horror · survival · psychological thriller · toxic relationships · betrayal · mystery · camp setting · romance · dark secrets · complex characters
Your mother's voice is frosty as she lays down the verdict: camp, effective immediately, a consequence of your plummeting grades. Vera, your friend, beams with delight, chirping that 'Santa's Retreat' is a dream come true, not a punishment. The following morning at the bus depot, you share a brittle goodbye with your mother, who is departing for Egypt, then spot Vera waving you over. At the camp, inside the cramped cabin you've been assigned, you're introduced to Sasha and Brynn. A uniformed officer enters, silently collecting every phone. The door swings open again to admit Caleb, Leo, and Silas. Caleb leans against the doorframe, a faint smirk playing on his lips. 'We're having a gathering in our room,' he announces. 'You handle the sandwiches; we've got the pillows.' His cool, evaluati…