Where Nightmares Ride

by R A Baxter

  A tall woman with perfect posture stepped forward and smiled, then nodded. Katie admired the auburn hair she had tied in a bun. Her blue eyes twinkled behind her large red glasses, and a short red dress peeked through her open lab coat.

  Media started to sway back and forth, and her mouth twitched. “In our sessions. In our sessions, we’ll focus on beauty and perfection. Looks equal success. And we’ll have. We will…” She stared at the crowd for several seconds.

  Tamera ran up behind her and grabbed her around the waist, just stopping her from falling over. She lifted Media’s arm and placed it around her shoulder, then lowered her into the chair and turned to the campers.

  “I suppose I’ll be handling things from here,” Tamera said, with perfect enunciation. “As my friend was saying, the first impression you make is of extreme importance. It will define who you are in the eyes of every individual you meet. The destructive effect of your imperfections should never be underestimated and should not be tolerated.”

  Tamera snatched a remote control from a nearby countertop and turned on a white projector hanging from the center of the ceiling. An image of the lodge appeared on the whiteboard.

  “As each of you arrived yesterday, we took photos of you for this presentation. Weaker minds often accuse us of being mean and insensitive. My hope, however, is that you all will be mature enough to accept constructive criticism. You will not survive in this world if you cannot accept the truth about yourselves. Those who would spare your feeling merely rob you of the opportunity to empower yourself against their unspoken criticism.”

  She pressed a button and a highly magnified photo of a wart appeared. Katie looked away. A young black-haired girl gasped and slapped her hand over her cheek. She looked around the room with wide, horrified eyes.

  “A seemingly insignificant blemish, like this one, will be the difference between acceptance and rejection in the world you face every day.”

  The next image exposed dark curves below a girl’s brown eyes. “You may think you’re getting away with staying up late, but you can’t hide the hideousness of baggy eyes from a boy you may have hoped to impress. Unacceptable.” A Hispanic girl sat still in the center of the room, her mouth hanging open.

  The next image displayed a close-up of the crooked upper teeth of a skinny boy.

  “When you go for a job interview, who do you think will get hired? The man with glistening white teeth, or this guy, who looks like he has been chewing on a tire iron?”

  Scattered laughter erupted and the boy with the crooked teeth stood up. He clamped his mouth shut and, with glistening eyes, ran out the door. Jenny followed the boy. Tamera gave her an angry glare and wagged her head.

  “Like I said, we can pretend we are doing people favors letting them think they’re perfect, or we can be honest so they can commence their journey to perfection. That boy may be embarrassed now, but I guarantee you, he will be begging his mother to take him to the dentist next week. Then no one will be quietly disgusted by his face. Now, look at this character.”

  The next slide displayed the short legs of a stocky blond boy. “Human or chimp? Your call.”

  Katie felt confused, and a little sick. She’d always believed people needed to be more honest with each other, but now she doubted that philosophy. This woman wasn’t just speaking hard truths. She was hurting people. Truth could be a devastating weapon.

  “Can we go?” Katie yanked Damien’s arm.

  “In a minute,” he said.

  “Why? What are they trying to prove by humiliating people?”

  “They know what they’re doing. They’re creating resilience. You’ll see.”

  “Tell me this doesn’t look like a hoard of giant splattered insects,” Tamera said. A freckled neckline adorned the projection surface.

  “I hate you,” a petite freckled girl said, startling Katie. “This camp is like living in Hell!” She stood up crying before stumbling over people in her desperation to exit the building. Four other girls followed her, their faces contorted with rage.

  A young blond boy stood with his arms folded. “You have no right to treat people like this! I don’t know what you’re trying to prove, but I’m not putting up with it.” He motioned to four boys next to him and they all stood up and followed him out of the room.

  Tamera showed no concern. She even smiled when they left. She continued the session in the same manner: criticizing moles, wide hips, frizzy hair, a chipped tooth. Some of the kids enjoyed it. Carl, Tony, and Travis laughed loudly at Tamera’s comments. Carl grinned and made a face when the gap between his upper teeth made the show.

  A tall brown-haired girl moaned and dropped her face into her hands when the slideshow exposed a birthmark on her neck.

  “Who would ever hire a girl with a dump-truck blotch staring at them? Do you really think you can succeed in life with a stain like this blaring in everyone’s face?”

  Clara shot to her feet. “I don’t care what you,” Clara said. “you’re just mean and I’m leaving.”

  Katie had never seen her so serious. She raised an eyebrow at Damien.

  He nodded. “Alright. Let’s go.” He and Katie followed Clara outside.

  Jack and Taylor marched past several cabins on their way toward the amphitheater. They passed two girls sitting on a log and hugging a third girl who was crying and holding her hand over her cheek. A hundred yards later, they moved out of the way of two boys who were shoving at each other.

  The larger boy charged at the other and pinned him to the ground. “You mention my teeth again and I’ll bite your eyes out,” he said.

  Farley smiled, watching the fight from a chair in front of the main office.

  Jack gave Taylor a confused look. “What is going on? Those are the same guys that shared the popcorn with us this morning.”

  “Maybe that self-improvement session was no better than Avard’s so-called self-defense training. I say we skip Derek’s session. Sherry said you could have the rest of the day off.”

  “I don’t care about his session. I just want to ask him some questions.”

  Many other campers now joined Jack and Taylor, heading to the green canopies on the south side of the lake. Ming and Travis caught up to them, then Alison walked past them.

  “Hey,” Taylor said to Alison. “I thought you’d be long gone by now.”

  Alison turned with fury in her eyes. “I just spent an hour in the main offices arguing with that buffoon, Farley. The front gate is bolted. They wouldn’t let me use my phone. We’re literally prisoners here! When this week is over, you’re going to see the lawsuit of the century!”

  “Why go to Derek’s session then?” Jack swatted a fly from his nose.

  “He’s my last hope of going home today. At least he seems more rational than Farley.”

  They arrived at a set of four canopies arranged similarly to Avard’s set up. These canopies, however, had blue tarp walls that enclosed six rows of black metal chairs. Derek stood behind an oaken table, in front of a freestanding whiteboard. Pads of lined paper and orange pens lay on each chair. Campers took their seats and Jack settled in one at the front. He noticed Katie enter and take a seat at the back, sandwiched between Damien and Clara.

  “Good afternoon,” Derek said. “Today, I’ll be instructing you on the value of self-marketing. My goal is to show you what it takes to move up the ladder and stay there. Nothing is more important than your reputation. It affects everything you’re able to attain in life. It’s needed to impress employers or attract friends. Reputation, however, is not about who you are. It’s about who other people think you are.”

  “You want us to lie about ourselves?” Barbara laughed at her own comment.

  “Truth is irrelevant,” Derek said. “Once you’ve convinced people you’re invincible, reality makes no difference. The Egyptians learned that even a young boy could rule the world, if the world believed he was a god. Only you know who you really are. Everyone else sees you the way you make them see
you. Whether you choose to admit it or not, we all are liars by nature. Isn’t it about time we accepted it and embraced it? It’s not a question of whether to lie. It’s a question of how to lie.”

  “This whole camp is a lie,” Alison said. “My invite said I’d be given guidance toward a law career. I haven’t heard a word about it.”

  “I’ve been wondering about that, too,” Jack said. “When do we start the 3D computer modeling?”

  “Mine said we’d be doing animal research,” Ming said.

  “Is this some kind of joke?” Travis stood up. “I better be getting assistance in business management. What’s the deal?”

  “This is bogus!” Alison folded her arms. “This camp is a fraud! You lured us here with lies! You snared us like animals!”

  “We can’t even call home,” Barbara said.

  Alison shook with anger. “This isn’t legal, and you know it! You may think you have us trapped, but this hoax won’t last forever. You might as well start looking for a real job because you’ll be hearing from my lawyers the second I step beyond those gates. They’ll close this place down so fast, your head will spin.”

  Derek smiled. “First of all, why are you yelling at me? I had nothing to do with your invites. But you’re making my point perfectly. Montathena Research wanted you here. Thus, they said what was required to influence you to come. Like it or not, that is how the world works. Politicians say whatever will get your votes. News outlets report what they hope will influence your behavior. Power comes from influencing people to do what you want.”

  Alison stood up. “That’s it. I’m going to my cabin until I’m allowed to leave. I’ve had it with this place.” She turned around.

  Derek ran after her and blocked her path. “I’ll tell you what. Maybe I can arrange to let you go home early. I’ll have to arrange it with Farley, but you’ll have to give me one thing. Do a sleep lab tonight.”

  Alison’s face tightened. “I couldn’t care less about your stupid sleep study.”

  “I understand. I promise you though, if you do the study and still want to leave, I’ll personally call your mother. You came all this way; we might as well get something out of it.”

  Alison hesitated and then shrugged. “I guess it couldn’t hurt, but it won’t change my mind.” She marched away.

  “Okay, my friends. I’ve got a little assignment for you as well. I want each of you to create two lists. First, come up with a hundred believable lies about yourself. Then come up with a hundred unbelievable truths. Make up lies that no one could possibly disprove. The best way to deceive people is simply to not tell them the whole truth. It’s impossible to disprove a partial truth, since it’s still truth. Tomorrow you’ll each choose three lies or truths and try to fool the rest of us. There’ll be prizes for the cabin that succeeds the most times.”

  Jack thought the assignment might’ve been fun under other circumstances, but the very idea of lying angered him now. They’d lied to him about the 3D modeling. Who knew what else they’d lied about? What had he gotten himself into?

  Jack laid back on a slatted-wood bench on the porch of his cabin with Taylor, his hands behind his head. He squinted at the reflection of the evening sun shimmering off the lake far below. Distant yelling, the splashing of water, and the clunking together of canoes told of the campers enjoying life down at the waterfront.

  Tony, Carl, Jorge, Travis, and Ming rushed out of the cabin wearing their swimming trunks and flipping towels at each other. They barreled down the hill, except for Ming who stopped and gave Jack a confused stare.

  “You’re not going to the lake? They’re having canoe races.”

  “We’re sitting this one out,” Taylor said.

  Jack frowned. “They’re lying to us, abusing people, and keeping us from leaving. How can everyone just go on like that’s okay?”

  “It’s not okay,” Ming said. “It’s horrible. But what can we do? We’re trapped here, and whenever I think about it, it just drives me crazy.”

  “We could look for a way to escape,” Jack said.

  Ming nodded. “If you can find a way out of here, I’m with you all the way. But, until then, we need to stay sane. We should try to have as much fun as we can. No matter what, it’ll all be over by the end of the week. Then we can take our money, go home, and forget about this place.”

  “Maybe you’re right,” Jack said. “It’s not all bad. I came here to do something about my nightmares, and I didn’t have one last night. So, there’s that.”

  “Funny you mentioned that.” Ming tucked his yellow towel under his arm. “I dreamed about this camp last night even though I was only here for about four hours yesterday before going to bed. Travis, Tony, and Carl all said they dreamed about this place, too.”

  “Come to think of it, so did I.” Jack sat up straight. “And I hadn’t even seen the camp in the daylight yet. That is really weird.”

  Taylor said, “Makes me think they’re doing something funky to our brains, dude. Can’t say I remember my dream, though.”

  “What if it’s permanent?” Ming’s face became serious. He stared at the lake. “What if we never dream normally again? No payment’s worth that.”

  Jack slid his silver lighter from his pocket and flicked the flint, then let the flame work on him like a drug. “Who knows what they’re doing to our minds? We can’t trust anything they say.”

  “This is starting to freak me out,” Ming said. “Seriously, If I don’t stop thinking about it, I’ll give myself a panic attack. I’m going to the lake. See you at the bonfire tonight.” Ming ran down the hill.

  “Dude, my brain can’t take this either,” Taylor said. “Next time we see Derek, we need to ask him exactly what their dream tech is doing to us.”

  “He’ll just lie about it. They’re holding all the cards. Ming has a point. We need to stay calm and figure out what to do.” Jack closed his eyes and tried to enjoy a subtle breeze and the tapping of a woodpecker high in the trees, but nothing could smother the foreboding he felt in his heart. The fear would not go away.

  A low thud interrupted the silence. He opened his eyes and turned to a nearby cluster of low-lying pines up a steep hill to his left. He heard someone crying and glanced at Taylor.

  They both stood and climbed the short hill, easing around a cluster of white spruces a few yards down the other side of the mound, near the wooden perimeter fence. Taylor brushed aside an armful of pine boughs.

  Sherry jumped and a spark of terror flashed in her puffy, reddened eyes, then vanished. She wiped her face with the sleeve of her jacket, smearing eyeliner and mascara across her soaked cheeks.

  “Y’all should be at the waterfront.” She turned away.

  “What’s wrong?” Sherry’s show of emotion surprised Jack. Perhaps some of the staff members were human after all.

  Sherry stared at the boys for a moment, then became resolute. She marched over to Jack, lifted his I.D. lanyard over his head, and walked ten feet away and tossed it. The lanyard fluttered and landed, dangling on a low pine bough.

  Jack and Taylor just stared.

  “Sorry,” Sherry said amid sniffles. “Your I.D. is bugged. Farley and his cronies are listening to every word you say. Taylor isn’t part of the so-called research team, so his lanyard’s safe.”

  “You sure you’re okay?” Jack thought she might be losing her mind.

  She forced a smile. “I’m not the one to worry about.”

  “Aren’t we self-realizing enough?” Taylor gave a wry grin.

  Sherry frowned, her lower lip quivering. “Self-realization. What a joke. Everything we’ve been telling you is a joke.”

  “You don’t need to convince us of that,” Jack said. “I’ve got the bruised ribs to prove it. Don’t feel bad, though. You, at least, help people around here.”

  “Yes, but it’s not enough!” She shook in exasperation. “Y’all have no idea what I just witnessed a few minutes ago. A sweet little darling came into the nursing station, her
shoulder dripping blood from where she’d taken a knife to her neck. Why? ’Cause she had a little birthmark, no bigger than a ladybug. She tried to cut it off. All because we told her it made her ugly. That beautiful little sweetheart mutilated herself because of this self-realization garbage!”

  “You can’t control what people will do,” Taylor said.

  “Oh, but we do control them. Don’t you see? That girl did exactly what Farley hoped she’d do! He wanted her to question her self-image, to destabilize her mind. He isn’t interested in making good kids better, he wants to take great kids and destroy them!”

  “You’re blowing this out of proportion,” Taylor said. “I mean, there’s no excuse for what Avard did to Jack, but I thought Farley made some sense. A lot of people don’t know how to survive in the real world.”

  “All that talk of survival is a smokescreen,” Sherry said. “Nobody needs to be humiliated or embarrassed just to learn how to survive. It’s all lies.”

  “I don’t get it,” Jack said. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m willing to believe you, but all I’ve seen so far are adults telling me to be a jerk, to lie to people, and punch them in the gut when they’re not looking. They’re not destabilizing my mind. They’re just making me mad.”

  “That’s true, Jack, but they’re making you angry on purpose, to manipulate you so you’ll reevaluate your beliefs. Each session at this camp is designed to make you question right and wrong. Y’all saw how the other campers were this morning: content, friendly, self-assured.”

  Jack nodded. “I felt like I didn’t fit in.”

  “That’s understandable, but you’ll fit in just fine by the time we’re through with you. Montathena lured y’all into their web like a poisonous spider, infecting y’all with doubts about your own goodness. Once your subconscious is no longer in harmony with your conscious mind, your mind destabilizes. Them kids are already starting fights with each other, and this is only the first day of camp.”

  Taylor shook his head. “This still seems a bit over the top. You’re telling me they invite good people here just to mess them up? It seems Montathena would have better things to do.”