by Wendi Wilson
I shook my head as the banished tingles returned. “I just did what I would do for anybody.”
True laughed. “Then you better be careful with those pre-teen boys! Come on. Lunch is calling my name.” She cupped a hand to her mouth. “True? True? Where art thou?”
I let her drag me toward the mess hall but couldn’t help but glance over my shoulder toward the nurse’s station. And I wondered why every interaction I had just dug up more questions about the secrets hiding in Camp Shadow Lake.
Chapter Thirteen
“This place is like a kid’s birthday party on steroids.”
I chuckled at True’s assessment as kids swarmed around us. The campers were running and shouting, greeting old friends they hadn’t seen since last summer, a few of the younger ones even hugging some of the counselors. There was an overwhelming excitement that almost made me forget about all the weirdness of the last week.
Almost.
I spotted Sarah standing alone in the shade of the barn, her lips turned down as she observed the chaos. Her expression deepened into one of disgust as her eyes followed the kids running all over in wild abandon. But that didn’t make any sense. If she hated kids so much, why would she work here?
“Well, speak of the devil,” True said, jerking her head to the right.
My eyes followed the movement, landing on a very hot, very uncomfortable looking counselor surrounded by prepubescent girls who were vying for his attention.
“We were not speaking about Levi, so that phrase doesn’t apply,” I deadpanned.
“Oh, maybe you’re right,” True answered, her gaze never straying from the adorable scene of Levi trying to extract himself from the fawning girls. “I was having a silent conversation with myself. In my head, we were talking about the sexual tension that ramped up between you and Mr. Kass in the nurse’s station yesterday. Va-va-voom.”
That last bit was uttered in a low, growly voice that made heat rise to my face. I elbowed her in the ribs, making her grunt with surprise.
“There was no tension, sexual or otherwise,” I protested, lifting my chin as if daring her to argue.
She shook her head but held her tongue. We both knew I was lying. The tension between Levi and me was so thick you could cut it with a knife. And while the reason behind it might be slightly sexual on my side, I was sure that was not the case for him.
Not that it matters, I reminded myself.
I was done bearing the brunt of his mood swings. Bubbly Piper and Cool Piper were gone. I’d transformed into Badass Piper, and she was here to stay. At least, I thought she was until a boy who couldn’t have been more than eight years old walked up and tugged on my shirt.
I squatted down, bringing myself to his level, and offered him a smile. He had sandy hair, a face full of freckles, and a shy grin that revealed several missing teeth.
“Hey, buddy. What’s your name?” I asked.
“Johnny,” he replied, his cheeks turning pink.
“Nice to meet you, Johnny. I’m Piper,” I said, shaking his small hand. “What can I do for you?”
“I just wanted to tell you you’re the prettiest girl I ever seen,” he blurted, then darted away and disappeared into a group of similarly-aged boys who were all looking my way and laughing.
“Uh-oh, Levi has some competition.”
“Stop it,” I said, narrowing my eyes at a laughing True. “I’m sure those boys dared him to do that. And Levi… well, he wouldn’t care either way.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure,” she replied, her eyes cutting back to where Levi stood.
I followed her stare, my eyes landing on the guy in question just in time to see him jerk his own gaze away. He turned and stalked away from his simpering pre-teen admirers, jogging up the steps to the dean’s office and disappearing inside.
“And I think you’re wrong,” True said, pulling my attention back to her.
“Wrong about what?”
“Little Johnny,” she said, the corners of her mouth turning up, “and the rest of those boys practically have hearts in their eyes. They’ve been staring at you and nudging each other for the last twenty minutes or so.”
“They’re cute,” I said.
“Cute enough to make you-know-who jealous,” she concurred.
“True, stop,” I ordered. “He is not jealous, especially over a ten second conversation with a child.”
“You keep telling yourself that, Piper Williams. But I’m observant, and I see things. When you smiled at that kid, Levi stumbled like someone punched him in the gut. Do not doubt it, my friend—he wants you.”
“Welcome to Camp Shadow Lake.”
Dean Purty’s voice, amplified through two booming speakers cut off our conversation. True gave me a look that assured me we’d be revisiting the topic, then turned her attention to the man in charge, who was standing on a raised platform near the mess hall. He introduced each of the counselors, then instructed the girls to head to the female cabins while the boys stayed put.
We each had a list with our assigned campers, and it would be easier to sort them out once they were separated. True and I headed down the path toward Saka’am and the other cabins, following behind Sarah, Miranda, Analise, and Micah. I could hear the loud babble of a few dozen girls gaining on us from behind.
When we reached the cabins, we formed a loose semicircle out front and waited for the campers to gather in and quiet down. When the chattering didn’t stop after several minutes, Sarah let out a long, loud whistle. Silence dropped around us, quickly broken by the blonde’s firm, impatient voice.
“Listen up, meat sacks. You’re going to stand still and be quiet until you hear your name. Once you do, you will go stand in line in front of your assigned cabin without making a sound. Do you understand me?”
Holy shit. Sarah was freaking scary. And what was up with her calling the kids meat sacks? It didn’t even make sense, yet somehow she’d managed to make it sound like the gravest insult.
Apparently, it worked, because not a soul made a peep as she began calling out the names from her list. I watched as the girls moved to line up in front of Sarah and Miranda’s assigned cabin, looks of disappointment and angst on their young faces. They were not happy to be stuck with Sarah as their leader all summer. I didn’t blame them.
Analise and Micah called out their names next. This left a group of a dozen twelve and thirteen-year-olds standing in front of True and me. By tacit agreement, we motioned them toward Saka’am, where we would get them inside and take roll away from the stabbing gazes of Sarah and Micah—who were still shooting eye daggers at me.
By the time we got them settled and unpacked, the girls were gushing about how awesome True and I were and how happy they were to be in our cabin. True assured them that we were, indeed, awesome while I silently thanked the stars Sarah was such a raging bitch. Her nastiness may have saved me from two weeks of dealing with snide, smart-assed teenagers. They loved us, so I was sure they’d be on their best behavior for us.
At least, I hoped so. If not, I could threaten to switch their cabins. Sarah was making my job easy.
At any rate, we were off to an excellent start, and my fears about dealing with hormonal, my-body-is-changing-so-I‘m-allowed-to-be-an-asshole teen girls were pretty much abolished. If things continued to go this well, I could see this being a great summer.
Getting out of my comfort zone, away from the daily reminders of what happened to Dad and spending the summer here, having fun with True and a bunch of campers could be cathartic if I let it.
That healing outweighs Sarah’s cattiness, Micah’s silent threats, and whatever weird back and forth I have going on with Levi, I assured myself.
It’s what Mom and Dr. Whitley wanted for me. It’s what Dad would have wanted, too. A fun, free summer to discover who I was now. To combine the bubbly, the cool, and the badass versions of myself with Normal, Everyday Piper and come out the other side a brand new me.
“Well, that went downhill fast,�
�� I mumbled to myself as we headed to the mess hall for dinner.
Apparently, the campers agreeing that True and I were the best didn’t mean they were going to agree on anything else. Arguments broke out over the stupidest things, like someone breathing too loud or a girl dangling her leg off the top bunk in another girl’s face.
True and I would get one scuffle sorted out only to find another one happening a few bunks down. I hoped it was just a first-day thing, and the girls would settle into the routine of camp and learn to respect each other’s wishes and personal space.
The noise level in the mess hall could be classified as a dull roar, with kids chattering, dishes clanking, and benches scraping along the floor. Our girls headed straight for the chow line, grabbing trays of food before sliding onto the benches at the last empty table. As True and I grabbed our own trays, I let my eyes drift across the room.
Harris, the farm hand, sat by himself in a corner, but he seemed happy watching the ruckus. Counselors sat with their assigned groups, smiling as the kids talked and laughed while shoving hot dogs and fries into their mouths. A warm feeling washed over me at everyone so happy to see each other, and I regained some of that positivity I’d felt earlier.
Then my eyes landed on Sarah and Miranda’s table. The blonde sat at one end while Miranda, with her flaming red hair, porcelain skin, and haughty disposition sat at the other. Between them, twelve young girls ate quietly, keeping their eyes downcast with deep frowns marring their faces.
“Poor kids,” True said, nudging me toward our table after I’d stopped moving to stare.
“Was she like this last year?” I asked as we slid onto a bench next to each other.
“Not this bad,” she admitted. “She was bitchy, sure, but this is a whole ‘nother level.”
“I wonder if something happened,” I mused, not really expecting an answer.
“I don’t know,” True said, “but I feel sorry for those poor girls. They’re what? Ten years old? They’re never going to want to come back here after being under Sarah’s thumb for two whole weeks. Miranda’s not much better.”
I let my eyes drift across the faces at our own table. The girls seemed happy, whatever tiffs they’d had back at the cabin long-forgotten. I felt bad for Sarah’s girls, but there was nothing I could do about it. She had seniority, and who was I to try to make her change the way she was behaving? I wanted to help, but I wasn’t suicidal.
Chef Chloe appeared through the swinging doors behind the chow line, her blue eyes surveying her territory before pausing somewhere over on my right. My head tilted as I watched her walk purposely across the crowded hall, stopping next to Sarah and whispering something in her ear. Sarah nodded, then rose and followed Chef Chloe back across the mess hall and through those doors.
“What was that all about?” I wondered aloud.
“What?” True asked, looking around to see what I meant.
“Nothing,” I said, making a decision. I wasn’t just going to sit around and let things happen this time. “You got this for a few minutes? I need to use the bathroom.”
She nodded with a shrug and I rose, heading for the front entrance. Once outside, I cut to the right and skirted the building, looking for a back entrance. The sky was brilliant with shades of orange, pink, and purple, giving me just enough light to see as I picked my way through the rocks and weeds.
I found the back door, and as I wrapped my fingers around the knob, a high-pitched whimper froze me in my tracks. I pressed my ear to the wooden panel, but all I could make out was a light scuffle and the murmur of voices.
Fear lanced through me, as potent as it was unexplainable. I had no concrete reason to be afraid, yet something inside me—some deep-rooted instinct that thrived in my gut—told me I should be terrified. Unable to drown out the internal warning bells, I eased away from the door.
I took a few steps back, my gaze darting from left to right as I tried to decide what to do. I knew I should just leave. I could mind my business, go back to my seat and finish my hot dog while True made inappropriate comments just to see the girls blush. Life would go on, and I would be safe.
I looked back at the door. Somebody on the other side was not safe. That’s what my gut was telling me, and I couldn’t bring myself to ignore it. Taking a few deep breaths, I summoned Badass Piper and stepped forward. As my fingers brushed the doorknob, I saw it.
A little further down, there was a window. I crept away from the door and picked my way through a few weed-infested cinder blocks. The window was too high for me to look through, but there was light filtering through the dirty panes.
Peeking through a window seemed like a safer plan than busting through the door, and the raw fear in my belly eased a little as I made the decision. Grabbing a cinder block, I quietly dragged it to the wall just underneath the window. Stepping onto it, I stretched up slowly to peek inside, but I still wasn’t high enough.
I stepped down and grabbed a second block, stacking it on top of the first. My balance was precarious— the bricks wobbled beneath my weight—but I managed to stay upright as I slowly raised my head high enough to see through the window.
The glass panes were foggy with age, but I was able to make out three figures inside what looked like a tiny storeroom lined with shelves. I leaned to the left, hoping for a clearer view, and the bricks shifted beneath me. I gripped the windowsill for support and managed to maintain my position with a sigh of relief.
I refocused on the scene inside the small room, my brain not really registering what my eyes were seeing. I could make out Chef Chloe and Sarah standing side-by-side in front of a chair. Perched in the seat was a child. Was that… Johnny?
What in the actual hell?
Chef Chloe was saying something, but all I could hear was the low drone of her voice—not any actual words. Johnny listened intently, his face lax and dreamy-looking, like he was on the verge of falling asleep. As I watched, he nodded slowly, his eyes falling closed.
Sarah leapt forward, a ferocious growl vibrating in my ears at the same moment. In reflex, my body jerked backwards, and I lost my balance. The cinder blocks shifted again, and I was falling. Every muscle in my body tensed, preparing for impact.
But before I crashed into the sea of dirt, rocks, weeds, and cinder blocks, everything went black. A half-beat later, the world shifted, and I was somewhere else, entirely.
I was lying on a floor made of smooth boards. I could feel the grain of the wood beneath my fingers, smell the oil used to make it shine. A tremendous weight landed on top of me, unrelenting and suffocating, and despite my best efforts, I couldn’t push it off.
I bucked my hips and tried to roll the weight off of me, but it was no use. My blood froze in my veins as a face suddenly loomed over me. The features were distorted, and I blinked a few times to try to clear my vision. But it was no use. I couldn’t see who it was.
I fought harder, trying to dislodge the attacker on top of me, kicking my useless feet and scratching with useless fingernails. Dark laughter rang in my ears before pain exploded in my neck. I screamed and thrashed with all my might, but the pain only intensified.
Within moments, I felt like I was floating, drifting up and away from my body toward a ceiling with rustic, exposed beams.
Was I… dying?
I turned my head in an effort to look down, but it wouldn’t budge. Try as I might, I couldn’t look back at the carnage I was sure remained of my broken body.
“Piper!”
A flash of white pain exploded in my head, and I groaned. Rocks and sticks were poking me in the ass, my ankle was throbbing, and I felt a strong urge to throw up.
“What happened? Are you okay?”
The deep voice sounded familiar, but my fuzzy head couldn’t pinpoint whose it was. A fresh wave of pain coursed through my skull as if I was thinking too hard, and I groaned again. The sound only made the throbbing worse.
Suddenly, a face appeared above mine, and I remembered my nightmare. That face. It
was him.
An ear-splitting scream burst from my lips, and I descended into darkness.
Chapter Fourteen
“Johnny!”
I woke up screaming, my heart pounding so hard I could feel it throbbing in my fingertips. My body lurched up, and my eyes popped open as every system in my body prepared to fight or run.
There was an attack. The boy… They were hurting him… And then…
Visions swirled in my head as I stared at my surroundings. I’d been at the back of the mess hall peering in the window, yet I was definitely somewhere else now. This room was almost completely dark, no windows, no discernable light. The air smelled musty as if there was little circulation. Beneath me, a soft material—a mattress perhaps—squeaked as I tried to feel my way off of it.
“Piper?” Footsteps headed in my direction.
“Stay back!” I held out my hands to defend myself as a lamp clicked on.
Light momentarily blinded me. Squinting against the sudden brightness, I glanced up to find Levi standing beside my bed. Terror and confusion warred in my chest as I lurched back.
“Don’t come any closer,” I shrieked.
Levi brought me here and put me in this bed? The implications of that made my mind whirl. Had he done something to me? No. I didn’t think so. But he’d been there at the mess hall, hadn’t he? Or was that a dream? Everything swirled in my brain, muddying the colors and making the truth of what actually occurred so hard to discern.
I touched my head and winced, finding a goose egg growing on the back of my skull.
Levi held up his hands and backed up a few steps, bumping into a bookshelf beside a dusty concrete wall. “It’s okay. I didn’t bring you here to hurt you.”
“Where am I?” I asked, doing a quick inventory of the room. It was small and low-ceilinged. The walls and floor were made of cinder blocks, the ceiling some sort of metal that had rusted and warped over time. Still, it seemed solid enough.