, began to retreat on all fours. Her eyes were wide. She looked mad or… terrified to death.

“Tina!” Neville rushed to her and grabbed her arms. She tried to push him away.

“Ricky, wake up, what happened here?” Chris nudged the man.

The nudge made Ricky limply roll onto his back. The firelight reflected in his wide, dead eyes, illuminating the boy’s face with a nasty gash across his left cheek and a wound stretching all the way down his neck to his shoulder.

“Oh God!” Chris moaned. “What is this?”

Tina began to convulse hysterically. She gasped for air like a landed fish. Brenda and Neville stared at the corpse, mesmerized. Chris let out a string of curses.

"He's dead!" he shouted. "Damn, something tore him apart!"

Still shouting curses, he suddenly lunged at Neville. He pushed him away from Tina with such force that the boy fell onto the grass. Chris pinned him to the ground.

"Nice trip, huh, Neville?!" he yelled. "Why didn't you mention the beasts living here?!

" "Let me go!" The fallen man tried to free himself from Neville's iron grip.

Brenda ran up behind him, grabbed Chris by the hair, and pulled him off Neville.

"Are you crazy?!!" She was as pale as chalk. "Something could attack us at any moment, and you're fighting?!

"Why didn't he warn us?" Chris groaned. Resigned, as if all his energy had been drained, he slumped to the ground. Nervousness gave way to terror. He began to shake, just like Tina.

"Listen," Brenda said, trying to keep her composure, but her voice was cracking. "What attacked Ricki couldn't have been an ordinary predator. Wild animals are afraid of people and fire. They wouldn't have come this close. It could only have been a sick animal, maybe rabies... I don't know... it's best not to touch Ricki.

" "They're out there in the dark," Chris stammered. "Maybe they're dead too...

" "We can't think like that," Brenda whispered. "But right now we have to focus on ourselves, organize something to defend ourselves."

Tina screamed again. She stared in terror at a spot where the rocks gently dipped into the water. Something was moving there.

A woman emerged from behind a stone embankment. She had fair skin and beautiful auburn hair. Her flowing dress, like a mist enveloping her body, was splattered with blood. The woman's eyes burned with an unnatural light, and the dried blood around her mouth gave her a ghostly appearance.

Tina was the first to flee. With a loud sob, she fled toward the forest. Brenda couldn't move. The sight was both terrifying and fascinating. Chris jumped up, grabbed her hand, and pulled her along, following Tina. They didn't look back; they'd lost their flashlights, running blindly. Branches cut their faces, they tripped over roots, and fell several times. They didn't know if the rest of their friends had fled in that direction. They didn't think about the others. They held hands tightly and ran forward, away from the ghostly figure by the waterfall.

After a while, they felt pain in their lungs. They saw a bright spot and headed in that direction. They reached a wide clearing. Chris stumbled again and fell. He lay panting. Brenda collapsed beside him.

"Do you think he's after us?" she gasped

. "Us, Neville, or Tina," he replied.

"What was that, Chris? What kind of monster is that?" Brenda sobbed

. "I don't know... I don't believe in ghosts and drowned people, I just don't!"

They lay there for a moment, speechless. They had sacrificed their friends, but for now they were safe, and that was all that mattered. They could hide in the bushes or in a tree and wait until morning, then try to reach some human settlement.

"Brenda?" Chris's voice sounded strange. "There's something here.

" "What?

" "Oh God!

" Brenda strained her eyes. The dark shape Chris had tripped over resembled a human silhouette. She cautiously reached out her hand. She touched something wet and sticky. After a moment, she knew. Nervously, she wiped her hand on the grass.

"What is it?" Chris demanded. His breaking voice revealed that he, too, had already guessed.

"Alison," Brenda replied in a voice not her own.

At that moment, they heard rustling sounds. Brenda pulled Chris toward a large tree, its massive silhouette standing out against the dark undergrowth. They hid in a fork in its roots, completely invisible while they surveyed the clearing. Chris found a thick branch and gripped it tightly in his hands, trying to see something in the darkness. A figure slowly emerged from the bushes onto the exposed surface, bent over Alison's body, then straightened and looked around. Then it moved straight toward them. It wasn't the woman from the waterfall.

"Hey Chris," they recognized Neville's voice. "Put that pole down, it's me.

" "Neville!" Chris released the branch, and before Brenda could grab him by the jacket, he stepped out to meet his friend. The girl fumbled for the discarded branch. She didn't move.

The boys faced each other. She could see their silhouettes very clearly: the well-built, well-built Chris and the slim, delicate Neville. However, she subconsciously sensed Chris's fear, his confusion, and the extraordinary self-confidence radiating from Nell.

"You left me there," she heard. "You were only thinking about yourselves. "

"It's not like that," Chris denied

. "And how?" There was a previously unknown fierceness in Neville's voice.

"Nell, the important thing is that you're alive, Alison's dead, Jammie probably too...

" "I know," he replied indifferently

. "We have to hide somewhere." Chris hadn't noticed anything unusual in his friend's stance yet. Brenda decided to intervene.

As quietly as she could, she circled the tree. Hiding in the darkness, avoiding the open, brighter space of the clearing, she approached Neville from the side. She gripped the branch tightly. When she was close, she jumped. She wanted to hit him on the head, but she didn't expect him to repel her attack. Meanwhile, at the last moment, the boy grabbed the stick and yanked it away from the girl with a force she never would have suspected.

"Brenda, are you crazy, it's Neville!" Chris exclaimed.

Terrified, she rushed to him, trying to pull him back.

"What are you doing?" Chris was oblivious. "Calm down!"

Neville stood still; they couldn't see his face, but Brenda had the impression he was watching them with interest, perhaps even amusement.

"Chris, didn't you notice anything?" she asked resignedly. "He can see at night, in this darkness!"

Her nerves snapped. She couldn't contain herself any longer; too much had happened. She began to cry.

"He saw us," she sobbed, "from a distance, he came right up to us and noticed you were holding a branch..."

Chris only now understood. He instinctively took a few steps back.

"Brenda's right," Neville said calmly. "I can see better at night than during the day. And I feel better. This damn sun makes me dizzy. I should really be sleeping all day.

" "Who are you?" Chris rasped.

"Neville, your friend, have you forgotten already?" He laughed

. "Look at his eyes," Brenda whispered, not taking her eyes off the flames burning with green light. "

You brought us here on purpose," Chris said. "You're in cahoots with that monster from the waterfall!"

He was answered with a stifled laugh.

"I'd love to listen to you longer, but I still have to take care of Tina

." "Why are you doing this?" Brenda asked

. "For sport, to keep up with your practice, for fun...

" "You're sick, insane," she said

. "Oh no, I'm completely normal! You people think that if someone or something doesn't follow your established rules, it's insane. You really don't know anything about the world around you." If you can't understand something, you claim it can't exist. Yet we exist, we've lived alongside you for centuries. You've dismissed us as fairy tales, invented a bunch of nonsense about us, made us the heroes of cheap horror movies. That's why you die and will die, unaware that there are beings who tower over you, who are more beautiful, more intelligent, and better adapted to life than you. We would have destroyed you long ago, wiped you from the face of the earth, if it weren't for the fact that you possess something essential to our existence.

"What?

" "Blood!"

Brenda fled, colliding with Chris, and they both staggered. Brenda felt something grab her hair. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Chris slump to the ground. For a moment, she saw Neville's burning eyes above her. He pinned her hands, leaned over her, and then she felt his lips on her neck. There was no pain, only cold and a strange, sharp smell…

******

The fire was dying down. A chilly, yet still gray morning was approaching. Backpacks, blankets, sleeping bags, and scraps of food were scattered on the grass. The boy sitting by the fire was playing with his camera. He took out the film, slowly pulled the film from the cassette, and then threw it into the fire. He placed the camera in the pocket of one of the nearby backpacks. He sighed deeply.

The boy was handsome. He had light hair and incredibly green eyes, delicate features that gave his face a noble look. He flinched. A girl was walking from the direction of the waterfall. She was completely naked, her skin a stunning alabaster shade. Wet, auburn hair fell down her back. She smiled at the boy, leaned over a bag, and began to look through its contents with interest. The boy looked at her beautiful body rather indifferently.

"Do you think this would suit me?" she asked, showing him a skimpy strapless dress.

"Yes," he muttered indifferently

. "No mood?" She asked.

"I'm tired, I'm longing for bed.

" "It's going to be another hot day," she sighed. "Maybe we'll make it before noon.

" "And where's your car?

" "Two steps from here, on the road behind the waterfalls.

" "With air conditioning?

" "Yes, and dark windows," she laughed, putting on her dress.

He nodded. She crouched down beside him, wrapped her arms around him, and kissed him.

"Thank you, Neville, that was great fun, I needed it.

" "I know, me too, but now we have to get out of here.

" "Do you still think we should leave them like this?

" "Yes, people won't guess the truth. Such things are beyond their comprehension.

" "So wild animals..." she giggled

. "Yes, even very wild ones," he replied, then kissed her back.