The Paranormal Kids Collection
Paranormal Kids
Paranormal Camp
By
Tim Myers
THE PARANORMAL KIDS COLLECTION
by Tim Myers.
Smashwords Edition
Copyright © 2010 Tim Myers
All rights reserved.
License Notes
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
Table of Contents
By
Tim Myers
Book 1 Paranormal Kids
PARANORMAL KIDS
by Tim Myers.
Smashwords Edition
Copyright © 2010 Tim Myers
All rights reserved.
License Notes
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Chapter 1
“There is no such thing as magic,” Mr. Gray intoned formally as he hovered three feet above the platform, no visible means of support evident. “There’s a reason for EVERYTHING we do here at Camp Avalon.” As he spun sideways in a lazy loop head over heels, mimicking the hour hand of a clock, he added with a smile, “We just don’t know all the reasons yet. But we’re getting there.”
To be honest, his words were lost on me. No magic? What did he call floating through the air like a leaf in the breeze? I had to fight the urge to pinch myself. How had I gotten here; was it a dream, or were the things I’d seen in the last few minutes truly real?
All I knew for sure was that if it was a dream, I didn’t ever want to wake up.
My full name is Hannah Emilina Gertrude Brock. Gertrude is the worst part, taken from an aunt we rarely see who smells of lilacs and peppermint candy.
Mom and Dad never use all of it unless I’ve done something wrong, which is more often than I’d care to admit. I’d just turned twelve two weeks before Mr. Gray floated in front of me on the stage at Camp Avalon. My parents and I live in a normal enough place, a neat old three-story stone house on the outskirts of River’s Edge, a town in the heart of the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Our home lived up to the town’s name, perched near the banks of the Trinity River in an area full of houses built a hundred years ago. Our place has been in Mom’s family since it was built, and I love every inch of it, from the Widow’s Walk on the roof to the cavernous basement full of darkness and cobwebs. Growing up there, I could pretend I was whatever suited me for the moment, from a lady pirate spying from the crow’s nest to a wrongly imprisoned princess locked securely in the dungeon below.
I guess I’d have to say my life was pretty normal up until the week before my twelfth birthday.
That’s about the time my parents started acting weird. Weirder than normal, I should say.
My dad, a tall man with a slightly expanding belly and a crewcut of hair just turning gray, mussed my own short haircut as he came into my room one evening.
“Hey, Sport, isn’t it way past your bedtime?”
“Dad, none of the other kids my age have to be in bed so early.”
He shook his head gently. “None of the other kids live here.” A slight smile spread across his face. “You’ve got a birthday coming up soon. Any special requests for presents, Snooker?”
Dad likes to call me just about any name that pops into his head, but I’ve gotten used to it. We made a deal when I started school; at home he could call me whatever he liked, but when I was with my friends, or if anyone besides Mom was around, he’d stick to Hannah. He mostly kept his end of the agreement. I mean, he’s a grown-up, I couldn’t expect him to remember all the time. I’ve found kids have to give their parents a little slack; after all, they aren’t growing any new brain cells, and the old ones are constantly fading away like snowflakes in a rainstorm.
As I considered what I really wanted, I played with the colored pencils I’d been doodling with on my desk. Don’t get me wrong, I’d never write on the desk itself, I had a piece of drawing paper for that. The desk was too special to me to mark up. Dad had made it for my birthday two years before. It sported a sky blue background and featured fluffy clouds painted randomly on it. Dad had even dabbed in clouds on the underside of my desk so I could sleep under it, pretending I was camping in the great outdoors.
He coughed gently, and I considered my choices. Finally, I said, “Well, my computer’s pretty ancient. Any chance of getting a new one?”
He scratched his chin, then said, “Last time I checked, the jar wasn’t that full.”
We keep a jar downstairs on the kitchen table. From time to time it gets kind of bare, then dad sells another story and it fills up again.
“You could go to your office and write something, couldn’t you,” I asked. My old computer system really was just about worn out.
He frowned gently. “Let’s just say your mom and I have already taken care of your big present. Anything little you’d like?”
I suddenly perked up in my chair. Ignoring his question, I asked, “So what did you get me?”
“Now if I told you that, it wouldn’t be much of a surprise, would it?”
“You gave me my desk a week early, why not this time?” I lowered my voice. “I promise to act surprised when you and mom give it to me.”
“What are you two up to now,” my mom said as she walked into the room. She’s the same age as Dad, but you’d never know it by looking at her; most people think Dad married a younger woman. He had, but just by eleven days. She was prettier than I’ll ever be, but what I envied most was her bearing. I’m constantly bumping into things like doors and walls, but Mom can look graceful just standing still. That’s not the worst part, though. She must have some kind of built-in radar when it comes to me. She knows whenever I’m up to something, and she calls me on it ten out of ten times. I swear, it’s amazing I ever get away with anything.
Dad winked at me as he told her, “I was just asking Hannah what she wanted for her birthday.” He quickly added, “Besides her big present.”
“Paul, you didn’t tell her, did you? It was supposed to be a surprise.”
“I haven’t said a word. Honestly, Kelly, you can trust me.”
She tried to frown, but as always, Dad’s look of pure fawned innocence cracked her up. “You’re worse than she is, you know that, don’t you?”
Dad laughed as he swept her up in his arms and kissed her. I complained loudly, “Excuse me, but could you take that somewhere else? I don’t even need to see my parents kissing. Ugh.”
Mom said with a laugh, “Sorry, we didn’t mean to upset your delicate sensibilities.”
After they were gone, I stared at the drawing I’d been working on. It was a Pegasus, the horse’s majestic wings flying in the breeze as it soared over a mountain range below, lush and green. I put a few finishing touches on it, then nearly dropped my pencil when the flying horse started to move across the page! As I watched, the scenery below it changed in a continuous loop. I could even see the horse’s mane rippling in the breeze! I shut my eyes hard, then stared at the picture again. Things were back to normal, but I suddenly realized Dad was probably right. Maybe it was time to get to sleep if my eyes started playing crazy tricks on me.
After all, tomorrow was a big day.
We were having a Visitor, some mystery guest that no one would tell me about. As I shut my eyes, I opened one quickly and peeked back at the desk.
The Pegasus was motionless on the paper.
As I fell asleep, I could see it flying again in my mind, and imagined myself riding on its back, the wind whipping through my short blonde hair as we flew together into the night.
“Hannah, it’s time to get up. You’re not sleeping in today.”
“Come on, Mom, it’s the first day of summer vacation. Don’t make me get up.”
Mom answered by opening the drapes in my room, sending bolts of white sunshine into the darkness. As I shielded my eyes, I said, “All right already, I’m awake. Just close the drapes, will you?”
She frowned gently. “Not until I see those feet hit the floor.” She sat on the edge of my bed and stroked my hair gently. “Hannah, you know we’ve got someone special coming today.”
That woke me up the rest of the way. “When am I going to find out what it’s all about?”
She looked at me intently, then said, “In about an hour, someone will come here to talk to you. She’ll give you a series of tests, and I want you to--.”
“Tests? On my first day off from school? That’s what this is all about? I’m not going to do it.”
“Listen to me carefully, young lady. This is important. You need to do your very best today.”
Mom’s expression scared me, and she must have seen it in my eyes. “Don’t look so worried. Your dad and I both took the tests when we were your age. Some of them are really quite fun.”
“Is somebody from my school giving them?”
She shook her head softly. “No, it’s nothing like that, Hannah.” She stood up suddenly, forcing a smile. “Just do your best.”
Whatever was on her mind was troubling her, I could see that, but I knew her well enough not to push it. If it would make her happy for me to jump through this stranger’s hoops, I’d just have to do my best. I just hoped she wouldn’t ask me any geography questions, I was horrible at it; I couldn’t tell Belize from Brazil. Taking tests wasn’t how I’d planned to spend my first day off from school, but I’d make the best of it.
As I got dressed, I decided maybe it would be fun.
Yeah, right. Just like a trip to the dentist.
“Tell me what you see.” The tester’s name was Sapphire; she was around eighteen, stick-thin with long straight black hair and an air of contempt that hovered around her like bad perfume. From the beginning, she’d treated me as if I were six years old, a sure way to instantly get on my bad side. We’d been at the silly tests for the past two hours, and I was sick of it. This current test was no better than the rest. Sapphire stared intently at a card on the screen of her notebook computer; it was my job to ‘visualize’ the shape on the other side and repeat it to her. I had a hunch it was a star, and told her so. Sapphire frowned at me for the thousandth time, then brought another card up on the screen.
The worst part was, she wouldn’t even tell me how I was doing! The longer we worked together, the more frustrated I became. I knew my mother had stressed how important the tests were, and I was honestly trying to do my best, but Sapphire brought out the worst in me.
The questions were insane! It struck me as particularly odd when Sapphire asked me to guess colors, even feelings recorded on the backs of cards displayed on the screen of her computer before we got to the symbols we were working on now. Mom’s words hovered in my mind that I should do my best, but I had just about had my fill of this foolishness. I admit it, sometimes my attitude doesn’t work in my best interests, but Dad says I never had a chance; I got a double dose of stubbornness from both of them.
“Now this one,” she said as a new card popped up on the screen.
For some odd reason it felt like a triangle, but I was tired of playing her games. I looked at Sapphire and said, “Wait, I see it clearly now. It’s ... yes, I’m sure of it. It’s ... time for lunch.”
Sapphire pounded a key on the keyboard and the card flipped over inadvertently, showing the triangle I’d seen in my mind. Wow! My guess had been right!
“We’re finished here,” she said curtly.
‘Finally,’ I said in my mind, ‘I thought I’d never get rid of you.’
She jerked her head at my thoughts, and just for an instant, I saw her dislike for me shine through the facade of her fake smile. It was gone nearly as fast as it had come, but there was no mistaking it. I’d managed to get under Sapphire’s skin; more than just a little, too. It was a small victory, but one I would take.
Sapphire called to my parents, who were waiting nervously in the dining room. As soon as Dad came through the door, I instantly regretted the way I’d acted the minute before. I wanted to ask for a second chance to go on, but one glance at Sapphire’s sour expression told me it was too late.
“Please send her to her room.” She wouldn’t even look at me.
“I just want --,” I started to say when Dad shook his head and gestured upstairs. It was too late; I’d blown it.
I went to my room, upset with myself that I’d disappointed my parents. What were they talking about now, I wondered. I moved to the hot air vent by my bed, where sometimes in the past I’d been able to pick up snippets of conversation going on other places in the house. It took me a while to get my ear positioned just right when I heard Dad raise his voice.
“That’s impossible. The birth tests showed high aptitude across the board. Now you’re telling me they were wrong?”
Sapphire said, “Mr. Brock, you must realize that sometimes the subject changes, for whatever reason, or perhaps there were errors made in the original testing procedure. Whatever the explanation, there’s no doubt about it. There’s not a whisper of a Gift in her.” I heard tapping, and realized she was working the keys on her computer. “See this chart? She doesn’t even equal a score made from random guessing. I’m sorry.” From the tone in her voice, it was obvious she wasn’t sorry at all.
“Test her again then,” Dad said.
There was a pause, then Sapphire said, “It’s not warranted, and I’m the final arbiter in this matter.”
Mom spoke up for the first time. “My daughter is going to Camp Avalon.”
Sapphire’s contempt was apparent, even across the distance that separated us. “Mrs. Brock, I’m afraid that’s impossible. She’s not even fit for the Tweener Camp based on these results.”
Mom raised her voice in a tone I’d heard too many times to forget. It meant all business, and nobody had better get in her way. “Nevertheless, at the very least she will be enrolled at Camp Mountain Mist, even if I have to go to the Council itself for final approval. It’s our right.”
“Very well, I’ll approve it,” Sapphire snapped, not even trying to hide her feelings. “But it’s a waste of money. There’s nothing in her.”
Dad said, “That may very well be, but it’s our money to waste.”
Thirty seconds later I heard the downstairs door shut abruptly, and then Mom started to cry. Dad was trying to console her, and I felt miserable. I had let them down. I was sorry I hadn’t had more patience with Sapphire.
The worst part of it was, there was no way to make it up to them, no way to get a second chance to finish the test and try to bring up my score. I’d seen to that myself.
How had I failed so miserably, anyway? Even though the tests had seemed crazy to me, I’d been straightforward with my answers until the end, no matter how silly it all had seemed.
As I sat in my room, hugging my legs and rocking back and forth on the floor, I couldn’t help wondering, what was a Tweener, and why wasn’t I even good enough to be one? Going to camp must be their big surprise for my birthday. I didn’t want to go, I liked it at home, but Mom had forced the issue, and I wasn’t about to give Sapphire the satisfaction of keeping me away.
Chapter 2
“Okay, campers, listen up. My name is Miss Finch, and I’d like to welcome you all to Camp Mountain Mist. Here in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains, we’re away from civilization in a place where we can commune with Nature at her best. No telephones, no TV, no CD players, not even radios will intrude on your time here.” There were a few groans from the crowd of campers, but Miss Finch didn’t appear to notice.
She continued, “We’re going to have a wonderful summer together, as long as you obey the rules.” She paused a moment, then added, “Listen for your name, then go to the counselor who calls you. You’ve got thirty minutes to settle in, then we’re all going on a little hike before lunch.”
A hike? We hadn’t been there more than ten minutes, and she was already taking us out in the woods? Miss Finch didn’t resemble her namesake in the least. In fact, her profile reminded me of the buzzards I’d seen on the Discovery Channel; a strong beak-like nose, drooping hair sagging in the mountain humidity, and a posture that needed help, and needed it now.
I still couldn’t believe my parents had wasted good money to send me to camp. If they were trying to ruin my entire summer, they couldn’t have done a better job of it. My eyes welled up with tears as I remembered Mom and Dad at the bus stop where all the campers met. The only good thing about it was that the drive there from our house hadn’t taken long.
“Keep your chin up, Punkin,” Dad said as we stood near the bus, then quickly amended it to Hannah, but not before another camper beside me laughed. Not a wonderful start. Maybe if I was lucky, she’d been laughing about something else.
Lowering my voice, I said, “Are you sure you both want me to do this? I’d rather stay home this summer, truly. Mom, I could help you with the cooking and the grocery shopping. I’ll even mow the lawn, Dad.”
“You are going to camp, and that’s final.” Mom saw the flare in my eyes, then added quickly, “Hannah, it’s settled. I won’t have this argument again.” Mom’s lips were two tight lines, but I wasn’t done fighting.
It was time to play my trump card, and hopefully get myself back home again. “Folks, I heard Sapphire tell you how expensive this place is. Wouldn’t you rather put the money back in the jar? Better yet, I’d really rather have a new computer instead.”
To my surprise, Dad had a scolding tone in his voice as he said, “How did you hear that? Were you eavesdropping, Hannah?”
Blast and Gumballs. I admitted, “I heard her through the air vent.” I’d found through hard experience that sometimes an immediate full confession could get my punishment eased. Then I wondered why I’d bothered. Going to camp for three months, my entire summer wrecked, was going to be punishment enough.
“We’ll talk about that when you come back home, young lady,” Mom said. “Now it’s time to say good-bye.”
I couldn’t keep my tears from falling as I hugged them both. “I’m so sorry.”
Dad held me tight. “It’s not that bad, though you really shouldn’t listen to other people’s conversations. This summer away will be good for you, Sunshine. Trust me.”
I didn’t have the heart to tell him I’d been apologizing for messing up the test. I didn’t know what Camp Avalon was all about, but it had to be better than what I was facing now.
Suddenly I heard my name over the loudspeaker, bringing me back to the reality of Mountain Mist. It must have been repeated a few times, because the counselor on stage was getting impatient.
“Here,” I raised my hand and moved forward, prompting a dirty look from the chubby, frizzy-haired woman calling my name. She had a badge on that said, ‘Hello, my name is...’ on her chest, with MONA scrawled on it in a heavy hand.
She covered the microphone as I approached and snapped, “You’re not getting off to a very good start, Miss Brock. Pay attention.”
“Yes, Ma’am,” I said as I shouldered my duffel bag. Mona called out another name, and I saw with dread that it was the girl who’d heard Dad call me Punkin. Maybe she’d missed it.
“What’s the matter, Punkin? Aren’t you used to people calling you by your proper name?”
She’d heard all right.
I looked at her as nicely as I could manage and said, “I’m sorry, I must have missed your name,” forcing a smile to my lips as I held out my hand.
She stared at it as if I had some kind of disgusting bug on it, then said haughtily, “I’m Brittany, which you would have known if you hadn’t been daydreaming again.”
Mona covered the microphone again and snapped, “Hannah Brock, am I going to have to gag you to get through this list? Will you kindly keep your trap shut?”
“But I wasn’t --.”
She shut me down with a shaking finger. “Not one more word, young lady. Do you understand?”
I nodded numbly, outraged by the injustice of it all. Brittany had been doing most of the talking, and yet I was the one who had been scolded. I stood there steaming, knowing that there was nothing I could do about it.
Not yet, anyway.
Mona called twenty other girls, then led us to our cabin down a beaten path into the woods. The shack that was going to be my home for the next three months was named THUNDER, at least that’s what the hand-carved wooden sign hanging from the door said. The cabin itself was made from roughsawn boards that had weathered to a dark brown that was nearly black. The roof was covered with hideous green shingles, as if someone was trying to match the trees above it.
One last top bunk was open when I got inside. I threw my duffel up, only to hear it hit the floor two seconds later. Brittany had knocked it off, substituting her own bag in its place.
“Hey, that’s not fair, my bag was there first.”
Mona noticed us for the first time. “What’s going on, ladies?”
“Brittany took my bunk,” I said, expecting some justice. Yeah, right. Mona dismissed my protest with a wave of her hand. “There are at least three bottoms open, Brock. Take one of those and stop bothering me.” When I still didn’t move, she added, “You’ve got seven minutes to get unpacked, and then we start our hike.” She grabbed the duffel from my hands and threw it on the bunk below Brittany. “If you can’t pick one for yourself, I’ll do it for you.”
There was no way I was going to sleep under the thief who’d just stolen my spot. When I picked up my duffel yet again, Brittany said loudly, “Hannah, you heard what Mona said. Stop being such a troublemaker.”
Mona smiled brightly at Brittany, her new protégé. “Thank you, Brittany. It’s good to know at least some of my girls are cooperating.”
Glumly I put my duffel back on the bed and slumped down beside it. I wondered briefly if I could find my way back home if I set off on foot. No, even if I managed by some kind of miracle to get back to River’s Edge, I knew what would happen. Mom and Dad would just drive me back into the mountains.
I was going to have to make the best of a bad situation. I just wish I knew how.
On the hike, I decided the only way to get Brittany off my back was to go on the offensive. I’d kill her with kindness until she had no choice but to be friends with me. Okay, so maybe friendship was more than I was after. A truce was more like what I was looking for. Maybe, just maybe, if Brittany would leave me alone I might be able to salvage something from the worst birthday present I’d ever received in my entire life.
In the mess hall after our hike, I made it a point to sit next to Brittany, though she tried to shove me off the bench the second I sat down. Keeping my temper in check, I held my own tray firmly in place until she finally backed down. The cooks were serving hot dogs as we went through the line, and I’d taken a serving of baked beans, too. Biting into the hot dog, I only hoped the meals got better as camp went on. The bun was soggy, and the hot dog wiener itself was freezing cold, with ice crystals inside! The cook hadn’t even bothered to heat it up, let alone grill it. Without even checking, I knew the beans would be cold, too. Shoving the tray away from me, I picked up the milk and took a sip. It was the single item on the tray that was warm!
The only thing that helped my disposition was that Brittany was as surprised by the poor food as I was. Not wanting to show me how unhappy she was, though, she took a substantial bite of her hot dog and even managed to nod as she chewed. After swallowing, she said, “What’s the matter, punkin, are you too good to eat with the rest of us?” A couple of the other girls from our cabin were staring at me. Great. All I needed was for Brittany to get everyone down on me. Taking a deep breath, I nibbled the edge of my hot dog, trying to miss the soggiest part of the bun. I said, “Tasty,” lying all the while.
Brittany was obviously disappointed by my actions, and turned her back on me. As she reached for the squeeze bottle of catsup on the table, I thought to myself how wonderful it would be if the lid came off.
Then, to my amazement, that’s exactly what happened! Her new outfit, bought specifically for the first day of camp, I was sure, was now spotted with gobs of catsup the size of quarters. I couldn’t help myself, a giggle escaped my lips, and then two or three of the other girls caught on and started laughing as well. That caught Mona’s attention, and she hurried over to us from her spot at the Staff table. I was willing to bet their food was hot and their milk cold, but I never got the chance to ask.
Mona hissed, “What’s going on over here?”
Before I could say a word, Brittany shouted, “She loosened the lid to the catsup. Look what she did.”
“I did no such thing!”
Mona snapped, “You don’t expect me to believe that, do you?” Grabbing my tray, she said, “Come with me.”
In one corner of the dining hall there was a table set off by itself. Mona slammed my tray down on, slopping some of the milk onto the bun in the process.
“Sit,” she commanded, and I did as I was told, though I was furious inside.
“You will sit here alone until your meal is finished. Until you do, there will be nothing else for you, even if you’re here all summer.”
I could feel every eye in the place on me. I nodded weakly, then started to pick the hot dog up. After faking a small nibble, Mona seemed satisfied as she walked back to her table. I heard her say softly, ‘Troublemaker. That should stop her,’ as she walked away, but I kept my own comments to myself.
The food was now even worse than it had been. As the other campers went back to their own meals, I noticed Brittany smiling brightly at me.
I wasn’t going to give her the satisfaction of seeing me cry. Instead, I pretended to dab at my Tee shirt with my napkin, blotting up phantom catsup stains while I smiled back at her. She turned her head quickly away, and I looked back at my meal.
It was disgusting. There was no way I could eat it now, but Mona’s directive had been clear.
Closing my eyes, I willed it away, hoping beyond hope that someone would relieve me of the mess in front of me. I was still concentrating with my eyes closed tight when I heard Mona’s voice above me. “So you decided to do things my way. Good enough. You may go back to your seat.” I stared down at the plate and saw that it was now spotless! How could that be? Three tables away, I saw one of the kitchen staff studiously avoiding my glance as she worked cleaning a table. She must have taken off the old plate and given me a new, clean one. I wanted to thank her for her kindness, but when she finally looked up, the expression on her face was not what I’d expected. A wink, a smile, even a sigh would have been understandable. Instead, there was a knowing, somber expression on her face.
At least I didn’t have to sit beside Brittany when I rejoined my cabin-mates. She must have slipped away to clean the stains on her outfit while I was focusing on the food on my plate.
The only problem was, none of the other girls seemed to want to have anything to do with me, either. Brittany had branded me as a troublemaker, and Mona had gone right along with the idea. I couldn’t really blame the other girls at my table. After all, they didn’t want to be painted by the same brush that was ruining my camp reputation.
Two of the boys from Storm, the cabin across from Thunder where I was staying, laughed as I got up from my seat. I didn’t know what was so funny until I felt something wet on my shorts.
Brittany wasn’t there, but she’d still managed to strike back at me, though I hadn’t honestly done anything to her. I pulled my hand away from the seat of my pants and felt the sticky residue of catsup.
My new friend Brittany had obviously smeared catsup where I was sure to sit, and I’d fallen for it, all the way.
It was going to be a long summer.
Chapter 3
Thirty minutes after lunch, I had the worse headache I’d ever had in my life. It started with flashing lights swooping and diving in and out of my vision. As soon as the lights stopped, the torture began. It was so bad, I even managed to convince Mona that I was in real pain. She took me to the camp nurse, a thin older woman with gray hair twisted in a bun, and a caring look in her steel-blue eyes.
“This one’s got a headache,” Mona said as she dropped me off at the infirmary. Before the nurse could say a word or ask a question, Mona was gone.
The nurse watched her leave with a frown on her face, then quickly replaced it with a broad smile. “Enough with the formalities. I’m Melissa. Now what seems to be the problem, Hannah?”
“How did you know my name?”
“I make it a point to know all the campers when they get here. Tell me how you’re feeling.”
I had been holding my head in my hands the whole time we’d been talking. As I lifted my face to her, I said, “Could you close the drapes first please? The sunlight’s making it worse.”
Melissa hurried into action and a few seconds later the room was dropped into blissful gloom. “I’m sorry, dear, I should have known.”
I was already feeling better, just being around her. “You couldn’t have,” I said as I moved my head too quickly and sent another jolt of pain through my skull. “My head’s about to explode.”
She led me carefully to a steel cot, then asked softly, “What else are you feeling?”
“First there were incredible flashing lights, then this monster headache.” I was saving my words, since each one caused more pain.
Her voice suddenly grew intent. “Describe the lights, Hannah.”
“Swooping white, and sparkles thrown in to boot. What’s wrong with me?”
Ignoring my question, she placed a pair of small pills in my hand, as well as a glass of water. “Take these, they’ll help.”
I did as I was told, then laid back on the cot. Melissa moved around the room a few minutes, then laid a cold washcloth in my hand. “Put this over your eyes and try to get some rest. I’ll check in on you later.”
I had to know. “What’s wrong? Is it serious?”
She considered my question longer than I liked, then patted my hand gently. “It’s a special type of ocular migraine, Hannah. I’ve seen them before. It will go away soon. The more rest you get, the quicker you’ll feel better.” She lingered a moment, then stroked my head gently. Her caring touch meant more to me than the medication. At last I’d found someone at Mountain Mist who wasn’t an absolute waste of breath.
There was more as she spoke, but the words were suddenly lost on me. I felt myself slipping away as the pills took over. The last thing I remembered was the soft trilling of Melissa’s voice as welcome rest engulfed me.
When I woke up, I knew I must have slept through the day; darkness was everywhere. For a second I couldn’t remember where I was, then it all came back to me. I almost preferred not knowing to being at Camp Mountain Mist. Could I have slept that long? It didn’t feel like it. Then I remembered that Melissa had pulled the curtains when I’d come in. I’d probably only been asleep an hour or two.
Miracle of miracles, the headache was gone completely! Whatever caused it, I hoped I’d never have one again. I didn’t think I could stand it! Tiptoeing to the window, I pulled back the blind, expecting to see sunshine pour through.
Instead, I found darkness. My first instinct had been right after all. I’d somehow managed to sleep through another meal, if you could call the swill I’d had for lunch a meal, and on into the night. My stomach promptly growled, something that occurred if I was even ten minutes late for a meal, let alone skipping two entirely. I was just about to look for Melissa when the door to my room opened, sending in light from the hallway.
Expecting to see Melissa, hoping she had a tray of decent food with her, I was startled to see a strange young woman walk through the door. In the outline of the gentle light, she looked like an angel, with a corona of nearly white-blond hair around her face, a gentle softness to her features and a slim wraithlike build. She was such a vision, for a second I didn’t want her to speak, afraid the illusion would be ruined by a high squeal or a gravely voice. There was no need to worry, her words were spoken as if they were floating on a gentle stream.
When she smiled, I felt the gloom lift from the room, as well as my heart.
“Good, you’re awake.”
“Where’s Melissa,” I asked. “Who are you?”
“She’s taking care of someone else right now.” She moved toward me and held out her hand. “I’m Suzanne and you’re Hannah.”
I sat up on the cot and shook her offered hand. “Does everyone here know me?”
“It’s what we do. How are things going so far?”
I let out a huge sigh. “This first day of camp has been absolutely dreadful.” I went on to tell her everything, though normally I keep a tight mouth on my troubles. There was just something about Suzanne that made me want to talk to her. When I was finished, I felt a world better just having someone listen to me.
Her eyes had teared up once or twice during my tale, but they were replaced with the warmest smile I’d ever seen in my life. “Hannah, I’ve got some wonderful news for you.”
“I could use some, Suzanne. I’ll take whatever you’ve got.”
“You’re going back with me to Camp Avalon. You don’t belong here.”
I didn’t know exactly what Avalon was, but it had to be better than Mountain Mist. As my stomach rumbled, I said, “I just have one question. Is the food any better there?”
Suzanne laughed with the sound of a wind-chime tinkling in the breeze. “Absolutely. You and I are going to get along just fine, Hannah.”
“I need to get my stuff,” I said as we walked briskly down the dark path from the infirmary. All manner of creatures were out and about making all kinds of strange noises, but it was impossible to worry about anything with Suzanne by my side.
“It’s already been arranged. Your duffel will be waiting for you in my cabin.”
I stopped dead in my tracks. “You’re going to be my counselor?”
“Is that all right with you?”
“Absolutely,” I said happily. No more Mona, no more Brittany. Life was suddenly very good. “How about my folks? Will somebody tell them that I’ve switched camps? I wouldn’t want them to worry.”
“You have a good heart, Hannah. Mr. Gray is contacting them tonight. In fact, no doubt they already know.”
“I hope they don’t mind I’m switching.”
“Dear girl, they’ll be celebrating, I guarantee it.”
As we walked on, I asked, “Suzanne, what’s so special about Avalon?” Realizing how that probably sounded, I added, “Not that I’m not grateful. I just don’t see what all the fuss is about.”
“You will,” she said softly, and left it at that.
“I’d love to see Brittany’s face when she finds out I’m going to a better camp than she is. That girl was really mean to me, for no reason at all.”
“She won’t know what happened to you, and Mona won’t tell her. I’m afraid they’ll all think you packed your bag in the middle of the night and left to go back home.”
“It doesn’t matter,” I said as I smelled the sweet scent of pine around me. It must have rained sometime in the afternoon, because the path was slick with water, and the smells seemed to jump out at me from the woods.
My stomach rumbled again. “Is it far?”
“In most ways, not at all.”
I was starting to ask her what in the world that meant when she added, “Tell you what. Why don’t we get you something to eat as soon as we get to Avalon, and then we’ll get you settled in for the night. How’s that sound?”
“Wonderful.”
Finally, the trees opened up into a clearing, and I found myself standing in front of a large building with walls made up mostly of screened windows. We slipped silently inside, and were in a large kitchen with an attached walk-in pantry. Suzanne talked gently to herself. “Let’s see, how about a nice roast beef sandwich with mustard and mayonnaise. Some pretzels would go well with it, a tall glass of chocolate milk and some Toll House cookies for dessert. How does that sound?”
A shiver ran through me. “That’s my favorite meal in the world. How did you know?”
“Let’s just say we do our research around here.”
I was too happy stuffing my face to ask anything more. The meal was wonderful, and after I was finished, I didn’t care what went on at Camp Avalon during the day. As long as they fed me food like I’d just had, I could take just about anything.
After we cleaned up the evidence of my meal, Suzanne led me out of the kitchen into a huge room filled with four long tables surrounded by sturdy wooden chairs. As we walked past the silent seats, I wondered which one would be mine. Outside the front door, there was a raised porch that looked out onto a courtyard. Four cabins, two on each side, faced each other across a grass plot. Each cabin had a banner, at least that’s what I guessed from the shadows flapping in the breeze. Unlike the rustic cabins at Mountain Mist, the cabins at Avalon were all made from oversized logs, as though some giant had built a play area of gigantic Lincoln Logs.
Suzanne led me to the first cabin on the right, then held a finger to her lips as we walked inside. There were several double decker bunks in the open room, but only four spots were taken. One of the tops was open! I quickly changed into my pajamas, then made my way to bed. As I started to climb gently upward, I noticed for the first time that the bottom bunk was occupied. Trying not to shake the bunk, since the girl below was sound asleep, I eased myself under the covers. I would have chosen another spot if I’d seen her, but by the time I did it was too late.
Suzanne made sure I was settled, then brushed my hair gently with her hand. “Get some sleep, Hannah. You’ve got a big day ahead of you tomorrow.”
“Good night, Suzanne.” She was starting to step away when I said, “Suzanne? Thanks. For everything.”
“You’re welcome. Now go to sleep,” she said.
I didn’t think I’d ever fall asleep, but the night walk and the full meal had other plans for me. Before I could wonder what in the world was happening to me, I was sound asleep.
The next morning, I awoke with a start, unsure of where I was. I half expected Mona to bounce me out of my bunk, and wondered why Brittany wasn’t telling the world I was still in bed. I had had the most marvelous dream; an angel had plucked me out of Mountain Mist and brought me someplace so much better. I was afraid to open my eyes; I didn’t want to lose the warm feeling I had.
Then a gentle voice beside me said, “Hannah, are you going to sleep all day?”
It was Suzanne.
I hadn’t been dreaming after all.
Today was my first day at Camp Avalon.
I was curious about what the day would bring, but at the moment, all I wondered about was what they were serving for breakfast.
Chapter 4
I was climbing out of my bunk when I heard a squeal below me. “Hey, you’re on my hand.”
“Sorry,” I said as I jumped down. Oh, no. I’d been at Avalon less than eleven hours and I was already getting myself in hot water with the other campers.
A girl with long frizzy brown hair managed to smile as she shook her fingers. “No problem.” She shot her uninjured hand out to me as she smiled broadly. “I’m Sammie. I heard you come in last night. What happened, did your parents forget to drop you off yesterday morning?”
I shrugged, not knowing how to answer. “I’m Hannah. It’s nice to meet you.”
Suzanne buzzed by us. “Ladies, you can get to know each other at breakfast. For now, make up your beds and get changed. We have a big day ahead of us.”
Sammie said, “Come on, I’ll help you make your bunk. I already did mine.”
“Thanks,” I said, amazed that Sammie was so friendly, even though I’d just trampled her hand. “Are you sure your fingers are okay?”
“They’re fine. I’m constantly getting myself in the way of things. I can’t tell you how many doors I’ve run into in the last year.”
I laughed with relief. “I’m the exact same way.”
We finished making my bunk, taking time to meet the other girls in our cabin as we worked. There was: Sarah, a tall blonde girl with an accent more Southern than mine; Gina, with frizzy red hair and a Northern accent; and Tillie, a plump girl with thick glasses and a set of the shiniest braces I’d ever seen in my life. I did a double-take when I saw that the metal bands on her teeth were decorated with alternate beads of pink and purple.
After we were all ready and the bunks were made, we walked together into the dining hall for breakfast. I started to sit down when Sammie grabbed my arm. “We stand until Mr. Gray seats us,” she whispered urgently.
“Thanks,” I replied, wondering who this Mr. Gray was. The four tables I’d seen the night before were all set up for breakfast, one for each cabin. There weren’t nearly enough of us to fill up the tables. A large place-card on each table announced the cabin name, something I’d missed coming in last night. FalconWing and QuickSilver were filled with boys. I was in EvenSong, and the other girl’s cabin was named RiverRush. I couldn’t believe my eyes. Standing at the head of RiverRush was Sapphire, the teenager who had come to my house and given me my test! I thought I was beyond surprise, but standing right beside her was Brittany! They’d moved her from Mountain Mist, too, and some of the joy went out of me. As I studied her closer, though, I realized it wasn’t Brittany after all. The two could be sisters, though, and I knew they had to be related in some way. I just hoped Brittany had gotten all the ‘mean’ in their family.
Not all the tables were as full as ours, and ours was pretty sparse; I counted a total of eighteen campers in all of Avalon, but there was room at each table for three times as many kids. There’d been twenty in Mona’s cabin in Mountain Mist alone! I didn’t have time to wonder about the difference, because the whispers in the dining hall abruptly ended as a tall, distinguished looking man with a full head of gray hair came into the room. There was no staff table like there had been at Mountain Mist. Each counselor ate with their own cabin. I noticed that there was an extra place set at our table, and was surprised when Mr. Gray walked purposefully to it and stood right beside me.
He said, “Good morning everyone. We have a full schedule today of outdoor games,” he paused for the cheers,” then tonight, we’ll meet back here for our first night of assembly. I know many of you have been wondering what Camp Avalon is all about. You’ll get the first of your answers tonight.”
With that, he sat down beside me, and the rest of the camp fell into place. Instead of the long lines I’d gone through at Mountain Mist, our counselors actually brought our food to us on big platters filled with eggs, bacon, sausage, hash browns, grits, toast, biscuits, and just about every other breakfast food imaginable. As I loaded up my plate with a little of everything, I heard a chuckle beside me. “Moving hasn’t hurt your appetite, I see,” Mr. Gray said.
I stared down at my food, but before I could apologize, he took a platter from beside me and said, “It’s about time I sat beside someone who shares my eclectic tastes. I should have had you make a plate up for me while you were at it.”
I looked up to see that he was smiling broadly, and I suddenly felt better about being there. As we ate, Mr. Gray peppered each girl with a question or two that showed he’d been studying up on us. I was surprised when he asked Tillie about life in San Francisco. I’d never been across the Mississippi, barely out of the South for that matter. I was going to make it a point to find out what life on the other side of the country was really like.
A pretty woman in her early twenties with long black hair and the palest blue eyes I’d ever seen approached me. “You must be Hannah,” she said as she squeezed my shoulder. “I’m so happy to meet you. Welcome to Avalon.”
“Thanks,” I said as I looked up at her. “Are you a counselor here, too?”
She laughed brightly. “I used to be. Now I’m just a run-of-the-mill paper pusher.”
Mr. Gray beamed at her. “Cassie is my assistant director. Camp Avalon couldn’t run without her.” Was that a gleam in Mr. Gray’s eyes?
“Now Mr. Gray, everyone knows you are Avalon’s true backbone.” Turning her full attention on him, she said, “I need to speak with you a moment. Our egg order was shorted by four dozen eggs. I’ve talked to them, but the driver wants to speak with you.” She looked back at me. “Sorry, Hannah, I need to steal him for a moment.”
I nodded as Mr. Gray left with Cassie. I wasn’t the only one watching her leave; all of the boys were keeping an eye on her swaying figure. I caught Suzanne watching her intently, too, with an entirely different expression on her face. I started to say something when I noticed a slight burn in her eyes. Something told me that Suzanne was jealous of Cassie! She must have liked Mr. Gray herself!
Tillie said, “You’re so lucky to have Cassie welcome you personally. She’s wonderful, isn’t she?”
“She seems nice,” I said.
Gina said, “Nice? She’s the coolest.”
Suzanne clapped her hands together. “Okay, ladies, enough talking. Let’s eat, shall we?”
In a few minutes, Mr. Gray returned, a quizzical smile on his face.
I mostly concentrated on my meal, still trying to catch up with yesterday’s missed meals. Just as we were finishing breakfast, he turned to me and lowered his voice. “Hannah, I need to see you in my office before you join the others in the morning’s activities.”
I started to pick up my plate when he said, “Leave it, someone will take care of it for you today.” He motioned to a teenaged boy standing at the kitchen door, who quickly came for our plates. “Tomorrow will be soon enough for you to help with the cleaning detail.”
As I followed Mr. Gray toward his office, I could feel the other eyes of the campers on me. What in the world did he want to talk to me about? Had he changed his mind and decided I had to go back to Camp Mountain Mist after all? It had been bad enough enduring it without knowing there was an alternative. If I had to spend the summer away from home, I wanted it to be at Camp Avalon, and I made up my mind to convince Mr. Gray that I belonged.
As we entered his office, a warm cozy space just off the dining hall, I blurted out, “Mr. Gray, I’ll do anything, just don’t send me back to Mountain Mist.”
He laughed gently. “Child, whatever gave you that idea? You belong here with us. Don’t ever forget it.”
I sat happily into the chair across from his desk, ready for anything as long as I got to stay at Camp Avalon.
Mr. Gray said, “I’m sure you’re wondering what all this is about. I’m only going to tell you a piece of it, you’ll learn more tonight, but I feel you have a right to know what’s going on, considering what’s happened the last twenty-four hours.”
I looked at him eagerly, wondering what was coming next.
“As you may have guessed, Avalon and Mountain Mist are sister camps.”
My jaw dropped open, causing him to smile. “While I admit they appear to be very different, Mountain Mist is useful to us.”
“How could that be?” I blurted out.
“Let’s talk about your test before we get into that. Were you aware of the importance of it before,” he checked his papers, “Sapphire arrived?”
I admitted sheepishly, “Mom and Dad told me.”
“And yet you had one of the worst scores I’ve ever seen. Care to explain how that happened?”
Boy, did I feel like a dope. Worse yet, I couldn’t tell him that I’d cut short the procedure because I didn’t like the tester; it sounded crazy even to me.
When he saw that I wasn’t going to answer, he said, “Well, whatever the reason, we caught it soon enough. No real harm has been done.”
“But what did they mean? I didn’t even understand what I was being tested for. Most of what she asked me made no sense at all.”
Mr. Gray leaned back in his chair and formed a tent with his fingers. “I’m the first to admit that our tests aren’t perfect, but they are the best we’ve been able to come up with over the years. Perhaps someday you’ll find a way to improve them.”
“It wouldn’t take much.” Oops. I hadn’t meant to say that out loud. I was going to have to learn to keep my mouth shut, if it was the last thing I did.
If Mr. Gray took offense, he didn’t show it. He continued, “Mountain Mist is there for the exact reason you just showed. Our tests, from time to time, fail us. Our sister camp shows us the error of our ways, and the errant camper or two joins us by mid-season.” He raised one eyebrow as he added, “I must say, though, the system’s never worked as efficiently as it did with you.”
“But I still don’t understand what it’s all about. What were the tests supposed to prove? I was just hoping there wouldn’t be any geography on it, but there wasn’t anything I recognized or understood.”
“All in good time. Know that you belong here, just as much as anyone else.” He glanced at the papers in front of him, then added, “More so, I dare say. Now off with you. I believe you’ll find your cabin-mates on the volleyball field.”
He saw the look of confusion on my face and added, “Down the front steps, take a left and you’ll find them just past the basketball court.”
I was walking out the door when I suddenly realized he hadn’t answered a single one of my questions. In fact, I was more confused leaving his office than I had been going in.
As I walked toward the volleyball court, I heard Sammie call out my name. “Come on, Slow poke, we’re getting slaughtered here.”
I smiled as I ran toward her, reminding myself that Avalon at its worst would be better than Mountain Mist at its best, ten times out of ten.
Volleyball’s not my sport, though I’m tall for my age. There’s something about that hard, spinning white ball that I cannot comprehend. Give me a baseball, a basketball, even a ping pong ball and I’m usually pretty good at it. Unfortunately, we weren’t playing with any of those.
Sammie had been exaggerating. Evidently most of my teammates were better at volleyball than I was, particularly Gina and Sarah, so we were serving for the game against RiverRush, the other girls’ cabin. Brittany’s look-alike and I were faced off across from each other at the net, and she’d made me look bad two or three times already. Sarah hit a booming serve, and one of my opponent’s teammates set her up to slam on me. Gina ran up beside me and yelled, ‘Jump’, so I did, my hands held out in protection in front of me.
The ball hit squarely in my closed fists and spiked back down on top of my foe, purely by accident and sheer willpower.
“Outstanding,” Gina said as she slapped me on the back. Sammie smiled broadly. “That’s the first game we’ve beaten them. You’re good luck, Hannah.”
As we lined up to shake hands, Brittany’s near twin took my hand in her grip and started to squeeze. “Lucky shot. Hannah, is it?”
I nodded. She said, “I’m Tiffany. It would be well if you remember that, and steer clear of me.”
“Tiffany? I thought you might be Brittany. You both are so ... similar,” I added, changing my final word at the last second. What I’d been about to say was ‘mean’, but I was really trying to get along with everyone at Avalon.