The Hidden Camp

Poor papa

Lina's grip tightened around the handle of her duffel bag as she climbed aboard the bus, stepping carefully over the cracked pavement of the parking lot. The engine rumbled to life, a low, throaty sound that echoed through the morning fog. She glanced around at the other campers who had already settled into their seats. Some were chatting, others staring out of the windows, but all of them had one thing in common: they looked like they had been here before. Lina, on the other hand, was a complete outsider, and that thought was heavy on her chest.

Her dad hadn't said much when he dropped her off at the bus station. He'd just handed her a small envelope with her name on it, kissed her forehead, and muttered a few words that didn't quite reach her. "Do your best, kiddo. You'll be fine." It wasn't much, but it was all he could give her.

The bus doors closed with a hiss, and Lina took a deep breath, stepping past a row of seats toward the back. She had no idea what she was in for. The Hidden Campsite—where troubled teens were sent to 'find themselves'—had been her dad's last option. Money was tight, and Lina wasn't the easiest kid to handle. She knew that. She wasn't bad, but she wasn't good either. The rules at home had never made much sense, and her dad's strictness never felt fair. She didn't blame him. He was doing the best he could, but now here she was, on a bus heading to a forest in the middle of nowhere. She didn't even know where this place was, just that it was famous for teaching kids how to survive when they were lost in the wild.

She sat by herself, sliding into a seat by the window and glancing back at the other kids. She couldn't help but wonder what their stories were. Why were they here? Were they sent by parents who couldn't deal with them? Were they like her—feeling like a burden?

The bus bounced over uneven roads, the trees starting to thicken as they neared their destination. The silence in the bus grew heavier, broken only by the occasional cough or shuffle of feet. Some of the teens looked bored, others looked anxious. Lina felt somewhere in between.

A voice crackled through the bus's intercom, snapping her from her thoughts. "We'll be arriving at the Hidden Campsite in twenty minutes. Please make sure your belongings are with you. You will be assigned to one of three camps: Softler, Prodigy, or Risk. I'll explain more when we arrive. Be prepared."

Lina sat up straighter, curiosity sparking in her chest. Softler, Prodigy, Risk—what did they mean? The names sounded almost like they were trying to define who she was before she even knew. What if she didn't belong in any of them? She wasn't soft, wasn't the smartest, and wasn't reckless either. She was just... Lina.

The bus swerved off the main road and into a narrow path, the trees crowding in on both sides. The air seemed to thicken, the scent of pine and earth flooding through the open windows. As the bus bumped along the forest trail, Lina could barely see beyond the dense foliage.

"Almost there," the driver's voice came over the intercom again.

Lina tried to settle her nerves, gripping the edge of her seat as the bus slowed to a stop. She looked out the window and saw the first glimpse of the campsite.

It wasn't like she'd imagined. She had expected some small, rustic cabins or tents, maybe a few scattered trees. But this was something else entirely. There were huge wooden buildings, like something out of an old survival movie, arranged in a perfect, orderly manner. The camp looked self-sufficient, almost military, but strangely... beautiful.

The bus doors opened with a hiss, and the campers began to file out. Lina hesitated for a moment before stepping into the sunlight, her bag slung over one shoulder. A cold wind swept through the forest, and she shivered as she followed the other campers toward the center of the site.