Classic Rock Bands One-shots

Beatles: Summer

John pulls up to the abandoned summer camp it’s gate locked tight with chains and a big meaty padlock. It looks like he was the first to arrive. He sits back in his seat and blows his auburn hair out of his face, he lights a cigarette and tries to calm his nerves. He didn’t want to do this. What happened, happened, it was an accident they were teenagers back then. It was an accident, right?

Next up came a dirty SUV, followed by a Jeep caked in mud and grime, and then a Subaru. The four men got out of their cars staring at each other seemingly waiting for one of them to make the first move, “Climb over that gate?” Richard asks, running a hand through his hair which he dyed you can no longer see the natural white streak he had.

“How’s your health?” George asks, “Because if it’s the same as when we were teens you ain’t climbing anything.”

“I’m healthy as a horse.” Richard coughs into his sleeve, “Let’s go.”

Paul scratches at his beard he takes a few steps back before leaping onto the fence like gripping onto it like a monkey, he grunts and hoists himself over the fence and drops down over it landing on his feet, “Come on!”

John gets a boost from George and he goes toppling over the fence and bounces off Paul and proceeds to bounce into the fence rattling it loudly. George squats down, "Climb onto my back and I'll help you over. Paul you catch you, Richard." 

Paul gets ready to catch Richard as the lad climbs onto George's back. George winces as Richard scratches the nape of neck when George heaves him over the fence like a sack of potatoes. George jumps and grabs onto the bar of the fence he hops over and lands on his ass.

"We all accounted for?" George asks, looking around making sure there were still four of them.

"Yes we're all here." John rubs his back wincing.

They make their way through the camp pointing to the old camp counselors cabins along with the campers' cabins. They boys sneak into the old kitchen the smell of mold and rotten food hits them and Richard gags covering his mouth and nose, "Smells like something crawled in here and died!" Paul exclaims poking around at the food that expired about three decades ago.

John lights another cigarette sighing, "Please don't forget why we're here." 

"I know it's because of Brian." Richard's voice was soft and gentle.

Brian Epstein was the four musketeer to their friend group way back when. He was older about 17 and the boys were between the ages of 11 and 9. Brian was developmentally disabled. He had the mind of a small child and everything else was alright with him. His parents thought camp would be a great thing for him and he would get to feel normal even if the camp was only meant for 7 through 15 years of age.

Well the camp was underfunded and the  

counselors were overworked and hardly paid so they hardly cared for the kids, they could barely handle eleven kids, let alone a special needs child.

When the four boys were canoeing Brian fell in. They did everything to save him grabbing and scratching him trying to save him, to pull him back into the canoe. But the barely hundred pounds boys couldn't heave the 165Ibs Brian back in. Richard was screaming and waving down the counselors sitting at the lakeside reading magazines and talking, other campers started screaming once they realized someone was drowning.

One boy of about 15 dove in to pull Brian up but nearly died trying once the counselors realized what happened it was too late. Officers were called down and the campers and counselors were interviewed. The camp was shut down after word got out and the counselors were arrested for child neglect leading to death. Brian's mother sued heavily and won, but sadly Brian's body was never recovered from the lake, it was like he was eaten by it. This wasn't the first time a camper died, a six-year-old Indian kid drowned, and a nine-year-old was found at the bottom of a cliff after being missing for six months. Remember once is a tragedy twice is suspicious and three times? Oh boy something's up.

Now back to the present, the four men head down to the lake after messing around in the kitchen. Richard sticks his hand into the murkey water, "Rich don't do that." John warns him, 

"Its about as clean as I remember." Richard laughs pointing to all the garbage and dead things floating in the water.

"You're going to get yourself sick." George points out, "Last time I saw you, you didn't have all your shots." 

Richard waves him off and does stupid things, "Do you want to go on one last boat ride?" John asks pointing to a worn boat left tied under the dock.

And they agree to get the boat. George drags it out getting splinters in his fingers from it. The four men hope in and paddle out to the middle of the lake fog starts to take over. The men say their finally goodbyes to the camp and to Brian before paddling back. Richard screams as hand grabs onto the small boat they all scream as another hand grabs the other hand and pulls it back down. It sounds like Brian yelling which freaks them even more becuase it's been over thirty years he's dead for sure! They panic paddling in circles trying to escape.

Somehting sends their boat flying onto dry land sticking it into the sandy area. The four men run a low growl was heard behind them and they take off in a dead sprint. Richard was the last over the fence and whatever it was back there took a hunk from Rich's jeans. The men make it back to their car and take off vowing to never come back to that camp ever again some mysteries are best left unsloved.