Camp Happy Trails had a kind of vibe that Laurie thought was classic and outdoorsy in a fun way, though she could have done with a nicer shower setup. Still, she managed to keep her pretty blonde hair well-groomed and her skin clean. Only Laurie could pull off the camp-aesthetic so well while also maintaining her bratty, confident persona. She wasn't down to earth; she was above it. Her cut-off jean shorts and t-shirt looked as good on her as designer clothes did on other people.
In the flickering light of the fire, Laurie's face glowed.
"I could handle him," she said, in her self-possessed, unself-conscious way. "I'd sorta like to see him try," she added, flipping her hair over her shoulder as she leaned closer to the fire.
"I don't know many people who could survive Hans the Butcher," her friend said, shivering a little, though she didn't directly say she didn't think Laurie could. If anyone could, it would be Laurie. "He's so creepy."
The next morning, there was an axe mark in the tree by the fire, directly above where Laurie's head had been the night before. Laurie looked at it, cocking her head to the side. The other girls watched her, eyes wide and scared. Then she laughed, high and feminine and teasing.
"Let's play, then!" Laurie called into the woods. "Come and get me."
Hans' presence followed them around, stalking them. It was like he was drawn to Laurie, but he never let himself get too close. The other girls were terrified, even though they tried to be brave like their friend. It wasn't even bravery, though, not really. Laurie was just unfazed. She continued to taunt him. If she saw his looming figure in the shadows, she'd beckon him closer with a wink. If she heard his footsteps through the camp at night, she'd call out to him, daring him to approach her.
"Come on," Laurie said. "We're not going to just sit around and let him terrorize us." She was trying--successfully, of course, because she was her--to rally her friends to go out and look for Hans. "We can terrorize him back," she said, smirking. She'd gotten tired of her friends being scared and was taking action. If he wasn't going to make a move, she would.
She led her friends through the forest, each of them jumping at every little sound, tree branches snapping, even birds chirping, but not Laurie. She scanned the woods ahead of her with a gleam in her eye. When she caught sight of the cabin, she knew it was his. It was like something from a horror movie, with shuttered windows and a sagging roof, and even Laurie's magnetism couldn't convince her friends to go inside.
"Well then, stick together," Laurie said, rolling her eyes. "And wait for me right here. Scream if you see him." And with that, she slipped into the cabin, taking it in with gleaming eyes. Her gaze flicked over axes and sledgehammers, all of them smaller than the fabled one he carried. She saw his bed, rumpled and massive, and, beside it, a journal. She grabbed it with glee, riffling through the pages. She giggled as she read, her smile growing wider and wider.
"He's obsessed with control," she told her friends after they'd returned to camp. Laurie was practically vibrating with excitement, rubbing her thighs together. Between her legs, heat had gathered, just thinking about how she'd manipulate Hans with the knowledge she'd gained.