NaNoWriMo 2016 Project

Day 8 - Protagonist Background Story - Contest 1

Saturday, Oct. 08
Required: Contest Round 1: Protagonist Background Story ▼

Write a story about your protagonist that takes place outside of your novel. Make your readers relate to him or her in such a way that we would be devastated if he or she were to experience conflict (which, ultimately, sometime in November, he/she will.) The object of the contest is to make your judges root for your protagonist! Simply put: the character we like best wins. If your protagonist is an assassin or someone similarly "unlikeable," never fear! I love Vlad Taltos, the professional assassin . You can make us love your character, too. Add the background story to your character database (if applicable.)

*Submit your ITEM or ENTRY number by 1200 noon WDC time on Sunday, Oct. 09 to compete. WDC time is New York City time and can be found at the top of thisIM Console . If you miss this deadline or choose not to compete, you may still post your assignment completion for the grand prize, per the standard Prep guidelines.


Camp was a scary concept. A place so outside Taygen's comfort zone. A place where children far outnumbered the adults and the camp catered to their every outdoorsy need. Swimming, canoeing, hiking, archery, badminton, basketball, tennis.... and out in the corner of the camp the arts and craft building. Taygen was like a fish out of water. Dropped into an environment her parents thought she could handle... a place she could go while they worked out their own adult issues.... their crumbling marriage.
Taygen felt herself shrink back as the hordes of kids ran and screamed and laughed all around her. Her seriousness, they ignored. That was usual for her, but now she knew nobody to keep her feeling safe and okay in this colossally, freaky place.
Big blue eyes widened at the vastness of the place. Trees crowded the edge of the camp that clung to the edge of a huge lake. She clutched her duffle and sleeping bags to her as if they were the only lifelines to sanity. In the swirl of children she stayed frozen to one spot, taking it all in through eyes as wide as can be.
A tall, teenage girl with golden hair hanging halfway down her back approached with a warm smile. "Taygen Campbell?" the girl asked.
Taygen could only nod. She refused to speak for fear her voice wouldn't work.
"I'm Lana. One of your camp counsellors."
Taygen tried to give a smile, but it was shaky. Her nervous stomach was quaking.
"Let's get you settled. Most of the kids got here earlier... so they're already exploring..."
Being late didn't help. She'd be last in, last picked, last to be left out of everything.... that was usually the case and it made Taygen shudder and pull into herself.
"It's okay. I'll show you our cabin and introduce you to Holly. She is my counselling partner. She took another girl up there a bit ago. She just got here before you."
Then not so late then... Taygen thought, but she still felt tense.
Taygen refused any help that Lena offered preferring to stay hidden behind her bags. A padding of protection.
At the cabin, they entered the wooden structure with the bright blue door. Lena lead the way in with Taygen close at her heals.
"I found our last girl." Lena called out into the dimness of the cabin.
Taygen let her eyes adjust, but decided to paste a friendly enough smile on her face just to make sure things would be okay.
"That's good. I am just showing Gwyn around." The other counsellor told them as she came forward to greet Taygen.
"Hi." said a perky young girl who appeared before her. "We get the last two bunks. You want the top or the bottom?"
"Hmmm."
"It doesn't matter to me. I am okay with either."
"I don't mind." Taygen said in a small voice.
"Well, I've never been in the top bunk before so how bout I take that one and we can switch later if you want?"
Taygen's smile eased. This girl did not seem too scary.
She followed the girl over to the bunks in the corner. She looked up and wondered how the girl would make it up there. The bed was higher than Grandma's hospital bed. A hospital bed she had once fallen out of.
"I think I like the bottom." she said in a quiet voice.
"Okay then." The girl tossed her stuff up onto the upper bunk and climbed up at the end with a grace Taygen could only admire.
"You two get settled and we'll meet you outside." Lena told them.
"'K" Gwyn chirped then beamed down at Taygen. "I can hardly wait to check everything out."
Gwyn's enthusiasm had Taygen smiling as she put her own stuff on her bed and began to roll out her sleeping bag and put her pillow and her bear under its flap for safe keeping.
Gwyn hung over the top buck and giggled. "I love your bear. I brought mine too." She pulled her bear out and wiggled him around for Taygen to see.
Taygen smiled. It was getting easier to do that. The tension was slipping.
"Have you ever been to camp before?" Gwyn asked as she scooted around and jumped down from the end of the bunk. Taygen smiled at her little gymnastic flare as Gwyn swept her arms up into a landing position before twirling to give Taygen a brilliant smile.
Taygen shook her head.
"Me either. But I'm excited."
"I'm a little scared." Taygen admitted.
Gwyn spun towards her and slipped her arm around Taygen's. "We can be fearless together, what do you say?"
Taygen laughed as the last of her anxiety evaporated. "Yeah, okay."
"Good. Then let's go see what this place has.... I hope we can go swimming soon."
"Me, too."

For the next half hour Lena and Holly took the girls on a quick tour of the camp making sure they knew where the mess tent, wash up sinks were and the outhouses.
"We have to use outhouses?" Gwyn whispered her voice tinged with childish disgust. "eewww."
"They're not so bad." Taygen whispered back. "My grandparents have one... and it is so much older than this one... these aren't bad."
Gwyn blew out a breath and the two girls giggled.
"If you come out here at night you'll need to bring a flash light. We'll leave one by the door for everyone to use." Holly told them.
"I'd rather not go out here alone after dark..." Gwyn began, then looked over at Taygen, "We can come out together. Wake me if you have to go and I'll come with you... can I do the same?"
Taygen smiled and nodded. She wasn't too crazy about a night trip anywhere, least of all the outhouse. Her grandparents used chamber pots at night instead of going outside. Gwyn thought that bit of information was funny and the two giggled again.
"You girls can handle it." Lena told them, "besides, I like your idea of going together... you can always wake us if you need to as well."
That made Taygen feel better even as she knew she would not do it. Just the knowledge that someone cared made her feel at ease about it.
"Well, that's the camp. We'll show you more as the time goes, but I am sure you want to get down to the beach and swim..." Both girls bobbed their heads in agreement. "We'll be meeting back her when they ring the bell. That will give us time to get ready for dinner and come up with a cabin name and cheer for our group. Think of some ideas while you're out there."
Gwyn grabbed her arm and pulled her as they scampered off to get changed for swimming.

The week went very well. Taygen had never been happier. Having a friend like Gwyn was amazing. She felt like she could do anything. With Gwyn's encouragement she was able to try a few things she never would have done... like jumping off the jut of rock into the deep waters of the lake.
At one point Taygen felt the need to be alone. She felt an edginess of having been around others and it was setting her skin on a restlessness. She was afraid to ask for time away, but the need to be alone, even for a short time, was getting to her. She and Gwyn had been inseparable for days.... two peas in a pod.
"Gwyn..." her began hesitantly, "I know this may sound weird, but.... I'm not used to all this..." she opened her hands and spread them open in front of her. "I am used to being by myself.... and I was wondering if you'd be okay if I don't join you all for swimming for a bit...."
Gwyn gave her a thoughtful look.
Taygen took a deep breath, and shook off the worry of losing her friend, "I just need a little alone time, is all... not much."
Gwyn nodded solemnly, "Okay.... I'll see ya... later, then."
Taygen nodded. "Thanks."
When Gwyn had gone, Taygen watched her be swallowed up by the other girls and she felt a pagne of sadness. She wanted to run out and change her mind, but a part of her was happy at the peace that settled around her. The last few days had been full and fun, but Taygen needed more down time than just sleeping. She turned from the window and grabbed her little bag of books. She hadn't touched it in days. She opened it to make sure she had her notebook and pen and pencil crayons, as well as the Bobbsey Twins novel she was currently reading. Then she slipped out of the cabin and headed around the back into the trees that surrounded the outer perimeter of the camp. She walked along the trail until she found an nice grove of trees surrounding a fallen log perfect for taking a little quiet time. She sat and closed her eyes for a moment to just listen to the sounds and feel the breeze. After a few minutes she pulled out her notebook and pen and began to write.
Less than an hour later she packed up her things and headed back to the cabin. She hid her book bag and grabbed her towel ready to go find the girls and ask if they would have her back.
Gwyn saw her coming down towards the lake and waved. She made her way through the water and moved to where their towels were.
"Can I come join you?" Taygen asked afraid the answer would be 'no'.
"Of course!" Gwyn chirped with her usual enthusiasm and Taygen ran with her into the water.

Later that night after dinner, Gwyn asked, "Can I ask what you did? If it's not my business.... I'll understand."
"Oh, sure.... I can show you if you want." Taygen said quietly and when Gwyn nodded eagerly, Taygen went to get her little book bag.
"I needed to write..." Taygen whispered, not sure how it would be received.
"To write.... cool." Gwyn whispered back as she watched Taygen pull out her notebook.
Taygen felt a glow of acceptance as she opened her book to show Gwyn her poem and her story.
"Read it to me." Gwyn said and settled back to listen.
Nervous, Taygen cleared her throat and then began to read. First the story... of how they met and then the poem about their friendship.
"That is brilliant!" Gwyn whispered. Her voice was full of awe. Taygen beamed at her.
"I don't usually share my writing."
"You should. It is amazing!"
Taygen felt the heat of a blush bloom up her cheeks. "I do it just for myself...."
"Well, I think it's amazing."
"You aren't upset that I needed time alone?" Taygen asked
Gwyn shook her head, then decided to be honest and share to, "I was sad at first... I thought you were upset with me.... but.... I see...."
"I was never upset with you... I am just not used to all these people.... all the time.... I am an only child. All this is too much to take in all the time... does that make sense."
Gwyn thought a moment and then smiled, "Yeah, that makes sense. So we're still friends."
"Yes, I don't share my writing with anyone. I showed my mother once, but she started to pick it apart.... she's a secretary... she's used to looking for errors."
"I'm glad you shared it with me.... I would love a copy! Could I have one?"
Taygen smiled, "Sure, but let me give you a good copy...."
Gwyn beamed a smile back at her then pulled her in for a hug. "If you ever need time again, just say so."
"I will." Just knowing Gwyn was okay with that let Taygen relax and know Gwyn was a true friend.... she first real, true friend.

By weeks end, Taygen presented Gwyn with a 'good copy'. She had written it out in her best printing and drawn beautiful flowers around the edge. She had even made a frame for it out of twigs the two of them had found in the bush. Gwyn had gifted her with a friendship bracelet she had been working on while Taygen wrote.
"I made two. One for you and one for me. That way when we go home we can always remember each other...."
"We could write to each other...." Taygen suggested tentatively. She hated to lose a friend she had made.
"Pen pals." Gwyn chirped. "Most definitely."
They wrote out their addresses to exchange.
Looking at Gwyn's Taygen pursed her lips, "Augustine Court.... Guelph.... my aunt and uncle live there too."
"Really! Who"
When Taygen told her, Gwyn squealed. "They are our neighbours! My mother and your aunt are friends!"
"Really!"
"Yeah, oh now you have to come and visit!"
Taygen could not help smiling. She knew she would see Gwyn again. Now all she had to do was get her mother to agree to her going to visit her aunt... she didn't think that would be too hard.

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