Immaculate Reception

The campsite was ready by the time the sun touched the horizon, so David, the scoutmaster for the troop, decided that this was a good moment for the announcement.

“We’re gonna share some ghost stories tonight.”

The boys in front decided to sound excited about it; the ones in the back, who had complained about the bus ride and the long hike, did not look up from their cell phones.

“Yes! That sounds like a great idea, sir!”

Fender – strange name for a kid – was so eager to sound positive that David wanted to slap him very hard and with brutal intent. At least he had done his work and not complained every ten seconds.

“Okay, should we build a fire first?”

Levis – again, what was with these names? – had a good attitude most of the time. At least he had brought out the food and drinks when they unpacked and organized who carried what.

“Great. Let’s get it going.”

And Daniel, right out of the lion’s den (David could not help himself with that thought). He was probably the biggest question mark that David ever had in his years of leading boys and making them scouts. What was it about him that was such a mystery? There was just something…

“This sucks!”

“No bars…great…”

“Can’t even with this place.”

Those were the ones in the back, looking over their phones and wondering whether the Internet still existed. There were official rules and guidelines against bringing technology on these hikes, but David knew that this area would be a total blank when it came to cell phone service and Internet access. Also, many of the kids who were now whining and tempted to toss their phones into the woods came from rich homes, and no one was going to tell them what to do.

Except David.

“Okay, Levis, you and Fender can organize a group and gather branches and wood – no fresh ones; just stuff you find on the ground. Daniel, I want you to help set up a boundary here for the fire. We are going to be gathering stones and putting them in a circle, guys. Nothing too large; just enough to keep things safe and away from the tents and gear. And bears.”

Some of the boys looked up. Levis and Fender were still laughing.

“Ha, ha. Joke. No bears up here. Only crazy psychopaths who love to eat kids.”

No one really paid attention to that one. Fender, Levis and a few of the less disappointed boys went out into the woods; the others followed Daniel down one of the main paths and began looking for stones.

It was just one night, thought David. That was all he needed.

*

“And it turns out, the call was coming from the house!”

David tried not to yawn in front of the boys; most of the others were already giving in to sleep. If Fender really wanted to tell stories, he would have to develop his own material, he thought. David had already crashed and burned himself out with the hook and the car door tale that most of the scouts had already heard and Levis was eager to prove himself better than both.

“Boring!”

“Okay, let’s just give him…”

“Sir, l think that maybe we should turn in…”

“But I have one I think you might like.”

Levis was almost vibrating in front of the fire. David calculated how much more difficult it would be to deal with a disappointed kid in the morning when they hiked back. Wouldn’t it be easier to get his stuff out and then deal with the disappointment now?

“Okay, Levis. You got something?”

The boy grinned in the firelight and looked around the circle.

“Yeah, I think that I got something.”

David looked around the fire. At least some of the boys were still paying attention. His biggest fear now was that someone might nod off and fall into the fire.

Levis looked like he was ready for a challenge.

And he was.

“Okay, everyone, do me a favour? Check your phone.”

David was still paying attention and decided to play along.

His screen was dead.

“What the hell…?” That was…Curtis (Cougar?), not him. He was looking at the screen and making daggers at David, Fender and the glow of the fire.

The other boys were also discovering their dead screens. One got up and looked like he was about to toss his cell into the fire. Another began to…cry (Harry was trying to hide it but his sobbing was loud enough to be instructive – tough-looking kids are always an easy touch, thought David). Levis was laughing with clenched teeth. Fender and Daniel seemed…insulted? David had them on either side of him and wondered if there was something he should say or do. The night was still beautiful and the stars were out. What did this kid do when they were setting up their tents, or even earlier when they first set out? Was this a test?

“Wow, it really worked out well.”

Levis stretched for a moment. He had something that he wanted to share.

“Now, here is my story.”

*

It was a very long night’s sleep that night. David made sure that everyone went back to their tents with their phones and tried to assure them that things would be normal soon. According to Levis’ story, the reception would come back when they returned home at the end of the weekend. A promise that Levis could keep because of his skills with tech and some other nonsense he explained to them many times before they believed him.

No one wanted to share a tent with him, so David had Levis in his tent. Fender was doing his best to keep the other kids in line. He even set up a perimeter and got sentry duty and a list of “volunteers” to watch them as they slept (a good kid, thought David).

But he was thinking about Daniel.

As the story ended, Daniel went off into the woods and came back just as they were about to put out the fire and sleep. David always thought that the boy was difficult to read and this confirmed all his worst feelings.

He had his own tent next to David.

His light was still on and his shadowed grew large inside the canvas.

“Daniel?”

David stood outside the flap and waited to be invited in.

“Yes, sir. Come in.”

It was a simple set up. Pillow, sleeping bag, Navajo blanket, lamp, notebook – he was writing something down – and…his cell phone.

The screen was lit up.

“How did you…?”

“Sir, I figured out what the guy did. Levis ain’t a genius, just a clever little shit.”

“Right.” David did not feel like telling the kid to watch his language; not after that story and this whole night.

“I need to stay in touch with home and family. My mom will freak out if I…suddenly get cut off.”

“I think she knows about this trip.”

“Yeah, but still…”

“Okay. Well, have a good night.” David turned to leave.

“Sir, did you know?”

David twisted himself to look at the kid. He seemed mature for this troop. “I’m sorry.”

“Did you know that he was going to do this?”

“Um, Daniel. My phone is also dead. I have to wait until I’m home, too.”

“You really did not answer the question.”

David sat down on the vinyl of the exposed tent floor. “I did not know. Why would I?”

“Because the whole purpose of this…exercise was to get us exposed to a way of life that has not really disappeared for most of the planet.”

Kid read the manual. Impressive.

“Fair point. But I did not do what you think I did.”

“Okay, okay… So we will leave tomorrow and this will all be forgotten.”

David smiled and wondered about why he decided to do this with these kids.

“Right, right. We will be alright.”

“Mmm.”

David got on his haunches and looked out the flap.

“Go to sleep and we will head back.”

“Good night, sir.”

“Good night.”

David walked back to his tent.

Daniel…of all the ones there, he figured it out. Maybe one of the others would have gotten some information about this, but…it had to be the wild card.

He got into his tent, checked his phone – the reception was immaculate – and decided to text his bosses. They really would like to know about this kid.