Kingdom of Darkness (Kingdom Journals Book 2) Read online

  “Maybe you’ll meet a boy.”

  “Eva, that’s not what this is about.”

  “Well, it’s possible.”

  “I guess.”

  I hoisted the bag onto my back, wishing she could come. Only crazy people allowed, I thought. I stored that bit of information into my psyche in case I did meet a tall, dark, and handsome guy who I shouldn’t be thinking about.

  “I’m glad you told me what was going on. I couldn’t figure you out the past couple of weeks.”

  “Nobody likes to admit being crazy.”

  “Well, it takes a really brave person to do what you’re doing.”

  “Or someone shot with a horse tranquilizer.”

  “Okay, so maybe that.” She giggled.

  Later in the evening, Mom and I sat across from Dr. Antos in a room of his hotel suite. We’d had an hour session one on one and then a half-hour segment with Mom to get my history and discuss my issues.

  He arched his hands on his brow “So, we won’t discontinue your medication cold turkey. And you can be assured, Mrs. Thornton—”

  Mom held a finger up. “That is Ms. Thornton.”

  Dr. Antos cleared his throat. “Sorry, Ms. Thornton, you will receive a status update every day. Here is the bracelet.” He handed me a heavy stone piece. With three strands of black beads strung together, it spanned at least an inch wide. “I apologize for the weight, but most of my patients get used to it fairly quickly.

  I laid it on my wrist, and the ends popped together, attracted to each other by their opposite poles.

  He slid a page across the desk. “Here are your instructions for tonight. You will take a half dose of your medication tonight and tomorrow morning. If you have no symptoms, then we’ll have you off it completely within twenty-four hours. I assume you have all your gear packed for the trip?”

  “Yes, I have everything from the list you sent.”

  “Great!” He clapped his hands together and stood. “We’ll see you here tomorrow at four then. There’ll be a bus to transport everyone to the base camp.”

  “And you said they get study time every day?” Mom interjected.

  “Yes. They will have access to laptops for three hours each morning to complete the lessons their school has provided them with. If they complete the lessons during the week, then they have extra free time on the weekends.”

  “And she will be able to contact me on Saturdays?”

  “Yes. We allow an hour communication time on Saturdays.”

  Mom took a deep breath. “I guess that’s all.” She pulled a check from her purse. “Here is the meal payment.”

  “Thank you.” Dr. Antos bowed his head and walked around us to open the door. “I will see you tomorrow.”

  Mom and I walked to the car in silence.

  “I can’t believe you’ll be gone for a month,” Mom said as she started the engine. “It’s going to be weird. I’m going to miss you so much.”

  “I’m going to miss you too. But I think this is going to be really good.” I spun the bracelet on my arm.

  “That thing looks like a pain.”

  “If I don’t have to take that medication, I’ll wear it for the rest of my life.”

  “You could spray paint it white for your wedding.”

  “Wow, you skipped all the way to my wedding?”

  “I don’t know. It’s the first thing that popped in my head. I saw black and thought white.”

  At home, Mom, Tyler, and I made lasagna, salad, and bread together and stayed up late playing board games. When it came time for my meds, I popped one pill in my mouth, praying the bracelet worked.

  I slept soundly and woke up with a sense of enthusiasm. “I feel excited,” I told Mom at breakfast.

  “That’s a good thing.”

  “I can’t believe I can actually feel something.”

  “And no dreams? No ringing? Visions? Anything?”

  “Nope.” I popped the last bit of banana in my mouth and went to wake Tyler.

  He drove me to school, and I found Eva at her locker.

  “I can’t believe you’re leaving. I’m so jealous.” She hugged me.

  “Well, don’t be jealous yet. It could be one horrible failure. What if I’m cold and miserable the whole time?”

  “Okay, now you’re just being downright offensive. You won’t be cold in my gear.”

  “You’re right. I should think positive.”

  “Are you kidding? A month of hiking to glaciers and rocky cliffs? I can only dream. When I get out of this place, I’m heading straight to the mountains.”

  “You’re leaving out that all the people participating in said adventure are crazy.”

  “Don’t call yourself crazy. You just have an active imagination.”

  “Yeah, well now I have this.” I held up my wrist to show her the bracelet.

  “Wow, that is—”

  “Hideous, I know. But…” I leaned closer to whisper in her ear. “I’m on half meds, and I actually feel excited and anxious versus nothing.”

  “I’m so happy for you.” She wrapped her arms around me and squeezed. “I’m going to miss you.”

  The bell rang, and we made our way to class. I had a couple of other friends, more like acquaintances, who I spoke with on a regular basis, but I didn’t say anything to them about my impending absence. I didn’t know how to explain and hated lying, so I figured it better to leave it till my return.

  Most of my teachers requested that I meet with them after class, and I smiled through their uncomfortable well wishes. When the bell rang at three, Eva and I walked to my house. She helped me double check my gear until Mom and Tyler showed up.

  “Okay, this is goodbye.” Eva hugged me. “Call me.”

  “I will and thanks for all this.” I motioned to my backpack.

  After she left, I changed into one of the outdoor outfits, wool socks, and boots. “I’m ready,” I told Mom and Tyler as I entered the living room.

  Mom had tears in her eyes and gathered me to her chest. “I’m not going to drive you. Tyler is. I don’t want to cause a scene. No visions? Migraines? Buzzing? Anything today, right?”

  “No, Mom. It was a good day.” My eyes brimmed with water.

  “Okay.” She wiped her cheeks. “I love you.”

  “I love you too.” I hugged her again. “Thank you for this.”

  “Of course. Okay.” She clapped her hands together. “Off with you.”

  “Bye.” Fitting my pack on my back, I waved at her as we walked to the car.

  “I can’t believe she is letting you do this,” Tyler said as we rode to meet the bus.

  “I won’t live my life halfway. That’s what it feels like on the meds, like you’re getting half of everything you could have.”

  “I’m sorry you have this thing. Please just promise you’ll be honest with us. I get that the meds suck, but not having a sister would suck too. If you’re in the other world, you’re not with us.”

  “I know. I’m sorry about before. It won’t happen again.”

  “It better not, or I’ll beat you up.” He parked the car in the lot.

  Seeing the bus and the surrounding area scattered with teens and families, my heart skipped a beat. Was this the right thing? Was I totally crazy? I reminded myself Mom had vetted the doctor, his research, and practice to the nth degree. After our initial call, Dad had been off the grid and unavailable, but Mom assured me this would be right up his alley.

  Lifting my pack from the trunk, I took a deep breath.

  “Okay, this is it.” Tyler approached.

  “Yep. Take care.”

  “You too, pipsqueak. Don’t break a leg or anything.”

  “Wow, thanks for that.”

  “You know what I mean.”

  “Yeah, thanks.” I hugged him.

  “Okay, bye.” He stepped back and waved, and I turned to face the group.

  Surveying the lot, I walked to the bus and set my pack beside the others. Dr. Antos did
n’t seem to be there, so I stood near the bus door a few feet from the only solo kid.

  Tall, with dark hair and skin, the boy towered over me. I stole glances at him, noticing he wore a single strand of the same magnetic rocks as me on each wrist. His dark coloring and hard jawline reminded me of Theron, Hunter’s evil half-brother, and I moved a half step away. You’re being paranoid again, I thought.

  Scanning the crowd, I realized there was no hiding. At school, I could pretend to be normal, but being with this group defined me as crazy. Unable to wait out the silence, I tucked my hair behind my ear and extended my hand out to him.

  “I’m Camille.”

  “Oh.” He took a half-step back.

  “Wow, didn’t know I was that scary.” I brushed my hair behind my other ear.

  “No, this is just a lot to take in. I’m Jude.” His blue eyes pierced into mine, and he extended his hand towards me.

  I shook it and stuffed my hand back in my pocket. “Are you from Reykjavik?”

  “No, from the States, Los Angeles.”

  “Nice. First time in Iceland?” I rocked on my heels, unable to think of anything else to ask him.

  “Yep.” He bobbed his head.

  “You’re probably pretty jet lagged.”

  “I got in couple of days ago to acclimate.”

  “Nice.” Had I just said nice twice? Man, I was horrible at chit chat.

  Wishing, I could slink away from him, I stood there, arms folded across my middle.

  “You don’t have an accent. Have you lived here all your life?”

  “No, I’m from the States. We’ve just been here a year.”

  “Who dropped you off?”

  “My brother. My mom was too upset to come.”

  “Well, I just hopped on a plane, so…” He leaned closer. “Everyone else has a ton of people here. What’s with that? I’m thinking we may be the most well-adjusted of the bunch.”

  I scanned the faces of the other campers. Each one had a strained expression, some bordering on terrified. Several of the girls were crying. Wondering if they were being forced to attend the session, I counted my lucky stars that I wanted to be there.

  “I don’t see anyone else with these on.” He held up his arm.

  “We could be the real crazy ones.”

  “I see you’re a glass-half-full type.”

  “Sorry, bad week.”

  “I’m guessing we’re all in that boat. Option one, stay home and take the zombie meds. Option two, go to Iceland. That was a no brainer.”

  “Exactly.” I smiled at him.

  “You know Iceland has the highest rate of depression in the world.”

  “Wow, I need to move back to the States.”

  “You’re crazier because your bracelet is thicker.”

  “What?” I held my wrist beside his. “Your two equal my one.”

  “Maybe.” He squinted his eyes.

  “I’m lost. Are we trying to be crazy or not?”

  “Yeah, I’m not sure. I just know I got a free trip to Iceland and out of a month of school.”

  Just then, Dr. Antos appeared from behind the bus. The hiking clothes looked odd after seeing him in a silk suit the previous day. Glancing in our direction, he scanned the rest of the lot, stuck his fingers between his lips, and let loose a loud whistle.

  “Say your goodbyes campers and gather round.” He waved everyone to the bus and then turned to us. “You guys can get your packs underneath and take seats on the bus. Pulling an electronic tablet from his bag, he tapped on the screen.

  “Guess this is us. Ladies first.” Jude stepped back, giving me access to my backpack.

  Loading it in the storage area, I fit my small pack on my shoulders and entered the bus, walking to the back.

  “Mind if we sit together?” Jude asked as we reached the last seat. “Looks like every seat will be filled.”

  “That’s fine.” I rolled my eyes to myself, thinking of how Eva would assess the situation. Man, he’s hot, she’d say. Good job nabbing the cute guy first. But I wasn’t there to gain a boyfriend who lived half a world away. My focus needed to be on staying med and hallucination free.

  “So, Camille?” He started when we were settled. “Not Cami? Any nicknames I should know about?”

  “Nope.” I looked out the bus window, studying the other campers as they loaded their gear and got on the bus. I started sizing everyone, making note of any seemingly hostile personas to stay away from.

  Once everyone was seated, Dr. Antos took a head count and introduced our four counselors, two girls and two guys. With twenty campers, we’d sleep five to a tent with a counselor. He reviewed all the rules, repeating three times that romantic relationships of any kind were strictly forbidden, and the potential punishment was being sent home.

  “Everybody good?” he asked, slapping the headrest in front of him. When there was no reply, he continued. “Great, so we’re off.”

  Pulling out of the lot, the bus weaved to the highway. I was excited to see more of the island, as we hadn’t strayed far from the city. With Mom’s work schedule and our vacations spent in the States with grandparents, there hadn’t been much time. I’d planned on asking Mom for a trip around the island as a graduation present but figured this would be it for me.

  Jude and I exchanged a couple of sentences, but mostly I watched the scenery. The drive took just over an hour, and we pulled into the campsite at a little past five.

  Dr. Antos stood as the bus stopped. “Okay. Here are the team assignments. Teams will switch every week. The work schedule will be posted at the mess tent.” He proceeded to call campers’ names, and each joined their team and lead counselor. Jude, myself, two other girls, and a guy formed a team led by a male counselor named Allen.

  “Okay.” Allen held out his fist to each of us. “Quick intros. Then we’re up for supper duty.” He pointed at me. “C for Camille, go. Who you are. Where you’re from. One notable fact about yourself.”

  “Hmm, well I’m Camille. I’m originally from Los Angeles but live in Reykjavik now, and I run cross country.”

  “Nice.” Allen commented. “Always Camille, or does Cami work?”

  “Just Camille,” I told him. My alter ego name popped into my head, and I smashed the memory down. Ivy had not been invited to this outing.

  “I’m Jude.” He waved to the rest of the group. “I’m also from L.A. This is my first time in Iceland. I’m kind of big into martial arts. That’s about it.”

  The other two girls, Asa and Frida, were native to Iceland, as was George. Allen led us to the mess tent, and we divided food prep chores. They had the food trucked in fresh daily. All natural, organic, and unprocessed, the meal that night included potatoes, carrots, kale, berries, and lamb. Preferring not to think about young sheep, I chose to chop the vegetables and add them to boiling water for the stew. George and Jude took over meat duty, Frida and I chopped potatoes and carrots, and Asa appointed herself manager.

  “Can you say obsessive compulsive control freak?” Frida asked as she plunked vegetables into the boiling water.

  I shot her a mean look. “We’re all in this together.”

  “I guess so.” Frida rolled her eyes, and I prayed we weren’t in the same sleeping tent.

  “You talk to Jude? He is super hot. Hopefully he’s not too crazy. What are you in for anyway?”

  Biting my lip, I took a deep breath and got it out of the way. “Schizophrenia.”

  “No way. You think he is too? You guys have the same bracelets on. Or are you already a thing? Oh, my god, you are? I’m so—”

  “No.” I stopped her rant. “I just met him. I don’t know what he’s here for.”

  “Schizophrenia, man that’s crazy stuff. My family is just trying to get me clean. You see me start shaking, call the nurse, okay?”

  “Got it.”

  Frida had sized up everyone and orated her opinions as we worked. As cooks, we turned the food over to the servers and were the first to get o
ur trays.

  “This food looks amazing, if I do say so myself.” Jude set his plate down and sat beside me. Red juice pooled in the center of the slice of lamb, and I diverted my eyes. “What’s wrong? Are you a vegetarian?”

  “Not usually.”

  “I’m a rare-meat guy myself.”

  “I can see that.”

  I stuffed a bite of potato in my mouth. They offered milk, and I figured it would serve as my protein for the night. After dinner, we built a fire, were assigned tents, and pitched them by the light from the flames. Asa, Frida, Inga, Janna, myself, and our counselor, Hilda, ended up making a good team. Within an hour, we had our tent pitched, cots set up with sleeping bags, and gear organized around the central heater. The site’s restrooms and showers were a five-minute hike, and I invited Asa to make the trek with me.

  “Frida was talking about me, wasn’t she?” Asa said as soon as we were out of earshot.

  “Not more than anyone else.”

  “What’s her story?”

  “I think I’d rather let her tell you.”

  “Big on privacy, eh?”

  “I just think everyone has a right to tell their own story or not.”

  “I’m glad we got in a tent together. You seem nice.”

  “Thanks.” I rolled my eyes, thankful for the darkness. Letting my head fall back, I gazed at the dark sky covered with a blanket of specks of light. Clear nights were rare in the fall, and I savored the spectacular view. The weather called for rain the next five days, and I inhaled the crisp night air, cherishing the smell of dirt underfoot.

  “You’re not much of a talker, are you?” Asa brought me out of my thoughts.

  “I guess not.”

  She proceeded to tell me her life story, leading up to her most recent anxiety attack. Counting my lucky stars, since I had at least half of a well-adjusted family, I nodded and expressed my empathy where appropriate. Her story continued as we washed for bed and made our way back to the tent.

  “Thanks for listening. This is kind of a freaky thing for me.”

  “I bet we’re all thinking the same thing about now.”