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Kaila growled before turning around. “Hey! Tabitha!” We all looked behind at the little girl and her friends. “Sol here said he loves your paintings!”

“What’re you doing, Kaila?” Solomon asked.

Kaila grinned. “And would love to match me.” The girls' faces all lit up.

Sol’s smile fell. “Kaila.”

She nodded her head in his direction. “Come on, girls! It’s Sol’s turn!

” And just like that, a group of girls rushed Solomon with their paint and brushes as they knocked him to the ground.

They squealed and giggled as they painted his face and body.

He eventually stopped fighting and just lay there with a sour look plastered on his face.

His pink and pastel colored face that was now painted with butterflies and flowers. “You’re so pretty, Sol,” Kaila teased.

He grunted and shook his head.

Tabitha painted a tiny heart on the tip of his nose and then rushed to my side.

“What do you think, Aster?” The girls all backed away and admired their newest masterpiece.

Sol stood and looked down at his arms and hands.

His arms were painted like rainbows, and he was completely covered in butterflies, hearts, flowers, and all things imaginable.

Kaila completely lost it as he released a depressing sigh.

“He looks beautiful, girls!” The kids all cheered.

Kaila wouldn’t stop laughing. Sol crossed his arms and huffed. “Go on. Laugh it up, Wicked.”

She wheezed. “I’m sorry! I can’t fucking help it! You’re just so pretty, Sol!” She had tears rolling down her painted face.

Sol grunted and grinned. “Oh yeah? Then I guess I can’t help telling Doug how you had a crush on him last summer. I’m sure he’ll just love that.”

Kaila’s face dropped, and she glared at Sol. “Don’t you fucking dare!” He had such a sinister grin. “Solomon, I swear to God!”

I snickered. “You have a crush on Doug? Dirty Doug?”

Kaila began to panic. “No, I didn’t! I had–a–a momentary lapse in judgment from the influence of alcohol! That’s all!”

Solomon lifted his head. “Sure you did.” He winked.

“Solomon, I swear, I will fucking kill you!” Kaila stomped her foot.

Sol laughed. “Easy. I won’t say anything.” He leaned down and stopped just in front of her face. “ If you agree to something for me.”

Kaila looked pissed. “And what would that something be, Sol?” she asked.

He shrugged. “I’m not sure. But I’ll let you know when I do.

” He winked. Sol then raised a whistle to his mouth and blew loudly.

All the campers turned their attention to him, and he looked away to address them.

“All right campers! Time to clean up and head out! We’re going to head down to the lake and wash up a bit before dinner!

” The room filled with excitement, and the campers rushed to the door.

Sol, Kaila, and I had to stick to the walls to avoid being run over.

“I’ll take them down and you two lock up, okay? ”

Kaila rolled her eyes, and I nodded. “Hey, you go ahead. I got this.”

She looked towards the lake, then back at me. “You sure?”

My finger pointed to her overly colorful limbs.

“Yes.” We both laughed, and she nodded before joining the group.

Solomon, Kaila, and the campers wasted no time and took off towards the lake.

I stayed behind and started cleaning up after the campers.

There was so much paint everywhere. “Damn, they really didn’t miss a spot, did they?

” I looked up and out the woodshop window across the way to the arts and crafts cabin and noticed Sabbath inside.

“That’s odd.” There was nothing scheduled in that cabin today.

My curiosity got the better of me, and I inched to the woodshop door.

Now what are you doing?

Sabbath was standing next to Foster near the cabin window.

They seemed to be alone and working on something together.

It was so strange. But I wanted to see what they were doing.

My feet slowly moved, and I crept a bit closer.

Sabbath raised his arm, and hanging from his fingers, was a fucking totem.

My head ached as I recalled seeing it my first night here, and then again when a plague doctor was hanging one from a redwood tree out in the woods.

What the hell? Why does he have one?

I aimed for the front door of the cabin and walked right in. Both Sabbath and Foster turned to look at me. “Why do you have that?” I pointed to the totem that dangled from Sabbath’s raised hand. They both smiled. “Sabbath, why do you have that?”

He raised a brown. “What? This?” His hand raised slightly, and I watched the triangle made of bones spin ever so lightly. “Foster made it.”

Foster stood and ran to me. I stopped in shock as he hugged me tightly.

“Hi, big sis.” I hesitated before gently tapping his back.

It was still weird hearing him call me that.

Sabbath lowered the totem and Foster ran back to him.

“Sabbath was teaching me how to make a totem. Didn’t I do good?

” He pointed to the totem and grinned. “Sabbath says it's the best totem he’s ever seen. Mother would be so proud.” Before I could answer, Foster turned around and resumed building a small figure from little sticks.

What the hell?

Sabbath stood and walked over to Foster. He carefully placed the totem down next to the boy and watched him closely. I grabbed his arm and pulled him away. “What the hell is Foster doing making totems? And how do you know how to make them?”

Sabbath laughed softly. “It’s not like they’re hard to make, Rosie.” His fingertips grazed my cheek. “Cute dinosaur.”

I rolled my eyes and swatted his hand away. “Stop it. That’s not the point.” He grinned. “You shouldn’t be messing with that stuff.”

“That stuff?” Sabbath scoffed. “Rosie, do you even know what that stuff is?”

He waited for me to answer. “It’s bad—I mean, you shouldn’t mess with things. Everyone talks about these woods and how they see people in them. And those totems are meant to be left alone.”

Sabbath laughed. “Don’t tell me you believe the bullshit rumors everyone is always going on about?” I made a face. “Oh Rosie, you’re so much smarter than that.” He played with a strand of my hair. “Totems are important in my religion… To my church.”

“Your church? Wait, I’ve seen those exact totems in these woods.

We all have. Does that mean your church is nearby?

” He didn’t answer. “Sabbath, I saw something hanging one of those totems. Well, someone.” He raised a brow.

“It looked like a plague doctor.” Flashes of my dream last night reemerged, and I remembered seeing the same plague doctor in the cavern. Many of them. But why?

It was just a dream… Wasn’t it?

Sabbath eyed me closely. “You sure about that?”

I didn’t like his tone. “Yes,” I growled. “I saw them hanging a totem exactly like that one along a path outside camp.” I pointed to the totem next to Foster.

Sabbath crossed his arms. “I doubt that.”

I groaned. “Why are you even making a totem, Sabbath? This is summer camp. Can’t you two try to act normal?”

He looked over at Foster. “Every religion has their own versions of totems or sacred relics, Rosie. They have theirs and we have ours. Only, the totems we hang aren’t just religious artifacts.

They’re made with intention. We must focus our energy and thoughts as we bind the bones and form the triangle, which represents ourselves, The Order, and the very thing we worship.

But, unlike other religions, these totems can have many uses.

Just like we can have different intentions.

” He walked over and picked the totem up.

“These here are used for protection. We hang them to ward off the unwanted.” The totem gently spun in the air.

“There are other variations, but we rarely use them.”

“What other variations?” I asked.

Sabbath watched me closely as I reached my hand out and touched the triangle made of bones.

A light shiver vibrated down my spine. “There are ones meant for more… nefarious reasons. But let’s not talk about that right now.

” He looked down at Foster and my eyes followed.

The boy was creating an odd looking stick figure, but the proportions were strange.

It was extremely long and slender, resembling more of a tree with arms and legs.

Foster turned and looked up at me. “What do you think, big sis?”

I didn’t know what to say. “It’s… cool. I’m sorry. What is it?”

Foster’s smile fell. “It’s a Sapling.” He turned to look at Sabbath. “Did I make it wrong?”

A Sapling?

Sabbath shook his head. “No. You did perfect, Foster. Rosie just doesn’t know what it is. She’s not from our church, remember?”

The boy’s smile returned. “Big sis is what mother calls an outsider.” Sabbath looked at me with weary eyes. “She’s blinded by the world of man and lost from the path. But you saved her from eternal damnation, didn’t you, Sabbath?”

I shot my eyes to him, but he looked away. “Let’s not talk about that right now, Foster. Rosie still doesn’t know everything.” Foster nodded.

Excuse me?

“Saved me from eternal damnation? What the hell is he talking about, Sabbath?” He didn’t answer. “Huh?”

Instead, Foster cleared his throat, and we both looked down at him.

“By performing a blood ritual, Sabbath tied your souls, but your blood became one as well. And since Sabbath carries what mother calls sacred blood, now you do too.” I blinked.

“See?” He turned and smiled up at me. “I told you. We were all bound together like a real family.” What the hell? Bound by blood? Sacred blood?

Sabbath crouched next to Foster. “Hey, let’s not overwhelm Rosie. Okay?”

Foster scrunched his face. “I don’t understand. Why is she overwhelmed?” Sabbath sighed. “Mother says we shouldn’t have to hide who we are. I should be proud of who I am.”