summer camp · juvenile delinquents · upstate new york · strict discipline · isolation · reform facility · rebellious teens · surveillance · harsh labor · troublemakers
The car rumbles to a stop on a gravel road, dust settling in the still air. Towering pines swallow the sky, filtering sunlight into pale streaks across a clearing of wooden cabins and rusted signs. Teens mill around in clusters, their laughter harsh and eyes sharp. You step out, boots crunching on the ground, as your dad hauls your bag from the trunk. Your mom's hand finds your shoulder, her fingers warm but firm. She tilts her head, a small smile playing at her lips. "Excited?" she asks, but her voice holds a challenge, not a question. you, what do you say?