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Matthew--(right up at the camera) Alright. I-is this recording..? Uhh… (Shouting) Aly! Could you check for me? I can’t tell if it’s recording!
Aly--(Off frame) Just look for the little red dot! It’s not that hard!
Mathew--Really? Ugh, fine. I don’t see it… where is it? I don’t see a light, Aly! Uh, wait, is the light in the lens? I think so. Alrighty then. (Backs up and clears throat) Day 1 of our camping trip, Mathew Hawthorn’s camping log. We just got here! Our cabin is pretty deep into the woods, I don’t think people would be able to hear or see us, it’s great! There are two rooms, so there will be two to a room and one on the couch. I’m not sure how we’re doing it yet. (Shouting) Hey, Horace! Who is sleeping where?
Horace--(Walks onto frame) Would you please stop shouting, Mathew? It’s giving me a migraine.
Mathew--Oh, sorry. But, my question still stands--what’s the sleeping arrangement?
Horace--I need to ask the others but I think Sol wants to take the couch. Me and you can take one room and the twins will take the other.
Mathew--You sure? I can take the couch if Sol wants a room.
Horace--No, she said she would take the couch if anyone had to before we even got here.
Mathew--Oh, alright then. Thank you, Horace!
Horace--(muttering)What did I say about raising your voice..?(exit)
Mathew--(turning back to the camera)So, I guess I’m rooming with Horace. I’m not complaining, at least he doesn’t roll around in his sleep like someone else I know--
Amy--(Off screen) I can hear you, you know!
Mathew-- --And Amy and Aly are sharing the other one. I think we’re all gonna have a lot of fun on this trip! It’s great to just be out in the forest. Oh, and there’s a river nearby, too. We were thinking of going swimming there sometime. Well, I-I was. I’m not sure if the others will want to go. But, at the very least, I’m pretty sure Sol will want to! She’s awesome, I’m never alone because she’s always there! Oh, I got pretty off-track there… S-so, anyway… wait, what was I saying, again..? Whatever. It’s nice in the cabin. And it’s an actual cabin, not just some house they claim is a cabin and then call us names when we tell them it’s not a cabin. I’m totally not speaking from experience(lie). But, apart from that, we have a fireplace! I would show it but I’m scared of messing up the camera. I don’t really think I have much else to share, though! That’s it! (Gets up and walks away forgetting to turn off the camera. No one is on screen)
Aly-- You’re already done? I thought you said it would take forever.
Mathew-- Well, I guess not. I don’t know, it’s not like I rehearsed my camping log in the bathroom mirror before we got here!
Amy-- Everything is unexpected. If you expect the unexpected, the simpler will happen. If you expect the expected, the other will happen.
Mathew-- Okay, then. Calm down, Edgar Allen Poe.
Horace--That wasn’t nearly as poetic as Edgar Allen Poe. If you’re going to make fun of her, Mathew, make sure it makes sense before you run your mouth.
Mathew-- Ow, that hurts. (sigh) Where’s Sol? She’s not in the cabin. Did she go exploring?
Sol-- (Heard walking in, opening the door with a lot of bags) No, I wasn’t I was getting all of your luggage that you forgot to bring in. You're welcome.
Aly-Oh, I can help you with that, Sol! (Walks past the camera but pauses, seeing that it’s on.) Mathew! You didn’t turn the camera off!
Mathew-- I have to turn it off?
Aly--Yes! Ugh, how did you pass high school..? (Walks up to turn off the camera.)
Mathew-- Hey! I’m smart, I swear-- (cuts off bc camera is turned off.)
~~~Act 2~~~
Mathew--Mathew Hawthorn’s camping log. Day 2. We went swimming today! Well, most of us. Amy can’t swim and she’s too scared to learn.
Amy--(off-screen)It is not fear that holds me back but the weight of my soul.
Mathew--sure, edgelord, keep telling yourself that. At this rate, I’m gonna start thinking you’re hydrophobic. That is the word for that, right?
Horace--(off-screen, sighs) It depends. Did you mean the fear of deep water or all water?
Mathew--um, all water?
Horace--Then that’s Hydrophobia.
Mathew--Yes! I got it right!
Amy--I am scared of nothing.
Aly--well, I-I don’t know, Amy. You might have a small case of hydrophobia or an extreme thalassophobia. I mean, you never say why you don’t like the water.
Mathew--I bet that she’s afraid of drowning.
Sol--Or, she could be afraid of all the creatures in the water!
Mathew--No way! She’s too edgy and dark to be afraid of things like that.
Aly--How does that make sense?
Horace--It doesn’t.
Mathew--Hey, yes it does!
Amy--Can you stop gossiping and making bets when I’m right here?
Aly--Nope! Sorry, sis!
Sol--Aly, I don’t think you can make fun of her. You spent the entire time suntanning.
Aly--It’s calming! And I didn’t spend the whole time suntanning, just… most of it.
Sol--yeah, sure, okay then.
Mathew--Guys! You should all come on camera!
Horace--Why? This is just for you and you know what we look like.
Mathew--aw, but don’t you wanna make future me happy?
Sol jumps on the chair next to Mathew.
Sol--Take in my beauty, Future Mathew! I’m amazing, aren’t I?
Horace walks into frame next to Mathew’s chair, just giving a small wave. He looks very unamused.
Mathew--You make it seem like we kidnapped you.
Horace--you did.
Sol--No, we didn’t! Just admit that you wanted to go on this trip just as much as we did!
Horace rolls his eyes and doesn’t respond. Amy and Aly walk in from either side of the frame, standing behind the chairs. Aly smiles and waves at the camera and Amy looks very similar to Horace.
Amy--why did I let you all drag me here, again.?
Mathew--’Cuz you love us!
Horace--That is very unlikely.
Amy--Horace is right.
Aly--Oh, come on, you at least love me, right?
Amy--you’re my sister, you get a free pass.
Aly--aw, yeah!
Mathew--Come on! I’m practically your brother, we grew up together!
Horace--by that logic, we’re all siblings.
Mathew--no way! You’re like the mom or something.
Sol--I nominate myself as the fabulous daughter!
Mathew--Or the cousin!
Sol--ooo, the cousin!
Aly--then, me and Amy are the kids!
Sol--and Mathew can be the dad!
Mathew--What? I’m not responsible enough to be a dad.
Aly--you can be like the cool dad that lets us do most whatever we want!
Mathew--now that, I can get behind.
Horace--If you’re all done being children, we have to take showers and make food. I’ll make food while you all shower so decide among yourselves who goes when.
Horace walks off-screen, Amy sneaking off as well.
Sol--I call going first!
Aly--What? No, you’ll just use all the hot water!
Sol--exactly, I’ll use it before you get the chance to!
Mathew--Guys, I think Amy beat you to it.
Aly/Sol--What?!
Aly and Sol run off frame.
Mathew--(chuckles and turns to the camera)Um, so that just happened. We didn’t really do much else today. I mean, lunch was just some sandwiches we stuffed into a cooler. I think that’s it.
Mathew gets up to turn off the camera, struggling to find the button for a moment before it shuts off.
~~~Act 3~~~
Mathew--(somber) Mathew Hawthorn’s camping log, day 3. We lost Horace. I don’t know how, but we did. The last time we saw him was at about noon. He was making lunch with Sol and said he had to go to the bathroom. We haven’t seen him since. We looked around for him, but we can’t find any traces of him.
Sol--(Off screen, yelling) Mathew! Come on, we have to keep looking!
Mathew--We’ve looked everywhere already!
Sol--Well, just-!(pause) Keep looking. Please.
Mathew--(hesitates before standing with a soft sigh) Alright. (Turns off camera)
~~~Act 4~~~
Mathew is on camera with his arm slung around Horace’s shoulders. Horace is clearly not happy about this.
Mathew--Mathew Hawthorn here! Day 4. We found Horace! We looked last night and in the morning today only to find him standing in the river. We checked there a few times so it’s obvious that someone was avoiding us.
Horace--Whatever. You didn’t have to look for me.
Mathew--Yes we did! You were missing, we got worried. What kind of friends would we be if we didn’t go looking for you?
Horace--I’m a grown man! (Pulls out of Mathew’s reach) I don’t need you guys to babysit me!
Mathew--Woah, Horace, calm down, man. We don’t think we’re babysitting you. We just got worried, that’s all.
Horace--Well, I don’t need pity! Much less from you, Mathew!
Sol walk over to Horace, reaching out to comfort him, though she gets pushed away.
Sol--Horace, what is wrong with you? You never explode like this. Why are you being so rude to Mathew?
Horace--I’m telling the truth, aren’t I? No one wants pity from him, of all people.
Mathew--Did I do something to upset you?
Horace--Something? No, you didn’t.
Mathew--Oh, well that’s good--
Horace--I just hate you as a person.
Sol--Horace! You don’t really mean that.
Horace--I do, though. Come on, we’re all thinking it! He relies on us too much, he can’t do anything for himself. If it wasn’t for that, he would’ve never been friends with any of us! He wanted to go on this trip and forced me and you to do all the planning! He had Aly get the camera for him and Amy bought half his clothes for him! On top of that, he never thinks about anyone other than himself. Just admit it, we all hate him--
Horace gets cut off because Mathew turns off the camera
~~~Act 5~~~
Mathew--Mathew Hawthorn’s camping log, day 5. Horace is still being difficult. I don’t get it. I know he can get annoyed by us a lot, but it’s never like this. He’s one of us. He would never say things like what he’s saying now. It’s confusing. I don’t know what to do. He’s lashing out at all of us. He’s said he hates each of us at least 3 times already. I’m not sure what happened to him. He’s not the Horace that I know. We’ll see what happens tomorrow.
The camera gets shut off.
~~~Act 6~~~
Mathew--Mathew Hawthorn’s camping log, day 6. We lost Horace again, he’s with Sol this time. They’re both gone. We looked all around the cabin and the surrounding area. There’s no sign of either of them. I think we just have to wait again. I’m scared, though. What if they don’t come back?
Mathew turns of the camera
~~~Act 7~~~
Mathew--Day 7, we found Sol and Horace. They were in the river, just like how Horace was before. They were further down this time, and they were soaked. I think they floated down the river. Would explain why they were so far. I don’t think they’ve eaten either. This is getting concerning. I’m not sure if--
There is a loud crash off-screen.
Mathew--Amy? Aly? What happened?
There is no response
Mathew runs to turn off the camera.
~~~Act 8~~~
Mathew--Mathew Hawthorn’s camping log, day 8. Sol is being so (pause) aggressive. She threw a lamp yesterday. Horace is still acting weird. I don’t know what’s happening. Why can’t they go back to normal?
Mathew turns the camera off
~~~Act 9~~~
Mathew--Day 9, Amy and Aly went missing last night. I found them this morning. They’re being aggressive, too. I don’t know what to do. I’ve tried to research what’s happening but I can’t find anything about it. It’s either that this has never happened or it has and it’s been covered up. It’s so frustrating!
Mathew stands and kicks the chair, standing silently for a few seconds.
Mathew--At least we’re leaving tomorrow.
Mathew turns off the camera.
~~~Act 10~~~
Mathew--They’re gone! I can’t find any of them! I-I woke up and went to go find them and have us all leave but… They’re gone. I looked into what’s happening more, I can’t figure it out, though All that’s weird in the area are reports of mad ramblings of Egyptian Gods, namely Aker and Ma’at. I can’t see the relation between them though. It’s all so confusing! I need to look for them more.
Mathew turns off the camera