Sixty-Two ? Phan

Three

"Is this against the rules?" I whispered, confused.

"Trust us. It'll be fun," Chris whispered back.

I frowned, not wanting to get in trouble, which I felt was very much possible. Then again, I was also madly curious, and my childish interest took well control over responsibility. We crept behind the building, following another path that was partially hidden by trees towards what looked like a cabin. In a single go, all of us ran straight at it, me at the rear, and through the door. The counselors nearby didn't notice.

The cabin was a little bigger than ours. One bed, a king size, with a rug and computer desk. The walls had curtains shut closed. Gave me a feeling of sour candy, bitterly pleasant. I was jealous of whoever got to stay here, as it made our own cabin look like rubbish in comparison.

Finally free of suspicious eyes, I opened my mouth to question them. Chris then put a hand up, winked, then dragged me towards the desk, both on either side of me. Upon closer examination, I noticed several filing cabinets underneath it.

Wait.

"This isn't the camp director's room, is it?" I asked, feeling panic bubble inside me like a steaming pot of pasta.

"Ding ding, we have our winner," Peej said in a quiet announcer-voice. I resisted the urge to flail.

"What if we get caught?"

"Now, now," Chris chided, setting a hand on my shoulder. "Need not forget, we are professionals, kid."

"We're the same age!" I exclaimed.

"We wanted to show you the pictures from previous bonfires," Peej explained, the both of them allegedly ignoring my response. "Help you get some ideas as to what we're working towards."

"Also maybe steal the key to the kitchen's snack cabinet."

He gave Chris a hard look, who was already searching for the apparent key in various drawers. Peej rolled his eyes, then sat down at the computer. I watched skeptically as he typed in the password, which was, rather stupidly, sticky-noted to the desktop. He opened a file and clicked through until he got to the pictures.

"Is that the bonfire?"

He nodded. "My first year here. I was pretty amazed. I was thirteen, I think."

It was rather extravagant. Outdoor picnic tables with a roof overhead in the background, and the biggest fire I'd nearly ever seen. Food and drinks stacked on tables, and the whole scene flooded with people. Flashing lights like a strip club.

"How the hell are we going to afford this?" I asked.

"They give us a certain amount of money. Don't worry, I'll handle the funding."

"He's a nerd," Chris whispered, Peej smacking him in reply.

I snickered, taking over the mouse as Peej stood to get a better blow. Chris was chanting insults at him. Looking through a couple more pictures, something caught my eye in one of them. I stopped abruptly. I had to do a doubletake, not sure if I saw correctly.

It was Phil. Partially younger, but definitely Phil. He looked happy, actually. With a bright smile.

He was leant against one of the pillars that held up the picnic roof, talking animatedly with two other people that, to my surprise, appeared to be Chris and Peej. The three of them, laughing like best friends. I clicked ahead, looking for more. Sure enough, in several other photos, throughout the years, Phil scattered the bonfire grounds. In each he had that happy glow on his face. It seemed so far away from the boy I talked with less than an hour ago.

I eventually made it to the most recent files. The last two years. As I did, though, I noticed a change. Phil wasn't there. Not in a single one. In addition to this, something else was off. Everybody looked a little different. Sad. I'd even go as far to say they looked scared.

But why?

There was a clunk, knocking the three of us back into the real world. Peej stood, mid swing, facing Chris as they play-fought. We all stared at the door. The knob wiggled.

Peej moved first, mouthing something at me I couldn't understand, then gestured to the back window. I nodded amongst my befuddlement, exiting the computer tab and pressing the off button on its monitor. The other two were already scampering out the window, but I was quick behind them. We all ran off, leaving the window open and curtains swinging, just as the door creaked.

Peej and Chris were laughing loudly. The sky was dark now.

"Are you two mad?" I exploded, though felt myself beginning to grin, morals aside.

They looked at me, then burst back into laughter, and this time I couldn't help but catch it. The thrill was still buzzing underneath my skin, despite the fact that if we'd been a moment later in escaping, catastrophe would await. Just imagining my mom's face after hearing I got into trouble the first day was enough to give me chills.

Especially after what I did last year.

Chris stepped forward once we all calmed down. "Care for a snack break, anyone?"

He held up a key.