Camp Camp One-Shots

some things are better left uknown

I'm back and I brought angst

Now, when I say this is angsty I mean it is angstyyyyy so please heed the warnings, okay?

TW: talk of day of birth, talk of drunkenness, talk of cheating, talk of murder, murder, crying, mentions of suicide, police mention, child murder mention, tell me if I gotta add more!

Ship sailing: Nerris & Ered!

-

"You know, I still remember the day I was born?"

"Oh, really?"

"Mmmmhm."

"What was it like?"

"Painful. For who, I'm not sure. My mom was in pain. My dad looked like he was in pain cus she was in pain. I was in pain cus I didn't know what the fuck was going on. Painful but…"

"But?"

"I don't know. Happy? I mean, my parents seemed pretty happy once the initial pain was gone. I was too. I was... surrounded by love. These people who smiled at me, called me this thing that became my own. They loved me and welcomed me into the world."

"Sounds nice."

"It was."

"Y'know, I don't remember the day I was born but I remember the day my younger brother was born."

"Oh? Really?"

"Mhm. I was….four. It was...it was chaotic which was perfect."

"Perfect?" 

"Perfect. It represented him well. A chaotic force to be reckoned with. He was loud and creative and...and.."

"And?"

"And the best. He was everything I could want and more, in a sibling. I sure do miss him." 

"Yeah. I miss my family too but you'll get to see him when summer is over-"

"No. I don't but that's a nice thought."

"Oh...why?"

"Don't know where he is."

"Oh? Did he run away or-"

"No. Taken. I guess I was too. I was ten, he was six and my dad was dead. Mom had killed him when she found him having an affair and kinda….snapped."

"Oh….I'm so sorry."

"Don't be."

"I still am. "

"Eh, it's been three years. I-...I'm over it." 

"Doesn't sound like it,"

"Fuck off." 

"I can't," Nerris rolled over in her bed, staring in Ereds general direction. "It's almost one in the morning and this is my tent."

Ered huffed, not moving as she continued to look up at the top of the tent. She had been staring at it for ages. 

"Why don't you ask your dads to look for him?" Nerris asked, humming as she moved to stare at the top too. 

"I did. When I first moved in with them. They said they wouldn't. Didn't wanna risk anything." 

"Risk-"

"Our safety. They thought that if we were together then our mom would find us. You know, the last time I saw him was before I went to bed that night. Told him good night and kissed him on his forehead before going to sleep. Woke up in the middle of night, sirens and screams and talking all around me. A guy, my dad, picked me up from my bed and brought me outside. Didn't even have enough time to look over at my brother's bed." Ered wiped at a stray tear rolling down her cheek. 

"...and you never saw him again?"

"No."

It was silent for a while. Ered had assumed Nerris had fallen asleep. 

"You know...if you have his first and middle name we could try and look for him on David and Gwen's computer. They both went out for some thing tonight. Quartermaster is supposed to be watching us but he's long gone."

"What?" Ered racked her brain for any and all announcements made today. "They never told us-"

"They knew we'd burn the place down if we knew they weren't here. I overheard them. The cabin should be unlocked," she sat up, moving to throw on a hoodie and her hat. "Let's go."

Ered followed

"Okay, so, what's his name?" Nerris asked, pulling up Google on the old laptop seated in her lap. Ered stood across from her, pacing back and forth across from the couch. 

"Colson. Colson Jeremiah Lint-"

"Your last name is Lint?"

"Used to be. Look up that name and if nothing shows then I guess his last name switched or so-"

"You never looked up his name?" Nerris asked, cutting off Ered. Ered looked at the elfling girl, noticing her eyes that seemed...shiny?

"Uh, yeah? I went with my dad's kinda immediately. They told me to never look it up and I just...listened. Why?" 

Nerris stayed silent, her eyes flying across the screen at rapid speed. Ered walked over to the computer but Nerris angled it away from her. 

"Come on, man. Lemme see!" Ered demanded, making a grab for the laptop. She grabbed onto the screen and yanked but Nerris yanked back. They struggled for a few minutes before Ered finally got it and sprinted to the other side of the cabin. 

"Ered I really don't think-"

"Shut it! I wanna see!" She snapped, her tone edging on something Nerris had no business messing with. Ered was surprised by how angry she was. She never realized how much it killed her to not know until she was so close to knowing. 

She tilted the screen and turned up the brightness. She read the headline, her expression morphing into utter terror at what she read. 

"WIFE KILLS HUSBAND AND SIX YEAR OLD SON IN A FIT OF RAGE! TEN YEAR OLD DAUGHTER IS ONLY REMAINING SURVIVOR"

She jumped away from the computer, as if it had burned her. Nerris walked over to it and exited out of the article before closing it and walking over to the desk to put it back. 

"She was upset when she found out he had been cheating. Got drunk and planned to kill you and your brother before herself. Killed Colson first before you dad was able to stop her. She was about to kill you but he grabbed at her...she stabbed him till he died. By then, all the screaming alerted the neighbors and the cops came and tried to save your Dad. It was already too late for Colson." Nerris explained, plugging the computer up and walking over to Ered.

Ered kept quiet as Nerris led her back to their tent. Ered started crying, silently. If Nerris noticed, she didn't say anything. 

They both climbed back into bed, an air of shock and grief surrounded them as they lay, still. 

"I'm sorry." Nerris said. 

"It's okay." Ered replied.