Inside, the place departs from the rustic cabin style of the rest of the campground, resembling the lobby of a hotel with marble floors and long counters of polished wood on either side. Clearly, whoever had designed this place had plenty of funds. Members of camp staff wait behind the counters, welcoming each family personally. Going up to an available staff member, your dad gets you registered. Most of the process had been done online, thankfully, but there are a few more forms to sign: waivers, double-checking medical information, the usual things. They also give you a lanyard with a camper’s name badge on it.
Suddenly, a voice calls out, “ATTENTION, NEW CAMPERS!”
You turn to see a young woman, probably one of the counselors, waving to get everyone’s attention. “Hello, my name is Crystal, and I’d like to welcome you all to Ravenwood Summer Camp! As soon as you’re all signed in, we’d like all our new campers to head outside where our counselors will take you to the lodges so you can pick out your rooms!”
“Hear that?” Your father says. “Better get a move on so you can get the room you want!”
You roll your eyes at his forced enthusiasm, but you obey anyway. “Sure, whatever. Bye, Dad.”
“Have fun, son!”
-----------------------------
As the last of the campers file out, Crystal once more speaks up. “Now, we’d like all parents and guardians here to come this way!” Motioning for the adults to follow her, she heads towards an auditorium off to the side.
“What’s this about?” Howard asks the girl behind the counter as he hands her the last signed form.
“Oh, just a small presentation for the parents so you know exactly what activities your daughter will be partaking in while here. You know, just safety stuff.”
“Well, that’s considerate, I guess. Can never be too careful these days. Oh, and I think you mean my son, not daughter.”
The girl giggles. “Oops, my mistake! There’s been a lot of people, and I get confused sometimes.”
“No harm done,” Howard reassures her before heading after the other parents. Inside, he wonders if that young lady needs to get her eyes checked. Sure, his son may be on the pale, skinny side, but that hardly means he looks like a girl.
Entering the auditorium, he looks around at the other adults. It’s a pretty good sized crowd, but he manages to find a seat at the back.
Once all the parents have settled in, Crystal takes her place beside a large flat screen and begins. “Firstly, Ravenwood Summer Camp would like to thank you for entrusting us with your children. We promise that their experiences here will be wonderful and unforgettable, maybe even life-changing! However, we wouldn’t want you to have to take our word for it. Instead, we can show you!”
With that, the screen lights up as a video starts.