3

Trust Fall

“What happened there?” Harper asked, expecting the worst.

“Oh, that,” Counselor Fuller said, still smiling. “The zip line is blocked off because of the fog. We can’t have campers near the water in these conditions. Safety is our priority here at Camp Moon Lake.”

Harper felt relieved that there was a logical explanation and a bit silly for letting her imagination get the best of her.

Counselor Fuller continued to the center of the ropes course and stopped next to a small edifice the size of a refrigerator box. There were five steps leading to the top of it.

“This is a trust table. All of camp life is built on trust,” Counselor Fuller began. “And it’s our tradition here at Camp Moon Lake for each camper to participate in a trust fall upon arrival. Now, can anyone tell me what a tr—”

Before she could finish, her walkie-talkie buzzed, and she stepped off to the side to answer it. She whispered something to the person on the other end of the line, then hurried back to the campers.

“I’m sorry. I have to go help set up something for the Opening Night Campfire,” she said. “Does anyone here know how to explain a trust fall to the rest of the group?”

Darla eagerly shot her hand up in the air. She jumped up and down with excitement. “I do, I do!”

Counselor Fuller grinned at Darla’s enthusiasm and waved for her to come up to the trust table. She talked with Darla for a moment, giving her a few tips, then jogged away down the path from which they had come.

Darla climbed the steps and stood proudly atop the trust table like a magician on her stage.

She turned to the campers.

“My family did this on our vacation last summer,” she began, not the least bit shy in front of a crowd. “I have five brothers and sisters, and my parents are always trying to find new bonding activities for us to do.”

Nearby, Regina rolled her eyes and made a face like she was throwing up.

Darla continued. “The way it works is I’ll stand up here and fall backward off the stage. And four of you will stand below with your arms locked to catch me. Make sense?”

The campers nodded in understanding.

“I’ll go first. Who wants to catch me?”

“We will,” Harper volunteered, pulling Brodie up to the base of the trust table.

“We’ll do it too,” Regina said, dragging Tabitha up to the front of the crowd. Regina seemed like the kind of girl who liked attention.

Harper and Brodie locked arms across from each other, and Regina and Tabitha did the same. Darla stepped to the edge of the platform with her back to them.

“Okay, when I say ‘ready,’ you say, ‘fall away,’” Darla instructed. She then knelt and whispered to Harper, “If anything happens to me, tell my family I love them.”

Harper smiled. “You’ll be fine. I promise we’ll catch you.”

Regina rolled her eyes and whispered something in Tabitha’s ear.

Darla took a deep breath and called out, “Ready?”

Harper, Brodie, Regina, and Tabitha shouted back in unison, “Fall away!”

Darla carefully backed up, her heels hanging over the edge of the table. She closed her eyes, folded her arms across her chest like she was lying in a coffin, and relaxed her body.

Three . . .

Two . . .

One . . .

The other campers watched in suspense as Darla fell backward off the table toward her trust partners.

Downward . . .

And downward . . .

But when her weight fell into the human net below, Regina’s and Tabitha’s arms broke apart, and Darla tumbled headfirst to the ground.

BAM!

Darla sat up and rubbed the back of her head.

Harper and Brodie knelt at her side and examined her. She had a small bump bubbling out from her skull.

Harper looked up at Regina accusingly. “Why did you do that?”

“Our hands slipped,” Regina said. “She shouldn’t have fallen so hard.”

Harper glared at her.

Brodie gave Darla some water from his canteen.

Feeling like a protective older sister, Harper stood and faced Regina.

“You could have really hurt her,” Harper said.

“It was a stupid exercise anyway,” Regina replied, not seeming the least bit remorseful.

“What’s wrong with you? You should tell her you’re sorry,” Harper said in a more challenging tone.

Regina stepped toward Harper.

“You better watch yourself,” Regina threatened. “Or you might cause another accident. Wouldn’t want both of you to end up in the camp graveyard.”

“Summer camps don’t have graveyards,” Harper said.

“Sure they do. Every camp has one. Even Camp Moon Lake. But they keep it hidden so that the campers don’t get freaked out.”

“You’re making that up,” Harper challenged.

“Actually, she might be telling the truth,” Brodie whispered in Harper’s ear.

Harper shot him a sour look.

Regina took another step toward Harper, and Tabitha followed, attached at her hip. For a moment, it looked like Regina was going to push Harper.

“If you haven’t figured it out yet,” Regina began, then looked up at the sky as if someone, or something, was watching them. “This camp isn’t like other camps. Camp Moon Lake is . . . different.”

Harper knew Regina was just trying to scare them. But before Harper could say anything else, she felt a cold, slimy tentacle wrap around her ankle.

She looked down and saw the scariest creature she had ever seen in her entire life. . . .