Camp Twin Tails

Chapter 5: Graveyards Are a Great Campfire Conversation

We're sitting around the campfire now that it's dark. Mostly kids are chatting amongst themselves as they roast marshmallows. After the incident in the art barn, nothing else that weird happened. Aside from some kid managing to get tangled up in the ropes course and screaming bloody murder at the top of his lungs until the staff could get him down. 

Even dinner was boring. 

Since I'm not interested in a s'more right now after the amount of food I consumed earlier in the mess hall, I'm just listening to Leilani and Roman talk; while Calder is having a separate conversation with Ruthie and her brother Jacob. 

Roman suddenly looks at me and I feel my cheeks heat up from being caught staring at them, the fire isn't warm enough to do that. "By the way Marina, I heard a younger girl got hurt during the team building activities earlier and that you helped take her to the first aid center and then stayed with her for a while. Is she doing better?"

I nod. "Her name's Gwinny, she's another one of the new campers. A bunch of us new kids met on the bus ride actually. She also happened to be in my group when it happened so I was right there to help her. She's doing better now, thankfully no concussion but she had to stay and be under supervision for a while just to make sure everything was ok."

He nods and smiles at me. "I'm glad. And that was nice of you. Even if you are both new campers, you still went out of your way to help her." 

Well damn, I think the fire just got hotter because my whole body is really warm. 

Mrs. Andrea stands up and calls everyone's attention--and in the process diverts it from me. "Alright, I think it's time for a good old fashioned campfire ghost story. My specialty if I do say so myself. Long ago in these very woods there was a sweet couple who lived together in a little log cabin. The husband would go hunting and the wife would stay at home sewing and cooking."

At this point I tune her out. I really couldn't care less about some silly ghost story. But most of the campers seem pretty invested. I sigh and mutter, "This is stupid."

Leilani shakes her head at me, apparently having heard me, "Not stupid. Around here, ghost stories aren't just made up for the fun of it. They're usually based off real events or something half true, after all there's that old graveyard just passed the boundaries."

"Shh!" Roman hisses. "You know we're not allowed to talk about that, especially if Mr. Billie or Ms. Iris could hear."

Ah. That's not creepy at all. 

"Why aren't we allowed to talk about it?" I whisper. 

He looks around quickly, making sure no ones watching, then continues in a quieter voice. "The camp directors get weird around the subject. Like they don't wanna think about it at all. They've basically forbidden the topic."

Great so the camp directors are hiding something related to an old graveyard that we're not even allowed to talk about. I feel like I'm in an episode of Scooby-Doo. I swear if someone in some weird mask jumps out and starts chasing campers... I don't even know what I'd do. 

I narrow my eyes at the two of them. "Isn't that more than a little suspicious?"

Leilani just shrugs. They act like this is normal. And that's one hell of a weird normal. 

My attention is dragged back to Mrs. Andrea's ghost story as she's being rather dramatic. "So then with the wind howling outside and the rain hammering against the windows, the wife grabs a kitchen knife just as her husband comes into the room. She knows this can be the only way."

Damn, that escalated very quickly from the beginning. What happened to the sweet couple who lived together in a little log cabin? 

"Just as she runs at him, blade held high, there's a mighty crack from outside and a giant tree comes-" She's stopped short by something--or rather someone--jumping out of the bushes with a battle cry, and scaring most of the campers half to death. 

I flinch but another feeling takes over in place of fear. But everyone is preoccupied with the camper who jump scared everyone. I quickly look over at Calder, trying to emphasize my urgency with eye contact alone. But he just gives me a questioning look. 

He doesn't understand. For once he doesn't understand. This isn't something I can just put into words though. I can't describe it with words. 

Because that feeling, is that I'm being watched. Closely. 

Needing a distraction, and hoping it will get rid of the awful feeling. I interject into Roman's rant about the jump scare. "What are you guys doing for free choice tomorrow? We should try doing something together!" 

Thankfully, if the other two did notice my panic, they play along perfectly. Leilani smiles, "Yeah like the relay race! I'm going to toast both of you!"

"Yeah no thanks. I'm not in the mood for toast. The last time I tried going up against you in any kind of speed related activity, I felt like I ran a marathon with a broken ankle. Not to mention having to hold an ice pack to my ribs for days after you basically crushed my spleen," Roman says harshly. 

"Stop exaggerating Roman! You didn't even know where your spleen was." Leilani rolls her eyes. 

"I do now!" Roman exclaims dramatically. "It's next to your stomach, behind your ribs which you bruised getting to my spleen!" 

Before I can stop myself, I start laughing. And thankfully, the feeling of being watched dissipates quickly after I start. Leaving me laughing uncontrollably while my stress is through the non-existent roof over the fire pit. 

Roman gives me a pointed look, "I'm glad you find my suffering funny. Truly. I'm honored to have the opportunity to have gotten my spleen crushed by my best friend just to make you laugh today." 

Leilani gives him a pat on the back while nodding solemnly. "A noble sacrifice indeed."

"Quiet you," he says. 

I start regaining my composure and notice that Calder has seemingly forgotten about me trying to get his attention and returned to his conversation. Real big help there bro. But I should do the same. After all it was probably just my imagination, or some camper staring off into space in my general direction. Even though neither of those explanations can properly describe the intensity of it.

I'm sure there's a perfectly reasonable explanation for that and not ghost garbage or some creep.