Storm Over Hidden Lake (Kristi Cameron Book 6) Read online

  STORM OVER HIDDEN LAKE

  CYNTHIA S. GRIFFITH

  COVER ART BY SARAH LOWE

  Copyright © 2000 by Cynthia S. Griffith

  All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or other—except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without prior written permission of the author.

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  Chapter One: Hidden Lake Camp

  Chapter Two: The Stink Pile

  Chapter Three: Whipped Cream and a Cherry on Top

  Chapter Four: Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better

  Chapter Five: Twisted Twister

  Chapter Six: Oh-Oh!

  Chapter Seven: Storm Clouds Gather

  Chapter Eight: Real Men Wear Pink

  Chapter Nine: Scary Storm

  Chapter Ten: Hug-A-Tree

  Chapter Eleven: The Hunter and the Hero

  Chapter Twelve: The Bonfire

  Chapter Thirteen: Coming Home

  _________

  CHAPTER ONE

  _________

  Hidden Lake Camp

  Kristi stepped off the bus and looked around her. She could see sunlight sparkling on the lake through the trees. A large building made of logs loomed over the clearing in which she stood—the lodge, she presumed. Several trails branched off from the clearing back through the pines and aspens, and she could make out smaller log cabins down the trails. A cool breeze whipped her auburn hair around her face. She took a deep breath and sighed with pleasure at the fresh scent of pine, lake and clean mountain air.

  “Beep, beep! Move it or lose it, Kristi!” a voice blared right behind her. “You’re blocking the way!” A red-haired, freckle-faced boy bumped his backpack into the back of her legs and gave her a little shove. The grin on his face reminded her that he was just as eager as she was to get off the bus and take a look around.

  “Oops! Sorry, Skeeter!” Kristi said to her younger brother and moved aside.

  “Here’s your duffle bag, Kristi,” he said. “You left it under your seat.”

  “Oh—thanks, Skeeter. Isn’t this place great? I’m so excited!” Kristi’s green eyes sparkled with anticipation. “Camp is going to be great this year!”

  Before Skeeter could answer, a mountain of backpacks, duffle bags, sleeping bags and a suitcase appeared in the doorway of the bus. “Help!” a voice behind the mountain called out. “I’m stuck!”

  “Oh, for Pete’s sake!” Skeeter said in disgust. “Why’d you try to carry so much at one time, Robyn?” He grabbed the suitcase and a sleeping bag and pulled. The jammed mound of baggage broke loose suddenly and fell through the bus door with Robyn tumbling on top of it.

  Kristi grabbed for her friend and caught her just in time. “Whoops!” Robyn exclaimed. “Thanks, Kristi! You, too, Skeeter! Kristi, some of this stuff is yours. You forgot it on the bus.”

  “I didn’t forget it, Robyn. I was going to go back for it later. Thanks anyway, though. I don’t know what I’d do without my friends and brothers to carry my luggage for me!” She grinned and tousled Skeeter’s red hair.

  “Oh, for Pete’s sake!” he said again.

  “Hey, don’t bring me into it!” a dark-haired teen said as he followed Robyn off the bus.

  “You know what I mean, Pete! If my sister thinks I’m going to carry her stuff and pick up after her all week, she’s—”

  Kristi burst out laughing. “Quit sputtering, Skeeter! You know I think no such thing! Come on—let’s move all this stuff out of the way until we find out where we’re supposed to go.”

  They were carrying the baggage over to the side of the lodge when Dan and Anna joined them. “Wow! Did you see the lake over there?” Kristi’s older brother asked. “I can’t wait to go for a swim! They said we’ll be able to do some water-skiing this week, too. Fantastic!”

  “At least you’ve been on skis before, Dan, when you went with Pete’s family for the weekend that time. We’re going to look like a bunch of dorks when we get out there,” Kristi said.

  “Is it dangerous?” Anna asked. “I’m not as worried about looking like a dork as I am about breaking my neck!”

  “Don’t worry, Anna,” Pete said. “I’ll be glad to give you a few pointers before you get out there.” He smiled at the pretty dark-haired girl and picked up one of her bags for her.

  “Humpf!” Kristi snorted under her breath. “I’m sure you will! Who’s gonna give me some pointers?” Robyn heard her and giggled. They both knew Pete had a secret crush on Anna—and vice versa—but both the teens were so quiet and laid-back that they would probably never let their feelings be made known openly.

  “Come on,” Dan urged. “Let’s go in the lodge and get registered. The sooner we get our stuff stowed away in our cabins, the sooner we can hit that lake!” They began gathering their things and headed for the door.

  They had only gone a step or two when Kristi called out, “Oh, Skeeter—didn’t you forget something?” Her brother looked back and she pointed to the pile of luggage at her feet.

  “Kristi—” he scowled. “I’m not—”

  “Just kidding!” she laughed and grabbed her things herself. The teens trooped into the lodge and joined the line of teen agers that was beginning to form in front of the registration tables in the great room of the lodge.

  Seventeen kids had come to Hidden Lake Camp from their own church, but Pastor Tim had warned them that they would be split up into smaller groups of three or four and assigned to different cabins. They had chosen their “cabin buddies” and now they got in line with them. The other girls from their youth group would be in other cabins, but they all knew they’d have plenty of time to hang out during the days’ activities, so they weren’t too upset about it.

  The noise inside the lodge was a dull roar as a couple hundred young people excitedly chattered to one another, laughing and calling greetings across the lodge to friends they hadn’t seen since the summer before. Everyone was eager to find out where they’d be staying and who their cabin-mates would be.

  Kristi didn’t say much at first. She looked around in interest at the massive room. Great log pillars stood here and there, stretching up to the ceiling two stories above them. A huge stone fireplace dominated the wall at one end. An elk head stared majestically from its place of honor above the fireplace, while other animal heads and mounted fish graced the tall log walls around the room. Creepy! Kristi thought. All those glass eyes staring at us…

  As if he had read her thoughts, Skeeter spoke up, “Cool! Look at all the wildlife on the walls!” He poked his sister. “They’re looking at you, Kristi!” he said in a spooky voice.

  “Yuck! Cut it out, Skeeter!” Before she could say anything more, though, the line suddenly moved forward and she drifted away from her young brother.

  This was their first time at Hidden Lake Camp, so everything was new to them. Their church had always gone to a campground closer to home, but this year they had decided to try a camp in the mountains. Pastor Tim had assured them they would love the new campground, and Kristi had to admit, it certainly was impressive so far. What they had seen of the grounds as they drove in had been beautiful, and the glimpse they’d had of the lake had beckoned to them like a shining jewel in the sun.

  The lodge was dramatic—immense and yet still cozy somehow. A large sitting area with several couches and chairs sat before the fireplace. In the middle of the room were a number of ping-pong and pool tables, air hockey and foosball games. The other end of the room served as the dining hall. Rustic
tables and benches filled that side and several workers bustled in and out of the doors at that end. Obviously the kitchen, Kristi thought. The smells wafting into the room every time those doors opened were wonderful. It was nearly lunchtime and she suddenly realized she was hungry.

  “This lodge is great,” Robyn was saying as she turned her attention back to her friends, “but I wonder how the cabins are.”

  “And the showers,” Anna added.

  “Ooh, yeah! I hope they’re not gross! You don’t suppose we’ll have to use an outhouse when we have to—well, you know—do you, Kristi?” Robyn’s blue eyes twinkled mischievously.

  Kristi laughed. “Well, by the looks of this lodge and everything else we’ve seen so far, I’m pretty sure they’ll have indoor plumbing, at least.”

  They had finally reached the registration table. The lady sitting behind it had overheard their conversation and she laughed. “Yes, we have indoor plumbing!” she assured the girls. “Our bathrooms aren’t fancy, but they’re clean and we keep them well stocked with—well, you know—toilet paper!” she whispered loudly.

  The girls laughed with her and gave the lady their names. “Hmm, Kristi Cameron, Robyn DeLong, Anna Velasquez… Oh yes, you’re in Redwood Cabin. You’ll see the sign pointing the way outside. There are eleven or twelve girls assigned to a cabin, and we try to mix it up a bit with girls from other churches. The idea is that you’ll make new friends and hopefully be a blessing to one another! Lunch is in forty-five minutes. You’ll hear the bell ringing when its time to come in. You just have time to take your things to your cabin and get settled a bit. Have fun this week, girls!” She handed them each a packet of materials and they turned away, anxious to check out their new home for the week.

  Kristi looked around as they left the lodge. The guys were nowhere to be seen. They must have gone to their cabin already, she thought. Wonder where that is.

  Robyn was calling, “This way, girls! There’s the sign for Redwood Cabin.” Kristi and Anna followed her down a path through the trees. Their cabin wasn’t far from the lodge. It was cute. Small stones lined the path leading to the door, and bright flowers bordered the front of the little log cabin and spilled from flower boxes on the porch railing. A swing and a couple of rockers invited them to have a seat and enjoy the view, but they went on in and looked around the single room.

  A half dozen wooden bunk beds and a single twin bed lined the walls. An open door on the back wall led to the bathroom, they saw, and a couple rows of hooks stood empty, waiting for jackets or wet swimsuits. Brightly colored plaid curtains draped the windows. It was all very simple and plain, but even the rustic wood floor was clean and the girls were satisfied with what they saw.

  They headed for a pair of empty bunk beds that stood together and threw their sleeping bags and other things on them. A few of the other beds were already taken and they wondered about the girls who had dropped their stuff off and left before they got there.

  “Check out the bathroom!” Robyn called from the other room. Kristi and Anna went into the washroom. Where the main part of the cabin was all knotty wood and rough, the bathroom was smooth, clean tile and brightly lit. Three sinks, three showers and three stalls filled the room—and sure enough, it was stocked with plenty of toilet paper!

  They heard voices just then entering the cabin, and they went back out into the other room. A group of girls had come in, laughing and talking all at once. “Hi!” several of them cried out as they spotted Kristi and her friends.

  They were friendly and eager to introduce themselves. “I’m Marlee,” an outgoing blonde said, “and these are my best friends, Sherry, Jennifer and Gina. We’re from Calvary Baptist Church in Sacramento.”

  “And we’re from—” two of the other girls began at the same time, and then stopped and giggled. “We’re from Oceanside—First Baptist Church,” one of them began again. “This is my sister Amber, and that kook over there is our friend Sarah.” She pointed to a perky redhead sitting on the edge of one of the top bunks and swinging her legs. Sarah waved. “Oh, and I’m Autumn. I almost forgot!” She slapped her forehead and giggled again.

  Kristi, Robyn and Anna introduced themselves then and told the other girls that they were from Lakeview Baptist Church. “This is our first time at Hidden Lake Camp,” Kristi added. “It’s really neat, isn’t it? Have any of you ever been here before?”

  “We all have,” Gina spoke up. “We know each other from the last couple years. That’s one of the great things about coming here—meeting up with friends from other churches in other parts of the state.”

  “I see there are still a couple of empty bunks,” Anna said. “Will we be getting more roommates?”

  “Probably,” Amber said. “They usually have these cabins filled to the max. Our counselor was here earlier but she went out again. Her name is Allison. She seems nice. I think her husband is one of the counselors for the guys. They look pretty young—like maybe they’re newlyweds or something.”

  The girls chatted for a few minutes more and were about to head back to the lodge for lunch when suddenly the door opened and another girl entered the cabin. She was carrying a pair of expensive-looking suitcases. She stopped short just inside the door and looked around the room. She shook her head in disgust and walked over to the last empty bunk bed, ignoring the other girls.

  The girls looked at one another, unsure of what to do. Marlee shrugged her shoulders and said, “Hi, there! Welcome to Redwood Cabin! I’m Marlee. What’s your name?”

  The girl glanced over her shoulder and then turned her back to them again, putting one of the suitcases on the lower bunk and opening it. “Tiffany,” she muttered, lifting sheets and a comforter from the suitcase.

  “Hi, Tiffany,” Kristi said to the unfriendly girl. “I’m Kristi and this is Robyn and—”

  “Don’t bother,” Tiffany said. “I won’t remember your names anyway. I don’t care.”

  The girls stared at her back in shock and then looked at one another again. Whoa! Kristi didn’t think she’d ever met anyone that rude before. Tiffany went on making up her bed with her matching linens, unconcerned that everyone else had just thrown a sleeping bag on top of the mattress.

  A bell began ringing from the tower in the lodge and Autumn said, “That’s the ten-minute bell for lunch. Come on, girls. Let’s go eat. Tiffany, we’ll save you a seat if you want,” she offered.

  “Don’t bother,” Tiffany said again. “I’m not hungry.”

  This time they all shrugged and headed out the door. A pretty young woman was hurrying up the path toward them. She was holding the hand of a girl who was doing her best to keep up with her.

  “Hi, Allison!” several of the girls called out.

  Their counselor looked up with a smile. “Hello, girls! Oh, I see some more of our cabin-mates have joined us! Now, let’s see if I can remember—you must be Anna, Robyn and Kristi! Am I right, or is one of you Tiffany?”

  “You’re right, Allison, but you’ve got them in the wrong order.” Marlee said. She introduced the three girls from Lakeview to the counselor and then added, “Tiffany’s inside.” She looked like she wanted to say more, but bit her lip, and then looked at the girl with Allison. “Who’s this?”

  “Oh! Girls, I want you all to meet Rebecca. She’s the last of our campers in Redwood Cabin. I hope you’ll all make her welcome.” She pulled Rebecca forward a bit and smiled in encouragement at her.

  Kristi and the others noticed then that there was something different about Rebecca. She was a bit chubby and a little awkward. She smiled bashfully and they saw that her eyes were slightly slanted and puffy. Down’s syndrome, Kristi thought. They had several people like Rebecca in their school back home in the special ed classes. Kristi had often talked with them, enjoying their childlike simplicity and endearing friendliness. She stepped forward now and took the other girl’s hand. “Hi, Rebecca! We’re going to have a good time this week!”

  The other girls quickly followed Kristi�
�s lead and soon Rebecca was surrounded by smiling, friendly girls all greeting her and anxious to make her feel welcome. Rebecca was grinning by then and reaching out to shake all of their hands. “You can call me Becca,” she said shyly.

  The bell suddenly began pealing from the lodge tower again and Allison said, “Oh-oh! We’re going to be late for lunch! You girls go ahead and I’ll help Becca get settled and then we’ll meet you in a few minutes. Okay?”

  “Sure, Allison!” They hurried down the path toward the lodge.

  Kristi suddenly stopped and said, “My camera! I wanted to take pictures! Go on! I’ll run back for it and catch up with you.” She turned quickly and dashed back to the cabin.

  She walked in just as Allison was saying to Tiffany, “So nice to meet you, Tiffany! And this is Rebecca. It looks like she’s going to be your bunkmate, since this is the last bed left. But may I ask a favor of you? Would you mind taking the top bunk and let Rebecca take the lower one? I’m afraid she might have trouble climbing up there.”

  Tiffany stared at Allison and then at Rebecca. “You have got to be kidding!” she finally said. “I’m not taking a top bunk, and I am sure not sharing a bunk with that—that retard!”

  Allison’s mouth dropped open and she stood speechless for a moment. Rebecca’s eyes filled with tears and she took a step backwards as if she’d been slapped.

  Kristi hurried forward and took Rebecca by the hand. “Here, Becca—you can take my bunk! See how nice it is? And Robyn will be sleeping right here above you, and my friend Anna will sleep right next to you on the other side. They are both very nice and want to be your friends, just like I do. Here—let’s take my sleeping bag off, and put yours on, okay? My, that’s a nice sleeping bag. It looks really warm and cozy! Won’t it be nice to climb into it tonight? We’ll have a slumber party, won’t we?” Kristi chattered on, trying to distract the girl from the ugly scene that had just happened.