Love Letters to the Lost: A Camp Cretaceous Story

Chapter Three: Off to Neverland

{I want to kill Kenji

I'm sure you can understand

Actually, it's not just "want"-- I may actually o throw him out a window

Kick him on to the path of an oncoming vehicle

Drown him in hair gel

If you read about in the news—please don't ask why

Just know he deserved it}

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"Those letters aren't for OUR Ben," you straight up lie.

"Oh?"

You give Sammy a pleading look, willing her not to connect any more dots.

Kenji isn't sold.

"What Ben do you know that you need to write 50 letters to?"

"Just someone. You don't know him"

If that's true, you won't mind if we take a look." Kenji is lifting himself from his position on the couch, eying you as he makes a leap for the desk.

You try and jump onto him, prevent him from even touching them, but you're too slow. And he's just a little too tall. You reach (and kick!) But he's got the letters in his hand, and peels one out of its envelope. Keeping the paper high above his head, he tilts his head to read, and you give up. Caught.

Mercifully, Kenji doesn't read the letter aloud, but his eyes scan the page hurriedly and when he's done his look is... infuriating.

"Robbin' the cradle, Yaz. I love it."

You rip the letter from his grasp. "You're one to talk."

Kenji looks sheepish for once and you're happy to finally score a point.

"In my defense, I have the emotional age of a fourteen-year-old. You're like a thirty-year-old cynic trapped inside the body of a high school senior."

"And Ben?"

Kenji looks thoughtful. "Somewhere in between?"

You look away.

"Don't be embarrassed. It's nice."

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{Did you know that Wendy is older than Peter?

Well, it seems that way, because she continues to age.

But on the inside—Peter's the one who is ancient. Possibly even hundreds of years old!

Anyway, it doesn't matter.

Or Does it?}

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You hear them talking about you in the other room.

"Do you think she's gonna be ok?"

"Of course, Sammie. It's Yaz. She'll bounce back."

"I'm worried."

There's a long pause. Though you can't quite make out what Kenji says, you can tell he says it in his rare very serious tone.

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{At school, I've taken to hiding in the library.