Della’s smile faded. “Drown?” She shook her head. “Sarah, what made you think that? You’re very confused. I didn’t drown.”
“Huh?” My mouth dropped open. I stared up at her in shock.
“Close your mouth, Sarah. A fly will fly into it.” Della tilted back her head and laughed.
Then she shook her head again. “How could anyone drown at Camp Cold Lake?” she demanded. “They give a lecture about water safety every five minutes! No one ever drowned at Camp Cold Lake!”
“You didn’t drown?” I cried. “Then how did you die?”
She rested her hands on the tree limb and leaned forward, peering down at me. I could see through her body, see the leaves shaking in the breeze.
“It’s a simple story,” Della said with a sigh. “One night I got tired of listening to the water safety lecture at the campfire. So I sneaked off into these woods.”
She swept her hair back with a toss of her head. “I made one major mistake,” she continued. “I didn’t know the woods are filled with deadly poisonous snakes.”
I gasped. “These woods? Snakes?”
Della nodded. “It’s nearly impossible to cross through these woods without getting bitten,” she sighed. “I died of a snakebite, Sarah.”
“But—but—” I sputtered. “But you were always at the lake,” I choked out. “Why did I always see you at the lake?”
“Don’t you get it?” she replied. “That was my plan. I made you afraid of the lake, Sarah. I made you terrified of the lake. Because I knew you’d try to escape through the woods. I knew you’d run into the woods and die like me—and be my buddy.”
“No—!” I protested. “I won’t. I—”
“Sarah, look!” Della pointed toward the ground.
I gazed down—and watched a fat black snake curl around my leg.
30
“Buddies forever,” Della sang cheerfully. “Buddies forever.”
I stood frozen, gaping down in horror. Watching the fat snake wind itself around me. Feeling its warm, dry body scrape over my bare skin.
“Nooooo.” A low moan escaped my throat as the snake arched its head.
“It won’t hurt that much,” Della said brightly. “It’s like a bee sting, Sarah. That’s all.”
The snake let out a loud hiss. It snapped open its jaws.
I felt its body tighten like a warm rope around my leg.
“Buddies forever,” Della sang. “Buddies forever…”
“No! Sarah is not your buddy!” a voice rang out.
I tried to turn toward the voice. But I couldn’t move. I felt the snake tighten its hold on my leg.
“Briana!” I cried. “What are you doing here?”
She hurried out from behind a clump of tall reeds.
With one quick motion, she grabbed the snake in one hand. Slid it off my leg. And tossed it into the trees.
Briana raised her eyes to Della. “Sarah can’t be your buddy, because she’s my buddy!” Briana shouted.
Della’s eyes grew wide. She cried out in surprise. She gripped the tree branch to keep from falling.
“You!” she exclaimed. “What are you doing here?”
“Yes, it’s me!” Briana shouted up to her. “I’m back, Della.”
“But—but how did you…” Della’s voice trailed off.
“You tried to do the same thing to me last year,” Briana said. “You tried all summer to make me your buddy. You terrified me—didn’t you, Della?”
Briana uttered an angry cry. “You didn’t think I’d come back. But I did. I came back to camp this summer… to protect the next girl!”
“Nooo!” Della wailed.
I finally understood. I stepped up to the tree beside Briana. “Briana is my buddy!” I declared. “And I’m coming back next summer to warn the next girl!”
“No! No! Nooooo!” Della raged. “You can’t do that! I’ve waited so long! So lonnnng!”
She let go of the tree limb and shook her fists at Briana and me.
Lost her balance.
Her hands flew up as she started to fall.
She grabbed for the limb. Missed.
And dropped silently to the ground.
Then she was gone.
Vanished.
With a weary sigh, I climbed to my feet. I shook my head. “Is she gone for good?” I murmured.
Briana shrugged. “I don’t know. I hope so.”
I turned to Briana. “You—you saved my life!” I cried. “Thank you for following me. Thank you for saving me!”
With a happy cry, I stepped up to her. “Thank you! Thank you!”
I wrapped my arms around her to hug her.
And my hands went right through her body.
I gasped. I grabbed her shoulder. But I couldn’t feel a thing.
I jumped back in shock.
Briana narrowed her eyes at me. “Della killed me last summer, Sarah,” she said softly. “On the last day. But I didn’t want to be her buddy. I just never liked her.”
She floated forward, raised herself off the ground, hovered over me.
“But I need a buddy,” she whispered. “Everyone has to have a buddy. You’ll be my buddy—won’t you, Sarah?”
I saw the hissing snake in her hand.
But I couldn’t move.
“You’ll be my buddy—won’t you?” Briana repeated. “You’ll be my buddy forever.”
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R. L. Stine, 56- The Curse of Camp Cold Lake
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