was in her backpack, she wouldn’t be able to charge it until she went home and used the spare.
Although her backpack was nowhere to be seen, she did locate Byron the Destructor behind a rock. “There you are,” she said fondly, brushing off a couple of ants crawling on his forehead.
Her phone and stuffed cat hadn’t made it so far on their own. How had she gotten back to camp by morning?
She gazed around at the surrounding forest. One of the trees looked strange. There were gashes in the bark like deep, parallel knife cuts. Or claw marks.
Rylie touched the silvery scars on her chest. Claws.
“What are you doing here?”
A man approached from amongst the trees. He was overwhelmingly tall and broad, like a brick wall come to life. He had angry, slanted eyes and a Camp Golden Lake t-shirt. His yellow hair was shorn close to the scalp.
“I dropped my phone on a hike the other day,” she said, holding up the pieces to illustrate.
“Hiking? Out here?” he demanded, eyes flashing.
Rylie started to shrink back, but something growling deep within her consciousness told her to stand her ground. “Is that a problem?”
“Girls aren’t allowed on the Golden Lake side of the mountain.”
“Oh yeah? And who are you?”
He ignored her question. “What group are you in?”
“Group B.”
He yanked her back onto the trail by the elbow. Rylie tried to shake him off, but his grip was like an iron shackle. “Don’t you know better than to wander off alone?”
“I guess not,” she said. “Let go of me!”
His hand tightened in response. He marched her back to Camp Silver Brook. His stride was much longer than hers, so it was hard to keep up. She kept stumbling.
“Slow down!” Rylie demanded, squirming.
“No.”
He took her straight to the Group B campsite as if he had been there before. Louise nearly collapsed with relief when she saw Rylie. “Thank God!” she said. “Are you okay? Where did you go?”
“I found her on the other side of the lake.” He finally released Rylie’s arm, and she rubbed her elbow. She could still feel his fingers digging into her skin.
“You found her on—oh Rylie, what were you doing over there?”
“I was looking for my backpack.”
“I’m sorry, Jericho,” Louise said. “I’ll take care of her.”
“I’ll see you around, Rylie.” Something about the way Jericho said her name sent chills down her spine.
Rylie followed Louise into the cabin, and sat on the edge of her bed when the counselor pointed. “The usual punishment for crossing over to Camp Golden Lake is confinement to your cabin and restriction from activities for a few days, but that wouldn’t work on you, would it?”
“You can confine me if you want,” Rylie said, grinning.
“That’s what I thought.” Louise shut her eyes and massaged her temples. Rylie got the impression she was silently counting to ten. “Tell me the truth. Are you planning on running off again?”
“No,” she said honestly. What good would it do? She wouldn’t find her clothing or the rest of her belongings if she went back to search a dozen times. The forest was too thick.
“I’ll explain your situation to Jericho. What am I going to do with you?” Louise asked. Rylie shrugged. “Fine. Stay here for the rest of the day. Did you at least find what you hoped you would find?”
“I guess.”
She left, and Rylie curled up on her bed to gaze out the loft window. Everyone else was in the middle of the afternoon activity, and Rylie was grateful to be alone with her thoughts.
Someone stood out amongst the trees. She sat up to get a better look. It was a boy with dark hair, wide shoulders, and a black tank top—Seth. Rylie leaped off her cot and hurried down the ladder, racing around the side of the cabin.
“Seth! I need to talk to you!”
But he was nowhere to be
Although her backpack was nowhere to be seen, she did locate Byron the Destructor behind a rock. “There you are,” she said fondly, brushing off a couple of ants crawling on his forehead.
Her phone and stuffed cat hadn’t made it so far on their own. How had she gotten back to camp by morning?
She gazed around at the surrounding forest. One of the trees looked strange. There were gashes in the bark like deep, parallel knife cuts. Or claw marks.
Rylie touched the silvery scars on her chest. Claws.
“What are you doing here?”
A man approached from amongst the trees. He was overwhelmingly tall and broad, like a brick wall come to life. He had angry, slanted eyes and a Camp Golden Lake t-shirt. His yellow hair was shorn close to the scalp.
“I dropped my phone on a hike the other day,” she said, holding up the pieces to illustrate.
“Hiking? Out here?” he demanded, eyes flashing.
Rylie started to shrink back, but something growling deep within her consciousness told her to stand her ground. “Is that a problem?”
“Girls aren’t allowed on the Golden Lake side of the mountain.”
“Oh yeah? And who are you?”
He ignored her question. “What group are you in?”
“Group B.”
He yanked her back onto the trail by the elbow. Rylie tried to shake him off, but his grip was like an iron shackle. “Don’t you know better than to wander off alone?”
“I guess not,” she said. “Let go of me!”
His hand tightened in response. He marched her back to Camp Silver Brook. His stride was much longer than hers, so it was hard to keep up. She kept stumbling.
“Slow down!” Rylie demanded, squirming.
“No.”
He took her straight to the Group B campsite as if he had been there before. Louise nearly collapsed with relief when she saw Rylie. “Thank God!” she said. “Are you okay? Where did you go?”
“I found her on the other side of the lake.” He finally released Rylie’s arm, and she rubbed her elbow. She could still feel his fingers digging into her skin.
“You found her on—oh Rylie, what were you doing over there?”
“I was looking for my backpack.”
“I’m sorry, Jericho,” Louise said. “I’ll take care of her.”
“I’ll see you around, Rylie.” Something about the way Jericho said her name sent chills down her spine.
Rylie followed Louise into the cabin, and sat on the edge of her bed when the counselor pointed. “The usual punishment for crossing over to Camp Golden Lake is confinement to your cabin and restriction from activities for a few days, but that wouldn’t work on you, would it?”
“You can confine me if you want,” Rylie said, grinning.
“That’s what I thought.” Louise shut her eyes and massaged her temples. Rylie got the impression she was silently counting to ten. “Tell me the truth. Are you planning on running off again?”
“No,” she said honestly. What good would it do? She wouldn’t find her clothing or the rest of her belongings if she went back to search a dozen times. The forest was too thick.
“I’ll explain your situation to Jericho. What am I going to do with you?” Louise asked. Rylie shrugged. “Fine. Stay here for the rest of the day. Did you at least find what you hoped you would find?”
“I guess.”
She left, and Rylie curled up on her bed to gaze out the loft window. Everyone else was in the middle of the afternoon activity, and Rylie was grateful to be alone with her thoughts.
Someone stood out amongst the trees. She sat up to get a better look. It was a boy with dark hair, wide shoulders, and a black tank top—Seth. Rylie leaped off her cot and hurried down the ladder, racing around the side of the cabin.
“Seth! I need to talk to you!”
But he was nowhere to be
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