AHS // 1984// Xavier Plympton

Camp Redwood

"You say you found him in the middle of the road?" The nurse asks as she comes up from checking the man's pulse.

"He was by the side of the road. He's been pretty out of it, saying weird things, not making much sense," Xavier explains as I look down at him from my spot on his lap.

"He's severely dehydrated. Probably went for a hike and got lost. Couldn't find his way back. Panicked. People don't realize just how deep these woods are. Hikers get lost in them every year. End up dead of hypothermia or falling into a ravine or just disappearing altogether. He's lucky you found him," the nurse explains as she gathers the supplies for a makeshift IV stand.

Xavier gives her a slight smile as he fidgets with my belt loops.

"Is he gonna die?" Ray asks.

"Not on my watch. Don't worry, I work in the ER at Hawthorne Hospital the rest of the year," she explains, sitting down on her stool beside the man's bed.

"Why don't we give our nurse a little space. Come on. I can show you all a tour of the camp," Margaret interrupts, waving us all to follow her.

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"We have canoes and rowboats. All children must have a buddy to go into the water. The lake is allegedly bottomless, and drowning is the number one cause of death for US campers," Margaret explains as we stop on the dirt path beside the lake.

"What's second?" Xavier asks sassily, leaning over my shoulder.

She gives him a look before continuing on the path. Xavier smirks before pushing my butt along the path behind her.

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"And this is Chef Bertie, a Camp Redwood veteran."

"Dibs," Xavier jokes as he leans onto the truck behind me.

"You wouldn't know what to do with it if you got it, handsome."

Chet, Ray, and I laugh out loud as Xavier gives her a look.

"Put those scrawny arms to work and help a lady fill her pantry," Bertie continues, handing Xavier and I a crate each, "All of you, grab a crate. This heat is a killer."

"Chef Bertie worked here when I was a counselor. We are so blessed to have her with us," Margaret explains as we haul crates into the building.

"I have many good memories of this place. It's magic up here in the fresh air. I'm sorry that one bad apple ruined it for everyone. The minute I heard Margaret was reopening this place, I was first to volunteer. No. No, no, no, this... all goes up to the mess hall."

I look up at Xavier with a scared look and he gives my hand a slight squeeze.

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"Girls shower in the a.m., boys in the p.m. Same goes for counselors, too," Margaret explains.

"That rule may be broken," Xavier wraps an arm around my waist and smirks as Margaret ignores us.

We continue walking before coming up to a small cabin.

"This is the girls' cabin."

We walk straight through the cabin and head into the woods. We emerge out of the woods in front of an identical cabin.

"And this is the boys' cabin. Girls are red. Boys are blue. Don't even try to make purple."

Margaret leads us straight through the cabin and turns to face us from the bottom of the stairs.