85Quicksilver Summer Camp...
"Blitz! I'm out!"
We tossed the playing cards into the middle of the table.
"I seriously don't get this game.', my best friend grumbles as she tosses her blonde hair over her shoulders.
"Stop whining, Cassie! A drunken cow stumbling across a floor of Fritos would be quieter than you!', I retorted as I sorted the cards and tallied up points. I sighed as I passed the paper around the table.
"Let me guess?" A voice behind me tickled my ear. "Your brother won another round?"
I whirled around and grinned as my hazel eyes met blue ones.
"Yup. I swear he has ninja reflexes!', I complained teasingly as I glanced at Mark from across the table. My twin simply raised an amused eyebrow. I scowled back.
"Your pretty good at cards. Why don't you join us next round?', I offered to the guy standing behind me.
He shook his head.
"Can't. Dad's expecting me to help clean the pool. Well, see ya!"
The blonde teen bounced out of the camp mess hall, and I tried to suppress a dreamy sigh.
"Aubrey and Colton, sitting in a tree k-i-s-s-i—"
"Seriously, Mark? You're supposed to be the mature one!', I snapped as my face began to heat.
"Hey! I have a right to be concerned when my sister is in love with a jerk!"
"He's not a jerk! And I'm not in love with him!"
One of my mom's favorite quotes flashed through my mind.
Thou doth protest too much!
Cassie giggled.
"It's kinda obvious you like him, Aubrey. 'You're sooooo good, Colton!', she mimicked.
"Some help you are!', I mumbled as my face broke into a reluctant smile. "But seriously, Mark! Colton is not a jerk!"
My sibling rolled his eyes in mock exasperation.
"I've been to this camp before— I know how the guy ticks. He's a total player, sis. I don't trust him as far as I can throw him."
"Okay fine! I believe you. But if he asks me out, I'm totally gonna say yes!"
"Sure, squirt. But if your heart ends up in pieces on the floor, I don't vacuum!', he quipped as he tousled my auburn hair before leaving the mess hall.
"Sooo... Do we go to the cabin, or go for a late night swim?', Cassie teased.
"Go sniff a porcupine! I'm not going anywhere near that pool while Colton is still cleaning it, especially since Mark's cabin is so close to it!"
"Who said anything about the pool? I was talking about the lake!"
My mouth gaped open before I collected myself enough to shut it.
"Cassie! It's against the rules to go to the waterfront after dark!"
"Okay, okay! Spoilsport. But there is a place I would really like to show you. It's a pretty long hike though...', she trailed off as she looked pointedly at my flip-flops.
"I'll run to the cabin and change. I'll probably tell Sherrie what's up, though. She'll be upset if she finds out we left without telling her."
"But she already knows! Sherrie's going to take the rest of our group camping not far from the spot I want to show you! She even said you and I could camp apart from the rest of the cabin!"
I laughed.
"You planned this whole thing, didn't you?"
She beamed cheesily in my direction as we made a quick run to the cabin. I packed the basic camping necessities before opening the screen door and stepping out onto the porch.
"You sure you know where we're going? It's very dark out here..."
A bat flew over my head and I squealed as I ducked and fell into my friend. A few minutes later we caught our breath and slowly disentangled ourselves from the haphazard pile of arms and legs we had become. I caught the look on Cassie's face as she bit her lip to keep from saying something sarcastic about my ability to trip on a flat surface.
"Oh shut up, Cassie!"
"Did I say anything? Nope! Nada! Zilch! Zero!', she protested.
"You were thinking it!', I accused as I jabbed my finger in her direction.
"What are you, psychic?', she snorted. We burst into laughter.
"Come on, Aubrey. The trail I found isn't far from here."
She quickly tugged me down a path that had fallen into disrepair. Briars snagged at our clothes and several burrs clung to the bottom of our pants.
"Hey! Remember what we used to call these?', I asked as I plucked one of the spiny items off of my shoelace.
"Porcupine eggs!', she sang happily.
We giggled as only best friends could as we finally reached our destination.
"We're here!"
The clearing was small, but it was one of those places that could inspire you to take up yoga. It was calming, and even in the dark I could tell that it was beautiful.
"Wow."
"Holy mackerel is more like it."
Unrolling our sleeping bags, we quickly slid into them and stared up at the sky. After talking for several hours, we finally drifted to sleep while gazing at the twinkling stars.
"Aubrey! Aubrey, wake up! Wake up!"
Cassie's panic filled voice made me sit bolt upright, causing us to knock our heads together. I fell back into my sleeping bag.
"Ow!', I yelped as I held my head in my hands and waited for the pain to subside. "Why'd you do that? I was sleeping!"
"Hate to break it to you, Bree, but we've got a bigger problem."
"What?', I mumbled.
"Someone punked us last night. I have no idea where we are."
I sat up and stared at my surroundings. How someone managed to move us without us knowing, I have no clue.
"H-How?', I stuttered.
"I don't know. You would think that we would have woken up or something, but nooooo! We slept like the dead!', Cassie wailed.
"Calm down. We can find our way back— there's a compass in my bag. Toss it to me."
My backpack plopped into my lap. I quickly dug through it until I found the small metal disk.
"If Mark was behind this...', I growled as I tried to figure out which direction camp was in. "We should head east. If that doesn't work we'll turn south."
She nodded, but I could tell she was shook up.
"It'll be okay, Cassie. I didn't spend nine years in girl scouts for nothing."
"But you never earned your badge for sense of direction!', she groaned.
Crap. I forgot about that.
"Oh well. We'll find our way somehow. The sun rises in the west and sets in the east. Simple."
"We're gonna die!', she howled comically.
"What?', I asked. "What did I say?
It's been four stinking hours! Maybe Cassie was right: we are gonna die.
We have been walking for hours, and there is still no sign of civilization.
"Aubrey? I don't think we're in Kansas anymore."
"Cassie?"
"Yes?"
"Shut. Up."
"Okay."
"..."
"Aubrey?"
"What?"
"I think someone teleported us to a third-world country. Or maybe we're in rural Canada."
"Good. Then the we can fall in love with a Mountie like on When Calls the Heart."
"Aubrey?"
"What, Cassie?"
"That wasn't funny."
"How about we just focus on getting out of this forest? Okay? Okay."
In case you couldn't tell, I'm getting frustrated. I feel really bad about being such a grump, but being lost in the woods in no picnic.
"Aubrey?"
Cassie's voice was really low. Too low. I slowly turned around to look at my friend. And what I saw almost made my heart stop.
Pointy. Sharp. Thingy. In. My. Face.
Cassie was being restrained by a cloaked figure. And I was being held at gunpoint... Er, arrowpoint. But that's not the point. Arg! See what stress does to me?
I gulped as I saw several other beings from the corner of my eye.
"Um. Sup?"
"Such strange language for one of our kin.', the person holding the bow stated dramatically. His face was covered by a grey hood, as was the rest of his company.
"First of all, I am in no way related to anybody that is a lunatic. Which you definitely are. Second of all, how on earth did we get all the way to the other side of the lake? Who the heck would carry us five miles?"
Cassie is sending a pleading look my way, begging me not to insult anybody so we don't die or something. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. These gummy bears wouldn't do anything to us. Heck, the one holding Cassie might as well be giving her a hug!
"What lake do you speak of?"
"Lake Riva. And cut it with the Shakespeare language."
How, you may ask, did I know we were on the other side of the lake? Simple. On the other side of the lake is Camp Felicity, an acting camp. And since these wackos are decked out in medieval clothing, one would automatically assume that they were practicing some sort of play before Cassie and I tromped through their little act. Therefore, they are campers from the other side of the water front. Ta da!
"I know of no Lake Riva. Why are you on the borders of Imladris?"
"Oh! You guys are doing the Tolkien stuff! That's pretty cool, but can you please speak like a normal human being?"
"I am not a mortal." The guy laid down his bow and threw back his cloak. His hair was long and dark, and his eyes were stormy grey. And his ears were... Shoot. Those make-up artists sure know how to make something look convincing.
"Wow. You're really serious about this, huh? But do you honestly expect me to believe that your an elf?', I inquired as I noticed the excellent imitation of elvish ears.
He looked at me like I was stupid.
"I am an elf. As are you."
"Ha! What a joke! You should be a comedian!"
"Aubrey..."
My eyes snapped back to Cassie. She was biting her lip in fear as she noticed how tense the other people around us were becoming.
"FINE. I promise to play nice, mommy."
Someone snickered and I glared at them.
"I will take you to Lord Elrond. He may be able to share some insight on this matter."
Basically what you're saying is that you're going to prove me wrong. But there is no bloody way I'm an elf.
"Is that code name for your councilor?"
The man ignored me and began walking, motioning to his companions to fall around Cassie and I.
This is going to be one heck of an awful day.
A/N: So? Any insight? Suggestions? If anybody wants me to keep writing this, just let me know!
—Sweet Dixie