[Fiction] I dare you: Stuck at Camp

[Blue Griffin]

*Author's note, down to the last couple of sections. Hope everyone is ready for the ending soon.*

The walk to the cabin was cool as there was a dampness in the air from all the rain. With a fog starting to creep in from the lake, the owner's cabin looked more intimidating in the early morning. A rectangle front with a chimney sticking out you could see the garden off to the left and a trellis leading up to a window on the second floor. With only a few lights on in the window, I suspected anyone inside would be asleep. Easing open the wooden fence and making my way to the front door, I pulled out a packet of salad dressing from my pockets. While I hadn't seen any locks on the cabins around the camp I knew from experience that some were very creaky. Luckily Heather had grabbed too many packets of dressing when she brought our food that night and the oil based sauce should help grease them. Someone might notice the smell in the morning, but even then it shouldn't draw enough attention to investigate further.

Taking a few minutes to cover the hinges, giving them a test, and repeating the process on the few spots that whined, I slowly eased open the door. I slipped off my muddy shoes making sure I wasn't going to leave a trail, leaving them on the porch. Stepping into the main living area, I could tell that some expense had been use to design it. Couches with blankets on their backs sat in a circle surrounding a large tv and plush rug with a fireplace off to the right designed to provide warmth to the nearby seats. The camp logo sat framed above it. A hallway to the right leads down to what seemed to be a kitchen and dining room. A grand set of stairs lead to an overlooking balcony that went around the corners and what I expected were the bedrooms. Not knowing if any of the floorboards were creaky, I slowly slid my feet across the floor and rug over to the staircase. I touched the wooden rail and leaning my weight on the railing as best I could carefully climbed up the stairs.

Upstairs there were a few pictures on the wall of the old owners. Some of them were hanging out with campers in their camp shirts, others of just her and her husband, one in the garden with another girl, a grin on both of their faces. Seeing none of them had initials on them and going left, I turned the corner, seeing a few open doors glancing in to see what was inside of them. A game room with a pool table, an empty bedroom with cardboard boxes, a duffle bag, and clothes in it, a library. None seems to be the right room. Not wanting to risk opening multiple squeaky doors and not having enough time or dressing to check them all, I started to realize I had no idea about where the crest was and only with what the girls told me that it may be in the previous owner's room. I suddenly felt less confident as my time was running out. I was so focused on how to find the crest I didn't notice the light coming from under one of the doors until it started to open. Freezing as I had no place to hide, I watched as another girl walked out and stopped upon seeing me.

"What are you doing here?" We both said in a whisper at each other.

A tense moment passed as neither of us answered. I didn't know the girl's name or what cabin she was from, at least sure she wasn't from the cabins that had seen me tied up though. With short black hair in a pixie cut, she was also dressed in black clothes holding something in her hand. Given she hadn't screamed upon seeing me, I guessed she knew who I was, but that wasn't surprising as I was more of a notable camper than most.

"I'm here trying to get the Owner's Crest." I said in a hushed whisper looking around to make sure no one else was coming. "I messed up with the prank war yesterday and my cabin-"

"I heard about that." she said, looking me over. "I didn't think you'd be so dumb to try and get it though."

"Says the girl that's also her for it." I quipped back.

"I'm n-" she started and then paused for a second, a thought flashing across her face. "Fine I am, but I wouldn't be in near as much trouble as you if I got caught. Right now you need to get out before anyone sees you. I'll keep looking and will give it to you if I find it. After what happened to you, you kinda earned it."

"How do I know you won't just keep it for yourself?" I said.

She let out a soft sigh. "You don't, but it seems like you don't have any idea what you're doing either and I've been looking longer than you ." A bit of urgency creeped into her voice. "Deal?" she said, holding out her hand.

I looked at her hand and the hints of light starting to peek through the windows. "Ok, deal." I reached out and shook her hand.

"ZAP!"
"YOW!"
"OW!"

The spark that jumped from me to her stung as both of us quickly let go and were flexing our fingers, a faint tingle left in them. Apparently I had built up quite a charge of static electricity shuffling across the rug while sneaking around. The girl gave me an angered look as I weakly shrugged. Our looks quickly turned to alarm as another voice came from somewhere in the cabin.

"What was that? Is everything alright?" called Mrs Ruptlee along with creaks of wood as footsteps echoed closer.

After learning my lesson about freezing like a deer in the headlights, I bolted down the hallway towards the stairs, only to get yanked back as the girl's hand grabbed my collar.

"Not that way, you won't be able to get down the stairs before she catches you." She pulled me down the hallway towards the dead end of the hallway. Turning into one of the last rooms she rushed over to the window and yanked it up not caring to keep any subtlety or quiet. Next to the window was the trellis leading down to the ground. "This is how I got in so it's safe to climb. Go!" she said, almost shoving me out.

"But the crest." I said as I climbed on, knowing that neither of us would get a second chance to look for it after we escaped.

"Take it. Just go." she said, shoving whatever she was holding into my hands as I started my descent. A second later I heard her swear and then the window snapped shut. Climbing down as fast I safely could, I jumped the last couple of feet landing with a splash of mud. Running around to the front porch, grabbed my shoes, and ran to the gate. Taking a brief glance back I could make out the shape of a body at the window before it moved inwards into the house. Once I was out of sight of the cabin and near the camper ones, I stopped bending over and gasping for breath. With my heart starting to beat at a lower pace, I finally looked at the item the girl had shoved into my hand. It was a toothbrush. On the handle was a printing of the camp logo, along with the set of initials: U B R. After a few seconds my gasping became laugher as I held up the prize in my hand. I had done it. The Owner's Crest and it couldn't dared away from me. I quickly walked towards our cabin, but paused as I heard cabin's two door open.

Turning to see all of Lola and her crew behind them, I could tell that they had been waiting the sleep from just waking up nowhere in their eyes.

“Hey there girlfriend” Lola said, her words dripping with sarcasm through a fake smile. “What’cha got there?”

“Oh just a nick nack to remember the camp by. I was hoping to show the girls and maybe our counselor too.”

“So you actually found it?” Said Samantha “That dumb crest in the owner’s house?”

I looked at them, a little surprised, but also given the direction I had come, not an impossible guess. Nodding, I reached into the bag sticking the trinket inside and feeling around for something else. While I knew they couldn’t officially take it, seeing how it was just the five of us and no one else I wasn’t going to take any chances.

“Yeah, I found the Owner’s Crest. I was told you can’t take it and even by daring me to give it to you I’d say that would count as taking it.” I said ready to run back to our cabin if they moved.

“Oh we know, so we just have to find someone else to give it to us.” Cheryl said with a growing grin. Not quite understanding, I heard the squishing of footsteps and a voice behind me spoke.

“I dare you to give me the Owner’s Crest Catcall.”