"Alright babies, lights out!" Susie's voice echoed unnaturally around the camp, even though she was speaking at normal volume and nowhere near most of the campers. Such was the convenience of the mystical powers of the counselors.

Oscar, Max and Hedgehog groaned in unison. The sun had just barely retreated, and the Moon was still on his first cup of coffee, not exactly an early riser. Not at this phase, anyway.

"Is it just me, or is lights out getting earlier?" Oscar asked as they kicked dirt over the beach fire they made and gathered up their picnic supplies.

"I think the Moon's just sleeping longer," Hedgehog replied, shaking the sand from the blanket before folding it up.

"Faster, babies, we've got plans tonight!" With a flick of her wand, the group, along with every other camper found themselves flying through the air towards their cabins.

Oscar crossed his arms as he tumbled through the sky along with the contents of the picnic basket coating the three of them.

"Ugh, why does she do this?" he grunted. "We can walk just fine!"

"I think she said that the witches had something going on tonight." Max added, whirling around Hedgehog and Oscar in the invisible magic tornado. "Maybe that has something to do with it."

"Hmm... maybe you're right!"

"Well, this is my stop, see you guys!" Max said as the whirlwind dropped him unceremoniously on the porch of his cabin, as it did with the rest of the campers, to include Oscar and Hedgehog.

After picking himself off his porch and attempting to brush the food stains off his clothes, he went inside his cabin to change.

He removed his shirt and pants and threw them in the hamper before a voice nearly startled him out of his skin.

"Alright, listen up. I know you babies sometimes sneak out to go on magical adventures and what not around the island after I call lights out, but tonight is NOT the night for that."

"Ah! Susie get out of my—" Oscar shouted with a start, only to find himself alone in his cabin in his underwear. "Oh,"

"If I catch any of you outside tonight, I'll turn you into a frog until the day your parents come to get you!"

Her dire warning did nothing to quell Oscar's curiosity. If anything, it heightened his intrigue. He also knew that his best friend would be feeling the same spark of curiosity. He threw on his pajama bottoms, but hesitated to put on his top, at least not before checking if Hedgehog was on the same page. He walked to his window that faced her cabin and opened it, only to find that she had the same idea.

"Did you hear that announcement?" she asked.

"Yeah! What do you think it's about?" Oscar replied.

"I don't know, but I bet it's something cool they're trying to hide from us. It seems like that's all they do!"

"Hey!" A voice called from a few cabins down. Max carefully climbed out of his window, still dressed in his beach clothes. "You guys thinking about sneaking out to find out what the witches are up to?" he asked.

Oscar and Hedgehog looked at each other for a moment before wordlessly coming to the same conclusion.

"Yes,"

"No,"

They both looked at each other in confusion.

"C'mon, Oscar, you know they're probably hiding something absolutely amazing! Last time it was magic ice cream and a chocolate waterpark, who knows what it could be this time!" Hedgehog pled, trying to bribe the curiosity she knew he was suppressing.

"Yeah, but you heard Susie! Do you want to spend the rest of the summer as a frog?"

"Dude, c'mon, she's just saying that to scare you," Max countered.

"We all know she'll do it!" Oscar replied. "She once called lights out at eight in the morning! She cancelled the whole day!"

"Well... yeah..."

"Babies."

All three of the kids jumped at the voice they all knew and feared. Slowly turning around, the head counselor stood hovering on her broom, arms crossed as the moonbeams began to shine behind her. Somehow, she must gotten wind of their scheme. It was as though the witches had eyes and ears everywhere. And, since most objects on the island had both eyes and ears, that was mostly true.

"What do the words 'lights out' mean to you?"

"Sorry Susie, we were just—" Hedgehog began.

"Just plotting another whimsical adventure on your magic island after the mean old counselor told you EXPLICITLY to stay in your cabins?" Susie leaned in close to the three of them, her expression was deathly serious, something none of them had ever seen before. That fact alone put fear in the pit of their stomachs. "Listen to me as hard as your baby ears will let you. We have something very important that needs to be done tonight, and it's also something that is two hundred and fifty percent NONE of your business." The three campers were speechless as she continued. "Consider this your one and only warning. If I catch you outside your cabins tonight, you will live in a jar on my desk until your parents show up to get you."

Susie took time to stare daggers into all three of the kids eyes before speaking. "Understand?"

They all slowly and weakly nodded.

"Good." With a wave of her wand and a flash of magic, they all found themselves tucked into bed in their cabin. Somehow, she had even managed to put on pajamas, who was just as confused as Oscar was.

"W,wha? Oscar? When did you put me on? Was I asleep?" he asked.

"No, it was witch magic," Oscar sighed. He had never seen Susie so serious. Sure, she'd threatened them before, especially when they were attempting to make her follow rules or honor her own promises, but this... this was different. Oscar rolled over, the moon shining brighter than he'd ever seen it before, blasting through his window.

"Hey, Moon? Think you could dim the lights a bit?" he asked.

"Sorry pal, I gotta shine tonight, Susie's orders," he replied.

"Whose orders?" Oscar repeated, raising his head off of his pillow.

"Oh, um, no ones! I'm choosing to do this of my own free will! just like all the other celestial bodies!" Moon said, laughing nervously.

Oscar heard him the first time, but decided to let it go. Susie's dire warning was still fresh, and while he would normally not hesitate to stand up to the tyrannical head counselor, this, like her warning, seemed different.

"Curtains, can you close please? Its kinda bright in here."

"Ayy, no problemo pal," his drapes replied, blocking out the Moon's errant beams.

He closed his eyes, his curiosity about what Susie and the witches were up to fading into the back of his mind. Just as he was drifting off, he heard a slight tap on his back window. Blearily, he opened one eye, thinking he was hearing things before another rap confirmed his suspicions.

"Ugh..." he moaned, throwing his covers off and looking down at his chest. Pajamas was asleep, so he limited his movements as he walked to his window, the cold from his floor sending a shiver from his feet into his spine.

He moved his sleeping curtains aside to see Max getting ready to toss another pebble, with Hedgehog next to him with a backpack.

Oscar opened his window.

"C'mon Oscar, We're burning moonlight!" Hedgehog whispered.

"Have you guys lost your minds?" he replied in a harsh whisper.

"Oscar, this could be huge!" Max replied. "What if it's like, a whole freezer full of that magic ice cream! Or like, an embarrassing family photo album or something!"

"Guys, I don't want to spend all summer in a jar! We already hate being around Susie, do you really want to spend the rest of our time here on her desk?"

Hedgehog climbed onto his back porch and stood in front of his window.

"Remember when you first got here? How uncomfortable you were around all this magic and stuff?" she asked quietly, out of earshot of Max.

He knew what she was doing, and unfortunately he knew it would probably work. "Yeah..."

"And how you eventually became the kid who chills with monsters, is best buds with the moon, and who stands up to witches on a regular basis?"

Oscar sighed, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and looking into Hedgehog's before cracking a gentle smile. She returned the grin, knowing she had him.

"Okay, okay, just don't be too loud. I have to change without waking up Pajamas."