It was 6:00 AM sharp as Sarah pulled into the parking lot of Two Stud Camp. It was now her fifth year working there, And she was starting to wonder if she'd ever be able to leave. You see, Sarah had never planned for this job to be more than a temporary gig. Just a fun little thing, running around with some kids, making smores, telling campfire stories. The thing her dad had said before she left for her second year rang out in her head like a bad migraine. "Take a picture of some aliens for me.". It had been a joke at the time, Sarah knew that, but the comment burned in hindsight. She would never forget that second year. The year that stole her best friend's future away from him, and trapped her here, unable to bring herself to abandon the broken shell of the coolest person she had ever met.
Part of her wanted to move on. Skip town, and pursue her dreams in the city. But it just didn't feel fair to leave when she knew he would never get that option again. And besides, what if they came back? She couldn't let him be hurt again. She had to be there for him.
The cold air hit her face in a familiar and welcoming way as she slid open the front gates. She had a lot to do, after all, she was the head counselor now. Sarah was the one in charge of making sure everything was ready before the first campers arrived. But before all that... She had someone important to check up on.
It was a little cabin in the back. One that had been roped off and marked as condemned, just to keep the campers away from it. Sarah walked over and cautiously knocked on the door, smiling a bit as she heard an excited shuffling on the other side.
The door opened, and she was greeted with a haunting face, though it was one she had grown used to. Sarah threw her arms around Spud's shoulders, just as she had many times before. He couldn't return the hug, but they both knew he would if he could.
She gently pulled away, looking at him again "It's that time of year again Spud! Ready to help me set up camp?" Sarah grinned. There was a slight pit in her stomach, one that always seemed to appear when she stared at his distorted features. But she was determined to make sure he would never hear it in her voice.
Spud smiled. Or... The closest he could get to it. It's hard to read someone's expressions when every aspect of their face was turned in the wrong direction, but Sarah had gotten pretty good at deciphering the puzzle at this point.
He paused for a moment, like he was trying to think, before finally speaking. "Is... Um..." There was a slightly frustrated look on his face as he tried to find his words. Sarah just smiled at him patiently. "Jamie?" He spat out, like he'd given up on forming the full sentence. But that was okay, Sarah knew what he was getting at.
Jamie was one of the younger campers that they'd had the last few years. The campers had discovered Spud when he was sneaking out late one night, and despite the initial shock of his appearance, the kids really liked him. Especially Jamie. She was a fearless little girl, with a personality not unlike Sarah's own. Maybe that's why Spud got attached to her so quickly.
"Yeah, Jamie is coming back this year. I'm sure she'll be really happy to see you!"
Spud excitedly bounced on his hands a bit "Let's... Spud get ready." He hurried off, with surprising speed for someone walking with their arms. Sarah was just relieved to see him happy.
She ran off after him, and they began camp preparations as the sun rose higher into the sky. Hopefully this year goes off without a hitch...