The worst thing is that as the punishment, we have to dig holes in this heat, such a boring and exhausting job, there are a hundred and one more things to do instead of this. Mr. Pendanski, our counselor, says that we do it for character building, but I think that there’s something fishy, it’s as if we’re searching for something, like a huge treasure, or something, but anyway, it isn’t going to get any better no matter what I think.
The only trees around are two old oak trees, between which there is a hammock, and behind that is a log cabin, the warden’s cabin. The only shade available is near that area, unfortunately, none of us are allowed to go there, because, the warden owns the shade! and the remaining place is filled with huge, ugly holes and nothing else.
The rules of this place are just too harsh for life. You have to wake up at 4:30 a.m., because they say that it’s the coolest part of the day. We all have to dig a hole everyday in the boiling heat. Each hole must be five feet deep and just as wide! Because of digging holes, I’ve got sore blisters all over my hand and it really hurts very badly having to hold the hard shovel and dig into the ground. I try my best, but the shovel just doesn’t go into the ground no matter what I do, I jump and push with all my might, but still the metal blade of the shovel doesn’t penetrate the hard and flat crust even one bit, so, I try and search for cracks in the ground and try to dig. Eventually, I succeed, but only after a lot of time, and I think that because of all the hardship, I’ve lost quite a lot of weight!
After digging the holes we go to a ‘rec’ room, which is literally a ‘wreck’, everything’s broken and falling apart. But, anyway, I’m always just too exhausted to care about anything, it’s just heaven to get away from the boiling heat. A water truck comes twice a day to fill our canteens, which is a great relief! On my first day, I almost died of thirst and tiredness, but somehow managed to survive.
The food, if that’s what you call it, is really crap and tasteless. The vegetables served were once green, but now look really dead and stale and the food on my plate smells like sour milk! But as always, I never leave anything on my plate, so unwillingly, I have to eat up everything no matter how bad it tastes.
Because of the scarcity of water, we are only allowed to have four minutes in the shower. The water is freezing so the four minutes are all used up in adjusting to that temperature. There is a bar of soap, but I never use it, which is just as well, because if I do, I will not have the time to rinse of the suds. However, after digging holes in the hot sun, it’s four minutes of heaven when cold water pours over my hot, sweaty and sore body, but still, even after the shower, I still feel really hot and extremely tired and exhausted.
We are all assigned different tents, and each tent has cots for the campers to sleep in. my cot, was used by someone named ‘Barf Bag’ and it smells like sour milk! The other boys around here are okay some are even kind of friendly and I have already made some friends here, however, I also have some enemies, but I always try to avoid getting into any arguments or fights and try to be friends with everyone. All of us have nicknames, which everyone uses to call each other. Mine, is ‘The Caveman’, I think that’s a sign of respect in a way. The others are X-Ray, Armpit, Squid, Zig-Zag, Magnet and Zero. I still don’t understand why in the world would someone want to be called ‘Armpit’? Bizarre, isn’t it?
Mr. Pendanski, is our counselor, he seems to be okay and he kind of likes us and tries to help us, but the Warden and Mr. Sir (the warden’s ‘right hand man’) are both real creeps, and greedy ones too. They say that the warden has cameras and microphones put all over the place including the showers, from which she monitors everything going on in the camp. Each camper has been instructed that if they find anything interesting whilst digging, they are to hand it over to the warden or Mr. Sir and if they think it is interesting, you get the day off. A few days ago, I found a fossil of a fish and I took it to Mr. Pendanski who thought it was kind of interesting, but Mr. Sir, just didn’t find it interesting enough! I mean, how mean is that?
Funnily enough, the warden is a woman! But she’s really a cruel and evil one. Just the other day, Magnet stole a bag sunflower seeds from Mr. Sir and he found out. Unfortunately, as usual, I was at the wrong place at the wrong time, and he found me with the bag of seeds and took me to the warden. The warden scratched Mr. Sir so badly that he screamed out allowed and immediately collapsed. Luckily enough, she didn’t do anything to me but just warned me. Mr. Sir’s face was swollen today, and instead of filling my canteen, he simply opened the water tap and let all the water fall to the dry and desolate ground. I don’t know for how long he will continue bullying me with his cruel games and jokes because of this.
Now, I really believe that our family is cursed. I have to suffer everyday thanks to my no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather! I’m just so unlucky! But funnily though, when I was asked what I did, and I told the other kids that I had stolen sneakers, they all laughed at me, but when I told them that they were Clyde Livingstone’s, none of them believed me, and ironically, in the court when I said that I didn’t steal them, no one believed me then, and when here I say that I did steal them, still no one believes me! Funny, isn’t it?
Anyway, that’s enough about me, and anyway all this moaning won’t do anything apart from upsetting you both and making you feel miserable and me unlucky, so, how’s Dad’s sneaker project going on? I hope he hasn’t made any more blunders and made the house stink! Wish him the best of luck on my behalf and you too, take care of yourself and don’t worry, I will be out of here after eighteen long months, somehow!
Your unlucky son,
STANLEY