1Hey, thanks for reading! This is the second chapter and I hope you enjoy it.
Please leave a kudos if you like the chapter and write anything you'd want to tell (errors, thoughts, etc) me down in the comments. Have a nice day!
"My plan is simple."-Said Max. His finger was placed upon a crudely drawn map of Camp Campbell, which had a section with a zoom-in at the counselor's cabin's interior-"It boils down to four phases. I have designed it so everything can go smoothly, if we follow it to the letter. So, given that we all work like clockwork, we should be eating that trail mix about an hour from now." To make his point clear, Max placed one of Nurf's stolen wrist watches on the table where their little conference took place, and next to the map. He set it for an hour and ten minutes before pressing the start button at the top of the watch.
"I don't get it. Why do you SCOUNDRELS! need me for such an endeavor?" Asked Preston, still tied to the target.
"Yeah, I thought it was going to be more of a Bonnie and Clyde or James Bond type of gig. We need action, not a third wheel!" Said Nurf with an annoyed tone.
"I'm glad you both asked. That brings me to phase A..."-Max explained and began drawing a diagram of his plan, though it was a very amateur and almost adorable attempt-"We need to get David and Gwen out from the cabin. Furthermore, we need something that will keep them busy for as long as we are there. That's where you, Preston, take on your part."
"Wait, how am I going to catch their attention for THIRTY PLUS MINUTES!? I know I am good at entertaining an audience, but you are asking me far too much." Said Preston. Even though he was taken in against his will, he wasn't going to deny that he had always dreamt of being part of a suspense plot.
"Do I look like I know that? You are the theater kid, not me. Improvise, cry, be melodramatic… whatever, just keep them engaged and we will do everything else." Max replied. He was frustrated at having to explain more than was necessary, though it was better than leaving any loose ends.
Preston gulped down at the thought of improvising so much. He was sure that, if they were caught, Gwen wouldn't give them a soft punishment. He had to act before Max's plan backfired and all of them were sent to clean the camp's restrooms for a week. "Max, I get that you are trying to give me a solution, but, alas, I don't think I am the right man for the job. It is with GREAT! Sorrow that I decline your…" Preston was stopped mid sentence by a large hand placed and pressing hard on his right tight.
"Huh, I was wondering when you were going to shut him up. But, I am impressed, only
fifteen seconds! Good job, Nurf." Cheered Max. Nurf nodded at him before locking eyes with Preston.
Nurf got closer to Preston's face. Once they were about half an inch apart from each other, he purred to Preston. His raspy, bass voice sent chills down Preston's spine and his words made Preston wonder things he had never considered. "Have you ever heard about a fourth-degree wedgie? Do you even know what it would feel like? That rough fabric slowly pressing all around your groin, building up pressure like a valve, massaging and grasping your little nuts into oblivion, going deeper and deeper until you beg like a little bitch for it to stop. I have seen it, and I am more than confident that I can show you the ins and outs of it in person... one-on-one, just the two of us and a dark, silent room where nobody will hear your broken voice. Doesn't that sound great?" Nurf whispered to Preston's ear. The heat coming from his lips gently brushed Preston's cheek, almost like a summer breeze. Nurf's green eyes stared into his soul and they promised nothing but pain.
"I-I, eh, think I have re… reconsidered many things over the last minute, and I am sure that I will do a great job at my performance. Maxwell, count me in!" Preston said. His voice trembled and stuttered. His legs were like jello and his stomach ached.
"Man, good old brute force always comes in handy!"-Exclaimed Max before handing the rest of the trail mix sample to Nurf, who thanked him and resumed his position next to Max with a serious frown-"As I was saying, phase A will play a part before and during all the other phases. In B, we will sneak into the cabin after forcing the main door or through a window, if there's one open. Next, C implies that we swiftly find the trail mix bag. I have a few theories of where it could be, but I guess there's no point telling you guys until we are looking for it. Finally, D; a quick escape out of the cabin and into the woods. We should split and each must make their own way here, to Nurf's tent. Then, we will spit the goodies in equal parts."
Nurf made an approving hum and spoke, "Impressive. I didn't imagine you could come up with something so elaborate for petty robbery. Personally, I'd put a lot more punching and stabbing, but yours is fine." He patted Max in the shoulder. Max flinched of the thought of those large, heavy hands choking him after being caught by David and Gwen. A cold sensation ran through his body, when he saw Nurf giving him a side-glance, definitely knowing that, for the moment, he had the upper hand in the operation.
"I appreciate your interest, yet I'm kind of offended that you'd doubt my scheming."-Said Max, faking a sad tone and sniffling-"A little shit like me is bound to know about this like the back of his hand."
"I mean… I have an opinion too. Don't you guys want to hear it?" Preston asked while struggling to raise a hand.
"SHUT UP, Preston!" Both Max and Nurf shouted in unison.
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The small, muffled sound of leaves being moved caught Gwen's attention. Although her hearing wasn't what it once was –years of listening to trashy pop songs at max volume had taken its toll on her ears-, she still could hear whenever an animal was nearby. Usually a bunny or a squirrel, sometimes a deer or raccoon, and rarely a bear –that was when she had to take Campbell's rifle out against David's pleas.
She turned her gaze away from the TV and into the nearest window, to her right. With a swift motion, she got up and walked to the window. She couldn't see much, so she kept her eyes trained at the brush outside, waiting to spot whatever had moved before.
"Is something wrong, Gwen?" David asked. He didn't even look at her, too focused on the show in the screen.
"Maybe, I heard a weird noise outside. Should I go outside and check it out?" Replied Gwen, concerned about the possible presence of an animal so late in the morning.
David reached for a small bowl filled with trail mix. His eyes were still glued to the screen, even as he munched on the grainy treat. "I'm sure it's nothing. It must be some camperinos messing around in the forest –you know how they like going on adventures at Saturday- or a squirrel. But, I'll check it out if we hear it again. Come sit with me; the show's getting good!" Chirped David while patting the seat next to him.
Gwen sighed and slowly returned to her seat. She couldn't argue with David, and the show did seem to be nearing a good dramatic moment worthy of taking out a large vase of Ben&Jerry.
In the TV, two Asian persons argued. A sleek, tall, and raven-haired man spoke to a shorter, brown-haired and pudgy girl, "Homori-chan, you've always been the one for me. I cannot think of spending any moment without you!" Said the man as he reached for the girl's, Homori's, hand.
Homori looked at the man's slender, pale hand. She rubbed the back of her hand against his'. "I know, Makoto-kun, but our families wouldn't let us. My heart aches when I think about it, and I cry every night thinking about you. Yet, I know we are a million worlds apart."
Makoto got closer to Homori and moved his arms for an embrace. "Don't worry about them. Nothing's going to hurt you, I promise. I'll fight for you, if they come."
Homori did a little jump after noticing Makoto's caring arms holding her firmly. "Makoto-kun… I want this, but I am scared. What if someone sees us? What if…" She was cut-off by Makoto's index, which he had placed on her lips.
"You are always so pretty when you get worried like that." Whispered Makoto. He focused on her auburn eyes before going for a slow kiss. "Homori-chan…"
Outside the counselor's cabin, the same rustling noise was heard, though louder and followed by the sounds of steps. However, Gwen didn't pay much attention to them. She was hypnotized by Makoto's fine features and dark, curly hair, which were dead-center in the screen as the camera zoomed-in for the kiss scene. A slight blush covered Gwen's cheeks, and sparks lit up her lilac irises. She wanted to be Homori so badly. Next to her, David bit his lips and sweated, trying to contain a flood of tears.
"Do it now! Yes, yes, YES..."-Loudly said Gwen, basically in the edge of her seat as Makoto cupped Homori's bubbly cheeks in his hands, ready for a long, passionate kiss-"FUCK YES!" Gwen's face was a red balloon and she did a little clap with her hands in anticipation.
KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK
Gwen went from pure joy to feeling like murdering someone in just a split-second. Rage washed over her when she realized someone had knocked at the door just a second ago. She tried to ignore it –because it was most likely one of those stupid kids coming with a dumb problem for them to solve- and focus entirely on the kiss scene. Sadly, and more loudly than before, a sound came from the wooden door.
BANG, BANG, BANG
"Someone is going to get their guts ripped-out!" Thought Gwen, doing her best to ignore the person calling for them. She felt faint and her arms ached because of the sudden shift in her emotions. She moved closer to the TV, where a blushing Homori looked at Makoto in awe. "It is going to happen, just a few more seconds." Thought Gwen before reaching for the controller and turning up the TV's volume. An orchestra loudly played romantic music, while the camera zoomed-in at the lovers from all angles. Nothing could be heard inside the cabin except for the show's passionate violin tunes.
BANG, BANG, BANG
This time the knock wasn't just loud and quick. It sounded as if someone had kicked at the door with force. "God fucking damn it!" Gwen screamed in frustration. She threw the controller onto the floor and got up to answer the door. David followed her, though full of concern instead of rage. She was almost puffing-out smoke from her nostrils by the time she opened the door. There, in the porch, a nervous-looking Preston fumbled with his hands and gazed down.
"Eh-I…" Preston stuttered.
"Spit it!" Gwen demanded. Her eyes narrowed at Preston and her hands pressed into fists.
"I wanted to…"-Said Preston almost mumbling. He shifted his stance and regained some confidence before resuming his explanation—"I wanted to tell you a JOKE! Yes, that was it. I am practicing for comedy theater. You know, since the… unfortunate incident with Scotty, the camp has become somewhat lacking in the humor department."
Gwen put her left hand on her forehead and let out a long sigh, "I knew it wouldn't be something serious. Look, Preston, if there isn't anyone dying, then you shouldn't come over to us in a Saturday. And what was with you? You came close to kicking that door down!" Said Gwen, assuming a more concerned expression and placing her hands on her hips.
"Yes, Preston, I expected more manners from a future Hollywood star." Said David before shaking his head in disapproval.
"In the first place, I don't want to be at Hollywood. Theater leaves cinema in the DUST!, and it has more crying and good drama. Second, I didn't mean to kick the door… is just that I got frustrated after I didn't get an answer the first two times, and after none of the other campers payed me attention nor helped me with my request." Said Preston. He began weeping a bit and his cheeks became rosy because of the embarrassment. He flashed a puppy-eyed look at the counselors, who looked conflicted and uncomfortable at Preston's sniffling. Soon, he looked down and his weeping became full-on crying, with some dramatic wailing added.
David knelt besides Preston and placed a reassuring arm around the boy's back. Unbeknownst to David, a small, sly smile slowly grew on Preston's face, below his wild mane of brown locks. "Aw, Preston, we understand that some of our campers aren't very interested in other activities. But, here you have us, and I'm sure we can judge your performance and give you some good pointers. Right, Gwen?" Asked David, locking eyes with his co-counselor, who grabbed her arm and looked to the side. To make himself clearer, David quickly blurted, "contractual agreement."
Gwen let out a groan and said, "Okay, kid. we will help you."
David stood up and cheerfully said, "Let's go, Gwen. Theater gang!" He then grabbed the three and held them in a tight hug. "I'll set the VCR so it records our show. Just give me a minute." Said David and he went inside for a minute. After he emerged from the cabin, having programmed the VCR and put away the bag of trail mix, the trio began walking towards Preston's theater stand.
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"Well, this isn't ideal" Max stated while looking examining a large master lock. It kept the counselor's cabin door shut and it felt sturdy.
"What are you going to do?" Asked Nurf, a bit angry at the sudden obstacle.
"Do you have your pocket knife with you?" Max replied.
Nurf nodded and handed Max the pocket knife. Max held it and inspected the lock. He soon got an idea, but it was risky. For the next couple of minutes, his dexterous hands inserted the sharp tip of the pocket knife in between the code wheels, searching for a spot that could be exploited. Finally, Max inserted the pocket knife's blade into a narrow gap next to the leftmost code wheel and carefully pried the pocket knife's handle down while lightly pressing the lock's shackle.
CLICK, POP
Max grinned as the lock popped open. Without wasting time and not even congratulating Max, Nurf slammed the door open before walking inside. Both were already familiar with the cabin's interior –the only thing that changed were the posters which Gwen put up in the walls-, so they knew to ignore everything except for furniture or boxes. Max searched the right side of the cabin, and Nurf the right side. They spent fifteen minutes, yet none could find David's stash.
"Hmm, if I was David, where would I put my shit?" Max wondered. He knew that David was possibly aware that animals could sneak inside the cabin, so it was only logical that the trail mix would be in either a drawer, a sealed box, or a high place. However, they had already thoroughly searched every point of interest in the cabin, except for… above, about six feet (1.8mts) from the floor, a pair of long floating shelves fixed to the wall. Max's eyes lit up –the cyan sparkling even in the poor lighting- as he saw a small Tupperware container. Tightly shut, rectangular, and deep -it was the perfect place to store seeds.
Max called out to Nurf, who inspected a poster with "ARRIVAL OF THE TORSO TAKERS" inscribed on it along with a drawings of a bunch of screaming children. Nurf noticed the container once Max pointed his index in its direction. Both knew what it had to be done. Nurf grabbed Max from the hips, then, after anchoring himself in firmly in the ground, he sat Max upon his shoulders. With his new 'height' Max was able to snatch the container before being lowered to the ground. He used his nails to pry it open and saw what they were looking for –at least four packs of trail mix; one slightly consumed but the others were brand new and full of colorful chocolates. "Bingo!" Triumphantly exclaimed Max.
They divided the bags. Max carrying two, and Nurf two and a half –it turned out that there were five bags in total, four new and one half-eaten. They left the container hidden near a chair and quickly packed everything before leaving the scene. Just for precaution, Max closed the lock –he knew it wasn't going to fool any of the counselor's after they stepped inside, but it was better than leaving it open. With that, each one scurried into the forest.
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"Thanks Preston, I sure had fun with those witty knock-knock jokes. I loved them!" David cheerfully said.
"Thank god, it's over…" Said Gwen, looking half-dead after being legally forced to endure forty-five minutes of nonstop knock-knock jokes told by Preston.
"I, too, am GLAD! that it is over." Preston Said. He had done his best to keep them busy, but Gwen could take only so many jokes before snapping and ordering everyone back to the cabin. If Max and Nurf had failed, then it was on them, for he had done everything and more to give them time.
As the trio neared the cabin, Preston began to fall behind, sensing trouble if he didn't keep his distance or remained there for too long. He was several yards away from the cabin, when he heard David scream, "GWEN! Somebody was here before us!"
He knew it was his cue to leave when he watched Gwen rush inside the cabin. So, without the slightest hesitation, he ran to the brush.
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