The last day of camp. David had mixed emotions.
Everyone seemed to have something come out of them.
Gwen was relieved.
David was sad.
Nikki was more adventurous than usual.
Neil seemed excited for AC.
Ered seemed more cool.
Nurf was more of an asshole.
Nerris had more charisma!
Harrison seemed more ambitious, focusing more on his magic.
Preston was just yelling even more.
Space Kid was just... being Space Kid.
But Max... David expected him to be more of a jerk. More... 'asshole' than usual.
But he was just...
Quiet.
Too quiet.
His normal, snarky comments couldn't be heard.
That's when night rolled around. They had one last campfire together and passed around David's guitar. Each camper tried to sing and play but all failed miserably. Max was last. He silently took the guitar, strummed a few notes, then started playing what everyone else had.
The Camp Campbell theme song.
But he avoided all the high notes.
"Oh...
There's a place I know that's tucked away!
A place where you and I can stay.
Where we can go to laugh and play,
and have adventures every day!
I know it sounds hard to believe but guys and gals it's true!
Camp Campbell is the place for me and you!
We'll swim through lakes and climb up trees,
catch fish, bugs, bears, and honeybees!
There's endless possibilities,
and no that's not hyperbole!
Our motto's Campe Diem and that means I'm telling you...
We've got:
archery
hiking
search and rescue
biking
horseback
training that'll save you from a heart attack
scuba diving
miming
keeping up with rhyming
football
limbo
science
stunting
pre-calc
spaceships
treasure hunting
bomb defusal
no refusal
fantasies
circus trapeze
and fights
and ghosts
and paints
and snakes
and knives
and chess
and dance
and weights
it's Camp Camp!"
He finished the song, then went stone-faced, fear the only decipherable emotion.
He quickly dropped the guitar and sprinted towards the tent, zipping everyone out.
That's when he had a panic attack.
Gwen followed him and managed to unzip the tent.
Max was on his cot, freaking out, knees locked into his chest.
His breathing was in weird, short patterns. Gwen looked at the small ten-year-old and tried to comfort him.
She reached toward him.
He quickly backed away and tried to shield his face with his own arms.
"It's okay Max... you're fine." He slowly moved his arms out of the way. "Relax..." Gwen's words slightly calmed him.
"Deep breaths, Max." His breathing patterns slowly became more normal.
"i'm sorry... i won't do it again..." Max's voice was quiet. "Do what again?" Gwen responded.
"play..." Max's voice was barely above a whisper.
Oh... OH... Gwen thought.
Max walked back with Gwen.
"WHAT HAPPENED?!" Nikki screamed. Although he had gone through her constant yelling for no reason, he flinched for a second.
"THIS lil' fucker had a panic attack!" Gwen told the whole camp. Max looked up at her, "Fuck you, Gwen."
The parents started coming. Neil and Nikki left first, Ered left next, and soon everyone had gone.
Everyone but Max. This was slightly normal, his parents were always late. David knew that they would come eventually.
But they never came.
Max had left for the tent by midnight, then began to walk over to the lake, something in hand.
David could hear the soft, calm notes from across the camp.
Ukulele... he decided.
David grabbed his guitar and made his way to the lake, and saw Max playing the uke to a tune that seemed very familiar to David.
Then he remembered that night.
It was Max's first year of Camp Campbell, when he started to catch wind of what reality was really like.
There was a soft knock on the door to the counselor cabin.
David walked over and opened the door. He looked down to see Max, head down, shaking uncontrollably.
"Yes, Max?" Max had continued to stare at the ground before he spoke up.
"Can... Can you play something for me?"
"Of course."
He began the soft tune.
"Black clouds are behind me, I now can see ahead
Often I wonder why I try hoping for an end
Sorrow weighs my shoulders down
And trouble haunts my mind
But I know the present will not last
And tomorrow will be kinder
Tomorrow will be kinder
It's true, I've seen it before
A brighter day is coming my way
Yes, tomorrow will be kinder
Today I've cried a many tear
And pain is in my heart
Around me lies a somber scene
I don't know where to start
But I feel warmth on my skin
The stars have all aligned
The wind has blown, but now I know
That tomorrow will be kinder
Tomorrow will be kinder
I know, I've seen it before
A brighter day is coming my way
Yes, tomorrow will be kinder
A brighter day is coming my way
Yes, tomorrow will be kinder..."
The guitar's notes faded out, and Max had fallen asleep on David's warm bed.
That night...
Had Max remembered it?
Held it close?
It hadn't mattered.
David needed to make a phone call to Max's parents.
NOW.
Notes: The song David sings is "Tomorrow Will Be Kinder" by The Secret Sisters.
