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David is fucking annoying.

"Hello there, Campers!" He waved his arms in a painful cheerful motion. "Let's go and see what activity we will be along today!"

The way his voice is so happy makes Max want to bang his head against the wall. Until it bled and he bleeds to death on the ground slowly losing his hearing in the process.

He's not joking.

"David." Max says so sweetly with a curt smile. "Oh, please, fuck off and jump off a cabin."

David's face falls. His eyes darken and he raised a hand over Max's head. His eyes unconsciously widen and he's now crouching in a ball, arms over his head and legs tucked over his knees.

A protective position.

"Max!"

His hair's grabbed. The child claws at whatever's beasts' hand pulling him away from his hiding place, a safe place he stays to avoid the monsters.

"D-Da-"

A hand shook his shoulder.

Max gasped. The mentors fading, the walls allowing his mind to snap out the memories unfolding before his very eyes. Images slowly going until they seemed nothing more than a mere dream.

A terrifying, realistic dream.

"Max?" David's voice is soft. Ha fucking hated it, I shouldn't have a tone meant for a child. "Are you okay, son? You don't have to join in?"

A question. It's not an order, it's a question. Max had the option of choosing whatever he wanted whenever he wanted. An actual choice.

"I.."

His mouth didn't obey his brain's command and acting against its owner to stay silent. As if giving Max a second chance think his decision.

The wall crumble. Little by little, cracks broke though the concrete supposed to be indestructible to Max's psyche in keeping his mental state safe.

"."

Max is standing now. An emotionless mask plastered protecting his feelings and walls rebuilding. He didn't let anyone in and no one saw his self worth.

Which is none.

David backed quickly. His eyes are clouded over as if contemplating to actually respect Max's decision in his desires of isolation and left in his thoughts.

The wall don't even let him think of Nikki and Neil.

The walls keep his mind safe and he trusted then non-speaking entity taking care mentally and physically. It's kept him safe in the past.

And it'll keep him safe in the present.

"O...okay."

David sounded hurt.

Max internally cringed. Closing his eyes, wiping the sleeves tears free so they didn't run down his cheek and make him look weak in front of his peers.

Friends-

Why didn't that word register?

***

"Is he alright to you?"

Nikki and Neil split apart from the rest of the campers. Really, they had no business being near them when they chatting important matters.

"Max?" Neil raised a brow letting Nikki know she caught his interest. "Yeah, he seems the same. Swears and as happy as can be."

She cringed at his sarcastic tone. It was known all over Max never even cracked at smile anyone, let alone the people he should've considered friends.

Nikki and Neil felt a little offended. Max's problems weren't talked about. Instead they were tucked into a pretty little bottle trapped in a pretty little cage.

Nikki should know, she's fucked it the head to.

"He's hiding something." Nikki leaned against Neil, placing a hand on his shoulder. "We need to talk to him or he'll be lost to this problem."

"Nikki, that's very nice-"

"And he'll ruin my precious ground!" She wailed dramatically, eyes darting in all direction. "His tears aren't worth ruining nature!"

Of course.

Neil sighed. He shook off the hand and glanced into those eyes he could read as a book. Turning the pages and reading the words until the ending.

She's worried. And so am I.

Neil looked into the forest. Max headed there before in his usual posture. Probably putting on a front so people weren't suspicious in the slightest.

Damn swearer performed into Preston standards.

Max, what's wrong?

***

A few words words running through Max's mind as he trekked in the forest campers were warned to stay away at all costs. Even so far as actual discipline.

Yet it became Max's sanctuary.

His place alone to think, walk, alone if need. His place simply to relax and forget about those in his daily life. His parents, David, Gwen...

Boy, I don't have a lot.

People in life don't tend to like Max very much. By very much, he means beat up, spit on, push around, shoved on the ground, and even getting kicked where they sun don't shine a number of times.

He lost count after number six. If Max has kids, it will be a damn miracle they don't out fucked up. Lord knows his mother's told him those words many a time. He won't admit to crying after said times.

"Worthless."

She said once while punching the ever living hell outta Max. Slapping him one cheek, then another, then another. At once point it felt like a right punishment.

"Mom..."

Max groaned, eyes closing due to the blood loss by the knife the bitch held in her hands. She simply walked off to hook up with dad.

Max slept half a day's worth.

Was she a douche? Probably.

Did he deserve it? Yes, he was a brat.

Max groaned, hands tangling through his hand in an effort of self distressing relaxation. In the years he'd lived, harming is the only technique helping.

Blame it on the parents teaching.

Max voices loved reading his sanity to shreds.

Sitting against a tree, Max stared into the distance. A day at camp Campbell passed by him simply taking a walk into the creepy words.

Lucky him.

"Hello, Max."

Max screamed in fight. Someone intruded his sanctuary. He turned his head, gasping as he crawled back on all fours to put some space between them.

Who is he?

The walls slowly swallows the cracks. Max returning to his old self, placing a smirk on his nervous demeanour. The structure closed completely.

Only remained was the anger before depression.

"The fuck are you doing here?!"