The Woman Who Vanished

The fire crackled, sending ash and tiny coals skywards like glowing fireflies. Five of the friends remained huddled together against the cold, enjoying the brightness of the dancing flames and feeling the warmth of the stolen brandy as it spread quickly throughout their young bodies.
"So who's heard the one about the woman that vanished?" asked Tod eagerly. He had been telling lame jokes and trying to steal a smooch from Samantha since the teens had jumped into the jeep and hit the highway.
"Seriously man! Aren't your terrible jokes enough for us to suffer?" Andrew replied, his face begging the other boy to change the conversation. Tod was not to be put off so easily though.
Shifting his spot so he sat right behind Andrew's sister Tod began his tale.
"It was right here, this very campsite where a husband and wife came for a secluded honeymoon..."
"Really Tod, you're freaking me out..." complained Samantha before Tod even had a chance to touch her. The young brunette with chestnut locks darker than Tod's but lighter than her brother's got up from her place before the crackling flames. "I'm going to bed..."
"Your loss," replied Tod, obviously disappointed. "And then there were four..."
"Just hurry up and tell us your story," begged Michelle. "I love horror stories so don't make it lame."
Tod smiled at the two girls that remained and gave Andrew a wink. "Where were we..."
"Some dude and his wife were getting busy?" suggested Andrew. The girls giggled at that, not sure if it was the brandy or the strange tension of the moment.
"Yeah, a man and his wife, but only one of them leaves..." Tod added quickly, trying to bring the focus of the group back on him.
"Heard it before," Michelle interrupted. "I'm done."
"Wait for me," said the other girl, rising from the fire to trail after her friend.
"And then there was one..." murmured Andrew as he too got up from the fire.
"You don't know what you're all missing," whined Tod.
"A half arsed story designed to scare kiddies," spat Andrew, not interested in Tod's campfire antics. "I am going to check the lines and see if we've caught anything."
"I'll come too and tell you the rest of the story," begged Tod.
"Tag along if you must but any noise you make is going to scare the fish."

It was only a hundred yards or so from the campsite and the warmth of the stolen brandy and the crackling flames but Andrew still brought his finger to his lips each time Tod tried to start up another conversation. The lines were disappointingly empty as was the cage for catching little crustations. As the two teens turned to head back to camp they both froze as the woman spoke.
"Have you seen my husband boys?"
"It's her!" whispered Tod, already his heart pounding, his blue-grey eyes wide with terror.
"Who?" asked Andrew.
"Who?!" replied Tod, a touch louder than he had wanted to, his voice coming out as a squeak that made Andrew smirk.
"Yeah, who is she?"
"If you'd listened to my story..."
Andrew stopped in his hurrying back to camp and started to laugh. "You think this woman is a character from your tale of terror?"
"Andy! It's not a camp story..." stated Tod with urgency. "I read it in the paper..."
There was a moment as Andrew considered what Tod had said. "Run! Warn the girls!!" he urged as he turned to face the new arrival.
"Sorry lady, we haven't seen your husband..."
"I know," the woman replied. "I've been watching you all afternoon..."
Turning to see Tod still standing beside him Andrew tapped him on the shoulder. "Let's go..."
Both boys turned leaving the lady in their wake.
"WWWWWWWWAAAAAAAAAAAKKKKKKKKKKKKEEEEEEEEEEE UUUUUUUUUUUPPPPPPPPPPPP!!!!!!!!!" hollered both boys, getting to the tents in record time.
As the other campers peered out of sleeping bags and tents with bleary eyed confusion Tod and Andrew dragged their friends out into the cold.
The tents were left along with everything else as two jeeps left the campsite with dust and dirt flying from the rear of both.

"That was bloody close..." Tod murmured to Samantha. "That woman was crazy..."
"Lucky Andy was there," Samantha replied.
"Guess so..." said Tod to himself as the camp disappeared in the rear view mirror.

The fire flared as the tents ignited. With the fire blazing the woman turned away.
"I'm come to get you," she whispered with a smile. "Can't leave any witnesses..."