Page 50 of Hide And Seek

Once we had our towels and toiletries, we headed toward the closest bathroom block. The path there cut through a thin strip of trees, the gravel crunching underfoot loud enough to make me hyper-aware of every step we took. Everything just felt too quiet. Too exposed. I glanced over my shoulder once, just to check, but there was nothing there. No one.

The bathroom block came into view a minute later, its exterior lights humming faintly. A group of guys were several yards ahead of us, veering off toward the men’s side, their voices low but still carrying enough to cut through the quiet.

The door swung shut behind them, and just like that, the noise dropped off.

Jasmine and I both slowed a little as we approached the entrance to the women’s side. It was empty. No voices. No movement. Just the dull buzz of the overhead lights and the faint echo of dripping water somewhere inside.

Jasmine hesitated in the doorway, peering in like she half-expected someone to jump out at us. “Okay,” she said slowly. “Why does this suddenly feel really creepy?”

“Probably because we’re basically in a real-life horror movie right now,” I said, raising a brow.

She huffed, then glanced at me, something uncertain flickering across her face. “This might sound weird, but… do you wanna just use the same cubicle?” she asked. “Not at the same time, obviously. I’ll just face the door or something while you shower.” She paused, gesturing vaguely. “It’s just… I don’t love the idea of us being separated by walls right now. Even for five minutes.”

I nodded. “That sounds like a good idea.”

“Okay. Good.” She exhaled, like she’d been bracing for me to laugh at her. “Let’s do it.”

We stepped inside together, making our way toward the row of shower cubicles on the right. Jasmine picked the one closest to the entrance and pushed the curtain aside.

“I’ll stand here,” she said, positioning herself just inside the doorway with her back to the rest of the cubicle. “You go first.”

I set my things down on the small bench, trying to ignore the way the space felt tighter than usual, like the walls had closed in just a fraction. Behind me, Jasmine shifted slightly.

“Door’s right there,” she said. “Anyone comes in, I’ll see them straight away, and I’ve got my knife in case they try some shit. You brought yours too, right?”

“Yup,” I murmured as I reached for the tap. Right beneath my toiletries bag, there was a big chef's knife in a canvas sheath that I'd nabbed from the kitchen earlier. “Although I really wish I had a gun instead.”

“Me too,” Jasmine said with a sigh.

The pipes rattled for a second before the water came on, the steady rush filling the space. I waited for it to heat up for a moment, and then I stepped inside, briefly closing my eyes as the warmth rushed over me.

Jasmine spoke up again, her voice a little louder over the sound of the water. “You think you’ll ever sign up for a camp counselor gig again?”

“Hell no. You?”

She snorted. “Nope. I’ve loved every summer out here so far, and it’s good money, but…” She trailed off for a few seconds. “No amount of money is worth this shit.”

“Exactly.”

“I don’t think I’ll even go for a five-minute hike in the woods after this is over,” she went on. “I’mdone.”

“I don’t blame you,” I said as I lathered up my head with shampoo.

“Hey, maybe I’ll move down to the city! Then we can hang out more, and you can use those journalism skills of yours to help me write a book about our experience here. If we actually make—” She cut herself off abruptly and cleared her throat. “Whenwe make it out of here. Which we will.”

“Yeah,” I said, rinsing the shampoo from my hair. “Of course we will.”

“Maybe they’ll even make a movie about us.”

I huffed out a quiet laugh, though it felt forced.

A few minutes later, I reached for the tap and shut the water off. The sudden absence of sound made the space feel too quiet again.

“I’m done,” I said, stepping forward.

“Sweet. My turn,” Jasmine replied.

I dried off quickly while she stepped past me, already tugging her shirt over her head.