for the sake of insanity

Cabin Fever

The stout, wooden cabins, framed by trees of maple and pine, were a comforting sight as Adelia inhaled deeply. The warm, gentle wind kissed her cheeks and stroked her tired eyelids, her muscles tired from navigating the bus. Overhead, the sky was peppered with grey and white, blocking out the glare of the sun. This amalgamation of nature summoned her to sleep and she concentrated on stifling a yawn.

She walked towards a small refreshments stand, where juicy oranges were being carefully strained by an old lady. The rewards of her labour were presented in a delicate crystal jug. Her brittle fingers were stained with orange, but the little old lady held only focus in her eyes as she continued with her task. A pine leaf badge, the camp's logo, glinted on her breast.

"Hello, Adelia." The old lady paused mid-squeeze to offer Adelia a smile. She nodded towards the jug, surrounded by matching glass cups. "Would you like some juice? I'm sure you deserve it after your long journey, you poor thing."

"Thank you," Adelia replied, accepting the glass. The coldness of the juice seemed to wake her up a little, and she blinked to gather her focus. Her skin itched, but she put it down to exhaustion. Ignoring her ailments, Adelia scanned the camp. Her bus must have arrived early, for the only people around were dressed in the same pine leaf motto. "When is the camp due to start? Where do I put-"

She turned to set her glass down at the counter, but the little old lady was gone. Adelia watched warily at where she had stood only moments ago, before deciding to keep a hold of the glass and return it later. After all, she didn't want to risk anyone drinking from the same one.

The dust swirled around her feet as Adelia walked around, curiosity temporarily overriding her exhaustion. Her eyes kept flickering towards where her bus had dropped her off; her friends tended to be late. Ahead, she saw a flicker of movement and followed it nonchalantly, pretending not to follow the person she was indeed following.

Sounds of commotion increased as Adelia drew nearer to a large hall, filled with whistling and yelling. A large whistle pierced the silence and she hurried to slip inside as to avoid missing any important information. A man glared at her and slammed the door shut. She almost coughed at the humidity in the room, her eyes tearing up at the stench of body odor. Adelia stood close to the door, savouring the trickles of wind that came in through the cracks.

All the seats were occupied, filled with people watching the broad man on stage with rapt attention. As he spoke, her eyes scanned the crowd for a familiar face, but she didn't spy Kaius' black curls, nor Blair's long blonde hair. Adelia resigned herself to the thought that she would see them later, after all, they had agreed to share a cabin together. Comforted, she rested her head against the door and allowed her eyes to slip shut.

The sound of her name woke her up. "In Devington House, Adelia Kiyoto, Blair-"

She jerked awake, wiping away the exhaustion from her eyes, realising she still had the orange juice glass. Had she really fallen asleep? Of course she had, her head wouldn't be throbbing otherwise. Why was she so exhausted? She hadn't strained herself that badly on the bus.

Adelia exited the hall, taking in big gulps of fresh air. Maybe that would startle her awake. She followed the crowds to ten cabins arranged in a horseshoe shape. The third one on her left had 'Devington House' painted in bold, dark letters. Spying her suitcase outside, she diverged from the crowd and walked inside.

The cabin was far from luxurious, but it was cosy, and Adelia was content with that. Seven wooden bunk beds framed the room, made of the same dark oak as the walls. Adelia knew that if she ever had to wake up in the middle of the night, her toes had awfully high chances of stubbing into one. Still, the windows were open, letting in the soft scent of pine, and Adelia was grateful for the coolness of the pillow as she laid down upon the nearest bunk. Her fingers drummed across her stomach as she waited.