Baby Talk

clear sticker stock - I have access to that as shown above to print anything I suggested that two posts before yours *neat *weight, *weigh

Hi Di, That’s funny but not, I would die if that happened to me. Granted I wear diapers with baby prints from LFB and Rearz; I’m tired of medical diapers and wanted to have fun.

Hey everyone! Sorry about another delay. I probably could have popped this one out yesterday as planned, but I still had to edit the chapter, and if any of you have read my previous works in real-time, you know I’m not always the best at that late at night. So, apologies, but fortunately, I should have another chapter up by tomorrow. I fleshed a few things out and this will make the next couple go faster… at least to write. This also means another chapter was added to give more character depth and I think urgency here. I also wasn’t thinking of the timeline, so this added chapter should help with that as well… which now brings the total to 17. I’m going to try and not do that too much, but I would rather do something longer and more compelling and fleshed out than a faster story that misses several character beats. Now… last but not least and as usual, I hope everyone enjoys this next chapter of my story! Chapter 3: Welcome to Camp Several new campers around me cheered at this woman’s message though, and above us, she looked entirely pleased by such a reaction. The woman, draped in her curly blonde hair, had a regal yet reserved quality about her. Like many of the other camp leaders that hurried about the camp around us, she wore a khaki-green button-down shirt and rolled-up edge’s shorts combo. A patch of the camp, highlighting a large figure on the right holding the hand of a smaller figure on the left and marked by a forest and a sunset in the background, was stitched over her upper left chest pocket. On the right, a black bar was scrawled with something, and seeing the other leaders, I knew it was a nametag. She placed a hand on her chest. “I’m Mrs. Regina Claw. I am the head leader of this place.” Right away, hearing her last name, I knew she was connected to the woods we had just come from, her family name marking them well from what the bus driver had told us. And for a moment, I swore I saw a flicker of her eyes dart to them. “You all come from different backgrounds… had different lives… but here at Camp Commune,” she continued before gesturing out to us, “we consider you all family with us while you are here… and even after.” She then leaned forward and smiled down at us. “Here, you will pass the time until you so-called ‘bounce.’ Scientists have been hard at work figuring out at what age this will be beforehand, but we can at least know when it stops. As such, to chart your progress and determine when this bounce occurs, you will all have regular medical check-ups with our head nurse here, Mrs. Galen.” A tall redhead then stepped up and gave us a wave. Unlike Mrs. Claw, Mrs. Galen sported an off-white version of the same uniform, and underneath her nametag, she wore a simple metal caduceus as well. “After a few bits of housekeeping, you all will go to her for your first exam. This is not only to ensure your safety and ours from your varied pasts, but to obtain a baseline for our records of where you are at in your progress as well,” Mrs. Claw explained next. “After all, some of you may regress rather quickly…” I could only shudder a little at the notion of that occurring to any of us. “But before all that… I’m sure you all are aware of what we do here. Each cabin is based on your age, and with some exceptions, your abilities as well,” she noted. “For example, those who might lose the ability or concentration to read won’t necessarily be assigned to the sunshine, or yellow, cabin… but you will never find an AR appearing to be five years old in the black, or night, cabin. Mrs. Galen and your current cabin counselor will determine placement as they see fit…” There was an uncomfortable stir around me. Having read the pamphlet, I knew that ARs were divided amongst five cabins. The night, or black, cabin was the oldest. Sunshine, or yellow, was the youngest. From what I could tell from my research beforehand, ARs in that terrible last cabin essentially forfeited any semblance of the life they used to know once they entered. “As far as our rules are concerned, you will learn most of them as you progress here, but they should be the ones you all have been accustomed to most of your life, such as no lying, hitting, biting, spitting, or general misbehavior.” She paused and looked troubled for a moment. “We do have two rules that you may be unaccustomed to though…” I almost felt all the newbies around me lean in, seemingly determined to be the best little campers possible. “First… as you all are going through a process as ARs, we recognize that regression is just a natural process of your symptoms. While our counselors and leaders will try and prevent any embarrassment, we cannot guarantee this,” she noted dryly. “And while some instances of change we will let go or may not notice ourselves, we ask that you report any changes to us immediately. This will save yourself potential embarrassment, and in most cases, our staff from having to deal with… mistakes.” Uncomfortable and maybe even embarrassing, especially considering the blush I saw with some already… but it made sense. Regression was like that. Even something as simple as eating breakfast… if an AR couldn’t hold their orange juice… mistakes were inevitable. “Second, and more important though, with few exceptions such as the bonfire tonight, curfew is set at 9 PM, with certain cabins having an even earlier time.” Her face remained both stoic and grave. “This is for your safety and ours. These woods can become… dangerous at night…” Looking around, I could tell everyone was either confused, horrified, or questioning their very decision to come here. Yes, life outside in the wilderness, even with cabins and modern amenities, carried danger. Grizzlies out west and water moccasins in the south. It was a simple fact of life… but seeing Mrs. Claw explain all this away with such callousness and yet something hidden behind her smile, I swore there was something else at play here… “But back to today!” she practically chirped, any evidence of her more somber face now totally erased. “A medical assessment first, a tour, your cabin, and then join back for dinner and a bonfire right after!” She paused and grinned widely. “And… again, Welcome to Camp Commune!” Instead of before where the applause was surrounding me, it sounded more like a steady drip of water onto a pan. The claps probably could have been counted on one hand. And while Mrs. Claw didn’t say anything, I swore I saw a flash of an angry expression come over her face before she waved and turned around. “What the heck was that?” I questioned Brian as we waited in line to be examined about ten minutes later. “Beats me…” He shuddered. “I’ll say this though… definitely not going out at night now. I mean, you saw those woods, right? The same ones I did and… yikes.” I loved nature and trees and animals… but he was right. There was something peculiar about those woods. Even standing outside the medical cabin like we were, going in one-by-one, the woods seemed to ooze with mystery and danger. Seeing them there, I wanted to get inside as soon as possible. Fortunately, I was next. “Okay…” Mrs. Galen looked at her clipboard. She had taken a third of us, while her two under nurses took the others. “Miles… Bosch?” Her gaze shifted up towards me. “That’s right,” I noted as I pushed through the curtain, greeting her in-person now. “Perfect.” She then set her tablet down and patted the freshly-line exam table in front of me. “Have a seat, Miles. Just need to check a few things.” I complied but I was still slightly confused. “Didn’t we have to get vaccinated and have a medical check-up before we came here?” I asked. “It wasn’t easy and…” Mrs. Galen stopped me cold as she slid a raised tray over to me, slightly squeaking onto the floor. “Oh… sorry about that. Just need to get this closer to me. No sense in having to reach over each time.” She then plucked her stethoscope from the tray first. “But to answer your question, this is just to check and make sure everything is okay. Trust but verify right?” I had heard that phrase before and I never liked it. With ARV and with a bumblebee sticking out of her pocket, clearly a distraction for younger ARs under her care, I didn’t like the implication. It was like I was a child who couldn’t be trusted when they were asked if they had brushed their teeth or not. “I guess…” She smiled. “Just lift your shirt for me, Miles. A few checks today. Make sure you’re healthy, and then I’m going to draw a bit of blood. Not much and I promise, it’ll be over quickly.” “B… blood?” I looked over to the exam tray and saw the large silvery needle glinting under the exam lights overhead. “Is… is that really necessary?” She smirked and nodded. “Yes. But as I said, it’ll be over quick and you shouldn’t need another draw for a while if everything goes right.” If nothing else, I would say that she was quick and efficient in her practice. She checked my lungs, heart, she tapped various parts of my body, and even tested my reflexes, my vision, and verified a few medical practices I had before… like my wisdom teeth being removed or if I had my appendix out. Apparently, some ARs would regrow those parts as they regressed past the age where they had been removed. Even with that on my mind, I still winced at the drawing of blood, but once again, she was quick and proceeded to calmly place a cartoon character-filled Bad-Aid over where the needle had gone in. I was then too distracted by the childishness of such a simple little but telling thing on my arm now that I was out the door and greeted by my friends and coworkers who had gone before me before I even knew it. In a second, though, I noticed they sported similar Band-Aids.   “Hey everyone!” a tall man greeted us, his khaki green uniform like the others, except for stripes of black around the cuffs of the shirt and shorts, chest pockets, and the collar. “I’m Steven and I’ll be your counselor for however long you’re with us. “Us?” Dwayne questioned, his crossed arms almost seemingly permanently attached to his chest for the past hour now. “Jason, Perry, Eustace, and Uriah,” Steven explained. “They’ve been here for varying bits more than a week now in black cabin. I’ll let them introduce themselves once we circle back to our cabin, but for now, let me give you all the grand tour of this place.” No one cheered… just sort of nodded plainly or even outright grumbled. If he minded, Steven never said a word as we then began to worm our way through the camp that was to be our home for the next however long we were here. Most structures we passed looked like regular camping cabins, complete with lanterns, screen doors, a tin roof, and a small foot-high of local stones forming the base of each along with the seemingly locally sourced wood above. Some of the buildings were small, explained to be the counselors’ cabins on the far side of the property, while others were enormous, such as the longer dining hall and attached kitchen. Some venues were fully indoors, such as the computer lab, arts and crafts, and science, but several others were outdoors, like the shooting range, nature, and aquatics. Those were simple timber frame structures supporting similar tin roofs and full of various picnic tables and reinforced lockers. By each, a sign showed if they were open or closed in plain red and black letters. Just as we were coming back from the aquatics area on the edge of the lake, Leo spotted something new in the distance first. “Are those… buildings over there?” he questioned, pointing to a distant patch of meadow through the thick patch of trees around us where several buildings were clustered near each other. “Is it another camp? The girls camp maybe?” Steven stopped and shook his head. “No… that’s a local commune. One of the foundations for why we call ourselves ‘Camp Commune,’ actually.” “Oh…” Dwayne paused and looked hesitant. “Are they… crazy people?” Steven chuckled and shook his head. “Oh, no, no. They just like to live in a smaller community away from the crowded city. And I’m sure once you get to know them, you’ll find out just how lovely they are.” He took a few steps before turning back to us. “In fact, and I’m not supposed to tell you this… but you all will be regularly interacting with several members who live there. A little every day, and then three times a week, we all gather for a large meal in the dining hall before heading over to a bonfire between our two spaces. With both, we share our food and our stories for the night. A sort of welcoming ceremony to this place, if you will.” “That wasn’t in the pamphlet…” Brian said a second later, echoing the seeming unease all our group now seemed to feel based on our pensive facial expressions alone. “No… but consider it as more of a perk than anything else,” Steven suggested. “They’re friendly in a way that most aren’t accustomed to who aren’t from around here, but they share their food, music, and their knowledge with us… not to mention their land as well. When you have those strawberries tonight or hear their guitars or harmonics or know how to find water on top of the mountains nearby… you can thank them for all those provided things then.” Pushing up the grounds of the camp, the group moved along mulched or simply dusty and dirt-laden pathways. Long ditches on their sides marked where rain had fallen and pulled sections away, but the various patches between the grass and trees and flowers were easy enough to follow. And soon, the group came to five cabins, each with a border near the roof, doorway, and windows corresponding to the level of each. Curiously, while all shared the same space, there was a significant amount of distance between them. “And last, but certainly not least, of our tour today,” Steven explained, “are the main cabins where you all will be staying. There are others for camp staff and visitors that I showed you earlier, but these will be the main ones you all will stay at here for the duration of your stay.” He then turned and pointed at the first. “Right now, this is our cabin. Black, or night, cabin houses those over the age of 18. It’s likely the smallest of the cabins here as most who come to our camp have either regressed beyond its category or regress too quickly once here. Right now, of the potential sixteen that can stay here, only four are here. You all make eight…” “And the others?” Leo questioned, looking to his right at the ring of the semi-circle that spaced out the remaining cabins. “Yes. Well, we don’t need to go into them too much today, but once you regress below to their need, you will get a new counselor as well.” He pointed to the first and went down the line. “Next is purple, or amethyst, for those under 18. Then blue, or lake, for about preteen to child. Next, is red, or wagon, for younger children. And yellow, as you heard is for the youngest group… or sunshine.” I notice he didn’t note the qualifications required to start staying there other than ‘youngest.’ “And the ages for each?” Dwayne questioned. Just as Steven opened the door to our cabin, he stopped and sighed before turning back toward us. “You’ll find that beyond the 18 cutoffs between black and purple, we focus less on specific ages. Here, it’s more based on broad categories and skillsets.” He turned back to the door to open it. “No need to place teens with those can’t even hold a fork,” he mumbled under his breath before pushing on in. The comment was soft and barely audible, but each of had clearly heard it and now hesitated to enter with him inside. After a moment though, Leo sighed and joined right along. And because he went in, Dwayne had to follow. And because half our group had entered, I felt I needed to follow. And because he didn’t want to be alone in a new place either, despite his obvious apprehension about going in, Dwayne followed right behind me. I swore I even heard a yelp… but I didn’t press him on if he did or not. Inside, I could see right away that there were four bunks, two of which were already occupied with blankets and a few personal items with labeled cabinets behind each. In the rear, near a small cast iron stove, were the folded and stacked remains of what appeared to be four more bunks… like still empty due to only half the cabin being occupied. “Gentleman,” Steven introduced. “I give you the black, or night, cabin.” He then cleared his voice, and the four figures huddled around a table in the rear stood up and filed over with a little reluctance. I noticed right away that they were wearing the pure khaki uniform I had seen before… only with black stripes instead like Steven sported.   “Meet your new cabin mates. Jason, Perry, Eustace, and Uriah.” As he noted their names, each nodded back to the new group in their cabin. “I’m sure you all will be fast friends. But for now…” He gestured to the empty bunks. “From your exam today, we have left the properly sized camp uniforms. I’m going to make sure everything is going on schedule elsewhere and I’ll be back soon to take you all to dinner. Please be dressed and ready by then…” Just as he was leaving though, he peeped back in. “Oh, and one last thing… given the nature of ARV… if you’re uniform ever gets too small… please let me know right away. Thanks!” And with that and a wide grin, he was gone. Jason sighed. “He always does that. Says things and just leaves like it’s no big deal.” He shook his head and turned back toward us. “Let’s start again, huh? Name’s Jason.” Taking the initiative as always, Leo shook his hand first. “Good to meet you, Jason.” He then paused. “So, is this place always so…?” “Yes,” Eustace noted quickly. “Eustace here, but yes. Peppy and overly enthusiastic.” “Even if you’re bottoming out and just messed your pants…” Perry said with a shudder from his whole body soon after as if it was something he had witnessed firsthand around here. “Perry…” He gave a nod to each of us. “Is it really that bad?” Brian finally asked after a moment. “I take it you all don’t have much experience with ARV then?” Jason questioned. Each of us shook our heads. Jason sighed and gestured toward Eustace. “Will you show… you know… the thing?” Eustace nodded and pulled out a manual of sorts from a nearby wooden cabinet I now noticed was labeled with his name. “Yep. Here we are…” He flipped through a dozen or so pages before landing on one in particular. “Three categorizations, but the one no one wants… sudden regression.” “Sudden regression?” Brian questioned, always seeming to be full of them nowadays. “Yeah,” I finally pipped up. “Hey. Miles here. But yeah… all those news stories and viral videos from when all this started. You get infected and maybe shrink a few years, but then you stop. Some think you’re fine… then boom.” I plummeted my hand downward for emphasis. “Drop down to being a kindergarten within a day.” “Yes…” Uriah spoke up quietly before quickly huddling back behind a book of his own. Jason briefly looked back at the quiet one of the existing group in here before turning back towards us. “Don’t mind him, but yes. Made the news a bunch… a few around here have been like this. Last week, this cabin was full. Now, red and yellow cabins are almost over capacity. Some of them only lasted a day…” “Yeah… never seem to last long afterward for that group when it happens…” Perry breathed with some contempt. “Meaning?” Dwayne asked with an arched eyebrow and almost a hint of worry. “Positives of that category is you bounce fast once it happens,” Eustace explained. “Once you bounce, this place starts looking for your next steps.” Brian stepped forward. “As in…?” “As in… whatever that means,” Eustace explained. “For some… that’s back home. But for others…” he winced and turned to Jason. “You explain…” Jason nodded. “Some stay in the commune and other get… adopted out. It varies on what’s determined to be needed.” He then paused before looking at a clock on the wall. “But enough of that. You all should get dressed for dinner. You don’t want Steven to come back and to see that you’re not ready.” Immediately, he began to walk away and organize his own labeled cabinet on the wall behind one of the bunks. “Uh… hold it. Why is that?” Brian asked with a tiny amount of apprehension. “Yeah…” Dwayne scoffed and folded his arms once more. “What’s he going to do? Spank us?” “No,” Uriah noted with wide and fearful eyes as if he had witnessed that firsthand as well while he neatened up his own bed on top of one of the open bunks. “But you won’t like it either…” Perry spoke with a serious expression before tidying up his own bed and pulling off a set of shorts that had been lying over top from before. It was clear that all of us newbies wanted to ask more questions, but with the speed all the existing group was now working at, it was obvious those would have to wait. Being our first day, no one seemed interested in testing out the boundaries of the rules and consequences of breaking them around here… yet. “Okay! Looks like we’re all going to be friends here after all,” Steven said excitedly after returning. “And let’s see…” His eyes scanned over the whole black cabin group but lingered on us four newbies longer than the others. “Not bad… not bad. Maybe just…” He gestured to Brian’s belt. “Fix that one loop that didn’t get threaded through and we should be good.” Brian quickly adjusted his belt without complaint. As we walked away and to the dining hall though, I could tell that Dwayne was a little miffed about the whole procedure. He didn’t say anything, but above the noise of crunched gravel and shifting twigs and mulch underneath our new boots, I heard his knuckles crack. The last time I heard that, he was getting ready to pummel our competition after they called our firm ‘new and weak’ in the press when they found out we were bidding on the same project. Entering the dining hall, it stretched lengthways and tablecloths adorned each table in the color of the cabin supposed to be sitting there. Due to our relatively small size, despite having about 16 seats available, our row was cut in half in the front by a few campers from the red cabin. Seeing a few kids busily and noisily talking like nothing was wrong in front of us while most could barely touch the floor with their toes was a surreal experience. Fortunately, I was also distracted by the other groups just enough that before I could see anything worse, a large group of people soon entered, none of them wearing any semblance of a uniform. I counted about twenty or thirty of them, instead, all dressed nicely and in loose fitting almost homemade outfits reminiscent of items from the hippy festivals I had read about from the 60s or 70s. Most seemed happy as they fully entered and then sat down around the middle table while about five in their party brought up the rear with armfuls of baskets. “We offer these items to your kitchen,” they informed Mrs. Claw, who sat at the head table in front of the whole room along with Mrs. Galen and about seven or eight others I presumed were staff. “Thank you, Mildred,” Mrs. Claw noted with a smile. “We take your gifts in friendship.” She then gestured back to the middle table. “Please… take your seats and we can get started right away.” Mildred nodded. “Of course…” She then backed away just as Mrs. Claw stood up. “Good evening, everyone!” she greeted us cheerfully exactly like she had done before. “Good evening, Mrs. Claw!” everyone, aside from my friends and I, responded back, nearly sounding like the spine-chilling chant of a kindergarten class. “Tonight, we give thanks and praise to the commune, whom we share a special connection and bond with.” Her words were practiced, as if she had said them a thousand times before. Curiously, some even bowed their heads as if she was praying… especially the commune members. “We thank them for their hospitality and their gifts of the meal we are about to receive…” She then looked up and smiled before tossing her hands in the air. “Now… let’s eat!” Several cheers were let out… especially when a staff then popped out and dropped a serving dish in front of each of us. Looking at the food, I wondered if there was an alternative here, but to me at least, it looked wonderful. Especially having eaten only before the bus ride, I was starved. The turkey with gravy and the blueberries and fresh bright corn looked fantastic. I was less enthusiastic about the lima beans, but the mashed potatoes certainly made up for them. But as soon as it began, it was over. Mrs. Claw, after dabbing the corners of her mouth, stood up once more. “Now then… counselors, retire for the evening with your charges. Prepare as needed and gather by or usual spot in 30 minutes.” She paused and looked at each of the staff members. “Please… take the time and inform your campers of the expectations before we go to the bonfire tonight…” I saw Steven nod, and sure enough, five minutes later, he had gathered us near the main building by the flagpole and gathered us in. For the four already in the cabin, I swear I saw an eye roll or two, telling me this was just business as usual around here. “Okay, as you’ve heard before, tonight is the bonfire. Along with new arrivals, the addition of some commune members, and the larger dinner, we also hold a bonfire at the end of these three days during the week,” he explained. “During this, unless prompted to sing or call out, please remain quiet throughout the performance.” He winced for a moment, and I swore I saw a shudder in Uriah. “And please… don’t test tonight what will happen if you yell or speak out when the others are talking or singing…” Despite the serious nature of what he was saying, I saw Brian light up a bit when Steven noted that there would be singing. “The one exception is if you get scared,” Steven noted. “If that happens, please don’t be ashamed and just let me know… whatever the case, we can take care of it together.” In a near 180, at the sound of that, Brian looked most nervous out of all of us, but no one said another word. And so, our silent group only moved in contemplated reflection over what we were walking into. Frankly, the other cabins meandered down a long path close to the lake shore, and some seemed excited. Some seemed bored… but some seemed outright terrified… especially of the woods all around them, the branches still twisting and gnarled amongst the dead or malformed foliage. To make matters worse, having waited a little and considering the time of year, the sun was already starting to set. By the time we sat down, I could see a few in the blue and red cabins begin to shake and squirm once they sat down near the front. “Hmmm… this isn’t that bad, is it? Just some camp stories and songs, right?” “Hard to say…” Jason noted cryptically. “Not every bonfire is the same.” “Some have run out crying before though…” Perry sneered. “But that’s just because of the story at the end,” Eustace explained. “Pure ghost stories and nothing more. The rest of it is just typical summer camp stuff. Singing and skits… nothing more.” He sighed and rubbed his head like he knew a headache was about to form. “For the older crowds, it’s boredom because they’re focusing on the first part.” He gestured over to some of the clearly more frightened members, now clutching each other or a plushy stuffed animal. “For the younger, they’re scared because of the second part.” “The second part?” I questioned. “You mean the ghost stories. What would make them so scar…?” At this point, Jason jumped back in, cutting me off. “I wouldn’t think too much about either the boring bit or the more frightening bit.” He patted me on the back. “Just sit back and relax and try to enjoy it as best you can.” I wanted to press more, but Mrs. Claw soon took to the area in front of everyone and spoke up. The bonfires behind her on her left and right were then lit in all their glory. And, as predicted, while the corny camp songs and cheesy skits were near yawn-inducing for most of us, with Brian being one of the few exceptions, it wasn’t too bad. “Hey…” I whispered to Eustace, who always seemed to have all the answers. “This isn’t so bad…” “Told you…” he noted with a grin. “Just gotta push through this. Enjoy the pretty lights of the bonfires or whatever. We do this three times a week. Get’s pretty old pretty quick.” He took a breath. “Except the ghost stories or whatever you want to call them. I’ve been here for two weeks now… not one has been similar since.” “Really?” I questioned. “How many ghost stories does this place even ha…?” “Shhh!” Steven hushed us, shooting us an angry glare of indignance or our parts and a forceful finger pointed to us to convey his near-silent threat. Needless to say, it quickly silenced both Eustace and I. For now, my questions would have to remain unanswered. About an hour later, just as my right butt cheek began to fall asleep on the worn wooden benches we were all perched on, some better than others, things shifted. The actors and singers on the makeshift stage in front of the bonfires dispersed and a small skit was performed while the fires were stoked further, and larger previous props were removed. Then, shortly after the last skit ended, I saw the yellow group take their leave out the rear. As if he could read my thoughts, Jason leaned over. “Story time next. The yellows get their own… far more simplistic and less scary from what I’ve been told before. Less guts or stabbings too apparently…” He grinned. “Plus… everyone knows they have bedtimes even earlier than red cabin.” Looking over, I already saw a few red cabin campers yawning. Those who weren’t… already looked terrified though. “Now, for our final part of the night,” Mr. Pinter announced next, having previously introduced himself as one of the arts and crafts staff members. “We want to thank you for attending tonight’s bonfire, and for the commune members who have joined us tonight.” Mildred, discernable in the firelight’s warm glow, nodded her head without noise. “But now… we take you back on a journey…” he said, almost dropping his voice a full octave and adding a lot of breath to his words, giving them an otherworldly and ethereal feeling I didn’t quite enjoy. “These woods are filled with many tales… some creepy… some scary… some to haunt your dreams. Be wary of each…” “Each bonfire, they tell a different story about this area,” Eustace reminded the rest of our group as Mr. Pinter prattled on as he set the scene, leaning over to explain it all to us, me doubly so. “Frankly… there’s just way too many of them in one area.” He paused and for a moment almost seemed excited. “Actually… did you know there’s apparently a wendigo out in the woods somewhe…?” “Ahem.” Steven coughed and stared back at his camper, a second warning seeming just as bad as the first he had received earlier with me. “Eyes front, Eustace… don’t make me tell you again…” Eustace grimaced and shot back to his seat, ensuring to look forward only and pay attention to what was happening in front now. I swear that if a bird landed on his head, from his rigidity, he wouldn’t flex an inch. “When the cool winds blow and the moon is high, beware the Ghoulmoth… the prowler of the woods,” Mr. Pinter warned. “My daddy told me this one back in the day… gripping… ripping… it stalked the wild paths of the backwoods…” Some in the red cabin buried their faces into their stuffed animals. “One year, long before most of you were born,” he recalled, “my grandfather went up into the woods with his friends. ‘What’s that?’ one of them cried later after their hike… but looking around, no one saw a thing. So, disregarding all the warnings they had heard in town, they set up camp… Just as the sun fell, they heard the breeze rattle through the trees unnaturally.” Just like then, a breeze rattled through the trees to our back. I felt a chill go up my spin… uncontrollable… illogical. “The moon was high and their fire so low and dim.” As if on cue, the fires behind him began to dim… the chirps and paddles of the lapping lake beyond seemed to drift over us. “My grandfather went to collect wood… and when he looked up, he swore he saw a pair of ugly red eyes looking back at him.” “He yelled for his friends. ‘Help me! Help me! I saw a monster!’ But they didn’t believe him.” He paused and took a breath. “No one did anything, but my grandfather heard the creaking and the gnawing and the aching from the trees outside as he tried to fall asleep that night.” His eyes narrowed on the red cabin. “Then… he saw a shadow creep up, it’s long limbs seemingly dripping and floating in the dim moonlight outside.” He raised his voice. “My grandfather turned to his tentmate. ‘Tom! Tom! I see something!’ But Tom only shook his head and told him to go back to sleep.” He stopped and stepped closer to the red cabin, now seemingly pouring all his energy into scaring them. “Whispers and groans in the night. Nothing but the moans of an old wood… they grew…” He stopped. “And then a scream!” he shouted, causing several of the younger ARs to recoil and scream themselves in sheer terror. “Tom and my grandfather went to check on their friends… but they were gone. Only bloody rags and bootlaces remained.” He sighed. “They told the police, but no one believed them. Only an old man in town did. And he warned…” He paused and looked around his audience. “When the cool winds blow and the moon is high, beware the red eye controller the late, late hours. He stalks the land like a mighty beast, the green Ghoulmoth… the campers he devours…” He said no more… the bonfires fading away. A soft cry echoed from the campers near the bottom. For Brian, Leo, Dwayne, and I, confusion set in. ‘Why tell a story like that to end the night? Are they trying to induce nightmares or something?’ We only moved when Steven stood up and finally directed us back out of there. “Oh, that’s a bunch of BS!” Eustace noted after Brian once again questioned the story that had been told to us once we were all settled for the night after Steven bid us goodnight. “They’re just trying to scare you. Classic campfire ghost stories… no evidence to suggest anything else.” “But the woods…” Brian couldn’t get his mind off the woods, and frankly, when we were coming back, there was more than one instance of feeling creeped out. It didn’t help that Steven was the only one with any light source as he guided us back, but still… even to me, those woods felt unnatural. “Hogwash!” Perry scoffed. “Those woods are old… and you’re frightened of your own shadow.” “Perry…” The admonishment from Jason was clear. “It’s their first story here. You should know better… your remember how you were, right?” Perry sighed… “Yeah, yeah…” He turned toward Brian. “Sorry. Just… will you quit talking about them then? Doesn’t do anyone any good anyways…” Brian nodded silently, his gaze occasionally sneaking back toward the window and the trees and Claw forest beyond. “So… is it really every campfire they tell a story… like that?” I asked after a moment when most of the cabin went back to reading, getting ready for bed, or playing a game of cards at one of the tables in the cabin. “Pretty much,” Jason confirmed, spreading out his sheets on the lower bunk. “Creepy… but harmless if you don’t let it get to you…” He sighed. “Admittedly though, that’s easier said than done…” I nodded but a faint tapping on the window drew my attention that way. I went over to check and make sure no one was trying to play a prank on us. Getting there, I didn’t see anything… just a deadened limb swaying in the breeze and scratching the side of the cabin. And looking further out into the woods I saw nothing. All was good… Until I saw a pair of red orbs jutting out in the pitch black. I closed my eyes. My palms felt sweaty. ‘It’s not real… it’s not real…’ I could feel my heart pounding as I stood there and tried to will away what I had seen. ‘It was only a story… the Ghoulmoth isn’t real… it’s not real…’ I tried telling myself that over and over, but I knew standing by the window for longer would only arouse suspicions… so I opened my eyes. Nothing was staring back at me… only the dim of the moonlight glinting off some of the leaves shaking in the breeze. I sighed with relief, shook my head, and closed the blinds for the night. The trees still scraped against the cabin and I didn’t like that… but I played it off as purely my imagination. ‘It wasn’t real… it wasn’t real…’ Settling into my bed on the top bunk, I tried to put what I had seen out of my mind. The branches scraping on the roof and the side of our cabin didn’t help any. I felt an hour pass… maybe more. I was restless. Turning over to try for a different position, I saw Uriah… their eyes open just as wide as mine. “If you don’t see it, it doesn’t see you…” he said, before his eyes shot briefly over to the window. My eyes grew even wider. Just as I was about to speak to question him, Uriah held their finger up to their lips. “Shh… no one will believe you and you’ll be the butt of jokes around here. Trust me, you don’t want that. Just close your eyes and trust in the locks on the doors…” And without another word or hint of an explanation, he turned back around in bed. And so, I was left there with my thoughts. Nothing seemed to help except the pure exhaustion from the day. The camp was turning out to be radically different than I thought. I was hoping for the joys of my youth and instead I was placed in the middle of some backwoods horror show. It was only the first day and I silently hoped that tomorrow would be better. But as the branches scraped further on the roof above me, part of me seriously doubted that.

Hi Di, Your friendly Boho girl here that loves to cook and loves to eat. After years of standing for work, followed by standing in the kitchen I developed arthritis in my hip. Now I work from home and I’m always looking for ways to simplify meal prep. Slow cookers are an excellent appliance, set it forget it. However I found a multi cooker is more practical as they will slow cook, as well as sauté, sear, brown. I just received an Instant Pot as a gift, something I’d looked but passed on. They are a game changer. One appliance that does all the above plus can pressure cook. Ours is used once a week to make a large meal that lasts the week; You then can make a different side dish for variety. Hope this helps, 😊💜    

Maddy's parents have been so patient so far, but Maddy is really testing her mothers patienience. I think it's accurate to her age group, especially since Maddy is neoro-attypical. Mom desperately wants to retain Maddy's dignity, but her maturity is really getting in her way.