Autumn Branson's Story

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Weather: Sunny and warm. 30 degrees Celsius /86 degrees Fahrenheit.
Date: Monday 29th May 2014
What’s going on?: All the campers are arriving this morning. They must be here by 9:30AM, and are to attend activity group introductions at 10:00AM. If you are wise, you will arrive with enough time to unpack and find out where you need to be. You will meet your bunk mates before you head off to activity group introductions. All members of the same bunk house are in the same activity group.
Time: 9:00AM

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It was not too early in the morning when the first camper arrived, but alas, usually they all turned up a little closer to the dead line. No one had arrived half an hour early last year, and for now, this camper was going to be all alone.

A blue Fiat 500 Twin Air Pop pulled up on the small camp car park, but kept its engine running. The figures inside did not move for a minute, seemingly caught up in conversation, then the passenger (shotgun) door opened. A small female with bright red hair climbed out, then turned around as the driver summoned her attention again.

“You have got your anti-depressants, right?” Amber’s sister asked as she leant over the steering to pass Amber her rucksack and suitcase. The red haired girl took them off her sister and feigned a look of pure horror.

“My anti-depressants?” She gasped, searching her pockets. “Oh no!”

Her sister’s face was priceless. She glared long and hard at Amber, her face full of disappointment and worry. “Oh Amber…”

“Just kidding!” Amber cut in, risking a shit eating grin. “The look on your face was priceless though.” Chuckling, she gave her cussing sister a wave and slammed the car door. “Adios!”

Sighing, Amber turned and slowly trudged along the pathways towards the main hall, her rucksack hanging off one shoulder and her opposite arm dragging her suitcase behind her. She was happy to be back, of course she was, but enthusiasm towards anything was always hard to feel.

Once she got to the main hall, she paused for a moment and made sure that her favourite knife was safely hidden away at the bottom of her bag. In a moment, she would have to hand in all weapons (no self-harming was allowed on site, or suicide, obviously. No one really took heed of those rules though,) and she wanted to have something left. Last year, the weapons check had surprised her, and she hadn’t had much left to use in the way of self-harm, other than razor blades. They couldn’t really take those off you.

Taking a deep breath, she strode in. The main hallway was empty of campers, which meant she could quickly and easily get herself sorted. First of all, she put her bags down at the side near the door, and walked through the metal detector that separated her from the reception area. Knowing that it was unbelievable if she had no weapons, she had purposely left a rather crappy and broken pen knife in her pocket. When the metal detector started bleeping, she threw it into the small wooden crate at the side and moved on. Scampering towards the notice boards, she scanned them for the activity group lists.

Eventually, she found her name:
Activity Group 4:
Female Cabin: Amber Edwards, Autumn Branson, Katarina Lester, and Wiley Maxtyn.
Male Cabin: Adam Walker, Augustus Kings, Declan Branson and Wren Donovan.

Now that she knew what group she was in, Amber checked her cabin number (7, and the males in her group were in Cabin 8) and then picked up the correct activity schedule from the piles on the small table next to her. After signing in at the reception, she hurried back over to the other side of the room again, eager to collect her bags.

Before she picked them up however, she glanced down at her activity schedule to see what she was doing today. Ugh, introductions and the like, the same as last year. Sighing, she headed off to her cabin, bags in tow.

It took her a bit of time to find her cabin, as the numbers where only displayed in tiny gold lettering on the doors, but eventually, she found number 7. She gently turned the rounded, brass knob and pushed the door open, and stepped into a plain, unexciting cabin that contained all the same features as last year.

Once she had shut the door behind her, Amber threw her rucksack onto the top bunk nearest the window, marking her place. She set her suitcase down next to the bunk bed, and knelt on the floor as she unzipped it. Time to get unpacking.

Each bed had a small number written on the side, and the beds in bunk 7 were marked as 25, 26, 27 and 28. Her bed was 28, so she opened the closet marked with the same number and began hanging up all her clothes neatly. She didn’t have a lot, and they mainly consisted of grungy t-shirts and jeans.

Time ticked on by, and soon Amber could hear campers walking past the cabin and chatting. She finished unpacking her clothes and various other things, put the empty suitcase in the wardrobe and shut it gently. She clambered up onto her bunk and sat with her rucksack in her lap. At the side of her bunk, on the wall, was a long shelf, with a plug at the end. This was where she intended to put things like her phone, her charger, the current book that she was reading, her notebook, etc. She began unpacking them as she waited for her bunkmates to arrive at the cabin.

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Amber’s Outfit

The car ride seemed rather quick for Autumn and her brother. Not only was this camp posing as a rehab facility, but also a safe haven from the home they had just been removed from. She sat quietly in the passenger side, watching the white line run it's length from point A to point B. The day was beautiful, had they arrived the day before it would have been raining and not half as warm. No, this day was perfect. Of course it was early, so she was unsure of what the day would bring, but she was hopeful for there was not even a cloud in sky.

"You're awake?" Declan shuffled in his seat as he glanced from me back to the road. Through bits and pieces of the car ride she had fallen asleep, but the loud air coming through the back window always soon woke her up.

"Yeah, I'm up. You nervous this time?" She laughed at herself as she struggled to turn over in her seat, looking up at him as he drove.

"Nah, I just hope the guys aren't like last year. They were so disrespectful it amazed me."

"Don't get your panties in a wad Deedee. We'll be fine, we always are." He scuffed and his eyes fell heavy, and Autumn automatically felt bad for saying it. Fine is a word that they have always used to cry out for help to each other. But they have found that the majority of the time, there is nothing they can do.

"We're here." He parked the car in the dimly lit parking lot, and they both got out to grab their duffles. Of course, Declan grabbed her's, afraid that any weight may hurt her aura or something. Well not really, but it was just something else he did for her.

"Want me to go sign us in?" She was already holding the door open,and when he nodded she entered the area. The main hall was shabby, little more impressive than the cabins she had stayed in last year.

The guard stared at her strangely, and she replied with," Dr. Decles has our bags." She set off toward the reception desk. She looked at the sign in sheet, surprised to have seen another name. Amber was written beautifully on the page. She thought she recognized the name, but couldn't place the figure. She quickly wrote her and Declan's names down, and checked the activities of the day. She sighed, and redirected her attention to look at the cabin numbers.

Seven and eight, seven and eight she thought to herself as she went to fetch her brother, only to find him opening the same doors as she.

"Hey, you're in eight." She called to him as he set down the bags for the routine check. He smiled at her and quickly recollected their things. They set off toward the cabins, where they made their entrance in seven.

"Dude coming in, is audience ready?" Declan called out into the building, hopefully not to walk in on anything.

"You're such a wuss." She mumbled to him as she walked inside and noticed the girl sitting on a bed. She stood silently, unwilling to talk considering later that day their introductions were due, so she silently took her things from Declan, thanking him. She was glad to see no one had taken the top bunk of the first bed, so she claimed lucky 26 as her own. She threw her pillow on the bed, and quickly unpacked her things, oblivious to the actions of the other girl.

"Are you just going to stand there Deedee? You have a cabin too you know." She joked and told him she loved him. He exited hastily with his own duffle in hand.

When her bag was cleared and her things set up in her closet the way she found suit. She relaxed on her bed with her sketch pad. She closed her eyes and quickly began to draw a bird landing on a small branch. She began to clearly depict the individual feathers, as the colorless bird's wings bent for the landing. She titled the image. "We arrived."

He left her in her room, nervous of the other girl. Something was just different about her and he couldn't pin it. He carried this thought into his own cabin, not too far away. He had always loved this camp, whether he admitted it or not. It gave him a sense of serenity knowing that his sister was okay, and he himself wasn't in constant demand of his peers. He liked to get away, and this camp provided it. Even though it hadn't helped it's purpose since the first year he had arrived.

He opened the door to the cabin quickly, and found he was alone inside. He picked the father bed from the door, which was number 36 (bottom bunk on far side of room so last number), and slumped down on it. He was glad to be away from the demons that haunted him. He just took some time to relax, sprawled on the bed like a fish out of water. Then he sighed as he got up and began unpacking, putting his clothes away in the closet that had his number. He had learned the hard way last year, not to put important things in that closet.

When all was said and done, he took off his shirt and threw it in the dirty clothes, retrieving another. He hated sweating, unless of course he was exercising. With nothing better to do, he crept into his bed, and decided to take a small nap. The long drive had been tiresome, but he was glad Autumn had gotten enough rest.

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Wiley had spent the last week in “Rehab” or at least that’s what the media was being told. The reality of it was, she’d spent the last two weeks the hospital on Suicidal watch. She’d tried and failed again. She had the gun in her mouth ready to pull the trigger, she’d hesitated for only a second and her mom had walked in. That was when her psychologist gave her two chooses spending half the summer in the hospital and the other half in Rehab or going to a suicidal support group for the summer. In the end, her psychologist had made the decision for her.

At the current moment, she was stuck in the waiting room of her psychologists office, sketching the receptionist as a corpse. She sighed when she heard her mother start screaming, from inside her Doctor’s office. It was obvious her mother didn’t care much about her, she never had. All her mother saw was dollar signs when she looked at Wiley. Her mom didn’t want her to go off to some camp, Wiley had given up a part in a TV show due to her issues and her mother had pretty much told her she was worthless. The door to her Doctor’s office slammed shut and Wiley looked up from her sketch and from behind her black Ray Bands.

“I hope your happy.” Wiley’s mother spat. She looked ridiculous, with her over processed bleach blonde hair, perfectly Botoxed skin, and way too much make-up. There was no denying she was a Hollywood House wife. “You have fun at your cute little camp, but as soon as they realize your just an attention whore, you’re going straight back to work.” She hissed cruelly before leaving Wiley there alone.

A moment later her Doctor came out giving her an apologetic look. “Alright Miss Wiley, Let’s get you to camp.” He said with a warm smile and she grabbed her things.

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The drive was silent and took a few hours. Although she wouldn’t admit it, Wiley was excited to be getting away from the glimmering lights of Hollywood. She’d never had a normal childhood and she desperately hoped that none of the other campers would know who she was, but she highly doubted that. She hoped if they did know her, they hated her, so she could keep to herself. Finally they pulled up to the drop off circle. She sighed running her fingers through her long hair.

“Doc, just take me home with you.” She breathed.

“I wish I could kiddo, but you need help.” He said giving her a soft smile. The two of them stepped out of his BMW as he helped her unload. “I talked to your counselor already.” He said handing her a piece of paper, stating the schedule and which cabin she was assigned to. “Play nice Emma. I just want you to get better, your too young to be this sad.” She said looking her over like he felt pity for her and it was hard not to, you could tell how unhappy she was with a single look in her eye and it took away from how truly beautiful she actually was.

“Yeah, I know.” She whispered, she hugged her doctor, before throwing her guitar case over her shoulder and picking up her suitcase, heading to sign in. Once she was finished signing in she headed to her cabin. She slipped inside ignoring the others that were inside as she set her guitar case one of the empty beds.

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Wiley’s Outfit

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Amber was just stacking a couple of novels onto her shelf when she heard a male voice from outside.

“Dude coming in, is audience ready?”

She rolled her eyes and looked towards the door, ready to tell the male that he had got the wrong cabin. However, when the door opened, a girl was the first one to walk in. A male was standing behind her, holding her bags, presumably her brother. That was odd, siblings, parents or guardians usually dropped members off and then left again.

“Hi,” Amber offered to them, but as she expected, nothing was said back. Oh well, there was no harm in trying to seem friendly. She sighed as the other girl said goodbye to her brother, but her ears perked up when she mentioned cabins. This guy was also staying here?

She gave him a proper look over without it being too obvious, and was surprised. He wasn’t too bad looking at all…and if he was in her activity group, that would be great. He seemed like a nice person too, carrying his sister’s bags for her. A true gentleman in the making, perhaps?

The guy left, and Amber carried on slowly unpacking while the other girl did the same. She made sure all her novels were perfectly in line, then pulled a small pencil case out of her bag and checked that it had everything she needed inside. A couple of pens, a handful of drawing and colouring pencils – yep, sorted.

A knock came on the door as Amber pulled her notebook out and put it on her lap, flicking through the pages of poetry and elegies fondly. She looked up and saw a girl with black hair enter the room. This second girl waved, and, delighted that there was some form of communication going on, Amber waved back. She wasn’t sure if the second girl had seen it, but she didn’t mind either way.

The second girl also started unpacking, and Amber realised that the first girl had finished and was now drawing. She should really hurry up a bit. She pulled out her last few things that she wanted on the shelf and put them there, then put her rucksack at the end of the bed. It still had a few things in it, like her knife, so she wanted to keep it nearby. It’s not like there was anything much wrong with unpacking her knife – it’s not like it would scare her bunkmates, is it? – but she just preferred to have it hidden away. It was less tempting.

The last girl came in, and Amber risked saying “hello” again. Still, there was nothing back. The silence in the cabin would have seemed deafeningly loud had it not been for the sound of the girls unpacking. Feeling slightly bored, Amber looked at the newest arrival in more detail when she wasn’t looking. There seeming to be something vaguely familiar about her, but she wasn’t sure what. Oh well.

She checked her watch, and realised that it was almost time for introductions. She slowly clambered off her bunk, being careful not to startle or kick their newest arrival who had claimed the bed beneath her, and let her feet hit the floor.

“So guys,” she said, walking towards the door. “Our introductions are happening in about 10 minutes. See you there.” She slipped out and shut the door behind her, then started striding towards the main house. She had wanted to set out early so that she could figure out where the introductions were. They would probably be held in a media room, but which one was the question.

After pottering around in the main media room area, Amber found the one for Group 4. She knocked, and peeped her head around the door. A young volunteer was in there, who invited her in. She sat down on one of the sofas next to the volunteer (it seemed rude not to), who introduced herself as Grace.

“You can watch the TV, play a videogame or whatever while you wait for the others,” Grace told her, but Amber wasn’t really that interested. She just nodded and sat there instead, twiddling her thumbs, waiting for the other members of her group to come. Perhaps if they saw that she wasn’t doing anything, they would talk to her. She was a quiet girl herself, but she did like to talk at the camp. Talking took her mind off things. She hoped that she and the other girls would all warm up to each other soon.

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Amber’s Outfit

Autumn

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Tick... tock... tick... tock...That's about all she had time to count, before Introductions snuck up on her. Two of the girls had already made their exits, and Autumn thought it time she did the same. She closed her eyes as she slowly got up, taking in the musty smell of the cabin. She slid on her converse and set out toward the main building. She hoped to see her brother, but found it unlikely.

She picked up her pace, feeling vulnerable out in the open. She opened the door to the main building, and slid inside quickly. The air conditioning comforted her, as she made her way to the media room where she knew introductions would be held. The rooms are rather large enough, holding enough people for that sort of event. She scanned through the open doors, and eventually noticed the sign posted on the door. She slowly peered through the doorway, and took her first step inside.

Everyone was sitting in a circle, which was poorly constructed in means of dimension. It looked more of an awkward oval, but none the less effective in the group therapy. She walked over, and took her seat away from the group. She faced the people, noticing how the girl that's bunk was below hers sat across from the two others.

Autumn hated being at the tip of the triangle she had formed, and found it hard to relax. She slowly moved over two seats, breaking the perfection of the triangle. It was comforting, but Autumn felt stupid for having need to change spots. She held her journal in hand, and opened it softly, averting it from the eyes of the group. On the back of the page with the bird, she began writing the events of the day. She scribbled it in her cursive that most thought looked like someone tried to draw a straight line with their recessive hand, waiting for the other's to arrive.