"Preston! Turn that shit off!" Max sprang upward from his bed, sticking his head from the tarps his tent, assuring the neighboring camper could hear his demand.
"Well, excuse me for wanting to wake up in a peaceful manner!" Preston's voice roared from his tent, huffing as he switched his alarm off.
"Well, some of us don't wanna wake up ever!" Max slumped back into a cacoon, yawning as he snuggled close to Mr. Honeynuts, and returning to a peaceful slumber. His eyes snapped back open to the deafening tone of David's stupid bugle like it's a fucking military reveille.
By the time Max had donned on his usual blue hoodie and trudged out his tent, all the campers had already dressed and started for the Mess Hall. Max glared from the corner of his eye to see Preston's smug look. 'Theatre nerds' Max scoffed, stuffing his hands in his pockets. As usual, David and Gwen stood before the campers.
"Gooood morning, my fellow Camp Campbell Campers!" David's energetic councilor voice was just as irritating to Max as the bugle. 'It's way too early for this shit.' Max rubbed his droopy eyes awake.
"I hope everyone's had a good night's rest because today's activity is gonna be something very special!" David's hands clamped together ever so excitedly.
"When is it not?" Max grumbled to himself but was undoubtedly heard by Nikki and Niel.
"Doesn't David usually give activity announcements after we've had breakfast?" Neil yawned.
"Must be *super* special, then." Max shrugged. He honestly couldn't give less of a shit if he tried. And he tried. It was probably something stupid, like a scavenger hunt, or something David-y.
Nikki beamed with excitement. "Ooh! What if we finally get to have a squirrel sledding race!"
"We did that last week, remember? Neil had to get sent to the hospital for rabies."
Neil rubbed his trembling hands together. "I'd rather not remember that horrid day." The three campers turned back to David when Gwen cleared her throat, urging them to pay attention. David's smile stretched further across his face.
"Thank you, Gwen! Now, I know I don't usually give announcements before you've all had a healthy breakfast, but today's activity is just so gosh darn exciting, I couldn't wait to tell you!"
"So, what is it?" Space Kid raised his hand.
"Glad you asked, Space Kid! Gwen, would you do the honor of reading today's agenda?" David hands Gwen a clipboard. She rolled her eyes, taking it before reading it.
"Let's see...after breakfast-" Gwen narrows her eyes in confusion, taking a closer look at the agenda. She turns to her partner, gesturing to the clipboard. "Uh...David? What the hell is all this?" Every listed activity for each camper on the agenda had been crossed out in blue ink.
David's eyes beamed. "I'm so glad you asked, Gwen! I was so excited for today's activity, and it was going to take too long for me to prepare, so I've decided to cancel all other activities for today! So, you all get a day off until tonight when the real fun begins!"
The campers looked to one another in confusion and somewhat relief. Max, Neil, and Nikki stared at each other. Was this a delusion from sleep deprivation? Or were they really getting a day off from camp activities? It couldn't be true. However, the glistening in David's azure eyes told them otherwise. This was actually happening.
"But what about Harrison's magic act? He was gonna try to escape from a water trap tank while chained." Nerris called out.
"Yeah! And I was gonna be the one to fill the tank!" Everyone looked toward Nurf, who softly kicks a pebble. "Or, you know, break the glass in case he can't escape."
Harrison raised his hand to speak. "For the record, I don't mind that the magic act was canceled. Mostly, because I've misplaced the water tank."
Max shook his head and raised an eyebrow at Harrison. "Wait, what! You lost the water tank?! But it's like a 5-foot-tall glass box. How do you lose that?"
"Can't you just make it reappear?" Neil raised a finger. Harrison turned to the nerdy camper, giving him a blank look as he pointed to his small top hat. Neil's finger dropped. "Oh. Right."
Gwen pinched the bridge of her nose and groaned. "Alright. You kids go in and have your breakfast. David and I are gonna have a little talk." She opens the door behind her, letting the flood of cheerful campers into the Mess Hall. "Okay. What the hell, David? What's this about?" Gwen points to the agenda.
"Well, last night, I've thought of the most exciting activity for all the campers, and I want it to be a surprise. It's going to be complicated and is going to take all day, but I believe the payoff will be well worth it!"
Gwen sighed. "Look, I don't care whatever plans you have. Just, let me know the next time you pull something like this off, okay?"
David's smile grew, and he gives a traditional Camp Campbell salute. "Can do, Gwen!"
"Yeah, whatever. So, what do we do first-?" Gwen was cut off when David put a finger to her pursed lips.
"Upupup. Now, Gwen, I know we're CBFLs for life, but this is a surprise for you, too. So, you can take a day off as well, while I take care of the activity!"
Gwen was a bit taken back. "Uh, okay. But what if things get too out of hand? You know how Max is."
"Oh, don't you worry about a thing. I'll make sure things go smoothly as butter! Your old pal David's got it covered!"
Gwen shrugged as she entered the Mess Hall to get breakfast. If it means she gets to sleep in and catch up on more trash TV, then what the hell, right?
David waited until she was completely out of site before making his way to the first stop, his office.
Upon entering, he removed the carpet in the center of the room to reveal a hidden door with a wooden ladder leading down into a dark abyss. Turning on the flashlight of his smartphone, David began to climb down. The ladder had lead to a small dimly-lit cellar. The sound of rats feet pattering behind cobwebbed bookshelves echoed through the silence which was replaced with David's boots clamping against the concrete as he walked toward what lied at the end of the room: a 5-foot-tall water tank.
David grinned widely, blue eyes towering over the bound and gagged figure of a man in the center of the tank who looked up at his captor with fearful and teary green orbs.
"So, how's my favorite camp counselor doing today?" Daniel smiled.