The dirt road was riddled with potholes, which only added to Carmina’s misery.  While all her friends were out enjoying their senior summer, she was trapped in the backseat of her mother’s minivan. An odd mixture of rebellion and dread filled Carmina’s mind as her mother pulled to a stop at the entrance of Camp Courage.

                From the view of the parking lot, the camp looked like a dump. It’s squat cabins and murky lake created quite the eyesore. Carmina grabbed her suitcase and followed her mother towards the front office. A rain shower the night before had turned the ground into a glorified swamp. Carmina groaned as her sneakers became soggier and soggier with each step.  “This is ridiculous.” She said. “Do you really think this cesspool is going to change me?”

                Her mother, Maya, nodded. “This camp has shown proven results.’

                Carmina lit a cigarette. “I guarantee that for every one success story this place has, there’s about a dozen failures.” She said, letting a puff of smoke escape her mouth. “I don’t want to change. I’m not going to change.”

                Maya was about to scold her daughter when a young man came out of the front office. Carmina rolled her eyes at the sight of him. The clean-cut teenager was wearing a polo with the camp’s logo on it and a pair of neat khakis. “Hello ma’am, welcome to Camp Courage.” He said, shaking Maya’s hand. His gaze rested on Carmina. “I’m going to have to ask you to put out the cigarette.”

                “Who rammed a stick up your ass?” Carmina snapped, blowing smoke into the man’s face.

                “Forgive my daughter.” Maya said. “She’s hit a bit of a rough patch in life. I have no idea what to do with her.”

                “Well, that’s what we’re here for.” The man replied. “I’m Leo. Believe it or not, I was a camper here last summer.”

                “How much did they pay you to say that?” Carmina asked.

                It began to drizzle. Disgruntled, Carmina put out her cigarette and joined her mother and Leo in the front office. “My father should be here soon.” Leo said. “He had to run a few errands.”

                “Hold up, your father?” Carmina asked. “I thought you said you were a camper here.”

                “I was. My father just so happens to be the head counselor.”

                Carmina glanced at her mother. “See? The head counselor had to send his own son here. If that doesn’t scream ‘bad parenting’ then I don’t know what does.”

                Leo’s fake smile faded into a scowl. “Let’s make one thing perfectly clear. I had to come here because of my own poor choices, not because I lacked parenting.” He said. “My father is a great man.”

                “Whatever helps you sleep at night.” Carmina replied.

                As if on cue, Leo’s father entered the office. Carmina could tell who he was right away because him and Leo were the spitting image of each other. They shared the same dirty blond hair, the same light blue eyes, and even the same crooked grin. ‘You must be Carmina!” He exclaimed. “I’m Otis O’Day, I pretty much run this popsicle stand. Is that what you kids are saying these days? Popsicle stand?”

                “Sure, dad.”

                “Rest assured your daughter is going to be well taken care of.” Otis said cheerfully. “I hate to do this, but now is the time to say goodbye to Carmina.”

                Maya pulled Carmina into an unwarranted hug. “I love you.” She whispered. “Don’t forget that.”

                “Just go away.” Maya muttered.

                Not a moment after her mother drove away, Otis’s personality changed from happy-go-lucky to downright nasty. “You’re a day late.” He muttered, shoving a uniform into Carmina’s hands. “Get changed, and take those ridiculous piercings out of your face. Orientation is in an hour.”

                Carmina went to the nearest bathroom and immediately began looking for an escape route. To her dismay, the windows were barred—like she was in prison. One by one, she took out her piercings. The tips of her hair were purple, but the roots had turned brown. Carmina wished she had remembered to dye it before being dragged to camp. The uniform was a plain black shirt with a high neckline and loose-fitting jeans. Carmina had never felt frumpier.

                When she went back to the front office, her suitcase was being ravaged a team of counselors. Carmina opened her mouth to protest, but Otis stopped her. “You have no rights here.” He said.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

                Once they were a safe distance from the front office, Carmina said, “What’s the deal with your dad?” she asked. “The minute my mother left he started acting like a different person.”

                “that’s just the way he is.”

                “And you think that’s okay?”

                “I respect him.” Leo said bluntly. “That’s all there is to it.”

                Leo stopped in front of a small cinder-block building with a number 12 over the door. “Your roommate, Odette, is already inside.” He said. “Oh, and there’s going to be a counselor in there too. You’ll meet her at orientation.”

                “Goody.” Carmina said, reaching for the doorknob. “You can leave now.”

                Leo turned on his heel and began to walk away. Against her better judgement, Carmina said, “By the way, it’s okay to stand up to your father. I can see right through your false adoration of him.”

                Leo paused to say something, but stopped himself. He simply continued the short trek back to the main office without saying a single word.

                The door to Carmina’s cabin squeaked when she pushed it open. Inside, she found a bunk bed and a full-sized bed, presumably for the counselor. Odette was sitting on the bottom bunk, ripping a camp brochure into little pieces. Heavy makeup covered her pale skin, and she had her brown hair tied up in two buns on either side of her head. “You a newbie?” She asked. When Carmina didn’t reply, she laughed. “I’ll take that as a yes. So what are you in for?’

                “I tried to rob a Lacys.”

                “Lacys? Like the department store?”

                “Yep.”

                “Tell me more about this attempted robbery.”

                Carmina climbed to the top bunk and laid on her back. “Well, I was with a group of friends, and we needed money for drugs.” She said. “I didn’t know it at the time, but one of them had a gun. He held it to the cashier’s head and demanded all the money in the register. In the end, no one got hurt. But we didn’t get very far before being arrested. Since I’m still a minor and all, and I didn’t know about the gun, the judge let me off with community service. My mom wasn’t so kind. She sent me here.”

                “Damn. You’re lucky. My brother was in a situation just like yours, and he got five years.”

                “So what about you?’ Carmina asked. “What’d you do?”

                “A little this, a little that.” Odette replied vaguely. “It’s my fourth summer here, and they haven’t changed me yet. Not one bit. I turn eighteen soon, so next year it’ll be adios to Camp Courage and hola to fun and booze.”

                “I like the sound of that.” Carmina replied. She reached into the pocket of her jeans and pulled out two cigarettes and a lighter. “I snuck these past the wardens. Want a quick smoke before orientation?”

                Odette’s face lit up. “I like you already.”

                “A toast,” Carmina began, “To gifted kid burnouts.”

                “To gifted kid burnouts.” Odette repeated.

                Orientation was in the Cove, which was located in the center of camp. It was the nicest building there, which, granted, wasn’t saying much. It’s interior was reminiscent of a church, with long wooden benches to either side, a center aisle, and a stage with a dirty screen. Carmina sat down and crossed her arms across her chest.

                “Something feels off about all this.” Odette said. She looked around. “There’s no counselors here. All the other times I was here, they watched me like a hawk all day, every day.”

                “Maybe they’re waiting to come out all at once.” Carmina suggested. “Sort of like an introduction thing.”

                “You’re probably right.” Odette replied.

                Just then, Leo entered the room. The panic on his face was evident as he looked for his fellow counselors. Carmina laughed. “Guess he didn’t get the memo.”

                “Who, Leo?” Odette replied. “Even I feel bad for that guy.”

                “Why?”

                Before Odette could reply, the lights were dimmed. The screen lit up, and a video began to play.

                But it wasn’t a video for Camp Cadaver.

                It was a video for come organization calling themselves the Greater Good.

                Otis appeared on the screen. “As of today, Camp Courage is being converted into the official Greater Good Research Facility.” He stated. “Over the next three months, each and every one of you will be put through grueling physical and cognitive tests. Many of you will die.”

                Carmina couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Otis continued his little speech. “The United States is currently engaged in a war unlike the world has ever seen. Of course, you all think the war is no big deal because the media is covering up how horrible the situation really is. Well guess what? We’re losing. The main goal of the Greater Good is to create  ultimate human weapons capable of ensuring America’s victory. You may be thinking that we’re using you as guinea pigs, and while there is some truth to that idea, keep in mind that your lives have a purpose now. If you die, it will not be in vain. And don’t worry, your parents had no idea about this before dropping you off. They’re being informed of the situation as we speak. By now you’ve already noticed there is a lack of counselors. That’s because you’re on your own. My suggestion? Spend the night assigning chores to each other. The real fun begins tomorrow morning. That is all for now.”

                The screen went black.