Camp Pine Cove

Day one? Good luck...

"So wait, Camp has a cult? What else didn't you tell us Chris?" The smaller girl, Angie, was fiery, asking questions and demanding the answers without hesitation. Josh huffed "It's not like we like it either, and so far it seems that's the only thing causing an issue. Except for maybe Baba" Stephen looked confused, "What's Baba?" Sammie lit up "Baba is our local Cryptid, he looks like bigfoot until you get a good look at his teeth, which is basically his whole face, but he's harmless. He just likes eating deer" She layed back down as Josh gave her a look "Sammie don't move, you'll pull the stitches" Evan looked around "It's weird, i've never noticed this stuff when I was at camp?" Chris nodded "Yeah we can't really explain that one. You all don't looked terribly scared, or shocked?" the trio shared glances "Well, it's not like we have anything better to do this summer. Plus, who doesn't want to expel an evil cult?" Q decided Angie was alright, and Chris smiled "That's why I picked you guys" Stephen stared at Winn, who still seemed to be out, "Is she going to be alright?" Chris shifted uncomfortably "I hope so, we don't exactly know what the Black Wisdom did to her? All in due time, for now? You all should probably get your cabins ready"

Winn opened her eyes, slowly and groggily the room melted into view. The light was right in her eyes and she could only assume the sun was setting. She sat up only now noticing the prickling pain in her arms. She looked down to see them wrapped in bandages from her biceps to her wrists. Spots of red poked through but the pain was distant, Winn swung her legs over the side of the bed standing shakily, she looked around, but no one was there. She pushed the doors open gingerly and stepped into the setting sun, she walked to the mess hall where she heard laughter and talking, passing through that threshold the sound stopped. She was greeted with the faces of Angie, Stephen, Evan, Q, and Sammie, who was wheelchair bound. "Winn! How are you feeling?" Angie gave her a tender look, Winn shrugged "I wish I had some water" she walked over and sat down, Stephen got up grabbing the glass and coming back, Sammie and Q wouldn't meet her eyes, and everyone else looked concerned "Oh knock it off, I'm fine, you don't have to keep staring at me like i'm a broken vase that you just taped back together. Let's play" She gestured to the cards on the table. "Well Q is winning" Winn rolled her eyes, "When are we going to learn to not play cards against humanity with Q?" Sammie shrugged "Well, at least we know who's the worst person here" Q grinned "Guilty as charged". The mood immediately lightened and everyone was laughing again, they played into the night, but as Winn walked back, she couldn't help but jump at every little noise.

Winn stood a smile on her face as the campers started trickling in, She counted her campers "8? Wow small cabin this year. Well hi everyone! I'm Winn, I'll be your counselor. Some of you know me, but for those who don't, welcome to the purple cabin!" The older ones cheered, Winn knew four of her eight, the oldest being 15, the youngest being 7. Winn marched back to the cabin throwing the door open, the new campers young and old marveled at the huge house. "Woah we have a game room?" Winn nodded "We do indeed Rylee. We have the good stuff. First let's gather to the table, we're going to draw up the cabin constitution". The youngest stared up at her "Winn? Whats a constitution? She smiled at the boy "Just a list of rules" he frowned sticking his tongue out. "Gross" Winn smiled as the oldest walked over "Good to see you Winn" She smiled "Right back at you Nikki, how does it feel to be head girl?" She gave her a smirk "Better, now that I'm not competing with you" Winn raised an eyebrow "Watch it, I'm the boss now" Nikki stared "Oh Winn, you were always the boss. What happened?" she pointed at her arms. Winn let the lie play off her tongue "I was working on the cabin and fell off the ladder" Nikki nodded "I feel safe already" Winn raised an eyebrow. "Alright everyone! Time for some ground rules"

Winn sat at the counselor table watching Nikki handle the cabin, she was doing fairly well, it did help that her cabin was the calmest of the bunch. "My head has her shit together, can you guys say the same?" Q gave Winn a look "My cabin is so good I don't even need a head, but Aly is doing just fine thanks". Angie on the other hand couldn't even sit down to her dinner yet, her kids were yelling and arguing. Sammie sipped her tea "Ya know, I gave my kids a puzzle and they've been busy ever since" Stephen and Evan murmured in agreement "The trick is distracting them from being out of control. Angie can't do that though, her head is just as crazy as the rest of them" Winn stared into her coke "well, like counselor like camper" the group raised their cups in agreement "Aye" it was a joke that's been passed around the last couple days that whenever they were all in agreement they'd raise whatever they we holding and offer the word "Aye" Winn was proud to claim she started it. "Alright everyone, Campfire" Q got up to grab their guitar and Winn took up her uke. The kids cheered as they marched down to the fire pit where Josh was tossing the last log onto the fire. Chris stood to the side snickering. "You missed one!" "Oh shut up Chris!" Winn sat next to Q and Sammie, who had one of the percussion boxes. They never had camp songs, they'd just do acoustic covers of pop songs they liked, then took requests from the kids. By the end of the night Winn was pretty sure if she had to search the ukulele tabs for one more Justin Bieber song she'd go and pitch herself off the long house.

An hour later the kids were practically falling asleep on each other after a day of nerves and excitement. Nikki gave a piggyback ride to Rylee as they walked back to the cabins. Winn called lights out as she went downstairs, she opened the fridge and started filling it with snacks and drinks before relaxing in the armchair letting the air enter her lungs, be turned to carbon dioxide, and forced out of her chest. She let her eyelids close for a second and the next thing she knew it was 7 and the breakfast horn was sounding. "Crap!" she leapt up running to the stairs slamming a button to the bells in the bunks. "Sorry to wake you like this I completely slept through my alarm and we need to be at breakfast in five minutes sorry again ready set go!" The kids sat up groggy, Nikki was the first up and ready to go helping the younger ones. Winn threw on a new shirt and shorts not bothering to comb her short hair, She walked out to the front of the cabin to see her campers more or less there and awake. "Sorry guys, let's go eat" Winn opened her phone at the table reading over the schedule for today. "Seriously? We have kitchen right after this? We don't even have water sports until three!" Q grinned "In that case I'm getting extra pancakes" "You can shove your pancakes up your-" "Don't!" Winn sipped her coffee giving Q a death glare. The others all got up as Winn and her cabin stayed behind, she gave them all an apologetic smile "Well we have kitchen first, Liam, Rylee, Shaun, you guys just have to take all the dirty dishes and bring them up to this counter. Maddie, Ryan, Ami, you guys dry and put them away, Nikki, Ash, you and I will wash them. Let's go!"

Winn gave Maddie the last plate, she grinned managing to finish with five minutes left in the rotation, she high fived everyone and waited before walking down to the archery range. She sat back with angie as Chris explained how to use the bow, Rylee being only nine was the best shot out of everyone there, she'd hit the bull's eye four out of five times and the fifth was off by mere centimeters. "My dad's a hunter!" Winn stared wide eyed nodding dumbly, "Winn you and Angie should have a shoot off!" both of the cabins erupted in cheers and support for their respected counselor. Winn gave in after Nikki bet her five dollars she wouldn't hit the bull's eye. Winn grinned as her arrows never left the inner ring. Angie sighed in defeat handing her ten bucks from a bet made the year previously. Nikki sneered as she slipped her five bucks "Yeah yeah whatever" They made their way slowly through the day, everyone excited to see their friends after so long. Winn had managed to prank Stephen with Evan's help, it was four o'clock and she was with Angie waiting for everyone else to make their way down to group water sports. She'd stayed on land, or in a canoe, she didn't want the wounds on her arms to get infected so she waited. It now occurred to her how self conscious she'll be now. How would she be able to get a job? She knew the cuts and ugly symbols carved into her one pristine skin would never fade. She'd have to constantly wear long sleeves or bandages. It made her angrier and angrier the more she thought about it, it must have showed as well because as Q sat down they gave her a worried look. "You alright there? You look like someone socked your grandmother" "Just, thinking." "About?" "Life after camp. More specifically how am I going to go back to school? What do I tell my mom?" she shot Q a glance. "Oh no don't worry mom, I just got abducted by a cult the first night and now have physical horrible scars that will never go away!" Q looked like the guilt was being ringed out of them like a wet sponge. "Winn, I'm sorry" She shrugged "You couldn't have done anything. It would have been worse if they got us all" Q wouldn't meet her eyes, but luckily Angie came to break the silence. "Canoe races, let's go!" Winn stood up dusting herself off. She grinned and walked towards the water. Her worries could wait.