The Summer Away

Chapter 2 - Camp Windfall

Perrie 

The gravel crunched as the car slowly drove down the winding road into the camp entrance. My family and I passed under the camp sign, a wooden plank reading, 'Camp Windfall'. Deserted forest surrounded us as we followed many other cars down the gravel road. Rich soil and ferns along with many other types of undergrowth vegetation grew at the base of the towering trees, their needles reaching for the clouds. 

"Mum how long till we get there?" I ask giddily, staring out at the green trees. 

"A few more minutes Petal." She tells me, her eyes focused on the road. After about 5 minutes, we pull into a desolate large gravel parking lot surrounded by the thick forest, where many other cars are parked, arriving and leaving. Around 70 other children along with parents crowd the small space, luggage and traveling bags cluttering the lot. My mum pulls in, and after finding a space parks the car, and I jump out, pulling my bags along with me. My family climbs out of the car too, and I gaze around at all the other children with in eyesight.

"Pez I'm going to miss you!" My mum says, pulling me into a hug. I smile at her, hugging her back. 

"I know Mum. It'll be fine. Just three weeks! You promise you'll write?" I ask her, and she smiles again, nodding. 

"Come here Perrie." My stepdad says, and pulls me into a hug as well. I hug him back, and when we part I say goodbye to my siblings. I wave again as they walk off to the car, climbing in, and pull out of the lot, continuing back down the narrow road we had entered. More cars pull in, and children climb out, saying good bye to their parents. 

"Okay kids, everyone look this way! Yes, hello! Welcome to Camp Windfall, I'm Councillor Irene, and this is Councillor Ralph and Councillor Lily." 

I whip my head around at the announcement, and see an older lady standing with a megaphone to her mouth, dressed in classic knee-length khaki shorts and a tan button up polo shirt. Her shoulder length black-gray hair is pulled into a simple low ponytail, a visor on her head. Two other younger councilors stand next to her in the same clothing, presumably Ralph and Lily. Children start to lug their bags and suitcases toward the woman, and she beckons everyone toward the road again, where a large white bus stands, it's door open and a young man leaning against the door frame, a cocky look on his face. 

"This is Dave everyone, he will be our driver today. Please, in a single file line, hand him your bags which he will store in the luggage compartment under the bus. Then climb in and find a seat. Please, lets do this in a orderly manner, we have activities planned!" Irene tells everyone, and I grab my suitcase handle and carry-on bag, and tug it toward the bus, where a long line is already forming. 

Suddenly whispers start to sound from the group, and many people point down the road. I crane my neck to see, standing on my tip-toes. A couple large black cars roll down the road, all identical. They come to a stop in the lot. All heads turn as one of the car doors opens, and a stunning girl steps out, dressed in boyfriend type ripped jeans and a simple black t-shirt. She tosses her straight chocolate brown and blonde highlighted hair over her shoulder, pulling out a packed suitcase. Freckles dotted her face, and green eyes scanned the crowd. As she hugged an older woman goodbye, she joined the line, and people were quick to make room for her.

After a couple minutes the amount of cars trickled down, and eventually every car had pulled out of the small parking lot, now empty, showing no signs of the crowded mess that had just occurred minutes before. An almost errie silence covered the group of teens now that there were no cars. The only sounds were the gentle rusting of the trees in the calm wind the respectful chatter of the group.

"Okay. We will do a roll call when we get back to camp, but everyone can we please all start to file onto the bus, hand your luggage to Dave here and he will pack it in the luggage compartments below. Thank you. Single file please single file." Irene repeated, adjusting her hat and straightening her brown vest as the rest children started to travel towards the bus.