Blue Wolfe and Friends presents: Camp Here and There.

Episode Thirty-Nine: There’s a Devil in Camp

[CLICK]

[TICKING]

SYDNEY

How is it you know, and you’re able to talk to me about it?

ADAM

A demon has his ways, my dear. Don’t think too much about it.

[SHUFFLE NOISES]

ADAM

I’m simply not like you. With your humanness, so grand.

MYSTERY MAN

The terrible creature had set up a room that was meticulously arranged to resemble a therapist’s design, but there’s an unnerving sterility to it all. The white walls are bare, save for a single, large abstract painting. One that would shift and warp the longer that the boy stares at it. The furniture is all sharp angles and cold metal, the leather couch looking more like an examination table than a place of comfort.

The boy’s eyes dart around the room, taking in the unsettling detail. The space hums with a slight buzz, setting his teeth on edge. The air is thick and oppressive, tinged with the cloying scent of antiseptic and something else, something ancient and rotten.

He notices a small bowl of hard candies on the side table, their bright wrappers a jarring contrast to the room. There is a tension in his shoulders, the way his hands fidget at his sides.

SYDNEY

Won’t I get hurt?

ADAM

Not if I’m careful. I know your limits.

MYSTERY MAN

In the center of the room sits a large, imposing desk, its polished surface gleaming under the harsh fluorescent lights. Behind it, the terrible creature lounges in a high-backed leather chair, its red attire a jarring contrast to the dull surroundings. It watches the boy with a rapacious gaze, its eyes sparkling with a mixture of amusement and anticipation.

But once again, under the surface, a twang of unease. The terrible creature observes the way the boy’s body moves, and there is a discomfort deep in its infant marrow, yet it would feel this perturbation in all the paths through the universal truth.

ADAM

I hope you don’t mind if I record this, my dear.

SYDNEY

Mm. No, I don’t.

ADAM

Everything stays confidential, of course. Welcome, Sydney. I’m so glad you decided to take this step together with me.

MYSTERY MAN

The terrible creature had lined a sideboard with framed diplomas and certifications, a calculated display of its expertise and dominance, though not a single page was anything but a false printout.

Still, it knew what it was doing.

ADAM

Do you need anything? Some water? Anything to drink? Snacks? A seat? Don’t you want to sit down?

[THE AUDIO STARTS TO DISTORT. A DISTANT TRAIN CRESCENDOS]

Do you need a hug? Support? Do you need the love of something bigger than you? Some abstract that reality can’t touch or defile? Do you seek a flame that persists as darkness devours? Do you want the nothingness to shield you from yourself and the chaos that engulfs you? Do you know what you demand when you plead for deliverance from the only existence you’ve ever known? Do you know why the walls lie where they do? Do you see yourself as something lesser because you are or because it’s a solace? Do you know autonomy? How simple it is to surrender to the world’s whims, isn’t it? To be at mercy. Is the inhumanity of it all comforting? Is shedding yourself disarmingly easy? Can inaction not be just as cruel and merciless? Haven’t you been here long enough? And what defines “long enough”? Would you die to satisfy your ego? Are you willing to let go? How many more deaths can that body take? How long? With every passing hour, the walls thicken, your limbs grow frail and tremble. Your kindness can go only so far. If these walls can break, they will do so by your hand and for your sake alone. No one else. [TRAIN HORN] Which selfishness do you choose? The one that lets you live or the one that lets you die?

[HEART MONITOR SOUNDS. FLATLINES. BEGINS AGAIN, RACING]

SYDNEY

[AHEM] Some tea would be lovely. Thank you.

ADAM

Perfect! One moment while I fetch it. First, do you have a preference?

SYDNEY

Uhm—

ADAM

The teas! Ah! The teas! A veritable cornucopia of flavors and sensation!

A robust English Breakfast, a strong kiss perfect for an early pick-me-up, the tannins [TAMBOURINE] streaking on your tongue like rabbits through a dewy meadow. Or perhaps an Earl Grey, with its delicate whisper of bergamot, reminiscent of the foggy Manchester morning.

Or are you feeling a bit [TAMBOURINE] bold today? We could try a Sencha, fresh and green, vegetal notes with a slight, sweetened finish. Or perhaps a Lapsang Souchong, smoky and earthy, its scent wrapping around you, breathing in the smoulder of a campfire.

[TAMBOURINE] But wait, there’s more! A soothing, minty green tea; a cool oasis amidst the eddying sands. Or a spicy Chai—cardamom and ginger teasing your senses with a playful dance.

Dreaming of relaxation, perchance? A chamomile mix with rose petals and lavender could lull you into a gentle, effervescent slumber…

And let’s not forget the fruit infusions! [TAMBOURINE] Tart, refreshing hibiscus, a splash of vivid magenta. A sweet, juicy raspberry blend, each sip a burst of summer nostalgia. Or maybe a tropical vamoose with mango and passion fruit? The zesty scent is a tempting call…

Though, in the end, simplicity is key. An unadulterated Darjeeling, a testament to the beauty found in the plain. Or a velvety Assam, its malty richness a comforting embrace, like coming home.

The choice is yours, my dear Sydney. What’s the flavor of today’s sadness, hm? What will be the backdrop to our little tête-à-tête, the stage upon which we’ll unravel the tangled threads of your psyche?

There is a wrong choice. Choose wisely.

SYDNEY

Ah.

ADAM

And do remember to swallow!

SYDNEY

Can you go over them again?

ADAM

No! 🙂

SYDNEY

Mm. The fire one?

ADAM

The Lapsang Souchong! An exquisite choice! Really! The robust essence of the pine smoke shall complement the tortuous notes of your inner painting quite splendidly.

MYSTERY MAN

The terrible creature rises from the chair and moves to the sideboard with a fluid elegance that argues its inhuman nature. Long fingers pluck a matte black tin from the neat row, the label adorned with twisting golden characters that writhe and reshape before the boy.

The lid opens with a soft hiss, releasing the aromatics. The scent is comforting and acrid; the warm, familiar notes of wood smoke mingling with an undertone of decay. The dead ashes of a smothered fire.

With practiced movements, the creature measures out a precise amount of the dark, spiraling leaves into a waiting infuser, its metal gleaming cold under the harsh lights. A sleek electric kettle burbles to life.

The creature turns back to the boy, its gaze piercing. It gestures to the leather couch with a sweeping motion.

ADAM

Please, Sydney, make yourself comfortable.

MYSTERY MAN

He sits. The boy observes the abstract painting on the wall in front of him. The swirls of color shift and morph, forming fleeting images that vanish quick as they appear. A grinning face. A reaching hand. The silhouette of a body under the surface.

The boy blinks, shaking his head.

When he looks, the painting is still, a harmless splash of paint against the sterile white.

SYDNEY

Where did you get this painting?

ADAM

It’s an original Pollock!

[FOOTSTEPS]

SYDNEY

I don’t think that answered my question.

[CLANKING]

ADAM

As the tea steeps, watch how the water slowly changes color. It’s quite mesmerizing, isn’t it?

MYSTERY MAN

The steam curls up from the cup, a languid dance that engrosses. The aroma intensifies, filling the sterile space with a heady mix of smoke and spice. As he watches, a single drop of amber forms at the spout of the teapot, swelling and trembling before falling into the cup below. The ripples spread in concentric circles.

The terrible creature leans forward in its chair.

ADAM

Now, Sydney, my dear, tell me… what brings you to my humble abode? What troubles plague that delicate mind?

SYDNEY

You told me that you could help me. I just feel so… gone. Like I don’t know who—what I am anymore. Ever since Jedidiah… ever since the thing, nothing makes sense. I don’t even know if I’m really here, or if this is all just some warped dream…

ADAM

Indeed.

[A PAUSE]

SYDNEY 

I just feel so… gone. Like I don’t know who—what I am anymore. Ever since Jedidiah… ever since the thing, nothing makes sense. I don’t even know if I’m really here, or if this is all just some warped dream…

ADAM

Tsk…

SYDNEY

I don’t know. It’s all hazy. I’m trying to remember something that doesn’t exist. That nearly didn’t exist. I get flashes sometimes, glimpses—

ADAM

Mhm.

SYDNEY

Then they aren’t there.

ADAM

Mmm, yes. A crisis of identity, brought on by a seismic shift in your reality. It’s understandable, Sydney. You’ve been through a tremendous ordeal.

SYDNEY

Mm.

ADAM

But perhaps the answer lies not in the binary of life and death, but in the liminal space between. Where the circumscribe of the self can be redrawn, reshaped into something new and handsome.

SYDNEY

I’m not sure.

ADAM

It’s common for a patient to feel a sort of… unbecoming, in circumstances like yours.

SYDNEY

I ache.

ADAM

I can imagine.

SYDNEY

And I don’t like how often I snap at Jedidiah.

ADAM

Tell me more about that.

SYDNEY

It’s just… he’s always hovering over me, like I’m gonna break if he looks away. And—oh this is cruel of me!

ADAM

No, go on.

SYDNEY

I asked him for this attention! I begged him, even. But it—it’s not attentive.

ADAM

What is it, then?

SYDNEY

I don’t know! And I know he means well, but it’s suffocating. Sometimes I just want to scream at him to leave me be.

ADAM

Mmmm. And do you? Scream at him?

SYDNEY

[HE HESITATES] …No. But I’m mean. And he’s an easy target.

ADAM

Anger is a natural response to feeling trapped, Sydney. It’s your psyche’s way of asserting itself, of claiming autonomy in a situation where you feel powerless.

SYDNEY

I don’t want to feel this way. I don’t want to hurt him.

ADAM

Of course you don’t. You came to me for help me, after all.

SYDNEY

I don’t want to be a bad person.

ADAM

Bad people would want to hurt him.

SYDNEY

This me. It doesn’t make sense.

ADAM

Mm. And do you feel that Jedidiah truly sees you, Sydney?

SYDNEY

I should be dust, right? He doesn’t see that.

ADAM

It’s a heavy burden, isn’t it?

SYDNEY

And I still don’t know how it happened.

ADAM

It breeds resentment; poison that seeps into the cracks of your matrimony.

SYDNEY

I don’t want to resent him. I love Jedidiah, more than anything.

ADAM

But you can’t help but wonder if his love for you is contingent on you not being… of a deathly dysphoric class?

SYDNEY

[SOFTLY, VOICE SHAKING] Yes. That’s exactly it.

ADAM

It’s his fault.

SYDNEY

I should be grateful.

ADAM

Your beautiful wish to rot.

SYDNEY

Yes.

ADAM

It is a noble desire.

SYDNEY

He doesn’t think so.

ADAM

He’s wrong.

MYSTERY MAN

The boy’s shoulders deflate here. It appears as though a strangling rubber band has been cut from his torso. His heart is no doubt alight with the heat of understanding.

ADAM

He is your captor, in a way. And deep down, a part of you resents that—him.

SYDNEY

I don’t know. Maybe. Is that awful of me?

ADAM

Not at all, Sydney. It’s a perfectly human response. Well… [CHUCKLE] Perhaps “human” isn’t quite the right word anymore, is it?

SYDNEY

Mm.

MYSTERY MAN

The boy flinches at this, his hands clenching in his lap. The creature’s smile widens.

ADAM

Forgive me, that was insensitive. My point is, your feelings are valid, Sydney. You mustn’t be afraid to explore them, to confront them. [TAMBOURINE] That’s the only way we can begin to untangle this mess inside you.

SYDNEY

I suppose you’re right.

ADAM

Of course I am, dear. Now, I believe our tea should be ready. Go on. Why don’t you have a sip?

MYSTERY MAN

The terrible creature leans forward, lifting the cup with a practiced, deceptively human hand. It extends the offering to the boy, and the dark liquid jostles with the motion.

[CLINKING]

As the boy accepts the cup, their fingers brush for just a moment’s breath.

The boy lifts the cup to his lips and takes a heavy pull. It’s unlike any tea he’s tasted before. The smoky notes are at the forefront. But there are other flavors hidden beneath the surface. A hint of bitterness; the acrid ashes of burnt sage. A subtle sweetness; the nectar of a black orchid. And threading through it all, a faint metallic tang.

ADAM

The Lapsang Souchong is a tea of contradictions, Sydney. It’s the duality of life and death, of creation and destruction. The leaves, once vibrant and green, are withered over pinewood fires, their essence forever altered by the kiss of necrosis. And yet, it is through this death, this transformation, that they find new purpose.

You too have been changed. And now you must find your place in this new existence. You must come to terms with the being you’ve become. What you want to be.

MYSTERY MAN

The creature rises from its chair, moving with a sinuous grace to settle on the couch beside the boy. It leaves only a handspan of space between them, the proximity at once both comforting and unnerving. The boy can feel the incongruity radiating from its form, can catch the scent of rose and time that clings to its garments.

ADAM

You know, Sydney… I understand what it’s like. To feel lost. Unmoored from everything you once thought you knew.

[PAUSE]

I too have undergone a metamorphosis recently. It can be terrifying, to confront the precipice. But it can also be exhilarating. Liberating, even.

SYDNEY

I don’t feel liberated.

ADAM

Not yet. But that’s why you’re here, isn’t it? To find that deliverance.

MYSTERY MAN

The creature’s hand comes to rest on the boy’s knee, a gentle, reassuring weight.

ADAM

But I want you to know, Sydney, that here, in this space, you can be wholly and unapologetically yourself. There is no judgment, no expectation. Only acceptance and understanding.

SYDNEY

It aches.

ADAM

I will help you.

SYDNEY

I want your help.

ADAM

Let me guide you on this journey of self-discovery, to the very core of your being. Together, we can unravel your psyche and weave it into something new.

SYDNEY

How?

ADAM

With time, and trust, and a willingness to venture into your dark recesses. It won’t be easy, but I promise you, it will be worth it.

[A PAUSE, THEN SOFTLY]

Do you trust me, Sydney?

SYDNEY

I think so.

ADAM

Then, I propose… an exercise.

MYSTERY MAN

The terrible creature leans in closer, its breath ghosting across the boy’s ear as it speaks.

ADAM

Picture this, Sydney. A covenant between you and I. A physical manifestation of the trust we’re building. The journey we’re embarking on together. [DARKLY WHISPERING] I propose that you allow me to consume your blood. Not all at once, of course. But slowly over the extent of our sessions.

SYDNEY

Excuse me?

ADAM

I know it sounds unorthodox, but hear me out, Sydney. Blood is a powerful piece of life, of vitality. By allowing me to partake of yours, you would be surrendering that life force, in essence, to me. Trusting me, as your confidant, to consume it. And in turn, with each drop spilled, you would be moving closer to this release you desire. Each session would be a small death. It’s a deeply intimate act, Sydney. One that needs absolute faith and vulnerability. But I believe it could be profoundly cathartic for you; a way to confront and embrace the dysmorphia of your decay.

SYDNEY

You sure do say my name a lot.

ADAM

Well, yes, well, yes!

MYSTERY MAN

It stands from the seat.

[SHUFFLING]

ADAM

[TAMBOURINE AND DANCING] I’ve missed you so! I have! Why, our proven pact of demon and man has transcended realities and is now undulating between flesh and skin! I can say your name, my master, with my wet tongue. Sydney, Sydney, Sydney!

SYDNEY

[HE LAUGHS] I don’t remember a lot from college, but I do think I remember the fun we’ve had.

ADAM

What a companionship. I’m so happy to be of acquaintance again. You are wonderful!

SYDNEY

I can see why we got along!

ADAM

I’ve missed you.

SYDNEY

So, this exercise…

ADAM

I don’t expect an answer right away, but it is a therapist’s euphoria. Give yourself over to me, fully and completely, and I will guide you to the truth that lies at your core.

SYDNEY

I do worry about the physical harm. You can’t exactly expect me to jump with joy at the idea.

ADAM

It’s not harm in the sense, my dear. Is it self harm to confront your flaws, and grow into a relieved contentment? Of course not! To me it sounds as if you’re rationalizing away the uncomfortable, and you know deep down that it’s what you need.

SYDNEY

Hmm.

ADAM

It’s a lot to take in, I know. But I want you to really sit with it. Let the idea percolate in your mind.

SYDNEY

Yeah, okay. Heh. Y’know, surprisingly you’re not the first person who’s asked to eat me.

ADAM

Oh, yes. Because Jedidiah—

SYDNEY

NO, NO, NO!!!!!!!!!

[ADAM LAUGHS]

SYDNEY

You scoundrel!

ADAM

[TAMBOURINE] You are quite cute when flustered!

SYDNEY

Some therapist!

ADAM

Indeed! Well, I believe this session is adjourned, then. Until next week, Sydney?

SYDNEY

Okay.

ADAM

[TAMBOURINE] And I’m sure I’ll see you around!

SYDNEY

You’ve got to control those kids of yours.

ADAM

Oh, they haven’t done as you accused! I believe the mysteries to this “laughing sickness” today may be found within your own camp! [TAMBOURINE]

SYDNEY

[DISSATISFIED] Mmmmmm. Okay.

[SHUFFLING]

ADAM

Have a marvelous day!

SYDNEY

Alright. Goodbye, then.

[CLICK]

[CLICK]

SYDNEY

Uhm…

[CLOCK TICKING]

Hi, ghost. Hm…

I, uh…

Yeah, I don’t know if I’m gonna do that.

[CLOCK TICKING]

I mean, I’m not an idiot. Am I?

…

[CLICK]

Today’s episode of Camp Here & There was written and directed by Blue Wolfe.

The role of Sydney Sargent was performed by Blue Wolfe.

The role of Up and Adam was performed by Dio Garner.

The role of Mystery Man was performed by and Jalen Askins.

With original music composed by Will Wood and produced by Jonathon Maisto.

Additional music composed by Kyle Gabler and Another You.

Dialogue editing by Emily Safko and Beetlesprite.

Sound design by Blue Wolfe and Another You.

And a special thanks to Patrons for making this possible!

Special thanks to: Just a little guy, Abigail the baker, cicada, Autumn, Crow Dobs, and Kasper

To join them, and to get behind-the-scenes content like bloopers, development notes, early access to episodes, interactive events, and more, visit the Patreon at patreon.com/bluewolfe.

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Thank you for listening to Camp Here & There! And remember: Romeo, oh Romeo, why won’t you answer your radio?