Lethal Weapons

Chapter 6

Thursday morning we had breakfast at Waffle House and then headed on up to the zip lining place. We toured the pretty Asheville mountains by zip line and afterward went horseback riding. It was quite interesting to watch Claudia on a horse, especially when her horse would get off the trail. Link had helped me get onto my horse since I was still too short with a stool. It almost made me cry back at the front desk when the lady asked if I wanted a helmet because children under twelve needed one.

Just doing those two things took all of Thursday, so Friday, our last day before camping, Claudia insisted she needed to go shopping for just one thing. Ginger and Sean found a really cool gun shop to look at while Claudia went shopping.

Friday afternoon we left for our campground. We went back to the park that we found and went into the woods for the full effect of camping. As we kept going further and further, Claudia asked if we knew how to go back to civilization.

We found the perfect spot way back in the woods just a little ways off the trail. It was shaded well by the trees and will keep the hot summer sun off of us. There is no sign of rain on the forecast, but even if there was a drizzle we should be well covered.

Claudia, Jen and I walked to the bathhouse to take a shower and get ready for bed while the guys set up camp. When we came back to camp, the guy's sleeping bags were all set, the fire was lifting little orangey red fireflies into the trees and logs were set around the pit to sit on.

“Wow, it looks great, guys!” Jen says excitedly.

“Well thank you.” Ginger stands up from his log and bows. We laugh and sit amongst the guys on the logs. “Whew, you guys stink! Go take a shower, guys.”

“Ahhh…” Some of them groan.

“Go on.” Jen pleads sweetly. The guys laugh to themselves and then stand up.

“Don’t let the fire die down, but it shouldn’t in the short time we'll be gone.”

“Yea, well don’t take forever.” Claudia says. “It will give me the creeps if you guys stay away for too long. I don’t feel safe without a guy around in the wilderness.”

“The wilderness?” Leo asks with a little chortle.

“Claudia, you are in walking distance of a trail and utilities.” Sean says.

“Still! The point is, we are off the trail and anything can get us out here.”

Everyone smiles at each other. Yes she is acting ridiculous, but that’s just Claudia. The guys grabbed their things to take showers and left. The memory of feeling alone burns painfully in my mind. You could feel the loneliness in the air even though there was Jen and Claudia. To have the boys gone, though, it made more than half of the group.

Claudia looks around at the woods. It is dark except for the eerie yellowish light from the fire. “Is anyone else thinking of the movie The Village?” She asks. Jen glances at Claudia with a grim face.

“I am now.” Jen says.

“Sh. Be quiet.” I demand.

“What? What is it? Did you hear someone coming near us to kill us?” Claudia asks moving closer to Jen.

“No, I just want you to stop thinking about that. It will only end up in you getting freaked out and running into the guys shower room where they are trying to have a nice shower.” I pause, letting her stop for a moment and think. “Why not look at what would seem creepy as beautiful? What seems scary as something beautiful that God has created?”

Jen smiles wide at me as Claudia stares at the ground. “Very well put, Riley.” Jen says. Then, a siren way off in the distance goes off.

Claudia screams forever. “Claudia, stop! That is what is going to grab attention to us!”

“But didn't you hear that?”

“Hear what?” Jen asks.

“The siren? That didn’t mean anything.”

“No, no not the siren! The something out in the woods going to eat us!” Claudia cries.

“I didn’t hear a thing.” Jen says.

“Oh really?” A low vice says behind me, out in the woods towards the trail. All three of us girls scream and move towards each other so we won't be alone. A laugh howls out of a guy that comes into view from walking closer. As he nears the fire, his blonde spiked hair tells me exactly who it is. That little rat…

“Leo, how dare you!” Jen says. All three of us are shaking like leaves.

“Hey, I didn’t mean for it to scare you. I was just walking here and jumped into the conversation.” Leo comes and sits next to me. I punch him in the arm, a shocked expression on my face. So much for trying to be an example for Claudia. My sentiments exactly for being a follower than a leader.

“Whatever, Leo. You scared the pee out of me! And I just took a shower!” Claudia says standing up from the log. Leo chuckles a little tiny laugh once, then realizes what she said.

“Wait, did you actually pee yourself?” He asks. Claudia rolls her eyes with a growl and turns around to get into the van.

“Oh, Claudia!” I gasp covering my mouth. Leo looks away and Jen just stares in awe at the situation. “Claudia, you really did pee yourself!”

“Yea, I know. That's sort of why I'm getting up to change!” Claudia gets into the van and slams the door behind her. Jen cringed at the slamming then glances at Leo.

“Wow.” Leo says.

“Don’t you dare tell any one of those guys what happened, okay?” We hear Claudia's muffled voice from inside the van.

“Promise, Claudia.” Jen affirms. I open my mouth to say that I promise as well but I am cut off by sirens again. Paying no mind to them, I go on with promising. Before Leo can promise anything, the rest of the guys come back all fresh and clean. Their wet hair drops water on their shirts and glistens as the fire shines on it.

“Where's Claudia?” Ginger asks. Jen, Leo and I look at each other with smirks on our faces.

“In there.” Jen says pointing behind her at the van. The side door opens and Claudia hangs out of it.

“I am going to say goodnight.” She says.

“Goodnight.” We all say.

“Fill up on your beauty sleep, Claudia, because we're hiking tomorrow and there is no point in putting on makeup.” Sean says dripping with sarcasm.

“Ha. Ha. Very funny. Wait…” Claudia closes her eyes for complete concentration. “Hiking?”