Before we begin, I want to address something real quick: I got a complaint regarding the revised version of Camila in chapter two. I understand the complaint, and I realize that, at first glance, it might seem like I am twisting Camila's character. I can see the concerns, but I want you all to bear with me. I'm planning something for her character as the story goes on.
As you all know, in the original version of All For Luz, Camila was a very absent character and had hardly any screen/page time. This changes in this pseudo-rewrite. However, I needed to give her a character arc, and this is what I've chosen. If you don't like it, then by all means do so. I'm not asking you to like it. This is the route I've chosen, and while I'm sure there are plenty of other ways to go about it, I like this route because I, personally, like Drama and this is very Dramatic.
Also, before I start the chapter, please try to read the surrounding material around the events of the story before leaving a comment regarding said events in the future. It tends to clear up any confusion. And if you can't understand that surrounding material be it because you cannot comprehend it, then please, instead of being a jerk about asking me, do so politely. I have a special policy regarding how I interact with commenters. You start the conversation nicely, I continue to be nice. You come at me with some kind of rude statement or angry comment, you get the same energy back.
And for anyone who says I'm glorifying the concept of abuse for my story and says that I support abuse, I would like you to please direct yourself away from my story, and go find something else to read. I would appreciate it if you didn't leave a comment because if you do, I'll delete it. I won't tolerate any Keyboard Warrior nonsense. It spits in the face of discussion and ignores the fundamental reason why fiction exists in the first place. After all, this is all purely fictional. The events of the story are make-believe. If you can't handle it, then begone. It might seem outlandish, but I have seen far too many fics have those kinds of comments, and it drives me up the bend.
That being said, onto the chapter!
[Opening Song: Kyouran Hey Kids!! – By: The Oral Cigarettes]
[The "Not-So-Dull" Summer Camp – Part 2]
[3 days ago]
Reality Check Summer Camp. A camp located in the wilds in Springfield, Connecticut. It was a privately owned Summer Camp, given a license by the Government. The people who worked at the camp had been previously getting ready for a new batch of kids this summer, and everyone was excited. Events were being planned out, as were activities, most of which were already nearing completion.
At least, that was what had been happening. All work ceased immediately when a black limo sporting the logo of the Connecticut government pulled up. Nobody knew what was going on. All they knew was that a group of men in business suits walked out, and made their way to the office of the Camp Counsellor.
Twenty minutes had passed since their arrival, and most of the staff had no idea what was going on in there. The truth of the matter was that a deal was being hashed out. A deal that would change the fates of everyone at that camp. A deal that would make or break the state.
A deal that would potentially have generation-defining consequences.
"What do you mean you're commandeering the camp?! On what grounds!?" A man with tan skin, black slicked-back hair, and the beginnings of a mustache on his upper lip exclaimed, eyebrows knit in a furious rage as his eyes narrowed, staring down the person sitting in front of him.
The man, the camp counsellor for Reality Check Summer Camp, wore an open-face brown button-up vest with the camp's symbol in badge form on the left breast pocket, revealing a purple long-sleeve shirt underneath. A pair of black khaki shorts covered his waist and stopped at his knees, alongside a pair of white knee-high socks and black timberland hiking boots.
Sitting across from him was another man dressed in a two-piece black business suit and a bright red tie, with a white shirt peeking out from underneath the suit. In one hand, the man held onto a lighter whilst he puffed a cigar, leaning into his chair with one leg crossed over the other. Meanwhile, his free hand was stroking his beard, as a toothy, predatory smile gleamed just behind it. His piercing blue eyes shot metaphorical daggers into the other man's soul, who tried his damnedest to not look intimidated.
Next to the man, on either side of him, were two members of the FBI, signified by their badges on their breast pockets. They too were dressed in black business suits and red ties with wiretap devices attached to their ears, sunglasses obscuring their eyes. All three of the men looked about ready to pounce at any given moment.
"Come now, Counsellor. I'll give you however much money you want in return for this! Think of it! You could give your family whatever it is they want. Just name the price, and I'll pay for it out of my pocket. Just, try to be realistic, yeah?" the man said, as the two FBI agents bristled as if waiting for orders to attack the counsellor.
Unfortunately for the man across the table, the counsellor was not interested. He would stand his ground, if not for himself, then those who he had promised that their children would return home safe and sound. "I don't care what you offer me. I will not hand over those children or this camp to you! Forget it!"
The man across the table frowned, as if disappointed. He took the cigar out of his mouth, before tapping it once, allowing the ash to fall to the ground. He sat up straight, tilting his head down ever so slightly, his eyes hardening like steel, glaring directly at the counsellor.
"With all due respect, Counsellor Johnson, this is for the safety of the people of Connecticut. I'm sure you understand, don't you? You wouldn't want any accidents happening and have it blamed on you, right? For all we know, those "children" could be Chinese super soldiers here to kill the innocent children of America. You wouldn't want that, would you?" The man in the business suit asked as Johnson rocketed up from his chair, slamming his hands onto the desk with enough force to shake it.
For a second, one of the FBI agents went to lunge toward Johnson, only stopped by the man in the suit, raising his hand, as if to tell them that it was alright. The FBI agent reeled back, getting back into posture with both of his arms crossed in front of his chest. "Maybe it would be best for you to not do that again? I don't know if I can hold him back after this."
It was a small taunt, but a taunt nonetheless. It made the counsellor bristle with rage. His blood boiled with fury. To think that this man... that he represented the people of Connecticut. It was a complete and total shame. He had always hated the Governor for political reasons. But now? Now he had a personal reason to hate him.
"With all due respect, Governor, that's a load of bullshit! You know that I know that they are born and bred American children. It says as much on their birth certificates. We do background checks, so we get to see that type of thing. And besides, that doesn't give you the right to walk in here and say that you're going to do something without my knowledge! You didn't talk to me about it! I run this camp! No one else, and I for one am not stupid enough to fall for that kind of nonsense! What do you take me for, a retard?!" Johnson spat as The Governer frowned, sighing.
"You know, Counsellor, you're right. I apologize. I shouldn't have worded it that way," The Governor said, his frown turning into a scowl. "I don't need to talk to you about it. This is an order." As he spoke, he snapped his fingers as one of the men beside him threw down a folder in front of Johnson, who faltered for a moment.
The folder was labelled TOP SECRET in bright bold, red letters. Underneath it was a title. Project "Protect America" underneath it in cursive writing. Johnson stared at the folder, before looking back at the group of men in front of him, a bead of sweat trickling down the side of his face as he swallowed back a lump of fear.
"What... is this?" Johnson asked as The Governor smirked. He crossed his arms, nodding his head once as if to give him a silent command to look at it. He was apprehensive at first, knowing that it was a top-secret document. "Why... did you give me this?"
"Go on, open it. You should at least know what the plan is. But know this, if you speak a single word out to anyone... you and your family will find themselves missing and unable to be found." As the Governor said that, Johnson paled, recoiling in the process. The Governor stood up from his chair and walked around the table to right behind him, draping an arm over his shoulder.
"Y-You... You wouldn't dare..." Johnson muttered as The Governor chuckled.
"On the contrary... I very much would. If it meant that National Security was protected, I'd do anything in my power to ensure that our country was safe. Including sacrificing some random shmucks who don't matter in the grand scheme of things. What was your child's name again? Masha or something? It would be a shame if something bad happened to her, wouldn't it? What about your wife? Lesley? I can only imagine how they'd feel if—"
"Alright, alright!" Johnson snapped, glaring at The Governor as he smirked, pulling away as he walked back over to his seat, sitting down with his hands clasped together. Reluctantly, Johnson opened the top-secret document, taking in a deep breath, and reading. As he read, his expression twisted from anger to downright horror.
Word after word, page after page, it only got more and more cruel until it turned into what amounted to a death mill. All under the perverted guise of "protecting the God-fearing people of America from demons possessing the bodies of children." The contents of the document were nothing more than the ravings of an utter lunatic.
What this document was suggesting... It was... it was utterly barbaric, and no better than what happened back in the Second World War. Johnson looked back at the Governor and stared, appalled. "You... you can't be serious.... And the Government is sponsoring this... act of terrorism? On its own people?" Johnson muttered as The Governor smirked.
"That's the best part. As far as they're aware, I'm doing my duties as a Governor. They don't know what I'm doing, and these two," The governor said, pointing to the two FBI agents beside him, "they're under my payroll. Besides, all you need to know is that I'm sparing your daughter from it, per the agreement I'd have you sign. So, you personally have no stakes in it. Everyone else, on the other hand... not so much."
All Johnson could do was stare at the Governor with abject horror. The worst part was that there was nothing he could do. What was he, a lowly camp counsellor, going to do? All he could do was shut up and agree. Pretend as if he had never seen that folder, and continue his life knowing that what he was about to do would put him on par with a Nazi soldier.
What The Governor was planning to do... would make Benito Mussolini spit on him. It would cause Stalin to puke, and Hitler to blush. And he was going to agree to it.
The Counsellor let out a shaky breath, closing his eyes as he relaxed his shoulders. "At least Masha will be safe..." The Counsellor thought, before opening his eyes and glaring at The Governor. "Fine. You can take the superpowered kids. Just... please, keep up your end of the promise."
"I'm glad we could come to an agreement, Johnson," The Governor said, a wide smile on his face as he outstretched his hand for a handshake. Reluctantly, Johnson took it, shaking his hand, a wave of disgust washing over him. The two let go of one another, and as they did, Johnson sat back down. The closest FBI agent picked up the document and slipped it back into his suit, leaving the desk empty before a piece of paper took its place.
Johnson recognized the piece of paper. It was a legal document saying that he would be handing over the camp to The Governor of Connecticut. Ten years ago, when he first opened this camp, the previous Governor tried to do the same thing, though with the intention to make it a state-wide thing, and a means of punishment for unruly students. Not turning it into a death camp to torture children.
Johnson never saw his camp as a punishment. He saw it as a place for those who were a bit slow to learn things through interactive experiments, and group activities, and to build bonds with other people. That was the goal of Reality Check Summer Camp. A fun getaway with education mixed in. While the marketing made it seem like a disciplinary camp, it really wasn't.
It was kind of ironic. The people who signed their kids up for RCSC wanted to "instill normality into their unruly child" but that wasn't the point. It was to have fun. He also made it a habit to report the parents to CPS just in case something bad was going on because this camp also worked as a front to protect children.
But now... now it was going to be used to do the opposite of that. If he signed this piece of paper, he would be doing the very thing that he hated. He would be endangering children. But, if he didn't, his daughter would be put in danger. Masha would be hurt, or worse, and he couldn't bear that.
Maybe he was being selfish... no, scratch that. He was being selfish. But... he'd rather be selfish than have a dead daughter. And so, with a heavy amount of reluctance, Johnson signed the piece of paper, the smile on The Governor's face increasing twofold.
"Thank you, Johnson Sung-woo, for your cooperation. You've made this country proud," The Governor said, reaching to take the piece of paper. But as he did, Johnson grabbed his wrist and forced him to stare him in the eye.
"You're a sick, depraved, disgusting, maggot-filled wretch of a man. As God as my witness, and as Jesus as my Lord, I pray that one day, you get what you fucking deserve. The only afterlife available for you, Governor, is the eighth ring of hell, where all the fraudsters and deceivers go. You promised to protect the people of Connecticut, and now you're openly vying for their deaths. Go to hell," Johnson hissed, spitting in the man's face, directly on his cheek, before letting go of his wrist.
The Governor took a step back, staring at Johnson, before slowly reaching into his suit pocket, and pulling out a napkin, wiping the loogie off of his cheek. The two men stared each other down, a bitter anger between the two. After a long moment of silence, The Governor turned to leave with his men, and as the door to the office closed, Johnson slumped in his seat.
He had done it.
He signed away the camp he had built for twenty years to an evil man, all so that his daughter could live another day. He doubted the Governor would keep his word, but if he did, then that was great. But that didn't change the fact that he had doomed the lives of so many others.
Johnson closed his eyes, the guilt building up in his chest as he tried not to sob. He was a monster. A horrible, no good, rotten monster. No better than the man who had just walked out of the door. And while there was a way out of this mess, he refused to take it. It was far too cowardly, and it would throw away what he had just done.
So, instead, he clasped his hands together, sucked in a deep breath, and prayed. For that was all he could do. "Oh, Lord Jesus, hear my prayer... I am a fool. An absolute, unforgivable fool. I've doomed the lives of thirty-three children, all so that my own daughter could live another day. Forgive me, for I have sinned.... I am a murderer."
[XXXX]
Fact number one about Luz: She hated long car rides because they made her sleepy. It was something that she had picked up from her father. He often tended to sleep in the passenger seat when going on long car rides. The same went with his father and his sister. She, naturally, being his daughter, picked up that trait too.
It was annoying. Especially when someone asks you to keep an eye open and ears peeled for when a stop is made. She had promised Julia that she wouldn't fall asleep to keep an eye open for a pitstop, and to wake her up when they got there. At first, about an hour into the drive, that was a fairly easy task. She kept herself busy by opening her suitcase and reading The Good Witch Azura.
Fact number two about Luz: She loved the Good Witch Azura. It was one of, if not her favourite book. Oh, sure, she'd read it well over a dozen times, to the point where she could remember the plot off by heart, but that never stopped her enjoyment of it. She also wasn't blind to the faults of the book, either. From the bland protagonist to the trope-filled sidekick and the generic plot structure. It was quite literally a dictionary definition of a book of tropes. But even then, it was still her favourite. Why?
Because it was the last ever gift she received from her Dad. So she treasured it for all it was worth and some more. If anything were to happen to that book... she'd probably lose whatever remaining sanity she had left.
That aside, for an hour, she read that book. Eventually, she put it down, growing bored from reading it as her mind dotted about with several ideas, but without the ability to act them out without making herself look like a fool. So, instead, she hummed songs quietly to herself for another hour, growing tired around the halfway mark.
Two hours into the drive, she could see some of the other would-be campers doze off. Even the camp attendant had dozed off. Leaving only herself, and a blond-haired, blue-eyed boy in the seat next to her. He had short, ear-length hair, and was dressed in a white short-sleeve shirt with two green stripes going through the center. He also wore a pair of long, off-white pants with zippers at the knees, and a pair of green and black lace-up Adidas shoes.
He was sort of lanky, and he had slightly hairy arms. It was kind of weird, but considering she didn't know his age, she assumed he was at least two or maybe three years older than her. The boy glanced over at Luz, eyebrow raised. "Shit, are you the only one awake?" He asked as Luz shrugged.
"Probably, I guess most people went to sleep. How long have you been here?" She asked in return as the boy crossed his arms, leaning back into his bus seat.
"Got here at 4:30 back in Bridgeport with a few other kids, about uh... six, I think? Then we went to Milford to pick up another two which was like... what? Eight minutes? Then it took us about an hour from there to Litchfield to pick up ten other kids. Then we stopped in Kent to pick up another eight kids half an hour later. Finally, before we stopped in Gravesfield, another half an hour away we picked up twelve other kids in Washington Depot. So, add another two hours from leaving Gravesfield to wherever the fuck we are now? I'd say.... four hours?"
As the boy explained the route the bus took to get to Gravesfield, which was seemingly the last stop before the camp itself, Luz realized that all of the kids that were going to this camp were from Connecticut. It was a little strange, knowing that everyone was from Connecticut, but it did make her a little bit more comfortable. The boy looked at her, a neutral expression on his face. "So, uh... random change of topic, but, uh... you got a favourite band?"
"Oh!" Luz said, smiling, "Yeah, I really, really like NateWantsToBattle! He's not a band, but he does a bunch of nerdcore music. My favourite of his is The Finale!" As she said that, the boy across from her chuckled to himself. It caused Luz to blush with embarrassment. At least, until he said something that caught her off guard.
"A fellow Nate fan, huh? That's rare. The Finale's alright. Never been huge on the Five Nights At Freddy's stuff. But personally, his cover of The Take Over, The Breaks Over, is my personal favourite." As the boy said that, Luz was almost elated to find someone with at least somewhat of a similar musical taste to her.
That was one of the many things that Luz found herself getting bullied over. Her taste in music. She was never a huge fan of established bands. They all sounded the same to her. Aside from Owl City and The Beetles, she never really cared for established artists. Indie Artists? That was where it was at.
Of course, when others found out that she was a massive Nerdcore fan, it made her a laughingstock. Apparently, it wasn't cool to support small artists. Not that she cared. It was her taste in music and no one else's. Even if it did get her cornered by a few of the other girls in class and beat up. Though, she was pretty sure it was for standing up for someone else, rather than that. But, honestly, she didn't really care.
That one was a hard one to explain to her mother. Especially the black eye. She was slowly starting to not buy the whole "falling down the stairs" excuse.
"Name's Kennedy, and you?" Kennedy asked as Luz smiled.
"Luz. Nice to meet you, Kennedy."
"Same here," Kennedy said, a small smirk taking up his visage. "So, what else do ya like?"
And so, for the next little while, the two talked about things they liked. Such as books, movies, and even Anime. It turned out that Kennedy was a huge fan of Madoka Magica and Naruto. Luz wasn't all for the latter, but the former was a good one, even if she thought its depiction of Witches was kind of creepy. Seriously, it was something straight out of a drug trip.
Luz, on the other hand, was a massive One Piece nerd. She found Luffy to be extremely relatable, going against the establishment and rebelling against the rules and standards. She was currently on the Enies Lobby Arc. Kennedy was ahead of her, being at Thriller Bark. He didn't spoil anything for her, only saying that Thriller Bark sucked in his opinion.
Aside from that, they chatted a storm about movies they liked and what other types of music they liked. They had talked for so long, that a whole two more hours passed, when the bus suddenly stopped. Luz looked over her shoulder and saw that they were at a Shell Gas Station. Putting a hand on Julia's shoulder, she shook her lightly, causing her to grumble, sitting up slowly as she clutched her forehead.
"Ugh... Huh?" Julia grumbled, squinting as she shielded her eyes from the sunlight coming in through the window. A yawn escaped her lips as she blinked a handful of times, before looking out to the window. "Oh, we're at the station... Thanks, Luz."
"No problem, Julia," Luz said, hopping out of her seat as several of the other campers got up and out of the bus. Kennedy did the same, stretching as he stood up. Luz looked over in his direction and had to stop herself from staring due to just how tall he was. She could've already guessed that he was tall due to how lanky he looked. But this? This was ridiculous.
Kennedy easily stood two heads higher than Luz, who was a flat five-foot tall person, five foot one inch if she was on her tippy toes. Meaning Kennedy was probably, like, six feet five inches, at least. The woman from earlier stood up from the seat she had been seated in, rubbing at her eyes as she stood at the front of the aisle, yawning as she did.
"Alright. While the bus refuels, you all have fifteen minutes to get something from the convenience store. Remember what I said before. If you don't have any money, ask the person you're sitting next to to get you something. But just remember, by the end of summer, you should pay them back. Don't be the type of person to take advantage of their generosity," and with that, the woman sat back down, as everyone filtered off of the bus.
"Do you two need any money?" Julia asked Luz and Kennedy, as Kennedy shook his head.
"Nah. I had the foresight to bring some. What about you, Luz?"
Luz rubbed the back of her neck, embarrassed. "Sorry... I didn't think this would happen..." She muttered as Julia smiled, patting her shoulder with a good-natured smile.
"It's alright," Julia said, before reaching over to her suitcase, pulling out a wallet, opening it, and pulling out a twenty-dollar bill. Inside the wallet, there were well over a hundred dollars in there. Luz knew that Julia was loaded with cash, but holy crap that was a lot.
"Jeez, don't your parents spoil you rotten. You got nearly over a hundred dollars in there!" Kennedy quipped as Julia frowned, closing her wallet before putting it back in her suitcase, zipping it up and turning back to Kennedy.
"No, actually. I earned that money myself from doing odd jobs around Gravesfield. My parents had nothing to do with that. We... don't get along," Julia stated as Kennedy hummed, nodding.
"Yeah, I get that. I never got to know my mom and my Dad was a wife-beater. So I think we're in the same department there, Jules," Kennedy said, stuffing his hands into his pockets.
"Jules?" Julia asked, blinking as Kennedy shrugged.
"Yeah. You don't like it?" Kennedy said as Julia shook her head, a soft smile taking up her face.
"No, I don't mind it. I just wasn't expecting that. Most people call me Julia or Julie. Jules is a new one," Julia said as Kennedy snorted, resting his hands behind his head. He watched as everyone slowly trickled out of the bus, and so, after a quick stretch, he stood up, gesturing for Luz and Julia to follow him.
"We don't have a lot of time, so let's get going. Don't want to miss the possible only chance we have to get something to eat before we reach Camp."
And that's exactly what they did. They exited the bus and entered the convenience store, aware of the time limit over their heads. Julia found herself buying a snack-size bag of all-dressed Lays potato chips and a bottle of Pepsi. She also bought a survival knife for camp, namely because she didn't have one in her suitcase.
As for Kennedy, he bought himself a bag of flaming hot Cheetos. He was planning on saving the money that he had while he was at camp in case there were vending machines. Nothing else was of interest to him. He was trying to keep his weight low, only getting the Cheetos because his stomach was growling and if he didn't eat something soon, he'd go stir-crazy.
Luz wound up getting herself a Coca-Cola and Pepsi-flavoured Slurpee and a bag of Mini-Eggs. She also made a pit stop for the bathroom before they left. All in all, it wasn't much, it was better than only going off of a half bowl of cereal.
Over by the front of the store, Julia and Kennedy were standing outside, laughing about something. When they spotted Luz, Kennedy waved her over, a huge smile on his face. "Yo, Luz, hear this! Apparently, when Julia was younger she thought a bear cub was an overgrown puppy!"
"Wha?!" Luz exclaimed as Julia flushed with embarrassment.
"Give me a break! I was six and my parents kept me sheltered inside our home for most of my life. That was the first time I even heard of a bear," Julia said, pouting as Kennedy held back another bout of laughter. Luz had to admit, that was funny. Julia then looked over to Luz and smirked. "What about you, Luz? Have any embarrassing stories?"
Luz faltered, looking at the floor. A few came to mind, but the most recent one, the snake incident, was still fresh in her mind. The others were too personal, and she didn't want to share them. Especially the one about the fake love letter she had gotten which resulted in her being drenched in a bucket of expired milk.
"Well, I brought a bunch of live snakes into my classroom for my final project for English 9. It was, uh... the reason why my Mama signed me up for this camp," Luz said, absently looking to the side as Kennedy snickered.
"Damn, Luz, that's rough. Also, Mama? Uh, is that like a Spanish thing?" Kennedy asked as Luz nodded.
"Yeah, it is. What, you think it's weird?" Luz replied, raising an eyebrow as Kennedy shrugged.
"Nah. Just never heard someone call their mother "mama" unironically before above the age of four, that's all," he quipped before shoving his hand into his bag of Cheetos, popping a couple in his mouth. "Ya know," Kennedy began through chews, swallowing afterward, "once this camp nonsense is over, maybe we can all friend each other on Discord. I kinda like this dynamic we got going here. I don't have many other friends back home, and I wouldn't mind to keep in contact."
"Discord?" Julia questioned as Kennedy stared at her incredulously.
"Oh Nah, you don't know about Discord either?" Kennedy asked, raising an eyebrow. "What, did your parents lock you in your room or something?"
The silence in response to that question was deafening. Kennedy, looked at the floor, rocking front to back on his heels. Luz looked at Julia with a gleam of sympathy in her eyes. Just what kind of parents would do that kind of thing? That was just cruel.
"Alright everyone, back on the bus!" The woman attendant called out, drawing everyone's attention. Without a word to each other, the group of three walked back onto the bus. As they walked past, the attendant had a garbage can stationed next to her. With each would-be camper walking past, a few things of garbage were added.
One would-be camper, in particular, a tall, muscular teen, with muddy brown skin, broad shoulders and the makings of a goatee stood in front of the attendant. He was wearing nothing but a grey tank top and black sweatpants, along with dark brown lace-up boots his arms crossed, and a contemplative look on his face. "Hey, question," the teen asked as the woman raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, Stanley?"
"If I roll down one of the windows, can I smoke on the bus? All this stress is killing me, and I can't relax," Stanley said as the woman sighed. She looked almost disappointed. She looked over to the bus driver, who nodded, as Stanley smiled. "Thanks. You're a lifesaver."
"Why would someone smoke? It's just a pathway to having cancer in the future," Julia said as Kennedy sighed.
"Stan's always been like that. We grew up in an orphanage. The place sucked, and so he picked up a smoking habit to deal with the stress," Kennedy said as Luz looked at Kennedy with a raised eyebrow.
"Didn't you say your Dad was a wife-beater? How could you have grown up in an orphanage?" Luz asked as Kennedy gave her a deadpan stare.
"The keyword is "was" Luz. My Dad beat my mom to death and was arrested and hauled off to jail. Hence, I now live in an orphanage," Kennedy said as Luz flinched.
"Sorry..."
"No need to apologize," Kennedy said, waving it off as if it was nothing. "'sides, it was a valid question," and with that, the group of three re-boarded the bus, heading to their seats at the back. It was only then that Luz realized that Stanley had been the one whom Kennedy was sitting next to, the window rolled down as the tall, muscular man had one hadn't draped out the window, smoke blowing in the wind outside of it.
Luz was kind of upset with herself that she had failed to notice him. But, then again, given the fact that he was now sitting upright and not asleep, he was far easier to spot now. Stanley looked over to Luz and Julia, his expression neutral.
"Those new friends of yours, Ken?" Stanley asked as Kennedy nodded.
"Yup. Stan, meet Luz and Julia," Kennedy introduced as Stanley nodded in greeting. Luz waved awkwardly as Julia did the same, only politely, as if she had been trained to do it in that specific way.
Luz yawned, a wave of drowsiness washing over her. She could hardly keep her eyes open. Not that it was her fault, she could hardly sleep well last night. Especially after that argument. "If you guys don't mind, I'm going to take a nap. Julia, can we trade spots?"
"I don't mind," Julia said, standing up as the two traded places. Stretching briefly, Luz curled up into a ball and rested her head against the window, closing her eyes.
"Don't wake me unless it's important..." Luz grumbled, as she did, very quickly, she found herself in a deep sleep.
...at least, that was the case, until her eyes shot open, sucking in a deep breath as if she had just been pulled out from underwater. Her eyes from left to right, and instead of finding herself on the bus, she found herself in the same dark, void-like location she had woken up in two nights prior. Nothing had changed about the place. The interior was still the same.
The same two throne-like chairs greeted her, empty as they had been the last time she was here. A cold chill washed through the void-like room as Luz shrunk in on herself, a feeling of nothing but despair taking root.
Where was she? How did she get here? She knew this was some kind of lucid dream, but why now? Lucid dreams, from what she knew, were not reoccurring. So why now was she having this one again? She swallowed the building fear in her throat, as, suddenly, without warning, several blue lights began to glow around the roof of the void-like room, each providing an eerie glow.
She flinched in place, looking from left to right, her eyes dilating in fear as she faced the pair of thrones in front of her. "What's going on?!"
"ルース・ノセダ...."
A deep, baritone voice reverberated throughout the void-like room as Luz looked over her shoulder, into the darkness behind her. What she saw was nothing but two pits of crimson red staring at her from a distance. A shadowy form, with no body, no face, just two crimson, demonic red eyes. And it was speaking to her in, from what she could understand, Japanese.
"まだ準備ができていない。接続が完了していません."
Suddenly, a gust of powerful wind blew over Luz. She braced herself, putting one foot in front of the other and shielding her face with her arms. With each passing second, the gusts of wind grew stronger and heavier, the lights on the walls slowly going out. Behind her, a white, door-like gate appeared, and just as Luz was being lifted from the ground by the wind, the voice had one last thing to say, even if she could not understand it.
"次にあなたが影と過去の記憶の世界に戻ったとき、私たちは多くのことを話し合えるだろう。目を覚ませ、ルス。運命があなたを待っている."
And then, she was flung out of the void-like dream. She shot up in her seat, her breathing heavy and shakily with sweat trickling down the side of her face, her eyes dilated in her fear. Her heart beat against her chest rhythmically, as if she had just finished running a marathon racing against a pack of feral wolves.
Slowly, she began to calm down, swallowing down the lump in her throat as she blinked, adrenaline leaving her system as she looked around the bus. It was... empty, and it was completely dark out. The bus driver was oddly slack, and... so was the attendant.
Fear once again began to claw up her spine as she slowly stood up, grabbing her suitcase. Had she been left behind? That wasn't right. Why was she left behind? Where was everyone?
"Hello...?" Luz said, her voice meek and timid. So many questions raced through her mind. What was that just now? That freaky dream? That voice, and why was it speaking to her in a language she couldn't understand? And now this? Where was everyone? What had happened? Why hadn't anyone woken her up?
Slowly, taking one step at a time, Luz crept down the aisle of the bus, and when she made it to the front and turned to look at the attendant, she was slumped over the seat... with a bullet wound right between her eyes, which stared vacantly at the ceiling lifelessly. Luz screamed, stumbling backward into the driver, who, as soon as she bumped into him, also had a bullet between his eyes... and riddling his face and upper torso.
Blood droplets from his wounds splattered on Luz's face and clothing, as she shoved his body off of her. She stumbled forward, grabbed her suitcase and ran down the stairs of the bus entrance. When she got out there, she was met with seven dead bodies, all riddled with bullet holes. All of the bodies belonged to the children aboard who did not have any superpowers.
Luz wanted to puke, her body shivering with fear as she swallowed down the vomit. What the hell happened here!? What was going on?! Where was—
A sharp pain reverberated throughout her body, as a loud, smacking sound sounded off behind her. She didn't even realize what had happened. All she felt was something hitting her in the back of the head, and after that, she hit the grassy floor, and the last thing she remembered seeing was the black boot and the beginnings of camo-coloured pants.
"We found the last one. Project Protect America is officially underway...."
And then, there was silence....
[XXXX]
Camila sat at home, having just gotten off shift at the vet clinic. Today had been an absolute nightmare, filled with nothing but screaming patients, panicking over their pets and their health, to constant confused phone calls from other previous pet owners who were trying to figure out what to do now that their child had dog ears.
¿Qué demonios was she supposed to do about a child with dog ears?! She was a vet, not a doctor. Oh, sure, she had basic medical training, but that was all. The rest of her training was directed toward four-legged or winged animals. Not people. And those treatments weren't exactly transferable to people. No matter their newfound animalistic mutation.
Oh well, at least she was getting paid overtime due to staying two hours later than normal. Sitting on the couch, she relaxed into the back cushion, closing her eyes as she took a deep breath, and exhaled. She could really go for a glass of wine right about now. Unfortunately, she was bone dry from last night. She was pretty sure she had gotten blackout drunk, having not remembered what happened.
Whatever it was that happened, though, seemed to have been bad. She had woken up to there being a red stain on the rear wall and shattered glass. Coupled with how Luz had acted this morning, being distant and nervous around her.... It made Camila question what had happened.
She had a feeling that whatever she had done was horrible. She wasn't blind to the facts that had been presented to her. A shattered glass with a red stain on the wall? Either Luz took her wine glass from her and threw it away, or... she threw the wine glass at Luz. And if it was the latter rather than the former, then that would have explained why she was so distant.
Unfortunately, she had no way of confirming what had happened with Luz. She had already left for Reality Check Summer Camp, and wouldn't have cell service there for her to call her. So, she'd just have to wait till the end of summer vacation.
Camila would like to think that she was a good mother. She put a roof over her daughter's head, put food on the table, and tried her best to be supportive. Oh, sure, they had their roadblocks and their arguments, but it was never anything detrimental.
And yet, now she was starting to have doubts. Doubts that wasn't the mother that she thought herself to be. In truth, it had been a struggle ever since Manny died. Working late into the night, being shouted at by pet owners for not being able to read their thoughts about what they wanted done to their cat dog or bird. Stressing over whether or not she was giving the correct medicine to the right animal, and in that dosage that they needed.
Sometimes she slept at the Vet Clinic, not coming home till the next day, and coming home to a mess as if a tornado tore through the place. Luz was a messy person, that much was obvious. She blamed it on her hyperactivity and her inability to sit down and chill out for a few hours. She always had to be doing something, and that caused Camila even more stress.
It was managable with Manny around. But after his tragic passing in a horrendous car crash, whilst he was taking their daughter to daycare for that afternoon, things had only gotten harder. And to make matters even worse, Luz was showing no signs of maturing, or at least, in the way that most people did. Some people thought that was a good thing. Camila, on the other hand, didn't.
More than anything in the world, Camila wanted an extra pair of hands to help around the house. To make a living and income so that they didn't have to go paycheque to paycheque for half the year. Oh, sure, there was the option of going on dates, but she personally wasn't interested, and she wasn't going to force herself into a loveless relationship for money purposes only. She was desperate for money, but not that desperate.
So, with all of the stress she experienced to give her more than enough gray hair to last her till she got to her 60s, she found it acceptable that she could reward herself with a drink or two. But, if that drinking was causing Luz's and her relationship to go by the wayside, then maybe she should try and go sober again. For good.
The problem was that, when you are addicted to something, you get heavily irritated and become quick to anger without the vice you're addicted to. It's a cruel cycle. Even crueller when it comes to vices like alcohol.
The worst part about this whole ordeal was that she never remembered anything from when she got drunk. Not even an inkling or a sense od déjà vu. Apparently, that was called "Jekyll and Hyde syndrome." Not quite disassociative identity disorder, nor was it borderline personality disorder, but it was related.
It didn't excuse whatever her behaviour was when she got into that state. Whatever she did, as it was obviously something bad, was unacceptable.
Camila sighed, sitting upright as she took off her glasses and wiped her face, dragging her hand across it as she yawned. Forget making dinner, she was close to passing out. Just as she was about to get up to head to her bedroom, a buzzing sensation vibrated in her left pocket. She didn't need to check what it was, because she already knew it was her phone ringing. Her only question was who could be calling her at 10:45 in the evening?
Taking her phone out of her pocket, she looked at the screen and raised an eyebrow. She recognized the number but was still confused as to why it was calling her. It was the St. Peter's Liturgical Church. Why would they be calling her now? She hadn't been there in over a month and a half. Maybe they were calling to check up on her? That was entirely possible, but still, it did strike her as a little... odd.
Deciding that it wasn't worth her time to question it, answering the phone, Camila put it up to her ear and spoke. "Hello? Camila Noceda speaking. What can I do for you?"
"Oh, good heavens, I'm glad I got into contact with you, Camila," an elderly, but familiar voice exited the phone's speaker, the voice having belonged to Pastor Domenico. Once again, Camila was left confused. Why on earth would he be calling her now? He was usually in bed by this time. Then again, the Church was closed on Wednesdays, so it made sense if he decided to stay up later than usual.
Still, though, it was weird. The last time Pastor Domenico called her directly, it was regarding the funeral service for Manny. And that was well over a decade ago. So what could've possessed him to call her like this?
"Pastor! Good evening. You sound... upset. Is something the matter?" Camila asked as Pastor Domenico cleared his throat.
"Pray tell, have you watched the news at all today?" Domenico asked as Camila's eyebrow raised even further, confusion painting her expression. Camila, in general, hardly watched the news in the first place. To her, it was all over-dramatized slop for people who had nothing going on in their lives to watch. The only time she watched the news was during election season, and that was so she stayed up to date with the polls. Still, as Domenico spoke, there was a hint of fear and nervousness in his voice. Why would he be afraid? And how did the news tie into any of this?
"Uh... no I haven't. Why?"
"Turn on the TV and go to CNN. It's important," Domenico instructed, and out of the need to cure whatever was building up inside her, Camila did just that. She grabbed the TV remote that was next to her and flipped on the TV, which was a 27-inch flatscreen TV. It cost her around about $685 to buy, and that was because it was second-hand. Once the TV was on, she flipped through the channels until she got to CNN. And what was on made her stomach drop.
"Thank you, Stephen. Returning after the weather, we still do not know the full story behind the bus attack in Springfield, Connecticut. The bus belonged to the privately owned Reality Check Summer Camp, and for unknown reasons, it was attacked at 9:30 pm. The crime was reported at 10:00 pm when a scream came from the area of the attack, and since then, the only information police have been willing to give us is that there were nine bodies found at the scene of the crime, two adults, seven children, four female and five male.
"All of the children are currently unidentified. According to currently collected evidence, forty children were reported to have been on the bus, thirty-three of which are a part of the new "aberrants" popping up worldwide. Police suspect this to be a kidnapping by a terrorist organization, and are currently asking for help investigating. The FBI has been notified and will be joining the investigation as soon as possible. As soon as we have more information, you can count on us at CNN to deliver it to you immediately."
Camila stared at her TV, her hand covering her mouth as her eyes widened to the size of saucers. This couldn't be happening. Luz was on that bus. Her querida hija was on that bus, and she was just finding out now that it was attacked. If Pastor Domenico hadn't called, she would've never found out, because she would have never turned on the TV.
"Camila, are you still there?" Domenico's voice broke through her thoughts as Camila snapped back to reality.
"Y-Yes. O-Oh, dios mio! I-I need to call—"
"Don't bother, Camila. I already have. The police still haven't identified the bodies. But, there is a silver lining. I gave them Luz's description, and none of the bodies matched it. So while she isn't dead, that still means that your daughter has most likely been kidnapped by whatever group did this. I'm sorry."
And just like that, Camila's heart sank further. While Luz was alive, thank God, her fate was still up in the air. What did those people, whoever they were, want with her daughter? She wouldn't know, and likely would never know until the situation was solved. And by then, who knew what would've happened to her daughter?
For all she knew, she could be dead by that time. And to know that their last interaction was one that potentially resulted in a fight.... It made her well up inside.
"Camila, try and get some rest. It's already late and I know that work must have been hellish for you. I'll let you know if I hear about anything else, alright?" Pastor Domenico said as Camila hummed in acknowledgement, hanging up the phone moments later as it fell to the couch with a thud.
All Camila could do was sit on her couch, hands in her face as she sobbed. Her daughter was in danger, and there was nothing she could do. And the worst part? She had sent her there. She had put her on that bus, and now because of that, because she put Luz on that bus, she may or may not be dead due to her actions.
Camila Noceda was a horrible mother.
[XXXX]
A throbbing headache was the first thing that Luz was greeted two when her eyes peeled open, the rays of the sun blinding her in the process. She felt something soft, yet slightly uncomfortable underneath her—like a stiff mattress or something akin to that. Her hand lazily hung over her face as she blocked out the sun, squinting all the while. Luz groaned, slowly sitting up as she clutched the back of her head. What was going on? Where was she? All she remembered from last night was...
"The bus!" Luz exclaimed, shooting up from whatever she was lying on, instantly regretting it as she groaned once more, her headache worsening as she did. A cacophony of confused voices echoed throughout wherever they were being held up, as Luz surveyed the area.
From what she could tell, they seemed to be in a tent. The tent walls were dark green, with plastic windows on the roof. Metal beams kept the tent from falling on them, planted firmly in the ground, and lined against the walls were metal-framed beds with white sheets and white mattresses. There were no pillows, just the mattress and sheet.
And also, as she noticed, everyone still had their shoes on. They slept with their shoes on, even her.... That was just barbaric. Clearly whoever kidnapped them—because that was obviously what had happened, there was no two ways about it—were monsters. Although, that was apparent, given their situation.
"Luz?" Julia's voice cut through her observation as she turned to look in the direction of where she was, that being right next to her. "Are you alright?"
"Could be better..." Luz answered, chuckling awkwardly as she scanned the room once more. Everyone on the bus who hadn't been... killed were here, all of them having strings attached to their foreheads, confirming her theory that those who had been shot and killed were those without powers. That only led to a single, solitary question forming in her mind.
"Where are we?"
"EVERYONE, FRONT AND CENTER!" A bellowing voice echoed out from the entrance of the tent, catching everyone's attention. The voice belonged to a man dressed in a camo, army-styled uniform. He had peach-coloured skin, and on the left side of his army coat, there was a name tag. Sergent Dempsey.
Sergent Dempsey had a shaved head, piercing brown eyes, and a look that screamed of revulsion. His hands were behind his back, standing in proper military form. Proud and tall, without slouching even an inch. He overlooked the room, eyes narrowed, before grunting. "Alright, maggots. You have ten minutes to figure yourselves out. And then, I expect to see you out of this tent. If you're not, I'll come back in here and drag you kicking and screaming. Understood?!"
Confused and scared silence was all he was met with, which seemed to make him angry. "I said... DO YOU FILTHY FUCKING WASTES OF SKIN UNDERSTAND?!"
That got everyone to respond, as a cacophony of "Yes sirs" echoed out from the tent. Dempsey nodded, before turning around and walking out of the tent. Something told Luz that this wasn't Reality Check Summer Camp. If anything, this seemed more like boot camp. And considering what it was that she saw back on the bus....
"Alright, I think it's fairly obvious, but something fucked up is going on," a rough-sounding voice echoed from the back of the tent. Luz looked in that direction and saw Stanely, who sat on his bed with one leg pressed up against his chest, his right arm draped over it.
"Thanks for pointing out the obvious," another voice spoke up, but this one was one Luz didn't recognize. It was feminine, and the person to whom it belonged was a shoulder-length black-haired girl with cat ears sticking out of the top of her head, along with whiskers coming out from her cheeks. A single pointed tooth poked out from underneath her upper lip as a frown sat on her face.
She looked a little on the bulkier side, and she was dressed in a black, knee-high dress with cat-themed leggings, along with a pair of high-top boots. One of her arms had a sleeve that started at the elbow and stopped at the wrist, X's sitting on the interior of the sleeve, and on her fingers were what appeared to be long, three-inch claws that replaced her nails. She sat on her bed in the butterfly position, one hand pressed against the mattress while her other rested against her leg.
"So, what're we going to do? Do as they say? We're the ones with powers here, right? We could easily beat the crap out of them!" A boy with bright orange hair, fiery red eyes, and pale skin with freckles exclaimed, one of his hands bursting to light with fire as a smirk took up his visage.
"Yeah, great idea! Then we can all get shot by high-power assault rifles together! Go us!" A sarcastic, german accented voice spoke from the front of the tent, as Luz once again found herself looking in that direction. The voice belonged to a pale-blonde-haired woman who looked to be around eighteen years old with emerald green eyes and freckles.
She was dressed in a black leather vest with spikes on the shoulders, and a sleeveless dark blue tube top that topped just below the chest, revealing her midriff and exposing her belly button, alongside a pair of jean shorts with torn edges, and a black beanie that sat lopsided atop her head. A black spiked choker fitted around her neck and matched with her spiked bracelets. To complete the punk outfit, she wore fishnet stockings with spike-toed boots that had belt straps on the sides.
"Hey! It's not a bad idea! Besides, fire trumps guns 100 times out of 100! Scared of a couple of loud noises, Nazi?" The redhead asked, a snarky tone to his voice as
"Blöder amerikanischer Hund. You want to die, don't you? Also, just because I am German does not make me a Nazi Du mieses Schwein," the punk woman spat, glaring at the redhead. It was only when someone cleared their voice loud enough to get everyone's attention that the two stopped glaring at one another, and for everyone to turn to face the person in question, said person being Kennedy.
"Ladies, ladies, you're both ugly, so let's not fight and analyze the situation we're in, yeah?" Kennedy said, earning a glare from the punk woman, not that Kennedy seemed to care. "Right now, we're hostages of some militant group. What or who they are, we don't know, nor do we know what they want, so instead of sitting here and plotting to attack them right away, let's go see what they want. Besides, for all we know, they could have our families held hostage."
For as much as Luz hated that idea, Kennedy was right. They had zero power in this situation, and while it was tempting to do what the redhead said, the smarter choice would be to scope out the situation. See what could be done, and if it was nothing, then follow what the kidnappers wanted until an advantageous position showed itself.
What? She had played her fair share of strategy games. She knew what was she talking about.
"Alright, so then, why don't we get to it?" Luz said, springing off of the mattress she was on, followed by everyone else doing the same. As they began to walk out, Luz noticed that Julia had decided to stick close to her, because she was standing next to her, and was holding her hand. Luz wanted to say something about it, but given how much Julia was shivering and seemingly terrified, she decided not to object.
Once they stepped out of the tent, they were met with a wide, open forest surrounding them from all sides. Trees that reached up to touch the sky blocked their view of anything except the sky and nature. Everything, except, for the small battalion of soldiers standing in a semi-circle behind one, singular man. A man whom Luz recognized from seeing him on billboards and TV.
The man was tall, with broad shoulders and a beard that went down to the base of his neck. He had a predator smile plastered on his face, and his blue eyes gleamed with anticipation. He was dressed in a black suit with a white shirt and red tie underneath, accompanied by a pair of black slip-on shoes. On his upper right lapel was an American flag pin, and he held himself in high regard, as not even for a second did he slouch.
"Is that... The Governor?" Stanley said, blinking in shock as the man looked over to Stanley, his smile widening.
"Why yes, hello young man, you'd be correct. I am your dutifully elected Governor, Governor Rodger Maxwell! And I would like to thank you all for coming to Reality Check Summer Camp," Maxwell said as Luz raised a skeptical eyebrow. This was Reality Check Summer Camp?
"I call bullshit! This ain't no Summer Camp! You kidnapped us!" A bulky-looking Hawaiian teen spat, who looked eerily similar to Stanley. He had muddy-brown skin, jet-black hair, and dark brown eyes. The main difference between Stanley and this guy was that he was wearing an orange and white striped, short-sleeved, V-collar shirt and a pair of dark blue jeans and brown timberlands. Aside from that, they looked like long-lost brothers.
In response to the accusations, Maxwell chuckled light-heartedly, rocking on his heels and toes a few times before clearing his throat, and staring at the Hawaiian teen. "Well, you're not wrong. There's no point trying to lie. But, legally speaking, I didn't. See, I recently purchased Reality Check Summer Camp, and since you all willingly signed up for it, I did not kidnap you."
"What about the people you killed on that bus!" Luz blurted out, glaring at Maxwell, who turned to face her. She had expected to see an angered glare. Instead, she got a smug grin and a confident stare. And that wasn't to mention the cool, calm and collected stance he took.... "He's a psychopath! Oh my god he's insane!"
"Unfortunate casualties that didn't need to happen, but did anyway. Besides? I didn't anyone to know where you lot were taken. This is kind of Top Secret, and the Government does this kind of thing regularly. Once again, I'm legally in the right." Maxwell then turned away from Luz and stared everyone down. "Now, time to explain to you all what's going to happen. For the next two and a half months, you all are going to be put into three groups of eleven, and the last team alive wins $150,000,000 divided among themselves, followed by signing an NDA to not speak of what happened here. M'kay?"
While most of the people were focused on the large chunk of change that Maxwell offered for the winning team, Luz included because holy shit, that was a lot of money! Julia was the one who spoke up, alerting everyone to a minor, very important detail that changed the scenario from a strange but interesting game to something far, far more nefarious.
"What do you mean by the last team alive?" Julia asked as the large-scale discussion halted immediately after those words left Julia's mouth.
"Oh? Well, isn't obvious? This is a life-or-death game! Welcome to reality, kiddos! Any questions?"
-To Be Continued-
[Ending Song: Life – By: Rude-a]
What The "Mysterious Figure", Camila, and Emelia Worstoch said in English:
(1) Luz Noceda....
(2) You are not ready. The connection is not complete.
(3) Next time you return to the world of shadows and memories of the past, we will have much to discuss. Wake up, Luz. Fate awaits you.
(4) What the hell [...]
(5) Darling daughter
(6) Stupid American dog
(7) you rotten swine