My Story, Her Story
Chapter One: Katherine
Katherine stepped out of her cousin's old, beat up, truck and felt the dust pour over her skin. She knew this place all too well. Camp Green Lake had been her home-away-from-home more than once. It wasn't because she had gotten arrested, though. Instead she came because her stepmother owned the place.
"Hello, Katherine," someone said, startling her from her thoughts. Looking up she saw one of the counselors. "You know I don't answer to that, Pendanski," she said through clenched teeth. The man didn't respond. Yes, he knew.
"Take care of yourself, kid," her cousin, Harry, said from inside his truck. She only nodded and began to make her way to the Warden's cabin. Lou was expecting her. As she opened the cabin door the icy cold of air conditioning hit her in the face, offering relief from the day's heat. Lou was sitting on the couch watching TV "Kat, you're here." The comment was not a joyous one.
"Yeah, where do you want my stuff?"
"That corner over there. You can sleep on the couch."
Kat nodded. While her stepmother didn't really care for her presence the woman enjoyed the help she gave around the camp. It was really a good deal for both of them, Kat thought. She didn't really like being with Lou so she would stay in the wreck room most days, cleaning up after the boys to avoid boredom. In turn the Warden gave her a place to stay until her father got back from his latest business venture.
After setting her things down she made for the door. A voice stopped her, "Where are you going?"
The girl sighed, "The wreck room" There was no response, Lou didn't really care what she did. Just as long as she wasn't causing trouble. Of course, Kat was used to that, most people around Green Lake didn't care.
~~~
Stanley and the others from D tent watched the truck drive way, leaving the dry sand hanging in the air behind it. They were digging close enough to camp to watch everything.
"Who on earth was that?" Armpit asked, setting his shovel aside.
Squid shrugged it off "Don't know, and it really doesn't matter to me."
"Oh, come on, man. You're just a curious as the rest of us." Magnet said.
Stanley turned towards the rest of the group, "Well, she knows Pendanski."
"Yes she does." Mr. Pendanski, who had over heard them, said. "And she would happen to be the Warden's stepdaughter, Katherine."
"The Warden's got a daughter?" Zigzag asked. The counselor nodded and then walked away to get the boys' lunches from the truck.
X-Ray, fingering the "golden bullet" in his pocket, finally put in his two cents, "Weird."
~~~
The wreck room was worse than the last time she had been here. At least the TV had worked on her previous visit. Now it was completely worthless with a big hole kicked through the glass. "Give me a break," she muttered. The rest of room was in similar condition. Not sure where to start she walked over to a broken chair and picked it up. A leg had been broken off with another one just barely hanging on. "I might be able to take care of that," she told the chair.
Someone behind her laughed rather mockingly, "Do you always talk to chairs?"
Despite his mannerism she smiled. "Oh no, sometimes I talk to tables too." The reply was somewhat corny, she knew, but oh well.
The boy didn't respond to that. Instead he asked, "You're the Warden's stepdaughter?"
"Yep. Pendanski tell you that?"
He nodded. "Why are you here anyway?"
"My dad left the states for a while and my cousin's house is too full. So the only place left to stay that was even in the same state is here."
The other shrugged. "What a choice."
She gave a curt laugh."Yeah." After that the conversation died out and she turned back to the chair, looking it over. It was hopeless she decided. Setting the broken seat in a corner she looked the room over again. The place was a mess.
"If you're looking for something to do cleaning this place up isn't worth it," the boy told her.
"Yeah, that's becoming obvious." She plopped herself down in one of the few intact chairs.
"You play pool?" he asked.
"I haven't for a while, but sure." He threw her a que. She joined him at the table and the game began.
"You're going down," he laughed. "Nobody beats X-Ray at this game."
Kat smirked, "We'll wait and see."
~~~
Stanley ate and then kept digging, frustrated to death about X-Ray's getting the day off. Plus he wanted to know why Katherine was here. It was just odd to him, why would anyone want to come here? His curiosity kept him going. He couldn't believe that the Warden would want anymore kids around. In his mind it was all too strange.
Above the noise he heard the water truck returning, only this time it carried wheelbarrows as well as water. The Warden yelled for him and two other boys to work the barrows, the others kept on digging. Today they were digging the dirt twice. Which meant it would be forever before anyone from D tent, besides X-Ray, found out what was going on.
~~~
Katherine Barlow rode out of Green Lake at a steady pace. To her the thrill of killing those who had murdered Sam was growing more bitter by the minute. It wasn't just revenge she wanted, it was release from her pain.
At sunset she turned away from her determined path and toward a little house that sat about twenty miles out of Green Lake. Hopefully news of the day's events had not reached the inhabitants yet. As she neared the fence line of the home's yard she noticed that inside lamps were still burning. She nodded in approval and slid off her horse, leading it to a tree and then hitching it. With hesitation she approached the door and knocked, almost hoping there would be no answer. However, that small hope was denied and the door swung open, revealing a young woman who bore a striking resemblance to Katherine. "Kate!" she exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"
"Surprise," was all Katherine managed.
"Oh, I'm so glad to see you! I heard about the school house. Peter was in town last night and saw the whole thing. He tried to find you but he said you were no where to be found."
"I'm alright, Jenny, really. But, I need to ask a favor of you."
"Anything."
"May I stay here tonight? I have to leave early, I might even beat Peter up. But I just need a place to sleep for a few hours. After last night I need to get as far away from Green Lake as possible."
The other nodded. "Of course."
Katherine thanked Jenny as the other got a bed ready. Jenny just laughed, "It's not a problem, Kate. After all, what are sisters for?"
Chapter One: Katherine
Katherine stepped out of her cousin's old, beat up, truck and felt the dust pour over her skin. She knew this place all too well. Camp Green Lake had been her home-away-from-home more than once. It wasn't because she had gotten arrested, though. Instead she came because her stepmother owned the place.
"Hello, Katherine," someone said, startling her from her thoughts. Looking up she saw one of the counselors. "You know I don't answer to that, Pendanski," she said through clenched teeth. The man didn't respond. Yes, he knew.
"Take care of yourself, kid," her cousin, Harry, said from inside his truck. She only nodded and began to make her way to the Warden's cabin. Lou was expecting her. As she opened the cabin door the icy cold of air conditioning hit her in the face, offering relief from the day's heat. Lou was sitting on the couch watching TV "Kat, you're here." The comment was not a joyous one.
"Yeah, where do you want my stuff?"
"That corner over there. You can sleep on the couch."
Kat nodded. While her stepmother didn't really care for her presence the woman enjoyed the help she gave around the camp. It was really a good deal for both of them, Kat thought. She didn't really like being with Lou so she would stay in the wreck room most days, cleaning up after the boys to avoid boredom. In turn the Warden gave her a place to stay until her father got back from his latest business venture.
After setting her things down she made for the door. A voice stopped her, "Where are you going?"
The girl sighed, "The wreck room" There was no response, Lou didn't really care what she did. Just as long as she wasn't causing trouble. Of course, Kat was used to that, most people around Green Lake didn't care.
~~~
Stanley and the others from D tent watched the truck drive way, leaving the dry sand hanging in the air behind it. They were digging close enough to camp to watch everything.
"Who on earth was that?" Armpit asked, setting his shovel aside.
Squid shrugged it off "Don't know, and it really doesn't matter to me."
"Oh, come on, man. You're just a curious as the rest of us." Magnet said.
Stanley turned towards the rest of the group, "Well, she knows Pendanski."
"Yes she does." Mr. Pendanski, who had over heard them, said. "And she would happen to be the Warden's stepdaughter, Katherine."
"The Warden's got a daughter?" Zigzag asked. The counselor nodded and then walked away to get the boys' lunches from the truck.
X-Ray, fingering the "golden bullet" in his pocket, finally put in his two cents, "Weird."
~~~
The wreck room was worse than the last time she had been here. At least the TV had worked on her previous visit. Now it was completely worthless with a big hole kicked through the glass. "Give me a break," she muttered. The rest of room was in similar condition. Not sure where to start she walked over to a broken chair and picked it up. A leg had been broken off with another one just barely hanging on. "I might be able to take care of that," she told the chair.
Someone behind her laughed rather mockingly, "Do you always talk to chairs?"
Despite his mannerism she smiled. "Oh no, sometimes I talk to tables too." The reply was somewhat corny, she knew, but oh well.
The boy didn't respond to that. Instead he asked, "You're the Warden's stepdaughter?"
"Yep. Pendanski tell you that?"
He nodded. "Why are you here anyway?"
"My dad left the states for a while and my cousin's house is too full. So the only place left to stay that was even in the same state is here."
The other shrugged. "What a choice."
She gave a curt laugh."Yeah." After that the conversation died out and she turned back to the chair, looking it over. It was hopeless she decided. Setting the broken seat in a corner she looked the room over again. The place was a mess.
"If you're looking for something to do cleaning this place up isn't worth it," the boy told her.
"Yeah, that's becoming obvious." She plopped herself down in one of the few intact chairs.
"You play pool?" he asked.
"I haven't for a while, but sure." He threw her a que. She joined him at the table and the game began.
"You're going down," he laughed. "Nobody beats X-Ray at this game."
Kat smirked, "We'll wait and see."
~~~
Stanley ate and then kept digging, frustrated to death about X-Ray's getting the day off. Plus he wanted to know why Katherine was here. It was just odd to him, why would anyone want to come here? His curiosity kept him going. He couldn't believe that the Warden would want anymore kids around. In his mind it was all too strange.
Above the noise he heard the water truck returning, only this time it carried wheelbarrows as well as water. The Warden yelled for him and two other boys to work the barrows, the others kept on digging. Today they were digging the dirt twice. Which meant it would be forever before anyone from D tent, besides X-Ray, found out what was going on.
~~~
Katherine Barlow rode out of Green Lake at a steady pace. To her the thrill of killing those who had murdered Sam was growing more bitter by the minute. It wasn't just revenge she wanted, it was release from her pain.
At sunset she turned away from her determined path and toward a little house that sat about twenty miles out of Green Lake. Hopefully news of the day's events had not reached the inhabitants yet. As she neared the fence line of the home's yard she noticed that inside lamps were still burning. She nodded in approval and slid off her horse, leading it to a tree and then hitching it. With hesitation she approached the door and knocked, almost hoping there would be no answer. However, that small hope was denied and the door swung open, revealing a young woman who bore a striking resemblance to Katherine. "Kate!" she exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"
"Surprise," was all Katherine managed.
"Oh, I'm so glad to see you! I heard about the school house. Peter was in town last night and saw the whole thing. He tried to find you but he said you were no where to be found."
"I'm alright, Jenny, really. But, I need to ask a favor of you."
"Anything."
"May I stay here tonight? I have to leave early, I might even beat Peter up. But I just need a place to sleep for a few hours. After last night I need to get as far away from Green Lake as possible."
The other nodded. "Of course."
Katherine thanked Jenny as the other got a bed ready. Jenny just laughed, "It's not a problem, Kate. After all, what are sisters for?"