Chapter 20

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With no way to tell how old the trail was, the four of them crept toward camp at a glacial pace.

"Is everything alright up there, Your Majesty?" Carson carried Beverly atop his sagging shoulders, forcing false cheerfulness into his voice.

"Most delightful, Sir Carson." She glanced down at Amy and Lucas, trying and failing to school her beaming grin into a queenly expression. "And how are my loyal subjects?"

"Just peachy," Lucas muttered. He bit back a swear as an errant tree branch prodded his broken arm.

"Eager to arrive at the palace, but thoroughly enjoying your royal company, Your Majesty," Amy said. Her aching legs threatened to give out beneath her, yet she still managed to pull off a wobbly curtsy.

The journey had been as hard as it had been slow. Pain radiated from the soles of Amy's feet as her orthotics chafed her blisters. Even with the blister Band-Aids, there was only so much she could handle. Even Lucas, built like an ox though he was, winced as he plodded along the trail.

Yet they had to pretend they were as unshakable and enduring as the forest itself, if not for their own sakes then at least for Beverly.

Poor, sweet Beverly. The trek had not been easy on her. With her adrenaline long gone, she'd quickly begun limping. Amy and Carson had managed to convince her to let them take turns carrying her in the guise of brave knights escorting their queen home. Even Lucas had been pitching in. He'd been passing her plenty of water bottles and snacks from their meager stash despite his own stomach gurgling.

None of them wanted to admit it, but the game was a welcome distraction. Without it, they'd be jumping at every crackling leaf, tensing at the sight of every twisted branch's shadow.

"There it is!" Beverly covered her mouth with her hands as her escorts inhaled sharply. She lowered her voice to a stage whisper. "I see the camp."

Lucas let out a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness! I thought you saw an enemy steed."

That was what they'd been calling the moose. Not bloodthirsty beasts or murderous monsters. Steeds, like some Prince Charming's oversized mount.

The hair on the back of Amy's neck stood on end as a deathly quiet hush welcomed them to Camp Maplewood. The remains of water balloons lay scattered between two upturned tables. If it weren't for the hose still vomiting water into the ground and the hoofprints stamped into the mud, she would have assumed the kids had called a truce and simply gone inside for lunch.

If what was left of the man sprawled across the ground was any indication, the war against the moose was still raging.

Carson quickly turned around to prevent Beverly from seeing the trampled corpse. "Let's check the cabins. I bet everyone's planning a great big surprise for you in there."

None of the cabins had their lights on, yet a dim glow revealed shapes moving inside. Human shapes, all huddled together on the floor of each cabin.

Amy tried the door to the cabin closest to them, but the stubborn old wood refused to budge. She knocked.

The shadows straightened. Scattered sniffles broke through hushed whispering. The glowing light inside moved closer. Squinting through the window with her hand shielding most of the lantern's light from the outside, Maggie broke into a grin at the sight of Amy and held up a hand. Five minutes.

Furniture scraped against wood as the whispering shifted from fearful to excited. At last, Maggie opened the door and ushered them inside as she panted. "Who wants to help me move the bed back?" she said between gasps for breath.

Half a dozen preteens positioned themselves on either side of a bunk bed piled high with suitcases. Once the barricade was back in place, Maggie scooped Beverly off of Carson's shoulders and into a tight hug. "Thank goodness you're okay!"

"Of course I am! But I'm a little..." Beverly let out a massive yawn.

"You can take a nap in the back," Nina said. She walked Beverly over to a heap of snoozing kids cocooned in sleeping bags, blankets, and piles of pillows.

Beverly muttered a quiet thank you, not even making it all the way into the sleeping bag's warmth before her soft snores filled the cabin.

"Is anyone else out there?" Gwen asked. She clung so closely to her older sister that Amy hadn't even noticed her at first. Leaves stuck out from her tangled curls, and dark circles rimmed eyes that had been drained of all their playful energy. "Did you see Mr. Davis?"

"He can't help," Lucas said quietly.

Waves of whispers spread through the cabin as the news spread. Clusters of kids clung to each other with even the oldest of the bunch looking like they'd burst into tears at any moment.

"Is it still out there?" Maggie asked.

"The m—" Lucas cut himself off as Carson's elbow dug into his side. "The big you-know-what or the little one?"

"There's two?" Gwen's eyes widened as she stared up at Lucas.

Maggie leaned down and put a hand on her shoulder. "Why don't you go check the stash? I bet they're hungry."

Gwen nodded wordlessly and trotted over to a cluster of boys who were guarding their meager food supply.

"You've seen it, then?" Amy shuddered as Maggie jerked her head in a nod. "Do you know where it is now?"

"We've heard it a few times since we got here, but no." Maggie gave her a weak smile. "I didn't want anyone to get hurt checking. It was hard enough to get everyone here after... Mr. Sterling."

"Good call," Amy said hoarsely. She squeezed her eyes shut, taking deep breaths to banish the tears. There'd be plenty of time to cry later. Right now, she had kids to save. "Do you guys have a phone anywhere?"

"I heard one ringing in Mr. Davis's cabin," Maggie said. "But that was before it came. We were busy having a water balloon fight while we waited for the bus to come, but..."

"It never came," Carson finished for her.

"Not yet, anyway. It was raining so hard I can't blame them. You'd have to be nuts to drive in this weather."

"Or maybe they tried to come," Carson said quietly.

"They're probably on their way right now," Amy said forcefully. She wouldn't, couldn't let any of them think about what the moose might have done to anyone who ventured into their territory. "We should definitely call for help though, just in case."

Maggie set her lips into a thin line. "Then you'll need this." Her fingers trembled as she passed Amy a bright red flare gun. "I got it from Mr. Davis when I realized he couldn't..."

Her eyes held the haunted look of someone who had seen and done unspeakable things.

Amy tucked away the flare gun before giving Maggie's shoulder a firm squeeze. "Thanks for looking out for everyone. We'll take things from here."

Maggie's voice shook from holding back a sob. "You'd better. I don't know what we'll do if you don't come back."

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