For this one, you must try to cover up a strange and terrifying incident from the campfire.
DON'T TELL YET (any gender, mid teens to early twenties)
Iris, hear me out. Stan doesn't need to know. Not yet. The parents don't need to know. The kids know. But think about it; what do they REALLY know?
There was something weird that happened at the closing campfire.
Just some strange voices,
And yes, a weird flash of light...
And...
And Johnny disappeared, yes.
But, but, but who's to say that isn't part of the MAGIC?
Iris, it's all about the magic, right? Camp is a magical place for kids. These last three weeks- how many "happy accidents" have we turned into skits? Silly new rituals? Goofy legends? What happened tonight... we just find Johnny and get him in on the story... which is... um... um. Sargent Soap Suds!
Johnny's been really good about helping wash the trays after dinner, right? He's never complained. So during the closing campfire, Sargent Soap Suds made his entrance in a bright light (we hint it was a firework or something). All those voices were his soldiers (we hint that it was a hidden iphone making the sounds). Sargent Soap Suds took Johnny aboard his soap bubble and pop! Johnny disappeared with the crew... to get ice cream!
And when we find Johnny. We tell him he's started a new tradition. At the campfire the kid who did the best job helping wash the trays... they get magically smuggled away to have ice cream! And we feed him the stuff and send. Him. To. BED!
Copyright 2016 by Matt Haynes. If you would like to use this piece, please credit: "Courtesy of Matt Haynes and The Pulp Stage"