It wasn't until lunch time that the five Campbell campers got a chance to speak again. By that time, they were all too exhausted and sore to eat, but forced the disgusting muck down their throats as Neil and Nerris explained the plan.
"But how would we get a message to back to camp?" Space Kid asked, poking his lumpy mashed potato with a fork. He made a face.
"You better eat it." Nerris told him. "Yeah, that's the hard part. We don't have any means of communication."
"If only we had brought our phones!" Preston sighed, grimacing at the taste and texture of the beef he was chewing on.
"Ve were asleep, weren't we?" Dolph muttered, moodily flicking peas across the room.
"Ten bucks says you'll never land one on Pikeman!" Preston told him. Dolph grinned, took aim and fired. Pikeman rubbed his head, wondering what had hit him.
"Pay the kid Preston!" Neil laughed as they all laughed, looking at the green splodge on the back of Pikeman's head. Preston sighed and brought ten dollars out of pocket, surprising his fellow captives.
"Wait, you have money?" Space Kid asked.
"I always keep spare cash in my pyjamas in case of emergency." Preston declared, patting the jingling coins.
"Damn, if only there was a phone box around here." Neil muttered, gazing longingly out of the window. A grin suddenly crept up on his face, and he started muttering to himself excitedly.
"I vonder if they do dessert..." Dolph asked no one in particular.
"Everyone, look!" Neil gasped, pointing excitedly out of the window. They all looked.
"What is it?" Nerris asked.
"Around the side of the lake, the lights, that camp!" Neil jabbered excitedly, pointing.
"What camp is that?" Preston asked him.
"Flower Scouts!" Neil told him. "Only an hours drive away!"
"So we run and live the rest of our lives as Flower Scouts?" Space Kid asked. "Only one of us is a girl Neil."
"No, that's not-" Neil gave an agrevated sigh. "What I mean is, maybe we don't have to get a message all the way to Camp Campbell? Only to some kindly ladies who will deliver it to them?"
"Neil, you're a fucking genius!" Nerris exclaimed. "But how are we going to message them?"
"I think I have an idea..." The nerd said with a grin. "Dolph, how far can you throw paper aeroplanes?"
...
The plan sounded simple, but was in fact, hideously complicated and it required all their skills. After lunch, Nerris and Preston slipped into the kitchen, gathering the most disgusting foods that were likely out of date so Nerris could create a potion which would make Preston throw up, many, many times. His role was to provide a distraction. Meanwhile, Neil laid out the plans for a simple, but effective, wooden machine, and it was his, Dolph and Space Kid's job to create that. It would have been fine, if they'd had anyone suited to manual labour. Two kids who hadn't yet hit puberty and one nerd, not even in his teens. Not the best construction.
"For fuck's SAKE, Space Kid, we need proper wood, not fucking twigs!" Neil groaned and ran his hands over his face. The hardest part seemed to be actually finding lumber, while staying hidden from the other Woodscouts. They did have free time, but didn't want to be spotted.
"Neil, I think I have found some!" Dolph called from a small tin shed. Neil came over and law mounds of pioneering poles. He grinned.
"Great work Dolph! Quick, help me haul these before we're spotted." The three boys managed to drag some of the poles to a blind spot that Neil had found, round the side of the kitchens. It was here that the machine would be based.
"Here's the plans." Neil said, taking a scrap of paper out of his pocket and showing the boys they both frowned.
"It looks like part of the space station." Space kid commented.
"Shut up." Neil told him. "And go find some rope. One of us better be good at pioneering, because my skills range from coding to making crystals..."
...
"Oh God, I really have to drink this?" Preston exclaimed, holding his nose.
"Be quiet!" Nerris snapped. "Do not disturb the mage while she is at work!" Preston rolled his eyes as he watched Nerris mix the dreadful concoction in a small bowl. They were hidden in the pantry of the Woodscout's kitchen, where Nerris could grab ingredients with ease, and better, no one could see them.
"It's almost ready!" Nerris exclaimed. "Just one last finishing touch, a sorceress's charm..." She spat into the bowl. Preston made a face.
"I really have to drink that?" He asked. Nerris nodded.
"Not yet." She told him, grabbing a jar and pouring the foul mixture inside. "Do you have any allergies?"
"Yes, gluten intolerant, wait!" Nerris poured flour into the mix.
"It won't kill you." She reassured him. "My dad's gluten intolerant."
"Yes, but said vomiting will increase dramatically, hives and a bit of bloody diarrhoea!" Preston snapped.
"Even better, you can cause quite a scene then!" Nerris grinned. She handed the jar to Preston. "You're the theatre kid, aren't you? Think of it as putting on a performance."
Preston sighed. "I know. I guess I'm just scared." Nerris frowned, this side of Preston never struck her to exist.
"We're all scared." She said. "Here, and in life. Scared of what people think of us, scared we're not where we belong."
"Not in the right camp." Preston muttered. "What do you fear, Nerris?"
Nerris considered for a while. "I suppose, that I keep making people hate me." She told him. "I get bullied a lot at school."
"We all get bullied at school." Preston gave her nod.
"Yeah, but friendly people as well. Like Harrison."
"Honestly? I always kind of thought you hated him - oh. Point taken." Preston said. Nerris shrugged.
"I think, when we get back to camp, I'll apologise."
"He probably feels the same way." Preston said encouragingly. Nerris handed him the jar.
"Let's go see how Neil and the others are doing." She said. Preston was about to answer, when-
"Hey, is someone in there!" They jumped at the sound of a Woodscout leader's voice. The two gave each other scared looks. If they were caught, they were dead.
Preston leaned over to Nerris and muttered a single word in her ear. "Window." Nerris followed his gaze upward and understood. There was a window at the very top of the pantry, god only knew why, and it looked large enough for some skinny kids to squeeze through. Carefully, they stood up, and preston gave Nerris a leg up so she could open the window.
"Hey, answer! Where are you?" The voice called.
"Hurry up, hurry up!" Preston whispered through gritted teeth.
"Shut up, SHUT UP!" Nerris hissed back.
"What the fuck's that awful smell?" The voice wondered to itself. Both kids looked at the jar in disgust. Nerris gave an excited gasp as the window slid open and the stench began to evaporate. She scrambled out of the window and onto the roof. She then extended her arms downward to pull Preston up.
"Don't forget the jar!" She hissed. Preston grabbed the jar, accidentally slopping a bit down his trousers.
"Argh, it REEKS!" He gasped, and his flailing leg accidentally caught a shelf full of tinned food, sending everything tumbling to the ground with a huge crash.
"SHIT!" Nerris screamed, and pulled both Preston and the jar out of the window, slamming it behind her.
"That was close!" Preston exclaimed.
"Yeah, but we've got to find the others." Preston said.
"What the fuck are you doing?" They jumped and looked down from the roof to see Neil standing next to what a pile of sticks and twine, Dolph and Space Kid arguing other something.
"Escaping!" Nerris called, sliding off the rooftop to join Neil and the others. "OK Preston, pass down the jar, carefully..."
...
It was almost time. Night had fallen. Preston was eating supper alone, the jar in his lap. He wasn't sure how fast the mixture would act on his stomach, and Neil had told him to wait at least ten minutes before taking any. Eight minutes had gone by, and he nervously wondered how the others were doing. The plan was risky as shit, and if they were caught, they were doomed. Basically, while Preston was causing a scene with a sudden, mysterious illness, Nerris and Neil would wait for the post truck that passed by every week, to pass the wall. When they heard it, they would catapult Dolph (the smallest and lightest and the paper aeroplane genius) onto the wall. From there, he would (hopefully; there was a lot of hope in this plan) throw the aeroplane, or note to the Flower Scouts, into the load of letters being delivered to the various camps around the lake. The truck had already been to Camp Campbell, but still had a few more stops. Hopefully, the girls would be able to get the message to Campbell. Hopefully.
"Oi, listen up, clear your trays and head for evening activities!" There came the usual shout from Pikeman, stood by the head table where he got to eat with the leaders and his friends. Preston looked at the clock. Nine minutes, but who cared? It was now or never.
Quick as a wink, the aspiring actor poured the foul liquid into his mouth, every last drop. He choked and gagged, but managed to force it down.
"God, that tastes like Gram Gram's Shepherd's Pie." He muttered, picking up his tray. For some reason, as he walked, his hands were mildly shaking and his legs were dragging on the floor, he felt a lot weaker. He frowned as a quiet rushing began in his ears. His vision was fading a little round the corners. He grimaced. Surely the stuff couldn't be working that quickly.
"Goodplay!" Preston jumped and turned to Pikeman, the teen's expression firm.
"Yes?" He asked weakly.
"Where are your other wimpy Campbell friends?" Pikeman snapped. "Surely they don't want to miss supper?"
Preston shrugged. He didn't trust himself to talk, he felt it rising in his throat.
"Well, when you see them, tell them that Pikeman wants to speak to them. Make it sound scary, like..." He looked at Preston and gasped. "Jesus Christ, what's that on your face?!" Preston knew exactly what was on his face. The first of several large, itchy patches that would soon appear all over his skin.
"And your face too, so pale, what-" Preston couldn't hold it in anymore. He dropped his tray to the ground and vomited - all over Pikeman's trousers.
Pikeman gave a yell, so several other Woodscouts looked around and saw what was going on. A few laughed, the few who didn't know what was good for them. Pikeman glared as Preston fell to his knees, gasping. He felt the next load coming up, and this time, aimed for Pikeman's shoes. He caught them spectacularly neatly and tried to grin at his handiwork, but before he knew it, he was vomiting again, he could feel hives all over his body. He saw everyone gazing at him in shock.
His audience.
His time to shine.
Preston Goodplay began his performance.
Sorry it's kind of long, we'll get to see our favourite ladies next chapter though! :)