Chapter Text
The sunlight flickered through the dense woodland trees and onto Ray Garraty’s eyes as he gazed out the window. His mother with her hands clasped on the wheel drove slowly along the winding dirt road to the gates of the campground.
A large wooden sign painted a once bright orange now faded and chipping read the words Camp Musketeer in equally faded black paint.
The camp had been there longer than Garraty had been alive. Taking kids in over the summer from all backgrounds and walks of life all you needed to do was enter the draw and hope they picked you that summer. Not Garraty though, his father forbid it. Anything ran my the Major and his goons was bad news in the eyes of William Garraty, especially a camp that in his father’s words “where indoctrination camps”
But his father wasn’t around to forbid it anymore, and the money was more of use to Ray and his mother than the morels his father had drilled into him.
He had put his name in for the councilor job along with a hundred other boys in the country, the camp was dangerous and hard work but it paid extremely well for a reason no one quite understood. How hard could keeping a few teenage boys alive for nine weeks really be?.
The radio that had been playing the news dissolved into static as the two drove along the rough expansive dirt road. His mother kissed her teeth and switched off the mind numbing static in favor of a painful silence.
“It’s not to late to head back” Mrs Garraty tremored, swallowing a hard lump in her throat.
“Yes. It is mom”
“We could tell them you’re ill”
“They would check, mom the Major’s kids are gonna be here, he’s not gonna let one thing go out of his plan…” Ray rubbed the bridge of his nose. He understood his mother’s fear, being left along in the empty house for nine weeks with only a letter each week if lucky. But they had no choice.
They pulled into park alongside various other cars, they where told to arrive a day early to prepare and meet the fellow councilors before the campers arrived. The two Garratys waited in the warning car. Neither warming to leave the other alone, but with a deep breath Garraty forced himself out. His boots crunching against the firm earth below as he walked around to the trunk and grabbed his bag.
“Are you sure you have everything?” His mother asked, hugging herself. Garraty nodded giving his bag a once over before lugging it over his shoulder.
“This is it…I’ll send you letters I promise. My emergency cash is under-”
“No!” His mother interrupted, putting a delicate hand on his arm.
“No...I don’t need it sweetheart. I’ll be alright just…keep yourself safe please” her voice trembled at the as she pleaded her son to stay alive, stay with her.
He nodded, his lips pressed into a thin line before Mrs Garraty pulled Ray into a ridged hug. The smell of soft powder and ivory soap filed Garraty’s nose as he dropped his shoulders and held her close, gently rubbing his thumb along her shoulder.
“I love you so much”
“I love you more” Garraty replied. She chuckled and shook her head at that statement. A blasting order from the speaker phones at the top of the camp.
“ALL STAFF HEAD TO THE MESS HALL. ALL STAFF HEAD TO THE MESS HALL!” The speaker cracked and squeaked but they could hear it even from the road below the hill.
“Ok…are you sure you have everything?” his mother asked, forcing herself to let go of her son.
“I promise…I love you mom please be safe” he begged repeating her own words back to her.
With a sad smile and a breathy chuckle she nodded, joining the other parents, people who had taken the time and gas to take them up here to go knows where in Maine waving the boys off.
Garraty leaned his head back, watching his mother tearfully wave her child off. He gave a soft wave back before walking along the sloping hill to the campground.
The walk to the mess hall, a large peach colored log cabin with green panel windows was quick and steady going with five other boys of all shapes, sizes and colors each looking around at the expansive camp grounds. The mess hall doors where painted the same deep hunter green as the windows.
A large blond boy with a sour looking face held one of the doors as the strangers all clustered into the hall. Large green bench tables and benches sat side by side against the walls and in the middle. Each boy took a pew, most clustering onto one together at the front while the scowling blonde door holder and a native boy sat by themselves only a few feet away.
“So…” the dark skinned boy next to Ray broke the prickly silence. His face was scared yet he wore a smile like a fine tailored suit.
“Suppose we should introduce ourselves huh. Pete McVries” the boy placed a hand to his chest and looked over to Ray.
“Raymond Garraty. You can call me Ray” Garraty replied with a nervous but friendly smile
“Hank Olson' the name wilderness survival is my game” Garraty doubted that especially with that Boston accent. Garraty reckoned he’d never seen a forest in his life.
“Art Baker, pleasure to meet yall”
“Christ you sound like my memaw Art. Names Gary, Gary Barkovitch, my friends call me barko” the scruffy boy who stank of weed at the end of the table snickered with a shit eating grin that faded as quickly as it came when he realized no one was laughing with him.
“The fucks a memaw?” laughed Hank, looking at the flustered big with a raised brow.
“Fuck off” Barkovitch snapped, his eyes glaring at the table and picked at his fingers with his stained nails.
“What’s your name there scribe?” Mcvrise chuckled as he asked the smaller boy with thick milk bottle glasses who sat across from Art. He lifted his head up from the notebook he was frantically writing in and smiled nervously.
“Sorry just writing down everyone’s names, so I don’t forget you know” he replied before closing the beaten up notebook.
“I’m Richard Harkness” poor boy was shaking with nerves but he was still smiling even as anxiety didn't drip from his pores. How the hell did he get in? Garraty could only wonder.
“The fucks your name?” Barkovitch leaned back in his bench and howled over at the native boy who sat rested against the wall with a leg up on the bench. He looked both unbothered and as if he’d give anything to not be here. Made Garraty wonder why he signed up at all.
“Collie Parker” he said flatly. The other boys waved awkwardly as he ignored them all.
“What about you?” Ray asked over at the off putting looking boy who sat rather close to the door. He glanced over checking that he was talking to him before chewing the inside of his cheek and answering bluntly.
“Stebbins”
“Just Stebbins?” Olson laughed earning him a scowl before Stebbins turned his attention back to the door. They where all nervous, each second felt like a decade. Any moment the Major would stomp through that door and talk to them like soldiers.
God if Ray’s father could see him now.
The group jumped out of their skin as if like clockwork a stout man dressed in a well pressed military uniform burst through the door like a storm. His eyes hidden behind aviator glasses and two armed men stood behind him on either side.
The boys all shot up from their seats, except Collie and Ray who sat frozen in their chairs from the chill of the Major’s presence.
“Sit down boys this won’t take long” growled the Major.
“Now as you all know you’ve been picked for one of the most important jobs of the summer. To teach and inspire the best boys from all over this great country, and I expect you all to hold the standard to its highest regard. This is not a get away from home this is prepare these young men for life serving this great nation” he spat each word like a snarling dog. Ray couldn’t help but sink in on himself with every pause.
One of the stone faced men who stood behind the Major pulled out a set of eight thin folders and went around handing each one to them. The leather folders had; their names, ID, their cabin number list tasks, and rules.
“I expect you to follow these rules to a T. If you fail to do so not only will you be removed from the camp but you will sent to the squads is that clear.” The Major barked.
“Yes sir!” The boys all called out.
“Good. Now you have been assigned a roommate in your cabins if you have an issue with your roommate I suggest you keep it to yourself. Do me proud boys. Show the next generation what it means to work hard!”
He left as soon as he came leaving the boys alone in the bitter air and their thoughts. It truly was to late to back out. This was their lives for next nine weeks.