shadow camp

Chapter One

'' This Isn't funny!'' her father yelled.

      No, it wasn't, Kaylie Galen thought as she leaned into the refrigerator to find something to drink. In fact, it was not funny she wished she could crawl in beside the mustard and moldy hot dogs,shut the door, and nit hear the angry voices spewing from the living room.

     Her parents werr at it agin.

     Not that it would go on much longer, she thought as the mist of the fridg seeped out the door.

      Today was the day.

     Kaylie's throat had tightened. She swallowed a lump of raw emotion and refused to cry.

    Today had to be the suckiest day ofher life. And she'd had some pretty sucky days lately, too.  Acquiring a stalker, Trey breaking up with her, and her parents announcing their divorce-yup, sucky pretty much covered it. It was no wonder her night terrors had returned full force.

   ''What have you done with my under wear'' her father's growl spilled into the kitchen, snuck ubder the refrigerator door, and bounced around the hot dogs.

    His underwear?Kaylie pressed a cold diet soda can to her forehead.

    '' Why should I do anything with your underwear?'' Her mother asked in her oh-so-nonchalant. Cold as ice.

      Kaylies glazeshot out the kitchen window to th patio she'd seen her mom earlier. There, a pair ofbher dad's tighty-whitey's dangled half out the smoldering grill.

     Just great. Her mother had barbecued her father's short's.That's it. Kaylie was never eating anything cooked on that grill again.

    Fighting tears, she shoved the diet soda back on the rack, shut the fridge, and moved into the doorway. Maybe if they saw her, they'd stop acting like juveniles and letbher be the kid again.

   Her dad stood in the middle of the room, a pair od underwear clutched in his fist. Her mom sat on the sofa, calmly sipping her tea.

  ''You need psychologist help,'' her father yelled at her mom. Two points for her dad, Kaylie thought. Her mom did need help. So why was Kaylie the one who had to sit on a shrink's sofa two days a weekm

    Why was her dad - the man everyone swore kayliebhad wrapped around her little finger- going to move her out today and leave her behind? 

    She didn't blsme her father for wanting to leave her mom, aka the Ice Queen. But why wasn't he taking Kaylie with him? Anothrr lump rose in her throat.

    Dad swung  around and saw her, then he shot back into the bed room, obviously to pack the rest of his things - minus his underwear which at this point sent up smoke signal's from the backyard grill. Kaylie stood there, staring at her mom, who sat reading over work files as if it were any other day. 

   The framed photographes of Kaylie and her father that hung over the sofa caught her attention and tears stung down her face. The pictures had been taken to their annual father and daughter trips. 

   ''you've got to do something,'' Kaylie pleaded.

     ''do what'' her mom asked.

  ''change his mind. Tell you're sorry you grilled his shorts.'' That you're sorry you've got ice watter running through your veins. '' I dont give a flip what you do, just don't let him go.'' 

     ''You dont understand." And just like that, her mom voidof and emotion, shifted her attention back to the papers.

     Right then, her dad, suitcase in his hand, shot through the living room. Kaylie went after him and followed him out the door into Houston's stifling afternoon heat.

''Take ne with you," she begged, not caring if he saw her tears. Maybe the tears would help.There'd been a time when crying got her whatever she wanted from him. "I dont eat mich," she sniffled, giving humor a shot.

 He shook his head but, unlike her mom, at least he had emotion in his eyes. "You dont understand".

You dont under stand. "Why do y'all always say that? I'm sixteen years old. if i don't understand, then explain it to me. Tell me the big secert get it over with.

He stared down at his feet as if they were a test and he'd penned the answer's on the toes of his shoes. Sighing, he looked up. "Your mom . . . she needs you."

"Needs me? Are you kidding?  she dosen't even want me." And neither  you. The realization caused Kaylie's breath to catch in her lungs. He really didn't want her.

  She wiped her tearfrom her cheek and that's when she saw him .Not her dad, but the Soldier Dude,aka her very own stalker. Standing across the street, he wore the same army duds as before. He looked as if he'd just walked out of one of those Gulf War movies she loved. Only instead of shooting at things or being blown up, he stood frozen in one spot and stared right at Kaylie with sad, yet very scary eyes.

  She'd notice him stalking her a few weeks ago. He'd  never spoken to her and she never spoke to him. But the day she pionted him out to her mom, and mom hadn't seen him . . . well, thats when kYlie's side of the world slide off its axis. Her mom thought she was making it up to get attention, or worse. With the worse being that kaylie was losing her grip on reality. Sure, the night terrors that had tormented her when she was a kid had returned, the worse than ever. Her mom said the shrink could help her work through them, but how could she do that when kaylie didn't even remember them? She only knew they were bad. Bad enough to have her wake up screaming.