The Spell of Summer - Day 01

Aaron returned the look with a self-deprecating smile, keeping his head tucked low to look as unassuming as possible.

"Can I help you two?"

"Yes, hi there," Aaron began warmly, then took a deep breath. The entire day had been spent praying they'd get to an inhabited destination, but he hadn't once thought of how he'd explain what happened. Somehow telling this woman, who didn't look more than twenty-two, that they'd spun off a highway covered in ice that they couldn't seem to find when the sun was shining brightly and it couldn't have been less than eighty degrees seemed a little too crazy. It was important that they didn't alarm anyone.

"We've been hiking," he began to explain, which was the truth. That they'd been doing for the better part of the day. "And this morning we realized we were lost." He turned around and was able to locate the ridge they'd stood upon, pointed it out. "We were up there when we saw this place and hoped we could get some help."

The woman continued to smile, completely unalarmed, which was . . . well? Alarming.

Aaron shook that thought away. Kindness of strangers, and he'd always tried to be kind. Perhaps the universe was paying it forward.

"Well, you've found the right place," she said, maintaining that innocent grin. But a second later it seemed to waiver, and she shrugged lightly with a crease of worry in her brow. "Though we're a little cut off from society here. No phone lines, no cell reception." She shrugged it off. "But we have food and shelter. I can take you to the director. See what she has to say. I'm Lissa."

"Nice to meet you," Justin said with the charm he'd patented in middle school. "I'm Justin, and this is my friend Aaron."

Lissa kept her warmth as she responded, "Pleasure. We don't get too many lost hikers out here. We're pretty far removed, as you may have noticed. How long have you been hiking?"

"All day," Justin said.

"Four days," Aaron said at the same time.

They eyed each other in worry.

"Well, we've been hiking all day," Justin amended quickly. "But we set out four days ago. It was only last night that we realized we were lost."

Lissa laughed like a bell. "Poor things," she said sweetly. "Let me take you to the offices. Follow me."

An immense weight lifted from Aaron, and with a glance at Justin, he seemed less troubled as well. Lissa was quickly in motion, walking with a gait of someone in charge. They followed her, trying to match her long stride and finding it difficult after such a long day of exertion.

"I'm not sure what we can do for you in the near future," Lissa said, having to aim this over her shoulder at the two men, "but we can at least come up with some sort of plan. The director here is great. Her name is Karen. She's been running this camp for years."

"What kind of camp is this?" Aaron asked.

Lissa chuckled. "A summer camp," she said, as though it were obvious. And it was obvious, with the exception that it wasn't summer!

"Of course," Aaron said quickly. "I meant more like . . . does it have some sort of specialization? Is it for kids, or for sports or music . . ." He let the thought trail.

"Just a regular summer camp," Lissa said. "Not for kids. Well, for teenagers. Late teens, anyways. Everyone here has graduated high school. It's all inclusive, for one last hurrah, I guess you might say. The last chance to be kids before heading off to college."

Aaron peered at Justin, and found exactly what he'd expected in an expression: Justin was intrigued. And he was definitely grateful he hadn't called girls "cute" that were underage. Aaron had the fleeting thought of agreement on that count, but they weren't here for any cute girls of age. Mostly he just wanted to get home.

No. Not home. He didn't have one at the moment, not as long as he was letting Nicole take their apartment. But some sort of civilization until he figured out a next step, even if that meant the week in the cabin he'd planned until he figured out where he'd crash or just borrowing Justin's couch until he could find a place of his own.

They arrived at a building marked "Office" in large white letters carved into a piece of wood hung above the door from the awning of the porch. It was small; of course an office at a summer camp didn't need to be large if it was just a place to take care of things on the business end.

Lissa's blonde ponytail bounced ahead of them as she walked up the stairs and opened the door, holding it for them as she entered first, the two following closely behind.

Inside sat a woman who seemed their age. Everyone running this place was so young! Then again, this was only the second person in charge they'd seen, Aaron reminded himself. Still, it was strange.

And then again, no stranger than everything else that had happened today. And with a large inhale, he prepared himself for anything, as they had truly entered the unknown.

"Karen," Lissa said, her voice still bubbly and warm. "This is Aaron and Justin. I ran into them a few minutes ago, two hikers lost in the woods."

Karen ran her fingers through her short auburn hair and rose from the desk. "Thanks, Lissa. What can I do for you?"

Aaron once again took the lead, typical of someone who ran a large team of employees. It was better than letting the jobless painter take charge.

"We're hoping you can help us out," he began calmly, using his take-charge voice. "We've been hiking for four days and realized last night that we were definitely lost. Our cells stopped giving us any sort of gps or reception, we're on our last protein bars and we happened to see your camp from a ridge. Lissa mentioned that you don't get reception or have phone lines, but we're hoping you have a radio or vehicle to take us to the nearest town."

Karen clicked her cheek as she lightly shook her head. "We're cut off out here," she explained, shrugging her shoulders. "Everyone comes by train and they're here all summer."

"Well, how often is the train?" Justin asked quizzically, with a hint of skepticism. Aaron was in full agreement with the question posed, as the words cut off brought in a valid worry.

Karen's look seemed to turn to pity. "It comes the first Tuesday of every month to deliver supplies. Food stuffs and anything else we may be low on."

"How do you place your orders?" Aaron asked with far more skepticism than Justin's last question.

Karen chuckled lightly. "With the last train." She shrugged once more.

"First Tuesday of every month," Justin muttered, aimed quietly at Aaron.

Aaron caught the gist. It was Thursday, October 7^th. "So the train arrived . . . earlier this week . . ."

"I'm afraid so," Karen said with a tone of defeat and apology.

"Do you happen to know of any other camps nearby?" Aaron prompted. "Or towns? If you could set us up with a bit of food and water, and a compass . . . we'd pay you for it all, of course . . ."

The thought trailed, as Karen was shaking her head from the moment he'd began. "I'm sorry, there's nothing remotely close. If you were to make a hike for it, the closest town is at least fifty miles, and covering that in this terrain would be quite impossible."

Aaron ran his hand through his dark hair until his fingers balled up a clump in a fist.

"Don't worry!" Karen cried cheerfully. "We won't leave you out on your own. We're more than happy to set you up in a cabin, and we can send you off on the next train out of here."

Aaron's sigh was desperate. He turned to Justin. "I took the week off of work," he breathed. "A week!"

Justin seemed to agree that this was not remotely ideal. "There has to be something," he urged Karen. "What happens if someone is injured?" This bordering on a demand.

Karen's smile for them was one of pity. "We have an excellent doctor here," she explained. "And every sort of medicine you can imagine. What we've created here is exactly what our campers crave: a remote location where they don't have to answer to anyone but our staff, leaving the outside world behind for the summer. The people here want a full escape from reality, so we've offered just that. We're self-sustaining in every way."

"Except for food stuffs," Aaron muttered.

"Except for food stuffs," Karen agreed empathetically. She began to rally. "Listen, I know this isn't ideal for you. It sounds like you have a job to return to, and I'm sorry for that. But can I ask you something, and please stop me if this is too personal . . ." Aaron didn't interrupt, gesturing for her to go ahead with whatever she had to say. "It's just that you look like someone who might need this. Pardon me for saying it, but . . . I'm good at reading people. You have to be, working here, and I see it in many campers. Most people come here looking to get away from something, and I won't ask you what it is, but I see it. Maybe this is an opportunity for you to do just that."

In these warmly offered words, Aaron, for a brief moment, felt as though maybe this was some sort of answer to his prayers. He'd be fucked at work, of course, but perhaps he could explain it all away when he returned, and he was well liked enough that he'd likely still have a place.

And if he didn't, he knew he was extremely talented in graphic design. He'd been offered large sums of money by many companies trying to poach him in the past. He'd have no trouble finding work.

Besides, what else could they do? There was truly nothing to be done.

While that freaked him out in a major way, maybe in a few days he'd have more answers in regards to this series of truly bizarre events, and in those answers they'd find a way out that didn't involve a once a month train.

"I can show you around," Lissa said softly, placing a delicate hand on Aaron's arm. "And set the two of you up in a cabin. You'll have everything you need there. Warm beds, and there are so many activities you'll enjoy. And even if you don't want to partake, you'll at least get meals and snacks until you leave. I promise you, in a few days, maybe you'll find you want to be here."

After a deep inhale of acceptance, Aaron turned to his friend. "What else can we do?" he asked with a shrug of his shoulders that had clearly given up and given in.

"Live what I never got to do as a kid," Justin said with a single chuckle. "Go to summer camp."

Lissa and Karen both smiled widely. "Then it's settled," Karen said. "Lissa, take them to . . ." she consulted something on her desk, ". . . Alder. It's a lovely cabin, usually only for counselors, but we have less staff this season. While it's on tree row, it's a bit out of the way so you'll have all the privacy you want. Dinner is in about an hour, Lissa can show you around before or after. Your choice."

"Welcome to Flowing Lake," Lissa said radiantly, her lovely white smile large as could be. "I'll settle you in, and from there you can decide what you want."

With that, they exited the office and made the walk to Alder.

Aaron and Justin asked to be shown around after dinner, and received directions to the cafeteria. Once the door was shut, Aaron tossed his bag down on the single cot to the right, Justin to the left. The cabin was simple, with a bed on each side, a window between. Below the window were two bedside tables with a lamp on each, though how electricity was generated here was an unknown that Aaron became curious over.

Funny the things you wonder about when you're frightened and in an unknown place completely removed from all society. Things to keep the mind occupied so you don't worry yourself into a full on panic attack.

There was a clock on the wall, battery operated with hands that read 4:18, giving them forty minutes before dinner. Aaron didn't want to unpack at first, the feeling too final. If he unpacked, he'd have to accept that they really were here for another four weeks, and it was just too weird for him to wrap his head around.

"Think I'll lie down for a bit," Aaron finally said.

"Same," Justin agreed. He fiddled with his phone. "Setting an alarm in case we pass out."

And indeed, five minutes later, they were both out for the count.

It was a miracle they were able to wake at all a half hour later, neither realizing how much the day's events had drained them both physically and emotionally, but a hungry stomach often trumps a need for sleep, and the hope of getting some answers compounded upon the necessity to get up and head to the cafeteria.

Once inside, Aaron stopped short in the doorway, causing Justin to run directly into his back, nearly knocking him over.

"Dude," Justin said with a bit of a growl, but Aaron held up a hand.

As if anything else could surprise him, it seemed this place was capable of one upping the last bizarre event. Silent for a moment, Aaron finally said, "Look around you."

Justin did as he was told, looking for something out of place. And he was astute enough to notice what Aaron had, though likely because he was generally on the lookout for exactly what they were encountering.

"Is this a girls camp?" Justin hissed, the tone beneath this whisper a few pitches higher than any voice his throat had ever created.

Aaron shook his head. "No," he said slowly. "But apart from . . . what?" This counting momentarily faded until he came up with a number he could be firm on. "I mean it's way less than half?" Another pause as he counted once more. "A quarter at most are guys, and they're really tucked back at those tables."

Indeed, the cafeteria was filled with women. There were a bunch of guys at two far tables, then the speckling of solitary males mixed in with the couple hundred or so female campers. Outside of that, it was various shades of hair, all falling below ears.

"Did we die?" Justin asked, feigning a humor that wasn't fully realized. Beneath that was a fear that maybe they actually had died in their car accident, as this had to be some sort of heaven. He was not one to believe in the seventy virgins, but maybe the Muslims were on to something.

A loud pfft blew out of Aaron before he swiveled and lightly punched Aaron on the arm. "Did you feel that?"

Justin clutched his arm a bit more dramatically than the action required, then clicked his cheek. "Alright, so we're alive. Why the hell didn't I know of this camp when I was in college?!"

If the feeling of paranoia weren't ever present, Aaron would have to agree with the question, as this was a place he would have loved to spend a summer at back in the day. Far removed from society and stuck in a camp with 70% women wouldn't have been a bad way to spend a summer.

Truthfully, it wasn't a bad way to spend a month stuck, as long as that's what they were.

But he shook the thought away. If what Karen had said was the case, the boys and girls in here were six or seven years younger than they were, and while many of his friends may have loved the idea of that, he was not one to chase younger women.

But perhaps the councilors weren't off the table . . .

"Okay, obviously we're not attendees, we're guests, so let's just get some food and find Lissa," Aaron suggested. "Get that tour, maybe figure out what we're gonna do over the next four weeks."

Justin's grin turned wicked. "I know what I'm gonna do," he drawled.

A gentle chuckle exited Aaron, though through a heavy roll of his eyes. From there, they got in line for food.

The dinner served was nicer than he'd expected, though very much "camp food": a grilled chicken breast with a side of stroganoff and steamed vegetables made up the dinner. Also on the tray, a squared slice of white cake, and a beverage of their choosing.

They located a smaller, round table that happened to be empty in a far corner and they both seemed to silently agree that, at least for the time being, they should remain on the outside looking in. They weren't here to make friends; they needed answers and they needed to get out. And while Justin may spend some of that time practicing his pick-up lines, Aaron was determined to find another way outside of waiting for the anomaly of a once-a-month train.

Unheard of.

While eating, Aaron noticed things. Both men were astute, both art majors, both used to paying attention to details. One of the major observations was that the groupings were so entirely stereotypical of the age group. It was clear by appearances and attitudes, as well as the topics of conversation that found their way to his ears. It wouldn't be easy to discern them to an untrained eye, seeing as everyone wore very similar outfits resembling summer uniforms: simple colored t-shirts or blouses, khaki shorts or skirts, white socks and tennis shoes.

There was a group of sporty looking girls, all wearing high ponytails, that sat nearest to them along with two guys. Their conversation revolved around a kickball game that had been played earlier in the day with some serious trash-talking.

Another table was a group of bookworms, as half of them had books next to their tray tables with pages dog-eared or marked with a flag to hold their place or highlight a section. To add to the stereotype, a few of them wore glasses, and most wore their hair down, a few with clips on the sides.

The table of what Aaron could only assume were the musicians were sharing earbuds, one girl had drumsticks sticking upright from her back pocket, and he noticed that if those backsides they'd seen earlier had front sides, the two girls were sitting side by side.

"Okay, bear with me here," Aaron said quietly to Justin, wondering if Justin was picking up on this. "Pretend you're in high school, or back at the U. What table has the nerds?"

Justin peered around the cafeteria, slightly rising to get a head taller than everyone. He located a table in the other corner that shared a wall with where they sat. "Over there," he said, inconspicuously pointing.

Aaron blew out some air and nodded. "The stoners?"

Justin laughed loudly. "Easy. Down that way," and gestured toward the other corner toward a group of girls that had probably snuck in weed and alcohol, slouchy and rugged and untidy.

"And the princesses?" Aaron queried. "The ones who run the school?"

There was no need to Justin to look far; he'd noticed that group as they'd been in line. "Middle of the room," he said, nodding his chin in their general direction.

All the prettiest of girls sat at a table near the table of three guys, who were watching the girls as they paid them no mind. Heavy makeup, lots of product to their perfectly tidy and intricately styled hair, and that general snooty air to them that showed they felt they were better than the rest of the populous.

"We really are with the kids," Aaron said through a laugh. "And if we are dead, I think it's worth considering that we went to hell instead of heaven, because I have no fucking desire to go back to high school."

"No shit," Justin agreed. While the scene may be filled with eye candy, there was no desire to return to that era of life, where people were categorized by their like interests. That ideology tended to erode in college and fully dissipate after that once entering the real world.

Aaron peered at Justin. "Have I mentioned you look weird?" he asked, creasing his brow and studying his friend once again. He couldn't pinpoint exactly where his looks had changed, but it seemed as though he was looking at his friend a few years ago, not today.

"You did," Justin said, then took a large bite of his stroganoff. "And I said the same of you. That accident seemed to improve on your looks. Maybe it's the shot of adrenaline."

"I don't think adrenaline works that way," Aaron muttered, then returned to eating.

Having perfect timing, as though she'd been watching them from the shadows, Lissa walked over just as they'd finished their trays and were readying to take them to the dishwashing station.