Twisted Wonderland 2

So Condescending

The dark forest is filled with the soft sounds of boys breathing deeply, asleep in their tents. The faint moonlight filters through the leaves, casting a silvery glow on the forest floor. It's well into the early morning, and the exhaustion from a long day has everyone completely knocked out. Blankets are half tangled, some arms and legs hang over the edges of their sleeping bags, but no one stirs.

A couple ghosts materialize by the tents, grinning mischievously as they raise pots and pans over their heads. Banging the metal together, the loud and annoying sound cuts through the camp like a knife, jolting the boys awake in a panicked daze.

Ruggie, still tangled in his sheets, tries to scramble to his feet, but his legs won't cooperate. He ends up half-hopping, half-falling out of bed, landing with a thud on the floor. Epel blinks wildly, confused, before nearly tumbling over his sleeping bag as he tries to figure out what is happening. One by one, the boys drag themselves out of bed, rubbing their eyes and trying to shake off the deep fog of exhaustion.

"What's going on?" Ruggie exclaims once he's out of his tent.

Epel rubs his eyes, glancing around. "Wha... What in tarnation?"

Ruggie rushes over to the lavender haired boy.

"What's all that racket?" Epel covers his ears. "And why won't it stop?"

Ruggie shakes his head. "No idea. It just started all of a sudden..."

A ghost floats above the boys. "Rise and shine, boys! Time for your next challenges!"

"Oh, it's a ghost banging on a frying pan..." Epel groans.

Ruggie tries rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "What time is it, anyway? If the sun's not risen OR shining, how come we gotta be?"

The boys gather outside, where the cold night air slaps them in the face like a bucket of ice water. The forest is dark with the stars still twinkling above. The campgrounds, so peaceful moments before, now felt like a war zone with all the racket from the ghosts.

You and Grim join the boys. You rub your arms to try to spread warmth to them. Of course I forget to bring something I end up needing like a jacket...

Once everyone has gathered, Coach Vargas greets everyone with a wide grin. "Good morning, everybody! And what a fine morning it is."

"Man..." Floyd yawns. "I wanna go back to sleep."

Deuce stretches his stiff back with a groan. "Sleeping bags don't make the ground any softer. I don't feel rested at all."

Vargas folds his arms. "Sheesh, I knew you kids lacked muscle, but you apparently lack manners too. When I say good morning, I expect a proper response. I'll flunk anyone who doesn't give me one. Let's try this again. GOOD MORNING!"

"Good morning, Coach." The boys unenthusiastically reply.

Leona scowls. "It is too early for this..."

"Okay, here are your challenges for day two!" Vargas announces. "There are three of 'em again. First, survival! You'll need to brew potions in case of an emergency. Go out and find a lanternblossom. They grow in the area, and are used in potions to help heal cuts and scrapes faster."

"Lanternblossoms?" Sebek runs a hand through his hair. "They're quite rare, if memory serves. This is already a more difficult task than anything we did yesterday."

"Second, sustenance!" Vargas continues. "When catching your own food, you must also be aware of its environment. There are giant catfish in the lake that prey on the smaller fish. Catch one."