tainted love [ xavier plympton ]

sixteen

2019

"Laurie, who's that?"

Laurie and Montana were walking through the forest, when they came across a young man. Camp Redwood was abandoned, and had become severely overgrown, so it was strange to see anyone alive.

Laurie instinctively approached the man, Montana following close behind. As she got closer, she could see he was very handsome.

"What's that?" The man span around at Laurie's bright voice. "In your hand."

"Uh, it's my phone." The man answered with a frown, eyeing the two girls strangely.

"That's not a phone." Montana scoffed, leaning in to get a better view.

"Are... are you amish or something?" The man asked.

"Can I?" Laurie reached forward to take the 'phone'.

"S-sure." The man handed it over, and Laurie took it. It seemed to be a camera, because it reflected Laurie and Montana on it clearly.

"Oh, shit." Montana breathed, as Laurie accidentally took a couple of photos. "That's rad!"

"What year is this?" Laurie looked up at the man, seriously.

"Are you serious?"

"Just tell us, asshole." Montana placed her hands on her hips.

"It's 2019." The man answered.

"Oh, my God." Laurie breathed with wide eyes. Had it been that long?

"You're the first new guy we've seen here in, like, forever. After that shitshow in '89, we began to notice a lot less people were coming into camp." Montana spoke.

"Not even the hard-core death tourists!" Laurie added.

"Few years later, nobody. We were forgotten. Something else must have gotten their attention." Montana looked down at the phone, still in Laurie's hands, "Now I know what."

"I'm sorry, were you even alive in 1989?" The man scoffed, "And when you say 'we', do you mean you two or are there others here?"

"You got to get out of here. You're in danger." Montana said quickly, "Everyone you see here is likely to kill you."

"Including you guys?" The man said with a hint of humour.

"Can I keep this?" Laurie smiled sweetly at the man, tossing the phone between her hands.

"No," He snatched it off her, "There's no reception up here anyway. And I'm not leaving, not until I get some answers. I'm trying to find out what happened to my father, I know he was here."

"Your father?" Montana and Laurie exchanged a curious glance.

"My name is Bobby Richter." The man said.

"Bobby. You're Mr Jingles' son." Montana breathed, taking a step towards him. Suddenly, she embraced him.

The three of them found the nearest cabin, to talk.

"I've done a lot of research on this place and everything that happened here." Bobby said, setting down his backpack, and pulling a folder out of it, "I know this sounds crazy, but you look just like..."

"Ah. Yep. That's me." Montana grinned down at a picture of herself.

"A-and you're Lauren Wilson." Bobby pulled out a second photo, of Laurie.

"Yep!" Laurie smiled sweetly.

"Those are headshots we did for the aerobics studio." Montana explained, "They put all the instructors' mugs on the wall."