Chapter 2 We all hurried off the bus clutching our bags and not daring to look at anyone in there eyes. The cold was brutal it stung my face and made my eyes water and the wind just made it colder. Within seconds my nose and cheeks were frozen. Good thing I had brought my ski mask, bad I hadn’t put it on. “GIRLS TO THE LEFT BOYS TO THE RIGHT!” screamed a woman with a pinched face. We all scrambled into place. She walked down the line eying us girls. "I am Ma'am Carver and you will address me thus or just plain Ma'am, don't think for a second I'm a counselor and that I am here for the love of children. I am here to evaluate you and see where you good for nothing slime belong" She began prowling up and down the rows of girls every once in a while she would screech something like “Shoulders back!” “Eyes to the floor” or the worst “Don’t sniffle like a pansy" " You’re here for a reason you little bitch!” When she reached me I held my breath shoulders back eyes to the floor hands clenched at my sides. She began chucking madly “So, this is the little singing movie star! I read all about you and your drugs, here at camp D.E.A.T.H we don't tolerate this kind of behavior Hayley. I am not your manager, I won't bail you out of jail in fact I will keep you here as long as I damn well please” I flinched why, did she have to bring this up! I glared at the frozen ground hatred bubbling up inside me like magma. There were titters around me as people finally realized who I was and what I supposedly did. I wanted to scream in her face “IT’S NOT MY FAULT THAT I WAS ALWAYS ON SET AND IT IS MOST CERTAINLY NOT MY FAULT MY A-HOLE OF A CO-STAR PLANTED THOSE DAMN DRUGS IN MY ROOM!” But of course I did not. I just stood there powerless as she chuckled madly. Then one stupid girl who was about fifteen unable to contain herself screamed “Omigod! It’s Missy Star!” Carver turned around her face murderous. She stomped over to Shriek Girl and barked in her face “I’m sure your parents did not send you here to suck up Ms. Popular over there! In fact, you are Cadet Emma Carver?” “Yes” squeaked Emma. “Yes what?” Prissy screeched “Ye-yes ma’am” Emma wailed trembling tears soaking her cheeks “And are you not here because you got pregnant with your boyfriends child” She continued scoffing angrily “Yes Ma’am” Emma whispered turning bright red. “And indeed your parents obviously did not want to deal with trash like you so they sent you to Camp D.E.A.T.H where we will transform little snots like you into respectful children who deserve to be alive!” At this Ma'am (counselor) Carver began marching up and down now addressing the boys as well as the girls. “Now we are going to give you your room assignments! When I call your letter grab your bags and follow whoever is holding the sign that has those letters on it! Girls with last names A-D are in room 324. E - H in room 456!” I hastily grabbed my bags and followed the women who had been running the kids around the track. She slid a key card into a slot. The first metal door opened. She led us into a small cavern type area. She then speedily typed in a code and the floor beneath us lurched. Then it began falling, it was then I realized that it was an elevator. It sped up and I grabbed the railing beside me. A girl about my age with long brown hair and huge doe brown eyes tapped me on the shoulder “What?” I snapped “Did you really take those drugs?” She whispered nervously “No, I already told the public that ass Rick Wilson planted them in my trailer!” I hissed back. “That’s what I thought” She nodded wisely “Told you!” she added sneering at the girl behind her. “I’m Mallory by the way I’m here because I tried to run away with my friend and because my parents can’t deal with me! And I kind of beat up a police officer” She whispered smiling evilly. I gulped fear washing over me. I will not get on this girls bad side. "Cool," I whispered back weekly. She nodded happily and began braiding her hair. “Quiet back there!” bellowed the lady up front. This ride was weirdly long; we must be a hell of a long way down. As if Yeller read my mind she called out “OK, listen up! I want a single file line when we get into the room you will find your bed number will correspond with your number on your shirts.” She reached door number 456 and put her thumb up for scanning. I heard a lock click and the door swung open. I walked into the room and gasped horrified. The room was an enlarged jail cell. The beds were cold, hard metal bunk beds with a paper thin mattress and an itchy looking wool blanket. The pillows felt like a sack of rocks. I had thought ahead and I had packed sheets, comforter and a pillow. I slipped them on over the bed and sighed much better (Hey had said it was OK as long as it was not dangerous and it had to fit in one duffel bag which mine did. Of course our bags were subject to search, I just really hoped they didn’t search mine.) The floor was cold hard concrete. I peered into the bathrooms there were 10 sinks and stalls lined up adjacent from each other. If you looked further back still there were 10 shower heads hidden only by a flimsy curtain. A hand landed on my shoulder I leaped back and spun around. There before me was the grinning face of Emma the crier. “Hi! I just wanted to tell you we only get to shower 2 times a week and like you only get five minute showers! Omigod! I cannot believe it’s you! You are like the best actress ever!!" "Oh Thanks" I said stepping back. This girl sure was energetic she would be a perfect D.E.A.T.H counselor. If this really was a camp. I walked back to my bunk and climbed up to the top. Peering around, I looked for my bunk mate. A girl with blond hair sidled over. I couldn't yet see her face. She swung herself up onto my bunk and said "Hi I'm Cath-" "CATHERINE!?!?" I screeched. I tackled her. "Hayley I didn't know they were sending you here! I can't believe your here!" She squealed but whispering when Yeller gave us a stare so cold it cold freeze lava. I was so excited, Catherine (or Kat) and I had been friends since I was seven and when we got to L.A we had split directions her toward basketball and me toward singing and acting. She had gone insanely far. I had not seen her in ages though "Why are you here?" I asked pulling out of the hug and staring at her. "Well it's like this, I was on my way to a big game and when I got there I went on the court and Mattie (my boyfriend) was waiting in the stands and I knew that but I was in the middle of overtime and the kiss cam came on. It was Matt sucking face with some other chick! So I took the ball and chucked it at the screen, I lost it I went all psycho on her. She is still in the hospital recovering." Kat grinned ruefully. "Damn, that's pretty bad! So who sent you here?" I asked snatching my brush out of my bag. I pulled out Kat's hair tie and began tugging my brush through her unruly hair. "My coach! I know! It is so lame! But it was this or Juvy just like most of the girls here! But seriously D.E.A.T.H CAMP? The counselors are more like jailers! I mean look at what’s-her-name Ma'am Denver over there what’s shoved up her butt!" Kat pointed and it definitely looked like she had something wrong with her. I stifled a giggle. As if Denver had decided we had been in an okay mood to long she stood up and blew on a whistle. Its shriek split through the air. I winced. "OK pansies! Line up against that wall!" Ma'am Denver bellowed pointing to the murky gray rock across from me. Grabbing Kat's hand I jumped off the bed and scurried to the wall and leaned against it. "Attention!" She screamed. I stood a little straighter. What does that mean? I mouthed to Kat. Kat shrugged. I wasn't about to raise my hand. But some other idiot did. She had short red hair and pale white skin. She was done for. "Yes Cadet and your name to?" Ma'am Denver called out between gritted teeth "Jesse, Ma'am Denver what is Attention?" "Cadet did I give you permission to disrespect me?" "No" Jesse answered in a trembling voice "Then why!" Denver screamed stalking over to her "are you asking me questions at the wrong time! But so no one else asks me the same damn questions I'd better answer this one. Attention is when you stand staring straight ahead hands folded behind your back and feet pressed together. You will stay there for as long as I deem appropriate. At ease is when you can spread your legs informally.” She rushed out. “ATTENTION!" Denver screeched saliva rocketing out of her mouth. I stood up straight as a pole and stared ahead not daring to blink. She walked across the concrete floor her boots clicking on the ground. “Now, it is dinner time tonight’s dinner is a lasagna meat or no meat depending on what you eat. The vegetable is broccoli and each and every one of you will drink a glass of water and then if you are still thirsty you can have milk. If you do not clean your plate you will have to go a day without meals and it looks like a couple of you could stand to loose a little weight” She chuckled glancing at a chubby girl who blushed a fiery red. She blew her whistle and we all turned and faced the door. Denver scanned her thumb and then wiped the scanner clean with a Clorox wipe. No chance of reconstructing the print with a pore strip and cover-up. She led us back to the cavern which, unsurprisingly now continued downwards. I held onto the railing as the elevator gave a jerk making butterflies swoop down in my stomach. It began falling in earnest, down, down, down. I heard it land with a resounding CRASH and something hit me on the head and I blacked out. When I came to, unsure of how long I’d been out I looked around the unfamiliar room. There were dim, dusty lights surrounding me. I tried to sit up but I was strapped down. I looked over my arm and saw that the girls who were in the elevator with me were here. I looked down at my body and saw I was wearing nothing but my bra and underwear! I had a long red angry cut down my stomach Just then there was a creak and a door off to the side of the room opened, I quickly shut my eyes half way. I heard murmuring. “All these young girls, pretty girls. Good enough to eat but even better to kill,” A wave of nausea slipped over me and I almost screamed. I watched as the man walked around the room, his hand grazing each girl as he walked by. He reached Cat and her eyes fluttered but stayed shut. I closed mine as he reached me, his clammy hands groping at my thigh. I tried hard not to react. Finally his hand left me and he continued on humming sadistically. I opened my eyes staring across the room at Cat. Her eyes were opened in terror. I finally got a good look at the creep. He had short cropped brown hair and was tall and stocky. His face was round and his nose and eyes were disproportionate to the rest of his face. I quickly shut my eyes as he zoomed back across the room and got right in my face. I felt the blade of a knife pressed against my chest and he leaned his face close to me. He slowly began cutting the ropes that bound me his hot, beer and onion breath still on my face. He finished removing all the ropes and hoisted me up on his shoulder. I had no knowing where he was taking me and I tried not to move. He let me go suddenly and I collapsed hard onto the cold concrete banging my arm against the floor. “Time for some food” He cackled leaving the room. Once I was sure he was gone I clambered up and stared around, I spotted a pile of uniforms and grabbed mine. I then went and using a knife that was left in the room I sawed through the rest of the girls ropes. They all speedily dresses and we all stood around thinking of a plan. Denver (who incidentally had been captured took charge) “We need to ambush this man,” She said wincing; she had several marks on her arms and face. “I will stand by the door and yell ATTACK when he comes, I then expect you all to run, do not try to fight and I want each of you armed.” She handed us all small pocket knives with sharp little blades. “You will all go on the buddy system, and of course I will buddy with whoever needs one. If your mate gets attacked I expect you to attack back and if you cannot help run and save your own life. Do not give me that look Cadet Brown. I want you all to run for your lives.” With that she took the post by the door. I grabbed Kat’s hand and held it tight. Just then the door creaked back open and in came creepy. Denver slammed him in the face with her fist and a young looking girl ran up and kneed him in the crotch. He groaned and buckled clutching his face with one hand and his crotch with the other. We all stampeded out and ran for our lives. Kat and I ran for a good ten minutes through empty corridors and hallways the others running behind us. Denver raced up to a door and was just about to finger scan when a gun cracked in the distance. Denver slumped to the door a bullet lodged in her back, blood seeping through her crisp white uniform. A guttural scream louder then I ever heard came from the same small girl who had kicked the creepy guy in the crotch who was advancing firing shot after shot at the girls. They fell like toothpicks. Screamer ran up to the door and thumb scanned herself. The door opened with a click she ushered the eight girls that were left through the door and slammed it as another bullet flew through the air. As we all pounded up the stairs she told us who she was. “Counselor Denver was my mom and I am here to oversee her work this year, I was just to be a second hand here and I was given all the codes and scans for places here. My name is Madison. Now since out of the 23 of you only 8 are left we are going to need to protect ourselves. “She called out behind her. We were led to a small cold room. The only furniture there was a long table with ten metal chairs. Madison ushered us into them, sat in another one, and pressed a button on her watch. A metal pill shaped dome enclosed around me submerging me in darkness. There was a rumble and I felt myself fall over and smash through the only door in the room. I felt bumps under me and shuddered. I did not want to know what it was. The dome shuddered to a stop and clicked open. I stepped out right into the gun point of the man.

Chapter 3
My heart jumped in my throat. I stared blindly into the yellowed eyes of this hellish man. A terrified squeak came from Kat, who was standing behind me. He cocked the gun and focused on Kat now. His dirty, cracked finger resting on the trigger.
“Well now, running away isn’t such a good idea now is it?” he cackled his brown teeth smiling. I shuddered as he took his aim. A shot rang out and I darted out in front of Kat. I moaned in pain as it spread from my hip and into my leg. I looked down in horror at all the blood spilling. Kat let out a guttural shriek and I knew no more.
I was floating out of body, weightless. I pried my eyes open and looked down the side of my leg. Gone was the nasty tear and obscene blood, my skin was as white and creamy as ever. I smiled and looked around me. I looked to my left and then my right. I was surrounded by puffy pink clouds. Looking down I saw a tiny hole in the clouds. I propelled myself downwards. I reached my hand down tore a bigger hole in the cloud. I saw myself, lying on a hospital bed, I didn’t look alive. I shifted uncomfortably; I didn’t like what I was seeing. I dropped lightly next to myself. I looked passed all the beeping instruments and saw my mother and father sitting on a hard metal bench situated next to me. Mom was sobbing uncontrollably and Dad was sitting there, his face pale white. I waved my hand in front of his face, no response.
“Dad! Yoo Hooo!” I called softly. Nada. I went to tap him on the shoulder and my hand slid through his arm. I removed it quickly, disgusted it was so wrong.
A door opened and in walked a nurse, her shoes squeaking on the linoleum. “Mr. and Mrs. Carson? I have bad news, I don’t believe your daughter is going to make it, the blood loss was too severe and the bullet hit her spinal cord.”