Run Away With Me

Camp Liberty

Summer camp. Out of all the places my parents had to send me to a summer camp. I haven't been camping a day in my life and here they are sending me to a place full of strangers for nine weeks.

Nine whole weeks stuck out here with no wifi, no warm home cooked meals from the maid, no room to myself. The whole idea of summer camp sounded like absolute torture in my mind.

Any of these kids could be complete psychopaths for all I know but no matter how much begging or pleading I did my parents didn't change their minds. The waterworks didn't work this time. Think I might be getting too old for that trick now.

Funny how they never cared before until a friend of my mother asked what I was doing during the break. To no surprise they didn't even realise the break was coming up so when they had no answer and she suggested this place they told her I'd love it just so they didn't seem like the shitty parents they are.

When my parents told me they had a surprise for me this summer I imagined that meant they were getting me a dog or were going to take me away on a trip with them but no. How foolish of me to think that.

My whole life my parents have never paid any attention to me. Last Christmas I spent the entire holidays alone with the maid. The same maid that's practically raised me since the day I was born, she's more of a parent than they have ever been. But now they suddenly act like they know what's best for me.

What's best for me isn't a stupid summer camp. They don't know me at all. If they did they'd know all I want is for us to feel like a real family. To spend time together, to eat meals at the dining table and talk about our day no matter how boring they were and to play board games around the fireplace.

Instead they just send me away. It's like they've never known what to do with me. I don't even know why they had a kid in the first place.

We pull up in front of the camp. My mouth drops open as soon as I see the rotting wooden sign with the words 'Camp Liberty' printed in chipped blue paint. It looks like it could collapse at any second.

Maybe if I'm lucky it will fall down on me and I won't have to go. A trip to the hospital seems more appealing at this point.

That's it there's no way I'm going to be spending my entire summer break at this dump. "Are you sure there's no way I could come with you and dad to New York?"

"Winston darling I don't have time for this we've been through this already." She sighs using the same tone she always has when she can't be bothered to argue with me, which is always and ends the discussion by getting out of the car.

The cool touch of metal against my skin from my pendant around my neck helps calm my nerves and I take a deep breath and follow her out. Nothing bad will happen when I have it with me.

I heave my backpack full of cameras and equipment out of the car and over my shoulder. No way in hell was I going to leave them behind.

Her phone rings and she answers it before she presses a quick kiss to my cheek and b-lines back to the car. "Now have fun dear. I love y-" She doesn't even finish her sentence as whoever is on the phone becomes her main priority and then she's gone. Not even a wave goodbye.

Guess that's really it then. No getting out of this one. I'm all on my own. Just like always.

"Fuck." I mutter under my breath as I attempt to pick up my suitcase. It's heavy, like really heavy. Maybe I shouldn't have brought as many clothes as I did. Nine weeks is a long time though and I don't even know if this place has a washing machine.

The floor is muddy from the rain from the night before and I don't want to get it dirty so I continue to struggle to pick it up, going red in the face from using all my strength (which isn't much at all).