The 19-year-old leaves the university building, glancing over her shoulder sometimes to find her roommate, whom she lost after leaving the lecture hall. She looks around at the students, but nowhere does she see the girl with hair bleached platinum blond.
It's already getting chilly outside, so she wraps herself in the thick, unbuttoned sweater she's wearing to cast off and leans her back against the wall. She is tired and wants to sleep. She doesn't feel her best.
Her gaze is caught by Bella's friend, who looks around her as if to make sure the person she fears most is not around, and when she realizes he is safe, he walks over to her.
— I haven't seen you in a long time, princess. — Hannah rolls her eyes, finding his expressions increasingly cheesy. — Did you miss me?
— And do I look like a person who is happy to see you, Max? — The teenager realizes that she's being rude currently, but she's tired and out of humor, so she tries to dispose of the annoying peer. — You want something from me because in a moment Joseph will join me.
She realizes that this is the best way to get the boy to give her a holy break. And fortunately, it has the intended effect because Max washes out of her sight like an ostrich scurrying away. He even looks that way when you consider his long neck and slim figure.
— You're not going home this weekend! — Confused, she lifts her gaze from her shoes when her roommate appears in front of her. — Tom and I came up with the idea of going camping.
— You're kidding, right?
She's frowning and doesn't intend to share Bella's enthusiasm, yet she'll go with them for the sake of sanity, since she's sure the gloomy prince won't be keen on the plan. He doesn't like such places.
— Are you in favor of this or not?
— Well, after all, I won't leave you alone...
— Great. Jin also agreed, so we are left with only Joseph. Do you think he will want to come with us?
— No way. This is not the place for him. I'm 100% sure he won't agree.
*
For Hannah, it comes as no surprise that Joseph refused. He stated that sleeping in grandfatherly trailers that look like boxes is not for him.
The 19-year-old shrugs her shoulders when Bella repeats these words to her.
— That's precisely how he answered Tom. However, I thought he would be on 'yes' when he heard that you were going.
— That made him even more discouraged. We haven't had the best relationship with each other for several days. We don't get along.
— You're not going to reconcile quickly, are you? He is fierce, you are stubborn... do you really want this? — Bella looks more depressed than her roommate.
— In high school we were not fond of each other, and somehow I survived it, so... moving away from him will not be something difficult.
The blonde sighs at these words.
— You only say that, but I can hear how sad your voice is. I think that moving away from the person you care about is more difficult than what you went through in high school. Don't deceive yourself.
— I'm just angry at him all the time for the words he said to me then. It hurt me the most, and I don't know when I'll be able to forget about it. If he doesn't apologize to me first, and I'm sure he won't, our relationship will look worse and worse.
Bella sometimes feels like smacking her in the head to make her come to her senses because she can't listen to it anymore. For her, it is incomprehensible. Since she is in love with Joseph, and he also has feelings for her...
— Exactly! — shouts unexpectedly, making Hannah open her eyes wide.
The girl puts her hands to her mouth as she begins to recall their conversation while drinking. She is sure she heard the words that came out of Joseph's mouth then correctly.
— Can you explain to me what cake meant when he said it would be better if you were his sister?
— I don't know. That moron always calls me that when he's drunk.
— No, Hannah. He doesn't just say that... — Bella interrupts and looks at her roommate with concern in her eyes. — I'm sure I heard right when he revealed to us that your biological mother is the woman who adopted him.
The nineteen-year-old blanches. For a long moment, she couldn't get a word out.
— You were drunk, Bella. He was probably talking out of his mind, too. That's nonsense — she replies, forcing a nervous smile.
Deep down, however, she doesn't know what to think about it. Joseph's behavior has been betraying for a long time now that there might actually be a hidden truth in this.
Why is everyone she cares about hiding something from her?
*
Hannah remains silent the whole way. She sits next to Jin, who is driving, while Tom and Bella tease each other and, in time, start arguing. Their topics are so debilitating that the girl does not understand half of it.
— I'm sorry I didn't tell you the truth earlier. — The teenager looks at Jin when he finally speaks to her. — I just didn't want you to talk to Andy about anything. Like I said… he has a nasty past. He has messed up a lot in his life. What saves his ass so far is that his father is the attorney general. Being around him is dangerous.
— What, then, does he have to do with my sister's death? I know full well that he knows the truth. — Hannah realizes that Tom and Bella aren't listening to what they're talking about, since one sentence her friend directs to her roommate is ringing in her ears:
— And what does a duck have to do with your leg?
The teenager looks at Jin's profile and sees that the boy is nervous.
— For the moment, I can only reveal to you that my uncle helped us a lot. It is thanks to him that we are safe. And that's why Andy is involved in all this.
Hannah doesn't respond. She understands what he means, even though she still can't remember what exactly happened that day. She would like to finally know the truth, find out what was the real cause of her sister's death. Do she and Jin actually have a greater connection to it?
She looks ahead as the boy turns onto the forest road. They're almost there.
— Peace and quiet, kids. — For a moment, she gets the impression that she sounds like a mother. She looks over her shoulder and observes their puzzled faces. — Well what? You guys have been acting like kindergarteners all the way.
— The mother is younger than I. — Tom's joke at this point is quite funny. — I will spend the whole weekend thinking about how you gave birth to me.
— So I wish you good luck, son.
— Have you just moved from a husband-wife relationship to a mother-son relationship? — Bella looks happy.
— Yes — they answer simultaneously.
There are two bunk beds in the caravan. Bella takes the place at the top because she follows Tom's choice. Hannah prefers to sleep downstairs, as does Jin.
— I'm hungry as a wolf. Should we fire up the barbecue?
The boy nods and he and Tom go outside, assuring the girls that they will take care of everything.
— I'm so happy — chirps Bella as they close the door behind them. — I feel that I'm starting to get closer and closer to his heart.
Hannah rolls her eyes.
— It's a good thing I'm getting closer to his heart and not something else...
— You pervert! — The blonde points a finger at her. — Just don't have perverted thoughts, or you'll make me even more miserable.
— Excuse me very much, but who tells me all evening about the crotches of students?
Bella panics and covers her mouth with her hand when she realizes that Hannah said it far too loudly.
— You can't! — she squeals. — In the presence of Tom, I must remain polite and the most virginal student in the entire dormitory.
— You are certainly like that... especially when the last time you drank alcohol like a piglet and slept in the same bed with him.
Innocent blushes appear on her face.
— I think our love has begun to blossom since then.
The brunette only shakes her head. She prefers not to comment on the subject.
When the girls go outside, they are impressed by their speed as the grill is lit up. They sit on chairs and watch the people who are renting other caravans. There is not much interest in autumn, yet there are people who are happy to relax here despite the cooler season.
Even during the meal, Tom can't hold his tongue and tells silly things out of this world. The finale is that Hannah spits out her food with laughter, which particularly amuses the people accompanying her.
— What a shame — she says with concern in her voice, wiping her face. — Tom, I beg you. Next time, wait until I finish chewing.
— And what kind of cow are you to have to chew your food?
*
Bella is shaking from the cold. Sitting under two blankets, she looks meaningfully at Tom. She wants to get his attention.
Hannah is not stupid and sees that she is purposely pretending so that he will only take care of her.
She raises an eyebrow when the blonde pulls her nose. She makes a strange sound, but it still doesn't catch his attention because he and Jin have found a common topic about automobiles and completely forgot that they were accompanied by girls.
Hannah sighs pityingly and decides to help her.
— Bella, did you catch a cold? Should I keep you warm? — she asks in an amused voice, at which the blonde lightens her with her eyes.
— No. I'm not used to being embraced by a girl — she replies eloquently, hoping Tom will hear her.
— My beauties, how about we have a little fun? After all, we didn't come here to sit in a trailer and just talk, did we? — Bella is disappointed when Tom comes up with a crazy idea instead of taking care of her. — We chose this place for a reason. Apparently, this campground is renowned for the fact that people come here because of the popular fun in the woods.
The brunette looks terrified. Her roommate also doesn't share the same enthusiasm as the guys, albeit until...
— We will split into two groups. I'll go with Bella, and Hannah will be with Jin.
The blonde starts clapping her hands like an excited child.
— Yes, let's do it!
— And do you even know what they have in mind?
— This is just about having fun. Everyone takes a flashlight and a phone with them. We have to find the sign on the tree, which is probably ghostly. That's what I've heard. You have to capture it in a photo and send it to the other group to declare victory.
— And you guys think this is exciting? — A nineteen-year-old girl shivers at the thought of this game. She is terrified of hiking at dusk.
— Hannah, you won't spoil the game for us, will you? — Bella eloquently makes her realize that this is another opportunity for her to get even closer to her crush.
— Be that as it may, but I don't know what can shoot into my head — she warns them, but she directs these words more to Jin, who knows about her health problem. — With me, you will definitely experience a good time.
— Don't worry. We have not gone through such difficulties together.
*
The nineteen-year-old tries to be brave as she walks along the path at Jin's side, but her cowardly nature makes itself known when something moves in the darkness. The terrifying sound of breaking branches leads her to grab Jin's arm, not intending to let him go even if she is forced to do so.
The boy only smiles, carefully checking with his flashlight all the trees they pass by.
Hannah has a bad feeling, but she keeps it deep inside, not wanting to come off as panicky.
— What if this game was invented by some psychopath who preys on the participants? — She starts to get seriously worried when she thinks about her friends. — Are you sure everyone got back to their homes safely?
— If something had happened here, they would have closed the place down long ago.
But this answer doesn't fascinate her. She still has a bad feeling. And once again she digs her nails into Jin's elbow when something moves between the trees. She doesn't know herself anymore if there's actually something there or if it's a delusion. However, she would prefer it to be a real image, since illusions have confirmed her illness in the past.
— Do you also notice and hear something disturbing in that place? — She points to the right spot with her finger.
The boy squints his eyes and looks in that direction; however, he does not see anything there.
— He doesn't. — He looks concerned about her condition. — Maybe we should go back? It was rather a stupid idea. I should tell Tom that...
— Come on. I won't spoil your fun. My condition has improved. I'm just panicking unnecessarily.
— Hannah… However, I wouldn't want something to happen to you because of this stupid idea.
The teenager forces a smile.
— Wandering in the woods cannot destroy my psyche. It's not as terrible as what happened the other day. — She purposely teases him and sees that this time it has an effect because his face pales.
— Hannah, have you started to remember something?
— Yes. I remember perfectly the moment when the truck slammed into Danielle's car, and your gaze found me, and you smiled is diabolical, and it looked like you were relieved.
Jin lowers the hand in which he holds the flashlight. The light falls on a single point on the ground, but neither of them can see what is there, as they both look at each other, despite the terrifying darkness.
— I'm just relieved.
— What, are you relieved that my sister died? — She opens her mouth, looking at him with clear astonishment in her eyes. — I realize that my sister was a bitch and even towards you, she behaved like that, but….
She is unable to express her indignation because Jin interjects her sentence.
— You haven't even had an opportunity to get to know her well. For this short time, she has been pretending in front of you all the time. Do you know why she told you to call her Hannah? It wasn't because she missed you or liked your name. She was making an idiot out of you, and you believed her. She had another reason to use your name!
— What?
— She lied to you all the time. It's not true that she treated me in a nasty. You were the one going through it. I was the only person she trusted. I was the only one she cared about.
— What are you talking about? Danielle told me everything. I know she never loved you, that's why she preferred your parents to be in a relationship! She wasn't going to fight for you!
Jin forces a smile.
— That wasn't the main reason she wanted to part with me. You should not remember her well. She played before you all the time. She wasn't honest with you. Family was never the most important thing to her.
— Why are you telling me this now? — Hannah feels tears coming to her eyes.
— Because I can no longer bear that you got sick because of her. You were so traumatized by the accident that you even erased that day from your memory. Do you know why you did that? — A teenage girl's shivers ran through her. — Because at that moment you realized what a terrible person she is!
Hannah shudders as she recalls Jin's smile again as he stood next to the car and looked directly at her. She's sure there's something else behind it, but she still can't remember why?
She shakes her head, not intending to believe his words. All this is starting to tire her. She would rather not put up with it any longer. She longs for a break from it.
— I can't stand this lie any longer — she says through tears as she takes three steps back. — I need to breathe. I need it — she repeats, then turns on her heel and simply runs ahead. Despite the frightening darkness, she doesn't slow down. He doesn't look under his feet. He runs, hoping that in a moment he will reach the trailer, and there he will cover his face with a pillow and release all his emotions.
Hannah hears calling, Jin repeats to her that it's dangerous, but she speeds up, so long as he doesn't catch up with her. She wants to be alone. She longs to finally be free of all this lying and forget everything for a while.
The girl wipes the tears from her face with the sleeve of her jacket when she realizes he is there. She slows down her run when she spots a silhouette with his arms crossed over his chest in front of the entrance to the caravan. She rubs her eyes to make sure the nervous gait belongs to the person she needs right now.
As he lifts the phone and the light falls on his face, a pleasant, warm feeling floods her heart. She takes a deep breath, then presses her lips together and runs up to him, her arms embracing his waist. She snuggles her cheek into his chest, and although she is now unable to see his face, she is sure that he is relieved to see her, and this is confirmed by the strong embrace when he finally embraces her.
— I will never let you go alone again. I was going out of my mind, little girl.