TRES
The Camp
I found
myself in the most unexpected place…though I lost myself in the battle of my
academics; I won the hearts of those who looked up to me, and for the first
time in my life, I felt special…just imagine how you’d feel when charming boys
volunteer to carry your bags and treat you like a helpless damsel, although I
wasn’t completely helpless. Oh yes…we just called ourselves “the soda clan”,
the idea came out during that afternoon at the field, we were drinking soda
drinks, and decided to name our new found brotherhood.
Days
passed…we spent more solemn moments together under that dead tree, it was too
far away from all the hustle and bustles of the school, and sometimes, we’d lay
on each others’ laps, as if we were sweet boyfriends. I made sure I had time
for them despite my predetermined schedule with Mrs. Strum…we’d even spend some
extra time together after swimming practice…it was almost I had given them half
of my senior life already. But I’ve completely paid no attention to Ryan
Allaster…maybe it was because I was too preoccupied with having such nonsense
feelings towards another boy, or maybe because he had always been too distant,
too quiet, so I didn’t bother him, “he’s nothing”.
December…
It was
already cold, I had my jacket on layered on top of my uniform when the
principal announced during the morning assembly that there will be a three day
camp for any interested students at the mountains for the Christmas break, my
classmates thought it was odd, “why would they hold a camp at the middle of
this freezing season?”…”why can’t they?” I smothered…I asked them if they
wanted to go, they answered, “we’d be preparing for the qualifying exams on
January”…Boring…so I thought, it was our last year in high school, and they’d
lock themselves in for Christmas break…
So I asked
my brothers if they wanted to go, turned out, they were already planning on
asking me. Of course I was excited, three days away from school? With them? I
started packing that night.
I
arrived early at the rendezvous, the buses were already there, and I noticed
Ryan getting in with his classmates, I presumed JB, Joey, Skandar and David
already got in. I was startled by the riot I thought I created when I climbed
the bus, my boys were yelling “Adam! Seat here!” “here Adam! Seat with me”…I
passed by Ryan, he was again smiling eerily at me, so I gave him a sweet smile
back, “This is going to be an interesting ride”…David was more enthusiastic
when he called for me, so I sat beside him. He caught my attention.
It took
about an hour ‘till we were able to reach the campsite. It was in the middle of
a forest, wet grounds, cold climate and all, then I noticed the extravagant
preparations the organizers had mad, colourful flags welcomed us, and there
were guides who directed us towards our tents, I was a senior I had to sleep
where the seniors are, though I felt disappointed as I expected to be with my
clan.
It was
a good thing though that I still got to sleep with two of my co-swimmers so I
didn’t worry about introducing myself. We were asked to proceed at the activity
hall for the program proper. We were given a card that carried our name, and at
the back, was a chart of the fifteen tasks we have to accomplish before the end
of the camp.
I had lunch
with my brothers, including some of their classmates, and Ryan, but I paid more
attention with my extended family, and thanks to them, I got acquainted with
more students, thanks to their zealousness. Afterwards, we began doing the
tasks together, again I became their coach, and it seemed like their entire
class followed too.
My
brothers and I talked about me moving to their quarters, I was convinced no one
would notice, and besides, there were no camp rules that determined a specific
quarters to sleep in, so technically, I wasn’t violating any rules. Then I
transferred my things to their quarters, I saw Ryan resting, next to him was
another one of his classmates, they were about a few distance away from their
classmates.
I
decided to go out of their room as it seemed like I was barging in to what was
I assumed an “intimate moment”.
The day
ended, and we were about to have dinner around the bonfire. I spent the whole
day with my “clan” and we’ve already accomplished 5 tasks together. Ryan and
his special friend, Clyde were still distant from all of us. They seemed to
enjoy their own world.
Barbecue
for dinner, under the stars, around a bonfire, and with my boys, nothing
could’ve been more perfect. We sang and stomped our feet to the beat of the
drums around the fire. It was already ten PM, and we were asked to accomplish
two tasks before bedtime. And we have to do it by pair, and to find a partner,
we’d have to be blindfolded and find the first person who’d catch us first, and
shout “HO HEY!!!”
And so
the camp leaders blindfolded us, and we waited for the camp master’s signal. “Alright
campers, listen, before starting your tasks, I want you to know, that your
partner for tonight we’ll be the same partner you’ll have for the tasks tonight
until tomorrow evening, they will also serve as your guardian, so if anything
happens to you, your partner will be held accountable for. So whoever you may
fall into, watch their backs, ‘coz you’ll be dealing with dark forces and grave
consequences the entire camp. And please remember, teamwork encompasses any obstacle, but the love for your teammate
overcomes any failure. First team to finish first gets free chocolates!! On
three! Turn around then find your partner!!! ONE…TWO…THREE!!!
I could
only see the light coming from the bonfire, but everything was dark…I could
hear their feet, stomping the rocky grounds. My hands were stretched, so I
could easily find my partner. It took a while for me to find one, until…I felt
hands, smooth and cold fingers were reaching for mine, I touched the arms and
realized it was a boy, he did the same, but it seemed as if he was caressing my
arms, till he touched my shoulders, my neck, then he fondled over my face, and
sensed my lips. Suddenly he pulled me towards his chest.
“Okay,
hold your partners and take off your blindfolds!” the camp master ordered. I
moved away from the boy’s warm caress, and took my blindfold off, “YOU???” we
both said with great surprise. It was Ryan…the reincarnation of Adonis, the
demi god.
“Well
you look disappointed…were you vying for someone else? A girl maybe?” I said,
though I had a feeling he was looking out for his Buddy Clyde, who’s now with
JB. “No” he said with an intense expression of denial on his face.
“Ok, you
only need to finish two tasks tonight, each task is different from the other
groups, so don’t expect to be seeing your friends tonight, it’s only you and
your partner. Now get your maps from your leaders and run as fast as you can!!
I hurriedly reached out for a map, but I was caught up on a stampede. Ryan
didn’t even help me. When I finally got close to the camp leader, everyone was
already running away, so I got the last map that I found on the ground, it was
partially torn and withered. “Hope you could read this one” , I gave it to
Ryan, he seemed relaxed, while I was panting.
“To
accomplish the first task, you need to cross the river to find a chapel, in the
chapel, there will be a wake watched over by mourning monks. At the altar,
there will be a Dead friar holding a rosary on his chest. Get that rosary
without being caught by the mourning monks.” “WhaaaAAAt??? A dead monk’s wake
and stealing a rosary? Are they insane?? “ I exclaimed, “That’s what’s written
here, look” Ryan replied…
That’s
the first task. “NOTE: In the event of being caught, please blow whistle to
call out for a camp marshal, if not, proceed to the next task.” “The next task
is to go to an abandoned school and look for the librarian, give her the rosary
so she would stamp your task chart to validate your accomplishment. An old grey
cat will lead you to the abandoned school. Note: Don’t show your fear, they can
smell it” “They? Who are they?? What is this? A horror movie?” I cried. Ryan
continued reading…”At the school’s gate, give the cat a treat to show your
gratitude. Do not call out for anybody except the school’s caretaker, he may be
sleeping at the guard’s house beside the gate. Ask him where to find the
librarian. NOTE: NO I.D, NO ENTRY, and KEEP QUIET, CLASSES ARE GOING ON. Follow
the moonlight to get back to camp.”
“These
tasks are unbelievable”
But then
I remembered the camp master warning us that we’d be facing dark forces and
grave consequences for tonight’s tasks. Yeah right…suddenly, the wind blew
cold, that’s when I started to have a bad feeling.
“A solemn cry, deep inside my heart,
The greatest fear you could ever have imagined,
Lingered in me for a while…”
Excerpt
from the Emo Book
It
was about half past nine, it was already cold, and the trees looked as if they
were thin giants swaying with the winter wind. We ran fast ‘till we reached the
river bank. The river was wide and calm, and I always knew that calm waters run
deep. We only had two problems…there were no boats; and Ryan couldn’t swim. There
was only one empty ice box tied on a rope that some campers may have left, and
that gave me a silly but effective idea: Let Ryan ride on the box, and me
pulling it with the rope.
At
first Ryan hesitated, he knows he’s a lot heavier, but among the two of us, I
was the varsity swimmer, he had no choice. He still doesn’t like the idea, he
didn’t seem to trust how good a swimmer I was. So I took my shirt, plunged the
box in the water, and said “C’mon, if something happens to you, I’d be the one
to blame, besides, we might be behind the others…I’ll get you through this time.” So he agreed. He looked kind of
funny as he was struggling to fit his long legs bent in the ice box, but I
thought he could manage.”
The
river was not at all that deep as expected, the deepest part was only shoulder
level, although a non -swimmer could have already drowned by slipping. I
glanced at Ryan, I saw fear in his eyes, he looked at me and asked “are you ok
there?” “Yeah, are you?” I asked him back, we looked at each other for some
time as I dragged the box across the middle of the river, then…”Adam!!!” Ryan
yelled, I scared the brains out of him by pretending to be drowned, He was
worried sick which gave me a little sense of importance.
“Don’t
you ever do that again Adam, I didn’t like that at all”, he was really pissed
off by my humour and I didn’t expect he was that scared. I swam across that
cold murky river, trying to pull the my heavy baggage and fighting the heavy
flow of water.
“The moonlight in shadows, like what my heart feels without feelings,
Asking why all tears shed, at the time you said we’re through, how I
wish I was dead,
I know that’s what you wanted too…”
-
Excerpt from the Emo Book.
