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It was an unusually cold summer day for Camp Here & There, and not a single camper or counselor had not taken notice to it. A place known for it's humid, sweltering mornings, the kind of place that would leave you clinging to electrical fans and lifting your shirt up to wipe the sweat dripping off your face, all suddenly drenched in sweet, cool air beneath a mottled purple-pink sky. Clouds swirled and flitted above, as if some heavenly artist had taken a brush and flicked their wrist around, making amorphous shapes hang in the air, the sun piercing through their thin bodies. It was breezy too, a thick, heavy breeze that whirled through trees and cabins, making leaves shudder and branches quake. Sydney loved these days. When summer said her last good-byes, kissing the earth with one final grace of warmth through the sun's rays before fading out into crisp fall, dragging autumn into place and continuing time's eternal cycle. When the days became shorter and the nights longer, and you'd wake up as usual only to see the sun just peeking up in the distance, and how the clouds would reign like thick, heavy white blots in the sky, threatening to burst and coat the setting in a lovely, long rain. The day ended unexpectedly quickly today, the sun lazily bobbing below the horizon and coating the woodland and the camp in surrounded in a drowsy dusk, shadows stretching along the ground, orange lights seeping through cabin windows. It was a beautiful day, and Sydney had found it a good decision to take advantage of that.
Sydney gazed longingly out the window, taking a finger and running it along the outline of the forest's trees that glowed with a golden trim, light filtering through the branches and slowly fading into pale golden streaks on the ground. Crawling out of his study that he had dwelled in for so long in an attempt to shelter from summer's blistering heat, Sydney walked his way over to Jedidiah's office, tapping on the door. In typical Sydney fashion, he opened the door before he could say anything in reply, and stick his head through the doorframe. Jeddie lifted his head from his desk where it previously lay nestled in his arms and stared back at him, peering at him through heavy eyelids.
"Hi?"
"I'm going out, just figured you should know."
Jedidiah slunk back down and nodded his head, turning back to his work before being interuppted by another, harsher knock on the door.
"Yes? He said weakly, now only taking the time to just look over his shoulder. Sydney frowned before gesturing down the hallway.
"And go to bed if you're tired. Sleeping on a desk'll do hell for your joints."
"Oh. Right. Right, I uh...I'll be sure to do that." He lifted a hand and gently softly waved at Sydney, his arm backlit by the yellow light of the lamp. Sydney smiled wanly, and Jedidiah felt his face meekly mirror the expression. He waved back and quietly closed Jedidiah's office door, stopping for a moment before whirling around and searching for his shoulder bag and coat. His good coat, not his tattered one, he reminded himself, having been scolded by Jedidiah a number of times for wearing his old sleeveless vest out into the cold. A shiver ran up his spine at the simple thought of winter, making him shudder even in the comforting warmth of his study. After some time of sifting and rummaging around the disarray and clutter strewn about, he stumbled across a mustard yellow bag thrown atop a thick black coat lined with a white faux-fur hood. That'll do.
He slipped his arms into the coat and nearly melted into the fabric, the weight of it atop his shoulders a soothing comfort. It fit snugly even over his already thick sweater, which was decorated with swirling patterns of green, orange and eggshell white. He picked up the bag and unzipped it, dozens of clocks with broken faces, tools and loose gears attributed it to Jedidiah, although the look of the bag itself looked like something that Jedidiah wouldn't wear for a moment of his life depended on it. Sydney giggled at the mental picture of Jedidiah wearing the bag over his pretentious, brown dress clothes. He shrugged anyway and pulled it over his shoulder, grinning at the way the yellow complimented the colors of his skirt, a deep auburn rippled with layers of orange and brown and assorted fabrics and patterns that reached his ankles and swirled around his hips. He smiled at himself for a moment, then headed to the door.
As soon as he stepped out from the doorframe, Sydney was entranced by the feeling of the breeze on his skin, flowing through his hair and jangling his earrings. He stood still on the doorstep for a moment, maybe two, simply listening to the wind make the windchimes sing and sway, feeling it rustle through the layers of his clothes, wisping past him and tousling his hair. He took a deep breath, letting the crisp, cool air flood his lungs, and then he walked.
After some consideration, he decided it'd be best to not walk too far astray, he'd left his crutches and his cane back in his study, and walking long distances always took a toll on him, but he thought a simple, carefree stroll through the edge of camp was long overdue, so he let his feet lead the way and allowed himself to wander wherever he best saw fit. He normally tended to wander, he’d usually drift towards whatever seemed interesting without much thought as to where he had been before, his mind honed in on the present moment. He knew not to go past the forest's edge, though. He couldn’t forget how that had turned out for him.
He had ambled aimlessly for some time before something caught his attention out of the corner of his eye. A small, lush green shrub decorated with clusters of pink-red fruit, swaying and dancing in the wind, almost taunting him. On closer inspection, Sydney saw that it was a raspberry bush. He found it slightly odd, out of place, almost, and he could’ve sworn he had never seen there it before. My memory must’ve just blipped, he thought. I haven’t been out here in a while anyway. He stared at it for a good moment, running his eyes over serrated leaves and plump, ripe berries. He remembered there was a similar bush near his childhood home. Near the same size, nestled in the forest that lay past his mother's overgrown lawn, a break from achingly long stretches of time without proper food or meals. He remembered trudging through the long-grass, the shrubbery coming up to his knees and ticking his ankles, he remembered walking for so, so long just to get a taste of the sweet, tart fruit before it went out of season, eating bushel after bushel until he felt he could burst. And here one was, out in the open. Nearly in the palm of his hand.
Hardly thinking, he started to meander his way towards it, his head lolled to the side in curiosity. He brushed his hands along his thighs, flattening out his skirt, and kneeled in front of the bush so that it's peak reached just above his head, gazing into it. He looked to see if there were any other raspberry bushes in the area, but no, he couldn’t find anything but this single, lone shrub. Odd. He knew he couldn't eat them. He couldn’t fool himself. But it was nice to remember doing so anyway. Rolling the berries around between his teeth before crushing them on the roof of his mouth, eating and eating until his stomach swelled and his mouth dripped with streaks of bright red juice. Jeddie teasing him about how all of the stains on his clothes, hands and mouth made him look like a serial killer. They weren't good days, but those moments might've came close.
He'd pick some for Jedidiah, he decided.
He reached out cautiously, as if scared the raspberries would bite back at him, before pinching one between his thumb and index finger and impulsively squeezing it until it burst, red juice flowing into his palm like blood from a wound. He retracted his hand and licked the juice off his skin, careful not to get any of the fruit chunks into his mouth as he savored the rich flavor. He had had his curse long enough to figure out some workarounds and loopholes for it, 6 years of being able to eat nothing but buttered bread will lead you to desperation, and he found that most drinks and liquids seemed to pay it no mind. One time he had tried eating a small piece of candy out of sheer, morbid curiousity of it's side effects- a decision that landed him in the restroom, vomiting so violently he felt as if he could throw up his guts at any moment- and thus, was wary to not be careless when pushing the boundaries of his bread-and-butter curse. Satisfied and with his hands sticky and red, Sydney unzipped his shoulder bag and began to pluck raspberries from their stems, finding a rhythm in his monotonous movements and paying no attention to his surroundings. He hummed a soft, low tune as he picked, rolling the notes around in his mouth as he watched his bag start to swell as he filled it.
There was a man above him.
He wasn't sure how he hadn't noticed before, but in the middle of twisting the last berry off of a branch, he saw him. Bent over with his hands folded behind his back, leering at him, his tie untucked and dangling above his head. Sydney looked up, brushing hair out of his face as he tried to get a better look at him before the man reached down for him, taking loose strands of hair and tucking them behind Sydney's ears. His hands were cold, unpleasantly so as his fingertips touched his skin, trailing off as he took his hands and re-placed them behind his back. He grinned, his smile unfolding to show off near-white, gleaming teeth that caught the sun's last light as it left the sky.
"Who's this?"
Sydney absent-mindedly brushed his hands down on his shirt and lifted a hand again to clear his hair from his face, making the figure chuckle slightly.
"I, um...I'm Sydney. Sydney Sargent."
The man stood up a little straighter, extending a hand and gesturing for him to shake it. Sydney sat still for a moment, looking the stranger up and down as a mix of fear and confusion began to well up at the back of his mind. He was limber and thin, and he dawned a red and purple paisley suit and dark black glasses that obscured his eyes. His hair was boyish and tousled, an almost red dark brown that swirled and came down around his face in a bob, streaks of grey breaking through the vivid color. The man took his other hand and pointed a finger at his chest, tapping it with a square, jagged fingernail with what looked to be dirt and blood clotted up beneath it.
"Adam."
Sydney cautiously took his hand and shook it with Adam's, the feeling of his spindly fingers wrapping around his own sending chills up his spine.
"Who...who are you?"
"Adam. I just told told you, silly."
"No, no. Who are you?" Sydney repeated, distress creeping into his voice as he started to stand up, only for Adam to place a hand on his shoulder and gently push him back down again.
"Now, now. Don't get all riled up." Sydney furrowed his eyebrows suspiciously before relaxing his stance, folding his arms into eachother as he continued to inspect him, trying his best to ignore the feeling of his chest tightening up with fear. "I know your encounters with…other cryptic forest-dwelling men might make you a bit wary of me, but I don't bite!" He smirked, and both of his incisors caught on his lower lip. "Well, won't bite."
"Well then...Adam...what brings you out here?" Sydney questioned. Adam appeared to have no intention of answering. He cocked his head to the side, popping his neck with a stiff cracking sound, and shrugged.
"Depends. Why do you ask?"
"Well, I don’t know, maybe because I just so happen to be suspicious of the random suited stranger who just showed up out of nowhere." Sydney said frustratedly, gesturing up and down at Adam with his nose scrunched up. "Why do you think, pretty boy?"
Adam laughed at Sydney's remark, a deep, throaty laugh that made hits chest shake before he kneeled down to meet Sydney's level, who continued to glare at him with annoyance, frustration and well-hidden fear. Adam raised his eyebrows and looked around, rubbing the back of his neck as he played coy.
"Odd question, you wouldn’t happen to know where the lake is, would you?" Adam asked, pouting. "I haven’t been able to find it." Sydney squinted his eyes and pointed to his left, gesturing his head in the same direction.
"Over there. Too big to miss." He said flatly.
Adam frowned and looked over to where Sydney had eluded to, stroking the stubble on his chin. After a moment of contemplation, he wheezed and forced a laugh before he looked back at Sydney, his eyes now visible even through his tinted glasses, gazing at him through long, drooping eyelashes.
"You couldn’t spare a moment just to walk me over, could you? I don't do well with directions, I'd rather-"
"I've had about enough of you."
Sydney zipped up his bag, shrugging it over his shoulder before scrambling up and taking off before he could even think. Adam raised a hand to try and stop him, but his fingers only grazed the end of Sydney’s skirt as he crashed down into the raspberry bush, spitting and cursing as thorns dug into him through the velvet fabric of his suit. Sydney kept running. The original frustration lingering in his mind started to fade out into sharp fear, the sheer reality of his situation starting to dawn on him. Air whipped past him, so strong it felt like it cut right through his skin like a knife through warm butter, and his lungs began to burn, making him reluctantly slow his pace. He brought his speed down to a walk when he figured he had put enough space between him and the man, and he heaved as he tried to catch his breath. He had been out longer than he had intended to be, evident by the stars flickering at him in the distance. It was already night, and crickets had begun whistling and bugs began warbling into the dark, cold air. Everything felt surreal, like he had just woken up from a dream so vivid he had to double check to know he was truly awake. The memory of his encounter started to warp in his mind, like a reflection in a pond broken by a waving ripple cutting through it. What was his name again? Alan? What did his face look like? The orange light of the nurses' cabin was the only thing that guided him through the night and grounded him in his daze, his surroundings shrouded in darkness underneath a waning moon. He stumbled up the porch and nearly burst through the front door, exhaling heavily while he stopped till recollect his thoughts.
He swiveled his head to look at Jedidiah's office, the door slightly ajar and leaking yellow lamplight out onto the floor. He slowly began to make his way over, leaning on the wall to keep his balance steady. He peeked through the small crack in the door before hesitantly sliding it open, cringing at the harsh creaking sound it made before looking over at Jeddie's desk and being met with exactly what he had expected. He slowly crept into the room, struggling to keep his steps quiet as he approached Jedidiah, who lay folded atop his desk in a disheveled heap. He giggled at the sight of it, the soft noise of Jeddie snoring muffled by his arms, his hair unkempt and sticking up. He tapped his shoulder once, then twice, then gradually started to shake him awake, stirring him in his sleep. Sydney laughed quietly as Jedidiah mumbled and lifted his head, rubbing his eyes beneath his glasses.
"And what did I tell you about sleeping in your office?" Sydney murmured gently, playfully running his hands through Jedidiah's unkempt hair. Jeddie stared blankly before shaking his head sleepily and mumbling something of a 'sorry'. Sydney’s hands felt so comforting grazing his scalp and he shuddered at the simple touch, looking up at him as he drew his hands away. Sydney hummed contentedly and kissed Jedidiah on his scruffy cheek, his soft hair brushing up against his face as he bent down, before scooping a hand up beneath Jedidiah's arm and helping him up to his feet. Jedidiah stumbled out of his chair, accidentally jabbing his stomach on the corner of his desk, making him whine. Sydney whispered am apology before ushering the two of them out of the room, Jedidiah leaning into the crook of his shoulder.
"I got some raspberries for you. From the forest." Sydney whispered. Jedidiah raised his eyebrows and 'hmm'ed in surprise, looking over at the bag strung over Sydney's back, a faint red blotch having grown at the bottom, most likely from some berries that had been carelessly crushed in the travel back.
"I assume that's what's in the bag?"
"You'd assume right. Here, could you open the door?"
Jedidiah muttered and reached out to the bedroom door for him, stumbling into the room as he hurried to get to bed, drowsiness nipping at his head. Sydney meandered his way over, his hands shoved in his pockets whilst Jedidiah took off his shoes and sweater-vest, folding them neatly and laying them on the foot of the bed. Much less meticulous, Sydney slung off his bag and softly dropped it at his feet (careful to make sure he didn’t crush any more berries than he already had) and took off his coat and sweater, tossing them off to the side. Jedidiah held no objections as Sydney crawled into bed alongside him, wrapping his arms around him and pulling him into his chest with his firm yet gentle grasp. He was warm and comforting, and Jedidiah's back perfectly curved into Sydney's body. Sydney kissed the side of Jedidiah's neck before resting his head on his shoulder, idly running strands of his hair through his fingertips, lost in thought.
"I saw a man out there today." Sydney paused. There was no reply. "Jeddie?"
Jedidiah was long since asleep, having passed out the moment Sydney had taken him into his arms. Sydney sighed and planted a kiss on the top of his head before burying his head into the crook of his neck, keeping any memories of the day clogged up in his throat. He relaxed his muscles and let the stress of the day dissipate, comforted by the feeling of Jedidiah curled up in his arms. He felt his face contort into a smile, and whispered him goodnight.