The Backrooms(Book 1)

Chapter 2

Chapter 2.

  I trudged through the dense forest, my heart sinking with each step I took further away from the familiar comforts of home. The towering trees and unfamiliar sounds of nature only served to remind me of how far I was from my bedroom, my video games, and my friends.

My mother made the decision for me. I could still remember it like it was yesterday.

“Mom, I don't wanna go!” I said for the millionth time.

“Honey, we've been over this…”

I wasn't even surprised. We really had been over it. I honestly didn't expect her to listen, but I held out little hope.

“... your Dad and I think it would be best if you went off to boot camp”

I went off to the living room and sulked on the couch. She followed after me. She looked at me sympathetically. For a brief moment, I wanted to side with her. But then, I remembered all the horrible things my friends said about boot camp. I was not going!

“Ron, you know I wouldn't want anything bad for you!”

“Yeah but–”

“Nuh-uh. No butts”
She paused.

We both laughed.

“I don't like you staying home and playing video games all the time. Go out, make friends, see the world and master a sense of discipline. That's all I want you to do”

There was no fighting it. Nothing seemed to sway her. It took me a while but I agreed.

“That's my boy.” she said. A beautiful smile graced her face. I smiled back.

And that's how I ended up here. Camp Ironwood. A boot camp for teens, and I wasn't really enjoying my stay. Everyone was really annoying and weird. And the daily camp tasks were really getting on my nerves. I had bruises and scratches all over me.

As I walked, a boy with short dark hair caught up with me. I had only seen him once. He seemed like a chill dude. Maybe a little too chill. I had seen him get bullied by some of the guys. Sometimes he acted tough but deep down, he really couldn't stand up for himself.

“Hey I'm Lewis” he said with a quirky smile. “You look as thrilled to be here as I am”

I gave a half-hearted smile. “Ron. And uh… my mom thought this would be a great idea”

“Same here. Parents think this place will make us better or something”

We continued walking, exchanging stories of our reluctant arrival at camp, finding comfort in our shared disdain for the place. Soon, we reached a clearing where other campers were gathered, and an imposing figure of a man stood at the front, barking orders.

The camp commander, Sergeant Crayman, Cray for short, was a no-nonsense man with a voice that could silence a crowd with a single word. The first day we met he acted all nice and friendly. I always preferred to call him Mr.Cray cray. He laid out the rules and the daily schedule, making it clear that this was not a summer vacation but a place for transformation.

The first few days were grueling. Early morning runs, obstacle courses, and endless drills left me exhausted. However, having Lewis around made it more bearable. The two of us bonded over our mutual frustration, our favorite video games and comics, and our friendship grew stronger with each passing day.

One evening, after a particularly tough day, I and Lewis sat by the campfire, nursing our sore muscles. Then, a girl with bright red hair and a determined look on her face approached us. “Mind if I join you guys?” she asked.

“Sure,” I said, scooting over to make room.

“I’m Amanda,” she said, plopping down next to us. “I saw you guys during the obstacle course today. You’re pretty good.”

“Thanks,” Lewis said. “But I think Ron here is the real athlete.”

I blushed, feeling a bit of pride for the first time since arriving at camp. “I’m just trying to survive,” I said with a shrug.

Amanda chuckled. “Aren’t we all?”

The three of us quickly became inseparable. As it turned out, Amanda was just as chill as Lewis. We surprisingly had a lot in common. And she wasn't like other girls. We supported each other through the toughest drills, shared stories about our lives back home, and found moments of laughter in the midst of the camp’s harsh routines. Amanda’s resilience and positivity balanced out My humor and Lewis's quiet determination.

As the weeks passed, I began to see the camp in a new light. The grueling routines became challenges to overcome, and the camaraderie with my friends made the experience worthwhile. I realized that the camp was changing me, not just physically but mentally. I was becoming stronger, more resilient, and more confident.

But as I began to get used to the better side of camp life, it was ending soon. In about three days, I would be returning back to my regular life. I couldn't believe that I was actually going to miss this place.

As I sat with Lewis and Amanda on a large log, we decided we wanted to do something fun and memorable before we left.

“Anybody got any ideas?” I asked.
Everyone was quiet. Amanda was drawing on the ground with a twig, deep in thought.

“Oh! I got one”
“How about we go camping in creek forest. Just the three of us. And we could go bike racing afterwards.”

“Hmmm… I do like the sound of bike racing.” I said.

“Alright. That's not so bad.” Amanda agreed.
“But where are we gonna get bikes from? Mines at home”

“Yeah. Mine too” I said.

“We could take the camp's bikes. I saw Riley riding on them the other day and no one said anything.”

“What time?” I asked him.

“Now! What are we waiting for?”

In the heart of the dense forest, I, Amanda, and Lewis, embarked on a camping trip to explore. Armed with flashlights and sleeping bags, we set out on our journey riding our bikes. It was a bit easy at first but then the path got steeper and we encountered a hill. So we had to continue the journey on foot, pushing our bikes ahead of us.

As night descended and the forest enveloped us in darkness, we huddled around a crackling campfire, roasting marshmallows and sharing stories and laughter. But as the fire began to dwindle, we knew it was time to leave before we got in trouble for staying out late. Lewis had told me a lot of creepy stories about people who got lost in the woods. I knew he was just messing around but I wasn't taking any chances.

“Hey guys. It's been fun but It's getting a little late. I think we should go” I suggested.

“Yeah. Before Mr. Crayman starts coming out for us.” Lewis agreed.

I chuckled “You mean Mr.Cray cray”.
We all laughed.

Lewis hopped on his bike.
“Race you!” he challenged.

“Oh it's on!” Amanda said.
I laughed.

Lewis took the lead.

“Whoa!” I yelled involuntarily, taken aback by Lewis's speed.

“Who woulda thought he'd be that good!” Amanda said.

“Hey wait up!” I called out, jumping on my bike.

I and Amanda raced after him. Lewis left us completely in the dust and disappeared in the trees up ahead. I pedaled harder. Zipping and swerving through trees. It was definitely going to take a lot more than that to catch up to him. I caught a glimpse of something moving through the shadows. I turned to look. Amanda had caught up with me. This race was definitely not going to be easy.

“You're not going to pass me I told Amanda”
She grinned.

Suddenly her eyes widened.

“Ron hit the brakes!” She yelled, pointing ahead of me.