CHAPTER TWO
The countryside of Luton sat surrounded by sea. A salty breeze roamed the campgrounds, invading my system with each inhale. The smell made the bitter taste in my mouth a little bit better. As much as I tried, the smile attempted by my mouth didn't amount to much. Brooding took over. Ever since successfully managing my depressive episodes with my dad, they didn't happen as much. Sometimes, it swirled in like an unstoppable vortex, swallowing the light whole. It went to show that people's choices had consequences but didn't necessarily impact them in the slightest. It zoned in on me, like I shouted at the sky to return the light, only to be given something much worse.
It was a fatal attraction, something that couldn't be helped, no matter what precautions were taken. The trust in my mom, resulted in me dressed in a tatty black t-shirt, surrounded by roughly two hundred other teenagers in the same attire. The assortment of coloured camp t-shirts had yet to be handed out since our assigned groups remained scattered and only on a sheet Mr. Black held in his hands.
Gathered like pigs for the slaughter, helpless to prevent the inevitable stay all summer long, we stood all because people in the position of power wanted us there. Assuming that others desperately didn't want to be there as well was the only thing that got me through the forced waiting around.
It couldn't only be me.
My arms were crossed as I waited for my name to be called. Mr. Black chose who went where, everyone was to be put into a distinctive category, with a group of people that they'd be placed with for the rest of the summer.
I had been dropped off at the campsite three hours prior and a certain amount of rage still coursed through my veins. More than that, it was betrayal, an unexpected knife twisted into my gut by my own relative and someone new in her life that I'd never met before. Then, of course, she showed me their matching rings just seconds before she departed the property.
I swallowed back a heavy sigh.
My childhood friend released an aggravated huff, directed at me. "Okay, we've concentrated on your negative emotions all day. You're way past the limit."
"Past the limit," I repeated skeptically. "It's been a few hours. Did your mom ditch you to go on a cruise?"
"No. But..."
"...Were you dumped at a summer camp unexpectedly? Told you to pack for a holiday only to be discarded beside a dust-filled road? Or did your mom get married without telling you and went off on a three-month holiday with her new-found hubby without you?"
"No," she said, sounding slightly apologetic.
"Do you have a phobia of camping?"
There was a scoff. "That's not a real fear. Is it?"
I shrugged her hand off my shoulder. "Every emotion is valid. I want to cut my own skin off, just to not feel the shiver."
Jessie eyed me. "There are cabins to hide out in."
"Cabins beside the woods."
"So?"
"Woods contain a scary variety of creatures, Jess."
"I've heard all this before. When you were six, and when you were fifteen. Emma, you're seventeen now." Jessie rolled her eyes. Although she did give the cabins a fresher look than her usual happy-go-lucky 'let's sing campfire songs' expression. "At least twenty times alone today. Repetition gets boring. I get it. You're scared. The broadcast was received by everyone."
I kicked some gravel. "Apparently not by my mom."
She sighed. "Please, not again."
"Excuse me for my feelings."
She looked away. "I don't get why you hate it here anyway, in Luton. You used to love it here. Remember?"
I surveyed the area, whilst thinking just how to explain how much of this place caused a severe contempt to rise in my system.
Sweaty teenagers, most of which attended the same school that I did for a couple of years, exactly the people that summer was an escape from in the past, were spread across the area. My mental health required a hefty, three-month holiday away from those soul-suckers in the past and now, a permanent evasion of them.
Yet here they were, constant reminders of a place that was literally hell.
For as long as I could remember, Camp Mapplewood was the talk of the town. It was the resident horror story that never grew old and was spoke of all year long. Mom had always wanted me to go, encouraging me to socialise and to get some sun on my skin. It wasn't my fault that my idea of fun didn't involve directing a stick in the dirt.
Finally, she had gotten her wish, under the pretense that I'd be accompanying her on the cruise. Hence why I packed bags without a fight.
The sun made it hard to find the energy to express anything other than simple grunts. "The people," I offered, eventually answering her question.
There was an understanding, "Ah, did you always avoid them."
I hummed. "Plus, my phone was taken from me."
Another understanding sound vibrated from her.
The camp director flipped through his chart and started calling out names. The first being my friend. Her back went rigid as a response to hearing her name.
I eyed him warily. He looked like a poster picture for a middle-aged dad, rather than the grey-haired man that I pictured in my head. He had collar-length hair and stood at a height of roughly six foot two, with a well-toned medium frame and what looked like kind eyes.
"Jessie Anderson, Abby Thompson, Lauren Peterson, Gwen Black, Mike Hanley, Mason Erikson, Emma Lane, Bennie Crowley, and Kendra Marshall, you're in cabins ten to thirteen and a counselor will be assigned to your activities as a group, known as the Beavers."
"Beavers?" My scoff was loud. "And you like it here?"
"Emma," Jessie hissed.
"The Beavers?" I just couldn't let it go.
"It's not as bad as it sounds," she whispered.
"We're not even ferocious bears or jellyfish."
A ghost of a smile played on the director's face, clearly hearing me speak. "I'm afraid those names have been taken. Beavers are the second largest rodent in the world. You're quite the predator...?"
"Emma." I blinked. "We're at the top of the food chain?"
"Second best to a capybara," he said, the smile growing.
"I'm not even going to ask what that is, but I can assure you, an investigation is in order."
"I'll set aside time to discuss the creature with you," he promised, handing over our cabin keys to Jessie.
I rolled my eyes as Jessie dragged me over to join the people named toward the cabins to set up.
"Okay," I said, dragging my feet purposely. "Calm down."
"One of the cabins is supposed to have a big hole," she stressed, tugging harder. "We don't want that one. Especially with your fear."
"I don't think I'm the only one with apprehension."
"Fine. I'm wary. Happy?"
I smiled and let her lead me. "Honestly? Yes."
Apparently, because I zoned out during our thirty-second walk, my roommates were already decided for me. I didn't realise this fact until Jessie placed a hand on my shoulder, stopping me from walking any further and proceeded to walk ahead of me with two other girls; one short and graceful and the other ditsy-looking.
I ignored the sympathetic look that my childhood best friend tossed me, right before she was dragged into a cabin with the one squealing girl and the other curiously waltzing inside. The pitch of their voices skyrocketed when the door slammed shut behind them. When I turned around, I was faced with two familiar faces. One girl being someone quiet and the other being the top of the social food chain. Well, as far as the fifteen-year-old version of her could get. Yet, they happened to be friends now. I vaguely recalled them sitting next to each other in the canteen, with Jessie sometimes.
I sidestepped them and entered the cabin. I could feel their stares boring into my back as I checked under the single bed. My nose wrinkled when I found a gaping hole with dirt and a ray of sunlight, showcasing that the hole cracked just along the cabin's walls, essentially a tunnel hid down there.
"Aren't you going to take the single bed?" Abby, the quieter girl out of the two, asked, already positioning herself on the lower bunk bed.
"Not unless I want to shiver to death," I said.
"Being closer to the ground is warmer," she tried to warn me, but I knew better.
"I know." I shrugged. "There's a hole beneath it."
"Oh. That's this cabin," she murmured.
I lugged my suitcase onto the top of one bunk bed and tried not to let the awkward silence make me snap.
Lauren surged toward the single bed and let out the strangest of wails. I waited, shoulders rigid for her to bark at me to move out of the way, but that didn't happen. Even if she did bark at me to move, I wouldn't have let that happen. I was prepared for a fight, after all, I was maybe in for a three-month stay if my plan didn't work out and it was sure as hell was going to be a comfortable one.
Instead, she slumped onto the bed, roughly shoving her luggage onto the end and sneering up at me.
Eventually, the silence broke, just as I turned around to escape the cabin. "You were in my English class," she said.
I glanced over my shoulder. "Okay?"
She offered a short laugh. "Wow. Okay. So, this unsocial act is not an act."
"Lauren, is it?"
"You know my name?"
I sighed, already tired from our short interaction. "I just said it, didn't I?"
Lauren stayed still for a moment, as though in deep thought. "Ah, Jessie probably speaks about me."
"Not really." That was a lie. "Don't tell me that you don't know mine." I hopped off the bunk bed and scoffed at the state of the room.
"Mr. Black did just call out your name."
I inclined my head, heading toward the door. "Fair point."
A finger tapped my shoulder. "Wait."
I closed my eyes. "Yes?"
"I did know your name," Lauren admitted, shifting back and forth. She stood in front of me and looked at the other girl, quietly sitting on the bed. "And this is Abby."
"Yeah, Emma, nice to meet you," was the shy response.
"You too." I rolled my eyes when Lauren kept staring at me. "So now that the mundane introductions are over, now that that's established..."
Lauren called after me, "There's an assembly..."
The rest I didn't hear because I couldn't care less.
I was on a mission.
The grounds were significant in size. Larger than I anticipated and in being so, the subsequently lost feeling wasn't all that surprising but not welcomed in the slightest. There had to be at least sixty-six cabins with three students sharing a sleeping space and even more with the counselors and camp director allocated spots. There was a recreational halls and arts centre which was basically a greenhouse with tables and art supplies shoved into shelves.
Most importantly, there was a tool shed that I witnessed some counselors carrying plastic boxes full of technology into. It was one thing to be forced to sleep at an unknown location for three months, but to compromise my communication was another thing altogether. Even if I didn't really have anyone to talk to outside of the camp, other than my dad, it was the principal of the matter that counted.
It was broad daylight, the least expected time for someone to break into the locked shed. My strides were long, yet casual enough not to draw attention to.
I plucked a hair grip out of my head and got to work, whilst cautiously looking around every once in a while.
There was only a slight breeze, brushing a cool wave over my warm skin. The day so far had been calm, causing no urgency to grab a jacket. As soon as the door unlocked, I noticed the shed offered a different atmosphere than outside. My foot made the door edge open, revealing a fresh scent of roses that made my senses go haywire. I felt a heated gaze at the base of my neck. That feeling itself somehow pushed me into my next actions, as if rebellion was my only motivator.
I pushed the handle door and let it creak open as I took a step inside. My instincts yelled at me that this probably wasn't the best idea.
"Maybe you should have waited until it was dark for this oh-so-surprising break-in," a voice nothing short of velvety stated.
"That's an interesting thought," I mumbled, sighing. "So, not so surprising?"
"It happens every year," she told me, sounding like she thought I was an idiot.
I nodded, albeit slowly, silently agreeing. "Ah. Figures."
"Aren't you going to turn around?"
"With my arms where you can see them?" I joked.
There was a pause as if she was considering that option. "No. I've changed my mind. Go on, retrieve your phone. I'm curious as to what's so important for you to risk getting kicked out of a paid experience."
My eyes finally adjusted to the dark. "I can get kicked out?"
"The idea sounds appealing to you," she stated.
I walked further into the room, fingers brushing against boxes in my search. "You should go fetch your superior. Write a descriptive report. I'll get this and my bags while I'm at it."
"No," she responded dryly.
"No?"
"No." This time sounding amused. "I don't think I will."
The box labeled 'L' whipped open. There were too many phones of the same make as mine, meaning I had to go through them one by one, looking to see if any of the home screens matched mine.
The girl stood by the door, now positioned inside. It was too dark to catch a glimpse of her. Although, fixating on her features wasn't my top priority at that moment of time. Her body language was relaxed, as though she didn't find me to be a threat to her apparent authority at all. She was in complete control of the situation and for some reason unknown to me, it was infuriating.
I clicked another phone. "May I ask, why the hell not?"
There was a low chuckle. "Because you want me to."
"That is..."
"Counterproductive?"
"Evil," I stated plainly. "Corrupt and twisted."
"That too."
"You sound young enough," I noted, refraining from cracking some phones. "Young enough to be a camper."
"Not a camper, no," she said.
"You could be here to get your phone back too," I said thoughtfully.
"Or, I'm doing my job."
I found my phone and held it up to my face. "But still young."
I shone the light in her direction, but her back was to me, facing the door with her hand on the door frame. "I wonder if you can lockpick so well in the dark."
"Not something that I want to find out."
"Maybe you don't. But I do."
The door slammed shut and locked after itself.
I let out a groan as footsteps crunched against the gravel. They became dimmer and dimmer with the distance she traveled away from the shed. The girl clearly reveled in tormenting the campers. I tried to use the flashlight on my phone, holding it toward the door whilst simultaneously attempting to unlock it, but the mission was futile as my hands were too clumsy.
My back leaned against the door and slid down the smooth surface until I was positioned on the floor. By then, all sounds of movement were gone, meaning I was trapped in the shed for somebody to find if I didn't get out on time. It was the opposite of what the girl said she wanted to happen.
The interaction left me reeling, my body felt warmer than usual, more shaky and clumsy.
I must have fallen asleep. Apparently, my body thought napping was more important than getting out of the dust-filled room. Eventually, I got to work on getting out of there, working in the dark because my phone was at ten percent. It was shoved in my bra, considering the shorts we were provided with didn't have pockets.
"This, this is why I hate camping."