Chapter 35: Chapter 34 – "Welcome to Absolute Madness"
7:00 AM.
The camp should have been peaceful.
Instead…
> "WHO STOLE MY TOOTHBRUSH?!"
Sol sprinted out of the boys' tent, hair wild, holding a fork like a weapon. Raven followed calmly, brushing his teeth… with Sol's toothbrush.
"I thought it was mine," Raven said, deadpan.
"WE HAVE THE SAME COLOR!"
From another tent, a scream:
> "MY TENT'S ON FIRE!"
It wasn't. But someone did try to roast marshmallows inside it.
Meanwhile, Ava chased a raccoon that had stolen her breakfast sandwich. The raccoon, oddly fast, dashed past three students arguing over who forgot to bring their pants.
Ms. Hanami stood in the middle of it all, sipping coffee, eyes hollow.
> "I used to teach math…"
---
At breakfast, Sol found himself sitting across four girls asking about his "secret criminal past."
"I'm not a criminal," he muttered.
"You're too calm," one said. "Only trained assassins are this calm."
Ava walked past, dragging Raven by the hood. "Emergency! Raven set off the fire alarm with his toast."
"I didn't even eat toast."
"But you looked at the toaster."
---
10:00 AM. Group hike.
Thirty students wandered off-path. Five tried to fight a tree "because it looked suspicious." One boy started a conspiracy theory that the field trip was a government test.
> "This isn't camping! This is training for the apocalypse!"
Ms. Hanami snapped and started throwing trail mix at anyone who got within 10 feet of her.
---
12:47 PM. Lunch chaos.
The cafeteria ran out of curry.
Sol got tackled trying to grab the last plate.
Ava accidentally switched the sugar and salt in Raven's tea. He drank it. Didn't blink.
> "Is your tongue broken?" she asked.
> "No," Raven replied. "My will to live is."
---
3:33 PM. Group photo.
Raven had a slice of toast stuck to his head. Sol was being chased by three angry squirrels. Ava photobombed every shot.
The final image? Ms. Hanami screaming into the void as a tent collapsed behind her.
---
As the sun set and the bus prepared to take everyone home, silence finally fell.
Raven looked out the window. "Think things will be normal tomorrow?"
Sol, eating Ava's sandwich, replied:
> "Absolutely not."
Ava sat between them, smiling wide.
> "Best trip ever."
---
End of Chapter 34 – Madness Level: MAX