Cara's POV
Shuffling through some documents that'd been left unattended, I caught a glimpse of a bright green cover scattered with daisies. I pulled it aside and fiddled with the elastic slightly to pull it open.
The first photo was of Elodie and Luke. It was taken on a disposable camera of some sort, clearly not having printed properly. A yellow glow surrounded the photo. Elodie was greedily picking at a bucket of fries, meanwhile Luke watched curiously. At the bottom, in sprawled handwriting, I read 'September 28th 2025.'
"September 2025." I muttered to myself. "This is the day Luke met Elodie."
The next photo I saw was of Kieran, Elodie, Luke, Noah, Bryony, and me. We were stood on top of our original building roof. A selfie, all six of us, with the silhouette of a city skyline in the background. Elodie's eyes were screwed shut from the flash, Bryony sticking her tongue out and the rest of us laughing at the two of them. I smiled slightly to myself. The date at the bottom in the same messy handwriting read 'June 24th, 2025.'
The one after was another of Elodie and Luke. This time outside what looked like some kind of abandoned hotel. Luke was kissing Elodie on the cheek; and she, in return, forced a weak smile with tears in her eyes.
This one had no date, but I could only presume it was the day the two were ripped apart from us and forced to hide away.
I scanned through several photographs until my eyes landed one which in which I recognised the background. It was at our current camp, it looked very different but even then, I could recognise the forest in the background and the cabins scattered around. It was a picture of just me and Kieran, me wrapping my arms around Kieran and smiling widely, him laughing at something obviously going on in front of us.
November 21st." I read. "Interesting."
I pushed aside the curtain blocking me off from camp in search for the others. Wanting to show them what I'd found.
I turned around and spotted the back of Elodie's head, surrounded by Kieran, Arya and Luke.
"Guys, look what I found." Their eyes turned in my direction.
I passed the photo to Elodie first, "Oh my god! I remember this. It's the day everyone was reunited for the first time."
Kieran smiled at me next when he saw it. It was passed down the line until it reached Arya. She glanced down, grinning for a second. Then the three of us watched with confusion as all the colour drained from her face.
"November 21st." She whispered.
"What?" Kieran said.
She ran off then, running in the direction of her hut, rummaging around for something and then returning with a piece of paper the size of my finger.
The words on the page read 'November 21st."
"The day we were supposed to meet Cara at the hotel, and she disappeared, this is what was left next to her bow. Was this you, C?"
I shook my head slowly. "That's not even close to my handwriting."
The four of us started walking slowly towards the hut Cara had been shuffling through photos in.
"Okay, think." Luke said. "What happened on November 21st?"
Then it was Elodie's turn to gasp. "That's the day I lost my ring. I put it down for a second emptying my pockets for a guard and we didn't see it again until-"
"-The 2nd of January, 2026." Kieran cut her off, crouching down and pulling out a photograph of him and Elodie, seated in a picturesque Italian style village. "When we found it with the body of that man in Elecando Village."
It was then that Pippa walked in, shock evident on her face. "Elecando village is the name of my hometown, it's the place they took us from."
"When, Pippa, think." Elodie said, her mouth agape.
"I don't know, probably in the middle of November. Around the 20th?"
"November 21st." I muttered, in shock.
"So, what you're telling me, is that the same people who cornered Elodie, Luke and Cara and took Elodie's ring, could be the same people that took you from your village? On the same day?" Arya snapped.
"I think so." Pippa whimpered.
"This cannot be real." Kieran whispered.
"What are they planning?" I sighed. "There has to be something we're missing."
"I think I might have an idea." A soft voice whispered from the doorway.
"Bryony?"
"Pippa," She said, "You know the rash we found on the back of your leg?"
Pippa nodded.
"I have one too, on my neck."
I turned to Bryony with a tilted head and confusion in my eyes.
"It all links back to November 21st." She stated. "Pippa was taken on that day, and from what Elodie told me, left with barely a scratch. Elodie lost her ring and was targeted by the same people, then touched the ring again in January."
She paused and took a deep breath.
"She then hugged me. And not too long after this appeared." She gestured to her neck. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say that Elodie is the next one who is going to turn up with the same damn rash we have, on her hand."