1 Chapter 1: Trial of Fine Camouflage

‘God, why? Why did it have to be me? Was it something that I did that you did not like? Did I say something to offend you? Is this my karma for some misdeed that I subconsciously committed? Is that what you think I deserve? I don’t understand why you put me on this planet all alone. I can’t fathom what past mistake I made that was so bad for me to reach this level of misery. Maybe I’m not meant for this new life that you gave me. I could barely manage the old one that I had. Maybe this is the end of the road for me. I hope not, because I want to live. Just not like this.’

With these cold thoughts clouding his head like a winter storm, Mason couldn’t help but stare outside the backseat window of his mother’s ginormous Cadillac and get lost in the world on the other side of the glass. He was hypnotized by the sight of the highway trees zooming past the vehicle while he had his headphones on. There were only two things in this world that could ease the damaged mind of a thirteen-year-old Mason Corpse: admiring nature as the beautiful mechanism that it was and the angelic sound of his favorite musician, April LaQueen. Zoning out from reality, he completely forgot that he was in a car filled with his entire family and their luggage on a road trip to his grandmother’s house in Florida.

“Stop following so close!” Lynda Corpse, Mason’s mother, shouted at her husband and Mason’s father, Michael Corpse. She was always a nervous wreck on these road trips, mainly because she always thought that Mason’s father drove like a lunatic.

“Lynda calm down,” Mason’s father responded. “I’ve been driving for over 25 years. I got this!” he hissed.

Veronica, Mason’s oldest sibling, chimed in on her parents’ bickering from the backseat. “How much further until we get to grandma’s? I can’t deal with Alex’s snoring anymore,” she said, referring to the sleeping middle child of the three Corpse children.

“You might as well wake her up now, Ronnie. We’ll be there in 5 minutes,” Michael informed his daughter. “And tell your brother to take those ear pods, or whatever they’re called, out already. I don’t want any technology out when we pull up to your grandmother’s,” he instructed Veronica.

Veronica nodded her head and immediately got her sibling’s attention by nudging Alex awake and tapping a distracted Mason on the shoulder. Slowly, Alex woke up from her slumber, rubbing her eyes while Mason paused his music playing on his phone and took out his headphones.

“What is it?” an irritable Alex asked her older sister.

“We’re going to get there in less than 5 minutes. And Mason, dad said to put your phone away before we pull up,” she informed her siblings.

Mason sighed as he tucked his phone away into the pocket of his hoodie.

Lynda, realizing that Mason had been quiet for most of the ride, turned around and looked at her baby boy. At just one glance, she could tell something was wrong with him. “Honey, you alright?” she asked her youngest child.

A depressed Mason was in no mood to confess the twisted thoughts and emotions he was harboring inside for the sake of his family’s vacation. Instead, he did what any upset person does in a situation such as this. “I’m fine,” the teen lied to his mother without taking his eyes off the sunny view outside of the window.

Lynda, who could see right through her son’s sad demeanor, was not buying Mason’s answer. She subtly looked over at Veronica and Alex for a single hint of insight as to why their brother wasn’t radiating with his usual energetic and talkative behavior, but all the sisters could do was shrug their shoulders to their mother in an oblivious fashion.

Lynda turned back around and decided to do what every true mother does when their child seemingly wants to be left alone: overbearingly provide them with encouraging words. “You know, I think this is going to be the best vacation we’ve ever had! We always have such a great time at Grandma Pat’s, right Mason?” she said out loud for him to hear her. Mason, who barely had any energy left to associate with the other members of his family, simply nodded his head. But that wasn’t good enough for his father.

“Hey, your mother asked you a question,” he said to his son calm yet firmly. Mason instantly snapped out of his discouraging trance and knew that he needed to shape up before he received a tongue lashing in front of his entire family.

“Yeah, we’re gonna have a lot of fun,” he responded to his mother with a lack of enthusiasm.

‘Can y’all just leave me the f*ck alone,’ he thought to himself. ‘Y’all just say all this to pick at me when I’m down. Why would I want to associate with y’all right now?’

“We’re here!” his mother said out loud as Mason’s father drove the truck into Grandma Pat’s driveway. The scowl on Mason’s face quickly turned into a slight grin upon hearing this announcement. Despite his current mood, he could always count on his grandmother’s lovely personality to cheer him up.

As Michael finally parked the car after an 8-hour road trip, the entire Corpse family were greeted by an enthusiastic Grandma Pat, who was standing on her front porch waiving at them all with a huge smile on her face. Lynda immediately unbuckled her seat belt and opened her passenger door. She hopped out of the car with her daughters following her and greeted Grandma Pat with a huge hug.

Michael, who was just as excited to see his mother, knew that he had to handle a personal matter with Mason before they were surrounded by mixed company. He quickly walked around to the other side of the car and approached Mason, who slowly stepped out of the car.

“Son, come here,” he whispered to him as Mason slowly got closer to his father. Michael leaned in close to Mason and whispered into his ear so that no one else would be able to hear their conversation. “Listen kid, I know you’re going through a lot right now with the things going on at school and with your illness, but I need you to do me a favor. Please, show a brave face for your grandmother. She’s excited to see all of us, especially you, and I want this trip to be special for her. We don’t get to see her often, and I want our family to have the best time we possibly can while we’re down here,” his father exclaimed. Mason nodded his head as his father spoke to him. It was spring break, after all, and this was no time to be down in the dumps.

“So, remember the rules; no phones out during any of the meals, no interrupting the adults while they’re talking, and, above all else, please do your best to keep our family’s secret to yourself while we’re around the relatives. They don’t need to know what’s going on with us right now. OK?” his father instructed as Mason nodded his head.

“And is this my baby boy?!” Grandma Pat said as she approached Michael with an enormous smile and open arms. “Hey, momma!” Michael said enthusiastically as the two embraced one, another. Mason stood aside and watched his father and grandmother get reacquainted. It was a happy sight for him to see, but all he could hear was his father’s word rattling in his head.

‘Keep the secret to yourself.’

He wished he could believe what his father said. But, how could anyone solve a problem like Mason’s?

“Ohhhhhh and here’s my baby!” Grandma Pat yelled in excitement once her eyes locked with Mason’s. Her voice was so loud, the whole neighborhood could practically hear her. Hell, all of Florida could probably hear her.

“Come here honey!” she shouted at her grandson. Mason instantly ran up to his grandmother and gave her a humungous hug. She returned the favor and gave him a bear hug that could squeeze the air out of a professional wrestler. “Oh, my baby is here!” she kept saying into Mason’s ear while the two were glued together.

It was in that moment nothing else mattered to Mason. His problems were non-existent every time he with his grandmother at her luxurious home. Every time she held him in his arms, it felt like the rest of the world had disappeared. She was like an angel sent from above, and a hug from her felt like Heaven each and every time!

“Oh, you get taller every time I see you, Mason!” his grandmother said as they finally let each other go. “How are you, sweetie?” she asked him. Instinctively, Mason looked at her and smiled. “I’m fine. I’m just tired,” he replied with a slightly nervous laughter.

“Come on inside, I got dinner ready for y’all!” she said as she took Mason by the hand and led him to her front door where the rest of his family were waiting for them. “Grandma, I love your garden,” Mason said to his grandmother as she walked up the porch steps behind the Corpse family. He watched as his flattered grandmother spun around and smiled at him. “Thank you, sweetie!” she said as they both observed the delightful abundance of begonias, snapdragons, and pansies she had planted in her front yard. His grandmother’s smile slowly faded away when she came across one of the dying bushes within her garden.

“I wish I could do something about that rose bush,” she said while pointing at a weak, leafless, brown bush placed in the center of the garden. “No matter what I do, it never gets the right amount of water or fertilizer,” she said. “Anyways, come on in here baby I made your favorite mashed potatoes!” she invited Mason inside as she entered her home.

“Be right there,” a nervous Mason as he was left all alone outside. He knew what he was about to do was going against everything his father said. But it was for a good cause. In his eyes, it was for the best cause because he was about to do something nice for his grandmother.

Hastily, Mason approached the dying rose bush in the center of the garden and kneeled down in front of it. He then looked around and made sure no one else could see what he was doing. Taking a deep breath, he placed his hand on top of the soil holding down the roots of the bush and concentrated on the flowers of the bush. With the blazing Florida sun beating down on his brown skin, a drop of sweat slid down his face as he focused all of his energy into the plant. Soon enough, leaves began to sprout on the empty branches of the bush and the roses transitioned from a gloomy brown state back to their healthy pink and red shades! Miraculously, he revived the plant!

“That should do the trick,” he said to himself as he got off his knee and stood up. Brushing tiny specs of dirt off his jeans, Mason smiled at his work and looked at his grandmother’s healthy rose bush.

‘She’s going to love this!’ he thought to himself as he quickly and silently made his way into the house before anyone could notice he was missing.