Stars Of Our Lives

That's Kinky

The strongly encouraged wake-up time was around eight am. At least that's what the clock nailed to the wall in our cabin said.

The closest thing they had to an alarm was several kids running from cabin to cabin, banging loudly on each door. It wasn't the most comfortable way of waking up after a migraine, but at least it got me out of bed in time for breakfast.

My brain was still a little foggy as I entered the cafeteria-tunnel - or whatever they call it here. Across the room, there were a few kids handing out bowls of oatmeal, along with fruit leathers and crackers. Krel looped his arm through mine to guide me up to the line, grabbing bowls for both of us.

"You okay?" He asked as we took our seats beside Steve and Eli at the table. "You seem a little out of it."

I rubbed my temples. "Just the last of the migraine. Give it another hour, I'll be fine."

"If you say so."

"What do you guys think our jobs are gonna be?" Eli leaned forward across the table. "I swear, if I get stuck on the night shift again . . ."

"That was your job at the last Trollmarket?" I asked.

"When I wasn't being a Creepslayer."

"Don't give up hope yet," Steve elbowed him. "Being a hunter isn't so bad."

"Hunter?" Krel said it through a mouthful of oatmeal.

"Not troll-hunter," Eli said. "That's different. Hunters are the guys that go up to the surface to patrol and gather supplies. The risky stuff."

"The fun stuff," Steve corrected.

"It does sound fun," I took a bite, instantly catching the hint of cinnamon. Who makes the food here? Angels?

Eli just rolled his eyes.

"C'mon, Peppers," Steve clapped him on the back. "Don't you want to get back into the action?"

"I don't know about you," He glared. "But I've had enough action to last me a lifetime."

"Pff," Steve scoffed. "Outside of trolls and creeps, what's the worst that could happen?"

"Well for one -"

"Here we go," Krel muttered.

"- do you have any idea how many kinds of snakes there are in New Jersey?"

"Probably a lot," Steve tilted his head. "But like, what? Two of them are actually poisonous?"

Krel looked up. "Snakes aren't poisonous, Steve."

"Maybe not all of them," Steve replied. "But I'm pretty sure there are poisonous snakes out there. I mean, Coach Lawrence was bit by a rattlesnake once and let me tell you, it wasn't pretty."

"There are venomous snakes out there," Krel said. "But 'poisonous snakes' is not a thing."

"What's the difference?" I asked.

"Poison is ingested," Eli said through his oatmeal. "Venom is injected."

Steve squinted. "Huh?"

Krel put down his spoon. "If you bite it and you die, it's poisonous. If it bites you and you die, it's venomous."

"Well what if it bites me, and it dies?" Steve asked.

"Then you're poisonous," Krel said. "Weren't you listening?"

I put my elbows on the table. "What if it bites itself and I die?"

Eli glanced at me. "That would be voodoo."