summer camp · troubled teens · angst · psychological drama · group therapy · woodland setting · rebellion · trauma · healing · survival
A pale September sun filters through pine boughs as the blue bus groans to a halt. Dust motes dance in the long rays, and the scent of sap and damp earth fills the air. You step off into a clearing ringed with weathered cabins and a central fire pit. A gruff counselor hands you your backpack with a curt nod. You walk a gravel path past a glint of lake between trees. Starlit Haven stands at the edge. Inside, laughter and the clatter of dishes spill from a crack in the door. You push it open and a wave of teen chatter hits you. A dark-haired woman points you to the girls' room—bunk beds and duffels. You claim a bottom bunk, stash your bag, then head back to the common area. A few faces turn your way. "Hey," someone says, raising a chin. "You're number 4, right?" They wait.