When mom drove off and left me at this hell on earth camp, I just ran to my place under the tree. I was cursing everything and everyone I could. It was strange that I had the same amount of points as Noah. I could not understand the points. When I compared myself to some that got 60 and over, I was confused. I did not cry and complain. I endured the torture that he gave us. The only answer I could think of was that the general would only let us go when he got tired of us. This suited mom as she was having fun.
Noah found me and sat down next to me. We did not say anything to each other. That was good, as if I opened my mouth, I would cry in desperation and frustration. I expected that Noah was the same. The General would mostly punish and torture us all week, so this was the only time that we could feel sorry for ourselves. The hardships of the camp were something we could survive. It would become a bad memory. However, the bullying by adults, not feeling loved and being told we are no good is something that would scar us for life.
Harry found us and said we should be doing chores. He smiled and said that Noah could help at the kitchen garden. So we started weeding and watering the plants. This could not be called a chore, and definitely not torture. It was the only time that I didn't feel like it was a bad place. Harry was patient with Noah and me. He told us how to do everything and how to help things grow. It was about the only time that Noah and I smiled. Harry explained that this chore will show us that there is no such thing as a bad child. We just had to learn how to do spend our time doing constructive and positive things. As I gardened I thought about his words. I felt a bit ashamed that I always did not do positive things. I could be a better person!
We soon had to eat, and once again we got tinned food that was half ways warmed up. This was food that tasted like old leftovers. You had to shove it in your mouth and do your best swallowing. I tried not to think about what it was. I had this image in my head that some poor dog was looking for his cans of dog food and would never guess that we were eating them.
We were not supposed to talk when we ate. I knew this but I had to tell Noah about the dog needing his food. The problem was after I told Noah, he started laughing. So General called us up and asked what was so funny. I thought that being honest would get me some points so I told him the joke. I should have known that the man had no humor.
The general stood up and ordered Noah to sit down. Then his face was right in front of my face as he shouted, " NO WONDER WHY YOU HAVE A ORANGE SUIT. YOU ARE ONE OF THOSE THAT THINKS THE WORLD OWES YOU. YOU DONT REALIZE THAT YOU ARE NO BETTER THAN A STARVING CHILD IN AFRICA. THEY WOULD LOVE TO EAT THE FOOD HERE! THE QUESTION IS WHAT DO I DO WITH A GIRL THAT THINKS SHE IS THE CENTER OF EVERYTHING?"
He told me that I needed to know that beauty and being self-centered was not important. He would change that. He told me that I am not allowed to eat for 48 hours. I can only drink water. I could see the look of shock in Harry's face. I did not believe that he was serious until he told me to leave the eating tent. He was serious. He did not want me to eat for 2 days.
I went to the garden while the others ate, and tried to think about positive things. I could lose some weight and eating that tin food crap was most likely bad for my health. I forgot about the punishment and started taking care of my plants and vegetables. I did consider them special now. It was like the care I gave them made them happier and grow more.
While I was gardening, I was annoyed because my hair was getting in my eyes. So I took a break from gardening and sat on a stone and started putting my hair in a ponytail. As soon as I started, the general ordered me to stand attention. He was now shouting again and asking was I more worried about how I looked than doing my chores? He did not wait for an answer but warned me that I was his top priority. The punishment for my vanity was that I was not allowed to take a bath, wash or brush my teeth for 2 days! I protested saying that I was gardening, but my hair was in my eyes. He then extended the punishment to 3 days for answering him back.
It was time to go on another hike. It was like the general knew nothing else except hiking! The good thing was that it was becoming easier. My body was a wreck, but It was I accepted. The problem was that I was so hungry and thirsty. My energy levels were very low. I was sweating and my stomach felt so weak. At one stage I fell down because I was so weak. Noah tried to help me up, but he was told that I did not need any help. I managed to get up and struggled for the rest of the hike.
When we got back from the hike, the others were allowed to eat lunch. I was given a bottle of water and told that I was not allowed in the eating tent. So I went to the garden and worked a small bit there. I loved my plants, but I admit that I was so hungry that I could eat them. I didn't do this, as I thought they deserved to grow to their full potential.
General Cody found me once again and demanded to know how many of the garden vegetables I ate. I told him that I did not eat anything, despite that I was starving. He shouted at me to get my toothbrush. When I found it, he showed me the toilet and told me to clean the floor with the toothbrush. I didn't believe him at first and thought this only happened in films.
Cleaning the bathroom floor was hard. I had to clean between the floor tiles and I don't think they were ever cleaned. The fumes from the cleaning bucket were strong, especially when I was hungry. I tried to think of positive things, but this was too much of a punishment. Not only was my body destroyed, but my mind was also in pieces. I scrubbed and scrubbed. I tried to forget the hunger and pains in my knees and back by singing a song to myself, talking to myself and at last crying.
When the general came back, he found the floor clean and I was crouched down in a corner and crying. I was swinging back and forth and had my head buried in my hands. The general did not help. I just heard him whisper to himself that everyone broke at some stage. He then told me I could garden.
I didn't realize it, but I spent most of the day washing the floor of that bathroom. I was so hungry that I was now getting pains in my tummy. Drinking water helped but only lasted for a few minutes. As I was gardening, I felt dizzy and fell to the garden floor.
Everything went black.
When I woke up, Noah was standing above me. He was begging to the general to let me eat something. The general just shrugged his shoulders and ordered me to get back to work. He then accused me of faking that I fainted. I did not say a word, I just got back on my feet slowly.
Noah and I continued in the garden as he went. I asked Noah why he was always helping me. He made sure that the general was out of sight and gave me a slice of bread that he snuck out. I slowly ate it and it was the best thing that I ate in my life.
Noah told me that he had no friends. Somehow he reminded me of a sister he always wanted. I smiled and gave him a hug and admitted that I considered him as a best friend. He was like a brother that I never had. Suddenly this made things much easier. I felt like I was not alone. I had a friend that would help me through this hell. Noah must have been thinking the same, as he was smiling too!
I was happy that I did not have to clean my teeth that night. I had two more days to wonder how I would brush my teeth when I was allowed. All that I knew, is that I would not use one that scrubbed a bathroom floor.
We had an inspection and the general gave us a speech reminding us that we were here. Our parents could not cope with us and we were bad statistics. The General hoped that we would learn and decide what we would change who we were. He looked at Noah and said that most have a hope of being better, but some are a lost cause.
I slept well that night, despite that I was so hungry.
The next few days were the same. We would hike and do chores. My health was deteriorating fast as I was so hungry. This made everything that I did much harder. I felt so weak and I felt like I was a walking corpse. I drank a lot and I even ate leaves from a tree! Noah sometimes managed to take a slice of bread for me. He was very worried, especially when I was so weak, that I fell and could hardly get up.
On the third night, I managed to sleep. However, during the night, the General told us all to wake. It must have been about 3 am! We all stood up and put on our jumpsuits. Then we were told we were going on a hike in the night. The General told us that he was in a good mood, which meant that we would only be going on a mile walk.
This was possibly the worse experience I ever had. My body was weak and it had hardly any food for days. It was also dark and this meant that everyone was stumbling over rocks and things. It was pure dark and it was cloudy, so there was not even moonlight. There were also so many weird sounds. It was like we were walking on some haunted path or angry animals were just waiting to attack us. The general got mad at anyone that started complaining. He did not mind people crying.
I was so afraid. I was weak, hungry and afraid. If Noah was not there to hold my hand and support me, I would have broken down and cried and even screamed. I do not know how I managed it, but I managed to walk that long dark mile.
I could not sleep when we came back. I was in a bad mood, tired and hungry. I remember when Mum used to tell me that sometimes, a person's body can be so tired, that it is hard to fall asleep. Nothing seemed to help. I even counted sheep. They looked so tasty
The next day was special. I would be allowed to eat. I couldn't wait until the inspection was over. It seemed like the general's speech on how bad we were was longer than usual.
I walked proudly where the others were eating. I sat down next to Noah and thought I would eat the tinned food as it was better than being starved. However, there was no plate in front of me. So I walked up to the general and asked him if I could eat. He smiled and said my eating area was in the corner. I looked at the corner and could only see a dog bowl and a glass of water. He explained that it was me that called camp food dogs food.
So I sat down in the corner on the floor and could hear the other children snicker and tease. I had a choice to eat or to starve. Slowly I took a small spoonful and starting eating while I heard them giggling and teasing. I was thinking that the general reduced me from a human being to a pet, all so that he could break me. It was him that was dangerous because he seemed to like the torture and humiliation.
After breakfast, I got sick by the garden, Noah put his arm around me and helped me sit down after. He gave me some water so the taste was gone from my mouth. He said I got sick because I ate after days of starving. I put my head on his shoulders and told him that this is the worse place on earth.
"No it could get far worse," he explained, "I head that the general has a place in some poor country. Sometimes children disappear here. The rumor is they are sent to this camp which is a basement under some factory. The children here are slaves and they work in the factory all the time, No one is looking for them as parents think they have run away!"
Noah was going to tell me more, but the general came and asked us why we were resting and not doing chores. Noah tried to explain that I was sick. The general didn't care. He was in the middle of telling us how lazy we were. Then he told us that it was time to go on a hike.
We met at the inspection line. Some of the big children said that I smelled and I looked a mess. I told them I was not allowed to bathe or brush my teeth. This made them laugh and tease more. I was nearly in tears. The general just stood there and said nothing,
We had to walk 3 miles and the General had to backpacks. He said that Noah and I were to be punished for being lazy. We had to carry this backpack all the way. When it was on my back, I nearly toppled over. It was so heavy.
We started walking and Noah said to me that he knew that I would survive this, I did not know. The bag was so heavy! I tried looking at nature and thinking of how beautiful things were. That did not help. For every step I took was like a kilo was added to the backpack. It was hard when we were at the steep part of the hill. My legs ached, my arms ached and my back felt like it was broken!
When we came back after the hike to the camp, the general said we could empty the bags. We could keep its contents, but he wanted the bags. When we opened the bag, we found that they were full of rocks. I just fell to the ground thinking that I walked with a backpack full of rocks, just so that the general would smile.
The day came when our parents would come and take us home. I was confident that I had the 60 points, as I nearly had them the last time.
The general told us to get cleaned. He looked at me and said I need to get washed and he reminded me to brush my teeth.
This made me cry as I remembered my toothbrush was used to clean the toilet floors. After I took a long shower, I stood before the mirror with my toothbrush in my hand. I could not do it. It would be disgusting if I used this brush. Just as I was to put it in my mouth, Harry appeared. He gave me a new toothbrush.
Mom came and she smiled and said I was not as sunburned as the last time she was here. She also noticed that I lost weight and asked did I miss her food? I said nothing and just sat there. I didn't look at my mom or give her any hugs. The way I figured it was she did not deserve any.
The general said the same as the last time. Some would go home and some will stay. In fact, only two got under 60 points. It was 2 boys. Then he read Noah's points up. He only got 27 points. I wanted to run and hug Noah and tell him that I will help him escape.
My name was the last one to be read. I only got 27 points as well. This did not please mom who said it was fewer points than the week before.
Mom told me to come to the car, so she would say goodbye to me. I did my best to hold back the tears that I had another week here.
I did not want to say goodbye to my mom. I did not want to hug her or even speak with her. I ran and hid under the tree while the 3 others were saying bye to the parents.
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