Marks

Chapter three: Nightmares

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Max ran around the corner and hid, holding mister honey nuts in his arms. His heart was beating loudly.

"Maxwell get back here!" His father yelled. "I didn't raise you to be a pussy." Max cried softly into his bear. His father burst around the corner and grabbed the boy by his arm. He grabbed the bear and threw it on the floor.

"Dad I said I was sorry!" Max yelled trying to get away from his father.

"No you need to learn to be more respectful." His father said grabbing Max by his hair and dragging him to a nearby hallway.

"Dad please!" Max yelled trying to get away. His father threw him into a closet.

"You are going to stay in there until you learn to be respectful." His father yelled and slammed the door in Max's face. Max pounded on the door trying to get out. He dug underneath the door. His father stomped on his fingers. Max yelped in pain.

He woke up in a cold sweat. He was breathing heavily trying to calm himself down.

"Max?" Neil said groggily. "What are you still doing awake?" He asked and looked over at Max who was sitting up in bed trying to calm down.

"I- I-" Max tried to speak.

"Woah!" Neil said and rushed over to Max. "What happened?"

"I hid and he- he found me and- and-" Max tried to explain his nightmare. Well more of a memory.

"It wasn't real." Neil said to Max holding him close. "It wasn't real, just a bad dream."

"No it was real." Max said still breathing heavily but calming down. Neil held Max close and rocked him back and forth to calm him down. Max took some deep breaths and calmed down.

"Are you alright?" Neil asked.

"Yeah." Max said and fell back asleep on Neil's shoulder. Neil layed Max down and layed down next to him, obviously he had a nightmare and he didn't want that again. Max rolled over and put his arm on Neil. He fell asleep.

"Rise and shine campers!" David yelled. Neil woke up and looked over at Max who was still asleep. He moved Max's arm and got up.

"Max," Neil whispered quietly.

"Hmm" Max groaned and rolled over.

"Max wake up!" Neil whispered louder.

"What?" Max said and woke up. He rubbed his eyes.

"Get up." Neil said and threw on his sweater.

"Okay" Max said and put on his hoodie.

"So what was that nightmare you had last night about?" Neil asked. Max stiffened up.

"How did you know I had a nightmare?" Max asked.

"You woke me up because you had a nightmare and I calmed you down." Neil said

"Oh." Max said.

"So what was it about?" Neil asked.

"Don't worry about it, it was just a nightmare." Max said and walked over to the tent entrance. Neil got up and followed him out.

"Are you going to eat today?" Neil asked.

"Sure." Max rolled his eyes.

He doesn't actually care you know.

Max rubbed his bandages.

"Hey you never checked these." Max said and pointed at his arm.

"It can wait." Neil said. The two walked in the mess hall and waited in line.

"Are you sure you didn't want to check that?" Max asked.

"It'll be fine." Neil said and shrugged his shoulders.

"Whatever you say doc." Max rolled his eyes. Max got to the food and took a plate with oatmeal, at least this time it had strawberries in it.

Dont eat that.

Max walked over to the table with Nikki and Neil. He sat next to Neil and started eating his food.

They don't really care.

"I seriously think you should check this." Max said to Neil.

"Fine alright go to the bathroom if there is alot of red poking through then I will change it." Neil raised his eyebrows.

"Alright." Max said and went to the bathroom.

"What's up with him?" Nikki asked.

"Nothing." Neil said and continued eating.

"Really? He seemed really anxious." Nikki said and raised her eyebrows.

"He's been on edge lately, he's probably worried I'm going to tell someone about his issue." Neil's eyes widened. He choked on his food.

"What issue?" Nikki asked.

"Nothing he's been having nightmares and he's embarrassed by it is all." Neil said and smiled. Nikki looked and saw Max coming back from the bathroom.

"We good?" Neil asked.

"Yeah." Max rolled his eyes.

"So what was that about?" Nikki asked. Max choked on his food.

"Nothing." He coughed. Nikki furrowed her eyebrows.

"Okay campers today we are going hiking!" David said cheerfully. "But we had better get going so we don't miss the deer!" Everyone groaned and put their plates on the counter where QM hands out the food. They all lined up at the door.

"This is going to be boring." Max said.

"No way we are gonna see deer again!" Nikki said excitedly.

"Mhm boring." Max rolled his eyes. David led the campers out to the hiking trail.

"So how much red was poking through?" Neil asked.

"Not much." Max shrugged.

"Alright."
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//
Max hid under his bed holding his stuffed bear in his arms covering his mouth. He saw a pair of shoes walk past and he whimpered trying to stay silent. He cried into his bear quietly. The shoes walked away. Max let out a sigh of relief. Something grabbed his leg and he was dragged out from under his bed.

"WHAT DID I SAY ABOUT COWERING." Max's father yelled. He pulled off his belt and hit it against the wall. "WELL?" Max stayed silent. His father hit his side.

"S-sorry." Max said quietly.

"Look at me." His father said. Max stared at the floor. "WHAT DID I JUST SAY BOY." His father yelled. Max didn't move. His father grabbed his hair and forced him to look up at his face. Max closed his eyes, he knew what was coming next. He felt something hit his face.

"I didn't raise a pussy." His father said still holding the boys head up. Max kept his eyes closed. He threw Max on the ground and left.

Max woke up breathing heavily and crying. It was the middle of the day Neil wasn't in the other bed. Max was alone. He tried to calm himself down before he left the tent. He walked to the Mess hall. The only people in there were Neil, David, and Gwen.