Tips for Taking Over Summer Camp Chapter 22: No Silver Platters Filled with Water, Food, or Camp

Chapter Twenty-Two: No Silver Platters Filled with Water, Food, or Camp

The air was thick with the scent of mud and the road was plagued by deep tire tracks. Some of them were filled with brown water from a recent rain and there was no choice but to accidentally step into some of them. Our shoes were soaked within an hour and our feet were beginning to feel the cold, numb pain of our damp feet.

The day was almost over. The sky was washed with a burning crimson that lit up the tiny pools, making the water look like it had been replaced by pure light. The trees around us were turning darker. Shadows zigzagged along their trunks, curving around the branches and covering the leaves.

Link and I were both draped in the constant noise of the water sloshing and squishing around in our shoes. It was uncomfortable, yes, but it was better than that strange bird’s call filling me with worries.

Link hadn’t done a single Rowan-like thing since we got onto the road, which was great for me because I didn’t think that I needed any more stress put onto me that day. But that didn’t stop me from wondering what has been wrong with him.

Is that what being alone for a few hours does to people? I thought. But that couldn’t be. When I was five, I had lost my favorite stuffed toy, a huge grey elephant with cerulean, heart-shaped ears. My parents and I had spent hours looking for it, but I fell into a laundry basket and had stayed there, unable to climb out. It had been at least a couple of hours before my parents heard my cries and rescued me.

It’s only a few hours. It’s not that much time, really. But what if there is really something in there? I gulped at the thought. And if there is, what did they do to Link?

I toyed with the idea of asking him again what had happened, but I didn’t want to set him off again.

“Molly?” Link said, breaking my thoughts.

“Y-yes?” I replied, a little nervous that he would freak out again.

“I’m thirsty.”

I sighed silently and stopped walking. Not this again! “There’s water on he road.”

He stopped a couple of meters behind me. “But that’s dirty.”

“I was joking.”

“You didn’t make it sound th—“

“Whatever!” I looked around, trying to see if I could spot a stream between the trees.

“But I’m thirsty!”

“I know.”

“And I want water.”

“Well what am I supposed to do about it?”

There was a pause before Link spoke again. “Get me water?”

I rolled my eyes. “From where? There’s no stream nearby. Or how about that invisible convenience store over there? Would you like me to get some water from there? Oh! How about that fancy restaurant right beside it? And while I’m at it, why don’t I serve it to you on a silver platter? Huh? How would you like that?!”

“I just want water, ok?” Link whined, not appearing to be affected emotionally by my outburst.

I let out a cry of frustration and stomped away from Link. I didn’t care that I needed to bring him back. I didn’t care that I could get kicked out of camp if I didn’t. And I seriously didn’t care what Link would do if I left him. I kind of hoped that he would get attacked by that strange bird or whatever had happened to him would happen to him again and he would never come back to CALAC. I never wanted to see his stupid face or hear his whiny voice again.

Why would anyone want to find him in the first place? What a mistake that was.

~

The sky was starting to turn a majestic cobalt and tiny stars like dots glitter were beginning to appear in the sky. The only sounds were crickets singing from within the depths of the forest and my wet shoes slapping the ground at a steady, quick rhythm. I still hadn’t looked back to see if Link was following me, but my wishes of him being eaten by a bear or something kept me from turning my head.

Where is camp? I began to wonder. I should have probably arrived by now…

A sudden flapping of wings forced me to spin around. There was nothing. Not even Link. I looked around a bit more, but there was nothing other than darkness-covered trees.

I gave the area one final look before I resumed walking.

A few minutes later, my stomach let out a loud growl that vibrated my whole body. I could feel the emptiness of hunger enveloping me and I remembered that I hadn’t eaten since lunch. And how long ago was that?

“I hope CALAC is close by,” I remarked.

But then I stopped in my tracks and stared at what was before me open-mouthed. My arms dropped lifelessly to my sides and tears began welling up in my eyes.

I was standing in front of a dead-end.

The road had ended.