Boxcar Children Summer Special

by Charles Tang

  Jessie’s and Henry’s Dolphins gathered near one another to walk back to their cabins. The sun slid behind the mountains. The wind picked up and whistled through the pine trees.

  “Have you seen Lizzie?” Jessie asked Sarah, the Senior Counselor. “She keeps disappearing on me.”

  “I saw her with Kim walking to the Bogs — you know, the camp bathrooms,” Sarah said. “Go ahead with the other girls. I’ll make sure Lizzie gets to the cabin.”

  “Brrr. I’m an ice cube,” Benny said as all the Dolphins made their way through the woods.

  “How are we going to stay warm in the cabins when it’s so dark and cold?” a girl named Daisy asked Jessie.

  “At lights-out, we’ll close the shutters and the doors and get under the covers,” Jessie said. “The cabins are small. Our body heat will warm them right up.”

  “Not my body heat,” Benny said. “I’m going to be at Grandfather’s hotel in a big old bed with lots of quilts.”

  “Sssh,” Henry said. He didn’t want his overnight campers to start thinking about the warm beds they left behind at home. “Our cabin will be snug and warm.”

  “And dark,” one little boy said as the groups walked deeper into the woods. “The lights from Evergreen Lodge are getting far away.”

  “But the light from my flashlight is right here,” Henry told his group. He turned on the big flashlight Mrs. McGregor had given him to keep in his backpack. “See?”

  The flashlight helped the children find their way through the woods. Unfortunately, the light made the children see shadows everywhere, too.

  Daisy stayed close to Jessie. “I wish you’d brought your dog, Watch,” she said as everyone huddled near one another on the walk to the cabins. “Look. Now Seal Rock looks like Monster Rock again.”

  Jessie and Henry looked out over the water. They didn’t say anything right away. Indeed, now that evening was coming on, the dark, smooth rock did look like the back of some giant creature in the water.

  “It’s only the mist and the ocean moving,” Jessie said in her soothing voice, “not Monster — I mean, Seal Rock.”

  The Dolphins weren’t far from their cabins when they heard a branch crack in the woods.

  “Ooooh! What was that?” Benny said. “Did a tree fall down?”

  Jessie stepped ahead. “Watch my campers, Henry. I’ll run ahead.”

  Jessie found her own flashlight. She walked quickly for about ten feet. She noticed a broken tree branch close to Cedar Cabin. She dragged it off the path and walked back to her campers. Jessie shined her flashlight on the damp sandy path. Daisy, still nervous, was right by her side.

  “Look!” Daisy screamed.

  The other campers screamed, too. They grabbed on to Jessie’s arms and legs.

  “There, there, girls. Why are you screaming?” she asked her jittery campers.

  Daisy pointed to the ground in front of them. “Footprints! Monster footprints!”

  Jessie looked closely at the ground. She wanted to believe Daisy’s eyes were playing tricks. Then she saw what Daisy saw — huge claw prints, nearly a foot wide, one in front of the other.

  Jessie’s mind raced. She needed to stay calm for her Dolphins. She waved her flashlight around the nearby woods. She saw two pairs of eyes flash back. But they weren’t monster eyes, unless the monsters were wearing Camp Seagull T-shirts. The figures ran off into the woods.

  “Somebody played a silly trick on us so we’d scream,” Jessie said. “Sarah says one team does that at the end of the week to make the other team lose points. But it’s not supposed to happen the first few nights. Our monster didn’t come from the ocean but from Camp Seagull.

  “And we won’t scream again,” she went on. “We just have to find the monsters who played the trick.”

  When the girls arrived at their cabin, Sarah was waiting. “I didn’t find Lizzie. I thought she caught up with you. So it was you guys screaming outside. That’s what Kim said, anyway. She just raced in here to remind me to take away points for screaming.”

  “Was she wearing a camp T-shirt?” Jessie asked.

  “We’re all wearing camp T-shirts,” Sarah answered with a laugh.

  “I wish we weren’t going to lose points for screaming,” Jessie said. Then she cheered up. “I just thought of something.”

  A couple of girls pulled on Jessie’s sleeves. “What? What?” they asked.

  “If we find the person who made the monster footprints, that person’s team will lose points for scaring people,” Jessie said. “Not that we’re scared — right, Dolphins?”

  “Right!” the Dolphin girls cheered.

  CHAPTER 6

  Trouble for Jessie

  Jessie’s cabin soon sounded as if it were filled with chipmunks. The Cedar Cabin campers were settling in.

  “There you are,” Jessie said when Lizzie finally showed up for the cabin meeting. “We had a bit of excitement in the woods. Somebody tried to scare us, but we didn’t get scared — not too much, anyway. Right, girls?” Jessie asked. “Come on in, Lizzie,” Jessie continued. “Leave your sneakers outside, though. They’re all wet and sandy. And next time, stay with our cabin group, okay?”

  Lizzie stepped on the porch to remove her sneakers. When she came back, she stood in the doorway barefoot. The other girls arranged themselves on the beds and the floor close to Jessie. Lizzie stayed where she was.

  “Okay, Dolphins, let’s talk about some ideas you might have for the Big Idea Medal,” Jessie began. “I’ll write down your ideas. After that, we’ll vote on one to give Ginny and Rich.”

  “I know,” Daisy began. “We could have Be Nice Days. We would put slips of paper with our names on them in a box and choose one every day. Then we all would do nice things for that person on her day.”

  “Or at lights-out time, I could sing my favorite song,” another girl piped up. “That’s to help anyone who can’t fall asleep. My mom does that. Is that good, Jessie?”

  “It sure is. I’ll write it down on my list.”

  Jessie found a notepad and began writing the girls’ suggestions.

  “Can we write down sharing chocolate?” a girl in pigtails asked.

  The girls giggled, even Jessie.

  Lizzie Pines didn’t giggle, though. “Food is not allowed in the cabins,” she told everyone. “Junior Counselors have to know the rules.”

  “Lizzie’s right,” Jessie said. “No chocolate or any food in Cedar Cabin. Thank you, Lizzie.”

  “Where’s your trunk?” Daisy asked when she noticed Jessie only had a backpack on her bed. “Didn’t you bring one?”

  Jessie felt her whole face get red, even her ears.

  Before Jessie could explain what happened, Lizzie interrupted. “The Aldens left their stuff at the ferry. Cedar Cabin is going to lose points.”

  “What about your pj’s and teddy bear?” Daisy asked Jessie. She double-checked that her own pajamas and teddy bear were right there.

  “I’m really sorry I let you girls down by forgetting my trunk,” Jessie said. “But maybe I can help make up for it. While I was listing your ideas, I thought of a way to combine all of your suggestions into one super Big Idea.”

  “How?” some of the girls asked at the same time.

  “Me and My Buddy could be the name for all of your ideas,” Jessie said. “One camper who’s good or strong at something helps another camper who isn’t. Since everybody’s good at something, and everybody needs a little help at other things, we all get to help our Buddies or have a Buddy help us.”

  After the Dolphins added more ideas, Jessie tapped her pencil against the wooden beam over her bed. “Hear! Hear!” Jessie began. She read off the list: “ ‘Teach Someone to Make Her Bed. Teach Somebody How to Do Something Hard. Help a Friend to Not Be Afraid of the Dark.’ ”

  Jessie kept writing until her girls couldn’t think of anything else. “Those will all be part of our Me and My Buddy Big Idea.”

  The chattering started up again as the girls t
alked about who could be Buddies for each other. They didn’t notice that not everyone was still in the cabin. A few minutes later, they heard a knock on the door.

  Ginny stepped into Cedar Cabin. “Inspection.” She began to look around. She noticed how tidy everything was. All the trunks were shut. All the beds were made. All the sand and cobwebs had been swept away.

  “Nice work, Dolphins,” Ginny said. “Except for Jessie’s wayward trunk, I’m giving you full points for a perfect cabin.” Then Ginny noticed everything wasn’t quite perfect in Cedar Cabin. “Goodness, Jessie, where’s Lizzie?”

  All eyes turned to Jessie. She got up from her bed and ran to the porch. “She was here just a second ago.” Jessie looked down. Lizzie’s sneakers were gone, with Lizzie in them!

  “I’ll need to talk with you about this,” Ginny said. “I’m in a bit of a rush, but I’ll wait here a few minutes while you go find her. Check the Bogs first.”

  Jessie headed to the girls’ bathrooms. When she arrived, several of Kim’s Seals were busy filling a water bucket with soapy water. Violet spotted Jessie in the mirror.

  “Kim told us we have to wash down the cabin floor,” Violet explained. “She said we didn’t have any good activities for the Big Idea. I guess she wants us to get lots of points for making our cabin super clean. We have to hurry.”

  “Sorry,” Jessie said. “Did you happen to see Lizzie in here?”

  Violet nodded. “Not here, but she was in Birch when we all came to the Bogs. Want me to get her?”

  “No, I’ll go,” Jessie answered.

  Jessie stopped by Birch Cabin. Kim looked up. “If you’re looking for Lizzie, she left for the ferry.”

  Jessie got to the point. “We need to talk with Lizzie about not coming here without telling me. If we both talk to her, we can explain that the groups have to stay together for safety reasons.”

  “Fine,” Kim said. “But I can’t help it if she wants to be in my group and not yours. Anyway, she went to see her brother and her dad. It’s not a big deal.”

  But it did turn out to be a big deal. When Jessie came back to Cedar Cabin alone, Ginny stepped onto the porch. “Jessie, it’s time for the day campers to go back to Dark Harbor. Camp Seagull isn’t just about the Olympics. It’s also about responsibility. Lizzie is your responsibility.”

  Jessie looked down at her flip-flops. First her trunk was missing. Now one of her campers was missing. “I know. She already went to the ferry. I . . . uh . . . guess we’ll meet her there.”

  Ginny’s face grew very serious. “After the ferry leaves, ask Sarah to watch the cabin. Then please take some time to go over the rules about knowing where your campers are at all times. It’s our most important safety rule.”

  To Jessie, every word that Ginny said felt like a stone falling on her head. “I know. I’m so sorry. I’ll be much more careful.”

  Jessie walked slightly ahead of her Dolphins as they made their way to the ferry. She didn’t want them to see that she was upset.

  Henry’s group caught up with Jessie’s.

  “What’s the matter, Jessie?” Henry asked.

  Jessie took a deep breath to steady her voice. “Lizzie left the cabin without telling me. I overheard her tell Zach she wants to be in Kim’s cabin. Then I didn’t know where she was when Ginny came by. When she and Kim don’t follow the rules, I’m the one who looks like I don’t know what I’m doing, and my campers lose points, too.”

  Henry nodded. “Same here, Jessie. Only Zach’s the one who makes me feel like I shouldn’t be here — like he’s in charge of Camp Seagull or something. He won’t do anything with the Dolphins.”

  CHAPTER 7

  The Disappearing Flags

  The next day, Henry Alden didn’t need an alarm clock to wake up. When Dave Baylor, the Senior Counselor, arrived to supervise the campers in Driftwood Cabin, Henry was already up and dressed.

  “Rich was right about you Aldens being early birds,” Dave said. “I’ll make sure you get points toward the Rise and Shine Medal.”

  Henry grinned. “We could use those points. I left my trunk at the ferry in Dark Harbor,” he told Dave. “I slept in my clothes, so that saved time. I always get up early, though.”

  Dave sat down on Henry’s cot. “So does everybody around here. Just blast Rich’s tape recorder with that bugle music. I guarantee campers will jump out of their beds like bedbugs. I’ll get everybody in Driftwood Cabin around the flagpole by seven. That’s when Boo brings over the day campers on the ferry. See you.”

  Camp Seagull was still quiet when Henry walked toward Evergreen Lodge. On the way, he went by Cedar Cabin, hoping to see Jessie. Like her brother, she was an early bird.

  Sure enough, she was up and saw Henry go by. She stuck her head out the window over her bed.

  “Hi, Jess,” Henry whispered. “I see you slept in your clothes, too. I sure didn’t like having my campers find out I left my trunk in Dark Harbor. Makes me look as if I don’t know what I’m doing.”

  “I know,” Jessie said miserably. “I can’t stop thinking about last night when Ginny told me to look over the rules about watching the campers. I already know the rules. The problem is, I can’t get Lizzie and Kim to follow them. I’ll see you later.”

  Henry went to the storage room when he got to Evergreen Lodge. He found the tape recorder and an extension cord. He plugged it in and brought the recorder outside. He pressed the start button. Then he blocked both ears.

  The awful recorded bugle music drowned out the peaceful sounds of the ocean lapping in the distance. Two seagulls on the roof of Evergreen Lodge flew away in a hurry.

  Henry checked his watch, then he returned to the storage room. “Where are those flags, anyway?” Henry said to himself as he looked around. “I know I put them in here last night after the campfire.” He checked the shelves, then the closet. Nothing.

  By this time, Ginny and Rich had arrived at their office.

  “Morning, Henry,” Rich said. “Mr. Pines will be here with your trunks when the ferry arrives. After the Flag Ceremony, you can bring them to the cabins.”

  Henry still felt bad about the missing trunks. He sure didn’t want to tell the Gullens that the flags were missing, too.

  “It’ll be great to hear you blow a real bugle when your trunk gets here,” Ginny told Henry. “That tape is pretty worn out by now. Our cat hides under the bed when she hears it.”

  “So do some of our campers!” Rich said with a laugh. “Live or recorded, the bugle wake-up is a Camp Seagull tradition.”

  Ginny smiled at Henry. “You did a nice job during the Flag Ceremony after the campfire last night, Henry. This morning the campers will watch the flag-raising, then sing the Camp Seagull song.” Ginny paused. “What’s the matter, Henry? Are you nervous? Don’t be. You’ll do fine again.”

  Henry shifted from one foot to the other. “Well, you see . . . actually, I can’t find the flags right now. I remember folding them after the ceremony last night. I thought I put them away with the tape recorder. But now they’re not in the storage room.”

  Henry noticed a tiny frown pass over Ginny’s face. This was the same look she’d given the Aldens when she discovered their trunks had been left behind.

  “Oh, dear,” Ginny said quietly. “Rich and I will look around here. Run back to your cabin. See if you brought them there by mistake.”

  As campers streamed toward the flagpole, Henry dashed off to his cabin. Those flags just had to be there!

  “Where’re you going?” Henry’s Driftwood Dolphins wanted to know when they saw him going the other way.

  Jessie and Violet wanted to know the same thing when Henry passed by.

  “Henry, it’s almost seven o’clock,” Jessie said. “Did you forget something in your cabin?”

  Henry pulled Jessie to the side. “Did you notice what I did with the flags last night? I can’t find them anywhere. I’m almost a hundred percent sure I put them in Evergreen Lodge with the tape recorder. But they’r
e not there now.”

  Jessie was upset for her brother. “I feel terrible. There was so much going on that I didn’t see where you went or what you did. Sorry.”

  Zach came over to Jessie and Henry. “Your trunks are by the dock. Aren’t you supposed to be in charge of the Flag Ceremony right now?” He checked his watch. “It’s in ten minutes. Flag Ceremony is always at seven o’clock in the morning — unless Ginny and Rich changed that, too.”

  Jessie’s Dolphins looked confused by the delay. “Come along,” she said, leading her campers toward the flagpole.

  “Hurry up!” Kim ordered her group. “You can’t be late for Flag Ceremony or we’ll lose points.”

  Henry tried not to panic. Still, his heart was racing. “I have only a few minutes.” He burst into Driftwood Cabin. He checked around as best he could in the short time he had. “It’s no use. I know I didn’t bring those flags here.”

  He felt sick inside. He didn’t want to let down the whole camp. All he wanted was to set his eyes on those two flags. He wanted to listen to the hush that would come over the campers as he raised the flags to begin the day.

  He turned back toward Evergreen Lodge. His legs felt like wooden blocks. As he ran back, he had a new dark thought: The Dolphins are probably going to have a trillion points taken away from them because I lost those flags.

  When he came to the clearing, Henry saw the expectant campers waiting for him. The ferry had brought in the day campers. He saw Benny waving.

  Henry’s mind slowed down. What was he going to say to everyone? How could he tell them that, for the first time ever, Camp Seagull wouldn’t be starting the day with the Flag Ceremony?

  As he was trying to come up with the words, Jessie appeared. Trailing behind were some of the Cedar Cabin Dolphins. Jessie was grinning from ear to ear.

  “Did you find the flags?” Henry asked, barely able to get the words out.

  Daisy handed Henry two stiff posters. “Here. Jessie told us what to do. She found some poster board in the arts and crafts room, and markers, too. We drew the flags on them. The flags aren’t very pretty. We only had time to draw a bunch of lines.”