FROM A GLANCE, you might guess that Andriette had an okay life, a great life even. But if you look closer, you might notice the little things. Like how her father's head is marked out on all the family photos, or the way she flinches when someone raises their hand too quickly. You might even notice the fear in her eyes every time she catches sight of blood, before she quickly turns away.
Andriette could live with the fact that she would never get over her fear of blood, she accepted it a long time ago. But like most, her fear came with a background. She never talked about that night with anyone. The first few months after it happened her mom had her go to therapy, but she soon stopped caring about everything, including her daughter.
By the time she was 13, Andriette could do everything on her own. She cooked the meals, cleaned the house, she even helped pay some of the bills. She would babysit, mow lawns, shovel snow, anything she could do for money. She had to take responsibility, and learn to do everything because her mother wouldn't. Her mother treated her as a frenemy for more than a daughter.
Andriette was 16 now, and needed a summer job. A counselor at Camp Nightwing seemed like the answer. Go to a summer camp, help out kids when she needs to, and get paid for it. Nothing could go wrong, at least that's what Andriette thought. But things soon took a turn for the worse, and there was nothing she could do to stop it.
(❥✗❍❧✯)
IT WASN'T A LONG RIDE to the camp, only a few minutes. When Andriette reached the camp grounds, it was crawling with Sunnyvalers. The rich, cocky town half an hour away from Shadyside. Everyone who lives there thinks they're above Shadysiders. Which they weren't completely wrong about. After all, it's not like their town had a terrible curse over it. Normal people don't suddenly go crazy in Sunnyvale. Although, that was only one theory. A theory Andriette found much more believable then what others thought. Some people believed the 'curse' over the town was put there by Sarah Fier, a witch.
Sarah Fier was hung for witchcraft in the year of 1666. There's an old myth that says she cut off her hand before she died, so she could keep a hold on this town, but that's all it is, a myth.
Andriette didn't waste her time with myth and legends, she was much too busy to worry about make-believe.
As she walked to the counselors check-in center, she bumped into many people on the way. One of which being a girl, who appeared to be not much younger than herself, with fiery red hair, and an obvious attitude.
"Watch out!" She spat before continuing past her. Her beauty enchanted the young girl counselor, but she couldn't focus on that. No one knew she was questioning her sexuality. It was the 70's after all, it's bad enough she's a young black woman, if she added that to the mix she'd probably get shot.
"Name?" The head counselor asked as she reached the check-in counter.
"Andriette,"
"Last name?"
"Do I really have to say m-"
"Last name?" He interrupts, his tone harsher than the last time.
"Anson. Andriette Anson."
"You'll be the counselor of Cabin Five." He tells her as he hands her a lanyard.
"Thanks," Andriette mumbled before turning around, and walking to cabin five. The only camper in the cabin was the girl she had bumped into earlier.
Neither of them said anything as Andriette set her stuff down on the bed in the corner. She had never slept in the middle of the room. She felt exposed, and unprotected. But she felt just a little safer in the corner.
After Andriette had made her bed, and moved her suitcase underneath it, she walked back outside to get a schedule for the camp activities. She wandered around for a few moments, before she located the head counselor. She walked up to him, taking slow strides so he would have time to finish the current conversation he was having. When the other person walked away, Andriette approached him.
"Hey, um, I didn't get a schedule for the camp activities earlier, and I'm pretty sure I need that."
"Right," he answered harshly. His judgmental stare made Andriette want to cower back. He walked to a nearby table, where he grabbed a piece of paper, and handed it to her. She had 15 minutes to get her cabin ready for lunch.
"Thanks I guess." She mumbled as she walked away.
When she reached her cabin, she noticed only one camper was missing.
"Okay everyone, let's get ready for lunch, okay? Do you guys know who's missing?"
"Ziggy." One of them answered. Of course, the red head.
"Okay, does anyone know where she went?"
"Nope," They all answered. Wonderful, she hasn't even been here an hour and she already lost a camper. But before she could worry anymore about it, the camper in question walked through the door. Andriette let out a sigh of relief, thankful she didn't lose a camper.
"Get ready for lunch, we have to leave in 5 minutes." The girl didn't say anything as she walked to the bed, and grabbed her shoes. All the campers were ready within a couple minutes. They walked to the mess hall with the campers in front, and Andriette in the back so she could make sure no one wandered off.
The kids lined up to eat, as Andriette sat at their table, waiting for them. She never ate very much, usually only one meal a day. Thankfully, she had grown from eating one meal every other day. She just hoped none of the campers here were going through what she was at their ages.
Turns out, her first day taking care of campers was pretty easy. She could handle this.
How was the first chapter?
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