Around the Campfire

                   Around The Campfire
                                       By Ebil Bunny

         "Four years ago, in this exact place, there was a house-"
         "Dun dun dunnnnnn!" shouted Max. Max and his friends Andrew, Kyle, Violet, and Kate were on a camping trip. Kyle was telling them a scary story. At least, he was trying to.

         "Hey, I said no interruptions. That is definitely an interruption." Kyle said flatly.
         "Sorry." Max shrugged. Then he whispered to Violet, "Pshh, I'm not sorry."
         "I can still hear you. You whisper like a boghorn." Kyle said, making everyone begin snickering. "What?"
         "Bullhorn, Kyle, bullhorn." Violet giggled.
         "Whatever! Can I just continue with my story?" Everyone nodded their heads, and Kyle continued.

         "As I was saying... Four years ago, in this exact place, there was a house!"
         "Dun dun dunnnnnnnnnnnnn!" Max interrupted again, but Kyle chose to ignore him.
         "Except this was no ordinary house, this house was haunted! Every night that the moon was full, the house became alive!"

         "Oh, I've heard this one before. Try a different one." Andrew said.
         "You have not!"
         "I swear, I've heard this one."
         "You couldn't have, I made this story up!"
         "I could tell that as soon as the story turned lame." Max said, but Kyle ignored him.
         "Okay, fine, continue." Andrew said, rolling his eyes.

         "One night, a group of kids were lost, and saw the house ahead-"
         "What were their names?" Violet asked.
         "It doesn't matter!!" Kyle growled, becoming angry.
         "Yes it does!" Violet replied huffily.
         "Fine, um... Jack, Jack, Jack, and Jack."
         "Why are they all boys? That's sexist you know."
         "Okay, Jack, Jack, Jill, and Penelope. Happy now?" Violet nodded.

         "'Hey look, a house! We should stay there for the night!' Jack called-"
         "Wait, what do they look like?" Violet asked.
         "You know what? Someone else tell the story!" Max said, throwing his hands in the air as he sat down.

         "I'll tell a st-" Violet began when Max interrupted her.
         "You can't tell the story, you always tell the same story!"
         "I do not!"
         "Do too!"
         "Do not!"
         "Stop that!" Andrew shouted, then quieted. "How about Kate tell the story?"

         Kate almost choked on her drink.
         "Me?" she asked. Everyone nodded and sat down. Four pairs of eyes looked at her expectantly. Kate sighed, put her drink down, and began her story.

         "Once upon a time, there were three kids, Victor, Ben, and Carmen. They had gone camping in the woods, but had gotten lost. The sun was setting, and it would soon be dark.
         'Maybe we should set up camp here.' Ben suggested. The other two agreed. Their feet were tired from walking around the forest, carrying all their stuff.
         Ben and Carmen set up the tents while Victor started the fire. After Ben and Carmen finished, they gathered around the fire. Except there was no fire.
         'Why isn't the fire going yet?' Carmen asked, but Victor was silent.
         'Victor? Are you okay?' Ben asked, and Victor finally spoke.
         'I don't know what's going on, but I think somethings off around here.'
         'What do you mean?'
         'Watch.' Victor set up the fire, lit a match, then put the match into the firewood to start it. Nothing happened. It was as if the wood was wet, yet it was bone dry.

         'I don't know if an nonflamable forest is a good thing or a bad thing...' Ben said nervously as Carmen inspected one of the sticks.
         'There's no reason that I can see that would make these sticks not burn. I mean, they're not even a special kind of wood. They're just ordinary red oak.' Carmen said, her brow furrowed in confusion. Victor was right. There was something wrong about this place.

         'I think we should leave.' Ben said, but Victor shook his head.
         'Nah, we'll just not have a fire.' The three went to their tents. They were soon asleep.

         Ben shot awake. He heard a scratching sound outside the tent. There was something moving out there. No somethings. One of them poked the side of the tent.

         Riiippp! Ben whipped around, eyes wide in horror. A hole had been ripped in the side of the tent where he sat. Ben couldn't see whatever the creature was, except that it was long and slithered like a snake.

         'Uh, Victor?' Ben asked, voice shaking, but Victor didn't wake up. The creature slithered closer.
         'Victor??' Ben shouted, shaking him, but Victor still slept. Ben tore his eyes away from the creature to look at Victor. As soon as he did, he jumped back and screamed. Victor's eyes were wide open, but had no pupils. A black mark was right between his eyes. He was dead.

         Ben shot towards the tent door, and unzipped it as fast as he could. He shot out of the tent like a bullet from a gun, to see that the ground was covered with squirming little creatures. They were everywhere. And they were coming for him. Ben had nowhere to go.

         Suddenly, one of the creatures reared up like a cobra ready to strike, then it jumped at him. Just before it hit Ben right between the eyes, he could make out what it was. It was a stick."

         Three pairs of hands applauded Kate after she finished.
         "See, Kyle? That's how to tell a story!" Violet said, poking him.
         "I think we have time for one more story. Who wants to tell the next one?" Andrew asked, looking at the others.

         "I will tell the next one!!" a spooky voice came from the woods. Everyone turned to look, but they couldn't see the whatever was talking. "Once apon a time-"
         "I find it strange the Max seems to not be here, and suddenly there's a voice coming out of the woods." Kyle said sarcastically.
         "I'm not Max, oooooo!" said the voice.
         "If you're not Max, where is he?" asked Violet.
         "I'm going to- I mean... He's going to the bathroooooom." the voice replied, making Andrew facepalm.
         "We know it's you Max, come on out." said Kyle.
         "If you know it's me and not a monster, why are you so eager to make me come out? Am I scaaaaaring you?" Max asked from his hiding place.
         "We didn't say it wasn't a monster. We just said it was you." Kyle replied with a smirk.
         "Ouch. Alright, alright, I'm coming out." Max said, and some bushes ruffled around. Then they stopped. "Um... Guys? I think I'm stuck!" The four friends rushed over and pulled away the bushes.
         "Ha! Made you come!" Max chirped.
         "You're such a jerk!" Violet glared at him, then kicked him in the shin. Hard. Max gave a shout and toppled over.
         "Okay, now I'm really stuck..." He groaned, but the kids just highfived and walked away with Max limping after them.