Below The Dock

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The weathered yellow sign stood stark against the wilderness backdrop, as if anybody would ever try actually looking for it. Despite the paint being excessively chipped, I could unfortunately still make out the blue words that used to decorate the front.

Sejuka Peak

Camp for Misguided Youth

So that's what I was. They always used such innocent words to describe people like me. Misguided. Troubled. Anxious. Passionate. The kind of words that try to make you seem like a better person than you really are. Despite the sign having since passed the window of the car my cheek was currently pressed against, I kept a mental image of it in my mind, one that was modified to better represent the truth. Vandalized with black spraypaint in the faded images of genitalia, the sign stared back at me.

Sejuka Peak

Prison for Little Shits

I grinned.

"And you were saying that you wouldn't enjoy it here, yet you're already smiling."

At the edges of my peripheral vision, Miss Carmichel looked disgustingly cheerful. Her blonde hair was tied back in a casual ponytail that draped over one shoulder of her red cardigan as she drove. Even though I wasn't paying enough attention to actually see them, I could feel her bright blue eyes drilling into me, searching for anything she could use against me.

"Yeah, I'm just imagining how wonderful this camp is going to be. A bunch of mentally unstable high school dropouts with criminal records trapped in a remote location with a gang of parole officers and therapists. What could possibly go wrong?"

Miss Carmichel sighed. "Alice, you know it won't be like that."

My eyes locked onto the shape of a dead racoon on the side of the dirt road, following it until it was out of sight. "Doubtful. If Tristan is here, I give it an hour before he goes off on somebody. Someone's gonna think too loudly beside him and then we'll all have our personal tornado siren."

Miss Carmichel pushed down on the brakes enough to jolt me forward in my seat, tearing my comfortable position away like a blanket. Looking over, I saw Miss Carmichel stare straight ahead with a furrow on her brow.

"Hey! What the fuck was that for?"

"Don't be rude."

"Oh come on, you've had to deal with him too. He almost tried to fight me once because I was 'breathing in an irregular pattern'. The dude's a fuckin' psycho-"

"-Alice!"

I scoffed and returned my head to the widow, not caring about the odd pattern it would leave in my short black hair.

"Sorry. The dude's

misguided,

and I'm sure three weeks in the middle of buttfuck nowhere with a bunch of shits like me is definitely going to put him right back on track. Like I said- great idea."

The remainder of the car ride was disappointingly boring. Between my phone being stored inside of Miss Carmichel's duffel bag in the backseat, and her response to any music from the radio being to 'look out the window and enjoy nature', it was hellish. Half an hour of silence and driving slowly past endless trees later, I had pulled the owner's manual of the car from the glovebox. It was short but thick, shaped more like a brick than a book, and was awkward to try to hold open as I read. Miss Carmichel, on the other hand, continued to pester and prod at the edges of my patience- like an annoying fly that always hovers just out of swatting range.

"It's beautiful out here, right Alice? The trees, the bushes, nature in its purest form."

"Mhmm." I sighed, not looking up from the chapter about the icons on the dashboard and what they meant. Damn, there were a lot.

"You know, as much as you think this is a bad idea, it has been scientifically proven to work. A month away from the rest of the world with only the people that wish to help you? It's going to be fine."

"Mhmm."

Miss Carmichel turned the car around a bend, maintaining a long pause before speaking again. "Anything new and interesting, Alice? Have you made any new friends yet? Any plans for the future? It's been a week since I last saw you, we should use this opportunity to catch up."

"No, no, no, and no." I mumbled.

"Alice..."

"Just stop, you're not my mom. And you certainly aren't a therapist."

Miss Carmichel frowned. "But I am your friend."

"Nope. You're my P.O., not my friend. Friends don't drag each other into the middle of the woods with a bunch of other maniacs."

"Alice-" Miss Carmichel tested. "They aren't maniacs. They are-"

"-Troubled and anxious, yeah, yeah." I closed the manual and tossed it into the backseat. Miss Carmichel looked like she was going to say something, but ultimately backed down as I glanced out the window again. More trees.

"Where the fuck even are we? The welcome sign was like a thousand miles ago, where's the camp?"

"Alice, we passed it less than five minutes ago."

"No way..." I mumbled, and looked towards the clock on the dashboard. Sure enough, it was almost exactly the same time that it was an hour ago.

"Ugh. Just shoot me already."

"Oh calm down, drama queen. We're here."

As Miss Carmichel turned around another bend, I saw the trail open up into a larger clearing, split in half by the dirt trail acting as a road. On the left side there was a smattering of larger boulders haphazardly strewn about, along with a single, large pavilion holding about a dozen picnic tables on a concrete platform. Towards the back of the pavilion was a disgraceful setup that seemed like a poor excuse of a kitchen, with fold-out stands holding propane grills. A small group of people were already present, and it was easy to tell who was who.

The other 'misguided youth' were sitting at one of the tables, obviously bored with the complete and utter lack of any entertainment. Meanwhile, the adults were talking among each other while seeming to prepare dinner in the tiny kitchen. They were dressed in shirts and shorts, some with baseball caps, and some with sunglasses, but it didn't matter what they wore. A cop is always as recognizable out of uniform as they are in one. Just the way they held themselves, the righteous pricks.

I flicked my gaze back to the table in an attempt to see who the other victims were as Miss Carmichel slowly drove past towards where the other vehicles were parked. Even from this distance, it was easy to recognize Sasha, Adrian, Toma, and Bailey. No Tristan.

Yet.

Sasha was laying flat on top of the table with her head and long brown hair hanging free off one edge, and her legs over the other. As per her usual attire, she was wearing a dark maroon t-shirt with a logo that was too faded to recognize, and a pair of denim shorts that were cut by hand to be even shorter, showing off her tanned legs. Adrian sat properly on the seat beside Sasha, his scruffy blonde hair buried into a balled-up black hoodie on the table as he appeared to be sleeping.

Sitting opposite Adrian, but backwards so they faced out towards the boulder field, Toma's gaze was affixed to a spot on the bench beside them. It was hard to tell, but it looked like they were in the process of completely peeling away all the paint from the seat. Their curly brown hair dangled weakly around their face, and I could only feel bad for them- they were wearing jeans in this weather.

Lastly, Bailey wasn't even sitting at the table. She was firmly planted on the concrete beside it with what looked to be a small pile of rocks in front of her. Her blue tank top and black shorts revealed her pale skin, almost appearing like snow against the fire of her wavy red hair. She was the only one that looked up at the sound of the car, but when our eyes connected, I saw a smile cross her face. She reached up and knocked on the table a few times and said something, which tore the attention of Toma, and Sasha craned her head up to watch my approach. Adrian did not move.

Miss Carmichael pulled the car to a slow stop.

"Now, while we're here you need to- woah, where are you going?"

I ignored her and opened the door, greeted by an unpleasant heat that almost instantly brought a dampness to my forehead. My sneakers hit the dirt, and the feeling of the blood returning to my legs was a welcome one. I started walking over to the table.

"Alice!" Miss Carmichael sounded annoyed, but resigned to mumble to herself as she got out of the car as well. "You could have at least bothered to close the door..."

Toma's face crept into a smile, and Sasha cocked an eyebrow with a grin as I stepped closer and called out. "'Sup dipshits?"

Sasha let her head hang once more, but never lost her smug expression. "Takes one to know one. I see you got dragged into this stupid thing too."

"By the balls. Who else is here?"

"Just us." Bailey chirped, slowly pulling her hand away from the small tower of stones so as not to knock it down. "Apparently, nobody else is being brought here."

"Well-" Toma began. "Except for the adults. From what I heard, they're going to switch out every few days so they can have some time off."

"What, they don't want to spend a month with us in the middle of nowhere?" I scoffed.

"Apparently not." Sasha replied. "Although, it might also be because of the food. It isn't exactly a restaurant out here."

"You're tellin' me. Shitty food, no phones, constant supervision... they may as well call this place a prison."

"I don't think any prison has a beautiful lake to swim in!" Mrs. Carmichael chirped from behind me, walking up with her ponytail swaying. "On a hot day like this, a dip in the water would be the perfect thing, don't you think?"

"A filthy lake with fish, weeds and mud? I may as well take a bath in a sewer." Sasha scowled.

"Oh, come on! Bailey, how about you? Care for a swim?"

Bailey looked at her tower of stones. "No. I sunburn super easily. I'll stay here in the shade."

"Hmph." Mrs. Carmichael scoffed. "Toma?"

"Eczema."

"Adrian?"

No reply.

"Adrian!"

Adrian's head shot up with a startled awakening, blinking away the light through a very ungraceful expression. "What?"

"Do you want to go swimming?"

"Ughh." Adrian dropped his head back into his arms, signifying his answer. Mrs. Carmichael turned back to me with an annoyed glare.

"Welp, I guess that means you're the only one that's going to go swimming."

"What makes you say that?" I grinned.

"Because I'm telling you to go swimming."

"Why?"

"You were the one that called this camp a prison. You need to start seeing this place as an area for rehabilitation and growth, not a jail cell."

I rolled my eyes. "You do realise that forcing me to do something I don't want to do is just going to further my point, right?"

Mrs. Carmichael scowled. "But it might also cool off your attitude. Go get changed. I am not going to ask again."

"I didn't pack my swimsuit, dumbass."

The look that Mrs. Carmichael gave was almost enough to put a falter in my conviction.

"I know, because I packed it for you. Now shut up, suit up, and go swimming."

"Jesus christ, woman. If I go swimming, will you fuck off?"

Her eyes narrowed further. "Maybe."

I sighed. "Fine."

I turned from the table, the rest of my friends giving looks of pity as I walked back towards the car, Mrs. Carmichael in tow. Opening the back, I rummaged through my duffel bag for several moments before I found the swimsuit that Mrs. Carmichael had apparently packed- a simple, black, two-piece bikini. As I pulled my shirt up over my head, I looked over my shoulder directly at Mrs. Carmichael. She seemed unamused when I reached back and unclasped my bra and threw it in the back of the car without bothering to cover my chest. Although only a B-cup, my breasts still had a bit of shape and stood proudly, almost daring Mrs. Carmichael to say something.

"Don't you want to change somewhere more private? The bathroom is over there."

"Too far. Plus, you're the one looking. You're lucky- three months ago and you would need to be arrested for looking at a naked minor."

I grabbed the bikini top and draped it around my neck backwards, tying the knot on my chest. Mrs. Carmichael simply sighed and looked up towards the sky.

"That isn't even how that law works."

"Good for you then." I finished the knot and twisted the bikini top around my torso to face it the right way, positioning the fabric of the bikini to cover my chest. On someone more endowed, the bikini would certainly look much sluttier, but unfortunately it was conservative enough for a nun's approval on myself. As I sat down in the seat to pull my shorts and underwear down over my shoes, I grinned at the sight of Mrs. Carmichael turning fully around and shifting position slightly to try and hide me from view from the rest of the campsite. Not that it mattered, since the only person that was watching was Toma, and they had already seen everything anyway. We were roommates in Juvy, after all.

In a matter of moments, the bottoms were in place and being tied off. When I stood back up, Mrs. Carmichael turned to face me. "The lake is just down this path. Follow me."

"What, I need an escort to go swimming?"

"All of you need supervision at all times."

I sighed and started walking in the direction Mrs. Carmichael had pointed while she grabbed a towel from the car.

"Do you want to wipe after I piss, too?"

"You lost your right to privacy and freedom when you dropped a lit match into the fuel tank of a BMW."

I chuckled. "If he was willing to threaten a sixteen-year-old with a lawsuit because he got the wrong order at Wendy's, he doesn't deserve a BMW."

"That isn't funny, Alice. Keep walking."

I rolled my eyes. Tightass.

It wasn't a long walk. Only a thin stretch of trees separated the clearing from a small, rocky beach. The stones were a darkened slate grey, turned black by the small lapping waves or near-crystal clear water. Floating in the water was a simple dock of old grey wood forming a rectangular platform that seemed to be ten feet wide, and extending twice as far outwards into the lake. At the end was a bulky ladder that looked to be made of plastic and was folded upwards to remain out of the water. Aside from that, there were a pair of old plastic lawn chairs on top of the dock, but that was it.

As much as I hated to admit it, it did seem quite nice. There was lots of tree cover, and there didn't seem to be a single other sign of civilization as my eyes scanned over the waterside across the lake. The large patch of loose gravel and dirt between the path and the dock did make me grateful that I was still wearing my shoes. Each step only crunched slightly as Mrs. Carmichael and I approached the edge of the water, but I slowed before carefully testing my weight with one foot on the wood of the dock. It looked like it

should

be stable, but who could know how old it was? It held firm, so I stepped on it fully and walked to the center of the dock, near the chairs. Mrs. Carmichael followed close behind and took a careful seat on one chair, making sure to wipe off a thick layer of dust first. When her eyes glanced over me expectantly, I sighed.

Bending down, I slipped off my shoes without bothering to untie them, followed by my socks. I walked over to the plastic ladder, somehow not getting a splinter and gingerly grabbed hold. Thankfully, there didn't seem to be any spiders as I hoisted the ladder up around its joint where it was bolted into the wood. It was surprisingly heavy, so when gravity took over past the tipping point, it swung down into the water with a splash that flecked my skin with shockingly cold water and instantly caused goosebumps. I must have flinched, as Mrs. Carmichael audibly laughed from behind me.

"Just jump in, you big baby."

"It's fucking cold!"

She stood from her chair and walked over with an annoyed grin. "Let me feel."

She stood beside me and crouched down, dropping one hand to the surface and submerging her fingers. She nodded for a few moments and pulled her hand back. "Yeah, that is pretty cold. It'll feel better when you're fully submerged though."

"Wait, what do you me-aagh!"

I was interrupted by Mrs. Carmichael's other hand reached up to the center of my back and gave a forceful, unexpected shove that sent me tumbling forwards off the dock. A complete temperature shock shattered through my body as the oppressively hot weather instantly turned to water that felt like it was just a few degrees above freezing. Bubbles rushed past my blurry vision as I scrambled to find which way was up, eventually breaking the surface and gasping for breath. Mrs. Carmichael, meanwhile, was laughing as she stood back up to her feet.

"You bitch!" I screamed, trying to keep my teeth from chattering.

"You were never going to get in otherwise." She replied, stepping back to her chair and sitting as if nothing had happened.

I swam the short distance to the ladder and held on, placing my feet on the rungs as I prepared to climb out. However, it sadly seemed that Mrs. Carmichael was right. The initial shock of the water was quickly wearing off, and seemed to be settling on a temperature that was comfortably cool. Even as I held there, I could feel the hot sun on my face that was much less comfortable than the chill of the lake. I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and used the ladder as leverage to push myself fully under the surface.

It was actually pleasant. The cool water felt wonderful compared to the heat, even if I could feel my nipples hardening and forming nubs underneath the fabric of my bikini. With my eyes still closed, I climbed further down the short ladder and pressed against the bottom to push myself downwards. With my legs fully outstretched, I was surprised when I still had to completely extend my arms before my toes even grazed the soft, muddy ground. It was surprisingly deep for being so close to the shore. There didn't seem to be any weeds tickling my feet, so I opened my eyes to try and see if the lake bottom was barren, or if just this section was clear.

And screamed at the sight of a massive face staring back at me, inches away..

I didn't even have time to fully register what I saw. The water was clear, allowing me to catch distinctly feminine features- an angular face with high cheekbones, large green eyes, tanned skin, a splash of thick freckles across her cheeks, and very long black hair that drifted aimlessly around her face and fluttered at my sudden movements. Just the sight of a person was surprising enough that I couldn't even comprehend the fact that the face itself belonged to a head that was much larger than a normal persons'. Regardless, I frantically swam up and exploded through the surface, clutching onto the ladder to steady myself.

"Who the fuck is that?"

Mrs. Carmichael looked up from her phone. "Who?"

"The chick in the water that just scared the shit out of me, that's who!"

Mrs. Carmichael's eyebrow raised quizzically. "Everyone else is back at the camp."

"Hah hah, very funny." I coughed and looked down through the glass-like water. "She's right... there?"

My voice faltered as my eyes glanced over the empty water below me. For fifty feet in every direction, there wasn't even a single fish, much less a person. Ducking my head to look underneath the wood of the dock, that too, remained vacant. The only life that could be seen were the weeds along the bottom that began growing several feet from the edge of the dock.

"What the fuck?" I mumbled, and Mrs. Carmichael leaned back into her chair with a grin.

"I'm not falling for this. You're trying to trick me into coming to the edge so you can pull me in."

"No, I... I swear I saw her. She was right there!"

Mrs. Carmichael turned her gaze back to the phone. "Uh-huh. Sure she was. Nice try."