Past Shadows, New Love|| Scott Barringer || Higher Ground

𝙉𝙚𝙬 𝘽𝙚𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨

"We are doing this for your own good 'Livvy" my mom says has she sits in the passengers seat of our car.

We are in the car on our way to the camp, with Rodger my step-dad driving.

"ya right, cause sending me to a wilderness kookoo camp is going to 'help me'. I don't need help in fine."
I say slouched over in the back seat "haven't you heard anything about these places mom, they literally abuse you there mom. They don't let you shower, they make you dig your own shit hole and leave you in the middle of the woods on your own to survive."

"This place is good for you, it will help you replace your bad coping skills, with healthy tools and strategies to help you when you miss your dad." My Step-Father says.

"Shut up Rodger, don't talk about my dad" I saw with attitude and defence.

"Olivia be nice" She says sternly. "This place isn't anything like those camps. I promise you that they are going to help you, don't you want to go back to your old self? Don't you miss being cheerleading captain?" "Plus you will be surrounded by people like you" my mom says looking at me through her mirror right above the dashboard.

"People like me?" I say with attitude, and scrunch up my face. My mother is talking about me like I had a disease. I look out the window and see all trees and bushes, the only sign of life i see is a very run down gas station ahead. "Can we pull over, I have to use the bathroom."

"You can wait we will be there shortly" my mom says

"seriously? So first your sending me too a camp, where I won't be with any of my friends or will have any contact with the outside. And now you won't even let me pee." I say frustrated

"Fine but be quick, and promise you won't try anything" My mom says looking back to the back seat

"I promise" I say with annoyance in my tone

•••

"Give Rodger a break, it's almost been a year since your father passed away, Rodger is the closest person you have to a father. You should treat him with respect. So stop with the comments" my mother says to me

"Oh I'm sorry" I say sarcastically "he's a big strong man, I'm sure he can handle a little squawk from me, cause I'm just a little girl. And I will never, ever look at him like a father" I say getting in my mom's face, before walking into the gas station.

I enter the bathroom and start pacing back and going over this over and over again in my head. Anger, frustration, and sadness are all three emotions I can only feel in this moment, and are the only emotions i've felt for a while. I look at the window right above the toilet trying to figure out if i'll fit through it, since it is just a small rectangular window. I get on the toilet and try to open it, but it is bolted shut.

"Fuck" I say under my breath

I now had no other option than to cooperate and go to this camp that I am dreading going to.

•••

We pull up in front of the camp. "Alright we're here, let's go" my mom says signaling me to get out of the car

I step out of the car and take in the scenery, still I'm surrounded by trees and bushes and all sorts of wildlife, but we are in front of a brownish red cabin.

A man with brown hair walks out of the cabin and introduces himself to my mother and Rodger.

"Mr. Becker and Mrs. Becker-Madden, welcome to Mount Horizon, I'm Peter Scarbrow" The man who's name I now know is Peter says as he holds his hand out

"Hi, Penelope" my mother introduces herself as she shakes his hand "As you know this is Olivia, my daughter." my mother says and points towards me