Deja Vu

Joe woke up with a start, a feeling of dread beginning to build. He could hear the slow dripping on the tent from an overhanging tree. There had been a strong storm last night, ending just after midnight and the three friends had talked for another few hours before being able to sleep. Joe knew he should still be sleeping, but he just couldn’t shake that feeling. Grabbing his flashlight he turned it on and pointed it at his friends.

“Dan, Doug? Are you guys awake?”

“I am now," Dan moaned. “Hey get that light out of my eyes! What are you doing, Joe?”

Doug just groaned, holding his hand in front of his eyes. “Yeah – what he said. What time is it anyway?”

Turning the flashlight off, Joe glanced at his watch. “It’s about 5:15. Sorry, guys, but I’ve got this weird feeling.”

“You have a weird feeling?,” Dan said. “Maybe you’re having a weird feeling because you’re weird.”

“No,” Joe replied, “this is serious. It’s getting stronger and stronger, like I’ve been here before.”

“Of course you’ve been here before, Joe." Doug groaned. “We’ve been camping here every summer for the last five years.”

“No, I mean it’s like I’ve experienced this before somehow, We need to get out of this tent right now!”

Joe scrambled quickly out of the tent and when his friends didn’t follow he grabbed the water bucket they kept by the fire pit and slung the water in the tent soaking his friends. Dan and Doug were out of the tent in a flash chasing Joe across the campsite, when a sudden creaking and crash filled the air. The tent had been smashed by a large tree, apparently weakened by the storm.

Dan and Doug could only stare at their “weird” friend.