Camp Antler Point

Chapter 19

After much gentle coaxing and a few close calls, Beverly made it down the tree. Snot and tears soaked through the back of Amy's jacket as she wrapped the little girl in a tight embrace. "Thank goodness you're okay," she said.

"I thought it was going to get you too!" Beverly wailed.

Too? Amy's stomach sank to her shoes. They were too late.

Leaves crackled in the undergrowth. Beverly tensed in Amy's arms, sobbing as Lucas stepped between them and the source of the sound with a stone in his fist.

"It's just me!" Carson yelled as he came closer. He came to a wheezing halt in front of them. Sweat ran down his face, soaking through his shirt in dark blotches. "Is everyone okay? I heard screaming."

"If by okay you mean as exhausted as..." Lucas trailed off as he glanced at Beverly. "Exhausted, then yeah. It isn't exactly easy to scare off a moose."

"It was just a calf," Amy said hastily as all the color drained out of Carson's face. "I think. It was weird. When are moose supposed to start growing antlers?"

"When they're a year old, but they're usually pretty small."

Lucas snorted. "Well, these weren't. It looked like the thing had a termite mound on its head! All lumpy and bumpy."

"And ugly!" Beverly added.

"That's not normal," Carson said. "Antlers usually only get like that when there's some sort of hormone imbalance. You're sure it was a calf?"

"It looked like the one by the lake," Amy said. "At least, it was about the same size."

"That's a calf, alright." Carson put a hand to his chin in thought. "Considering the big one we saw before, this isn't just a one-off genetic issue or something either."

"There's more of them?" Beverly shrieked.

Amy shot Carson a dirty look. "There was, but he, um, had to go..."

"He had to go write a letter to Santa," Lucas said. "He wanted to see if he'd be willing to let moose try out for the sleigh team this year."

"There's no way he'll let him!" Beverly said. "The reindeer were super mean to Rudolph when he was little, so there's no way they'd let a moose help them."

"That must be why the moose have been so mad," Amy said, smiling gratefully at Lucas. "Isn't that right, Carson?"

"Definitely! I'm sure they'll calm down once Santa explains things, but in the meantime, we need to get everybody to give the moose some space." He bent down to look Beverly in the eye. "Can you take us to them?"

"I think so. Maggie was taking us to the other camp to get help." She lowered her voice to a whisper. "I didn't want to leave without you, so I went to look for you and sort of maybe got lost."

"Did you see anything cool on the way?" Lucas asked. "Something that really stood out?"

"There was a really pretty ladybug hiding in some flowers!" Beverly shoved a hand into her pocket. "I think I still have her."

"That's neat," Lucas said, "but I mean stuff that isn't animals."

Amy fidgeted with the remains of her crown as she thought. "There was this one tree with a huge hole in the middle. It was full of bees." She shuddered. "I hate bees."

"I saw a tree like that when I was looking for you," Carson said. "Do you think you can take us to camp if I take you to that tree?"

"Yeah! But what if the bees get mad?"

"Don't worry, I'm wearing anti-bee underwear." Carson gently took Beverly's hand in his as she giggled. "Now let's go find that tree."

With the other two leading the way, Lucas walked beside Amy. "I'm sorry I was such an asshole earlier," he whispered. "When we get out of here, do you think we can start over?"

"Are you asking me that as a friend or because you want another chance to shove your lips on mine?"

"I deserved that," he muttered with a wince. "As a friend, or at least as someone who wants to be one."

"Then maybe we can give it a shot. I'll definitely need someone to talk to about all this." She waved a hand at the trees looming over them like spectators in Rome's coliseum. "I swear I never want to see another moose again."

"You and me both. I still can't believe you went after that thing after, you know..."

"I don't think I could ever forgive myself if I let anything happen to any of those kids." Hopefully the others were safe. With Beverly at least doing well enough to start planning a knighting ceremony for all of them while Carson patiently listened to her ramble, chances were they'd at least been doing alright last time she saw them.

After what simultaneously felt like the blink of an eye and an eternity, they reached a gnarled old tree with a massive hole in its trunk. Bees swarmed in and out of the gaping maw, creating a steady, droning buzz.

Beverly clung to Carson's hand so tightly his reassuring smile took on a strained edge. "That way," she whispered, pulling him toward a game trail speckled with mushrooms and, mercifully, free from bees.

It was just their luck that the best lead they had on how to get to camp had been left pockmarked and trampled by dozens of hooves.