Summer Nightmares

Ten

Miles Dunne

Let's just say putting on The Evil Dead was a bad idea. But I still found myself quite invested in the movie even though I didn't like it much. Kai sat there hugging his knees, quietly. Every now and then some kid would scream out in fear sending shivers down my backbone and I had no idea how I was going to sleep tonight.

Ms. Warren really had something off about her camp. What kind of person in their right mind would joke about spirits on the first day of camp, keep the boys and girls in the same cabins and put on the most terrifying movie for the movie night?

"Oh my God Ash, don't!" The kid behind me just couldn't stop with his intense listen-to-me-please attitude as if they could actually hear him warning them in the movie.

"He's going to die," I told him and he didn't seem very happy about it so I added further, innocently, "I haven't watched the movie, okay? It's just what happens in horror movies. Screaming and dying and more screaming and more dying."

"This could be different," he said in a very unfriendly manner.

"We'll see, Mr. Rude," I rolled my eyes and turned my head back to the movie. He grinned at my words. And it happened. There was screaming, dying, screaming and then more dying. And blood. Uncomfortable amount of blood.

"So, you still think every horror movie doesn't have the same storyline?" I asked proudly because I knew I had won. He nodded his head in a no, smiling to himself.

"I get it, loser. You won, happy?"

"Name's Miles. And you are the loser here!"

The intensity of this kid to call me a loser did something awful to my nerves.

"I'm Finneas and I'm quite sure you're a loser Miles."

Okay, he was a jerk.

"You. Are. The. Loser." I hissed.

"No, you are!"

"You are!"

"No, I'm not. You are!"

"You are!"

"I'm not a loser. You are!"

And we didn't stop until we both were sitting in front of Miguel and this other blonde counselor, Tom who were looking at us with disappointment and anger. I had my finger crossed because I had a bad feeling about this. But somewhere in the middle of all this, I was wishing they'd kick me out and send me back home so that I can draw and play video games and draw more all day!

"Alright kids, what happened?" Miguel said, holding back his anger.

"He called me a loser," Finneas said calmly, like it was his Dad who owned the camp or something.

"No, he did. He called me a loser first!" I hissed back at him and got up from my chair. Man, if I was going down, I was taking this kid down with me. He started it, not me.

"Sit down, Miles. What are you? Seven?" Miguel said and I could hear Finneas's muffled laugh. I groaned and sank back into my chair.

"What you did was stupid and we don't want any more trouble. Ms. Warren's got a heck of an anger and you wouldn't want her to kill you now, would you?"

What did he mean by 'kill'?

We replied in a tired and awkward 'no'.

And then they talked about how we were supposed to act like adults, now that we turn 18 soon and we should not be creating a scene just because we want someone's attention. And how we should basically do nothing without someone telling us what to do.

Super healthy conversation. I know.

"Go straight to your cabins and don't fight," Tom said, very seriously. 'I'm-watching-you' seriously.

And so we got up and looked at each other, frustrated but we couldn't fight for two reasons.

We were tired.

Tom and Miguel we're scary.

"And Finneas Murphy," Tom hissed, again and I stopped outside at the door even though I was not Finneas Murphy. This kid had a hilarious name and there was no way I was going to let it go like that. It was a heck of an opportunity.

"You can't go around picking on other kids just because you're Ms. Warren's grandson."

Whaaaaat!?

I walked back to the cabin and entered as quietly as I could but the others were wide awake and they looked at me with the 'what-happened' expression the moment I stepped in. And I told them everything without a second thought.

"You're seven or what?" Kai laughed loudly and we all shushed him because we could see flashlights outside. Maybe the counselors were out checking if the kids were asleep.

"I'm a freaking teenager on an emotional rollercoaster!" I said dramatically pulling the blanket over my head and lay quietly in my bed listening to what they were talking about.

"Do any of you know how to bake? I'm not doing everything myself tomorrow," Kai said.

"No, I can write you a song though!" Regina giggled.

"Why exactly are we baking?" Sydney asked, confused.

"Miguel had given me the camp schedule because he thought I was the only 'responsible' kid in our group so I know what we're gonna do for the next fifteen days," He explained.

"You what?" Regina cried in shock. She seemed rather happy that she didn't get to tell us about her life. I wondered what it was like. All I knew about her was that she was a gold star athlete and had won so many prizes. There was no way her life would've been worse than any of ours. I wasn't sure though.

"You better show us the camp schedule first thing in the morning!"

"Ugh-fine!" Kai mocked Regina's tone.

"I'll help you out, Kai!" Sydney said between yawns. "'Night guys!"

"'Night 'night!"

Fifteen minutes or so, the clock ticking was the only sound I could hear between the uneven breathing of three kids in the room with me. I kept tossing around in my bed because I couldn't stop thinking about everything. There was so much to think about – Madelyn, Sydney, Kai, Regina, and then I found myself drifting off into the killing silence.

It was the end of a day's chaos but the start of a disaster that I could've never imagined in my wildest dreams.