Last-Ditch Effort - Camp Camp

Prologue

Maxwell and his family had an amazing relationship. They would eat dinner together, have family game night, go to the movies, and they would even come to all of his school presentations. That was until the day it happened.

Max was eight at the time, and he had an older brother named Jamie. Jamie was eleven, and no matter what the two brothers would walk home together. Max said he would 'rather die than be seen walking out' with Jamie, so they would meet up at the library across the street everyday.

Max sat on the dark green bench, swinging his feet which were much too short to hit the ground. Jamie was running late, which wasn't unusual. The teachers loved to ask him to stay behind to talk about how fabulous his grades were.

There was a police officer who stood at the crosswalk and made sure that all the kids got across safely, but since most had already left the officer took that as a sign that he could leave.

Max could see Jamie's red backpack coming out of the school and making its way down the sidewalk all the way up to the crosswalk.

"Hey Max!" Jamie shouted from across the street, waving his hand high above his head.

Jamie had the same dark hair and tinted skin that Max had, except Jamie had deep brown eyes that could spotted from even across the street.

Max gave a little nod, still too embarrassed to wave to his brother. The light changed from green to red, and the sign gave Jamie the all clear to walk across the street. Jamie still looked both ways, but then stepped into the street and began to make his way across the street to Max.

Max was looking at the ground, but when he heard the distant rumble of an engine he decided to look up. It then became very clear that the car wasn't going to stop.

"Jamie!" Max screamed, jumping off of the bench.

Jamie looked over and froze. The car hit him. It collided with his body at a speed that had to have been higher than the limit. The world had slowed. Jamie's body went flying backwards, the same look of terror and panic glued to his face. He fell back and hit the ground, his backpack not aiding in the fall whatsoever. His body crumpled, and a small amount of blood began to pool around him, casting his body into a void.

The other cars had stopped and people on the sidewalk and frozen in place as well.

Max sprinted out to his brother, screaming his name and trying to shake him awake.

"Someone call 911!" Max yelled at the bystanders.

Soon enough sirens filled the air, police cars and ambulances flooding the streets. The lights, the sounds, the people- it all became overwhelming. Max could see the ground beneath him sway, the picture of his bloody brother becoming distorted.

His knees buckled and he fell forward as his eyes rolled back in his head and the world around Max faded to black.

The trip to the hospital was a blur. The next time Max fully woke up, he was laying in his mother's arms in what was assumed to be the waiting room of the hospital.

He looked up at her. His beautiful mother's face was tear stained and red. Max's dad looked the same, his dark hand clutching his wife's.

"Hello Max..!" His mother looked down at him, her eyes on the verge of tears again.

Max tried to smile at her to cheer her up, but when that didn't work he threw his hands around her neck. She chuckled lightly and stroked Max's thick hair.

"You know what, Max?" She asked.

Max leaned back and looked at his mom.

"You should head over to the kids area right over there. Maybe there's some kids your age! I don't think Jamie will be awake for while." Max's mom pointed to the corner of the waiting room where there was a small plastic playground, a bookshelf, and numerous buckets of toys.