ONE. the opening

( JULY 1st )
2:45 pm.

♰

      THERE WAS SOMETHING OFF about this place to Ethel. Maybe she just wasn't happy about the fact that her father mostly forced her to work at a campsite that was known for a terrible past. Or maybe it was the fact that her ride dropped her off at the nearest Diner instead of where the camp's entrance was because apparently that was easier. While it made her angry, slightly irritated enough she kicked some rocks on the dirt road, she pressed forward and decided that the Diner would hopefully be as normal as it could be. Hopefully. The cold air of a summer breeze brushed past her; surprisingly her outfit wasn't as "campy" or kid friendly despite her father telling her to do so. It consists of high rise demonia's with fur covering on the top, pink fishnets with Hello Kitty markings all over them and a mini black skirt, exposing her curves, with a stringy black top and a visible bra skull bra underneath it.  Yeah, it definitely wasn't camp proof if she had to judge but she looked cute!

Opening up the door to the Diner with a loud ding, heads turn as she walks in. But despite being the attention of everyone inside she finds it kind of endearing; giving some a small wave with a tight smile.

There is only a few coughs and one definitely covering up a slut.

"Can anyone hitch me a ride to the camp right down the street," she points behind her. "My ride kind of just dropped me off here instead of...the entrance to the camp but! I can't be late this time because we're opening today."

Now everyone in the Diner truly stares the girl down as if she said something horrible. Some whispered in their peers ears is she talkin' about Camp Blood? It does unnerve the girl a bit as it makes her feet shuffle but...she tries to keep her cool. Though everyone can see it in her face that the girl is in fact not cool after hearing such things.

A older hispanic man pokes his head up from the back with a cook's apron on. "You mean Camp Forest Green? The one down the street?" He asks as the loud clattering in the back makes it hard to hear even as he's in the front behind the long island that people can order from.

Ethel just gives a cheery smile with a sweeter tone. "Yes! That one!"

He nods. "Oh, my nephew can give you ride over there. Hell. He's workin' there too for the summer. What's your name sweetheart?"

"Ethel." She answers very cheery like. Her smile bright and wide as it could be but in a cute way.

Nodding, Ethel watches as the man goes and gets his nephew from the back with a smile and small thank you but as he leaves the comfort of him leaves too and suddenly she feels the eyes of all the people inside. Rubbing at her elbow nervously, her heart begins to get louder against her chest and it feels as if it'll burst at any given moment because the strangers don't let go of their staring. They only tighten gaze that they have on her as she tries to break it—but it stays tight—they do not look away and suddenly she feels like she's in a tank full of sharks.

She backs into a booth with a nervous look but tries to disguise it with a smile. It does not work as she thought it would and it only makes her face break—now she looks truly uncomfortable. It brings her back to a time she wishes to forget, she doesn't want to remember that again.

Ethel, Ethel! What happened that night?

Sweetheart, you've gotta tell us what happened or we can't help you.

This is all your fault you fucking little whore. You'll never amount to nothing but flashing your shit all over town.

Ethel? Can you hear me?

A finger taps of thigh and she jumps with a small scream. Her heart pumps and she clutches it, not wanting to have a heart attack.

Looking down at the culprit, she grimaces. A dirty old man looks up at her with a smug grin on his face, exposing all of the rotten teeth in his mouth. Suddenly he lets out of small cackle at her jumpiness.

"You'll die going to that camp, girl." Another crunchy laugh leaves his throat and spit flies from his mouth. "Timmy's gonna get ya' and all your little friends. That place is cursed by blood."

Ethel puts a lip up in disgust. "What are you talking about?"

"That forest is gonna eat you up girlie."

As he says that, he lets out another laugh but this time it turns into a cough. Ethel covers her mouth and nose as the smell he emits is something rancid. Almost as if he was rolling around in dirt all day and night instead of taking a shower; his face shows it all as spots of dirt and grime over it nicely. His wrinkles only make his face appear horrid and unkept. He licks his rotted teeth at Ethel but she gags.

"Don't touch me, you old wrinkled dick." She threatens with a sneer but the old man laughs. God, he laughs and it makes her feel even more uncomfortable.

Maybe she should've wore something less revealing if she knew people would act like this. She taps at her thigh now with considerably much more discomfort but she's been here before. Men are always like this with her, she loathes this feeling.

"Hey, Vernon! Leave that girl alone!"  The old hispanic man yells from behind Ethel.

She suddenly lets out a breath she didn't know she was holding and his nephew comes from behind with him a letterman jacket and some grey sweatpants on.

"Yeah. Stop being a weirdo, dude. You scaring the hoes." His nephew states but his uncle assumes he's calling Ethel a hoe so he earns a smack right upside the head.

"Don't you ever call a girl that son. Are you dumb?" His uncle scolds him. The teenage boy rubs the back of his head with a weak I didn't mean it to her! But the man only shakes his head in disbelief.

A young girl with beautiful curls and a pink Deftones shirt, combined with low waisted Trues, comes up from behind. "It's Xavier, uncle. You should be asking how dumb is he." She laughs but Xavier only rolls his eyes.

"Whatever man," Xavier puts his hands in his jogger pockets. Huffing like a tall child.

Ethel snorts a bit at that. She remembers Xavier from her high school in freshmen year when she had a huge crush on him.

"Who am I taking to camp again?" Xavier asks, very clueless about the girl standing right in front of him but his sister just rolls her eyes.

"Her doofus!"

"Oh." Xavier flushes a little red in embarrassment. "Yeah....I knew that.

"She's the girl—Ethel, right?"

"Yes, that's me." Ethel tugs at her black backpack, making sure it doesn't fall.

Xavier throws his keys in the air but fails to catch them, picking them up from the floor, and going out the Diner door with his sister in tow. She laughs at his idiocy but he only shoves her lightly in response.

Ethel follows behind them shortly and gets in the back of the truck she can assume his uncle owns because no teenage would ride around willingly....in this. But she hopped in and really think anything of it because nobody would surely see her riding in this thing, right? It's not like she cared but....maybe she did, actually. Ethel didn't really know herself.

Xavier starts the car but suddenly, he looks down at the shift and gear just staring at it.

For a very long time.

Long enough that Ethel checks her phone but realizes she doesn't have any service much less any data. "Are we going to go yet or...?—"

"Why are you just sitting here you doofus??" His little sister asked, her fro bouncing with much irritation.

"I....just give me a moment—"

"We've been waiting for five minutes!"

"Ziggy just be quiet so I can focus." Xavier huffed and tugged at the gear, shifting it but it did nothing. "I think it's like this—" he shifts it but instead of forwards he goes backwards. Immediately he moves it back and Ethel jumps as the brakes are hit violently. "—okay that's not it."

"Can you not drive or something?" Ziggy asked, her voice very sarcastic and quite frankly annoyed.

"No, I—"

"Then hurry up and take us to the—"

"I just can't drive a stick." He finally muttered and with a sigh his sister began to shove him out the driver's seat.

"What are you doing?"

Ziggy tries to move him out but he doesn't budge one bit. "I'll drive us, I can drive a stick. Remember? Dad..." she huffed at that word, something was behind it but Ethel couldn't figure it out. "Our sperm donor taught me how too once, just get in the passenger seat."

For a minute Ethel looks at Xavier in disbelief, there's no way he's letting a child drive them 2 miles to a campsite?

But Xavier gets out and so does Ziggy, they switch seats and Ziggy moves the seat downwards so her feet can touch the paddles. Ethel blinks for some moments, she definitely didn't think she would be hitching a ride with a fifteen year old driving but...it was her only option. She wasn't paying for another Uber or something. They're way too expensive for absolutely no reason and she has no money.

That's the whole reason she's even in this mess in the first place.

Ziggy switches the gears, starting the car, and she gets to driving out the parking spot swiftly.

For a child, she's doing quite well.

Ethel watches as the Diner goes out of view, craving one of their burgers and immediately regretting leaving out so quickly. She hates when her stomachs decides to want to eat after she's left somewhere that she easily could've gotten food at.

The car ride remains silent for only four seconds before Strangers by Ethel Cain plays.

Xavier lets go of a deep sigh.

"Stop playing this sad ass music, Ziggy!"

"Shut up meathead! I'm not listing to Tyler The Creator, all he does is say slurs in his songs!"

"That's not true, he's a musical genius. He literally makes me cream every time I listen to one of his songs. You just wouldn't understand."

Ziggy gagged. "Whatever that means."

Ethen took the opportunity to say something that may make one of them like her. "Well—I like Ethel Cain. Especially Ptolemaea. That song seriously has crack in it."

"See! She's got taste. Ethel Cain is literally a gift from god sent from the heavens." Ziggy gave her older brother a smug look. "Not everyone likes nigga music."

Xavier rolled his eyes. "What is nigga music?"

She ignores her brother despite his efforts. "And her style's cute too, when I get older I'ma dress just like that."

Ethel gives the girl a cheery smile. "Thank you—"

"Oh, oh, no you fucking won't."

Ethel's smiles goes away, in tow her heart sinks.

Here comes the comments.

"Why not? It's Aliyahcore!" Ziggy gave her brother a weird glance. She couldn't believe him right now.

Ethel did appreciate how she inspired the young girl.

"Because I don't want nobody looking at you or calling you....weird names. Catcalling you? That's dead. Remember in freshman year when—"

"A boy touched me and you slammed him on his head and broke his nose, yes. I remember." Ziggy rolled her eyes to the back of her head, shaking it slightly at the memory. Ethel wishes she could reminisce stuff like that.

But then she snickered. "Of course you blacks only know violence, shaking my head."

Xavier lightly punched his sister in the head as a joke. She laughed and slapped him back, laughs where suddenly exchanged between the two and Ethel felt a bit left out but gave a little laugh in response. She wished to have a vibe like they did—a close bond like they had where they could joke and play all day. It seemed Ethel tries so hard to get everyone and everything to like her and changes herself for them just for them to....leave. As fast as they came they left. And the times she does remember she had a bond so near and dear to her heart....she doesn't want to remember it anymore.

But she craves it more than anything, because in reality, she doesn't have anyone. All she has is temporary bonds that break as soon as their started. Because pretending to be likable for a person that only accepts that version of you will never last.

Ethel wishes for a bond to last.

𓃖

        KAM WAS VAGUELY annoyed by their uncle's decision making for coworkers already. They couldn't complain as much as they wanted to but they will. And all those complaints will go straight to their uncle who they believe played name on a stick and picked random people to hire; not actual people who know what they're doing. At least, that's how Kam saw it. Maybe because they didn't know what they were honestly doing either so it was easy to judge the older man, who is very overbearing and annoying himself, for choosing all these teenagers that obviously don't want to be here.

Or maybe because Kam was stuck trying to tidy up a cabin with a girl obsessed with true crime. [Or maybe it was both.]

The thing was that Kam honestly thought she was normal for maybe five point three seconds until she started taking pictures of a tree that apparently someone was hung from then started rambling about how excited they were to be at the Famous Murder Sight themselves. Which....is very morbid.

"Can you really believe this guys, we're at the Murder Central. The actual camp where it all went down." The girl, who's name was Elizabeth apparently which didn't fit her morbid nature, begins to talk once again but not to Kam—because they've tuned them out—to...themselves, they think. "You know, despite all the rumors. I thought the smell of this place would be a lot more raunchy...it's kind of tolerable."

Kam rolled their eyes. What the fuck are they talking about? The smell is tolerable?

Kam is surprisingly doing something after they specifically stated they aren't but only because they've been trying to drown out the sound of Elizabeth's talking with very, very loud noises of boxes being thrown and scrubbing of old ass blood stains on the floor. Which is gross but....it's not as bad, honestly could be worse than what Cabin A for the campers was.

Elizabeth makes an ou sound once they see what Kam is scrubbing. "Ouuuu! Look at this guys—the old blood stains from Cabin B! Right next to where those girl where made into a pentagram," her eyes are practically stars as she viewed the old ass blood stain that Kam was making none visible.

"I wonder did Timmy practice witchcraft or—"

"Okay, could you back the fuck up from my bubble. You're like in my bubble." Kam shoves the girl back in her stomach, still on their knees, and glares at them.

Elizabeth just giggled, her eyes low. "Oh sorry! I didn't see you there,"

Kam's eye twitched. "How did you not see me....there."

The girl just shrugged, her cropped crocheted green sweater just bouncing with her. The black tube top under it combined with some very crimson red colored sweats. She then dug into her pocket, smiling as she pulled out a blunt she's been carrying.

As she lights it, suddenly the door to the cabin opens and she hurriedly digs it into her pocket deep.

Just then a blonde girl with a white cropped shirt, that's tight on her chest, saying Daddy's Girl with a stripped black and white miniskirt comes in and gags at the smell of this place. "This is so fucking gross. Ugh."

Elizabeth quickly pulls her blunt back out, seeing the girl, and lights it up once more. She hits it slowly and blows smoke out in the girl's direction, on accident, making her glare at her.

"Could you not smoke in here, Elizabeth." The blonde girl tells her with a very held back tone.

"It's actually Bat, thank you," Bat hits her blunt again. "Andddd, sorry no can do. Gotta take a quick smoke break from all this hard labor."

Kam's eye twitched again before they just stood up dropping the sponge in the bucket, they didn't care anymore. They've done about enough anyways; scrubbing for two minutes is enough hard work as it is.

The blonde girl sneers. "You're so gross. I can't believe I'm getting paid minimum wage to work with you."

Bat just rolled their shoulders and wiggled their eyebrows, blowing smoke in her direction on purpose.

Kam rolled their eyes with their back turned and in a that. If you had so much money then you wouldn't need to be working minimum wage but Kam didn't say that. They just turned to face the two girls and was met with a disgusted look on the blonde's face. Or much rather, Laurie Weathers, one of the most insufferable people on this earth. Ever since freshman year, she's been a terrible person.

"Oh god, you're here too?!" Laurie scoffs and stomps her foot. "Is this camp like freak central or something?? I'm telling my mom I can't do this. I can work at Mcdonalds, I don't care. Just not here."

Kam just furrow their brows. "You know you didn't have to work here right? Like you seen the roaster before you applied?" It was ridiculous the girl was acting this way, as if she didn't know who was going to be here.

Laurie scowled. "Don't start with me. You're not even on my level."

Kam just gives the girl an eye roll, falling into one of the empty bunk beds. They've done enough for a moment, responding to people is tiring. Cleaning a camp they don't even want to be at is even more tiring. Despite all the dust and dirt on the covers, they still are able to semi relax. Glancing at Laurie who only types very hard on her phone—if she pressed on it harder it would break—and not long after she scoffs and whines.

"No, no! Why is my mom doing this to me!" Laurie whines, sounding as if she's on the verge of tears.

The sound of that tickles Kam. It was probably a bad thing to feel not sorry for someone's suffering but when they made you suffer—it's quite hilarious to see them feeling that same emotion. That equal pain. That is, not to say, Kam has more plans for her to suffer. She made high school a living hell for Kam so it's only fair they return the favor. It's only right.

"What are you crying for princess?" Bat asks but the girl just wipes her nonexistent tears and sneers at her.

"Don't ever call me that—and it's none of your business." And with that, Laurie stomps out the cabin very eagerly and with rage in her voice. And maybe a hint of sadness but Kam could sense the fakeness in her tone. Its not hard not to fake tears and it's not hard to manipulate people into feeling sorry for those tears.

Kam knows that too well.

"I hope she knows that she's not as interesting as she think she is. Girls like her only peak in high school then when I'm thirty I'll find her working at Meyers begging for a tip." Kam states to themselves mostly. Very dryly and unconcerned for the girl's future.

Bat laughs as she exhaled smoke. "Would you help her out?"

Kam doesn't directly respond. They just give them a look of mischief. "Sure."

Bat smiles at that. "You seem fun. I like you."

Kam gives a weird glance at that. You don't even know me.

Bat shrugs and places her phone on a stool. "Wanna hit with me?" The high girl offers her blunt to Kam who stares for a moment, what's the worst that could happen? Kam quickly takes the offer, hitting the blunt but coughing right after with smoke coming out from their coughs.

Though it's not long before they hit it again. They don't really not enjoy Bat's presence but....they did need a quick break. A smoke break at that. Especially if the rest of them are like....Laurie.

Kam's gonna need many more from where that came from.

𓃖

CLEANING UP THE DOCKS was much more work than it should've been. There was so much trash littered around the lake that was glistening blue water. Some many pieces of plastic floating around just if they had discarded whatever trash they had in specific spots. People had no care for this lake after the current events that occurred all those years ago and it was almost they made the counselors jobs harder by littering trash and polluting their only lake. Koa had been using a stick to pick up pieces of trash and place them inside trash bags that Ridley held opened.

The two had been doing most of the work with cleaning while....Calvin had been doing whatever. Koa didn't really know what he was doing.

It kind of pissed him off that Calvin, the rich token kid, was just sitting around on a lawn chair on his phone instead of helping with cleaning like O'Hail said he should. It was ridiculous, completely pointless that the boy thought the lake would be the most "easiest" but when he sees that it isn't he just sits around on his phone and collared polo shirt with expensive khakis and shades. Koa could feel his glare form and stay on the entitled teenager, he just wished that if they couldn't all do this in one sitting that he wouldn't get blamed for it. Because he was doing all he could while he just sat and he didn't want the camp director to think he's lazy or not hard working. Because he was everything but that—he just couldn't have his reputation damaged.

"So, uh," Ridley coughs awkwardly. "Is he gonna do anything?"

The long haired boy points to Calvin who's head in still in his phone. Koa only shrugs with a slight rolled eye. "I don't know," he picks up another piece of trash and throws it in the bag. "It doesn't matter, we just gotta focus on getting this done so the director doesn't fire us."

Ridley nods but he's slightly confused by that. "Fire us? Over not cleaning out an 50 year old lake? Something he technically should've done him—"

"Just don't ask questions," Koa cut him out. "I'm sure there's a reason for it. There's a reason for everything, duh."

Ridley just gave him a shrug. "Whatever you say, man."

Koa then notices something floating in the lake. "Do you see that Ridley?"

"No?" He responds with confusion.

Koa only rolled his eyes and instead put his attention on whatever it was. It seemed to be some kind of....letter? From afar it looked to be an envelope that had never been open. And....something red was stained on it. He goes to reach out for it, realizing it was a bit too far he reaches out even more stretching his body further, placing his foot in swallow water.

Just as he does, he loses his footing and slips into the lake.

Koa screams, falling straight into the lake water, pummeling in deeper into the depths of the filthy water. Everything is silent except for the bubbles that come straight from outside his mouth as he screamed—the taste of the lake was unbearable and undeniably bitter to his tongue—just then he feels something grab his leg. He tries to break free from it but the grip of whatever is holding him will not let him. A hushed whisper is heard but the words of it can not be distinguished into English. Only thing he could hear was those...whispers. They were heard all around him.

Struggling in the water, he looks down to see what is holding him; but there is nothing.

Absolutely nothing is holding him.

Koa eventually is able to swim up and crawls back into the swallow water with the help of Ridley. Ringing is the only thing heard in his ears and he coughs all the water out that has entered his lungs. He views the envelope in his hand that's completely wet and tries to stand up but cannot get a grip on the muddy water. Ridley helps him stand up and is asking a bunch of things that Koa can't hear because of the water in his ear.

Koa smacks his own head a bit and eventually, the ringing gets quieter and he can hear....slightly. Fuck, that was really dumb.

"Are you okay?? Can you hear me—how many fingers am I holding up?" Ridley holds up four fingers in front of Koa who just looks at him like he's dumb. Just because he just drowned doesn't mean he can't fucking see.

"I'm fine." Koa voices, not even entertaining the idea of his fingers.

"I just thought...."

Koa shook his head. "Never mind."

Ridley lets go of a deep sigh of relief. "Oh shit man! You gave me a heart attack I thought I was gonna have to kiss life back into you."

Koa grimaces but holds a confused glance. "Kiss life back into me?"

"Yeah...you know," Ridley demonstrates CPR with an invisible person. "CPR? Kiss of life?"

Koa just nods, not entertaining that as well. He doesn't even want to imagine this random surfer kid giving him the kiss of life or whatever it's called.

He glanced at the letter in his hand, the writing on it looked ancient as the ink from the pen was fading away from so many years of being in that lake he could assume. He doesn't look inside to read it but he doesn't see where it is signed on the outside with the letter D.

"What's that? Gotta secret admirer from the lake?" Ridley wiggled his eyebrows with a grin.

Another eye roll from Koa said much more than words ever could. None of his jokes are funny, he thought to himself and just stuffed it into his pocket. He tried to shake off whatever was in the lake, glancing back at the blue waves that sparkled underneath the sun. A unnerving feeling settled in his gut as he gave a squinted stare at the lake...something odd was about it. Or maybe he was experiencing hot flashes or something. It was 98 degrees out.

Just then the camp bell rings.

𓃖

SIDNEY BERMAN ISN'T expecting much from this "camp meeting" despite him not doing his job, or doing what he was told. All he had done was smoke and play his guitar while Robin just complained about him not doing anything. The reason he isn't expecting much from this "meeting" is because so far, this whole "camp opening" is really just them cleaning up because the O'Hails couldn't have assigned actual janitors to clean up the place or, you know, clean up after the whole massacre mess. But, that obviously hadn't happened and Sid wasn't actually going to get on his knees and scrub up old blood stains.

That was another reason Sid was unsure about this whole camp thing; what kind of lazy fuck doesn't clean the camp before opening it? Everything isn't even close to ready but he excepts them to just do it in less than twenty four hours.

He's a old dickhead.

And Sid was too good for this, he had too much talent to be cleaning up old stains from a child massacre. Shit, he was too good for any of this but....this was the only job that accepted him so.....it's not like he had options.

He sat in the giant mess hall with two other girls, Destinee and Robin. The two were totally different people from what Sid had seen and were proactive in their own ways. Well, somewhat he guessed. Sitting across from him, Destinee played on her phone while Robin, or Birdie, played with her fingers under the table nervously. The old dirty wooden tables that definitely have hard gum stuck under it or...more blood stains. Sid didn't really want to find out, he'd rather take his chances away from those things.

It was dangerously quiet for a mess hall as O'Hail had rung the bell for the camp meeting to occur but nobody had really came yet. Except for them.

The silence didn't last long before Sid started making noises with his mouth, very childish ones, and leaned back on another table putting his feet on the one the girls sat at.

Destinee moved his feet away from her. "Ew, get those dogs away from me! Didn't your momma teach you manners?" She shook her head as he just snickered at her obvious mutters of distasteful behavior. He enjoyed messing with people.

He moves his feet over to Birdie who tries to ignore him but he taps her on the head with the bottom of his shoe, which makes her close her eyes shut for a long minute before opening them.

Birdie gives a pained smile. "Could you please get your feet off the table?"

"Why should I? It's a free country," Sid shrugs with a childish smirk that he describes as a panty dropper but the only thing that drops is Birdie's patience.

"That was really white boy of you." Destinee commented.

Sid shrugs again. "I just think I'm better than you guys, I don't know. Don't you, Birdie?"

Destinee smacks her teeth. "You wish colonizer, now stop talking to me I'm tryna get beat my high score on Subway Surfers."

Birdie still gives him a smile. "Well, I think you should take your feet away from my face. Thank you."

Sid moves his feet closer. He could see Birdie's face almost let go of that smile and completely break into a deep look of disgust and hatred. He's breaking her and he's loving every second of annoying the shit outta of this perfect girl or whatever she's achieving to do.

"If you don't get your feet out of my face I'll—"

"You'll do what?" Sid chuckles with no fear. "Call me a jerk and that I'm loser who thinks he's better than everyone?" He fake frowns and pulls a fake tear down his face with his finger before just laughing again. "Be for real, you know the only insults you got is from Hannah Montana and Disney channel."

"Oop."

Birdie then just huffed, she stayed silent turned the away way.

Sid was prepared to say another sly remark but the doors to the mess hall suddenly opened. He glanced to whoever opened them and saw the Director's kid along with some girl named Bat and Laurie Weathers. Odd combination.

"Wassup party people!" Sid greeted but they all just ignored him and walked right by his loudness and obvious attention seeking. His shoulders fell a bit at that.

"Assholes." He muttered and crossed his arms, almost as if he was child. Which, in a way, he was.

Another group of three walk in and one of them walk in soaking wet and drinking all over the floor. Sid squints and chuckles to himself quietly, what the fuck happened to him? They were just cleaning up why is he covered in water? But when he realizes who comes through those doors he nearly curses out an oh fuck me. At first he didn't recognize him from his long hair but when he did....he immediately put his lips into a thin line.

Birdie slightly gasps at the sight. "Are you okay? Do you need a towel?"

The boy, Koa, just shakes his head. "No, no—I'm fine, I'll just....change when we're done with whatever this is."

"How did you even get that wet—"

"It's because he saw me," Sid smugly replied and made the heads of everyone turn to look at him. "What can I say? I make guys and girls wet."

Destinee side eyes him. "That was gay as fuck."

"Like real gay," Ridley adds and sits at an open table.

Koa only stands there flustered and slightly disappointed at the terrible and disgusting joke. But, it did leave him speechless which is like better than most jokes he guessed. He just looked at his old friend with such disappointment that could only say that's really the first thing you say when you see me?

Calvin grimaced at the comment. "You like dudes?" That seemed to be the only thing he focused on, him liking boys and making them wet apparently.

"Uh? Yeah." Sid stared the boy down. "Is there a problem?"

Birdie could sense the hostility from afar and tried to calm to down. "Okay, guys just calm—"

"No, there's no problem it's just....me personally. I don't agree with that lifestyle. Doesn't suit me." Calvin responded very ignorantly and sarcastically, he definitely meant all offense when the words left his mouth. And Sid knew that which is why he cracked his knuckles.

"Why doesn't it suit you?" Sid asks with his finger pointing on his chin in fake confusion.

"Because it's just not right, I'm a trendsetter I don't follow trends to be weirdos, failure isn't in my vocabulary and—"

"Why you so worried about if I fuck a pretty ass guy in his ass? Why do you care that much?" Sid asks once again with much more of a vulgar tone. "Cause if I was straight I wouldn't care if dudes were fuckin' each other cause that's not my business—"

"It's my business since you made that comment," Calvin retorted with disgust. "This is why I don't like f—"

Before anyone expected it, Sid got up and punched the spit straight out his mouth. Many of the counselors watching yelled out in shock and before he knew it, someone was holding him back. Calvin couldn't even punch him or retaliate because Ridley had gotten up and held the teen back. Sid only held a jutted gut towards the boy with a good old middle finger while he struggled to get out of Ridley's grip. Blood outlined the Hayes teen's lip and Sid smirked at it, he was honestly wanting for them to let Calvin go.

"Who the fuck do you think you are?!? Do you know who I am???" Calvin yelled at the Berman teen who just gave a smirk. "I'm Calvin fucking Hayes! I'm destined for greatness, I could ruin your life!"

"Yada, yada. Suck my dick from the back you entitled dickhead."

That comment just made Calvin struggle harder. "At least I'm not some attention seeking emo who doesn't have a dad!"

Sid gritted his teeth, he played with the handle of his switchblade in his pocket. Nobody noticed but now he was trying to break away from Birdie's grip on him.

"Everyone just chill out! Please, we haven't even started the meeting! Could we just take a chill pill, please?!?"

Ridley agreed with a nod. "Yeah, chill guys. We haven't even made s'mores yet!"

"No, no. Keep it going. I'm finna get twitter famous from this shit," Destinee ate her warheads as she recorded the fight on her phone.

Bat held her phone out to record too but tried to be sneakier with it. Obviously it wasn't working.

"Could you guys like stop yelling or whatever you idiots are doing. Nobody cares about you guys are fighting about, wrap it up, thank you." Laurie commented with irritation but nobody listened to her.

The doors to the mess halls are slammed open, catching the attention of everyone in the room, walking in is three other counselors. At first they don't catch Sid's eye that is until he notices one of them that makes him nearly fall to his knees and bark. Oh, and use his own switchblade to slit his own throat from the embarrassment he was facing currently.

Ethel Crane comes in, her eyes glancing at every person in the room. In his eyes, she is the only thing he can see and the only thing he will see. He doesn't pay attention to anyone else just for five seconds—those long five seconds are crucial—he just stares. It lingers until she's noticed him and he looks away like a scared dog.

Xavier furrows his brows. "The fuck going on in here?"

"Are you guys already fighting and the camp hasn't even opened?" Ziggy commented with her airpods in her ear. "Man. This place is definitely the place I wanna be at for three months of my summer vacation!"

"Sorry kid that the supposed adults are childish and getting into fights, I did try and stop it!" Kam responded dryly with lots of sarcasm in their voice.

"You didn't do shit girl, stop the cap." Destinee turned down not really getting the dry humor from Kam. Only thing Kam did was just give a light chuckle.

"Heh. Fights already? This place is gonna be fun." Ethel pulled her black backpack against her back, finding a place to sit that's empty.

Following after them, low and behold, is their camp director. Frank O'Hail.

"What's going on here?" Frank asks the teens, his wrinkles fixated into concern and obvious confusion.

But the teens mostly shook their heads and said nothing. But Frank could sense that something that happened....he just decided to leave at alone for now.

"It's nothing sir!" Birdie tried to take Sid to his seat and the boy complied.

Calvin finally sits back down and Sid puts his switchblade back into his back pocket, sitting back in his seat as well. He didn't regret what he done, he didn't feel bad for it at all. The teen thought he was better than everyone and was a ignorant dickhead! He deserves his face beat until it's purple and blue. Or maybe if Sid was lucky someone would put the boy in his place. Shit, that'll never happen but it'll be funny to imagine someone finally putting him down.

Frank walks through the slim walkway from the lines of tables on his side, everyone watched him with eager eyes and once he made it to the front. He cleared his throat and fixed his tie, his suit was very....unfitting for a camp environment. But Sid guessed he had to make an impression, thought it just looked weird.

"Xavier." Frank suddenly points him out.

"Uh, yea sir?"

"Why is there a camper here when we're closed?"

Xavier began to get pale. "Well you see, I had to drop off this random chick, Ethel, because she couldn't afford for Uber so my uncle was like just take your sister so you don't waste gas and I was like uncle we aren't even open and he told me he didn't give a shit and just to listen to him so....yeah. That's my story, yeah."

Frank sighs deeply but doesn't have time to discuss that right now, it didn't matter anyway if they were opening tomorrow.

"So, as you all know today is the opening day. Well, technically tomorrow but same thing. Tomorrow our doors will be opened to actual living breathing children." Frank begins to explain. "As that is said; there will be some ground rules."

"Rule one, never let the children out of your sight if they're under your care." Frank huffs. "I don't give a damn if you lose them when they're by themselves but if they're under your care and your activity then we're responsible for what happens, you all get that?"

The counselors nod, some whispers being heard.

"Rule two, do not go inside of the cave near the docking area."

Sid snickers not taking him seriously. "Why not? Is there a wild bear in there or something?"

"Maybe it's Timmy, oh this'll be good for my podcast." Bat muttered.

"Because I said not to, is that clear?" Frank asks and Sid gave him a curt nod, not realizing the seriousness in his voice.

"And finally, rule three. Never under any circumstances go out alone when it's dark." Frank closes his eyes shut as he says that as if there's terror building up in him but he opens them again. "It'll only cause trouble and disturb the locals who live here."

Ethel furrowed her brows. "Uhm. What locals?"

"There's locals around here?!?" Bat asks immediately. "You know if they dated back to 96?–"

"Yes there's locals but do not under any circumstances go alone in the dark and disturb them. That is their property not ours."

"Well, why not?" Sid attempts to joke. "I'm pretty sure we can take some old ass wood dwellers—"

"Because I said fucking not too!" Frank shouted. "You g-get that Berman?"

Sid's smile retracted and he only pursed his lips.

"Look, guys....I can be the cool camp director or manager but—you've gotta listen to my rules. And you gotta stick to them. You guys can drink, smoke—whatever just...listen to my rules." Frank firmly states, his forehead swearing from his nervous he was. Sid hadn't caught it into now but....what is so weird about those locals that the director has to curse at him. And to think about it; Sid didn't think there were people even living in these woods after the incident. Hell, he never even heard of anyone being alive in a general radius when that happened.

"If you guys can do that then....we'll have a good summer." Frank gives a strained smile. His smile unnerved Sid a bit at how fake it was.

"This summer will one to remember! Ain't that right, Kammy?"

Kam doesn't respond and sinks themselves further into their seats.

Frank waits for a response and when he doesn't get one he just smacks his hands together. "Well okay! Let's let this summer be one to remember! Who's with me!?"

Sid cheered at that dramatically making some of his coworkers just eye him weird as they only clapped softly and definitely uninterested in what their boss was saying. Glancing around he sat back into his seat and stopped his dramatic shouting, feeling slightly embarrassed by everybody just staring....for a moment he looked around everyone in the room and shook his head. This summer is definitely going to be a mess. A mess full of surprises who him, he would assume. [Good ones and bad bitches is really what he hoped for!]

This summer would definitely be one to remember.

author's notes: first chapter!!! wooooo!!  hoping im writing yall characters right because that's honestly what took this so long was i felt unsecure in writing them right. 😞

but yay! it's finally here, it's def slow burn horror. already lots of foreshadowing and mike flanagan shit in this chapter so be on da look out 😭👀🤫. lots of sexual tension in this chapter just by eye contact and lots of history within these characters it's SOOO goood.

what y'all think abt the letter? what will you think will be in it? and the lake grabbing koa?

who yall ship cause i would love to know idk..

campers will be in the next as they all will just come. it feels fitting to start this way so! yay! im so happy to be back writing!