This chapter is ultimatly the same, save for the beginning, since the new chapter 2 pretty much establishes Ms. Doe already. The only things i really changed here was Jane and Ms. Mucus's relationship. You see a much more aggitated side to Ruebella Mucus when it comes to her new superior.
Chapter 3
"Campfire Stories"
"All right scouts, everyone settle down." Jane gathered the scampering, squealing Squirrel scouts by the flag pole, gesturing for them to listen and be seated. She didn't have much luck though, the adolescent girls being too occupied chattering amongst themselves; disregarding the new, soft spoken woman entirely.
"Scouts? Scouts, please… uh…" Sweat began to bead along the blond's brow, her nerves getting the better of her the longer she was ignored. She knew this was going to be difficult, but Hoo-Haw never mentioned how disobedient the girls could actually be.
She soon discover there was a lot that he didn't mention.
A much more burly woman stepped in front of the new Den mother, drawing in a deep breath to shout, "Shut yer mouths and sit yer keesters DOWN!"
Silence immediately filled the air, all the girls quickly scurrying to find a seat, full attention glued on the two adults towering over the troop. "Um, thank you Ms. Mucus."
A grumble was all the Jane received, she immediately slapping a smile in place, attempting to display a carefree disposition, "Now, I'd just like to say hello to all you sweet looking little Squirrel's. I'd also like to introduce myself to you as well. So hi, my names Ms. Jane Doe, and I'll be your new Den mother for the rest of the summer, 'kay? Wont that be fun? So, if you have any questions, just raise your hand and I'll-"
Many hands instantly hit the air, making Jane's grin grow even bigger, "I see some people want to ask something. You. Yes you in the blue… out… fit." She giggled to see all the girls wearing the exact same uniform. "I mean the tall one with the glass's. Say your name, please, so I can remember you."
"Yeah, uh…hello. My names Nina Neckerly, and I was wondering how long you plan on working here?"
"I hope to stay as long as possible, Nina."
"I know," Nina muttered, "but our Den mother's don't last very long so I was just wanting to know if I should bother remembering your name."
That certainly is reassuring. Jane thought, her grin slipping a few notches to hear agreeable responses from the other scouts. She glanced over at Ms. Mucus, who by now was seated in a foldable chair reading Mechanics Digest magazine and not paying the least bit attention to the conversation.
"Um, I cant really say much about the others who've worked here before but let me assure you that yes, you should learn my name because I'm not going anywhere any time soon. I'm here to stay."
"That's what the last one said." Mucus mumbled, flipping a page.
Jane chocked a little, suddenly feeling awkward standing in front of all the gawking girls that obviously doubted her permanency. She quickly pointed to another scout in hopes to relieve the tension, silently praying it wasn't a question similar to the one before it. "You, with the poofy hair."
"My names Patsy, Patsy Smiles. What did you do before you came here and if you quit , can you go back?"
"I… well you see, I used to work in a city, which will be unnamed, and I left my job, for reasons which will also be unnamed, and I-"
"Did you kill someone?" a girl with a sever under bite asked, nearly on the edge of her seat to know.
"No, it would have been nice to, but no, I didn't kill that lying snake. But that's neither here nor there. I really do want to stay here in Acorn Flats with all you lovely little ladies. My past is… well, the past. (Insert awkward laughter) And all of you are my future."
The Squirrel scouts seemed to accept that shady explanation, though most still appeared a little skeptical. And for good reason. From what Jane had overheard from the towns people, ever since this camp opened one summer ago they'd had all kinds of problems keeping staff. Some even whispered the entire area was cursed, which seemed to be the main excuse for anomalies or missing items around Prickly Pines.
Some things she brushed off as being superstitious, others frazzled her nerves, knocking her confidence down the totem pole; especially when she stood before her scouts scrutinizing eyes. They couldn't really be as bad as everyone said they were… could they?
Then again… most people did quit due to their uncooperative attitudes.
A small few just up and left without a reason, or note of resignation, never to be seen or heard from again.
Jane, on the other hand, had made a solemn promise - and signed a contract - to not desert the campers like the others that came before her. (The latest one taking off half way through summer.) She wasn't one to give up, despite the fiasco that had her running from her last employment. But she was certain the same thing would not happen twice at this job because
A: She had learned her lesson.
And B: Her boss, Commander Hoo-Haw, wasn't her type… no matter what he thought.
The girls were eventually dismissed and filed out to fall back into their usual routines.
Jane let loose a relieved sigh.
"Thanks for all the help, Ms. Mucus."
"Whut ever."
"It's strange, even as a grown woman I still get stage fright around people. Isn't that the silliest thing?"
Mucus only snorted, having been giving the new Den mother the cold shoulder since she got there.
"I-I really hope I eventually fit in here. It's always been my little dream to go to summer camp and, hehe, I guess I'm finally here. This should be very exciting."
"They can smell yer fear."
"Excuse me." Jane quizzically stared at the bullish looking assistant, not sure what to make of her statement.
"Them scouts'll pounce on any weakness's ya got. They've been known to do so before. If'n you be smart, you'll either get on outta here before ya go loony or crack down on the little varmints."
"Oh…"
"It's yer choice."
Jane actually took a step back, plastering on an awkward smile for her intimidating assistant. "I-I'm a firm believer in sparing the rod and spoiling the child, and that's exactly what I plan to do. These girls don't look like they need punishment… just some patience."
Ms. Mucus stared blankly at her boss. "If ya change yer mind, I left the Want Ads in yer cabin." And with that she practically threw the activities clipboard at the woman and left the new Den mother to her duties. Duties, Jane bemoaned, she had no clue on how to do and it seemed she was stuck to learn them by herself.
Jane gave one sweep around the camp site, lifted the list, and read all the things that were scheduled for today. What really baffled her the most were the limitations that were written down beside the activities. "Swimming at 3. But only 5 meters from the dock. Hiking at 5:30, a 50 foot circle around the camp. Crochet, painting, and marshmallow roasting after dinner." What in the world? How do they expect the girls to have fun if they can barely leave?
She knew Commander Hoo-Haw was strict - how else did he become a Commander?- but she had no idea he was this strict. It was no wonder the Squirrel scouts were in such sour moods. They were bored being stuck in camp day in and day out.
Jane held a puzzling expression.
Yet rules were rules she supposed, and the last thing she wanted to do was jump in to making a bad name for herself.
So, pasting her cheery smile on once again, Ms. Doe set out to make the best of this day and get to know the girls left under her care.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
The day flew by fairly quickly, leaving the new Den mother exhausted chasing down a rampant robot Nina had created (forgetting to install an off switch on), keeping Gretchen from kicking sand in the other scouts faces and rescuing Almondine from drowning herself in water that barely touched her shoulders. Even Commander Hoo-Haw called, keeping her on the phone for at least 2 hours that could have been spent more productively.
As she had thought before, he just wasn't her type. To pushy. To stuffy. To… much her boss. Yet it seemed he was incapable of taking a hint and she had vowed not to snap on the first day.
All in all, Jane was thankful when night soon approached and the campers settled down for the marshmallow roast. They all entertained one another with spooky ghost stories, truth or dare and other silly things one does around a campfire.
"And then, the campers screams sailed above the trees." Gretchen stood on the log, towering over the others she shared her twisted tale with, "But when help finally arrived, it was too late. Their tent had already been trampled by the WereMoose. And the scouts," Gretchen chuckled, "were never seen again. SO BEWARE!!!"
Almondine skyrocketed from her seat, screaming in fright while Gretchen, along with many others, chuckled. "You shoulda seen your face. It was priceless." Even Jane thought it amusing, though she made an effort to help the still terrified girl back on the log. "What a good story, Gretch. Who else has one?"
"Oooooh ooooh, I do. I do." Patsy swiveled her hand around, excitedly bouncing up and down.
"Ug. It better not be about the curse on Camp Kidney again." Nina moaned, the other girls making their own bored sounds. This forced Patsy's excitement to trickle away; she dejectedly sitting back down.
Jane looked back and forth between the scouts, letting her green eyes fall sympathetically on the girl that now scrunched up towards her peers protests. "Now wait a minute. I've never heard of this Camp Kidney curse."
"Course not, that's why we're all gonna have to hear it again." Gretchen grouched, crossing her arms bitterly when Patsy cleared her throat. "Long ago-"
"It was three years ago, genius." Gretchen interrupted.
Patsy glared at her friend, starting again, "Three years ago, across the Leakey Lake, an evil storm rose up from the nether realm to engulf the inhabitants in Camp Kidney, our brother camp. It was so violent, the thunder shook the earth apart while the lightning exploded the top from the once dormant volcano overshadowing Prickly Pines. Lava poured down the mountain side, ash fell like dirty snow by the truck load. The Bean scouts had no warning, no time to escape, falling victim to the nastiest calamity to ever occur in the sleepy Pimple Back Mountains. Sadly, there were no survivors."
Patsy dramatically removed her hat, "No one was able to approach the camp. Not by road, since they were destroyed. Not by land, since the deadly briar bushes, with their poisonous thorns, encircle the camp. Not even by boat or air. The Leakey Lake monster is far too vicious. We can only see it from afar, using our telescopes and NASA satellites to see that the camp is completely destroyed."
Jane let her eyes fall, sniffling a bit to remember the incident. She, along with half the world, had seen the tragic eruption on the news. Even now she felt sorry for the families that had lost their sons, asking herself why life could be so cruel some times. "I certainly see why people think its haunted."
"But that's not the end of the story, Ms. Doe."
"There's more?"
"Of course." All the girls said in unison.
"You see, straaaaaange things started to happen soon after the incident. Unexplainable things. That area isn't just haunted by the dead scouts… it's cursed."
Almondine ducked her head, whispering, "Mutated wild animals are in the woods."
"They steal stuff when you aint looking." Gretchen threw in. "I lost a whole beef jerky collection to those jerks."
"They stole my dolly." Another girl whimpered.
"And worst of all," Patsy murmured, lowering her voice, "They watch us when we're showering."
"What?!" Jane barked, suddenly feeling quite protective of the girls virtue at that moment.
"Yeah. Commander Hoo-Haw tried erecting a giant security fence, like Prickly Pines did, but it never got finished." Everyone turned to the wire remains. "The monsters scared the workers away and stole all the equipment."
It's amazing these girls parents keep sending them back. Jane idly thought, shaking her head, then reprimanding herself for believing such wild stories. She was a grown woman for goodness sake. The very idea that mutated animals running amok made her laugh, causing most of the Squirrel scouts to exchange perplexed expressions.
"What's so funny, Ms. Doe?"
"Oh, nothing." The Den mother wiped a tear from her eye, feeling a stitch begin to form in her side, "I just think its funny to imagine crazy monsters stalking about. Oh, that was a good story. It's origins are morbid, but good."
The scouts, apparently, didn't think the thought of monsters lurking in the shadows was as amusing as she did, making their feelings known by angrily heading back to their cabins in pairs. After seeing the disgruntled and dirty looks of her campers, Jane felt like taking a mental katana and stabbing herself.
She sighed distantly, aware that all the trust she had built today now evaporated.
She was somewhat surprised when Patsy, Nina and Gretchen were still present. "You don't have to stay girls. I'll put the fire out here in a minute."
"It's okay Ms. Doe. We know you're trying." Nina beamed at her Den mother, actually starting to like the perky woman (especially after she had helped wrestle her robot down). "Everyone is skeptical when they first hear the Camp Kidney legend. Even I was at one time… until some of my tools went missing."
"It's normal not to believe it till you see it." Patsy offered, helping the slender blond to her feet.
"Maybe someday I will," Though she was doubtful, "but until then I'm mostly concentrating on getting into the Den mother groove. This is all still a little new to me. Hehe."
The three Squirrel scouts had to hand it to Ms. Doe, she at least tried her hardest to fit in and, as far as they could tell, she was a fairly likable person to begin with. They just hoped she didn't disappear like the last one. It was depressing to get attached to someone only to have them leave.
They all helped to pack up the remaining marshmallow bags, pouring water and dirt into the fire and taking the trash to the surrounding trash bins.
After Ms. Doe kindly walked the girls back to their cabin, wishing them a good night sleep, she all but raced to her own dwelling, ecstatic to finally see her new bed. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever set eyes on. Soft. Warm. She melted just looking at it.
Jane fell face first into the cushy blanket, possessing only enough energy to kick off her boots.
The woods, for the most part, were fairly quiet. There were no car horns pounding in her ears, no sirens or loud late night chattering from partying groups either. The only sounds that surrounded the exhausted woman came from the occasional owl hoot from the tree tops and the porches wind chimes twinkling in the breeze. The cabins creaking was barely even noticeable… and the scratching sound picking at her cracked window was only a minute annoyance.
Wait… scratching?
Jane bolted up right, turning her head towards the noise. From where she sat, there were defiantly dark figures lurking on the other side of the glass, maybe even three (it was hard to tell). What ever they were, or how many for that matter, she wasn't going to take any chances. Especially not after hearing all those stories about Camp Kidney.
Slowly reaching for her metal bat, Jane withdrew her weapon from behind her pillow, creeping silently.
They must have seen her coming for, when she threw open the window, prepared to swing, they vanished into the inky woods, giggling the entire time.
And did they just steal some marshmallows from the Food Terrace?