Alan stood quietly as his mother fussed over his attire in front of the car. He was dressed in a white collared shirt, with khakis to match. A blood red tie circled his neck. His glasses were clean, if slightly bent out of shape, and his brown hair was smooth yet messy, much to his mother’s dismay. It was only after what seemed to be an eternity that she took a step back and nodded curtly. No words were exchanged; they simply looked at each other for a moment. His mother was the first to break eye contact, as she re-entered the car. His father waved. Alan did the same, raising his hand from his suitcase.

His father drove slowly away, most likely to avoid his mother’s sharp ministrations should he get dirt on their son. It was about as heartfelt of a departure as he had expected, considering his family. He reached into a messenger bag and fished out a well-folded sheet of paper. He scanned it quickly, then began to wheel the suitcase towards the white Activities center.

Wheeling the small suitcase through the door, Alan immediately noticed a beaming receptionist. He walked up slowly, the quiet noise of wheels turning accompanying him.

“What’s your name?” She asked. There was an odd lift to her voice, one that grated ever so slightly.

“Alan Hyll.” He answered. She opened her mouth to speak, but this was routine for Alan. “With a y. Yes.”

“Well isn’t that fun!” She said as she continued typing away. As he waited, he took a moment to look out the window towards the beach. It looked beautiful. Alan wasn’t one for romantics, but the scenery was breathtaking. 

“There we are!” The receptionist said, waking Alan from his daydreaming. “You’re all set. Cabin four. Here’s your key,” she handed Alan a key with a four emblazoned on it. “have a great day.” Alan nodded, preparing to leave.

“Wait!” Alan stopped, turning slowly. “You should also take a map! Wouldn’t want you getting lost!” The woman handed it to him. He paused a moment to look at it.

The majority of the map was either beach, or forest. Between the two, was the campground. In the bottom right, a box held an expanded view. He noticed the Activities center, with a note in pen stating “YOU ARE HERE!” in what he presumed to be the receptionist’s handwriting. Also of note was the dining hall, and several cabins. He spotted cabin 4, farthest from the activities center. He looked up.

“Thank you.” He said as he left towards what would be his new home for the next while.

As he crossed towards his cabin, he noticed a few people on the beach. He wasn’t sure if he was quite ready to meet them yet, and his pace grew brisker as he made his way. Relief filled him as the door opened after a lot of time spent fumbling with the key. 

Alan flipped the light switch as he threw his suitcase by a bed. He laid down on it for a moment, staring at the ceiling, then reached into his messenger bag once again and pulled out a small book and a pen. He flipped through pages of poetry, prose, and sketches and finally settled on a blank page. He wrote one word at the top, underlining it several times. 

“Camp.”