R. Stine - The Curse of Camp Cold Lake

“But-” I stared up at her. Waiting for her face to change again. Waiting for her to become Della again.

Had I only imagined Della’s face? Had the streaming sunlight tricked my eyes?

With a sigh, I let her help me into the boat.

I slumped to my knees. The boat rocked up and down. Liz narrowed her eyes at me. “What happened out there?” she asked.

Before I could answer, I heard splashing outside the boat.

Della?

I froze.

No. Jan pulled herself up on the side. She brushed her wet hair off her face. “Sarah-didn’t you hear me calling you?” she demanded.

“Jan. I didn’t see you. I thought that-” My voice caught in my throat.

“Why did you swim away from me?” Jan asked. “I’m your buddy-remember?”

Liz drove me to shore. I changed my clothes and went to see Richard. I found him in his head counselor’s office, a little room about the size of a closet in the back of the main lodge.

He was resting his feet on top of his tiny desk. He twirled a toothpick in his mouth.

“Hey, Sarah-how’s it going?” He flashed me a friendly smile and motioned for me to take a seat in the folding chair across from his desk.

I could see his eyes studying me.

“I hear you had another little problem in the lake,” he said softly. He moved the toothpick to the other side of his mouth. “What’s going on?”

I took a deep breath.

Should I tell him there is a ghost girl who has been following me everywhere? Who wants me to be her buddy?

He’d just think I’m nuts, I decided.

“You had a bad shock yesterday,” Richard said. “We really thought that you drowned.”

He lowered his feet and leaned over the desk toward me. “Maybe you went back in the water too soon,” he said. “Too soon after the shock.”

“Maybe,” I murmured.

And then I blurted out the question that was really on my mind. “Richard, tell me about the girl who drowned here.”

His mouth dropped open. “Huh?” The toothpick fell onto his lap.

“I know that a girl drowned in the lake,” I insisted. “Can you tell me about her?”

Richard shook his head. “No girl ever drowned at Camp Cold Lake,” he said. “Never.”

I knew he was lying.

I had proof, after all. I had seen Della. And talked with her.

“Richard, please-” I begged. “I really need to know. Tell me about her.”

He frowned. “Why don’t you believe me, Sarah? I’m telling the truth. No campers have ever drowned at this camp. No boys. No girls.”

I heard a soft sigh behind me.

I glanced back at the open doorway-and saw Della standing there.

I jumped to my feet. And pointed. “Richard!” I cried. “The girl who drowned! She’s standing right there! Don’t you see her?”

Richard raised his eyes to the doorway. “Yes,” he replied softly. “I see her.”

“Huh?” I gasped and grabbed the edge of his desk. “You see her?” I cried. “You really do?”

Richard nodded. He had a solemn expression on his face. “If it makes you feel better, Sarah, I’ll say that I see her.”

“But you don’t really see her?” I demanded.

He scratched his sandy-colored hair. “No. I don’t see anything.”

I turned back to the doorway. Della grinned at me.

“Sit down. Please,” Richard instructed. “You know, sometimes our mind plays tricks on us. Especially when we’ve been through a really bad scare.”

I didn’t sit down. I stood in front of his desk and stared hard at Della. Stared right through her.

“She’s not in my mind! She’s right there!” I shouted. “She’s standing right there, Richard. Her name is Della. She drowned at this camp. And now she’s trying to drown me too!”

“Sarah-please calm down,” Richard said gently. He climbed around his desk and put a hand on my shoulder. Then he led me to the door.

I was standing face-to-face with Della.

She stuck out her tongue at me.

“See? There’s no one there,” Richard said.

“But-but-” I sputtered.

“Why don’t you stay away from the lake for a few days,” he suggested. “You know. Just hang out and relax.”

Della mouthed his words as he spoke.

I turned away from her.

She giggled.

“Don’t go to the lake?” I asked Richard.

He nodded. “Take a few days and rest up. You’ll feel much better.”

I knew I wouldn’t feel better. I knew I’d still have Della following me everywhere, trying to make me her buddy.

I sighed. “That won’t help,” I told him.

“Then I have a different idea,” he said. “Pick a sport you haven’t tried, Sarah. Pick something really hard. Like water-skiing.”

“I don’t get it,” I replied. “Why should I do that?”

“Because you will have to think so hard about what you’re doing, you won’t have time to worry about ghosts.”

I rolled my eyes. “Yeah. Right.”

“I’m trying to help you,” he said sharply.

“Well… thanks,” I replied. I didn’t know what else to say. “I guess I’ll go to lunch now.”

I trudged out of the tiny office. And took a deep breath. The air was much cooler out in the main lodge.

I turned the corner and headed toward the mess hall in the front of the building. As I turned another corner, I heard Della’s frail voice behind me.

“You can’t get away, Sarah. You’re my buddy. There’s no need to run. You’ll always be my buddy.”

The soft words-so close to my ear-sent shivers down my back.

Something inside me snapped.

I couldn’t hold in my fury.

“SHUT UP!” I shrieked. “SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP-AND LEAVE ME ALONE!”

I spun around to see if she had heard me.

And gasped in horror.

Briana stood behind me.

Her mouth dropped open in shock. “Okay, okay. I’ll go away,” she said, backing up. “You don’t have to be so nasty, Sarah. I was just coming to see how you were doing.”

Wow. I felt so bad.

Briana thought I was talking to her.

“I–I-” I stammered.

“I thought you wanted to be friends,” Briana snapped. “I didn’t even say a word to you. And you bit my head off!”

“I wasn’t talking to you!” I finally choked out. “I was talking to her!”

I pointed to Della, who leaned against the wall behind us. Della waved to me and giggled.

Sun from the open lodge window lit up Della’s blond hair from behind. I could see the window right through her body.

“I was talking to her!” I repeated.

Briana raised her eyes to the window.

And the strangest expression spread over her face.

The next morning, I gulped down some gooey scrambled eggs for breakfast. Then I made my way to the boat dock.

Don’t ask why I decided to try water-skiing.

I really don’t have an answer.

I suppose I did it for Aaron. The night before, he begged me once again not to call Mom and Dad.

Aaron really didn’t want to go home. He said he was having the best summer of his life.

Sure, I thought. It’s easy for you to have a good summer. You don’t have a ghost following you around.

“Please try to stay a while longer,” Aaron begged.

I won’t go to the lake, I decided. I’ll hang around the cabin and read or something.

But in the morning, I realized that was a bad plan.

I’d be too scared to stay by myself in the cabin while everyone else was at the lake. I would have no way to protect myself against Della.

Yes, I know I wasn’t thinking clearly.

I was so stressed out, I could barely think at all!

I should have stayed as far away from the water as possible.

But I really didn’t want to be alone. So I followed Richard’s advice. And went to the boat dock. And told Liz I wanted to try water-skiing.