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Marco had finished taking the pans out of the oven, and had taken all of the hot dogs off of the griddle, and had chopped them up for those that would want them. He tipped the chopped up hot dogs into a paper bowl and then went to set it down on the table they had been using earlier.

"Thanks love... I got lucky that this place believes in real cheese. And real milk. However, the spices and a few other things are sorely lacking. I'm going to have this list filled out by the end of the day. How does a kitchen not have spices beyond salt and pepper." Marco sighed as he brought over his drink and sat down next to Em.

He looked over to Zeke and half-snorted at his comment. "For now, I don't mind the missing shirt. However, after this week, I make no promises." He chuckled as he piled some of the mac and cheese onto his own plate and then started eating.

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Aster grabbed some of his own food and nearly jumped out of his own skin at the sight of Em covered in filth. “Yes, it's bearable for now.” Aster answered, offering her an aggressive side eye as well. “But to be clear, it's acceptable for humans, not swamp things so please make sure to rinse off before entering.” Aster took a bite, humming contently as cheesy goodness filled his mouth. He'd had to sit there while smelling it cook after scrubbing his hands raw getting stains of who knows what and mildew and dust and insect carapaces out of the cabin before anyone could actually survive in it. He remembered however, that Marco had specifically added a hot dog for him to try and he grabbed one hesitantly.

Aster rolled his eyes at where he found Zeke's shirt. “Yes, yes, we're all glad whatever tension there was between you when you first showed up is resolved. Yay for the happy couple, but all it took was an hour? I feel like we've just witnessed some sort of record.” Aster drawled, forestalling his first taste of a hot dog. It was a bland looking thing. It reminded him of a sausage without the obvious spices mixed into the meat. It was firm to the touch and he couldn't quite place the meat it was made of and it looked, for all intensive purposes, like a dog toy. He sighed and used a knife to cut a piece off, popping it hesitantly in his mouth. He chewed, confused at the flavor, but ultimately wrinkled his nose and pushed it away.

“I will not partake in that anymore. I don't know what is in it and I certainly won't put something like that in me. Let the cat have his fill.” Aster waved at it dismissively, guesting at Demi.

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Demi walked in with Zeke, the smell of Mac and Cheese wafting through the air even beyond the ovens door. Not that Demi had ever had Mac from an oven, usually it was just stovetop and came in a box with yellow powder that one could only assume was the cheese. At most they’d add a small pad of butter in it to help. ”Marco my man, that smells amazing, but please tell me you put in the hot dogs. Can’t have Mac without it.” He looked back at Zeke as he accused him of stealing his shirt. ”Hey finders keepers Z, you lost your shirt and i grabbed it. Anyways, I was thinking about all of us going out to have a quick swim in the lake. Could eat some food, relax a bit, then head out to the lake for a bit of waterside fun.” He grabbed himself one of the paper plates, seeing the atrocity that was the separated dogs and Mac. What sort of a monster did that? You were meant to sear the cut wieners in the same pan you cooked the mac in so the flavours could marry. Now it was just…two separate things.

He snagged himself some of the food, adding in a few pieces of hotdogs before stirring it vigorously with a fork. Demi wanted to make sure it was a mixed as it could be, trying his best to marry the two before he slid onto the top of a table, feet firmly on the seat attached to it, as he looked over at Aster. ”Awe, I knew you liked me Aster. He thinks im as cute as a cat, even went as far as to say I was a 53, isnt he just the biggest sweetheart?” He winked as Aster with a shit eating grin before shoveling a forkfull of food into his mouth. Scooping the tongs of the fork into the cylindrical tubing of the Mac before stabbing the hot dog pieces. ”All we had was an hour. Didn’t wanna leave you all hanging too long. Besides, the days still young and we have a week or whatever the fuck left so, plenty of time Aster dont you worry your pretty little head.”

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Nancy rolled her eyes as her brother came in without a shirt on. It wasn't anything she hadn't seen before. "Hopefully you didn't misplace your sunscreen, too - or you'll have a gnarly burn." Of course, everyone thirsting over her twin brother made her want to gag. He was her brother, he wasn't some heartthrob on a magazine cover. And she definitely didn't want to be part of conversations that eluded to him having sex with Demi - she was happy for him, yes, but he was her brother. There were things she just didn't want to think about. It'd never really been a problem before because he'd never really dated anyone. Best not to think about it, though.

"Thanks, Marco," Nancy said, as she took some of the food, biting into the mac and cheese. At Demi's suggestion for a group activity though, she winced. As much as her mother had taken her to tons of camps and extracurriculars growing up, Nancy was a horrible swimmer. She had an intense fear of drowning, of going into a seizure while in the water and just never waking back up - and it had prevented her from learning, prevented her from really trying. While the other kids were swimming, she usually sat back with the counselors on duty, reading a book and waiting for the swim session to be over.

She sighed slightly. She didn't fit in here at all. "I think I will pass," she told Demi, her smile thin. "But you all have fun."

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@KazAlkemi@Achronum@kittyluna45@Morose@Trainerblue192

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“I am definitely not a swamp creature, Aster. You know they say you should try a new food three times before deciding if you like it or not,” she suggested, smiling. The conversation about Zeke and Demi caused her to laugh. New relationships were so cute. Nancy, looking uncomfortable, wasn’t missed by her, and she was tempted to make a rule for everyone not to talk about sex around her. However, she knew that wouldn’t last long. It was unfortunate that she was uncomfortable around the subject. She’d at least keep her comments about it to a minimum around her.

Dobbs came into the kitchen. He looked around at the gathered group. “Are you all getting work done?”

“Yes, Dobbs. I cleared off most of a trail. I’ll head back after I put calories into me.” She rolled her eyes at the man. She did want to go for a dip. If he was going to be like this the whole week, she might do a night swim instead. As long as she didn’t go alone, that would be fine. Mmm, skinny dipping with Marco could be a lot of fun. She smiled at Marco, her eyes sparkling with desire.

Dobbs grunted, seeming satisfied with that. He didn’t really care what they did, as long as actual work was done. He couldn’t get everything done in time. The camp’s agreement that brought in the volunteers wasn’t perfect. He’d rather have more people to get more done. He wished that all the staff came early. He couldn’t have everything he wished for, and he was just a maintenance guy in a job he didn’t care for. He served himself some food.

Em finished her lunch quickly. Drinking down all the water in the cup. She was very thirsty after the labor she had been doing. Sitting inside the cooler building was nice, and she didn’t particularly want to go outside yet. Maybe she’d help Marco clean up again.

Nancy had decided to go on a walk after lunch, preferring a moment of time for herself, away from her brother and the rest. They’d been working all day and the progress was barely tangible - it’d be a miracle if they had this place open in time. But her somewhat sour mood was more social in nature - if these few hours were anything to go by, she didn’t know how she’d last a week in this company, much less the entire summer. At least outside, she didn’t have to see her brother parading around shirtless, with conversations revolving around if he and his boyfriend of ten minutes had had sex yet.

With lunch behind them, Aster decided it was time to tackle the boathouse. He'd spent his whole morning stuffed away where the world couldn't see him and that was a crime in and of itself. His back ached from bending at weird angles to get the grime out between the floorboards and from under the edges of the mattress and working outside would be a nice way to shake it off, especially without their jailer breathing down his neck. He said his goodbyes to the dog and the cat and Em and Marco and stretched as he let the door to the main building shut behind him. He rolled the stiffness out of his neck and scanned his surroundings. He wasn't incredibly certain where the boathouse was but…

Oh, that must be it. The dilapidated little shack on the edge must be where the boats are and Aster whistled as he sauntered down that way, pausing for just a moment (or ten, but who counted when you're staring at perfection?) to gaze into his compact and sigh dreamily at his reflection. He knew the others were jealous - he was perfection incarnate and they'd never reach his heights.

“...they’re all so fucking grody, like why does it have to be shoved in my fucking face constantly that they’re all sucking face all the time…” Nancy muttered under her breath, unaware of where her feet carried her. She knew very little as to how to navigate this camp and while there were maps, she was hopeless in their interpretation. Not that she had a precise destination in mind, of course. If Dobbs wanted to come and get on her for not going straight to work, he could. She didn’t care. This was all a joke, anyway. Resurrecting a haunted camp with a bunch of teenage fuck-ups as the crew, just a week before opening? Incredible planning. Really, they’d outdone themselves.

Aster snapped his compact close as the girl always trailing behind the retriever wandered by, muttering about their silly little courtship rituals. Aster laughed as he fell in stride with her. “They can't help themselves - they're pesky little animals that need each other's approval or at least a distraction from knowing just how inferior they are.” Aster happily offered up, guiding her towards the boathouse. Many hands made for light work after all. “They need to huff and puff and make lovesick eyes across an empty room to distract them that they aren't me.”

Nancy paused for a moment, stopping in her tracks. Her usual reaction in this sort of situation would have been to pointedly ignore the intrusion, and walk off in the opposite direction. However… she knew her own temper and she knew that she would benefit from letting off some steam, before it became a full on meltdown. So with a somewhat skeptical glance at Aster, she resumed her pace, allowing him to guide her towards the boathouse. “Imagine being in the car with them for the entire drive here,” she commiserated with a huff. “I don’t have an issue with them sleeping with each other - I just hate how it’s now the topic of every conversation. I don’t want to think about my little brother getting pounded, I don’t want to be there when Demi is throwing himself at him from the backseat. And while I haven’t seen much of this from the other two, I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re being just as nauseating in front of you. It’s like once someone becomes part of a couple, it’s their entire personality. Almost like they’re possessed by some horny ghost.”

“Em and Marco are beyond that phase, for each other at least. Find something interesting they can explore, however…” Aster sighed. “I mean for God's sake, he growled at the sight of those two's hankies. If it hadn't been for Dobbs, the poor man would have propositioned them almost immediately. I certainly do not understand what makes people so interested in humping each other like wild animals the moment they realize they play for the same teams.”

“He… growled?” Nancy was stunned - and admittedly, grossed out as well. She knew that people could get a little feral sometimes when it came to these things, but it was one thing to experience things in a movie, and another to have it be part of her actual life. “I don’t get it, either. I don’t play for a team. If I woke up one day and felt like that, I’d drink bleach to make it stop, I think,” she admitted. Her heart did beat a little faster, though. She’d never met someone else like her before. Was Aster also…?

“Oh, yes. And he thought it was subtle, bless his heart.” Aster shook his head disapprovingly. “I can appreciate the appeal. I find the idea of men enticing, but I haven't found anyone who is worthy of a paragon of human beauty. I have no interest in offering myself up like chicken at a roadside buffet. If someone wants to worship me, they'll need to earn it; otherwise, the only one who deserves me is me.”

Ah. Aster was not like her. Not quite, at least. Maybe he was simply aromantic, rather than asexual? At any rate though, he was someone she could understand - someone that she could go to when the others were being irritating. “And that’s totally fine - but people act like you’re insane if you’re fine being with yourself, and they assume that you have to be some sort of sick freak if you aren’t jamming your tongue down someone’s throat all the time. And it’s worse when you’re a twin, sometimes. I know people look at me and assume that I’d die in a ditch if I couldn’t be with my brother constantly.”

“And self love is the most important of all. If you don't love yourself, how will you recognize love as true?” Aster agreed. “Too many people are afraid of their own reflection, suffering in their sordid affairs and shattered souls, but I embrace my own as the exquisite piece of art that it is. There is a difference between loneliness and solitude and I find solitude, especially when a window is available, is often a splendid way to spend a day.”

“...Huh. You’re actually pretty rad, Aster. I’ll keep that in mind,” Nancy smiled slightly, before frowning at the state of the boathouse. “I assume you expect me to help you with this?”

“Oh without a doubt. My advice isn't free, you know.”

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While everyone started to leave the kitchen to get back to fixing up the camp, Zeke found himself remaining in his chair, enjoying every last scrap of food he could get his hands on. Zeke groaned.

”Seriously, Marco, how does anyone get this good at cooking? You’re a god,” he declared.

Marco chuckled softly at Zeke’s proclamation as he went to pick up the empty dishes off the table. ”Well, have a busy father, no mother and a best friend’s mother that thinks the height of cooking is casseroles. Add in a dash of religious grandmother that while she hates your existence wants the recipes to live on so she teaches you, and you get… me.”

“My mother is obsessed with casseroles. In a vague way this is unhealthy. If it weren’t for Marco I’d have grown up exclusively on them. But mom would watch us both when she could. So thank the gods he learned how to cook and took over. Also, yes, he is a god, in more ways than one.” Em grinned and winked. She hopped off the counter. “Alright, clean up time? Want help again?”

”Hey, don’t knock a good casserole,” Zeke said. He finished eating and set the dishes that needed to be washed beside the sink. ”I could help clean. I don’t feel like doing manual labour quite yet,” he said.

”A good one, sure. But for every meal, every dinner? And with ingredients that really shouldn’t be in a casserole? Nope.” Marco stretched a bit and looked over at the pile of dishes and the things he still needed to wash. ”You know, I won’t turn down help from my favorite woman, and you Zeke. It will help make the pile of dishes go down faster.”

Em leaned in and kissed Marco’s cheek. “Happy to help.” She tossed her paper plate and put her flatware in the sink. “I’ll wash, you bring me stuff. Zeke, you dry and then Marco can put stuff away.” That made sense to Em because Marco would know what went where or at least he could set up his own system. She started the water.

”Sure!” Zeke said with a smile, happy to be included. He picked up a towel and leaned against the counter while he waited for Em to get started on washing. ”So, did you two grow up together or something?” Zeke asked. He picked up that that was the most likely scenario with how Marco talked about his mom’s best friend, and Em mentioned her mom was the casserole queen.

”Well, we met at pre-school, and have been friends since then. My dad was usually busy, so I spent a lot of time at Em’s place so that I wasn’t home alone. I got to spend more time with my best friend, so it was a win for me, even if we got in a whole lot of trouble, due to Em.” Marco chuckled as he looked at Em and winked a bit, and then went to bring Em more stuff to wash.

“I am the queen of getting us into trouble. Actually the first day we met I got into trouble for punching another kid.” She smiled proudly over her shoulder. “He deserved it. And so has every other one.”

Zeke watched the pair of them, looking back and forth as they shared their story with him. He picked up a dish and started to dry. ”I can relate. Although, my sister and I usually swap back and forth on the punching someone,” he joked. ”So friends since pre-school and now you guys are…a couple? Sorry, you seem close. Like really close. The only one I’m that close to is my sister, so I’m just assuming,” Zeke said, rambling now.

”Yeah, we’re dating. But… according to… a birdy, you’re rather close to someone else~ Or am I wrong~” Marco giggled softly as he looked at Zeke and wiggled his brows a bit.

Em turned from her washing to look at Zeke, “Oooh, tell me.” She continued to scrub the dishes, and rinsed them off for Zeke to dry.

Zeke busied himself with drying dishes, feeling heat creep up the back of his neck to his face. ”I mean, well, ya…Demi and I made it official on the way up here, actually. I didn’t really know he liked me,” Zeke confessed. ”He was always just that annoying guy that hung out at the music store I work at a little too long every day…” As soon as Zeke said it outloud he wanted to smack himself. Duh.

Marco just had to laugh at that as he took a stack of dried dishes, and then set them off to the side where he could find them later. ”It’s usually obvious after something happens. But glad it has worked out for you two.” He chuckled softly and then moved off to find the cups and put them in the sink.

“Aww, good. I’m glad you two have hooked up then. I had a feeling when he was wearing your shirt at lunch.” She wiggled her eyebrows at Zeke. She was scrubbing a pan, but because it was particularly stuck on she was behind the other two.

Zeke blushed more, rubbing the back of his neck. ”Ya, I'm kind of excited. It'll be my first relationship that is out. I've been with girls and guys, but the guys have never wanted to go public even though I'm out as bi at my school. It feels good to be with a guy who wants to be seen with me.”

”Oh wow. Yeah, it is scary being out. You have every right to be excited for this relationship. Demi’s pretty darn cute. I was gonna try to hook up with him, but I have respect for new relationships.” Marco leaned over and then took over the pan from Em and kissed her on the cheek. ”I’ve got this pan. I think I burnt something.”

“All yours,” Em said. She stepped aside and dried off her hands. “Yeah, being out is tough. Especially if you’ve got a straight passing relationship.” She nodded at Marco, and then gestured to herself.

“You’ll figure it out though. And if you need someone to get punched for being asses to you let me know. I’ve gotten very good at it.”

Something twitched inside Zeke when Marco confessed his attraction to Demi, but he seemed to back off right away. He glanced between Em and Marco. ”Oh! Are you two in an open relationship, then?” Zeke asked, genuinely curious about the idea of an open relationship.

Marco had to laugh as Em said that she had gotten very good at punching people who were asses. ”Ah, my dear Em. The only person I know that willing got herself in trouble to end up here with me.” He chuckled as he scrubbed off the pan and then turned to Zeke.

”Oh, yeah. We’re both bi, so we both are attracted to people of the same sex. And I’m not gonna stop Em if she finds a woman she wants to have a good time with. We both come back to each other, and we’re very much in love.”

“And if he finds some cute guy he wants to have fun with I’m definitely not stopping him. Or he can always share.” Em grinned. She leaned against a counter. “No reason to be jealous when you know that the other person would do anything for you. And will always come back to you. I’ve loved Marco since that first day of pre-school. No one else matters to me near as much as he does. I told my mom that day when I went home that I’d marry him.”

Zeke smiled at that. ”That actually makes a lot of sense when you explain it like that. Did you actually punch someone just so you could come to this camp with Marco?” Zeke asked Em.

”Oh, no. She was already making illegal bathtub wine, and she let herself get caught. Which just made me fall in love with her more. I’ve adored Em since that day we met and she punched someone for asking me why I was dirty. She’s my everything. And yes, Em’s much better at explaining it than me.” Marco handed off the pan to Zeke to have him dry it.

Em laughed. “Oh, what Marco said. I didn’t punch someone to get here. Though I’ve punched many a racists dicks since meeting Marco. They never got me in trouble with the law. The bathtub wine in the dorm room... well it wasn’t my fault that the RA did an unannounced room search right?” Her tone implied that she likely had been the one to tip off the RA to search the room.

Zeke took the tray from Marco, shaking his head as he dried it. ”You two are crazy,” he declared. But he was also growing quickly fond of them. They both seemed like genuinely good people. Odd to find at a camp full of delinquents, but that was usually because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time.

”Maybe we’re crazy, but you’re the guy cleaning and drying dishes without a shirt. But you did get it stolen, so I can’t fault you.” Marco chuckled more as he looked over at Zeke and then went back to washing the plates.

“You know the best part. I don’t care what most people think about me. I get to live my life and be happy. People get punched when they mess up that feeling.” With the dishes dry, Em looked around the kitchen not sure what to do next. She too wasn’t quite ready to go back out into the heat of the day. Though the lake sounded like fun. “Do you need help with anything else before I head back out?” Em decided to just ask the person who she was there helping.

Zeke chuckled at Marco, drying up the last of the dishes before he grinned at Em. ”I like that philosophy,” he said. He set the, now damp towel, out to dry and looked about the kitchen.
”Ya, do you want help prepping for supper or something?”

Marco looked over at both Em and Zeke, and thought. ”Hmmm I wouldn’t mind help with prepping for dinner. I was thinking of just doing burgers or something simple. We don’t really have a lot in the way of food, and spices. I’m gonna have to save the gumbo for once Dobbs hauls up some more stuff for us, sorry Em. They might have a deep fryer here, and if not, the oven will work for fries. Not sure what to do for a veggie yet, as there are no fresh ones.”

“Not to defend Dobbs here... but I think he had to hike everything up here himself. There doesn’t seem to be a good road up here, which I would like to not think about how that’ll work in case of an emergency other than getting a helicopter.” Em started opening cupboards to try to see what options there were.

Somehow, Zeke's stomach grumbled at the thought of burgers and gumbo. ”I'm gonna get fat eating here, aren't I?” However, Zeke didn't mind. With all the physical labour, he was sure to work off whatever he put on.

”Do we even have bagged fries? Or are we going old school and cutting up potstoes?”

Marco went over to the freezer and then opened the door. He poked his head in and saw that there were bagged frozen french fries. ”Lucky for us, there are bagged fries. And I’m not mad at Dobbs, just mostly saying that I want to cook fancier for us than the camp had planned.”

“Well, we will probably be carrying things tomorrow morning when Dobbs comes in. Maybe we will be nice and wait for him at the parking lot to show how excited we are for things like coffee.” Em held up the large salt container. “Well, at least he believes in salt.”

Zeke clapped and rubbed his hands together. Excellent. ”Well at least if we're pack mules we'll be able to make more room for your delicious food, Marco.”

Marco chuckled at that and blushed a little at Zeke’s words. ”Yeah, salt is good to have. And yeah, we can help Dobbs carry everything out of the truck when he arrives tomorrow morning. Especially for coffee and spices.”

“Do you want help taking inventory? Deciding what else you want for the rest of the week? Or anything? We’ve got a few hours till dinner. So I doubt you’d start cooking anything right now unless it is like pulled pork.” Em put the salt back in the cupboard. There weren’t a lot of other spices in the cupboard. She could understand why Marco was so irritated, and why Gumbo would have to wait.

”Maybe I should bring some water to the others. See how they are doing.” Zeke realized there wasn't a lot for him to do in the kitchen until they had more supplies. Which wouldn't happen until tomorrow.

Marco sighed as they realized there really wasn't too much to do until there was more food, especially since he was planning such a simple meal. ”Yeah, water to the others would be a good idea. As for inventory, that might be nice, but if you want to head out to the lake, go ahead. I’ll figure this place out by myself.”

“I’ll help with inventory for a bit,” Em said. She went and grabbed her notepad and pencil. Knowing what they had would help know what they needed. If they had to be here for a week before any major provisions were brought up she wanted to make sure they’d be taken care of. “After that I’ll hit up the lake for a bit, then I’ll go back to work clearing trails.”

”Ya, I should check in with Aster and my sister, too. I'm looking forward to cooling off in the lake after.” Zeke scrambled around, looking for a basket to put some water in but he came up empty handed. He sighed and opted for just gathering as many as he could in arms and cradled them there and against his chest.

”Well, I'm off! Thanks again for cooking, Marco. See you guys later.” Zeke flashed them both a bright grin before heading out.

Marco chuckled a bit and then looked over at Em. ”It’s going to be a very interesting summer.” He walked over to the pantry to start doing inventory with his beloved, and cuddled in close.

Em leaned into Marco. “I’m looking forward to it actually. I like these three. They’ll be interesting. So far I’ve spent the most time with Nancy and she’s a little odd, but honestly a delight. After this is all over I hope we can stay friends with them.” She took notes as they went through the cupboards. Making colorful commentary about how disappointed she was in the dearth of good things.

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Demi had been wandering the grounds after lunch was had. Zeke and the Heteros had all gone off together, Nancy and Aster were off doing who cares, and so here he was left to his own devices. His hands were laced behind his head, walking around the dirt path of the camp as his Docs crunched into the soil beneath him. Hearing what could only be described as old man noises, Demi decided to take a turn and see what exactly Dobbs had been up to. Maybe he'd have more insight into the mysterious killer of Lava Lake, or maybe he could show him the best way to use a saw. Either way he was certain he'd get something out of this if not at least the enjoyment of pestering the old man.

Dobbs was loading a wheelbarrow with stacks of roof tiles. He had almost finished the roof he was currently working on. He was actually thankful for the group of kids. Their work on other parts of the camp saved him a lot of time. There was no way alone he could get all this work done. He wiped at his brow, spotting Demi coming around the building. He hoped that the kid was doing something and not wasting time.

”Thought I heard the sounds of a Dobbs in need of help.” Demi grabbed a stack of tiles himself, carefully placing them into the wheelbarrow the same way Dobbs had. He wasn't Canada's Strongman, but he was younger and a fair deal fitter than Dobbs was. He could clear this quicker than the old man, and that sounded like easy help to him.

Dobbs gave a slight nod and grunt. He wasn’t a verbose man as far as Demi and the others had seen so far. Unless he was explaining something. He picked up stacks and loaded them into the wheelbarrow with Demi until it was full. “Thank you,” he said. He started pushing the wheelbarrow toward the building. He had a couple of two-by-fours and a section of plywood screwed together and set up on a winch system. He started loading the roof tiles onto the plywood.

Demi followed alongside him, hands in his pockets as he watched the old man push the barrow. He would've done it himself, but he hadn't expected Dobbs to go straight for it, and offering after the fact felt too awkward and ageist. ”Sooo…this whole supernatural killer thing. Any gory details you might know? Or information on what to look out for should our camp become the target at night?” He grabbed a few tiles and followed behind, placing them on the odd wooden system Dobbs had seemed to have made. He was pretty handy, then again he figured with age came a lot of interesting tidbits of knowledge.

Dobbs grunted approval as Demi helped him move tiles from wheelbarrow to the winch system. “Heh, did I spook you a bit with that? Well there’s a few stories about it. If you hear the sound of a shovel on stone, run. You need to get inside A.S.A.P.” He said each letter of ASAP, popping a little with the ‘P.’

”Spook? No. But I'm also not stupid enough not to listen when there might be danger. I'll laugh it off, sure, pretending it's a joke. But I'll still listen in the event it's real. There's people I care about here and I'm not losin’ that. So, why shovel on stone? I mean you mentioned buried bodies before but, what's the deal?”

“I didn’t bury bodies. Elias was a grave digger. He’s got a shovel with him apparently. And if you hear a shovel on stone that means he is near, that he’s stalkin’ you,” he explained. Still carrying piles of tiles over to the platform.

”I know you didn't. I just meant you mentioned there being some. Grave digger with a shovel. Makes sense. The stalking …not so much. Does he not enter buildings then? Or is this a hide and seek sort of scenario?” Demi had continued to aid in the transfer of tiles, but he was clearly focused on what Dobbs was saying.

“The stories go that he stays in touch with the land. That he is part of the land itself. He could theoretically enter a building, but he isn’t likely to. That’s ‘cause if he’s off the land he won’t heal, and he can travel fast if he disappears into the soil and then appears elsewhere quickly. That’s if you listen to all the stories. Mind you I’ve heard three or so stories about Elias and they’re all a bit different.”

”Well that's right fucked. If he can travel via soil how am I supposed to run when I hear his shovel? Seems like a shite deal. But good to know, any inkling of ‘the land' is likely to be scrubbed away by Aster today. No dirt will set foot within the cabin I assume, which may keep us safer.”

“I don’t think he can travel like that. It has to be deep soil. Like I said, the shovel thing means he is stalking you. I can’t say if any part of this is actually how he would operate if he were real or not. Just tellin’ ya what I’ve heard.”

Demi waved away the concerns of whether or not there was any truth to these stories. Every story carried a kernel of truth inside, so any amount of information was helpful. ”Deep soil. Got it. Maybe what they should've done was pave over the land with concrete before fixing up the buildings.” He tried to joke.

Dobbs grunted at the joke. It wasn’t clear if he was laughing or not. “The other thing I’ve heard is watch the water. If it bubbles, those are nights Elias is active. If the water is calm you should be fine.”

”And here I thought jumping into the Lake would be safe since its water not soil.” Demi sighed, shaking his head before grabbing another pile of tiles to move. ”Hopefully the waters calm tonight then.”

“Hope so,” Dobbs said. They were almost done taking all the stacks from the wheelbarrow to the platform. “Thank you,” he said, then climbed up the ladder and started to winch the platform up to the roof so he could start installing them.

”Least I could do for a spot of information. Thanks Dobbs.”

Dobbs poked his head over the edge of the roof. “Oh last bit that I know. If you find fresh dirt piled in the woods, don’t touch it. He’s already chosen who’s going in it.”

Demi halted in his steps back towards the other campers, turning to look at Dobbs as he handed out his final bit of advice. ”Hate that Dobbs. I truly truly hate that thought.” His tone was flat and dead inside as he looked up at Dobbs.

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@KazAlkemi@Achronum@kittyluna45@Morose@Trainerblue192

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The day became hotter, and the sun marched across the sky. The water became more enticing for those who wanted to cool off. The sounds of Dobbs fixing the roof had resumed, and he would finish that cabin during these couple of hours.

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Em spent some more time with Marco helping with the inventory. She drank a glass of water before heading out, giving him one more kiss. “I’ll take your bag to the cabin too.”

She picked a bed in the cabin. The water called to her, so she changed quickly into a swimsuit before heading to the water. If she saw anyone on the way there, she waved. The water itself was cooler than she expected it would be, causing her to shiver. She dived into it quickly, though. Not wanting to delay the inevitable.

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Marco sighed a bit as he watched Zeke and Em leave the kitchen and leave him alone. He was looking around as he realized there really wasn’t too much to do until he needed to start dinner, and it wouldn’t be sometime till that. He stretched his arms and decided to head out, to do maybe a bit of unpacking and cleaning. He knew the others had worked on the cabins, but he wanted to make sure that his sleeping area was ready.

He stepped out of the Main hall and held his hand over his eyes and then squinted a bit. It was brighter than he had expected, and it annoyed him a bit. He groaned as he started to walk towards the cabin, humming a bit as he walked.

Dobbs hammered away on the roof of the cabin. He was almost done with this roof. There were a couple more to do. He knew there were other things that the kids, because to him they were kids, couldn’t do. They required his trade skills. He had been working everyday at this camp for weeks, months, and the looming date of the start of camp had gotten closer than he felt entirely comfortable.

As much as he had said he didn’t believe the story of Elias - Dobbs feared that this camp too would be doomed. He had given what information he could to Demi. He wished he had more to give them. But there were so few tales, and those that existed contradicted each other. He sighed, paused in his work, and saw the young black man.

“Marco, right? Thank you for the food. It was good. Make sure you’ve added anything you want to the list. If I can’t justify it for the receipts I’ll pay for it.” Maybe that is a goodness he can give these kids. He won’t get attached. He’ll keep his distance. But something is better than nothing.

Marco looked up and around as someone spoke to him, and saw that Dobbs was up on the roof. He waved and nodded softly. ”Yeah, I’ve added what I want to the list. I hope that you can justify most of it, except maybe the steaks. But those should just be for us anyways.” He chuckled softly and put his hands in his pockets.

He remembered the story from earlier and frowned a bit. ”That story… none of it was true, right? It’s all a folk tale, just to explain why the town failed, right?” Marco really didn’t buy into all that stuff, but there was that all nagging awful voice of his nana in the back of his mind. She bought into all of it, hoodoo, voodoo, all that kinda stuff.

Dobbs held up a hand, his forefinger extended. He disappeared over the edge of the roof and a moment later Marco could hear the sound, a ladder being used and Dobbs came around the corner of the building. He stepped into the anemic shade cast by the cabin.

“I don’t believe in Elias. Though the town failed, and anything else that has tried to last more than the summer has ended in blood. The newspapers show that the deaths are real. The stories... are just that, stories.”

Marco frowned a bit at Dobbs’ words. If people died, someone had to be doing the killing. He doubted that any of them there would be harming one another, if anything the new couple would be too horny, Nancy was… an unknown, and Aster? Aster would rather drop dead himself than lift a finger to do any bit of work harming another.

”Thanks. Well, I don’t plan to be here past the summer. No offense but… I got plans.”

“None taken. I know none of you necessarily want to be here. Just be... safe. Stay inside after dark alright. I know you might not want to. But if there is anything here, it happens when people wander around too much, draw attention to themselves.”

”Trust me. I’m use to not drawing attention to myself. Thanks. I’ll let you get back to work. I know we’ve got a week and a lot to do.” He nodded to Dobbs before heading off to the cabin.

Once there, he noticed that it had been pretty spruced up and cleaned up. He was thankful for that, as that meant that he could possibly catch up with the love of his life in a bit. He did unpack his bag a bit, taking some time to set up two bunks next to one another for him and Em. He got out their blankets, their pillows, and made sure that the strawberry plush he had gotten for Em right as they had started dating was on her bunk.

He also changed out of the clothing he had been cooking in earlier, as he knew he had sweated a bit. He kept the pants, as he wasn’t sure what was around still, but changed into a fresh clean shirt, and checked himself in the mirror.

Once he finished making sure he was cleaned up and presentable, he headed out to the lake to watch his beloved Em. He waved to her and settled onto a blanket on the shore and watched her enjoy the water.

Nancy was exhausted by the time she managed to give Aster the slip, leaving the boathouse and resuming her walk. All her energy from lunch had been rapidly depleted, her muscles tense and tired, and her heart rate a bit elevated. And to make things worse, she could feel a headache coming on - a headache that only deepened as she once again was not alone on the trail, this time her path crossing with her brother’s boyfriend, Demi. “Surprised you aren’t hanging over my brother. What gives?”

Demi was lazily walking down the path, hands behind his head, as he looked up slightly towards the sky and listened to the sound of dirt grinding beneath his boot. Nancy's voice cut through his thoughts, the myriad of information Dobbs had given him about the supposed killer lurking in the shadow of this camps past. He raised an eyebrow at her, hands dropping down to his hips as he popped his right. ”Was helping the old man move some lumber for the roofing job. I am supposed to be working and not just oogling your brother. What about you? What's got you alone out here, I'm pretty sure there's a buddy system in camps.”

“Aren’t you also alone out here?” Nancy shot back. Ugh. Her headache was only getting worse. She pinched the skin between her thumb and her index finger, an old trick that somehow would help to take the edge off of the pain. Unless… No. There was no way. “I just finished helping Aster out with the boathouse. For a rich kid, he actually knows how to clean. I was surprised.”

”Probably spent a lot of time with the maids. Doubt his parents ever gave him any real attention.” Demi bent his back a little backwards, stretching it out as they spoke. ”Eh, I'm more than fine alone. I was just gonna make my way over to whoever needed my help next. I helped Aster with the high spots, Dobbs with some lumber, figured someone somewhere may need me. If not well, I wouldn't be too bummed.”

“You helped Aster with the… But…?” Nancy frowned, confused for a moment. She had been helping Aster. That didn’t make any sense. And her head was continuing to pound, the fingers in her right hand twitching. It was only years of experience that told her what was about to happen, her heart pounding as she realized he was the only one around, that Zeke wasn’t nearby, that - “Demi,” Nancy began, trying to tell him to run and get help, to warn him, but it was too late.

She collapsed to the forest floor, her arms and limbs spasming, her eyes unseeing, just repeating the last action over and over again, repeating, “Demi, Demi, Demi.”

Demi's eyes widened as he watched Nancy collapse to the floor, the tell tale signs of a seizure beginning to happen. His name repeating over and over again, he hated it. The sound of his name haunting him as played on repeat. He knelt down next to Nancy, as quickly as he could, tilting her over towards her side as his eyes glanced at his watch. ”Step One: Make sure she's on her side.
Step Two: Time it. No longer than five minutes. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. ZEKE!!!” Demi cried out, tears welling up in his eyes as he kept one arm on her to make sure she didn't tilt back over onto her back.

For the next two minutes and twenty seven seconds, Nancy was lost to the world. She had no comprehension of what was happening, no awareness of her surroundings - her body writhed on the ground as if possessed, constantly in danger of rolling onto her back, of hitting her head against the ground, and a thousand other things. Her eyes were wide open, her pupils moving rapidly, and her speech didn’t stop - just the horrifying repetition of Demi’s name, until just as suddenly as it started, it stopped. Her movements stilled and she fell silent, sweat beading on her forehead.

It felt like an eternity. Every second an Eon as Nancy writhed on the ground, spasming and threatening to hurt herself with every movement. Talk to her, Zeke had told him, even if she can't listen just keep talking to her to calm her down. Demi tried. He began to tell her about how he went about making mix-tapes. Where he got his cassettes and musics and why he even bothered with any of it. Every few words stepping out into another anecdotal story that looped back into the original and kept him talking. Tears were streaming down his face as he talked, a knot stuck in his throat as words pushed past it with pain and he tried to keep his tone level. A minute in he called for Zeke again, begging towards the sky for his boyfriend to show up and assist. If this lasted longer and Nancy kept going, how was he supposed to make it to HAM?

It always felt like being forced awake from a nightmare. Nancy found herself completely disoriented, staring up at a sky partially obscured by trees, her heart pounding, her body sore, and her breaths quick and desperate. “Wh-where… what?”

”Oh. Rapid Racoon.” Demi whispered to himself as he put some space between himself and Nancy. She wasn't one for physical contact, and he didn't need to add to the stressors she was already having. He checked his watch, Two and a Half minutes, midway to complete danger. He sniffled. ”Heeey Nance. You're at the Camp, you had a bit of an episode. You were just helping Aster before I saw you, do you remember Aster?”

“It’s hard not to,” she grumbled, but it came out sounding more weak and tired than anything else. She struggled to get up into a seated position, her head swimming just from the simple motion, and she gingerly felt at the back of it, pulling her fingers away to inspect for blood. Just bruising, then.

”Don't force it. Take your time as needed. When youre ready, we can make out way towards the Caf. See if they have any Gatorade, I heard electrolytes help with after care.”

“… Do you know how long I was out?” She tried her best to remember, but the last thing she could recall was helping Aster in the boathouse. She didn’t remember leaving, didn’t remember running into Demi… had he just found her already in a seizure? Shit. If it had gone on too long, they’d need to get her to a hospital. And she’d need to find Zeke, wherever he was.

”Two and a Half minutes. Give or take a few seconds.” Demi tilted his watch towards Nancy, not that she would be able to see the passage of time he had, but at the very least to indicate he had a reliable way to track her seizure. ”No hospital visits yet. Guess you're still stuck here with Aster.” He tried to joke.

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It was sometime between their arrival and when he'd caught his reflection in the water when Nancy disappeared and Aster couldn't care less. The place was disheveled and dilapidated, the lie chain holding the doors shut left to hang. It seemed Dobbs left it open for them and anything else interested in rustling around in it. Aster hoped fervently that no animals had gotten nosey enough because if an opossum made its way out and hissed at him, Aster would just ask Dobbs to take him to jail. He couldn't mentally handle a flea ridden, rabid animal taking a swipe at him. Thankfully, it seemed that wasn't what he was worried about.

Everything else was the problem.

Still, they'd dredged some of the stuff out onto the shore and started inspecting the gear they had to work with when Aster caught sight of himself in the water. They'd been hard at work for long enough (barely half an hour but what was time in hell?) and he deserved some time to unabashedly admire perfection. Even a little flushed from exertion and glistening with a sheen of sweat, Aster knew he looked amazing and he sighed softly at himself in the lake.

After Zeke checked in with Nancy, he remained behind at the boat dock to help Aster clear out the shed full of gear for adventures on the water. Zeke was happy to see the place at least had lifejackets, although some of them had seen better days. Well, as long as none of the kids drowned. Zeke was laying out fishing gear when he looked over to see Aster admiring himself in the lake.

”Hey, Narcissus. I think it’s a little too soon for break time.”

“Hm?” Aster offered a noncommittal response, more interested in admiring himself than sullying his ears with whatever strange noises played out around him. It took a few moments for the words to register but eventually he blinked, turning to Zeke with a judgmental stare. “If Narcissus met me, he'd be begging to stare at me all day.” Aster replied primly and marched back towards the boats he'd been inspecting. He was really just marking down what had holes and what didn't so he could tell Dobbs - he really had no way to tell anything beyond that.

“So, what heinous crime did you commit to be stuck out in this dead end dream killer? You don't strike me as the criminal type.”

Zeke continued to move things out of the shed and organize items based on their usefulness and type of water activity. ”Ya, not really. My mom would have killed me if I had gotten into anything serious. My sister and I were in this abandoned house, one of those old plantation type homes, and we were filming a music video. We got charged with trespassing and breaking and entering. Honestly, the whole thing was ridiculous.”

Not beating the dog allegations then. Just like a retriever, getting into all sorts of places he shouldn't be. Aster couldn't help the laughter that rolled out at the thought. “That's hilarious! Was the video worth it at least, or did it get ruined when the police showed up?”

Zeke frowned slightly at Aster. He supposed the whole thing was funny now but he didn't think it was that hilarious.

”Well, Demi actually ruined it first. I guess it was a good place for skateboarding, which made sense. The building was full of graffiti, so we'd thought it would make a good backdrop but then he came riding through our set. Then the cops showed up. We're going to have to redo the whole thing.”

“He ruined your video and got you caught by the cops and you still found it reasonable to pursue him? In-ter-est-ing.” Aster drawled out, gazing at Zeke judgementally. “Or did you know him before all this?

Zeke stopped working. He frowned at Aster and crossed his arms. ”I knew him before all this. Are you still going on about me not settling? You barely even know me. Besides, why are you so interested in my love life? What about yours, hmm?”

“Its the only thing I know about you. And I have been informed that being friendly is encouraged and in Marco speak, that means mandatory or I'm going to be lectured.” Aster sighed and straightened, stretching with his arm up behind his head. “Frankly, I only cared about your relationship as far as your waffling went. I'm allergic to indecisiveness, I'll have you know, but since you wish it, I'll be more than happy to talk about me. He swapped arms and shook himself out after a few moments.

“I've yet to find anyone worth my time. They've all been dull, flighty, or poor. I don't come cheap after all and I have no interest in settling just because. My first love will always be me; everyone else is a distant second and I've yet to find a man who can prove me wrong.”

”Or you need to find someone who's okay being second. Unless you're into that fighting for the top spot thing.”

“Fighting? Ugh.” Aster waved the thought away. “But yes, finding someone who will worship the ground I walk on like I deserve is exactly what I'm looking for. I can't accept anything less than that. After all, the perfect person should have the perfect worshipper, right?”

Zeke smiled softly, shaking his head. ”Of course, Narcissus. As long as you recognize when someone is into you rather than getting lost in your reflection,” Zeke said, gesturing at the water.

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@KazAlkemi@Achronum@kittyluna45@Morose@Trainerblue192

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The heat of the day was on the stifling side now. Critters hid from it, taking solace in the cool places of the forest. The sound of Dobbs working paused for a while and then started from a new place. He had finished the cabin he had been working on. At this pace, he would be able to finish the roofs of all the cabins easily. There was a lot more work for him to do. He considered the need for extra hands, more people who were tradesmen. The kids would be helpful, but not in all the jobs that needed to be done.

The only thing that broke the monotony of the day was Demi’s voice, calling, screaming for Zeke. Dobbs paused in his work, looking toward the sound of the yelling. He stood, trying to figure out what was going on. He was responsible for these kids. He sighed and climbed down from the roof to see what the fuss was about. Hoping that it isn’t anything serious.

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Emily saw Marco watching. She waved back to him and blew a kiss. Emily missed the scream for Zeke, her head having been underwater. She got out, though, because of Marco. Em gave him a kiss on the forehead, wrapping herself in a towel.

“Hey, dear. Not going to get in?” Her skin felt warm; she knew she had gotten a sunburn, but didn’t care. She’d tan soon enough.

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Ezekiel shook his head, still smiling slightly from Aster and his bizarre behaviour. Zeke could honestly say he had never met anyone like Aster before. He turned to get back to work when he heard the scream. Zeke dropped the fishing pole and just started running. No, no, no. Demi screamed for Zeke again, and he pushed himself faster.

Zeke made it to Demi and his sister as Nancy was coming too. Zeke slid to the ground, his eyes wild.

”Nanc? Nancy, are you okay? I’m here. How long was she seizing?” Zeke asked Demi, looking at him quickly before he continued his assessment of his sister.

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Marco had been admiring Em as she swam, thinking to himself how lucky he was that she was in his life. Em was that steady presence in his life that reminded him that things were going to be alright, and even if this summer was going to be shitty, she was right there with him. However, his thoughts were intruded upon by the sound of Demi screaming for Zeke. Had something happened. He tensed up and looked in the direction the screaming came from right as Em came out of the water and kissed him on the forehead.

"Uh... no. I think I just heard Demi screaming for Zeke... and not in the fun way. I think something bad happened. I think we should go check it out." Marco stood up and offered Em his shirt, and pulled the towel tight around her to help her dry off. "I think it was that way." He pointed into the forest, in the direction the screaming had come from.

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Aster turned his head towards the scream, sighing as Zeke went scampering off. This monotonous work was boring, but whatever that was likely to be troublesome and annoying. He did not particularly care what happened; in fact, he was likely to forget that it happened at all in a few moments, but anything was better than staring at… whatever they'd laid out across the shore of the lake. Honestly, Aster knew very little about these activities. He'd just claimed them so that he wouldn't be stuck with something even worse so he supposed any reason to get away from this mess was a good reason. So he shoved his hands in his pockets and whistled as he followed after, at a much more sedated pace.

When he arrived at the scene of the crime, he was deeply disappointed again. “Well, everything seems just dandy. I was expecting blood, some bone, maybe a fire? Not someone protesting gravity. Did our overlord offer us all a rest quota or is this a privilege and how did I get overlooked?”

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Zeke arrived at the scene, a little too late but good nonetheless. Demi wiped a tear away from his eyes, sniffling slightly as he felt the energy rush out of him as the adrenaline was finally beginning to wane. It had taken him a moment to process the question that Zeke had asked him. ”Oh, uh, it was at the midway point. Around two and a half minutes. No Rapid Racoons, just a very dozed and confused one.” He felt his shoulders loose some tension, exhaling as he closed his eyes to try and relax a bit. Until he heard a grating voice enter the chat.

”Speak of the devil Nancy, and he shall appear. She had a seizure asshole, but if you want to feel the protest of gravity I can knock you off your ass if you'd like. Free of charge.” Demi stood himself up, the dirt grinding beneath him as he took a square stance ready to knock Aster down and give him a shiner he wouldn't forget. Dobbs arrived as well, and Demi watched the old man approach. ”Sorry man, Nancy had a seizure and well…issue with only one person being around is I couldn't radio for help on the HAM and watch her. Maybe we add some Walkies to the list of items we need. Help communicate in case of emergency.”

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Slowly, the world was becoming more and more coherent, a bit of the fuzziness around the edges sharpening and crystallizing into place. Unfortunately, it meant her least favorite part about having epilepsy had also materialized - the attention. It wasn’t just her and Demi anymore. Zeke, Aster, and Dobbs had all shown up and she didn’t doubt that Marco and Emily would be there soon. Half of the time it seemed to be more about making sure whatever random bystanders happened to be around felt good about themselves, that they’d done the work to be good people. All Nancy herself wanted was to curl up in a sleeping bag with a bottle of water and some chips.

“I’m fine, guys, really,” she said, both surprised but touched at how Demi seemed to be… trying to defend her honor with Aster? Or maybe he was just trying to impress Zeke, but still… He’d done the right things when she was seizing, and she could’ve sworn she saw a tear in his eye? “Just tired, hungry, and thirsty. Nothing’s broken.” She slowly stood up to her feet, her legs shaking. “We don’t need to make a big deal out of this, okay? Everyone just… go back to what you were doing.”

And gods forbid someone try to hug her.

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@KazAlkemi@Achronum@kittyluna45@Morose@Trainerblue192

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Dobbs nodded at the Walkie-talkie request. “Add it to the list. I’ll grab the list after dinner and head into town to get everything. When I get back in tomorrow morning, I’ll bring in a load of perishables, then ask for all of you to help bring in the rest so I’m not making ten trips alone.” Dobbs didn’t actually know what all was on the list. He did know Marco had added a fair amount, but other than that, he wasn’t sure.

Dobbs glanced over at Nancy. “If you’re good and don’t need anything else, I’m going to get back to work. Yell if you need me I suppose. Or better for my heart, just come find me on the roof of the cabins.” He nodded and walked off, passing Marco and Emily as they walked over.

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Em followed Marco’s finger with her eyes. “Hm, okay.” She hoped whatever it was, something minor, they did not need a big issue. Especially if it meant part of the group would leave. Like if Demi got hurt. Dobbs would probably take him into town, and the rest of them would be short a person until Demi came back, if he did. And who knew what sort of trouble they’d get into if it was considered ‘escaping’ or something stupid like that. As Em catastrophised, she walked to where Marco had indicated. Her towel wrapped around her, and her shoes slipped back on, untied and loose.

“Hey Dobbs everything okay?” she asked him as they crossed paths.

“As well as could be, I think. I don’t know much about seizures, but Nancy seems able to talk for herself. She warned us this might happen. She doesn’t seem to need emergency services. I’m going back to work,” Dobbs explained, and off he went. Em glanced at Marco.

“He... is... straightforward.” Em finished walking till she found the gathered group of other counselors. The scene was basically what she expected from how Dobbs said it. “Oh, good, you guys all got the note. Who are we ritually sacrificing?” Em joked, hoping it would relieve some of the tension.

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Zeke stood with his sister, ignoring the others aside from Demetri. He looked frequently between the two of them, listening to Demi’s reenactment of events and Nancy’s needs at the moment.

”Gracias a dios que estas bien! Yo debía estar aquí. Nunca te voy a dejar sola otra vez promientas que estamos aquí, ok? Debía de saber.” The words broke slightly while Zeke spoke. The change in language often helped to distract him from the situation at hand.

He took Nancy’s hand and tugged her along to the main cabin to get her something to drink and eat. He took Demi’s other hand, dragging him along as well. If he hadn’t been there…No. Ezekiel refused to think about that.