Chapter 1
As Jessica drove up the stony forest road, she saw Carol
hanging several Christmas lights around the porch of her little hut in the
middle of the woods. But it wasn’t even Christmas. In fact, it was the
beginning of the summer. In a few days Camp Duncan was due to open for the
season and children would soon be running all over the place. Jessica had
worked at the camp for several years in college and was anticipating her second
year working there since graduating from a little community school in her
hometown Montana. Mainly, she wanted to prove herself to Carol as a good
co-director for the camp. Plus, she could do with the money.
Carol’s sleepy and sunken eyes offset her bright, though wrinkly and old,
smile. She waved a 60-year-old hand at Jessica, who had just parked on the
grass out in front of the mess hall. The trees were so thick of leaves and
seemed to make tweets that came from the annoying birds.
“We’re expecting the first kids this afternoon!” Carol hollered. Her drawl was
thicker than Jessica’s.
“Want me to take the girls to their tents right away or are we meeting in the
armory first?” Jessica asked.
A
rusty Chevy pulled up before Jessica could get an answer. She recognized the
car straight away and had been waiting for this moment for months. Kayla, the
chubbiest of the other troubled girls, had a perfect disposition and openness
about her. Jessica knew it was bad to have favorites but she couldn’t help it.
This was why Jessica felt like she had a mini-me around the camp. They were
very similar.
Kayla yanked a large purple duffle bag over her shoulders and hugged Jessica.
What a pleasant girl. Why is she even here?
Jessica thought about it. The camp was intended for the
troubled teens from all over Montana. Especially near the Duncan Lake area. And
they were all referred to the camp, so who could’ve referred Kayla and what
could she have done? She only remembered Kayla first arriving last year and
admitting to pushing a smaller girl down, but that was a silly story in
Jessica’s mind.
A
few other girls arrived and were directed by Carol to follow the dirt path to
the log armory closer to the little lake’s beach. Carol then pulled Jessica
aside.
“There may not be as many girls this year.”
“Not as many referrals?” Jessica asked.
“I hear there’s another place opening up closer to the highway but still down
the road a bit,” Carol answered. She wiped what looked like spaghetti sauce on
her jeans and ratty, plaid button down shirt. “And, by the way, our little
ranch hand Sandy went and got herself engaged, so she ain’t returning. I’m afraid
you’ll have to do that.”
Crap.
Now Jessica had to work double duty after taking the
girls to ride horses and then work at the beach.
“What do we gotta do?” Jessica wondered aloud, partly referring to the camp processions
and partly referring to the competition nearby.
Carol sighed, “It’s just a ranch, I hear. Probably nothin’ to worry about.”
Later in the afternoon, Carol and Jessica gathered the girls together to take
attendance. They went about the normal proceedings of separating the girls into
‘troupes’ as they called it, pointing in the directions within the woods where
each troupe’s tent would be. Jessica saw on her clipboard of names and
schedules that Kayla was settled in the tent nearest to her own bunking, which
was just a small log cabin adorned with a twin bed and shelves.
Carol and Jessica watched some of the girls grunt and haul their bags through
the trees. Once no one was in site, Carol’s small frail frame leaned towards
Jessica’s
As Jessica drove up the stony forest road, she saw Carol
hanging several Christmas lights around the porch of her little hut in the
middle of the woods. But it wasn’t even Christmas. In fact, it was the
beginning of the summer. In a few days Camp Duncan was due to open for the
season and children would soon be running all over the place. Jessica had
worked at the camp for several years in college and was anticipating her second
year working there since graduating from a little community school in her
hometown Montana. Mainly, she wanted to prove herself to Carol as a good
co-director for the camp. Plus, she could do with the money.
Carol’s sleepy and sunken eyes offset her bright, though wrinkly and old,
smile. She waved a 60-year-old hand at Jessica, who had just parked on the
grass out in front of the mess hall. The trees were so thick of leaves and
seemed to make tweets that came from the annoying birds.
“We’re expecting the first kids this afternoon!” Carol hollered. Her drawl was
thicker than Jessica’s.
“Want me to take the girls to their tents right away or are we meeting in the
armory first?” Jessica asked.
A
rusty Chevy pulled up before Jessica could get an answer. She recognized the
car straight away and had been waiting for this moment for months. Kayla, the
chubbiest of the other troubled girls, had a perfect disposition and openness
about her. Jessica knew it was bad to have favorites but she couldn’t help it.
This was why Jessica felt like she had a mini-me around the camp. They were
very similar.
Kayla yanked a large purple duffle bag over her shoulders and hugged Jessica.
What a pleasant girl. Why is she even here?
Jessica thought about it. The camp was intended for the
troubled teens from all over Montana. Especially near the Duncan Lake area. And
they were all referred to the camp, so who could’ve referred Kayla and what
could she have done? She only remembered Kayla first arriving last year and
admitting to pushing a smaller girl down, but that was a silly story in
Jessica’s mind.
A
few other girls arrived and were directed by Carol to follow the dirt path to
the log armory closer to the little lake’s beach. Carol then pulled Jessica
aside.
“There may not be as many girls this year.”
“Not as many referrals?” Jessica asked.
“I hear there’s another place opening up closer to the highway but still down
the road a bit,” Carol answered. She wiped what looked like spaghetti sauce on
her jeans and ratty, plaid button down shirt. “And, by the way, our little
ranch hand Sandy went and got herself engaged, so she ain’t returning. I’m afraid
you’ll have to do that.”
Crap.
Now Jessica had to work double duty after taking the
girls to ride horses and then work at the beach.
“What do we gotta do?” Jessica wondered aloud, partly referring to the camp processions
and partly referring to the competition nearby.
Carol sighed, “It’s just a ranch, I hear. Probably nothin’ to worry about.”
Later in the afternoon, Carol and Jessica gathered the girls together to take
attendance. They went about the normal proceedings of separating the girls into
‘troupes’ as they called it, pointing in the directions within the woods where
each troupe’s tent would be. Jessica saw on her clipboard of names and
schedules that Kayla was settled in the tent nearest to her own bunking, which
was just a small log cabin adorned with a twin bed and shelves.
Carol and Jessica watched some of the girls grunt and haul their bags through
the trees. Once no one was in site, Carol’s small frail frame leaned towards
Jessica’s
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