HEAVENLY - SHORT CAMP CAMP STORY

CHAPTER 1

     Daniel looks down at his messy chicken scratch that he had scribbled out with a pen who's ink is nearly gone. He signs off the letter with his name; a short and simple script. Daniel. The ink is gone before he can get out the 'iel' of his first name. He pulls apart the pen, dissecting it from spring and plastic. The tip falls out and he realizes how similar the shiny piece looks to a bullet.

It's poetic, in a way. 

His time is nearly gone. 

He grabs his bags hurriedly and flees the camp. He can hear the sirens already.

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     When Daniel thinks of salvation he thinks of his happiness and something purer than what he has now. It is a constant battle in his head from what is human and what is heavenly. The battle always favors in religion of course and he is forced to pull a twisted grin on his face and reassure others of their faith in his god. Daniel can't remember the last time he put poison to his lips but he can taste it faintly in the back of his throat, just as he can faintly hear a thought in his mind telling him to end it all. End everyone in this campsite. End everyone in the world and end everyone and end himself. 

'It would be much easier,' he thinks, 'If everyone dies right now.'

     It's a scary thought. His knife hadn't seen much light. The process was too childish, too messy. The poison usually did the job and if it hadn't, he would find a way to help others ascend. His emotions don't match his expression. He is frantic. He is desperate. His smile and composure say otherwise.

     The door opens and he is greeted by a woman with dark skin and purple eyes. Her mouth drops to the floor and he can feel a smirk playing at his lips. Maybe she knew who he was; Sleepy Peak was not a very big-

     A man appears behind him and Daniel can't help but look with curiosity. This is someone who looks just like him, down to every last detail. How fun would it be to be someone for a day? 

Daniel mimics his mannerisms until the woman, Gwen, leaves.

He has gained trust from someone named David.

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     Children are smarter than adults, and Daniel would have to agree because he was not fooling some of the children. They've already suspected his clothes and classified him as a cult leader.

It's not a cult if you're saving people.

His eyes go wide in delight and he throws his head to the side, his smile not faltering. He has seen children like this before. They shouldn't try to be heroes. Children are not heroes.

Children cannot do anything. He knows this firsthand. If they were, he could've been living a different lifestyle other than this one. He could've been doing something with his future, but he is stuck in an endless cycle of worshiping-

No. He shouldn't tell himself things like this.

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           His calm and charming demeanor has swayed some of the children he has talked to, the ones who weren't so suspicious of his actions and weren't smart enough to decipher what he was saying. He's already gained control of half the camp. At times like these, he wonders if he could get away with clearing every camp in the area. He could save so many people. He could be heavenly.

      The room he was in was heavily decorated for the Ascension Party. It was a mask, he supposes. It was supposed to look like nothing was going wrong before he finally revealed what he was doing. 

He hears the door open and David walks in with the three kids he was getting awfully annoyed of. He forces them out of the room, allowing them to see the sauna he had built for purification. He had to get ready for his final act.

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