Synopsis
A group of sixth-graders arrives at the campground for their first overnight trip, hauling gear, snacks, and wildly mismatched expectations of what “roughing it” means (“The Camping Song”).
Around the fire, the boys trade the kind of talk that only happens after dark — who they are, who they’re pretending to be, and what exactly is rustling out there in the trees. Each one insists, loudly and unconvincingly, that he isn’t afraid of a thing (“There’s Nothing That I’m Scared Of”). Not everyone has bought into the great outdoors, though; at least one camper would trade the entire weekend for a mattress, a ceiling, and functioning plumbing (“The Anti-Camping Song”).
Then the stories turn. One camper tells the legend of Archibald — a mild-mannered accountant who wandered into the fog years ago and never came out. They say he still moves through the campground at night, settling old accounts with anyone careless enough to be out there (“Archibald”).
The fire burns down, the bravado runs out, and one by one the campers fall asleep. But morning brings a mystery no one is prepared for: the boys’ clothes are gone. All of them. Archibald? The girls’ cabin? Or someone right there at the campfire who was never as fearless as he claimed?
THE SONGS
The Camping Song
The Anti-Camping Song
There’s Nothing That I’m Scared Of
Archibald