NOTES- Stanley/Caveman and Hector/Zero never got to Gods Thumb. They came back. It's the day after the night they got home.
1
What Lake?
The dilapidated old bus jostled down the pot-hole filled road as the slim brunette known as Samantha Jackson glanced out the window for about the fifteenth million time and sighed. Holes after holes after holes... there are some mean moles out here. The bus was empty except for the driver and a near ancient police officer in case she went crazy psycho killer on them, she supposed.
Finally, out of the dust, a crowd of dusty buildings that looked as old as or older than the bus loomed up. The bus screeched to a stop and without thinking Sammy stood, clutching her bag to her chest. "Mister..." Sammy began, and then changed her mind since she didn't know his last name, "Sir..." She began again, wanting to ask him where to go, but was cut off when the police officer shook his head with a toothy grin. "That's not me, missy. He's awaitin' you." Sammy nodded and smiled fakely as she stepped out onto the dusty ground.
As the bus veered to the left and abandoned her, she glared at the approaching man. He had a weather-beaten face, beady, suspicious eyes, and a beer gut. In his left hand he clutched a bag of sunflower seeds and in his right he held two putrid orange jumpsuits. Even as he approached he chewed and spit those seeds out. Inwardly, Sammy cringed, but she put on one of her dazzling smiles. "Sam Jackson?" The man asked indifferently.
"Sammy Jackson, sir. Its really Samantha but I've never really suited that name and I just didn't fit Sam so everybody took to calling me Sammy and since then I-" Her nervous rambling was cut off when the man said, "Welcome to Camp Green Lake Sammy Jackson." Here the gross old man paused to chew and spit sunflower seeds. What lake? "I'm Mister Sir. You refer to me as Mister Sir no matter what, no matter when. Wear these," He thrust the suit at her with another indifferent glance. "And honey, you best take off that make up when you can. There ain't gonna be a lot of water for you later on."
Sammy took the suit and her smiled faded some. "Mister Sir, please, just tell me where to go. I can take care of myself," She retorted, beginning to severely dislike this man. She shifted her weight and settled herself in a defiant pose, head up, arms crossed, waist thrust to the left a tad.
Mister Sir's face darkened but he kept smiling and it was just strange. "Doctor Pendanski will show you the way to D-Tent. Enjoy your stay." This last part he leered at her back when she began walking, almost trotting, to Mr. Pendanski who waited next to a large and dusty orange tent with a black D on the left flap.
"The boys in D Tent are fine young men who have been lead wrongly down the path of life. You too, it seems, have been led wrongly. Together I am sure the group and you will set your sights on the correct horizon," Mr. Pendanski began with a plastic smile. "Theodore, Hector, Stanley, Alan, Ricky, and the tent leader, Rex, are still out digging holes, but they'll get here soon enough." Digging holes? What the hell?
"Thanks, but why am I here-" Sammy began How come everyone cuts me off? but was cut off by an over-eager Mr. Pendanski. "You are here because you've been led wrongly down the path of life. You are here to build character. And by the end of your stay you will be set rightly on the path of life." He smiled again, more genuine this time, and added, "I respect you, Samantha. If these boys give you a hard time, come see me."
As he turned to leave, Sammy stood where she was and worked on breathing. The over-whelming boy stench forcibly reminded her of Jason and it was a bad smell to boot. She glanced around and spied an empty crate right next to one with, of all things, a fake squid.
As she surveyed the tent she noticed all the other crates were filled with, well, stuff. There wasn't any other way to describe it. She was filled with a sudden dread and wondered where she'd be sleeping. The ground? Or a cot? But there wasn't any left that she could see.
Oh GOD. What if I have to share?
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Okay. So is the italic thoughts thing confusing? How's my descriptions? Specifically the last line of parapgraph five. And Mom's speech. That's what Squid had, right? A fake squid? I'm all up on painkillers and can't remember anything lol. I'll update ASAP. I'll update FASTER if someone please fills me in on a quick synopsis of each D-Tent boy. Prego e grazie!
