I took a step back.
I saw Jay pull back his arm and heave a red rock at one of the frothing creatures. The rock hit the platform with a crack and bounced away.
The creatures were not frightened. They arched their backs, preparing to attack.
They began to make a high-pitched chattering sound.
And moved nearer. Nearer.
Jay threw another rock.
This one hit one of the advancing creatures on the side. It uttered a shrill eek of surprise. But it kept moving steadily forward, its red eyes trained on Jay, its jaws snapping hungrily.
“Go away!” Dori cried in a trembling voice. “Go home! Go away! Go away!”
But her shouts had no effect.
The creatures advanced.
“Run!” I urged. “Run!”
“We can’t outrun them!” someone shouted.
The shrill chittering grew louder. Deafening. Until it seemed as if we were surrounded by a wall of sound.
The ugly creatures lowered themselves to pounce.
“Run!” I repeated. “Come on — run!” My legs wouldn’t cooperate. They felt rubbery and weak.
Trying to back away from the attacking creatures, I toppled over backward off the platform.
I saw flashing stars as the back of my head hit the hard ground.
They’re going to get me, I realized.
I can’t get away.
4
I heard the sirenlike attack cry.
I heard the scrape of the creatures’ long claws over the concrete platform.
I heard the screams and cries of the frightened campers.
Then, as I struggled frantically to pull myself up, I heard the deafening roar.
At first I thought it was an explosion.
I thought the platform had blown up.
But then I turned and saw the rifle.
Another explosion of gunfire. White smoke filled the air.
The creatures spun around and darted away, silent now, their scraggly fur scraping the ground as they kept low, their tails between their furry legs.
“Ha-ha! Look at ‘em run!” A man kept a rifle poised on his shoulder as he watched the creatures retreat.
Behind him stood a long green bus.
I pulled myself up and brushed myself off.
Everyone was laughing now, jumping up and down joyfully, celebrating the narrow escape.
I was still too shaken up to celebrate.
“They’re running like jackrabbits!” the man declared in a booming voice. He lowered the rifle.
It took me a while to realize he had come out of the camp bus to rescue us. We hadn’t heard or seen the bus pull up because of the attack cries of the animals.
“Are you okay, Mike?” I asked, walking over to my frightened-looking new friend.
“I guess,” he replied uncertainly. “I guess I’m okay now.”
Dawn slapped me on the back, grinning. “We’re okay!” she cried. “We’re all okay!”
We gathered in front of the man with the rifle.
He was big and red-faced, mostly bald except for a fringe of curly yellow hair around his head. He had a blond mustache under an enormous beak of a nose and tiny black bird eyes beneath bushy blond eyebrows.
“Hi, guys! I’m Uncle Al. I’m your friendly camp director. I hope you enjoyed that welcome to Camp Nightmoon!” he boomed in a deep voice.
I heard muttered replies.
He leaned the rifle against the bus and took a few steps toward us, studying our faces. He was wearing white shorts and a bright green camp T-shirt that stretched over his big belly. Two young guys, also in green and white, stepped out of the bus, serious expressions on their faces.
“Let’s load up,” Uncle Al instructed them in his deep voice.
He didn’t apologize for being late.
He didn’t explain about the weird animals. And he didn’t ask if we were okay after that scare.
The two counselors began dragging the camp trunks and shoving them into the luggage compartment on the bus.
“Looks like a good group this year,” Uncle Al shouted. “We’ll drop you girls off first across the river. Then we’ll get you boys settled in.”
“What were those awful animals?” Dori called to Uncle Al.
He didn’t seem to hear her.
We began climbing onto the bus. I looked for Mike and found him near the end of the line. His face was pale, and he still looked really shaken. “I — I was really scared,” he admitted.
“But we’re okay,” I reassured him. “Now we can relax and have fun.”
“I’m so hungry,” Mike complained. “I haven’t eaten all day.”
One of the counselors overheard him. “You won’t be hungry when you taste the camp food,” he told Mike.
We piled into the bus. I sat next to Mike. I could hear the poor guy’s stomach growling. I suddenly realized I was starving, too. And I was really eager to see what Camp Nightmoon looked like. I hoped it wouldn’t be a long bus ride to get there.
“How far away is our camp?” I called to Uncle Al, who had slid into the driver’s seat.
He didn’t seem to hear me.
“Hey, Mike, we’re on our way!” I said happily as the bus pulled onto the road.
Mike forced a smile. “I’m so glad to get away from there!”
To my surprise, the bus ride took less than five minutes.
We all muttered our shock at what a short trip it was. Why hadn’t the first bus taken us all the way?
A big wooden sign proclaiming CAMP NIGHTMOON came into view, and Uncle Al turned the bus onto a gravel road that led through a patch of short trees into the camp.
We followed the narrow, winding road across a green river. Several small cabins came into view. “Girls’ camp,” Uncle Al announced. The bus stopped to let the four girls off. Dawn waved to me as she climbed down.
A few minutes later, we pulled into the boys’ camp. Through the bus window I could see a row of small white cabins. On top of a gently sloping hill stood a large white-shingled building, probably a meeting lodge or mess hall.
At the edge of a field, three counselors, all dressed in white shorts and green T-shirts, were working to start a fire in a large stone barbecue pit.
“Hey, we’re going to have a cookout!” I exclaimed to Mike. I was starting to feel really excited.
Mike smiled, too. He was practically drooling at the thought of food!
The bus came to an abrupt stop at the end of the row of small bunks. Uncle Al pulled himself up quickly from the driver’s seat and turned to us. “Welcome to beautiful Camp Nightmoon!” he bellowed. “Step down and line up for your bunk assignments. Once you get unpacked and have dinner, I’ll see you at the campfire.”
We pushed our way noisily out of the bus. I saw Jay enthusiastically slapping another boy on the back. I think we were all feeling a lot better, forgetting about our close call.
I stepped down and took a deep breath. The cool air smelled really sweet and fresh. I saw a long row of short evergreen trees behind the white lodge on the hill.
As I took my place in line, I searched for the waterfront. I could hear the soft rush of the river behind a thick row of evergreens, but I couldn’t see it.
Mike, Jay, Colin, and I were assigned to the same bunk. It was Bunk 4. I thought the bunk should have a more interesting name. But it just had a number. Bunk 4.
It was really small, with a low ceiling and windows on two sides. It was just big enough for six campers. There were bunk beds against three walls and a tall dresser on the fourth wall, with a little square of space in the middle.
There was no bathroom. I guessed it was in another building.
As the four of us entered the bunk, we saw that one of the beds had already been claimed. It had been carefully made, the green blanket tucked in neatly, some sports magazines and a radio resting on top.
“That must belong to our counselor,” Jay said, inspecting the radio.
“
Hope we don’t have to wear those ugly green T-shirts,” Colin said, grinning. He was still wearing his silver sunglasses, even though the sun was nearly down and it was just about as dark as night in the cabin.
Jay claimed a top bunk, and Colin took the bed beneath his.
“Can I have a lower one?” Mike asked me. “I roll around a lot at night. I’m afraid I might fall out of a top one.”
“Yeah. Sure. No problem,” I replied. I wanted the top bunk anyway. It would be a lot more fun.
“Hope you guys don’t snore,” Colin said.
“We’re not going to sleep in here anyway,” Jay said. “We’re going to party all night!” He playfully slapped Mike on the back, so hard that Mike went sprawling into the dresser.
“Hey!” Mike whined. “That hurt!”
“Sorry. Guess I don’t know my own strength,” Jay replied, grinning at Colin.
The cabin door opened, and a redheaded guy with dark freckles all over his face walked in, carrying a big gray plastic bag. He was tall and very skinny and was wearing white shorts and a green camp T-shirt.
“Hey, guys,” he said, and dropped the large bag on the cabin floor with a groan. He checked us out, then pointed to the bag. “There’s your bed stuff,” he said. “Make your beds. Try to make them as neat as mine.” He pointed to the bunk against the window with the radio on it.
“Are you our counselor?” I asked.
He nodded. “Yeah. I’m the lucky one.” He turned and started to walk out.
“What’s your name?” Jay called after him.
“Larry,” he said, pushing open the cabin door. “Your trunks will be here in a few minutes,” he told us. “You can fight it out over drawer space. Two of the drawers are stuck shut.”
He started out the door, then turned back to us. “Keep away from my stuff.” The door slammed hard behind him.
Peering out the window, I watched him lope away, taking long, fast strides, bobbing his head as he walked.
“Great guy,” Colin muttered sarcastically.
“Real friendly,” Jay added, shaking his head.
Then we dived into the plastic bag and pulled out sheets and wool blankets. Jay and Colin got into a wrestling match over a blanket they claimed was softer than the others.
I tossed a sheet onto my mattress and started to climb up to tuck it in.
I was halfway up the ladder when I heard Mike scream.
5
Mike was right beneath me, making his bed. He screamed so loud, I cried out and nearly fell off the ladder.
I leaped off the ladder, my heart pounding, and stepped beside him.
Staring straight ahead, his mouth wide open in horror, Mike backed away from his bed.
“Mike — what’s wrong?” I asked. “What is it?”
“S-snakes!” Mike stammered, staring straight ahead at his unmade bed as he backed away.
“Huh?” I followed his gaze. It was too dark to see anything.
Colin laughed. “Not that old joke!” he cried.
“Larry put rubber snakes in your bed,” Jay said, grinning as he stepped up beside us.
“They’re not rubber! They’re real!” Mike insisted, his voice trembling.
Jay laughed and shook his head. “I can’t believe you fell for that old gag.” He took a few steps toward the bed — then stopped. “Hey!”
I moved close, and the two snakes came into focus. Raising themselves from the shadows, they arched their heads, pulling back as if preparing to attack.
“They’re real!” Jay cried, turning back to Colin. “Two of them!”
“Probably not poisonous,” Colin said, venturing closer.
The two let out angry hisses, raising themselves high off the bed. They were very long and skinny. Their heads were wider than their bodies. Their tongues flicked from side to side as they arched themselves menacingly.
“I’m scared of snakes,” Mike uttered in a soft voice.
“They’re probably scared of you!” Jay joked, slapping Mike on the back.
Mike winced. He was in no mood for Jay’s horseplay. “We’ve got to get Larry or somebody,” Mike said.
“No way!” Jay insisted. “You can handle ‘em, Mike. There’s only two of them!”
Jay gave Mike a playful shove toward the bed. He only meant to give him a scare.
But Mike stumbled — and fell onto the bed.
The snakes darted in unison.
I saw one of them clamp its teeth into Mike’s hand.
Mike raised himself to his feet. He didn’t react at first. Then he uttered a high-pitched shriek.
Two drops of blood appeared on the back of his right hand. He stared down at them, then grabbed the hand.
“It bit me!” he shrieked.
“Oh, no!” I cried.
“Did it puncture the skin?” Colin asked. “Is it bleeding?”
Jay rushed forward and grabbed Mike’s shoulder. “Hey, man — I’m really sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to —”
Mike groaned in pain. “It — really hurts,” he whispered. He was breathing really hard, his chest heaving, making weird noises as he breathed.
The snakes, coiled in the middle of his lower bunk, began to hiss again.
“You’d better hurry to the nurse,” Jay said, his hand still on Mike’s shoulder. “I’ll come with you.”
“N-no,” Mike stammered. His face was as pale as a ghost’s. He held his hand tightly. “I’ll go find her!” He burst out of the cabin, running at full speed. The door slammed behind him.
“Hey — I didn’t mean to push him, you know,” Jay explained to us. I could see he was really upset. “I was just joking, just trying to scare him a little. I didn’t mean for him to fall or anything….” His voice trailed off.
“What are we going to do about them?” I asked, pointing at the two coiled snakes.
“I’ll get Larry,” Colin offered. He started toward the door.
“No, wait.” I called him back. “Look. They’ve moved onto Mike’s sheet, right?”
Jay and Colin followed my gaze to the bed. The snakes arched themselves high, preparing to bite again.
“So?” Jay asked, scratching his disheveled hair.
“So we can wrap them up in the sheet and carry them outside,” I said.
Jay stared at me. “Wish I’d thought of that. Let’s do it, man!”
“You’ll get bit,” Colin warned.
I stared at the snakes. They seemed to be studying me, too. “They can’t bite us through the sheet,” I said.
“They can try!” Colin exclaimed, hanging back.
“If we’re fast enough,” I said, taking a cautious step toward the bed, “we can wrap them up before they know what’s happening.”
The snakes hissed out a warning, drawing themselves higher.
“How did they get in here, anyway?” Colin asked.
“Maybe the camp is crawling with snakes,” Jay said, grinning. “Maybe you’ve got some in your bed, too, Colin!” He laughed.
“Let’s get serious here,” I said sternly, my eyes locked on the coiled snakes. “Are we going to try this or not?”
“Yeah. Let’s do it,” Jay answered. “I mean, I owe it to Mike.”
Colin remained silent.
“I’ll bet I could grab one by the tail and swing him out through the window,” Jay said. “You could grab the tail end of the other one and —”
“Let’s try my plan first,” I suggested quietly.
We crept over to the snakes, sneaking up on them. It was kind of silly since they were staring right at us.
I pointed to one end of the sheet, which was folded up onto the bed. “Grab it there,” I instructed Jay. “Then pull it up.”
He hesitated. “What if I miss? Or you miss?”
“Then we’re in trouble,” I replied grimly. My eyes on the snakes, I reached my hand forward to the other corner of the sheet. “Ready? On three,” I whispered.
My heart was in my mouth. I could barely choke
out, “One, two, three.”
At the count of three, we both grabbed for the ends of the sheet.
“Pull!” I cried in a shrill voice I couldn’t believe was coming from me.
We pulled up the sheet and brought the ends together, making a bundle.
At the bottom of the bundle, the snakes wriggled frantically. I heard their jaws snap. They wriggled so hard, the bottom of the bundle swung back and forth.
“They don’t like this,” Jay said as we hurried to the door, carrying our wriggling, swaying bundle between us, trying to keep our bodies as far away from it as possible.
I pushed open the door with my shoulder, and we ran out onto the grass.
“Now what?” Jay asked.
“Keep going,” I replied. I could see one of the snakes poking its head out. “Hurry!”
We ran past the cabins toward a small clump of shrubs. Beyond the shrubs stood a patch of low trees. When we reached the trees, we swung the bundle back, then heaved the whole sheet into the trees.
It opened as it fell to the ground. The two snakes slithered out instantly and pulled themselves to shelter under the trees.
Jay and I let out loud sighs of relief. We stood there for a moment, hunched over, hands on our knees, trying to catch our breath.
Crouching down, I looked for the snakes. But they had slithered deep into the safety of the evergreens.
I stood up. “I guess we should take back Mike’s sheet,” I said.
“He probably won’t want to sleep on it,” Jay said. But he reached down and pulled it up from the grass. He balled it up and tossed it to me. “It’s probably dripping with snake venom,” he said, making a disgusted face.
When we got back to the cabin, Colin had made his bed and was busily unpacking the contents of his trunk, shoving everything into the top dresser drawer. He turned as we entered. “How’d it go?” he asked casually.
“Horrible,” Jay replied quickly, his expression grim. “We both got bit. Twice.”
“You’re a terrible liar!” Colin told him, laughing. “You shouldn’t even try.”
Jay laughed, too.
Colin turned to me. “You’re a hero,” he said.
“Thanks for all your help,” Jay told him sarcastically.
Colin started to reply. But the cabin door opened, and Larry poked his freckled face in. “How’s it going?” he asked. “You’re not finished yet?”