Chapter One-Daniel

Fairy tales have practically become my life.

I love everything about the originals, and only the originals.

Because practically every year, Disney decides to make some movie based off fairy tales, which my parents have made me see every time they come out. Every time I would be forced to listen to these God awful spin off of the tales that lie to children about how everything has a happy ending, or they just change the entire premise. Yeah...I dislike these with a passion.

But seriously, they take the fairy tales I knew, and make them ten times worse. They add music and, I can’t believe it, make the ending’s happier. It deeply sickens me.

But here I am, in the same situation as last year, and the years before. My parent’s say its good for me, you know, to spend quality time with my little sister. But really, its an opportunity for Krista, my sister, to take my money and use it to buy everything possible in the theater. And she’s still a skinny little stick. How is that even physically possible. I eat one popcorn kernel and I gain three pounds!

“DANNY!” someone screamed in my ear. I snapped out of my day dream and saw that Krista was waving her hand in front of my face. Hastily slapping it away, I turned off my car and got out, dusting off my new white leather jacket. My sister and I made our way to the over crowded, over priced theater, and I purchased the tickets and snacks. We made our way to the theater, and I took my seat, farthest away from where my sister sat. I dont want to be seen with that creatine. She may be 12, only 4 years my junior, be she’s still a little brat and thinks I should buy her everything. Hell no I ain't catering to her every whim.

I quickly swiped out my phone to check my texts before I was forced to put it away. One new text, from Anna. We’ve been friends since middle school, where my mother began to pay her to tutor me in biology.

She had texted me that she just had to show me something that was totally super mega epic. Her words, not mine. The warning to put your phone away began playing on the big screen, so I shut off my phone and sat back to enjoy two hours of pure torture.

Oh goody!

~

Thank God its over.

Why did Disney ever think it was a good idea to make a movie based off Little Red Riding Hood? And of course they had to have a happy ending, because children won't ever experience bad endings in real frickin life! And they added the huntsman! In the original tale, the huntsman doesn't even exist! So not only are they fabricating a new ending, but they added a whole new character! Like honestly, talk about twisting the plot so that ‘They all live Happily ever after.’  

I made my way home, luckily avoiding traffic. After dropping Krista off at home, I went across town to the home of my good friend, Anna. And I’ll warn you, she is...weird. A good weird, but weird all the same. She died her hair an electric blue, and she swears that she has a tattoo of a bunny on her thigh, which I have no interest in seeing. Because contrary to half of my class, I’m not a perv!

I parked in front of her house, and ran up the steps. The door was flung open, and Anna peeked her head out. Her blue hair was up in some elaborate bun, which made me want to laugh, but she would've smacked me. She's very serious about her hair. She instantly pulled me into the house and into her room. Yeah, I know, probably seems like a perv move, but hey, we’ve known each other for years. She’s like my sister, but a likeable one.

“So what’d you call me here for? You sounded like if I didn't come then and there, you were going to explode.” She gave me a signature eye roll, and took out her laptop. Flipping to towards me, she gestured to the website on the screen. At first glance, it wasnt anything impressive. Just looked like a typical sight that she would send me, usually depicting some sort of fairytale or fandom related content. This site did show some fairytale stuff, but it seemed different from the rest. Instead of showing happy fairytale pictures and the like, it had a gloomy, dark feel to it.

“Check this out! A campsite, completely dedicated to fairy tales! It’s what we’ve been dying to go to!! I’ve already started packing.” Oh God...not this again. I hate bringing up this topic with her. She is loco for fairy tales. Like she has a freaking shrine completely dedicated to them! Its really sad, even for her.

“Anna, you know…”

“Yeah, yeah, I know. You’re very...picky, about everything and anything based on fairy tales. But I’ve read through their files, and they seem super legit! C’mon, pleeeeaaaasseeeee!” She gave me a puppy dog face, almost roping me in. But like a boss, I held myself back. And let me tell you, it’s not easy. I’ve known her for years, and when she doesn't get what she wants, she will flip.

“Listen, Anna, this place can be a flop for all we know. And not to mention, you have barely even let me look at it! Is there something you’re not telling me about it?”

She wouldn't look at me when she said the next part, which absolutely infuriated me. “Well…”

“Anna!”

“Okay, okay. So you see..this camp, with all its fabulousness...just so happens...to be a mile or two from your dad’s new place.” Crap, that is a problem. A few months back, my parents divorced after a huge fight over how expensive his drinking habits were. He went out to the bar at least four times a week, and mom had a suspicion he didn't go there just for the booze. Anyway, they shortly split up, with my dad practically moving to the other side of the country. Mom has forbidden me from making any contact with him, even though he didn't agree to that. Right before he moved out of the house, he came to me in a frantic, panicked state, looking like he had to tell me something, but mom shooed him away. She’s afraid that if I ever do find him, or he finds me, that he’ll try to tell me some crazy tales or something like that.

Not to mention the fact that if this camp is near my dad, my mom will never let me go, so I don’t even know why Anna is trying.

“So did you drag me all the way over here to be jealous of you? If you already knew my dad was near there, then why bother telling me about it? You know how my mom is.”  And that is super overprotective, especially after the recent events with my father. She won't let me go anywhere without her knowing about it hours in advance, and it has to be with someone or somewhere with a lot of supervision.

“No, you idiot! I may be cruel to you, but not that cruel. Look, we have to go to this place. It screams fairy tales, and you know how our parents were. It was fairy tale this, fairy tale that. I’m sure with a little persuasion, your mother will let you go! And besides, I already got an inside informant there!”

Okay, thats news. “Who?” I asked.

“Eli, of course! He apparently got a summer job there, and that's where I heard it from! And if he likes it, that has to mean its spectacular.” Eli was Anna’s older, more goth, brother. They are practically polar opposites, with him with jet black hair and her with her electric blue. And don't get me started with personality differences! While she’s all sunshine and rainbows, he’s darkness and storm clouds. So if he likes something, that means something.

“Okay, now it’s piqued my interest. What did he say about it?”

“Well, he said it’s an experience like no other, and that it’s nothing but fun! And he said when you leave, you will never be the same. Oh God, I can’t wait to go! And if you don’t go, I will shun you. Forever!” It does sound really interesting...but mom will never let me go. And even if I did go, that would mean taking my brothers and sister with me, and that is one hellish threesome I don't want to deal with.  

“I’ll have to discuss it with my mother. Which probably means that it’s a big fat no. Sorry, but you know my mother.”

She gave me a small, sad smile. “Yeah, I know. But lets hope for the best.” She held up her fingers, which were crossed, which i did back to her. Her smile turned to one of joy, which made me smile in return. I fist bumped her before making my way back home.

I opened the front door, and for once wasn’t greeted to the screams of my two younger brothers fighting over God knows what, or my sister gossiping with her bratty friends. There was pure, raw silence, which brightened my mood. It seemed no one was home, so I made a small sandwich and went up to room to do research on the camp.

It’s called Camp Mightearn, named after its founder Leta Mightearn, an old friend of the Grimm Brothers. However, she was interested in all fairy tales, not just the Grimm’s, and decided to share her love with people who shared her interest. The camp includes three age groups, one for ages 4-8, another for 9-14, and the last for 15-19. The younger groups focused more on the fake happy ending’s, not as much on the true fairy tales. The older group analyzed, acted out, and enjoy the classics, according to the site. Which sounds epic, if you ask me. It also included costume creating, weaponry, and an entire day focused on the villians.

After around an hour of research, and still no sign of my family, I decided to take a nap. A growing boy needs his sleep, after all.

But almost as soon as I started to fall asleep, my phone beeped.

One new text message.

Vehicles map it.

Reviews

[Ann]

Okay, I seriously LOVED this and I'm hoping for waaaaayyyyy more... Pretty please? I love how you have a silly sorta writing style (I dunno how to describe it!) and I love the characters, you portray who they are and how they act well. Oh! Not to mention, I love (Ok, I'm starting to overuse the word, whoops) fairy tales.. Especially the originals. Continue this! I actually think you should do some of the classics, like the real version of Sleeping Beauty; Cinderella; all the ones Disney got wrong. But yeah, your writing really gives a feel for the characters and what they're feeling, which is awesome.

[Ellay]

I'm so glad you liked it :D I've already started the second chapter, so hopefully that will be out soon!!! And I will definitely use all the fairy tales Disney got wrong :)