[Blue Griffin]

Authors Note:
Thanks for the comments and for waiting so long. My computer has recently crashed, but I was able to get it fixed and not lose any data.
Not a super exciting part, but I want build more of the story out.
As always feedback is useful and feel free to point out any mistakes.
Enjoy. -Griffin

I decided to go to the go karts on the girls advice as it seemed to be the safest place to be for now.

“No one wants to get anyone injured, so we usually don’t mess with anybody while they are on the track. Besides with you being new the last thing you want to do is get cornered with any of the girls from cabin seven.”

Walking across camp towards the track, I started to look at the other campers that passed me by keeping my eye out for anything odd. Now that I was clued into what happens around here I started to notice some other casualties from the prank war. There was a girl with zebra stripes drawn on her arms or another with who’s hair cut were completely different lengths. I wouldn’t have noticed unless I took a second glance and even then I would have no idea why they were like that.

Arriving at the track, I met the attendant and after a quick run down about the do’s and don’ts of the track I strapped in and drove a couple of laps. Since it was still warming up to be a scorcher, not many people were at the track. Instead I could see a few people heading over to the beach next to the lake to take a swim. I wasn’t as interested since I didn’t have my swim suit with me and I didn’t enjoy the prospect of wearing either a one piece, or the bottoms of a bikini. As I finished my last lap and pulled into the garage, I saw that Heather was waiting for me with a couple bottle waters and some sandwiches.

“Hey, Catcall,” she said with a wink, “thought you might like some lunch and we could talk?”

“Sure,” I said wiping the sweat off my forehead and taking a bottle. “Where do you want to go?”

“I though we could take the trail around the camp.” She led the way back to the cabins and then headed north down a gravel path towards the woods.

“Whoa, who lives there?” I said stopping as I pointed to the house off to our left. The path split and one branch towards the a wooden fence with a iron gate as the entrance. Inside the path continued uphill ending at a two story log cabin with a porch. The house was easily big enough for two cabins worth of campers. The porch had a swing at one end and table next to it. Off to the right was a flower garden with a colorful assortment in full bloom.

“That’s the owner’s house. The couple that started the camp had the house built so they can come and meet all the campers. They used all the trees from clearing out the space for the camp for their house and the fence. Usually they kept the fence unlocked during the day to allow the campers to stop and talk on the porch swing or help with the garden, then closed it at night. Once they sold the camp, the new owner moved in there and doesn’t come out much.”

We walked into the woods, grateful for the shade that the trees provided. Finding a clearing with a few rocks we sat down to eat as Heather filled me in on what other pranks of the other cabins have done and talked about pranks that had been done in the past. As we neared the exit of the forest asked one question that had been on my mind for a while.

“How does the point system work?” I said holding up my arm with the lipstick tally mark.

“Oh, that. Each prank awards you a tally, usually they are one point a piece, but can be more if you do a bigger prank.”

“So what’s stopping you from just marking a bunch of points down?”

“Besides the other cabin claiming that they haven’t been pranked, each prank needs to be either public or lasting. If it’s a whoopee cushion, they need to sit on it with others around. If you use a stink bomb, people can tell what happened. The counselors keep track of all the points in the main office so you don’t have to worry about keeping the tally marks,” she said washing the marks off my arm with the last of her water.

“Some cabins are really hardcore and mark their tallies down in marker to show off. There are even cabins that participate in a inner-cabin match along with the regular one. You can imagine that they don’t get much sleep. We don’t because we work better as a team than against each other.”

“So why do they matter? I mean why do you want more points?”

“It makes every cabin in it participate. Some cabins would get pranked, but then never do anything back. Well that got boring, so the camp decide that the cabin between the two with the most points would be rewarded. There is also a reward for the cabin with the most points too. Any cabin that doesn’t get involved doesn’t count.

“What’s the reward? ” I asked nearing the ring of cabins.

“You get t-“

“HEY HEATHER!” came a voice from up ahead. Heather flinched as she looked to around to identify the voice. It came from a girl with a nice tan wearing a yellow tank top and short shorts. Her earbuds were the reason that she was why was speaking so loudly. “DID YOU HEAR ABOUT CABIN NINE?”

“I’m right here Kelly, you don’t have to shout. What’s the news?”

“Oh, sorry. Cabin 3 was “branded” with sunscreen while they were sunning. Spelled out Owned by 3. on their backs. They deserved it for falling asleep on the beach. Is this the new recruit?”

“Yes, this is Allen. Allen, this is Kelly Arbor from cabin eleven. We used to live next to each others cabin two years ago.”

“Nice to meet you Kelly.” I said shaking her hand.

“Where are you off to Kelly? It’s almost time for dinner.”

“I’m squeezing a run in before dinner, so I better be off. Bye Heather, bye Allie.”

“It’s Allen,” I called as she started jogging into the woods. “ I don’t think that she heard me with her headphones.

“She might have and been just messing with you. Either she is a great actor or she’s going to be late for dinner.”

“Why do you say that Heather?”

“Someone from cabin twelve is hiding out in the woods waiting to prank someone from eleven. With her headphones on she’ll never see it coming, unless she is faking listening to music and is looking for trouble.”

“How did you know there was someone in there and why didn’t you warn her?”

“I saw her while we were eating. She didn’t prank us once she saw we were from cabin six. She should still be in the trees near the rocks. As for why I didn’t warn Kelly, it’s not my job. I’m here to look after myself and the cabin. She can take care of herself.”

“They’ve been there the entire time in the heat waiting for a possible prank?”

“Like I said there are hardcore cabins. They go a little overboard, but its what they do. You really just need to keep an out around you, that all.

I looked at her and realized that that what was Heather doing today. Kelly had snuck up on us and Heather hadn’t seen her coming. It also explained why Heather had seemed a bit distracted as we walked. She had been watching out for cabin two. I had no idea that someone had been watching and could have pranked us.

“Thanks Heather for filing me in today and for lunch.”

“No problem Catcall. You’re part of this team and the camp. Kelly talking about the pranks around you is a big step. She wouldn’t have if you weren’t becoming one of the campers. Now let’s go eat with the others and then watch some movies afterwards, and then the mission tonight.”

“O.K., but can we please not watch a bunch of chick flicks?”

“Don’t worry, they won’t all be chick flicks. Oh and one more thing, Victoria and I are going to be sneaking into the cabin two. Since you are the tenderfoot of the mission you can choose you position for the mission. You can sneak in with us to make the swap, or you can stand lookout and make sure we don’t get caught into a trap. Think it over and let us know after dinner O.K.?


What do you think Allen should choose?
Stand guard as a lookout or sneak in with the girls?
Post your choice in the comments below.