Two Campers (DISCONTINUED)

Chapter 4

Molly's POV:

The lights in the cabin flicked on. "You know it is decidedly not at ALL clear. A little HAZY even."

"Hi Jen." We all said unison, big forced grins spread across our faces.

"Don't you "Hi Jen" me!" Jen snapped. "Do I look like I'm in the mood for snappy banter. Do you have any idea what TIME it is?"

"WE CAN EXPLAIN." Jo exclaimed.

"So, there was this bearwoman and we followed her because, duh, bearwoman." April started.

"And there were these foxes but they were magic foxes?" I continued.

"And we beat the stuffing out of those guys!" Ripley yelled.

"Even though that wasn't the plan." Mal grumbled. Jen's eye twitched and she pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Okay, that's IT. We are going to see Rosie." She huffed and we all groaned. We left the cabin and Jen started ranting. "You know, nobody ELSE'S cabin is like this. All the other campers are totally on board with being AWAKE humans during the day and ASLEEP humans at night." Jen paused for a breath. "But NO, of COURSE, it's my weirdo cabin that goes and breaks seven-"

"Eight." Jo corrected.

"EIGHT camp policies while I'm sleeping! You could have gotten seriously hurt out there!" I didn't notice I had started fidgeting until Mal put her arm around my shoulders and gave me a concerned look. "I should've taken that internship with the space program." She continued. "It would've been less of a headache. Maybe when you all get kicked out they'll transfer me to a cabin where the girls aren't nocturnal Or pro-fox violence. I'M DREAMING BIG!"

The moment Jen said kicked out, my mind went in its own little world. Kicked out? That would mean having to go home, and if I have to go home, that means... I shivered at the thought.

"Molly?" Mal whispered.

"Yeah?"

"It's gonna be okay." I sigh.

"Yeah, It's just, what if Jen's right? What if we get kicked out?"

"We won't get kicked out." Mal reassured me. "Jen's just overreacting."

"Thanks, Mal." I whispered.

"You know, you'll be lucky if Rosie kicks you out. Unless you WANT to muck out the moose stables for the rest of the summer." She finished as we reached Rosie's cabin. She knocked twice then turned back to us. "I feel bad waking her up, but you know, rules are-"

"Come in!" Jen opened the door and we all hustled inside. "Jane!" Rosie bellows.

"It's Jen." She replied coldly.

"What can I help you with, Jenny?"

"It's JUST Jen, and these girls, you know, ALL FIVE MEMBERS OF THE ROANOKE CABIN-- were out of their beds after lights out."

"That doesn't sound so bad."

"They went out into the woods!"

"Now THAT..."She walked over to a carving and attached something to it. "...Sounds so bad." She turned to the group. "Do you have an explanation?" She grunted.

"Several explanations actually. They said--"

"I was hoping to hear from the campers, actually."

Mal's POV:

"You! What's the story, Wishbone?" She asked pointing at me, causing me to jump.

"We... there was a... we beat up some foxes that didn't seem to like cats?" I stammered.

"Please don't call my parents." Molly whimpered.

"Ha! Feline prejudice hardly seems like a reason to break seven--"

"Eight."

"--Eight camp policies, not to mention the Lumberjanes scout rule expressly forbidding the punching of animals."

"But we saw a BEARWOMAN!" April exclaimed. Rosie shuddered and turned to Jen.

"Jan, be a dear and go get us all some hot cocoa from the mess hall, please."

"I'm sorry, what?"

"It's almost sunrise, and I'm sure we could all use a little sugar boost to push us through until morning. I'll take care of this, don't you worry." She said, pushing Jen out the door.

"AGAIN it's Jen, and the mess hall won't even be open for--"

"Soy milk in mine, please and thank you." Rosie finished slamming the door in Jen's face. "Tell me more."

"MAY I PUH-LEASE USE THE BATHROOM FIRST?" Ripley asked.

"Of course."

"THANK YOU!" Ripley quickly while April and Jo started explaining.

"So we were in our bunks like we were supposed to be, right> And we heard a rumble and a whoosh, and then we saw -- well, Jo and I saw -- this really weird old lady outside the cabin."

"So I went down to April's bunk because, you know, stranger danger."

"--SHE WAS SUPER WEIRD LIKE THIS--" April said, pressing her hands to her cheeks to make a face.

"And THEN the lady said a lot of swears I'd never heard before, and then WOOOOSH and AHH BRIGHT LIGHTS and then there was a BEAR!"

"So Jo and I woke up all our friends because "FRIENDSHIP TO THE MAX" obviously and we went after it and then there were foxes and here we are."

"Foxes? What did they look like?" Rosie asked.

"They were enormous with big teeth and three eyes."

"So we all got into defensive positions and started fighting them off."

"And then RIPLEY came out of nowhere and..."

"SWAH! WHAM! WOOOOSH!" Ripley burst into the room.

"Sounds like a heck of a fight!" Rosie commented.

"Rosie?" Molly quaked.

"Yes, my dear?"

"Are you gonna call our parents?" It took all my willpower not to walk over there a pull her into a hug. The thought of going home terrified Molly. Rosie paused for a second, then asked.

"Does anyone here know the Lumberjanes scout pledge?" and all of us pointed to Jo.

"Oh, well, if you insist." Jo took a deep breath. "I solemnly swear to do my best every day, and in everything I do, to be brave and strong, to be truthful and compassionate, to be interesting and interested, to respect nature, to pay attention and question the world around me, to think of others first, to always help and protect my friends, "Then there's a line about God or whatever" and to make the world a better place, for lumberjane scouts and everyone else." Rosie stood and crossed her arms.

"Now, I'm not gonna lie to you girls, you 're gonna see some stuff this summer. Stuff you may not understand. It'll be hard. But you're scouts, and you're made of tougher stuff. So remember that pledge you took, and stick together no matter what. Ya hear me?" Rosie shooed us out of the cabin. "Stop by my table at breakfast so I can give you your Up all Night badges"

"Sooo, that's a "no" on the parent's thing, or..." Molly asked. The sunrise filled the camp with light.

"Just what the junk is going on here anyway?" Jo asked.