A Disturbing Dream 8

I'm a camp counselor again. My old boss has assembled all the best counselors from my seven years at Camp Conestoga for one all-star summer. The facility has been expanded and upgraded considerably since I was last employed there. All this is internal logic which I understand instantly when the dream starts. I'm chastising one of my former campers Aaron. I'm my current age, he hasn't aged at all.

I'm scolding him for not participating and ignoring the instructions of another counselor. He's in turns not responding, sassing, and attempting to walk away. It goes on for a while but I can see it's not getting through. I get really aggravated and say "OK. The hard way."

I pick Aaron up and put him under my arm. The camp lodge is at the top of a large hill and I take off running down it. My intent is to scare Aaron into obedience. I'm going pretty fast and then I go head first down a path which was turned into a mud slide. We gain speed. At the end of the slide there's the start of a zip line. I launch us from the slide to the zip line accelerating to a very dangerous speed. The zip line ends at the bottom of the hill into a large pond. At the end of the line I use the momentum to propel us further into the air and grab a vine hanging from a tree and swing the entire length of the pond ending up on the top of the water fall that feeds the pond. I run across an unsteady rock bridge which crosses the top of the falls and finally stop.

I look down at my arm and Aaron isn't there. I panic. I must have dropped him at some point. I dive from the falls into the pond and swim towards the beach where some campers are lounging. I shout. I search the waters for a while and solicit the help of the near by campers. We find nothing.

I retrace my steps as meticulously as I can but I find no trace of Aaron. I start to feel really guilty. I become convinced he's dead some where. I spend the rest of the afternoon looking for him but I come up empty handed. I make my way back to the lodge and there he is.

Me: Aaron! You scared me half to death!
Aaron: I slipped out in the mud. I'm a slick little pig. Oink!
Me: Aaron, listen buddy. I'm sorry I tried to scare you but you need to participate ok?
Aaron: Some of the kids don't like me and I don't like them. They pick on me.
Me: Listen buddy, I hear ya. I get that sometimes too. But instead of talking back to Dominique if something bothers you I need you to tell her or tell me what's really going on. OK?
Aaron: OK.
Me: I know it's hard buddy. It's hard to tell people what we feel. But you know what?
Aaron: What?
Me: It's always better if we do. All us counselors are here to help. And everyone is here to have some fun. You like fun right?
Aaron: Oink!
Me: Me too. You wanna shoot a quick round of archery?
Aaron: Oink!

I awoke.