Combining 2 prompts into one because I'm falling behind XD
Prompt: Set your story in the woods or at a campsite.
Prompt: Write a story that includes characters who are aware they are a work of fiction.
It was always hot during the summer in Maine. Mosquitoes plagued every other pocket of air, thunderstorms rolled in and out, and the sprinkler and water balloons were constantly in use. But today was different. The sky was clear and blue, the air was a comfortable seventy degrees, and my brother Clarence and I were sitting on a log above a clear pool surrounded by forest, our fishing lines falling straight down into the water and our muddy bare feet reflected in the ripples. We were slapping at the Mosquitoes and Blackflies absently while chattering and laughing about whatever came into our heads. We figured it was just another normal fishing day. We didn't know what was about to happen.
"No one can fit three Oreos into their mouth at the same time," I was arguing. "Not even you. Two, I can believe. But three? No way."
"But I can, Grace," Clarence shot back. "I did it with Oliver while we were at summer camp last year. He could fit four."
I made a face. "That's disgusting. Why would you even want to do that?" Before he could answer however, a loud snap sounded in the brush off to our right. It was followed by several more, and what sounded like a moan.
"Grace," Clarence's voice was a whisper. "I thought you said there are no Black Bears here."
"There aren't," I whispered back. "Maybe it's a…a stray dog or something."
He shook his head. "Too big. Bobcat?"
The fact that this seemed probably terrified me, and I reached over for the Fillet knife we'd brought along with us, my hand trembling a little bit. The underbrush near where the sound had come from was rustling, and I held my fishing pole between my knees as Clarence and I waited with bated breath for whatever it was moving them to come out. It wasn't a bobcat. It wasn't even a stray dog. It was a boy wearing patched overalls, with sandy hair and blue eyes. I recognized him instantly.
"Sorry to bother you," He smiled politely. "But my family is a little bit lost. Could you tell us where we are?"
Clarence's eyes widened. "You're–" I cut him off abruptly, covering his mouth with my hand.
"Are you crazy?" I hissed. "If we tell them we're not real now, awful things will happen."
"How do you know?" He whispered back.
"Every fanfiction I've ever read advises against it."
He rolled his eyes. "Oh, terrific. What 'awful things' are going to happen if we tell them now?"
"Well, they could run away because we'll sound like fruitcakes to them, and then the government could discover them and take them in for dissection or something…" I began, purposely using the worst scenario I knew to get him on board.
"Okay." He muttered. "I get it. So what do we do?"
"Act like friendly strangers, take them home, and discuss the fact that they're not supposed to exist over ice-cream cones."
"Fine." He muttered. "Well, right now you're in the middle of the woods," He addressed the boy. "But you can come home with us, and we can try and get you where you're going."
A woman appeared behind the boy, an apprehensive look on her face. She whispered something to the boy, who whispered something back, and then turned to us.
"Alright," He nodded. Clarence grinned, reeled in his line, and scooched off the log to meet him.
"I'm Clarence." He held out his hand for the boy to shake. "And that's my sister, Grace."
"I'm Janner," Janner didn't flinch at the amount of dirt accumulated on Clarence's hand, but instead shook it, and grinned. "This is my Mama, Nia, and over here are my sister Leeli, my brother Kalmar, my grandpa, Podo, and my uncle Artham. Like I said, we're lost."
I made to slide off the log, but paused. "Well, we can help with–Oh! I've got something!" I reeled my line in, grinning wider every time the fish on the other end tugged in protest, and suddenly, I was staring at a large, wiggling Smallmouth Bass.
"That thing is huge!" Clarence exclaimed from shore.
"This thing is supper," I agreed, standing up carefully and inching over to the ground. I hopped down, flinging my pole over my shoulder with a relish, and grabbing the tackle box from its spot on a rock. "Follow us," I gestured to the path ahead. "We have some details to talk through."
"So you're saying…" Leeli's eyes were wide. "That we're not real?"
"I'm afraid so." I nodded gravely, which was hard to do at the same time as licking an ice-cream cone. "At least, not in this world." Leeli shivered, and cuddled closer to Nia, who was staring at me with a look of increasing distrust. I flinched involuntarily under her gaze, I didn't want to be on her bad side. "But," I added. "I think we can figure out how to get you back there. How, I'm not sure yet, but we'll certainly figure it out."
"Good," Kalmar grinned. "Because I've got a kingdom that needs running."
Okay, so I don't like the ending to this, but I kind of ran out of time on this.