Sleepaway ONESHOT: Emerson, Lake & Killer

It is the early 90s, and the setting is CAMP WALDEN, a writing camp for teens sponsored by the EMERSON SOCIETY that lies on a small, isolated island somewhere in the Northeast United States. MIKE, our hero, has been coming here every Summer for years, but this is his first time as a Counselor. And this time, something unwelcome has found its way onto the island.

Game: Sleepaway

Every time I get off the boat and walk down the wooden pier into the camp, this place feels both familiar and completely new at the same time. Somehow, the memory of the previous Summer is gone and hope springs eternal, like Opening Day for the Red Sox. You tell yourself this year is going to be different…

But we all know how it’s going to end.

It didn’t take long to reconnect with Kiki and Roger. Like, not in a good way. Last year was their first year as Counselors, so they pretty much left me alone. But we had a years-long history as Campers together, and we got right into it as part of my unofficial welcome ceremony.

Here are the highlights:

1. KIKI – “What made me stop having a one-sided crush on you?”

Kiki gave her take on the situation two years ago when I tried to kiss her. I didn’t handle rejection well and it made the rest of the Summer awkward and sucked about as bad as you can imagine.

“Your constant drama around me was no fun for anyone. It was a real drag. But it looks like you’re taking your writing seriously—you’re really good, you know—and last year you seemed to gain some confidence. But, anyway, I hope we can get back to being friends again. You make me laugh—I like to laugh.”

2. ROGER – “How did you teach me the most important lesson I could learn?”

After she left The Bunks, Roger came over, nudged me, and sat on the end of the bed together. We sat there in silence for a solid minute, then he put his arm over my shoulders in a big brotherly fashion.

“Maybe you didn’t like what I had to say about Kiki, but you needed to see you were hung up on someone that isn’t ‘all that.’ You’re a funny dude and it looks like you’re doing well with the writing. Chicks dig poets. You’ll do fine with the ladies, bro.”

Ugh. Maybe I should have just stayed home this Summer and gotten a job bagging groceries or something. But this paid better, and I wanted a Macintosh like the ones they have here in the Writing Lab. I had to use the Macs in the English department center to do all of my assignments during my first semester as a Freshman in college and now I want one for my dorm room.

MIKE – REGULAR MOVE: Get up to some mischief

Alone later in the Counselor bunks, I pulled out the pack of firecrackers I smuggled in. I figured I’d make it a tradition to start the first night at the Fire Pit with a bang. Someone did it last year and it was hilarious.

It did not go well. It took a while before the Black Cats went off. When they did, it scared the crap out of Charlie, the Camp Cat. He took off running in a cartoon way that made me feel bad for the old guy. The Camper named Blair who had lit the fire was still really close to it. She took a few steps back in shock. When she realized it was firecrackers, she just up and dropped her stick, marshmallow and all, on the ground and immediately headed for The Bunks. A Camper named Rosemonde grabbed a big mug of water and put out the fire. So no smores tonight. Conrad, another Camper, took the opportunity to talk about his old neighborhood where if you heard fireworks at night, it was probably somebody getting shot in a drug deal.

KIKI – WEAK MOVE (+1 TOKEN/1 TOTAL): Act in a way that upsets and spoils the heart of the camp.

Then it got worse. Kiki got up in Roger’s face and accused him of doing it. Right in front of the Campers, they start going at it.

ROGER – REGULAR MOVE: Intimidate someone with a sudden display of emotional intensity.

“You better get out of my face. I didn’t do shit!”

CHRISTOPHER – WEAK MOVES (+1 TOKEN/1 TOTAL): Get involved in a conflict that’s none of your business and try to mediate.

“Hey, hey, heeeey… let’s calm down,” said Christopher, one of the older Counselors. He led the Final Day Play last year. All the girls just loooove him. I kinda hate him for it, even though he’s a really nice guy.
But Kiki doesn’t back down, “We could get in trouble for fireworks. This isn’t the first time Roger’s done this!”
“We’re not in the city limits; you don’t know what you’re talking about. And I didn’t do shit!”
“Language,” interjected Christopher.

Meanwhile, I was standing across from them, trying to figure out if I should say anything or not. Before I could decide, everyone scattered.

ROGER – GIVES AWAY “THE FIELD”
GIVE AWAY WHEN: You need to take a breather from the energy.

Kiki headed toward the Lake, Christopher went in the direction the cat ran off to, and Roger headed towards me.
“I didn’t fricking do it,” he said, frowning.
Then he grinned, “But I did do it last year.”
He headed to the Woods.

ROGER – PICKS UP “THE WOODS”
PICK UP WHEN: A scene is set in the Woods.

I followed…

Roger sat down on the stone wall in a gap that wasn’t there the last time I saw it. He pulled out a butterfly knife and started flipping it open and closed. He noticed me approaching.

“So you want to play some football tomorrow? I could use a big guy like you blocking for me,” he said.

From “THE LINDWORM” in the rulebook:
The Lindworm is the monstrosity that haunts our summer camp. It is the bane of our existence, and will destroy everything we’ve built if we’re not careful. It is the trauma of history, the collective pain of a cruel society, and the violence inflicted upon the marginalized and the vulnerable.

ROGER – WEAK MOVE (+1 TOKEN/1 TOTAL): Invite the Lindworm to act upon the group.
DRAW 3 CARDS, CHOOSE 1…

A noise…

“Did you hear that?” I asked.

“Probably deer. I heard the guy that owned this island before the Emerson Society bought it had stocked it with deer. So he could shoot em. They’re still around. And I’m surprised they haven’t taken over the camp since there are no predators on the island.”

Then there was a louder noise, like something falling out of a tree.
“C’mon,” said Roger. “Let’s check it out.” He pulled out a flashlight. The camp area was lit by light towers around its perimeter, but the Woods beyond it was pitch black at night. I’d never wandered out there after sunset.

ROGER – VIA “THE WOODS”
CHOOSE 2 AESTHETIC ELEMENTS:
– Old Growth
– Tangled
&
MOVE: Reveal a new secret that must be grappled with.

He pushed away the deadfall on the other side as I squeezed through the gap in the low stone wall. His flashlight moved up and around, catching glimpses of twisted dead tree limbs and matted vines. He then lowered it to the ground so we could see where we were going.

“Whoa, what is that?” asked Roger. I followed the light and got a closer look.
“I think it’s… Is that…? That’s poop, isn’t it?”
“Oh, nasty. That’s definitely bigger than deer shit,” said Roger.
He suddenly shined the light in my face, blinding me.
“Mike, did you shit in the woods?” he laughed.
“What the f–, dude? Am I a bear? No! Get that light out of my eyes!”

We walked in the direction of the earlier noise but didn’t see anything in the tangled old trees. I was getting a weird feeling. I’d never felt scared here on the island—not even once. I tried to think of something to talk about. I thought back to why I followed him.
“Hey, man, sorry about the firecracker thing earlier. That was me. I did it.”
Roger made a snorting noise, a small laugh, “I don’t care.”
“No, I mean, I didn’t mean to start an argument.”
“Aw, man, forget about her. Kiki is a bi—” He stopped short, and I saw why in the light of the flashlight.

A red, bloody mess was hanging from the branches of a low-twisting tree. It took a moment to recognize it as a deer. The antlers had been ripped off and the stomach ripped open. The skin was mostly gone. Looking at it had me crawling out of my own.
“I guess I was wrong about no predators,” Roger said thoughtfully.
“We should REALLY get back…”
“Weird. Most of the muscles are still on it. Like, it didn’t even eat the meat.”

FROM EARLIER… LINDWORM ACTION CARD – Ace of Diamonds: “A vivisected deer scattered on the branches.”

From TIPS in the rulebook:
The Lindworm enjoys playing with its food.

“We should get back now,” I said, trying not to sound scared.
Then I heard a rustling behind us, and as Roger turned with the light, it lit up the crazed eyes of a man. A man holding a rifle.
I ran.

MIKE – REGULAR MOVE: Take action, leaving yourself vulnerable.

I headed toward the glow from the camp’s light towers and was lucky I make it to the wall in the dark without falling. Then my luck ran out and I slipped on something and crashed into the wall, flipping over it. My cries of pain drew Christopher, who immediately picked up and handed my glasses to me. I was stuttering, trying to warn him about the man in the Woods…

CHRISTOPHER – GIVES AWAY “THE MAGIC”
GIVE AWAY WHEN: You want to ask the Magic for help.

CHRISTOPHER – PICKS UP “THE FIELD”
PICK UP WHEN: Someone is frantic or hurried.
CHOOSE 2 AESTHETIC ELEMENTS:
– Vibrant
– Teeming with Life
&
MOVE: Resolve tensions through play.

Christopher glanced back over his shoulder at the Field where the Campers were playing with sparklers, running around, and drawing shapes in the dim light of early evening.
“Slow down,” he said. “Tell me what happened.”

MIKE – GIVES AWAY “THE STRANGENESS”
GIVE AWAY WHEN: You need to confront something profoundly odd.

MIKE – PICKS UP “THE MAGIC”
PICK UP WHEN: There’s some electricity in the air and it feels right.
CHOOSE 2 VISUAL METAPHORS:
– Flashlights
– Eyes in the Darkness

We’re in danger. I’ve always been cool in a crisis.

MIKE – WEAK MOVE (+1 TOKEN/1 TOTAL): Bungle something you were confident you could handle.

But the words stumbled out of my mouth: BLOOD. ANIMAL. GUN! I landed hard and I couldn’t catch my breath. I tried to stop and collect myself. Looking back, I saw flashlight beams peeking out from the Woods behind the wall. I remembered those crazy-looking eyes appearing out of the darkness.

As I started to lose my shit, I was suddenly aware of a strong smell of actual shit.

CHRISTOPHER – WEAK MOVES (+1 TOKEN/2 TOTAL): Be overcome by someone else’s fear, anger, or grief.

I looked to Christopher for help, but he looked scared, too. He grabbed at me to pick me up, but I was too heavy for him. I think at that point he knelt down behind me, using me as a human shield.

Then, instead of dying at the hands of a crazed killer, I died from embarrassment.

ROGER – STRONG MOVES (–1 TOKEN/0 TOTAL): Reinterpret the Lindworm’s play, channeling it through your weapon.

The guy with the gun was Dwight, the caretaker of the island. He lived back in the Woods. Dwight said he thinks something—probably a coyote or maybe a bobcat that can swim well—had made it to the island, killed a deer, and gotten scared off by the firecrackers before it could make a meal of it.

FROM EARLIER… MIKE – VIA “THE STRANGENESS”
MOVE: Create a Minor Character with ominous intentions.
STRANGENESS CHARACTER: THE GUIDE

Roger held up a chunk of bloody muscle proudly, “I cut me off a venison steak!”
“Ya know, what you’re gonna wanna do is soak that overnight in buttermilk. Gets the gamey flavor right out,” said Dwight whimsically.

He stood there casually with his hand in his pocket, the loaded shotgun popped open and resting safely across his wrist. The stock of the weapon was tucked under his armpit. It looked really cool. I couldn’t take my eyes off the swirling designs etched in its metal.

“Chris, we got any buttermilk in the cafeteria?” asked Roger, blood dripping from between his fingers.

“I don’t know man, and don’t call me ‘Chris.’”
Kiki had wandered over to see what the commotion is about.

Dwight made eye contact with me. His eyes weren’t crazed. They were concerned.
“Son, you got some scat on yo shoe.”
It took looking down to realize what ‘scat’ meant. ‘Scat’ is what I slipped in. ‘Scat’ was all over my Nikes.
While Roger laughed at me, I saw Christopher checking himself to make sure I hadn’t gotten any on him.
“Oh, that is so gross,” said Kiki from behind them.

So, I guess I’m going to wash the bobcat shit off my shoe and go to bed early. Great start to my Summer.

I hate my life.