On their way to a night camping in the woods, three girls angered a malicious witch. Although the nature of their conversation is unknown to us, the results are certainly something to behold...

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Neither of the girls slept well that night. Their dreams were haunted by strange figures. Elongated shadows creeping behind trees, howling beasts patrolling the endless night, disembodied hands, mouths and ears taunting wandering souls to no end… They were shivering yet covered in sweat. Comfort escaped them at every turn. Only morning would bring them respite, they thought, and even then…

Sunlight sneaked through the tent’s screen and onto the girl's faces, waking Daphne first of all three friends. She breathed in the crisp morning air and sighed, content. They had been planning this trip for so long now, it was hard to believe they were finally living it. Not hearing the girls at her side, she looked around and noticed they were in the same state of grogginess as her, slowly coming to their senses. Beth had slept next to her and was facing her way. As a particularly chill gust of wind found its way inside the tent, Daphne tugged at her bag and pulled it up to her chin.

Beth had gone through the same nightmarish dream as both her friends and was still shaken up a fair bit.  Hot and sweaty, her skin stuck to the inside of her bag disgustingly and she pushed it away from her in a single motion, although it did not work. She tried again, pushing down using her feet and hands without much effect. Her limbs had become unresponsive, like they all became numb at the same time. She waited a minute or two, trying to clench her fists and curl her toes to get her blood flowing again without much success. She opened her eyes and spoke to Daphne.

Lou woke up third, stirred awake by the rustling of the other two’s sleeping bags. Not usually the type to sleep in, Lou would still try to make the most out of every night and sleep as much as she could before starting her day. Fortunately for her, she still had a few hours of sleep left since she saw nothing but pitch black darkness. However, the interior of the tent felt hot to her, as if the sun had started heating it up.

“Jesus, I feel like I slept on a bed of nails.” Beth said, wiggling her shoulders around. “I can't even feel my arms and legs.”

Shhh, you'll wake up Lou. Just try and go back to sleep.

Beth had seen Daphne's lips move but hadn't heard a sound. She frowned and whispered back. “The sun is up, you know that? I mean, we don't have to whisper anymore.”

I'm not whispering. Daphne answered, propping herself up on her elbows to look at Lou lying on her back, eyes wide open. Hey Lou, what's wrong with the early bird gets the worm..?

She stopped halfway through her sentence and brought a hand to her throat. She tried speaking again but apart from the air whooshing through her windpipe, no words came out.

My voice! What happened to my voice? She mouthed, panicking.

“What's wrong Daphne?” Beth stammered too, trying again to move her arms. “Mine is gone too! What's happening?”

No, no. Daphne shook her head exaggeratedly. She pointed to her friend, then at her own throat and did a thumbs up.

“You can hear me?” Beth grew more anxious. “Clap your hands Daph, please..” And so she did, but she heard nothing. “I can't hear you, Daph!! Why am I deaf?!” She squirmed in her bag, still unable to use her limbs. “And why can't I move? Help me out please!”

“Can you just shut up and go back to sleep? The sun isn't even up, yet.”

Beth followed Daphne's gaze towards Lou, who must've said something she couldn't hear. “Lou the sun is already up and somehow Daphne's gone mute and I can't hear and…” She gasped audibly, although not to herself. “Oh my God Lou where are your arms?!? Where the fuck are your arms?!”

“What do you mean by my arms..” Lou turned to her side and her eyes grew wide. Her sleeping bag had slipped down her torso, exposing her shoulders. Her arms had indeed vanished. “I can't move my arms! Beth help me! Help me please! Get a flashlight, do something!”

Lou's eyes had gone completely white, her sight vanishing along with her limbs. She tensed her core and sat up, revealing that her shoulders had receded towards her neck into pointed collarbone stumps that shrugged and moved uselessly to and fro. She continued talking, most of her words escaping Beth's comprehension.

Daphne gasped again and tapped the ground for attention. She had pulled herself out of her bag and had started sobbing, one hand over her mouth. Her legs were gone. Her leggings laid beyond her hips like flattened pancakes. She removed her pants, reaching for her legless rump and gagged audibly.

“What's going on?” Lou had freed her legs and managed to stand up, using her toes to navigate her surroundings. “Beth, where are you?”

I lost my legs, Daphne tried to say, What's happening to us…

Beth recognized her own name on her friend's lips, but not much of the rest. “Get me out of this! I can't hear a thing and I can't move at all, I need help please…”

Daphne leaned forwards, her pelvis angled towards the floor in a way that would've been impossible with legs and unzipped Beth's bag. A cacophony ensued. Beth arched her back trying to move her arms and legs to no avail ; all four had disappeared.