Believe Me Now: If not for the world, let us work for the sake of our own humanity

By Audrey Bitikofer

Kim and Tallia are normal girls who just want to go to summer camp. Tallia gets Kim hooked by telling her that the camp has a rumor about seven kids who suddenly went missing. Are they really missing though, or is there something hiding behind the rumor?
Follow them in this adventure as they seek out what is behind the camp. Just some irresponsibl

• Language: English
• Publisher: Audrey Bitikofer
• Release date: Sep 30, 2022
• ISBN: 9781088060940

Audrey Bitikofer

Audrey Bitikofer is a young author from Arizona who spends most of her time caught up in many activites and extracurriculars. In her free time, she writes! Her original idea to start writing began in fifth grade, and she just never stopped! She is now in her junior year and will only continue to write more.

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Prologue

My wife and I never worked out. So when I lost my only daughter, Kim, that didn’t pan out all nicely either. I almost quit my job in fact, but somehow didn’t. Before I lost my daughter, my work was the most, absolutely most important thing to me.

Now I don’t know what is most important to me. It’s probably this book that I’m writing while I sit at my desk and think of the story and how things turned out.

Before writing this book, I met with a woman named Kris. Apparently she knew Kim and Kim’s friend, Tallia, and she gave me a manuscript of everything she’d picked up from them. So I am merely editing and putting in my own input. She also apparently tried to prevent my daughter, Kim’s, death from happening, and the guilt lives on in her.

I also worked with a man named Harry on this. He knew the girls like an old friend. He also used to work at the camp and tried to prevent the girls' deaths too. Therefore he and Kris were in the same boat. They comforted each other, I comforted them.

We're all doing better now considering how much guilt we faced.

Then I talked with Tallia's family and whatnot. Her brother missed her very much and told me everything he knew about Tallia and Kim.

Simply put, this is a story of how my own ignorance put me in pain—deep pain.

Because we all know, knowledge is a dangerous weapon. If it somehow ends up in the wrong hands then we are all in trouble. And the opposite of knowledge is ignorance. Ignorance can put you in just as much danger as knowledge.

My mother would sing this song after church on Sundays: Oh be careful, little eyes what you see. Oh be careful little ears what you hear. And so on.

We were children. I was a young toddler, but the song holds a weight. For if only Kim wasn’t the curious type, and if I wasn't the ignorant type, she might’ve lived longer.

Other than that, we move on and live. We try to amend our mistakes and live with them instead of running in fear. That is why we tried to fix our guilt rather than hide it.

Well, now that I’ve told you everything, this is a few people along with me, a retelling of what was and the lessons learned from it.

*    *    *

I want to tell a story first before we get into the details. I'm Kris, by the way. 

First off, Kim and Tallia were two of the brightest, sweetest girls I'd ever met at the camp. When I was first put in charge of them, I made sure to do my due diligence and keep them out of trouble. See, I was supposed to keep them innocent in the sense that they wouldn't have to experience what ultimately came to be at the end of this story. 

Secondly, I couldn't leave the camp because I had no car of my own. On the first day, my dad dropped me off, handed me my bags, and saw me off. I had had some downtime with him but had to return to the camp right after.  

Before leaving though, he asked me one question. Is the death spirit going to be there? 

I don't know, I said. I think she will be. 

And he said, then protect yourself. 

I nodded but I didn't know what he meant and I didn't really understand it. 

Well, not until later. 

I contemplated his words and realized that they applied to exactly what came to be with Tallia and Kim. 

To put it short, the death spirit, as we now call her, had and has no sense of humanity. But when I tried to protect Kim and Tallia, I called my dad, then I ran. 

I wasn't running away from the danger. I was running towards it. I hope my perspective is seen throughout this story and that my cry for humanity is heard. 

1

Kim and Tallia

Kimberly was in tenth grade, the grade when teens become silly or the complete opposite. They either break their bones doing wild things or begin worshipping ghosts that don’t exist.

Kim became the latter. And she had no reason to.

She lived in Scottsdale, Arizona—one of the most boring places. It gets hot, it has lakes and canals, it has a large mall. But 2019 really wasn’t living up to its name. Why would ghosts or monsters, etc. be anything any the kids dream of?

She could at least drive, maybe that would help her see the world a bit better.

She’d constantly bring ideas to her dad. And some days she’d be more irritating than others. Like the week before she went to summer camp.

What if siren heads are actually a thing? She asked.

Her dad, Jackson Graves, had finally grabbed his briefcase. Not right now, I’ve got to get to work.

Dad, I’m just asking. Kim frowned.

Kim, sweetie, I know how you feel but these things are absurd and you know what? You can do whatever, just don't get into trouble. Now I’ve got to go. And Graves left.

Kim was no doubt sour the rest of the day, but it wasn’t something she hadn’t experienced before. Whenever she felt like that though, she’d go to the playground. It was a childish thing, she knew, but she felt more free when she went there.

She was swinging on a swing when a familiar face showed up. She jumped off and said, fancy meeting you here.

You were the one who told me you wanted to hang out today. The familiar face said, all muscle with a scar on her leg. She was wearing shorts since it was early June in Arizona, letting her brown, smooth skin show.

Yeah, I’m just in pain again, Tally. Kim complained.

Kim, I literally swear on my life, you better woman up and not complain about your dad right now. Tally sighed.

Yeah, and what am I supposed to do?

Deal with it. Tally shrugged.

Kim groaned. Seriously.

Let’s go inside. It’s hotter than your temper out here.

Kim blinked several times in a row but they walked back to her house. Once they were in though, Kim whined, Tallia.

Tally leaned on the kitchen island counter, facing Kim who was across from her. Yes, Kim?

Why doesn’t he want to talk to me? I swear.

Because your asking him to do something that might—I don’t know—make him lose his job. Tally grabbed a banana from the fruit bowl and began eating it.

Okay, I guess you’re kinda right. Kim pursed her lips.

Tallia simply continued eating her banana. She knew she was right, because Mr. Graves could honestly lose his job and heaven knows that was more important to him than his daughter.

When Tally finished her banana, she threw the peel away and punched Kim lightly.

Can’t you drive anyway? She asked. It’s summer, girly. He’s busy with work and you could be in Flagstaff enjoying good weather.

What’s the point? Kim pouted.

You always complain about the weather and how he doesn’t pay attention to you.

I know.

So? Go camping, or somewhere fun. Tallia stared at Kim with such a look.

Kim nodded slowly, then shook her head. Ooh, somewhere fun, she mocked. Please, Tallia.

They looked at each other tensely. Five minutes later, they’re in the living room with Kim’s computer in Tally’s lap and Kim on the floor. She was leaning against the blue-gray couch with a notebook on her thighs.

A summer camp?

Just look here. Tallia gave Kim the computer. There’s like ten in Flagstaff, Pine, Prescott, blah blah. And look, there’s the Flagstaff Camp for Teens.

Kim snorted. Stupid name.

Yeah, but there’s a rumor, Tally said sarcastically, of a haunted thing there.

Kim kept her mouth shut, but then she opened it. A haunted thing?

Kim, I swear, you’re so gullible. There’s a rumor but it’s literally not true—

And Kim was off, typing on her keyboard furiously. When she pressed enter, she had a ravenous look in her eyes. Yeah, you’re right! Apparently seven children went missing there just a few weeks ago and they weren’t found.

That’s messed up. Tallia mumbled.

We’re so going. Kim clenched her fists.

Tallia blinked several times. What have I done?

That day, other than that, was pretty uneventful. Kim was so sucked up in the rumor of the camp that she almost forgot to