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Grade
11

Everything around me is dark. I look up to see the moon in the sky. It’s cold and I realize I’m not wearing a coat. My hands are wet but I can’t see a thing, it’s too dark. I reach for my phone from my back pocket and turn on the flashlight. When the flash light is on I look at my hands to see blood all over them. I point the flashlight toward the ground. I'm to in shock to scream or cry. I stand there thinking, what have I done. I quickly shut my flashlight off and hear Mark in the background.
"Mark where are you? What happened?" I shouted. I never got a response. He left me here by myself. The last thing I remember is Madison, Dawn, Mark and I camping. Everything seemed great, how could something like this happen. My phone started buzzing in my hand making me drop it. I reach for it and see it near Madison’s mangled body. I stumble through the dark woods trying to find my way back to the camp. Every noise I hear makes me jump. I unlock my phone and try to call Dawn but I have no service. I don’t know if I'm getting closer to the camp or farther away. It's too dark find out where I am. I pat down my long blonde hair forgetting my hands are covered in blood. My jeans are ripped by the ankle. The tank top I’m wearing is now a rose red. I have to get back to the camp. 
"Ava is that you?" I hear someone shout. I look around but see no one there. I think it’s the darkness getting to me. I hear a sound that sounds like something running toward me. I stop dead in my tracks and look to my left to see a figure running full speed at me. I screamed as I was tackled to the ground. 
"Ava thank God I found you! Wait why are you covered in blood? Are you hurt? Where’s Madison?" I was getting over whelmed with all the questions she was asking me. 
"Dawn I'm glad you’re here. I have no idea why I'm covered in blood. As far as I know I'm not hurt. Madison is dead." She backed off me horrified. 
"What do you mean Madison is dead?" She looked scared.
"I woke up on the ground and I couldn’t see anything. I pulled out my flashlight to find her dead on the ground next to me." I told her the truth and how I didn’t remember a thing about what happened. She nodded trying to piece together what happened, I don’t think she remembered either. While we were walking I could see her limping. 
"Dawn what happened to your leg?" She stopped and rubber her leg. She pulled up her pant leg and there was a huge bruise on her leg. It looked broken but I don’t think it is.
"Oh I was with Mark, I asked if he knew where Madison was and he got mad and pushed me down, then ran," Mark usually isn’t a violent person. He couldn’t hurt a fly. 
"Was he covered in blood to?" Maybe Mark knows what happened but doesn’t was to tell anyone. We need to get back to the camp. I didn't wait for her answer I just kept walking to where I thought the camp was. 
"Camp's this way Ava,” I watched Dawn walk to the left so I followed her to the camp. I don’t know who to trust. What if I did it? I couldn’t have killed my best friend, Could I? I shook my head to get rid of the thoughts. When we got back to the camp everything was still there but Marks stuff. I walked to my tent and grabbed my phone charger, lighter in case the phones die extra clothes and a bottle of water to wash myself. Dawn walked over to my tent with a pillow case full of stuff. Mark took the car so we have to walk back to the main road. 
"Dawn we need to find Mark," I stated trying to get her to believe I didn't kill Madison. She nodded. I think she’s scared she hasn’t said anything the whole walk back here. We followed the dirt road all the way to the main road. Marks house is just a block away. We started walking toward his house but kept our heads down so no one recognized us. Dawn had a little blood on her pant legs. She had her brown hair up in a bun. Mark's house is small, it's usually just him but his mom lives there to. She never around so it’s basically his place. Dawn went first and realized the front door was open. When we walked in we were met by the smell of disinfectant and alcohol. There where multiple pill bottles scattered around the coffee table. I picked up one of the bottles and read it. The bottle was anti-psychotic medication. The bottle hasn’t been open yet. Maybe Mark didn’t take his anti-psychotic meds with him when we went camping and that’s why Madison is dead. 
"Dawn we need to leave," I stated firmly. The door slammed shut behind us and we turned to see Mark. He looked crazy. His hair was a mess and his clothes were bloody. They were bloodier than me when I first woke up. 
"No lady, you’re staying here. I need to tell you a story," Mark whispered. Dawn and I looked at each other. He pointed to the old cat smelling couch. Once we were all sitting Mark stood in front of us. 
"Dawn I'm sorry. I killed her I didn't want to she was drunk and I didn't know what to do. She followed me and I killed her. She was covered in blood and I had to do something so I grabbed you and ran thats the only thing I could think of. I left Ava there to die. She died because of me." Dawn's screen on her phone was on the phone with the cops. Next thing you know they are here and Mark is arrested. They have a confession and everything. He's going to jail for a while. Dawn is covered in a blanket. We were taken to the police station to give a statement on what happened. Dawn and I gave our statements. Our stories didn’t match up to what Mark said had happened. Dawn said that I was trying to help Madison, but I don’t remember what happened at all. I don’t think my drunken ass could help anyone at all. How come he grabbed Dawn but he didn’t help me? He just left me there. The police sent Dawn to the hospital to get checked out. I got to go home and wash up in my own shower. My mom and dad where home when I got there. They have been ignoring me ever since I got home. My mother brought my father some homemade soup and cookies, thinking that homemade food would help him forget the terrible things that happened in the woods last night. The police think my parents should start therapy. I don’t think they need it, They are completely okay. Everyone just worries too much. Tomorrow would have been Madison’s 17th birthday. We went camping as a birthday present to her but it wasn’t supposed to end like that. I even got her a present. It’s a new computer that is customized with her initials on it. I was lying in bed trying to get some sleep so I don’t have to think about what happened. I kept tossing and turning the thoughts of her never once left my mind no matter how hard I tried. No matter what I did it never went away. Maybe therapy isn’t so bad after all. The next morning was the worst. Lying in bed thinking it was all just a dream when in reality it happened. I got up and put my favorite sweat pants and t shirt on. My therapy appointment starts in 10 minutes and my mom is going to bring me. Mom hasn’t stopped asking dad if he's okay and every time she gets the same answer.
“Mother would you stop worrying I’m perfectly fine I just need someone to talk to no big deal.” I tried to get her to realize I’m perfectly fine. It's like she cant even see me. She just sighed and nodded knowing she wasn’t going to get a different answer. Madison was wearing the necklace I got her for her birthday last year. She never took that thing off, it was her prized position. Mom and I got into the car and headed for the place. My therapist looked a lot like Mark and I didn’t want to go anymore. 
“Mom I can’t go in there he looks too much like Mark” She went over to him and told him that she was sorry for the trouble but she wouldn’t be attending and If there was anyone he recommended she see. He looked like a nice guy but he looked to much like Mark for me to even go near him. Mom got back into the car and we decided to get something to eat. It was 12:35 by the time we got to Olive Garden. It was a little mother-daughter date. We havent had a date like this in a while and it felt good to spend time with her by our selfves. It took 20 minutes to get seated because of how packed it was. When we where seated I was facing the main door and mom was away from it. As we where eating I looked up and saw someone who looked like Madison. 
"Mom that girl over there looks like Madison" I pointed to the girl waiting to be seated. Mom kept her head dpwn and ignored me. Mom kept trying to finish eating. 
"Mom she has the necklace that I got her for her birthday last year. I know because it has a gold chain and a blue dimond." The girl wasnt that far away so I could see every detail in the necklace. I could see the little scar she has just above her left eye brow. It's the one she got when she went bowling and some girl hit her by accident. I got up and started to walk toward her.
"Madison I thought you where dead" I was so confused with everything that has happened the last couple days. She looked right threw me like I wasnt even there.
"Look at me will you. Why wont you look at me/." I stated. I know who my bestfriend is and that is her. She looked sad. I backed up realizing that I was right.
"Then if you're not dead who is" I was so confused.
"Why can't anyone hear me" I shook my head and backed up again. 
"LISTEN TO ME ANYONE JUST LOOK AT ME" My mom got up and left.. Mom paid the bill and brought me home. In the car she was talking to herself but I couldn't understand her. She thinks dad should stay home for a couple weeks. When i got home I ran to my room and called Dawn. 
"Hello?"
"Hey Dawn I have big news you might want to sit down unless you already are"
"You're rambling whats wrong"
"Madison's not dead I went out to lunch with my mom and she was there I talked to her and everything''
"Mrs. Smith you know she's dead"
"No she's not she told me everything. So Mark killed her and Ava is fine"
"Why would her sister go camping with us it was supposed to be a friend camping trip"
"I dont know but my baby isn't dead I can feel it"
"She told you this? Why would she let everyone think she's dead?"
"I don't know Dawn I'm as confused as you are" 
" Alright Mrs.Smith I need time to procces this so I have to go"
"Okay Dawn call me if you need me i'll be here"
"Goodbye Mrs.Smith"
"Bye Dawn"
I hung up the phone with her and lied in my bed staring at the celling. None of this adds up. No one just sends their sister camping with there friends because of family issus. By the time I got all of this to kinda work I thought of an idea to get the truth. I snuck out my bedroom window and walked to Madisons house. I rang the door bell twice thats how many times I ring it so they know it's me. No one answered the door. I looked through the open window to see the tv playing the news. They had just found a body in the woods. It's probably Madison's twin. They showed a picture of the victums face and it was my face. I'm dead that's why people cant hear me or see me. I'm the one Mark killed not Madison not Madison's twin. They are all okay and I'm dead.