Camp Kumoni Ch. 35 by Anistasia Allread Assisted and proofed by Nick B The sound of the hail was almost deafening as it beat down on the roof sounding like a million tap dancers tapping all at one time. ‘shuffle, ball, change. Shuffle, ball, change’ was the mantra running through Samantha’s head. The only sound louder was the thunder that continued to follow the flashes of lightning as it forked across the sky in shades of scarlet, blue and purple. NOW WE CONTINUE WITH THE STORY:

A stunned silence fell over the room. The wind, whipping around outside sounded extra loud and for the first time, others in the room could hear the tall trees creaking and groaning under its force.

A couple of the girls of Foxglove cabin started crying at the shocking news.

“Oh my God!” Katie said and looked like she was about to start crying too.

“I’m sure it’s not that bad, girls.” Director Hobbs tried to play down the incident.

A flash of lightning, lit up the windows of the mess, casting shadows or the tree trunks as they swayed. A crack, followed by a rolling and rumbling of thunder followed.

“As soon as it dies down, we’ll go take a look.” Director Hobbs tried to make light of it.

The murmurs in the mess hall began to crescendo again to a low roar.

“What will they do now?” Katie looked at Rachel.

“I don’t know. Maybe they’ll convert the computer room to house them.” Rachel shrugged. “Besides, we have our own matters to deal with right now.”

“Stop beating around the bush and get to the point,” Samantha pleaded. “Can she stay or not?”

Rachel glared at Samantha for a moment and made to make a reply then thought better of it and turned to Erika. “We’d like you to stay with us, but with a few rules.”

Erika almost jumped out of her seat with delight. They were going to accept her. They were going to allow her to stay at camp, in their cabin as Erika. Her heart leapt for joy, as a thrill of adrenaline coursed through her body.

“What rules?” Samantha asked suspiciously.

“Well, the most obvious.” Victoria stated. “She is to go into the bathroom when we change or when she is changing.”

“You aren’t allowed to divulge any ‘girl’ secrets to the guys.” Dani looked at Erika and smiled. “No telling them what we do, or what we don’t do in our private time . . .”

“Or what we might look like in our underwear . . . If you happen to see it.” Krystal added.

“There is one issue we haven’t been able to resolve yet.” Rachel took lead again. “Showers . . . So far, we are fairly sure you haven’t tried to peek while we are getting in or out of the showers, but we aren’t totally comfortable with showering at the same time as you.”

A flash of lightning seemed to punctuate the last statement. Erika could see Katie and Krystal’s lips move counting the seconds until they could hear the thunder. They only got to three.

“Would you like me to wait until you are all finished to take my shower?” Erika offered.

“That was one of the options we had. But it’s not exactly fair to the girls outside our cabin to be taking showers with you in there.” Krystal pointed out.

“What if I were to stand watch, while she took her shower?” Samantha volunteered. “That way we could all take our showers at the same time and all feel safe in the fact that she’s not trying to sneak a peek.”

“I’m still not sure.” Victoria frowned. “There are a lot of other things going on in there, and as we get more comfortable, some girls may start walking around the bathroom topless. You know how it gets” She looked at Samantha. “It just wouldn’t be right.”

“I’ll gladly take my showers before, or after everyone else.” Erika submitted.

“It might come to that.” Rachel sighed.

“Anything else?” Erika inquired, dreading that they would ask the impossible.

“There has been some argument if we should make you do pick up some of our chores as well.” Krystal inserted.

“I don’t care,” Erika stated. “I just want to be part of the cabin.”

Another flash of lightning lit up the windows of the mess. The thunder immediately followed drowning out all other sound. Several girls screamed at the loud crack followed by the rumbling that sounded like a freight train was passing through the center of the building. A different sound grew more intense outside. A bunch of campers went to the windows to look outside.

“Hail!” one exclaimed. “Big chunks too!”

More flashes of lightning lit up the area, showing in a split second the hail driving from the sky. The size of small marbles, they sounded like a snare drum on the roof and in the needled trees.

Erika looked at the other girls of the cabin, who all looked at one another and as a group, got up and joined the rest of the campers staring out the window at the unique sight.

The city where they lived never got hail this big. In the city hail was tiny, barely larger than a rain drops, most of the time it fell in pieces the not much bigger than grains of sand. To see hail the size of small marbles was a novelty that no one was about to miss or forget.

The sound of the hail was almost deafening as it beat down on the roof sounding like a million tap dancers tapping all at one time. ‘shuffle, ball, change. Shuffle, ball, change’ was the mantra running through Samantha’s head. The only sound louder was the thunder that continued to follow the flashes of lightning as it forked across the sky in shades of scarlet, blue and purple.

Erika watched nature’s display of beauty and power for a few more minutes then turned away. She was going to be able to stay with Columbine. Her heart soared at the thought. She almost skipped back to her place on the fire hearth and picked up the comics again. The story was supposed to be really good, and the art was fantastic, but her mind couldn’t concentrate on comics right then. Columbine was her home for the summer. She felt warm, fuzzy waves wash over her.

A large body approached and eased down on the hearth next to her. Erika looked over and smiled at Krystal.” Thank you,” she smiled.

“What for?”

“For allowing me to stay.”

“I don’t care if you are a boy a girl or if you’re Transgender,” Krystal looked at Erika. “As long as you aren’t watching me dress, undress or shower, I’m fine with you in the cabin.” She rested a hand on Erika’s knee. “Just to let you know” She added. “Victoria argued for you to stay as well.”

“Victoria?” Erika’s voice rose in shock.

Krystal smiled, and got up to peruse the limited library near the sofas.

Victoria had argued for her? How was that possible? Victoria was the one who threatened to tell them if she hadn’t. Was the newspaper editor up to ‘scooping’ a story on her? I’ll have to write my own story . . . My summer as a teenage girl Erika thought to herself. I’ll have to write my own and if Victoria does come out with it, then I can spin it a different angle.

The deafening sound of hail pounding on and around the mess was replaced with a different kind of deafening; a deafening silence. At least it seemed that way to Erika. The sudden quiet only lasted a few seconds as a gust of wind howled through the trees and whistled over the chimney, causing the flames eating at the wood to leap and dance. Erika looked unseeingly from her comic to the flames, and noticed that Derek was standing a few feet away watching her. A blush rose in her cheeks, as she wondered how long he had been staring at her.

“I . . . uh . . . umm . . .” Derek turned red having been caught

“Would you like to sit next to me?” Erika took the initiative.

Derek smiled a nod and sat on the hearth taking the spot that Krystal had vacated a few minutes before.

Derek worked up his confidence. “Did you really go out with Josh?”

“Don’t remind me, please.” Erika rolled her eyes. “It was hardly even a date.”

“What happened?” Derek stared at his hands, which he wrung in his nervousness.

“He wasn’t my type.” Erika explained. “He was pompous, full of himself. A typical football player.”

“He has always been that way.” Derek sighed. “Just because his parents have money, he’s been able to do whatever he likes whenever he likes.”

“You know him?” Erika inquired.

“We have gone to the same school for years.” Derek explained. “When we were in elementary school, we were friends. But in Jr. High he changed. He began teasing me at school, putting me down and stuff.” He sighed, and wrung at his hands some more. “All he had to do was turn on his charm and remind the school, who his parents were and he’d get away with anything.”

“I hate guys like that.” Erika felt her blood pressure rise, listening to her new friend.

“Me too.” Derek stole a look at the pretty girl talking to him. Her ebony pigtails reflecting the fire light. “I’m just glad I’m not in his cabin. I’d hate to see how he would have manipulated the guys against me.”

“Someone really needs to put guys like that in their place.” Erika nearly growled.

Shocked at the venom in her voice, Derek glanced up to see the matching anger in her eyes. “Your friend seems to have fallen for him.”

Erika’s eyes followed Derek’s to see Samantha laughing at something that Josh had said.

“She’s always had bad taste in guys.” Erika admitted.

“How are you two doing?” Todd asked as he approached them.

“Fine.” They both replied in unison.

“Could you excuse me a moment?” Todd asked. “I need to stir up and add more fuel to the fire. If this storm doesn’t blow over soon, we all may be spending the night here.”

“What happened to Foxglove cabin?” Erika inquired.

Todd shook his head. “You aren’t Foxglove are you?”

“No, I’m in Columbine.” Erika said. I’m the one who saw you and Phoenix down at the lake with your clothes off. Her mind screamed.

“One of the large pine trees fell right through the middle of it.” He described. “I couldn’t see much in the dark, but there wasn’t much of anything left except fire wood.” He shook his head with regret.

“What is Hobbs going to do with the girls from Foxglove?” Erika asked.

“She’ll probably split them up amongst the other cabins.” Todd shrugged.

“Isn’t there an empty cabin?” Derek inquired.

“Yes, but it couldn’t be made habitable for this summer.”

The fire crackled and popped as the fire lapped at the pitch and sap, oozing from the new logs. Todd replaced the fire screen and tossed the two a smile before joining a few of the counselors a table off to the side.

“I didn’t see an empty cabin.” Erika wondered aloud. “Do you know what he is talking about?”

“Not off the top of my head,” Derek admitted. “But I wonder how bad it is, if they can’t make it habitable for campers.”

A growing group of people began surrounding one of the windows that over looked the lake. A murmur from the group grew in volume as more and more people joined to see what the commotion was.

“What is it?” Derek asked one of his brainy friends who was leaving the group, looking anxious.

“No one’s sure yet,” the guy said. “But it looks like the lightning started a forest fire.”

“A forest fire? Really?” Erika was intrigued.

“How far away is it?” Derek asked.

“It’s up in the hills on the other side of the lake.” The camper explained. “It’s a ways off. I don’t think we are in any immediate danger. ‘Specially since the wind is blowing the opposite direction.”

A chill ran down her body despite the warmth given off by the fire in the fireplace. She had seen plenty of footage on TV of how dangerous and horrible forest fires could be. “The rain and hail aren’t keeping it contained?” she inquired.

“If it’s hot enough and with it being as dry as it has been in the past few weeks, I doubt it would contain it even if it poured all night.” The camper shrugged.

“That would suck if it came this way.” Derek sighed.

“We would have to evacuate the camp. Where would we go?” Erika asked.

“Probably home.” Derek shrugged. “That would really suck.”

“Home life that bad?” Erika asked.

“No, it would mean that I wouldn’t be able to see you anymore.” Derek blushed slightly and avoided eye contact.

“That was real sweet, Derek,” Erika smiled. “Cheesy, but sweet.”

“How often do you think a guy like me comes across a beautiful girl, who happens to like comic books?” Derek asserted.

“Hmmm.” Erika thought a moment. “I don’t know anyone like that.”

A Whistle blew getting everyone’s attention. Director Hobbs stood next to the double doors and waited to get everyone’s attention. “Okay, I need to have all of the girls to sit at their cabin’s table on this side of the room. Boys. We’ll need a few moments of quiet to figure this out, so please keep it down.”

“Gotta go.” Erika looked up at the skinny red-head. “I’ll be back though.” She’d seen other girls do it, so she lightly brushed her fingers along Derek’s arm as she left. She almost giggled as she watched his face turn red again.

“What is going on?” Rachel asked Phoenix. Once they were sitting at their table.

“Foxglove is being divided up into the other cabins.” Phoenix instructed.

“You mean we’re getting another cabin mate?” Katie wondered aloud.

Phoenix nodded.

“Do we get to pick them?” Rachel asked.

“No. Director Hobbs and the counselors have all talked about it. And we have been assigned a new girl . . . Won’t that be fun?” Phoenix grinned.

Rachel looked crushed. “No.” she moaned.

“You are to make her feel welcome.” Phoenix demanded. “Whoever we get has just lost a lot of security and some of her belongings. She’ll need our love and support.”

“What if she doesn’t fit?” Rachel bemoaned.

“Then You will have to make allowances.” Phoenix glared. “Be glad we are only getting one. Other cabins are taking two girls and one of them is getting a second counselor.”

“One girl is enough.” Rachel nodded in sudden agreement.

“Alright girls.” Director Hobbs called their attention. She then went in to details about how Foxglove cabin was in ruins and that they were going to do everything they could to save what they could of the girl’s possessions. The Foxglove girls were going to be going into town tomorrow afternoon, or the following morning to wash what clothes they could retrieve and get replacement toothbrushes and stuff. “Okay Foxglove girls. Could you please come up here?” Hobbs asked.

The girls of Foxglove and their counselor formed a line beside Director Hobbs. “I spoke with each of the counselors and we tried to fit like personalities into the cabins.” Director Hobbs went on. She called off different girl’s names and then introduced them to their new cabin assignment.

“Tricia Patton. You will be in Columbine cabin.” Hobbs stated.

A fair skinned blonde girl stepped forward and smiled at our table.

“A damned girly girl.” Rachel sighed heavily taking note of Tricia’s perfect hair, short skirt and pink top. She had been hoping for one of the more athletic girls.