The Sixth Camper in the Photo

I still have the photo on my phone and I wish I didn't. Last weekend my four friends and

I went camping in Blackwood Forest. Nothing fancy, just tents and a campfire.

Saturday night I suggested we take a group photo before it got too dark. I set up my phone

on a tripod, started the timer, and ran back to squeeze in next to Mike and Jessica.

We all smiled like idiots. The camera clicked. When I grabbed my phone to check the

shot, my stomach dropped. There were six people in the frame. Six.

Right behind us, standing between Mike and Jessica, was someone I'd never seen before.

Pale skin. Dark clothes. Face slightly out of focus but unmistakably human.