Our Hill Of Stars

Chapter 39 : Who Did It?

I am released from the hospital a couple days later. Bossman gets out a few days after that. Aria is still there when I get back to camp.

I hop out of Ace's truck and he meets as we walk down the path. We join the other Counsellors at the entrance. The girls give me large hugs when we arrive. They give Ace hugs too. We've all gotten pretty close this summer.

Dax and Archer throw their arms around my shoulders and we continue our walk down the path. Conversation is at a low while we make out way in the direction of the cabins.

No one has been back to see the extent of the damage. After the fire, everyone got sent home. We decided a couple days ago to come back. I needed to see what happened.

My boys hold me close in between them as we turn the corner to the cabins. I hold my breath, and close my eyes briefly.

When I exhale, my eyes open, taking in the damages.

One second passes.

Two.

Three.

It takes five seconds to fully register what is in front of me.

The boys drop their arms off my shoulders in shock.

I can't blame them.

What I see barely makes sense anyways.

Every single camper from this year is here. I'm front of me. The Seedlings, the Saplings, the Old Timers. Every. Single. One.

Then there is their parents.

And some town people.

And some of the campers' friends.

Hannah, Bailey, William, Jonah from Wilderman.

Mickey and the rest of the Beaver Falls staff.

Everyone is here.

My jaw is hanging open, my eyes bulging out of my head.

"W-what..." I trail off, unable to form a coherent sentence.

"Welcome home, Counsellors. We've missed you." Mickey shouts and grins.

He saunters up and gives us each a squeeze. Even Ace. I laugh.

"Mickey... what is this?" I ask finally.

"Our friends heard about the fire. They've come to help up out." Our cook answers.

I nod my head, my eyes still wide. I take a couple steps towards the others.

"Thank you. You don't know how much this means to me. To us." I tell them all.

The Old Timers are the first to approach. One by one they give me a hug. Even Claire, who doesn't even like hugs.

Once the initial shock wears off, I really take in what we are working with. Three of our six cabins are burned down. One has a side that's burnt but is still standing.