“Did you know that you can actually overdose on coffee,” With a gentle hand Jongup took the steaming cup of coffee from my hands, setting it down back onto the counter farthest away from the two of us. “This is what? Your fifth cup today?” With a quiet sigh, his hands found themselves on my shoulders, fingers pressing firmly into my skin as the pads of his fingers rolled deep circles into the tense knots. 

“You’ll be fine… I promise. I’ll call you every night and be there at every family day,” he said. 

When his fingers stopped moving I found myself pressed back into his chest seeking his confidence, wanting to believe in his promises. In just a few moments my packed bags would be loaded into my parent's sedan along with me and a family friend. My parents didn’t have the heart— no, the patience to send me off to camp.

They could no longer tolerate the endless nights of brewed coffee, the quiet days where the only sound that emitted from my room was a pen scratching against parchment.

Counseling wasn’t working the way my parents wanted it to. I still woke up screaming out a strangers name, his face plaguing my thoughts for the rest of the night until it was washed by the of sunlight. And like magic, I would forget who he was, his smile and his name until the nightmare repeated itself.  

I began to avoid falling asleep and took to drinking coffee whenever I could. Talking about him didn’t help and I was always two steps behind from where I started when I stepped foot into the counselor's office. I would only end up leaving with a pounding headache and less energy than I originally had. 

“They mean well, Yrene. Maybe getting you away from this place will help.” Jongup whispered. His hand giving my arm a squeeze before moving from behind.

My parents… My beloved parents who didn’t have the heart to tell me why I couldn’t remember my childhood and why they locked up all those pictures. 

I found them on my sixteenth birthday, alone, my parents had decided it all was too much for them to handle and left for Paris. My smile, my parents smiles in those photos weren’t forced like in recent ones. My smile used to reach my eyes and felt so sincere but now I can’t even remember what it felt like to smile like that.

“Did you know that they’re thinking about converting that camp into a high school?” I finally said. 

My voice a hair above a whisper as I tried to reach over for the last cup of coffee, but as usual, Jongup was a step ahead of me and had moved the cup to the sink. “Did you know that I didn’t sleep last night and actually need caffeine to deal with a four-hour drive?” I asked bitterly, staring at the coffee puddled sink. 

“And what does that have to do with anything?” He laughed as he passed me a water bottle completely ignoring my frown at the presented beverage and last comment. 

“It has to do with the fact that my parents won’t even hesitate to send me to a boarding school if it means not having to deal with me for an entire year.” moving away from the counter I stash the bottle of water in my bag.

“I doubt that, Yrene. Maybe they think that a change in your surroundings will do some good,” He said before placing his hands back on my shoulders and turning me around towards the front door; he was leading me out of the house already. “Come on, my dad has been waiting long enough. Let's go.” And with that, I was forced to walk as he pushed from behind. 

“I have to get my bags,”I mumbled. Feet dragging against the new carpet. 

“Already packed…” he sang from behind me. 

And just like that, I was forced out of the house with the sun blinding my eyes as I walked towards the black sedan, my ‘uncles’ face trying to beam at me from the driver's seat. Like that I was kicked from my house, my safe haven and forced into a car that would drive me towards a place in the middle of nowhere filled to the brim with strangers. 

~

‘WELCOME TO CAMP REED!’

The weathered wooden sign blared at us as we turned into a dirt pathway marked with multiple tire marks. The pathway was pretty simple, it lead straight down towards the camp but what made it remarkable was the trees upon trees of every fall color; red, orange, yellow, you name it on each side of the road. If I weren’t such in a sour mood or shaking from too much caffeine I would say that it was beautiful and it needed to be written down in my journal to be forever preserved. But I couldn’t keep my hands steady even if I tried and my journal was packed deep within my suitcase far from my reach. 

  
We drove up towards opened iron gates that like the sign, were weathered down and had an eerie feeling to them. Driving in, my uncle went on about how a change of scenery will be good for my health and that I can make new friends and start all over; the same spill Jongup did the moment he stepped into my room this morning. Trying not to be rude I nodded my head and attempted to give him a respectful smile until he parked the car and I could leave this stifling car.

I wasn’t going to make life-long friends here and a change of scenery was not going to help me remember my past or help the nightmares from reoccurring. My parents were just out of options and took the easy road out by locking me away somewhere they could no longer see me.

“You ready?” My uncle asks as he parks the car next to a bubbling family of blonde’s that were unloading.

With a grimace already on my face I looked at the pile of boxes then to my uncle “No, I’m not. But does it really matter? Not like we can just drive back mom would kill you.” I sighed before stepping out. 

Ignoring the family next to us, who looked like the already wanted to start up a conversation with us, I looked around the parking lot, cars of every kind were open and being unpacked by families. Some with teenagers that looked like they wanted to be here just as much as I did. Just like my eyes were on others someone had their eyes on me. I could feel the hairs on body stand. Moving closer to my uncle I