Dedicated to my father and his father before him, whose love of camping and the outdoors definitely got passed down through the generations – and to the numerous park staff who work to preserve national parks and wild spaces for future generations.
——————–
What happens when a group of teenagers end up tangled in the complicated web of grief together? Obviously, they learn equally complicated life lessons and go on equally complicated adventures together. With messy emotions in tow, a small group of friends explore both nature and the process of growing up, all while living a nomadic van life and experiencing change around every corner.
——————–
Content warnings: Religious imagery, familial death, depictions of mental illness, LGBTQ+ phobia
CONTENT WARNING: survivor’s guilt, descriptions of gore, references to harm of children, depiction of flashback, references to murder and torture
He was there again. Just like every night. The sewer system stretched endlessly before him, bathed in dark red lighting and stinking of blood and waste. Out of all the kids, he was the only one who had made it out alive.
“Huh. So you’re the other newcomer everyone’s been on my ass about meeting. You’re a lot different than I expected. More nerdy. No offense. Who’re your folks?”
“Hey, heads up; Josephine’s gotten us lost.”
Hemlock’s luck had bled itself out. He knew this because instead of being at home with his mother and father, he was in an RV with his two aunts, driving down a road to the middle of absolutely nowhere. Apparently, being an LGBTQ+ youth from a conservative Christian family in the middle of Wyoming was a terrible mistake. He’d been kicked out of the house without even the slightest hesitation. He breathed a sigh, thanking God for the umpteenth time…
Wishes don’t bring back the dead, but that doesn’t mean it’s a bad thing to grieve.