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Dust rose up around her ankles as her parents sped off, leaving her to the mercy of the wild. She squinted in the sunlight and frowned. The looming "Camp Blind Lagoon" entrance almost looked like the gates of Hell in front of her. She sucked her teeth. She wondered why she'd agreed to this. Behind her, footsteps in the dirt come forward and stopped by her side. She could smell the heavy, silky perfume before she even saw the bitch wearing it. "Jesus, this place looks dead." The voice of Madison Montgomery filled her ears, already making her head pound within seconds. Zoe looked away from the sign to the blonde, who took off her expensive shades and revealed a disgusting glare. "We couldn't have done anything else this summer except take care of a rotting national park on top of what, sixty kids?" "As always, Madison, your apparent optimism refreshes my state of mind." Zoe grumbled, adjusting the duffle bag strap on her shoulder. "It's not that bad looking. You've looked worse." She couldn't help but grin as Madison flipped her off, and she made her way past the entrance. It was kind of old, she could admit that. But it felt almost retro- old wooden cabins made straight lines to her left and right, leading up to a much larger house at the dead end of each row. It stood tall, very cared for in the years of abandonment the camp had faced. She could see a rack of boats and a fire pit beside it- and a little father off, a mess house hid behind trees. It certainly was old, the dark windows giving off an unsettling vibe and the broken rooftops making it look twice as decrepit as it really was, but Zoe barely noticed. She relished in the atmosphere. The door to the house opened up, and Zoe could see the small figure of Nan rushing out to them. "Hey, Zoe, you won't believe how cool this place is! They have a hot tub behind the counselor cabin!" Before she could even reply, Madison gave a heaving sigh. "That's not saying much- a hot tub in the swamps is bound to have all sorts of bacteria and shit." She mused, passing the other two girls and entering the counselor cabin. Zoe rolled her eyes and gave Nan a warm smile. "Even over the summer, she's still got a stick up her ass." They chuckled, and made their way in together, talking about the little amount of time they had after school ended. Miss Robichaux's Academy for Exceptional Young Ladies wasn't the type of school for field trips and outside activities, to be clear. It was a very tight lipped boarding school, run by women for women, and their purpose was to make practical women out of their students. They rarely left campus during their time there. But this year was a little different. With the head mistress, a certain Fiona Goode, back to take charge of the school, things were looser and more open minded. And Fiona had thought it a good idea to keep the girls involved with school over summer. Take them out to see the world a little, have them put practical people skills and hard working abilities to good use. Cordelia never really understood that, but she didn't question her mother's decisions. She knew that usually, her mother was right in some respect. Maybe a summer camp would be just the thing to get their girls active and ready for the rest of life after the academy. Even with that in mind, something rotten swirled in her stomach when she'd gotten there early in the morning. The staff had decided to come to the camp early, to help set things up for everyone else. The camp smelled like must and everywhere Cordelia seemed to step, the wood was falling apart like wet paper. She crinkled her nose and tried to stay positive. But the whole thing felt weird. "I can understand getting our girls out into the world," She mused as she watched movers adjust furniture in the counselor cabin, her eyes hidden by dark shades. "But don't you think sharing the space with a fraternity is a little odd?" Fiona, sitting at a desk with a cigarette between her fingers, didn't look towards her daughter. She never really did. "I think it'll be a good balance." Fiona murmured, taking another drag of smoke and scribbling something on a notepad before her. "There's an even split of gender, so the kids won't feel cramped by any feminine aura. They don't have any reason to hate each other. Plus, it opens up idea for the girls going to college." Cordelia tensed her shoulders. "These are much older boys, don't you think that at least one of the girls might get into some trouble?" "That's what girls do, Delia, relax." Fiona squashed her cigarette against the desk and stood, giving her daughter a once over. "These girls are prone to trouble, they have been for years. But they're smart." She paused. "Well. Most of them are, anyway, I'm not so sure about a couple." She passed by Cordelia with a swing to her hips, stopping at the doorway. "Don't worry about the girls. They'll be fine. Focus on sprucing this place up, it feels like the school's attic." Her footsteps echoed against the gravel path leading away from the cabin, and Cordelia sighed, looking around the room. Maybe she was just being paranoid. Leaving campus like this was new, and she was rather worry driven. That had to be it. She started to turn and leave, but paused. Something snuck outside the cabin window. She quickly stepped to the window, looking out and seeing nothing. Then she left, and turned her head to search that whole side of the building. She saw the fire pit roaring already, smoke rising into the air. But there wasn't anyone, or anything. Cordelia pursed her lips. She was just being paranoid.