Storm Over Hidden Lake (Kristi Cameron Book 6)

by Cynthia Griffith

  The trail wound through the woods. At times Kristi thought they were headed back towards the lake, and at other times it seemed to be climbing away. Why would Tiffany go this way? she wondered. Or did she? Maybe Becca’s out here by herself. Or maybe she’s back at Redwood Cabin, safe and dry, while we’re out here shivering and soggy and worn out! They kept calling Becca’s name, and occasionally Tiffany’s, but they never heard a response.

  “Maybe we ought to turn back,” she finally suggested. “Becca might be back at the camp. And if she’s not, maybe we ought to get some more help to look for her.”

  “I think you’re right, Kristi,” Anna said. They reluctantly turned and went back the way they’d come.

  They’d only gone a short way, though, when they realized the trail veered off in several different directions. Which was the branch they had come on? They stood there debating the way for several minutes. Dan insisted it was one trail and Pete insisted it was another one, while Kristi thought it was the third path. They finally chose the direction Dan was sure of.

  They were forced to make several more decisions like that in the next fifteen minutes until finally none of them were certain of the way to go, or even which direction they were going. Heavy rain clouds covered the little bit of sky they could see, so they had no idea where the sun was. It was getting darker and colder, and the rain continued to fall. The girls had their jackets, but the guys were shivering in their wet T-shirts. Kristi remembered she had a sweatshirt in her backpack and handed it to Skeeter.

  “Put it on!” she ordered her younger brother. “So what if it’s pink—it will keep you a little warmer anyway.”

  “Aww, Kristi, I can’t wear a pink sweatshirt! What if some one sees me? It even has little flowers on it! Yuck!”

  “Put it on! See, it’s big enough that the sleeve will even fit over your cast! Any real man is confident enough to wear pink once and a while!”

  “Besides, you look so cute in it!” Robyn added with a wink.

  “Robyn!” Skeeter and Kristi said in unison. “Don’t tease him, Robyn,” Kristi added. “I want him to wear it.” In the end, Skeeter wore the sweatshirt, and even quit complaining about it as a little warmth seeped back into his bones.

  They pressed on for another half hour until finally Dan held up his hand and called them all to a halt. “It’s no use. I think we’re lost, and if we keep going we’re going to end up even more lost. We need to stop and just wait for someone to find us. It’s getting dark and we don’t have flashlights. Let’s look around here for a place where we can get out of the wind for the night. We’re not going to freeze to death. It isn’t cold enough for that. We might be uncomfortable, but once the rain stops and we dry out, we’ll be okay. In the meantime, we can huddle together and keep each other warm.”

  Pete finally found a spot big enough to shelter them all between some low trees and shrubs and a pile of rocks. They threw some pine branches down on the wet ground and gathered some more to use as covering.

  Skeeter grumbled again about having to huddle between his brother and sister. “This is too close for comfort!”

  “You won’t think so when the temperature starts dropping tonight,” Dan said. “Besides, Pete and I need some warmth from the rest of you, remember?”

  Skeeter quit complaining after that, but it wasn’t long before he asked, “What else do you have in your backpack, Kristi? Anything to eat? I’m starving!”

  “Why am I not surprised?” she muttered. She dug through her bag and held up a granola bar and a package of snack crackers. “This is it. They have to last, though, so I’m not sure we should eat them yet.”

  “Wait, Kristi. I have a couple things in my pack, too,” Anna said. She pulled out a small bag of trail mix and an apple. She had a bottle of Gatorade, as well.

  Robyn had the most loot. There were two candy bars, a package of red licorice, another granola bar, a bag of M&M’s and a couple of juice boxes. “I like to be prepared!” she said with a grin and a shrug. Skeeter was almost drooling as he surveyed her stash. “And,” she said triumphantly, “look what else I have!” She held up a personal CD player. “Music to get us through the night! I have a bunch of CD’s here and even extra batteries! We’ll have to take turns using the head phones, though.”

  “Great! Now let’s have supper!” Skeeter said. He reached for a candy bar.

  Kristi smacked his hand. “Hold on there, buddy-boy! This stuff might have to last us for breakfast and lunch tomorrow, too! We’re going to ration it.” She passed out one peanut butter cracker to each of them. Robyn divided the bag of M&M’s among them all, while Anna passed around the bottle of Gatorade. It wasn’t much of a supper, but it would have to do.

  “And to think that we’re missing out on barbecue back at the camp,” Skeeter said sadly.

  “I’m just wondering about Rebecca,” Kristi said. “Is she safe back at camp, or is she out here somewhere all alone and wet and cold and scared?” Suddenly the tears began to fall. Poor little Becca! She felt terrible that they had not been able to find her before night fell.

  “You forget, Kristi—if she is out here she may not be alone. She might be with Tiffany,” Anna said. “Even Tiffany would not be as heartless as to turn her back on a girl like Becca—would she?”

  “Probably not,” Kristi agreed with a sigh. She wiped her tears away with the back of her hand. It was still raining, but at least the thunder and lightning had stopped. Becca would be glad for that, she knew.

  And even if Tiffany could be that heartless, Becca was still not alone. The Lord was with her, and He would have His angels keeping watch over her, as well. Kristi prayed that Becca would feel the Lord’s love and protection that night. And that somehow Tiffany would feel His love, as well.

  They finally fell asleep, huddled together beneath their pine boughs. Kristi woke up often through the night, cold and wet and shivering. Each time she wondered, Where’s Becca? Where is Tiffany? Are they as miserable as we are? Lord, help them, she prayed. Please, Lord, help all of us.

  __________

  CHAPTER NINE

  __________

  Scary Storm

  Becca looked at the storm clouds gathering over Hidden Lake from the door of the craft shack. “Scawy stowm coming,” she said. “I no like stowms. The thunder huwts my ears.”

  “It’s okay, Becca,” a girl named Kathy said. “It’s safe in here. Why don’t you sit down and work on your basket?”

  Becca shook her head. “No, I go back to Wedwood Cabin befowe the stowm comes. I gonna get in my sleeping bag and hide from the stowm.” Rebecca plunged through the door without another word and took off on the run.

  Tiffany was the only one in the cabin when Becca got there. The retarded girl stopped short and looked warily at Tiffany. She looked mad. Becca was scared of her, but she was more scared of going back out into the coming storm.

  “What are you looking at?” Tiffany snarled.

  “Nothing,” Becca whispered. She cautiously moved over to her own bunk and reached for her sleeping bag. She kept an eye on Tiffany, ready to jump at any sudden motion, like a frightened little kitten.

  Tiffany was throwing things into her overnight case. She slammed the lid shut and headed for the door.

  “Scawy stowm coming,” Becca called after her.

  “So what? I’m getting out of here.” Tiffany pushed through the door, slamming it behind her.

  Rebecca lay in her bunk for a minute, looking at the door. Tiffany would come back. There was a scary storm coming. Thunder rumbled in the distance and Becca hid her head inside the sleeping bag.

  Several more minutes passed and Becca finally peeked out. Tiffany had not returned. She could hear the wind picking up outside and she shivered a bit. Where was everyone? Didn’t they know a scary storm was coming? Why would Tiffany go out into the storm?

  Just then Becca’s eyes lit on the row of jackets hanging on the hooks on the wall. There was Tiffany’s jacket. She forgot it. A scary st
orm was coming. It was going to rain, and get cold. Tiffany needed her jacket.

  Becca crawled out of her sleeping bag and walked over to the wall. She reached for Tiffany’s jacket, and then pulled her hand back. If she touched Tiffany’s things she might get mad. Becca didn’t like it when Tiffany got mad.

  The thunder rolled again, closer this time. Scawy stowm is coming. Tiffany needs her jacket. I afwaid of the stowm. But Tiffany needs her jacket. Anna pwayed that we be kind to Tiffany, show her love and be her fwiends. Amen. I gotta help Tiffany.

  Becca reached for Tiffany’s jacket again, and this time took it off the hook. She grabbed her own jacket and went back to her bunk to get her backpack. She stood in the doorway for a moment looking out at the black clouds rolling in off of the lake. Scawy stowm coming. I’m afwaid.

  Becca took a deep breath and walked out the door. The thunder cracked, and she closed her eyes. Then she stepped off the porch, following Tiffany.

  She hurried as best she could down the path to the lodge. Tiffany was nowhere in sight as she reached the clearing in front of the lodge. Which way should she go? If Tiffany was leaving like she said she was, then maybe she had gone up the road to the gate. Becca was breathing hard as she half walked and half trotted clumsily up the drive. She struggled to carry her backpack and both jackets, and every few seconds she glanced up at the darkening sky. She’d duck her head then and try to go a little faster.

  Suddenly Becca saw Tiffany just up ahead. She was moving into the trees, away from the road. “Tiffany!” she called as loudly as she could, but another roll of thunder drowned out her voice. Big raindrops began to fall, splattering on her head and arms. “Scawy stowm!” she cried, and began to run. She didn’t notice her Hello Kitty wallet fall out of her jacket pocket just as she reached the trees. “Tiffany! Tiffany, wait for me!” she cried out. “Stop!” She plunged into the forest after Tiffany and away from the scary storm.

  * * *

  Tiffany had decided she’d had enough of this dorky camp. She was leaving, and no one could stop her. She would hitch a ride home and then just hang out alone in the house until her parents got home from their vacation in Europe. She’d been alone before, she could do it again. Besides, she was all alone here at this camp anyway, even with all these people around, so she may as well go home to be by herself where she could be more comfortable.

  She threw a few things into her overnight case. They could send the rest of her stuff home later—or just throw it away, for all she cared. She didn’t need it anyway.

  She turned at the sound of footsteps on the porch. Huh—it was that retarded girl. So what. She could squish that kid like a bug with just a word or two. She ignored Becca as she came into the cabin, and kept throwing things into the case until it was full. Then she slammed the lid down and left. She heard Becca call out “Scary storm!” as she stalked out the door, but it didn’t matter. Who cares? Stupid girl couldn’t even talk right. Scawy stowm! Dumb!

  Tiffany was glad she didn’t run into Kristi and her friends, or any of the other girls from her cabin. She didn’t care that they had found the things she had stolen. That was the whole point, anyway. She wanted to be caught so they’d send her home. They didn’t want a thief at their precious little Bible camp, did they? But she just didn’t want to have to put up with those goody-goody, nicey-nice girls again. It was sickening. They were all just a bunch of phonies. They were probably all talking about her behind her back and making fun of her. She’d seen their kind before.

  She stomped all the way out to the gate before she began to have second thoughts. Maybe hitching a ride wasn’t such a good idea, after all. She’d heard the stories about the dangers of hitchhiking. No matter how miserable she was, she didn’t want something bad to happen to her because she’d hitch hiked. So how could she get home?

  She thought about the little town just a mile or so from the camp. Maybe if she hung around outside the diner there she’d see her chance to hide on a truck going her way. It was worth a try, anyway.

  Tiffany turned around and went back into the campground. She would follow the road, but stay inside the trees where no one would see her. Besides, if she stayed under the trees she wouldn’t get as wet once it started to rain. Oops! Here came the rain right now! Big drops began to fall as she ducked beneath the branches of the trees. She didn’t see Becca, or hear her calling her name as she hurried deeper into the forest.

  * * *

  Tears were rolling down Becca’s face as she tried to hurry after Tiffany. “Stop! Please wait for me, Tiffany!” she called. The rain wasn’t hitting her as much anymore now that the trees were protecting her, but she could still hear the thunder and see the occasional flashes of lightning. Each time it happened she would stop and shut her eyes tightly, cover her ears and start screaming, “Tiffany! Tiffany!”

  Tiffany never heard her. She moved on through the trees, unaware that the retarded girl was following her. She was beginning to doubt the wisdom of leaving the camp as she had. The storm was worse than she had thought it would be—even a little scary, although she would never have admitted it. Maybe she ought to turn back.

  A brilliant flash of lightning and another loud crack of thunder ripped through the air. Becca screamed and began running down the trail blindly, her hands in front of her eyes. Suddenly she stopped. “Jesus, please help me! I’m afwaid!” she prayed.

  She opened her eyes. There was Tiffany, coming down the trail toward her. Becca forgot about her fear of the mean girl. She ran straight to her and threw her arms around her waist, hugging her tightly. “You came back! You came back! Oh, thank you, Tiffany! I was so afwaid!” she sobbed.

  Tiffany stood there in shock. This—this girl was hugging her! She tried to push Becca away but the distraught girl just clung to her all the tighter. It had been a long, long time since anyone had hugged her, or even touched her for that matter. It felt strange. It made her feel—uncomfortable. She didn’t want anyone to touch her. She’d rather be alone.

  She tried once more to loosen Becca’s arms, but the young girl cried even harder. “Please don’t leave me, Tiffany! The stowm is scawy! I’m afwaid of the thunder and lightning! Please don’t leave me alone in the stowm!”

  Tiffany’s cold, hard heart cracked just a little with the girl’s pitiful cries. “Then why are you out here, Becca?” she asked gruffly. “You should have stayed in the cabin. Why did you follow me?”

  “You fowgot your jacket. It’s cold and wet out in the stowm and I didn’t want you to get sick. I was afwaid of the scawy stowm, but you need a fwiend, and I wanted to be your fwiend and bwing you your jacket. I’m sowwy I dwopped it in the mud, Tiffany.”

  Tiffany looked at the soggy, muddy mess that used to be her best expensive jacket. She shook her head and sighed. She wanted to scream at the retarded girl, but somehow she controlled herself. She looked at Becca’s own jacket that she still held in her hands. It was an even worse mess than hers. “You ought to have your jacket on, Becca. You’re going to get sick.”

  “I couldn’t stop and put it on, Tiffany. You were going so fast and I couldn’t wun as fast as you. I was afwaid to stop.”

  “Well, here—put it on now.” Tiffany’s tone was a little less gruff. She wiped as much of the mud off Becca’s jacket as she could and then helped her put it on. She zipped it and said, “I’ll take you back to camp.”

  Becca threw her arms around Tiffany again and exclaimed, “Oh, thank you! Thank you, Tiffany!”

  Tiffany tried to squirm out of the other girl’s grasp. Suddenly she stopped. Maybe the hug wasn’t so bad, after all. She awkwardly patted Becca on the back and mumbled, “Okay, then. Let’s go. Oh—and th-thanks for bringing my jacket.” She stepped back and put her own jacket on. It was wet and muddy on the outside, but dry and warm on the inside, and she was thankful for it—and for the girl who had braved so much to bring it to her. She felt a bit ashamed of the way she had treated Becca.

  “Let’s go, Becca,” she said more ge
ntly. Tiffany led the way as they started back down the trail toward camp. At least, they thought it was the right direction. It wasn’t long, though, before Tiffany began to realize they were lost. Everything looked the same, and the trail seemed to simply circle back on itself. They stopped several times while she tried to get her bearings, but without the sun it was impossible to tell which way was east or west.

  Finally she came to a halt. Becca looked worn out. Her short little legs made her have to trot to keep up with Tiffany. She had stopped crying, though, and wasn’t nearly as frightened now that she was with Tiffany. It helped that the thunder and lightning had gradually faded away, too. The rain still dripped through the trees, though, and it was getting colder and darker. Tiffany was worried. She sure didn’t want to spend a night out here in the cold and wet, but common sense told her that they ought to stop wandering around, and wait for someone to come and find them.

  “Let’s take a rest, Becca,” she said now. “Help me look for a dry spot, okay?” The ground was soggy, but finally they found a little patch of dry grass that was sheltered on three sides by a cluster of thick pine trees. They crawled in under the branches as best they could and lay down.

  “Are we lost?” Becca asked.

  “We’ll be okay. Someone will come along soon and find us, I’m sure,” Tiffany replied.

  “Jesus knows where we are. He helped me when I pwayed to Him. He sent you to help me, Tiffany.”

  Tiffany stiffened. She didn’t want to hear about Jesus, or God, or any of that stuff. It was bad enough just being stuck at this dumb old Bible camp. What good was God, anyway? He didn’t care about her. He never had. All those times she had prayed, asking Him to make her mother and father care about her, even just notice her—He had never answered those prayers. She doubted that He had even heard those prayers. She’d given up on God—and her parents—a long time ago. She was on her own, and she knew it. No one really cared about her.