I do not own Total Drama
I walked into the building where I saw a series of bunk beds that appeared to be falling apart. The sheets were clearly unwashed and the walls were stained with an unknown substance. Some of the fellow interns were talking among each other, while others were thinking about their lives.
I then noticed in the far corner the same brunette that I had talked to in the vehicle. He was alone.
Considering he was the only intern that I have gotten to know even slightly, I made my way over to him.
It was then that I saw his entire face. He was in no way showing any sort of mark on it. His brown eyes were filled with sadness.
"Do you need a friend?" I asked.
"Certainly." he almost whispered.
Finding myself comfortable, I found a seat upon the bed.
"I...don't know your name."
"Sam."
"Malcolm."
It was then that I remember him saying that he watched this show.
"I grew up watching Total Drama, so I think we're heading to the set."
"Can you tell me more about Total Drama?" I asked.
"You've never seen it?"
"I only saw part of the pilot. I heard a couple other things like that challenge we just did. And I know very well about the nuclear waste story from last year."
"I've seen every episode, thank God. At least now I know what to expect."
"Expecting what? More of that cliff diving stuff?"
"No. Much worse." he said bluntly.
The man looked at me dead in the eye.
"What do you mean?" I asked softly.
"Where do I start?" Sam gruffed.
"People had to slide down hills covered in land mines. People had to escape a flooding submarine before they drowned. People had to walk around deep mines with all sorts of damned creatures in it. I thought it was all scripted; that every monster was an animatronic and that every explosion was a special effect!" he said with a silent anger and intensity. His face was filled with resentment and pain.
"To think that every time someone got blown away...I laughed..." he started to lose his voice.
"I...talked with my friends the day after each episode aired. We would sit on a curb...and we would talk about it. Of course we talked about events in the game...but nothing hit the spot for us more than to talk about the challenges. We were vivid too. No fart, explosion, fall, or scream would go ignored. And even in looking back, we still couldn't hold ourselves in when those scenes came to mind..."
I felt awful. To think that I provoked his emotions in an unintentional, yet effective method. I can really be stupid like that.
As a form of compensation, I gave the man a pat on the back.
"I'm sorry..." I said.
Of course that wouldn't be adequate to override such emotions stemming from a self-hatred.
"What are you sorry for?" Sam asked.
"For bringing you to this."
"It wasn't you...it was life."