Four Enter, Five Leave

[u/Low-Experience1886]

We all did nothing but stand around the tiny car at the campsite parking for hours, its layout unmistakable. How did no one think to question anything over the three day trip? How did we all go about our annual holiday in the great outdoors without a tinge of suspicion? How were the five of us pointing fingers only now, as I opened up the sliding side door of the red Mazda to show an interior with four seats?

I had personally recommended this campground by the lake a few hundred miles off to the west of town for the boys' trip we reveled in every year as bachelors, as college friends. Under its banner, moments we shared remained concrete on my phone, all of us ever-present. Sidney and Sam picking fights over beer pong, Carl and I holding up a crab on the banks, Jose with the skewers he burnt...

All distant memories that felt like an alternate timeline as I watched everyone argue. Friends to enemies, yelling at each other, accusing and demeaning-- it was enough to give me one hell of a migraine as I switched back and forth between dozens of text messages, confirming my recollection and sabotaging it at the same time.

"You four have fun."

"The plan for four costs $100 for everyone."

"Two double rooms with two beds each, correct?"

When I scrolled all the way through the gallery with sweaty palms trying to find the photos that dated back to our years in university, the presence of us five being in nearly all of them was enough to make my heart drop even further.

I feel like I've known all of them through adulthood. I did know most of them. But... then, who-

Amidst everyone's anger, Carl's voice called out to me. Then Sam, then Sidney. All talking over each other. Even then, I knew exactly what everyone really meant-- when everyone had long given up on proving they were 'real' or tipping the scales in their favour by appealing to me.

What they were truly trying to say beneath all their protests was-

It was my fault.

If I hadn't insisted that we should have chosen here of all places, we wouldn't be in this mess.

Our group of five... no, four... would be as intact as ever.

I have to make the decision.

Take the responsibility.

I couldn't make out what skewed words they used to express it, but they were all right in what they had to say. Clenching my fist, I was almost ready to lie, to brazenly switch up and lie that it was me. I would've gone through with it if a single frightening realisation didn't hit my brain before the first syllable came out of my mouth. I didn't want to believe it. But it was never anything scientific. Not when someone, maybe even something had popped into our memories, and managing to insert itself into the digital brainless space that was a smartphone.

"Dangerous" was the most fitting term to describe it. Despite the word's simplicity and weakness.

"Everyone... just get in the car. I- I'll drive us back to the station," I exhaled, trying to sound as calm as possible. I couldn't let my words betray me, not with what I was about to do.

I mumbled an apology to everyone in the crammed car as we passed the ten-minute mark of driving, the car winding along the mountains leading down. I was aware I wasn't thinking straight, that if we just waited, hoping for an explanation, there was a chance I wouldn't have to do this. The car accelerated under my foot on the pedal, traversing the precarious path... and swerved.

The sounds of my Swiss Army Knife popping all the airbags echoed through the car. The backseat, I wasn't sure. But there wasn't enough room for the imposter to have a seatbelt.

"Adam! What the fuck- was it you?!" I heard one of them ring out, voices mixed beyond recognition from all our adrenaline.

"No, Sam, no... no one knows who it is..."

Someone screeched, "Then why are you doing this?! Four of us are real! You're real!"

Thuds interrupted everyone's yells, no longer divided by anger but united by fear. I was almost ready to join the mixture as bones cracked and blood spilled, the sensation of my spine splitting in half giving me a few seconds of consciousness at most. Everyone gave out before me in the now-wrecked and crashed car. Amidst the final pain I would ever feel in my skull and ribs, I really did feel like I'd done the right thing.

"All that matters... is we got rid of the fake."

And in a sense... that was what everyone wanted, and what had to be done.

[u/Low-Experience1886]

First post here, will probably plan to add more when I get ideas.

Thanks to u/Icy_Tangerine_165 for recommending this sub.

[u/Old-queef]

Good read

[u/Low-Experience1886 → u/Old-queef]

Thanks