by P. J. Night
She scrambled back, prepared to jump up and run, but her feet slid on the slick grass. She lay there, splayed out, as the floor groaned once again. Then it stopped, and there was a cr-e-e-eaaak. . . .
The door was opening all the way.
Out of the shadows, a figure appeared . . . and Sam felt dizzy with relief.
It was Dennis. He stepped out and stood above her, smiling, and offered her his hand. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. Are you okay? Here.”
Sam closed her eyes for moment and let her heart relax. Then finally she took his hand. A tingle stung her the instant that their fingertips met. “Ouch!” she gasped.
“Sorry,” she mumbled as she let him gently help her to her feet. The sting had died away. Sam realized she wasn’t so mad anymore; she was far more embarrassed. She’d only seen Dennis twice so far, and both times he’d found her on the verge of freaking out. She hated to imagine what a timid, nervous, scaredy-cat he thought she was.
She tried to laugh as she stood there brushing the back of her shorts. “You must think I’m such a spaz. I swear, I’m not usually this jumpy,” she said. “Seriously. I love haunted houses!”
“You do?” He gazed at her and grinned.
“Oh yeah. The scarier the better. And scary movies, too. My sister and I watch them all time—well, not at camp, of course. It might be the only thing we have in common.” She thought of Ali and wrung her hands. “Anyway, I just want you to know, I usually have a very high tolerance for fear,” she told Dennis. Then she looked around and humbly smiled. “I guess there’s just something about feeling like you’re all alone out here in the woods. Do you know what I mean?”
He slowly nodded in reply. The corners of his mouth were still turned up, but the smile had drained from his eyes. “I do,” he said, very softly. “That’s why it’s so great that you came back.”
“Yeah?” Sam could feel herself blushing. The words sounded so nice. But they also made her confused. “You know, I looked for you at the dance last night,” she told him. “I waited and waited, thinking you’d come. I mean . . .” She looked down at her feet. “Yesterday it sounded like you liked me. Remember all those things you said? But then, well, when you weren’t at the dance, all I could think was I had it all wrong.”
“But I do like you!” he said quickly.
“Well, you have a funny way of showing it,” she said.
“I’m really, really sorry. Really sorry,” he replied.
Sam waited for more information. A good excuse would have been nice. But it didn’t seem to be coming. “Well, where were you?” she finally asked.
His eyes left her for the first time to stare, slightly puzzled, into space. Then they returned, and he rubbed his middle. “Stomach,” he explained. “It must have been the meatballs. I thought I was going to die,” he joked.
“Really?”
He nodded.
“Meatballs?”
“Well I guess it could have been anything.” He shrugged. “It wouldn’t be the first time either, by the way,” he went on. “You think being in the woods by yourself is scary, try eating the food at Hiawatha sometime.”
“The blondies weren’t bad,” she told him.
“Well, then I’m sure they had those brought in. Believe me.” He leaned in closer and took her hands in his. “If I could have been there, Sam, I would have. But there was just no way on earth.”
A spark zipped through her once more, and she paused to let it settle down. Finally, she found her own smile. “Then I’m glad you’re better now.”
So he hadn’t stood her up. Ali had been wrong. The thought warmed her from the inside. She wasn’t half as chilly anymore.
“I’m really sorry, Sam,” he told her. He lightly squeezed her hands. “I wanted to see you, and if I could have been there, I would have. I swear.”
“I wish I’d known.” Sam sighed. “You know, I asked about you. I thought I’d find someone who knew you. But it was weird. No one did.”
He cocked his head. “Really? That is weird,” he said. But his shrug seemed to say that he didn’t really care. “They were probably just pranking you,” he added.
“I did see your picture, though,” said Sam.
“My picture?” His ardent smile disappeared.
She giggled. “It wasn’t really your picture. But some relative who looks just like you, I guess.”
“Oh.” He nodded slowly, though he still looked unsure.
“I’m talking about the camp pictures, you know? In the mess hall? There was one guy who looked exactly like you from ten years ago. You must know who I’m talking about. Who was it?” she asked. “Your older brother? It looked like Hiawatha’s had a lot of Shaws, hasn’t it?”
“Yeah, you can say that again.” Dennis’s voice was flat, his face without expression. “You can also say that when you’re a Shaw, you don’t have much choice about it. I tried to put off coming as long as I could, but my parents finally made me. So I guess I showed them.” He was still holding Sam’s hands, but he seemed to have forgotten she was there. Then he suddenly caught her staring. “Huh, sorry.” He coughed and grinned. “Who cares about Shaws and all that stuff? Let’s talk about us, Sam,” he said.
Us. Sam couldn’t help it. Her knees felt instantly weak. She’d never been part of an “us” talk before, and it sounded so sweet.
“You’re very special, Sam,” Dennis told her. His voice was cheerful once more, but intense. “I like you a lot. Tell me, can you see us being together forever? Because I can,” he declared.
Sam was speechless. Together. Forever. The words were too much to take in. But Dennis didn’t seem to need an answer.
“I know! Let me make the dance up to you tonight,” he said.
“Tonight?”
“Yes. It’ll be perfect. Tonight’s the full moon. We can have our own dance. Just you and me, Sam. It’ll be so much fun!”
“Yes!” came out of her mouth before she could think of the reasons for “no.” But as soon as it did, she bit her lip. Sneak out tonight for a dance in the middle of the woods? It was absolutely, positively, completely ludicrous.
“What’s wrong?” Dennis asked.
“Oh, well, you know.” She smiled weakly. “It’s just soooo against the rules.”
“So?”
Sam gazed up, not sure if his voice had asked the question or if it had only been his eyes.
So, she thought, if Gwen or anyone finds out, I will be in the biggest trouble of my life.
She wouldn’t be sent home, of course, since her parents were coming the very next day. But what would they say when they found out? Sam would surely be grounded for what was left of the summer and probably for the rest of her life! And what would the camp do? She wouldn’t get to be a CIT, that was for sure. She might not even get to come back next summer. The risks were obviously huge. But then, as Dennis gazed at her with his mesmerizing eyes, another thought pushed that one aside. Sam had spent her whole life obeying rules and doing “the right thing.” Maybe now it was finally time to start following her heart. The one and only rule she’d broken had led her to Dennis after all. And how often did you meet a sweet, gorgeous boy who could imagine being together forever with you? Not very often!
Of course, it was hard to imagine how that would work. Where did he live, anyway? Sam almost asked. But what did it matter? she decided. That was something they could talk about while they danced in the moonlight. All she had to do now was give him an answer.
“Okay,” she said. “I’ll do it.” The tingling had spread through her whole body by now. “I’ll come,” she declared. “But it’ll have to be late. Today we have a color war, then a campfire tonight, and a cookout and awards.”
“The later the better,” he assured her. “I’ll be waiting. Just be sure to come.”
She nodded slowly, knowing that time was passing quickly and she really should return to camp. She slipped her hands out of his reluctantly and took a half step back.
“Keep it,” he said, smiling back. “In fact,” he went on, “you can keep it forever, if you want.”
“Are you sure?” asked Sam. “I know they don’t make them like this anymore, and your brother might want it back.”
“My brother? Oh right.” He nodded, then pointed to the ground. “Hey, looks like you dropped something.”
Sam followed his gaze and sure enough saw her compass lying in the grass.
“Oops! Thanks! It must have fallen out of my bag when I pulled out the sweatshirt.” She scooped it up and glanced at the face. “Oh no,” she groaned. The tiny metal needle was whirling like a top. She tapped it gently, but it just kept spinning. “Aw, it’s broken. Look.” She sighed and showed it to him. “I hope I don’t need it to get back to camp,” she joked.
He laughed a little and nodded. “Or to get back here tonight.”
Then he bent down and picked a flower and gently tucked it behind her ear. “Until tonight,” he said. “I’ll be waiting for you, right here.”
CHAPTER 11
Sam left the clearing—and Dennis—in what could only be called a daze. Her heart was jumping around inside her, while her mind was filled with a single, buzzing thought: the moonlit dance she’d soon share with dreamy Dennis Shaw! She reached up and slipped the flower he’d given her out from behind her ear. She held it to her nose and closed her eyes and breathed it in. She sighed. It was like being in the clearing with him all over again. She inhaled one more time, then carefully set it back in place.
Gradually it came to her that she needed to pay attention and make sure she didn’t lose the trail. It was early and so sunny that she wasn’t too worried—but still. Now that her compass was broken, she couldn’t count on it for help. She looked around to get her bearings and assured herself that, yes, she was going the right way. Then her mind was free to go back to looking forward to that night.
What should she wear? she wondered. The same green shirt she wore last night? Yes, definitely. But maybe instead of wearing her hair down she would try to put it up. It would be hard of course to get ready after lights-out, when everyone else was in bed. She would just have to do her best, she guessed. Oh, and she’d have to remember to bring a pen and paper so she could write down his e-mail address. Then they could write each other and chat every day when they got home. She wondered where he lived and if it was close enough that they could see each other before next summer, when they got back to camp. Being together forever was going to be tricky, she realized, if he lived too far from where she did.
She drifted down the narrow trail breezily, knowing she could go faster and probably should. She shifted her backpack and looked up at the tiny skylight of sun peeking through the tall ceiling of trees. It was impossible to tell what time it was, but she was doing fine. She hoped she was at least.
And then, as if out of nowhere, a thick gray cloud rolled over the sun. The light that had highlighted the trail for her suddenly disappeared. It was replaced by murky shadows and an uneasy chill. Sam shivered and looked around at the now gloomy forest. It had been so pleasant just a split second before. But now it felt cold and dark and lonely—and even a little dangerous.
Sam realized she’d stopped breathing and took a nervous gulp of air. Stay calm. Clouds come, she told herself. They pass. It’s no big deal.
She picked her way through the overgrowth a little farther, but the clouds didn’t move on. In fact, they grew even thicker, and the dim light faded more. Slowly but surely the whole forest seemed to turn an uneasy shade of greenish gray. Her feet got caught again and again on thick roots that were impossible to spot. She wished she had a flashlight, but who in their right mind would have thought to bring one in the middle of the day?
Sam wasn’t a nail biter; still she began to gnaw them just the same. Then she remembered Dennis’s sweatshirt and pulled it out and slipped it on. There. That made her feel a little better. At least it reminded her of the happy clearing and helped to warm her up.
She forged on and tried to keep her mind on that instead of on how creepy and even scary the forest around her had become. After all, hadn’t she just told Dennis how “brave” she really was? It was just the woods. And it was early. What’s there to be afraid of? she thought. But as she anxiously looked around, she couldn’t help but think, A lot.
There was no way to ignore the phantomlike trees or their spindly branches. They swiped at her like claws. And there was no way not to imagine a million . . . somethings . . . in the shadows watching her.
Sam could feel the downy hairs on her neck bristling, standing defensively on end. In her chest her heart was pounding so hard she was afraid it might bruise her ribs. At last, without even deciding to, she broke into a run. You’re being silly! she told her legs. But they weren’t listening to her.
She hurdled over ferns and bushes, weaving in and out of trees until—“Agh!”—her toe caught on something hard, and she tumbled to her knees. Immediately she jumped up and began to run again. Where is that Old Stump Trail? Please let it be close! she thought.
Wait! Was it there? Just ahead? Where the shadows seemed to even out? She lunged for it, hoping with all her heart that she was right. But the next thing she knew, she tripped again. She had no idea on what. All she knew was it sent her stumbling off the path and into an enormous, thorny bush.
“Ugh!” Sam groaned as she struggled to free herself. With all her wriggling her compass slipped out of the sweatshirt’s pocket. Sam contorted herself so that she could pick it up. Broken or not, looking at it filled her with memories.
“Got it!” Sam grunted triumphantly. She noticed that it was no longer spinning wildly, but she didn’t have time to wonder what that meant.
“Ouch!” she cried. Her hair was stuck!
She reached back to try to free it from a knot of inch-long barbs. That was stupid, she thought. Almost instantly she pricked her finger on the longest, sharpest one. She was sure that she was bleeding. She could feel the pooling drops. Then she felt something else. It was dry, but sticky . . .
Ew!
And it was everywhere!
“Aggghhh!!!!”
Sam wasn’t just caught in a bush. She was in an enormous spiderweb.
Her arms flailed and so did her legs, terrified that the huge eight-legged monster who’d woven the web was still in it with her. She scrambled to her feet and pawed at herself mercilessly, desperate to strip off each and every thread. She could hear herself screaming and kept going until her throat was raw. She finally stopped, but she was still shuddering. Exhausted, she staggered back toward the path. She saw the gap in the trees and felt a tidal wave of relief. Yes! The Old Stump Trail.
She sighed and let her head fall back. There in the sky was a small dot of blue. And then, almost as swiftly as they came, the clouds began to move away. The sun seemed just as relieved as Sam and happy to make up for lost time. Every leaf seemed to suddenly sparkle, and the trail was clear and bright. Sam hurried forward without looking back, eager to leave the last quarter mile of her life behind.
And that’s when she felt the yank on her sweatshirt that stopped her dead in her tracks.
CHAPTER 12
“Ali! You scared me!” Sam shrieked.
“I did?” Ali stood there with her hand still gripped tightly around Sam’s hood. “Oh sorry.” She smiled and let go. “I didn’t mean to,” she said. “Sounded to me like you were pretty scared already. Was that you I heard screaming?”
Sam straightened her sweatshirt, smoothed her hair back, and tried to look as composed as she possibly could. “I just tripped and fell in a spiderweb, and I guess I got a little freaked out, that’s all. Anyway, what are you doing here?” She gave Ali a suspicious frown.
Ali crossed her arms in front of her. “Isn’t that what I should be ask
ing you?” she replied. She eyed her sister warily. “I knew you didn’t want to stay in the cabin this morning just so you could sit there and read. Especially on the last day. You’re so into your friends and everything. And sure enough, when I came back to the cabin you were gone.”
“How’d you know where I went?” Sam asked her.
“It wasn’t hard. Where else would you go but off into the woods by yourself? I bet to try to see that boy.” She clicked her tongue and shook her head. “You know”—she lowered her chin menacingly—“the ‘model camper’ part of me kind of thinks that I should really tell Gwen.”
Instantly a whole new terror froze Sam’s blood in her veins all over again. “Oh no! No, you can’t, Ali! Please, don’t!” she begged. “I’ll do anything. Anything in the whole world! I swear.”
Ali’s mouth slid to the side. Thoughtfully she rubbed her chin. She hadn’t even planned to blackmail her sister. She’d just meant to make her sweat. But it was certainly too good an opportunity to waste now, that was for sure.
She thought for a second. What did she want from Sam anyway? Nothing, really—except to feel just once that she was just as good as her.
“Well?”
“I’m thinking,” said Ali. She squared her shoulders. “Okay. How about for the rest of the day you trade places with me?”
“What do you mean?” Sam asked.
“What do you mean, what do I mean? I mean you be me and I be you. It won’t be hard. We are twins.”
Sam tilted her head. “Uh . . . yeah . . . but . . .”
Ali nodded and forced a tight grin. Then she pointed to Sam’s chin.
Sam touched it lightly. Her skin felt stiff, and a little sticky, too. Ah, she thought, looking down at her wounded finger. In her frenzy she must have smeared her chin—and who knew what else—with her own blood.
“Does it look like your birthmark?” she asked Ali.
Ali nodded. “Pretty much.” But then she took hold of Sam’s finger and gave the tip a tight squeeze. A bright crimson drop oozed out. Ali took it and rubbed it over Sam’s chin just below where the dried blood stopped.
