"What happened to your sister earlier?" Ruth asked as she sat beside Thalia, who was fixing her bag.
Thalia just shook her head. She wasn't sure what had caused Jenny's strange behavior that morning.
"I'm suddenly worried about Big Sis Jen," she ended up admitting.
Ruth furrowed her brow. "Your sister was acting really weird earlier," she commented, recalling how Jenny had acted before they left.
Thalia nodded. She had also noticed how Jenny kept glancing at her phone with a frown, then quietly sat beside her without saying much.
"Oh? What's with your face?" Ruth asked after settling into her seat, noticing Thalia's serious expression.
"I'll be your chaperone from now until the end of camp," Thalia replied without emotion.
Ruth blinked. "Why?"
"I don't know." Thalia's answer was short and to the point.
Before Ruth could say anything else, their teacher entered the bus.
"Please settle down. We'll be leaving shortly. If anyone needs to use the restroom, go now so we can have a smooth trip," their adviser instructed as he checked on the students.
Everyone nodded in response.
"You? Need to go?" Thalia asked her.
"I guess I should, or I might end up needing to pee on the road," Ruth said with a laugh.
Without another word, Thalia accompanied her.
"Sir, we just need to use the restroom," Ruth said, asking for permission.
The teacher nodded, and the two girls quickly stepped off the bus. The restroom was conveniently located on the first floor, not far from the parking area.
"Thalia, your sister is seriously acting strange today," Ruth said as she washed her hands before heading back to the bus.
Thalia didn't respond. She wasn't the type to talk much. She just stood quietly by the door, waiting.
"Let's go," Ruth said. But Thalia didn't move—she kept staring blankly at the field.
"Hey, if we miss the bus, I'm blaming you!" Ruth joked, trying to get her attention.
Still, Thalia didn't reply.
Ruth furrowed her brow, irritated now. Thalia continued staring into the distance, not reacting at all.
A chill ran down Ruth's spine. She couldn't explain why, but her body suddenly tensed.
Instead of fear, annoyance bubbled up inside her. She walked over to Thalia.
And then—she saw her.
A bloodied woman in a school uniform stood in the field, grinning at her with wild, haunting eyes.
Ruth froze in place. She couldn't scream. Her voice wouldn't come out.
The woman's hair was a tangled mess. Her clothes were filthy, and her bare feet were scraped and bruised. A gunshot wound gaped in her side, and her legs were covered in fresh welts.
The horror left Ruth breathless—her anxiety, fear, and confusion all rising like a tide inside her chest.
She heard a whisper in her ear.
"We're going to meet soon, little sister."
The bloodied woman gently caressed Ruth's cheek, smiling as if she were greeting an old friend.
Ruth squeezed her eyes shut. No... please... don't let me see that face again...
Sister? Ruth echoed the word in her mind. I don't have a sister!
"R—Ruth! Ruth! Hey!" voices suddenly called out.
"Ruth Dalia!" someone shouted her full name. Her shoulders were being shaken.
She slowly opened her eyes—and saw Thalia's worried face looking back at her.
The woman in blood was gone.
Ruth's knees gave out, and she collapsed onto the floor. How had she even remained standing that long?
"Ms. Dionson?" their teacher called out.
"If you're not feeling well, you can skip the trip," he said gently.
Ruth's brow furrowed. She looked between her adviser and Thalia, confused.
"W-What? Why, sir?" she asked, her voice shaking.
"You don't remember?" Thalia looked at her intently. "You really need to rest, Ruth."
Her mind swirled in confusion. "W-What happened?"
"Idiot!" Thalia snapped. "Don't play dumb with me. You gave me goosebumps."
"Let's go. If you're really okay, I won't call your parents," their adviser added.
"I'm fine. Really?" Ruth insisted.
Thalia looked at her with a mix of anger and concern. Ruth couldn't understand her friend's reaction.
They spotted the bus and quickly boarded.
"Finally! After waiting for an hour, we can leave," one classmate grumbled.
One hour? Ruth repeated the words in her head. She was stunned.
Their teacher sat near the driver. The other sections hadn't left yet, so the buses would depart together.
As the bus began to move, Ruth still couldn't stop thinking about what happened. She pinched Thalia's arm.
"W-What happened? I can't remember anything..."
"You don't remember suddenly getting off the bus without permission?" Thalia asked, staring at her.
"What are you talking about? I did ask permission earlier," Ruth defended herself, genuinely confused.
Thalia scoffed. "You're messing with me now? After I told you to sit down, you suddenly left the bus without a word. Then I found you staring into space with this creepy grin on your face! I was talking to you, and you just kept smiling like a lunatic. Then when Sir showed up, you looked angry and didn't say anything. You were silent until you blacked out!"
"Good thing I was able to catch you in time and shake you back to reality," Thalia added.
Ruth shook her head, disturbed. Her entire body felt cold.
Someone behind her tapped her shoulder. Thalia didn't say another word.
Ruth leaned back in her seat, overwhelmed.
I need to go to this camp. The answer is there.
Her instincts told her that what happened was connected to this trip.
So many questions swirled in her mind. And why did she call me "little sister"?
She was an only child in the Dionson family. Ruth just wanted to rest now—her head throbbed. The chaos of the day had barely settled in.
Take care, Ruth. Jenny's words echoed in her memory.
She glanced at Thalia, who sat in the distance, lost in thought.