"How did I get here?" asked Sarah nervously. She peered all around her and surveyed her surroundings in the thick mist. She looked to her right side then deduced that she had awoke on what looks like wooden planks.
Then she arose and peered out into the misty fog. It was very blurry, she quickly felt her face and her glasses were not there. She squinted her eyes nearly to the point of being shut.
"Okay Sarah, people without sight use their other senses," she murmured. "I can't taste, but I think I can still smell and hear. So - here goes nothing I guess."
She felt the ground she was currently sitting on. "Okay this is most certainly wood." In her blurred vision, she could see the brown of the wood. And she could, very faintly feel its rough texture.
Sarah then shut her eyes and listened around her, trying to figure out where she was. She listened, listened, listened, listened...
Then she heard the faint sloshing of water hitting against where she was sitting, but just not directly on her.
"That means water must be below me," she deduced. "And with wood...I'm on a dock! Wait. A dock?"
But before she could even guess to just which body of water's dock she was on she heard a faint voice. A girl's voice. And this voice - was singing.
"Every son and daughter," the voice sang, quite mournfully and mockingly. "Should be in the water..."
"Who's that? Meg? Briana?" asked Sarah, bow standing and looking frantically into the mist. She was now frightened. She knew it wasn't their voices and she knew it was to clear to be Jan's.
"The cold, cold water..." the voice sang now louder, ignoring her question. "Of Camp Cold Lake!"
"Who are y - AHHHHHHH!" she screamed. She couldn't finish her question. She was pushed by an unseen force. She was pushed by an unseen force...head first into the lake. Sarah was so startled and frightened she couldn't focus long enough to try to swim. She couldn't be still, she could settle down long enough to focus.
She was now flapping arms fiercely trying to get out of the water. But she couldn't. She couldn't get her balance to float. She couldn't swim her way out. She couldn't move other than her thrashing in the water. Poor Sarah was now screaming, "Help! Help!". But no one was there. Sarah Maas was drowning, and she knew it.
The water that entered Sarah's mouth as she gasped for air, tasted of nothing as her head was shifting left to right, in and out of the lake as she tried to inhale some form of breath of air. Her breathing was getting more and more difficult to do. Sarah couldn't keep her flapping and thrashing up. Soon she got tired and felt exhausted. She had no more energy, for it felt as though she had been drowning for an hour with how weary she began to feel. To her exhaustion and panicked flurry, her arms gave away and Sarah began float down and down, further and further into the depths of the deep lake until -
"Like rise and shine dudedettes!!!" called Richard from outside of the shut door, as he knocked loudly.
Sarah quickly rose from her bunk, clutching her chest and panting heavily. The rest of the girls ginerly rose up from their bunks, yawning and stretching. From across, Briana saw Sarah's unkempt brown hair and her face buried in her hands.
"So that's what they mean by a cold sweat." she whispered.
"Are you okay Sarah?" yawned Briana wearily, she then stretched her long arms.
"Yeah. Well maybe? I don't know." breathed Sarah, trying to get her wits about herself. "Bad dream. A really bad dream."
"Ah, the first bad dream of summer camp," said Meg. "I'm sure it's just because you aren't in your normal bed. That's all."
"I don't know," replied Sarah. "It seemed so real. Which is strange because sometimes they're fueled by the our brain reacting to emotions and feelings that occur while sleeping. Just stories our minds create while we rest. They sometimes help us with processing information throughout the day. But I have no idea what that was scary mess was supposed to be. And what I'm supposed to process from that."
"In other words - it was just a really really bad nightmare," concluded Jan. "Is that what you're trying to say?"
"Yeah," sighed Sarah, running her hands through her hair to fix it and calm herself. That's exactly what I'm trying to say. It was awful."
"Trust me," soothed Meg calmly. "A camp nightmare will always happen on your first night. It's kinda like a weird initiation. When I went to King Jellyjam last year, I dreamt I went to some camp in the desert with snake people."
Sarah had to laugh. "Well that's just preposterous, Meg."
"Weeeeell..." sighed Meg shrugging.
"Seriously Meg, where do you come up with this stuff?" asked Briana, laughing.
"My turn! My turn!" suddenly said Jan.
The girls then turned to Jan who was trying not to laugh before she could tell them about their dream.
"On my first night of camp a couple of years ago, I dreamt I was being chased by Jason Voorhees." added Jan with a wheezy-sounding guffaw.
Meg and Briana snickered. Sarah was smiling a big grin because she realized what Briana, Meg, and Jan were doing.
"Oh my gosh, they're trying to help me feel better by relating to me!" thought Sarah happily. She fondly remembered that her school counselor told her that a trait of a true friend would do so and to always listen effectively when they do.
"I had one on my second day, because I couldn't sleep the first night. And that nightmare was freaky. I dreamt I was in some weird clown camp and clowns kept throwing pies at me!" chuckled Briana, shaking her head in embarrassment.
Now all four girls were laughing, and Sarah had to admit - she felt very much better.
"I dreamt I was pushed into the lake," explained Sarah, not feeling as distressed. "I was all alone and no could help me."
"Well you see that's how you know it was just a dream," said Briana with an easy smile. "I meant it when I said I'd be your Lake Buddy."
A part of Sarah felt even more relieved. She had to admit, she really liked Briana.
"See?" added Jan from below, a tinge of kindness coming through her raspy voice. "And now you're officially one of us!"
"Welcome to the Camp Cold Lake Club!" joked Meg.
Sarah couldn't help but have a different type of sensation course through her body. She couldn't pinpoint what the feeling was, or if she's ever felt something like this. But this feeling, this sensation was very welcomed.
"You guys are right, maybe it was just a super weird nightmare," Sarah finally agreed. She then had a silly grin crack across her face. "It could've been worse. A big grape jelly monster could've tried to eat me with some peanut butter." she teased.
Briana, Meg, and Jan all broke into hysterical laughter. As Sarah bounced happily on her bunk, she was so excited she couldn't sit still.
"I made a funny joke! I really made a funny joke!" she thought excitedly. Sarah never really had a lot of time to make her friend laugh in school, she just was always busy.
"Oh I'll show you all that it actually happened!" cried Meg, albeit playfully and jokingly.
"Sure you will." drawled Jan, rolling her eyes.
"Well then we had a laugh, Sarah feels better and is one of us, and Meg still hates grape jelly," joked Briana. "With that, let's go get cleaned up and meet Richard."
After another short laugh together, the girls agreed it was time. Sarah now felt excited and ready.
"I wonder what the first activity will be today?" thought Sarah as she climbed down to retrieve her bathing supplies and toothbrush and toothpaste.
Admittedly, she didn't like the large showers lodge for the girls not to far from her cabin, and having to share them with others. But still, Sarah felt excited to be joining her friends as they met with Richard who was awaiting them at the beginning of a path that read: Wildwood Trail.
"Ya totally ready for some breakfast and sack racing, girls?" asked Richard excitedly.
Briana, Meg, and Jan were excited. But not Sarah. She was hoping to slowly build up to the idea of a physical sport instead of doing one right away. Perhaps maybe a nature walk, an art activity, or something more calming. She tried to summon some form of will to do it, but she couldn't. Her mind was made up.
"Oh that sounds- fun!" she finally forced herself to say with a toothy grin.
Briana eyed her suspiciously, but Richard seemed to think she really was excited.
"Righteous!!!" cried Richard happily, making Sarah jump. "Well right this way through this path to the field. And the mess hall. I definitely think you'll enjoy who we're facing off against today."
"I hope it's against Aaron and Micah and the rest of their group," said Meg as the trooped together to the field.
"For real," agreed Briana. "I wanna smoke them in the race because of that prank."
"I'm surprised Counselor Liz is letting them even compete," added Sarah bluntly. "That was a cruel thing they did."
"I thought you'd say that Sarah," put in Richard. "You see, I spoke to Counselor Weiss, and I spoke to Liz and they feel that they can have one more chance. Plus, I saw how much you want to-like-teach them a lesson. What better way than to beat them?"
"I would've rather have seen them leave promptly." grumbled Sarah in thought. "I don't want to play with them. Oh this will be the worst ever."
"I-I-," stammered Sarah unsurely. "I think that can be cool."
Satisfied, Briana, Meg, and Jan all talked with Richard about activities they're looking forward to doing as Sarah remained silent during their short walk to the field the sack race would be held.
All sound had blurred to nothing as Sarah walked deep in thought. She remembered they told her that she looked quite athletic for her size, in being tall and skinny. But she didn't feel athletic. She didn't feel that she was good enough to help then win.
Sarah felt those old familiar feelings boiling inside her. "What if I lose? What if they hate me for losing? Oh this will be terrible!"
She then reached inside her pocket and pulled out her map that she had carefully been working on to resemble Granger Woods and Camp Cold Lake. She clutched it in her hands and took a deep breath.
"Just relax," she told herself in thought. "Do it for your friends. Do it for them."
Sure enough after a quick bowl of corn flakes, they reached the field Aaron and Micah's team were, along with seven other teams of four with their counselors excitedly waiting to race. One boy in Aaron and Micah's clique was tan with black untidy hair, and the other was a tall boy with buzz cut brown hair.
"Ooooh look," cooed Aaron pointing at Sarah. "It's Sensitive Sarah!"
"She's going to make a Maas of things, don't worry." added Micah. And then all four rowdy boys began to laugh much to Sarah's chagrin.
"Someone must've told them my full name." thought Sarah bitterly.
"Hey, 72-10's!" snapped Counselor Weiss. "Stow it and be nice!"
"You like totally picked that as their team name? asked Richard, trying not to sound impressed.
"Uh yeah! Because of the Bulls' best season ever AND our cabin is sixty-two!" replied Weiss matter-of-factly.
As Richard began to think of team names with Counselor Weiss, Sarah felt her temper flaring, she hated the feeling of embarrassment. Her heart began to pound and she felt anger coursing through her veins. Her first thought was to smack both boys and tell them off, but Briana broke her concentration.
"Don't pay any attention to them," she grumbled. "They just don't know how to admit when they like someone."
"As if!" snorted Micah, as all boys were blushing.
"Well that's a relief," breathed Sarah, not in a joking manner. "I was worried for a second that you guys actually liked me. I'd rather kiss a toilet seat than any of you guys."
Briana, Meg, and Jan roared with laughter, as the four boys jeered.
Sarah turned to the girls as they began to regain their composure. "What? Did I say something funny?"
Jan was laughing so hard she needed to take a puff from her inhaler. "Never change, Sarah."
Sarah thought she was just being honest as usual, but if she managed to make her friends laugh and for the 72-10 Boys to stop laughing and mocking her, then that's good enough for her.
"Alright Richard's Righteous-er-um-Rebels! Yeah that's totally it!" spluttered Richard, trying hard to think of a team name. "Alright Rebels, let's like win a race!"
The girls all exchanged puzzled expressions at their name, but still made a line to front of the track.
The sacks for the race were large tan burlap sacks in a pile next to Team 72-10 and Counselor Weiss.
"Jan, like your 'problem' has recently resurfaced so I'm gonna have you sit out." soothed Richard, much to the embarrassment of Jan and the amusement of the other team.
"Meg it'll be you versus Shawn," demanded Weiss. "Briana, you versus Micah. And Sarah, you versus Aaron."
"Then after we are like totally going to let Cabin Twenty and Cabin Thirty-Nine race each other." said Richard in his laid back manner.
Sarah wished they were racing each other now. She had no interest in doing such a race. She wished she were in the art lodge crafting her magnum opus of a map with Wildwood Trail now added. She thought about how proud her parents would be that she made three new friends that seem to actually like her.
She began to think about what life would be like with them attending school with her.
"Okay Sarah, your turn!" chirped Richard.
Sarah's thought process was broken as she forgot where she was and what she doing. In fact she had been daydreaming for so long that she missed who beat who.
"Come on Sarah!" willed Briana. "You can beat him and break the tie! I know you can!"
"Oh no - a tie?" moaned Sarah in thought. "Oh no no no."
Sarah began to feel ancy and couldn't remain still. She felt hot, this time from discomfort. Her glasses felt oddly tighter on her face. Picking this up, Richard and Weiss both walked to Sarah with easy smiles.
"Hey, relax buddy. Okay?" Richard insisted calmly. "You got this, and later I'll take you to the art center where you can finish your map of Granger."
"It's no pressure, Sarah," added Weiss. "This is just for fun. My boys just are competitive. That's all."
"Okay," breathed Sarah, now feeling calm. She then took one more deep breath and exhaled. "Okay I can do this."
Her friends in her cabin, were giving encouraging smiles to Sarah too, as Jan patted her on the back. "You got this."
Sarah nodded confidently and walked to retrieve her burlap racing sack. Micah had been sorting them after race, and handed Sarah hers while sporting a mischievous and devious grin.
She then sat down placed one leg in the bag, but as she did - something felt off. Something, rough, wet, and slimy had wriggled slowly all around her leg, causing one of the most uncomfortable feelings Sarah had ever felt.
"Ew, what is that?" asked Sarah, grimacing. Her counselor, Briana, Jan, and Meg all looked confused. She slid her leg out and she screamed so loud and so high pitched, that it could've been mistaken for Richard's sports whistle.
"A ssssnnnnaaaaakkkkkeeeeee!!!!" howled Sarah, now jumping and shaking her leg, she was swatting at the snake to try and get it off of her leg, but she was too frightened to touch it. "Get it off me! Get it off me!"
"A snake?" asked Richard in disbelief. "Wha-how-when?"
But then she looked over, Team 72-10 were now roaring and cackling obnoxious laughter as Counselor Weiss was trying to control them and tell them off for their behavior. And soon, the other groups of peers there began to laugh at Sarah's plight.
Briana, Meg, and Jan angrily walked over to Team 72-10 to give them a piece of their mind, as Weiss, and two other counselors had to hold the angry Cabin Fifty-Six girls back and restore order. Richard had immediately went to Sarah's aid to get the snake off of her.
"Hold still Sarah," soothed Richard in a murmur. "Like I'll get that snake off you."
"He put a snake in my bag!" she shrieked, tears flowing as her humiliation was feeling like someone had hit her in heart - hard. "That jerk put a snake in my bag!"
"I know, I know," Richard said calmly. "He totally did and I will make sure Liz hears about this. Aaaaand now you're snake-free."
Richard slipped his fingers under the coiled snake, and the little green snake wrapped around Richard's hand, flicking its little tongue.
"Off ya go little guy." he said as he placed the snake down, and it slithered away into the woods.
This was too much for Sarah. Her friends were screaming, the boys were laughing, the other Camp Cold Lake children were laughing, the counselors were trying to maintain control in their fury... - she just couldn't take it anymore. The noise, the humilation had consumed her. But even worse than that, her feelings felt hurt.
With tears flowing profusely from her eyes and her thin face turning red from embarrassment, she let out a frustrated yelp, clutched her ears, and ran into the woods hoping to get far away from the noise. Hoping to get far away from the hurt.
A/N: I'm noticing in my friend groups more and more people have been discussing The Curse of Camp Cold Lake. And honestly, it's very welcomed. And I like how polarizing this book is. Adds depth to the conversations.