The Sacrifice

A dark night. A bonfire by the lake. At the eighth-grade class camping trip, Meg will finally get her chance to prove she's worthy to join the popular crowd. If she makes it through the secret initiation ritual, she's in.  All it takes is a sacrifice. The woods are dark. The lake is deep. It would be easy for someone to disappear out there. Like the adults keep saying, it's a dangerous world out there for girls her age. Good thing the popular crowd taught Meg how to be dangerous, too.
Because tonight, the ritual won't end the way any of them expects. This short story is 5400 words long. It can also be found in With Friends Like These, a psychological thriller short story collection.