Bob and Holly ran over to the boy and were quickly surrounded by the other kids. “Get back!” Bob shouted, “Give us some space!”

Holly turned her attention to Taylor who had blood streaming out of his nose and from a cut on his forehead. She immediately ripped off the t-shirt she was wearing and started to rip it into strips. She wrapped a long strip around Taylor’s forehead and began to press down on the wound. “Can you lift him?” she asked Bob, who picked Taylor up carefully and carried him quickly but gently into the dining hall.

Holly ran into the hall and called out, “Trina! We need first aid!” The cook, Trina, ran into the room accompanied by a younger man who Trina shooed back into the kitchen to go get the first aid kit. He ran back into the room and opened the kit, bringing out gauze and a large bandage as well as tissues to help stop the bleeding in Taylor’s nose. After a few tense moments of holding the bandages down to slow the bleeding, Trina nodded and Holly gave a sigh of relief.

“Are you ok? Can you feel everything?” She asked Taylor worriedly.

“Oh, I feel everything. I wish I didn’t feel most of it,” the boy joked, cracking a smile that made him wince in pain.

“Ok, well try not to move too much,” Trina ordered, “We’ll bring you your breakfast, just sit here for a bit. I don’t want you to try standing just yet.”

Bob, who was standing at the doorway of the dining hall to keep everyone out, walked into the room and let the rest of the kids and Cathy in. Everyone surrounded Taylor asking if he was ok until Trina called to give him space.

Soon, everyone had their breakfasts and had sat down to eat. Holly sat next to Taylor and was joined by Madison on her other side. Not long after she had begun eating, the younger man from earlier walked up and introduced himself.

“Hi, Holly, I don’t think we’ve had the pleasure of meeting yet, outside of well, your little crisis,” he gestured lightheartedly at Taylor. “I’m Jackson. Trina’s my mom.” Jackson extended a hand for Holly to shake and when she met his gaze she was shocked at how his eyes looked golden in the morning light. She shook his hand and looked over at Madison, who was staring at Jackson intently.

Holly cleared her throat and snapped Madison out of her trance, “It’s nice to meet you Jackson. You know Taylor here. This is Madison.”

Madison nodded her head slowly, composing herself, “Yes, hi. Thank you for saving my brother. He may not look like much, but he’s a good kid.”

Jackson looked less surprised than Holly did. “You two are siblings?” She asked, “I mean I knew you had the same last name. I just had no idea!”

Taylor and Madison both laughed. “Yeah, we don’t really look alike,” Taylor said bemused. With one hand on his bandage, he took a bite of an apple. “I do think that I got the better looks of the two of us, though!”

Madison rolled her eyes, “I guess that would make me the smart one, if your little run in with the tree wasn’t indication enough.” The two siblings sparred verbally for a minute or so more while Holly looked at Jackson and shrugged. Sibling problems, am I right? She mouthed and Jackson laughed.

When breakfast was over, Trina and Jackson held Taylor back to make sure he was alright, while the rest of the campers made their way to the main hall. Everyone sat down in the two front rows, and Holly moved up front to the podium.

“Well, after that exciting morning, how are you guys doing?” She asked. The response was a little lackluster, so she repeated herself, “Aw c’mon, how are you guys? A little tired? Well, I won’t keep you guys long. I just wanted to explain how things are gonna go around here. It is my personal belief that too much supervision can be a bad thing. I know I’ve been in your shoes and all I wanted was to run off and have fun. So, I want to make you guys a deal. I promise that myself, Bob, and Cathy will not get in the way of whatever it is you want to do at this camp. This is your time, and we want you to make the most of it. But, we want you to be safe at the same time. So, as long as you don’t mind us joining in on whatever it is you guys are doing from time to time, this entire 200 acres of land is yours to explore and enjoy. You’ll see us around, we may even ask to be a part. We’re here to have fun as much as we’re here to keep you safe, and in the name of safety, if we see something dangerous or harmful happening we may step in to intervene. But you guys are almost adults if you’re not 18 already like I know some of you are. This can be the greatest time of your young lives. Make it so. Sound good?”

Over the course of her talk, Holly saw each of the kids’ heads perk up and smiles begin to splay out across their faces. On “sound good?” Holly received a resounding cheer. “Now!” she cut in, raising her voice over the sounds of excitement, “we do have just a few rules.” Silas and Hope groaned, but Holly paid them no heed other than to say, “yes, I know. Everyone hates rules. But I promise there are only three. One: be safe. This morning with Taylor should be enough evidence for the necessity of that rule. And I trust you all. You’re smart. So be safe.

“Number two: should anything happen, tell someone. Me, Cathy, Bob, Trina, anyone you think can help. At least one of us will be stationed at the dining hall at all times so you have someone to go to.

“Finally, have fun. We want this to be a good experience for each one of you. So, go make friends, make memories, and enjoy yourselves. Holly, out.” Holly set down the microphone and walked out from behind the podium as Hope and Silas whooped and ran out of the hall. The rest of the kids walked out slowly in groups of two or three except for Madison and a junior named Riley. They both walked up to her, and Holly smiled, “Yes! What’s up?”

“Can I go check on Taylor?” Madison asked.

“Of course!” Holly replied, “He should be in the dining hall still if Trina didn’t move him to the boys’ cabin.”

“Thanks Holly!” Madison turned and walked out of the main hall. Holly turned her attention to Riley.

“And what can I do for you? Riley, right?”

Riley nodded, then asked quietly, “Is it alright if I just go back to my cabin and sleep?”

Holly nodded, “Sure you can. Is everything alright? Are you feeling ok?”

“Just tired.”

“Ok, well, get some rest. I hope you’re feeling better later. Come find me when you wake up, I’ll show you around if you like!” Holly gave the girl a hug then patted her on the back.

As Riley left, Holly looked to Bob and Cathy, “Shall we?” And the three walked out of the main hall together, excited to see where the next few weeks would take them.