The energy's preserved, just converted into anger. Don't take candy, don't get into someone's car, don't let anybody touch you, no matter who they are.
- TV Girl
Edric slowed his car down to a stop. He leaned back and sighed, finally arrived at the Reality Check Camp. From his mansion in the best part of town, the drive was originally over three hours, which hadn't even begun to cover breaks and stops for miscellaneous wildlife to pass through the road.
He opened the car door, checking his phone. Perhaps beginning such a lengthy journey at 8 pm at night wasn't his brightest idea when he KNEW he had to be up by 6 in the morning the next day.
He quickly ran his hand through his hair, a habit picked up through the year, After dying it green, it had become much rougher and coarser than it once was, and he since then had always felt inclined to feel it.
He grabbed a duffle bag from the back of his car, hoisting it over his shoulder whilst walking up the rickety steps of his cabin. He reached to his pocket, looking for the keys Belos had lent to him when he had been hired, but couldn't find them. So, he began to shuffle through his bag in an attempt to find them, suspiciously loud for a forest in the middle of the night.
Hunter was lying about his top bunk, scrolling through his For You Page. The teen lived entirely on caffeinated beverages and zero sleep, to no one's surprise, considering his deep eyebags.
He was innocently watching TikTok's, when he heard random, odd noises just barely outside his cabin door. Hunter turned down the volume and listened. "What. the. Hell..." he whispered, arising and grabbing the baseball bat nearby his small desk he nearly never used but was included in every cabin.
His hands started to shake as he gripped it harder, stepping slowly and cautiously towards the door. He gulped down his fear, just as the door swung open.
"HEY YOU!!" He shouted, before slamming the silhouette in the face with his bat.
Edric flew back, hitting his head on the rotting wood, causing another surge of pain to pulse through his body. along with his bloody and likely broken nose.
"WHAT IN THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?" He screamed at the other in the doorway, the bat still hanging in the air, ready to strike once again
. "WHAT, ARE YOU DOING, TRYING TO BREAK INTO MY CABIN?" Hunter asked, fear pumping through him but he stood his ground proudly.
"YOUR CABIN? PARDON ME, BUT I'M THE GOD DAMN COUNSELOR HERE!" The two continued to bicker, until another door was opened. The pair silenced themselves, turning towards the figure. The figure soon came into sight, manifesting itself as Mr. Belos Wittebane, owner of the camp.
"What are you boys doing?" His voice boomed over the otherwise silent woodland area. Both started to explain their side, often jumbling words and speaking on top of each other.
Belos started to piece it together through the unrecognizable words and phrases.
"Oh yes... I... forgot to mention... Hunter, this is your co-worker, Mr. Edric Blight. Edric, this is my nephew, Hunter Wittebane." He gestured vaguely between the boys, causing another wave of confusion. Belos awkwardly waved, mumbled an apology, and disappeared into the night once more.
Hunter slowly turned towards Edric, placing the bat towards his side. "Uhm... my bad... Edric. Are you badly hurt...?" Hunter nervously asked.
Edric looked at him, the blood from his still slowly pouring out onto his shirt, the metal-like stench staining the air. He didn't even response, shooting daggers at the blonde with his look alone.
Edric sighed, and got up, pushing past Hunter into the cabin. He dug through his duffle bag, and changed his shirt in front of the other, before tossing the bloodied one in the tub and washing up in the sink.
Hunter watched, lingering around in the doorway. He climbed back up into the top bunk and fell asleep without another word. Edric soon came out of the bathroom, and was left to clear the bottom bunk on his own before crawling inside the single blanket and laid down, staring at the wooden frame of the bunk.
689 words.