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The room was pitch black, the only indication the world was still spinning was the sounds of a fan, whirring somewhere from the confines of the room. It was still and silent, the way it always was meant to be.
At last, Tess’ body turned, feeling something constricting her movements, holding her in place. It was too dark to even make out the shapes that once would dance across her walls… She was still trying to figure out if she liked it better this way.
Although it didn’t help, Tess closed her eyes, her mind starting to build some sort of broken picture.
The room was so dark, and still managed to feel twice as isolating. Tess didn’t have many memories of her family, or the world she lived before the cold segregating walls of the orphanage. When she was told she would be going there, they gave her false promises.
“You’ll get to meet lots of other children, who are just like you! You’ll have so much fun!”
Yeah, that’d been a fucking lie. The air was always bitter, and no matter what time of day it was, there was always crying, someone who felt just like her.
“Tess!” came a voice from the dark, a place she couldn’t see at all. “Stop crying!”
She remembered how people would yell at her, instead of actually helping solve whatever issues she had. It was just another worthless and expendable child crying for a better future. It made Tess sick, how she felt like she was rotting inside, without anyone around to care. She was just a child…
The fan made a soft, yet sudden click, clearly a gear catching? Tess’ eyes opened, although it didn’t really change anything. A soft, methodical sound now seemed to grace itself to her, which sounded like wind passing through a full and spritely tree. This, for some reason, made Tess feel more comfortable, her frame sinking into the mass that took up extra bed room.
Her eyes closed again, once again allowing flashes of her old life to pass on by.
Her eyes opened slowly, revealing a water stained roof that towered over her. The apartment she had resided in for a long time before the show was nothing worse than a nightmare. Leaky plumbing, terribly done electrical work, and loudest methheads in existence had never made Tess feel safe. Her eyes narrowed, remembering how often rude or insufferable people had belittled her work that day, calling her rude or improper. What did they know? They didn’t know the struggles she went through everyday? They didn’t wake up every morning, wishing they hadn’t, preferring the idea of dying? Who would even care if she did? Her therapist, the one who only cared about the money? In hindsight, Tess had been wrong, she knew that now.
Suddenly, a buzz cut through her thoughts of mindless nothing. A text? Who had her number? Turning over sharply, she read the notification.
“You have been selected to com-” the rest was cut off, unintelligible… Was it from the reality show her therapist had campaigned for? What a weird thing to do?
Tess thought for a moment. Would it be better to rot in her bed, or actually read the text? Damned if she knew, but something seemed to compel her.
Slowly and carefully, Tess’ hand returned to her, the phone’s cracked and shitty screen shining off her fingers with a dystopian glow. She read the simple message.
“You have been selected to compete on the second season of the hit reality tv show ‘Disventure Camp!’ During your time, you might make friends, burn bridges, and even fall in love! Do you wish to proceed, please sign the forum below!”
An NDA… Was Tess really about to do this? Her eyes skimmed the text again and again, trying to see if there was any way to back out of such a life changing decision… “And even fall in love…” The Loner read aloud… Could she find someone who was just like her? Someone who could understand her struggles, and help her figure out if life was really worth living? Likely not, but why did it sound so appealing?
At last, Tess sighed, tapping the link… She hoped she wouldn’t regret this… "Yeah right."
A shifting motion brought Tess back from her voidless thoughts. Tight tendrils wrapped further around her, softly keeping her as close as possible. The Loner Girl felt a smile crawl up her facial features, how’d she end up in such a golden position? Her breath was muffled, as she buried her face into the warm yet solid mass that lay in front of her, spooning her with a tightness that would never let go.
Keeping her head pressed into the chest that lay before her, she once again shut her eyes, allowing one last memory to flood her mind.
The cave, it was just like the orphanage… It was cold, damp and so quiet you could hear your own heartbeat. The rain didn’t help, it thundered down, creating an awful roaring sound throughout the cave.
It must’ve been past two am at this point, but Tess couldn’t settle, she felt terrible, her heart rate beating thousands of times a minute. Tears rolled down her face, she felt like her mind was tearing itself apart. Why did she come to this stupid fucking show?
“Hey?” A voice came from the darkness. Tess’ head snapped up, to see the taller figure, whose frame was dressed in some gray sweater, and some dark pants that were hard to make out. Tess didn’t reply, only nodding her head. “Can you do something for me?”
What a weird request? In a moment like this, what could Hunter possibly want? She only let out a quiet, “mhm?”
“Can you name three of your favorite plushies for me?”
“Uhm…” Tess was confused, but went along with it regardless. “What?”
“Just try… For me?”
The loner blinked, feeling her mind scrambling for a simple answer… But it wasn’t simple, was it? She had so many favorites, three couldn’t cut it. Her eyes narrowed, trying to pinpoint the small number from her vast sea of a collection, not noticing her breathing begin to slow.
“Well, one of them is an elephant I’ve had since I was a baby, named Trunks… Not the most original name I know… But he’s special.”
“Does that matter? He’s important, simple name or not.”
“I suppose so… I also have this fox one I stole while in the orphanage named Ratty, because he’s in fairly poor shape.” She nodded to herself, agreeing with her own words, it helped her feel slightly more grounded in the moment. Hunter didn’t interrupt, he only nodded, allowing her to continue. “I also have a dog named Patch, he’s got a lot of new fabric, so he looks very patchy, hence the name.”
Despite the snoring coming from their gamer girl buddy only a stones-drop away, the rain still seemed louder. The social failure softly chuckled, resting his head softly on a rock. “Sounds like you have a pretty solid lineup?”
“They’re the family I never had… Sorry for all this, you didn’t need to see me like this… The dark makes me remember…”
“I don’t know, I think it’s brave to tell the truth.”
Tess’ swollen eyes drifted up to Hunter, who was still facing her, smiling softly, his arms folded up to his chest.
“Is it really? To sit in a cold cave and cry like a lost child in a shopping mall?”
“What’s brave is letting people help you, to be honest with yourself, and to know when you need to just… let it out?”
No reply came right away. Tess only shuffled, her mind now seemingly slightly clearer… Her face flushed red for a moment, thanking the dark for once for keeping this secret. She felt a little sick, really, but life was making sure she wasn’t ready for anything yet. She’d need to sort herself out first. Only time could heal her current wounds, and maybe therapy too.
At last, Tess turned, feeling her breath softly blow along her knees, a cold shiver running down her spine. “Thank you…”
“For what?”
Tess opened an eye, she’d said that last part out loud again, hadn’t she? Her eyes drifted up to the pale figure that held her within his arms. Hunter’s fingers had begun tracing her hair, each single strand tangling gently around him, clinging to the feelings.
“Oh, nothing, just dreaming again,” replied Tess, who placed her head back into his chest. The world didn’t feel so dark in the arms of someone you love. “But still… thank you?”
“Uhm, did I do something?”
“You always do.”
It was simple, but powerful. As Tess closed her eyes again, she remembered, but about the moment in her life she felt like she was drowning, instead of all the things she’d done, all the friends she’d made… From falling in love, to allowing her passions to get her a career she loved… Despite it all, she felt herself smiling.
“Anytime, Tess.”
And with that, the pair went off to sleep.