I am so incredibly sorry for the long wait. I had writer's block and just couldn't seem to get rid of it. I'll try to make this chapter longer to make up for it.
Fang's POV
I was sitting down on a log near the fire with my bunk mates and the girls. I watched Max as everyone was introduced. I noticed how her hair flowed down her back; I noticed how she scowled when a girl named Julia came up to us with her friends.
"Hey, man." I looked up to see Darren sitting down next to me. "The no dating rule really sucks now doesn't it?" He asked looking over my head.
I turned to see who he was looking at and saw it was that girl…Ella I think Max had said once on the bus. I turned back to face Darren and smirked. Darren rolled his eyes.
"What? You don't like any of these girls? 'Cause quite a few seem to like you." He nodded to the two red heads who were looking me up and down.
I shrugged. "Not really."
Darren laughed. "I'll believe that when pigs fly."
I glared at him. "So I'll just stick some wooden wings on a pig and through it off a cliff."
"Dude, that doesn't count."
"Why not? The pig's in the air. You'd didn't say how long it had to be in the air or if it had to survive." I said.
Darren smiled and shook his head. "You'd think being friends with you for however many years now, I'd be able counteract your sarcasm."
The corner of my lip lifted slightly.
I noticed Max stand up then, announcing she was going to make s'mores and asking if anyone wanted to join her.
I stood, "I will."
Max smiled slightly. "Now I don't have to enjoy the gooeyness of s'mores alone!" Her smile turned mischievous. "That may or may not be a good thing for you."
I raised my eyebrows. "And why is that?"
"You'll find out."
Together, we sat near the station that had all the stuff needed for s'mores and began cooking.
"Fang," Max said. I turned my head to look at her when I felt something gooey stick to my cheek. I narrowed my eyes at the gram cracker and half a marshmallow in her other hand.
"Max," I warned. But she was already up, running away from me.
I stood up, dropping my marshmallow on the ground and ran after her. I peeled the marshmallow off my face as I ran, but kept it in my hand for pay back.
Max was laughing as I chased her, dodging logs and other campers. I managed to get close enough to jump and tackle her to the ground. She turned so she fell on her back. Once she was on the ground, my hand hovered over her face with the marshmallow.
"Fang!" She squealed, wiggling, trying to get out from under me.
I just shook my head and brought my hand closer to her face.
"Ugh!" Max said, as the marshmallow touched her face. I pressed it down harder and scrapped it across her face.
By that time, she managed to free her hands and threw me to the side and tackled me.
We were wrestling on the ground when someone cleared their throat. She stopped and looked up at them at the same time.
It was a man, who looked like he should be a model, but he was wearing a T-shirt that had Pine Lake across the front and the name Joe in smaller letters near the top left of the shirt.
I realized then that it was a counselor and how he might be viewing our wrestling match.
Max was straddling me, one hand on my chest the other around my wrist pinning it to the ground. With my only free hand, it was resting on Max's shoulder, trying to push her away moments before. Not to mention the marshmallow that was all over our faces.
The entire camp was silent, all staring at us. I briefly caught Darren's eye and saw him smirking at me.
"Was the announcement earlier today not clear enough for you or do I have to tell you again?" Joe said, his voice was calm but it was only that more dangerous.
Max spoke first. "It was my fault. I was the one who put the marshmallow on his face and to tackle him to the ground."
I stared at her in shock. Why was she taking the blame? I was the one who chased her, and got marshmallow on her face too. What she did was harmless, it was my fault.
The look on Joe's face said that he seemed to be thinking the same thing, even though he hadn't seen the entire exchange. And we weren't even doing what he thought.
"I'll leave you two with your first and final warning since it is the first day. But that does not allow everyone else to be following in their footsteps. If this happens again, there will be punishment. Now get off the boy, and enjoy the rest of the evening." With that Joe walked away.
Max got off me, offering me her hand. I took it and she helped me stand. Together we back to the group.
"Looks like someone got off easy," Julia muttered bitterly.
Max rolled her eyes and I glared at her.
"Pigs are safely on the ground, dude," Darren whispered to me as he passed on his way for more hot dogs.
Max's POV
We had made it back to our cabin, and fully showered all before 9:00.
"Well, that was fun." Ella said, as she climbed into her bunk.
I snorted, yeah, fun.
"That's what they want you to think." Alex muttered. I was briefly shocked that she spoke but then got irritated.
"Do you care to tell us why? Why you guys seem to think this camp is living hell?" I demanded.
"We don't think. We know." Julia said. "But fine, we'll tell you, you'll need to be prepared.
"This camp is a normal one by far. If you ask everyone what year they are, about 75% of them are first years. As you continue to ask, you'll be extremely lucky to find a fourth year. Even us third years aren't common," Julia said.
"Why, is this camp newer or something, and people just don't like it or you can only come for four years?" Ella asked.
Julia shook her head but Alex answered.
"No, we don't know how long this camp has been running but we think it's at least 100 years old. We've also heard that there was only one camper who ever continued to come past their fourth year." Alex said.
"So what about the rest of them?" Nudge asked.
Alex smiled sadly. "They died."
We all sat in silence for a minute.
"They died? How did they die?" I said, unbelieving. I might hate coming to this camp, and yeah, they have strict rules but that doesn't mean this camp is killing kids.
"They kill them. But it's not like they go around killing them on purpose." Alex explained.
"What, they accidentally kick a soccer ball too hard at them or accidentally hit them with a baseball bat?" I laughed.
"It's not something to be laughing about Max," Julia scolded me. "We will tell you everything we know if you stop interrupting." Julia looked at me.
I shrugged and said nothing.
There was a pause, Julia and Alex looked at each other, before Julia continued.
"The camp starts out normal, gaining the trust of the newbies, keeping the parents calm and what not. Then, after a couple weeks, they change their tactics. They bend their rules ever so slightly, they cut the fun out of the activities, and meals are harder to get into. Then, they take cabin's at a time to the area of the camp that's 'off limits' and perform tests on the kids, the tests alone would kill most kids and that's what it does. Only the 'not normal' survive. They say they want to 'help' us. Those who don't fit in. They try unmentionable things."
Both Julia and Alex shuddered.
Angel was the one who spoke up next. "What makes someone different from the rest?" her voice was soft, scared.
"If the body can…absorb DNA that isn't human." Alex said.
"What? So they're injecting us with different DNA?" Ella exclaimed.
"Shh," Julia shushed her. "They can't know that we're telling you this. They'll kill us no matter how successful we are. But yes, that's what they're doing. Either we survive with animal DNA mixed with ours, or the process kills us. That's why so few people return, there aren't any signs for who'll survive until they start testing. The lives of the ones who do survive are uncertain. The animal DNA always shortens the life of the human. We don't know how long we can live for because they continue to test on us until we die. 'Trying to gather information to help the others' they say. Bull to that."
"But wouldn't it get suspicious when kids don't return?" I reasoned.
"They aren't dumb, they lie. They say those kids went home. To the parents, they tell them they have to send their kids to a foreign company that can help them with their problem. And if you were going to ask why kids continue to be sent here, is because they have…people to make sure the word doesn't get out. They like, pay the parents or something, to not say anything."
"What happens to the kids who survive?" Nudge asked.
Alex smiled sadly and shook her head. She didn't want to answer.
My mind wandered while everyone sat in silence, to Iggy's sightless eyes. "Is Iggy blind because of their tests?" I asked.
Julia nodded.
"So what DNA do you guys have?" Ella spoke up, trying to lighten the mood.
"I have cat. It's why my eyes glow, sort of like cat's eyes do sometimes. I have excellent reflexes and speed, but I've also mutated and have the power to make my hands glow. Though I warn you not to go near them, they'll melt your hands before you touch me."
"I'm part Stingray. I can breathe underwater-which was extremely convenient when they chained me in tubs of water- and shock people into comas if I wanted. Though, only one person has ever gone unaffected." Julia explained and then looked at me.
"When I had your hand you tried to shock me?" I asked.
Julia nodded, "But obviously, you weren't harmed in the slightest. You can probably rest assured you won't die when they inject you."
"Stingray?" Nudge spoke up changing the subject. "Why did they choose that? How do they choose which DNA to inject into us?"
"As far as we know, they choose by random."
Alex's head snapped to the doorway, her eyes wide. "Well, as much as I've liked your input on my outfit Nudge, I'm going to bed. Early morning tomorrow. Night." Alex motioned her head, indicating there was someone out there before climbing into bed.
"Night guys," I said following suit and taking the hint that we were being listened to.
Was this worth the wait? I really, really hope it is, and I'm really sorry for the wait. Review please I love them.
What do you guys think about the evil camp? Hehehe.
Review pretty please.