The Spirit of Arrow Lake

Chapter three

The first thing the guides did was have everyone introduce themselves then Alex, one of the guides, spoke.

"Okay, first I need to ask if everyone has already done this before."

They all nodded.

"Good then I don't have to go over all the regulations, you already know them. Since there are only nine of us this time, I'm going to have to split someone up. I'm assuming the family would like to go in one raft, so I need to ask if I have any volunteers to ride with them." When no on said anything he continued. "I'd like at least four men in each boat in case we get into really rough water….No offense." He said to Gale. She smiled back at him.

"None taken but I can handle myself."

"I'm sure you can but this river gets pretty wild at spots and for everyone's safety I have to insist on four men in each raft."

"I'll ride with the family." Dean volunteered.

"Good."

"Okay, since you've all done this before and I don't have to give my preparation speech. I guess we can load up the rafts and be off."

They packed the rafts with their supplies and were off. The lake was smooth and beautiful as they made their way out to the middle of it. The two rafts stayed side by side as they rowed slowly toward the mouth of the river.

"Okay, we're coming up to the first set of rapids. Just keep the rafts in the center of the river; we'll go through one at a time. And I'm sure since you've all done this before I don't need to remind you to keep your life vests and helmets on, and if you get thrown off the raft try to keep your legs in front of you. It's better to break a leg then hit those rocks head on….Okay, everybody ready?...Let's have some fun." Alex said as he headed his raft into the river.

Dean's raft went first followed shortly after by Sam's. The rafts bucked and sank over and over into the water almost tossing the campers into the river but all of them managed to stay on board. The guides each kept yelling instructions on which way to paddle and soon they were through their first set of rapids.

"Boy that was fun!" Kyle, the son of the Martin family, shouted smiling at everyone.

"Sure was!" Sam shouted back to him from his raft. "That was wild!" Sam smiled at his two raft mates but they didn't return his smile only looked away. Sam glanced at Dean and shrugged his shoulders when he noticed Dean had seen the men ignore him. Why would they come on a rafting trip if not to have fun? Sam wondered. Oh well, he was going to enjoy this. He hadn't been rafting for years. Their dad used to take them off and on while they were growing up and he had to admit he had missed it. He looked back at Dean who also seemed to have enjoyed the ride. But then he smelled it. It was faint but the odor was there, a sulfur like smell, faint but noticeable. He looked at Dean and pointed to his nose. Dean nodded he had smelled it to. Both of them began to look around the canyon. Way off in the distance Dean saw something large and brown that appeared to be leaning against a tree watching them. He kept his eyes on it trying to see if it moved. He nodded toward it with is head and Sam looked in the direction. As the rafts continued drifting down the river they eventually lost sight of it. Could that have been the Bigfoot who had attacked the other campers, they both wondered, and would it come into their camp tonight?

1st Campsite

The campsite consisted of four tents and an open pit for cooking. The family went to one tent, Dean and Sam to one, and Rob and Mick to another. While the group unpacked the guides began preparing the pit for cooking.

"Do you think it was a Bigfoot?" Sam asked Dean as they unrolled their sleeping bags inside their tent.

"From that distance it looked about the right size and shape but it was too far away to say for sure."

"Think it's tracking us?"

"I don't know, maybe it's just keeping an eye on us. Maybe it won't attack but we need to be ready." Dean unrolled his sleeping bag and pulled out the two umbrellas as Sam bit the side of his mouth trying not to laugh but Dean saw him.

"Hey, you're going to be glad I figured a way to smuggle these in here if one of those things come into camp."

Sam gave a little laugh.

"All your work trying to disguise them and they didn't check for weapons anyway."

"That's right they didn't…. They must be pretty new to the job."

"They did say that since we all did this before we knew the rules. Maybe they just assumed everyone knew no weapons were allowed."

"Well, all I know is that I want these bows together and ready in case we have any visitors tonight." Dean said as he ripped apart the umbrellas and began assembling them into crossbows. When he had them snapped into place he squeezed them till they formed a straight rod which could easily be shaken back into the shape of a bow when needed. He handed one to Sam. "Tie this around your leg." He handed him a thin piece of rope. Once it was secured around the calf of his leg Dean then handed him a few of the arrows which he slid under the rope. "Be careful you don't stab yourself with those, they're sharp." He cautioned as he strapped the other one on himself. "Now let's just hope this thing is a Bigfoot and not something else."

"Yeah, like what that man had said 'the spirit of the lake'. If it isn't a Bigfoot these silver arrows might not have any affect on it."

"Yeah, I know." Dean frowned as he looked over at Sam. He knew if the arrows didn't work on this thing they could be in big trouble. "Hey I noticed your two raft mates aren't the friendliest."

"Yeah, I couldn't get a word out of them only a few grunts. Even the guide couldn't get them to talk."

"I wonder what they're doing out here on a camping trip. If they're so antisocial you would have thought they would have gone by themselves and not with a group."

"Who knows…maybe they're cops investigating the deaths." Sam suggested.

"You could be right. Cops are usually standoffish."

"And they looked like cops."

"That they do, never smiling, hiding behind dark glasses…"

"That's what they must be, cops."

"Must be."

They glanced at each other, each knowing the other didn't really believe they were cops, but if they weren't, then who were they?

TBC