he announced to his campers. He grinned at us. “We were telling ghost stories. Believe it or not, we just finished a story about five ghostly campers who came out of the woods—and there you were!”
The campers relaxed. They backed up a few steps. They started to talk among themselves.
One of them slapped a short, dark-haired camper on the back. “Gary, you jerk. You really thought they were ghosts?”
“The story seemed so real,” Gary protested. “And then they came running out of the woods!”
Several campers laughed.
“You got everyone freaked!” a kid yelled at Gary.
“I guess Will is too good a storyteller,” the big man said, grinning at the tall, dark-haired counselor who had been talking.
He turned back to us. “Sorry if we all acted a little weird. We don’t get many visitors in the middle of thenights. How did you find us?”
“We—we saw your fire,” Charlotte said. “We were camping by the river. We’re lost, I guess. Our counselor—”
“You’re lost? It’s lucky you found us,” the man said, scratching his beefy arm. “The woods can be dangerous at night.”
“We were on a canoe trip,” Marty explained. “But it…got messed up.”
“Everyone calls me Uncle Brian,” the man said. “I run this camp. Camp Evergreen. Ever heard of it?”
We shook our heads. “We didn’t know there was a camp nearby,” I said. “Do you know Camp Hawkwood? That’s our camp.”
He frowned. “No. I don’t know it. But I’d better phone them and let them know you’re okay.”
He took a few steps, then turned back to his campers. “Lights out, everyone. Get going. Back to your cabins. You can hang out with these ghosts in the morning.”
Lots of laughter and joking as the campers made their way to the cabins around the circle. A few of them turned back to stare at us one more time before disappearing into their bunks.
“Did you guys have dinner?” Uncle Brian asked.
“No! We’re starving!” Erin cried.
Uncle Brian turned to Will, the storyteller. “Think you can find them something?”
“Maybe some sandwiches,” Will said.
“See what we have,” Uncle Brian instructed. “I’m going to try to reach their camp. And then we can put them up for the night in those two empty cabins near the lake.”
He trotted off, his stomach bouncing in front of him.
“Welcome to Camp Evergreen,” Will said. He flashed us a toothy grin. “You don’t look like ghosts to me. I don’t think ghosts get hungry—do they?”
We followed him to the mess hall, a long, low building at the top of a grassy, sloping hill. He pulled out turkey and tuna sandwiches from the big fridge in the kitchen. And we gobbled them up as fast as he pulled them out.
Uncle Brian came in to say that he couldn’t reach our camp. No one answered the phone. He said he’d try again first thing in the morning.
“We made up the two cabins by the lake for you,” he said. “Will can show you where to go. Make yourselves at home, guys. You can swim and join in anything you want tomorrow. Then we’ll get you back to your camp safe and sound.”
We thanked him and went back to our sandwiches.
“We lucked out,” David said, chewing hard. “We really lucked out.”
“At first, I thought those boys were weird,” Charlotte said. “But when we came running out of the woods like that, I guess we gave them a good scare.”
After we pigged out, Will led us back outside. The cabins were dark and silent now. Purple embers glowed in the dying campfire.
He pointed the way down the hill to the cabins. “You should have everything you need,” he said. “Sleep tight. See you in the morning.”
We started down the hill. “Wow, this is great,” I muttered.
“Better than sleeping on the ground,” Erin said.
We were passing a dark cabin near the end of the path, when a boy jumped out at us. He wore the camp uniform—white shorts and Camp Evergreen T-shirt. He was short and very skinny, with long dark hair
The campers relaxed. They backed up a few steps. They started to talk among themselves.
One of them slapped a short, dark-haired camper on the back. “Gary, you jerk. You really thought they were ghosts?”
“The story seemed so real,” Gary protested. “And then they came running out of the woods!”
Several campers laughed.
“You got everyone freaked!” a kid yelled at Gary.
“I guess Will is too good a storyteller,” the big man said, grinning at the tall, dark-haired counselor who had been talking.
He turned back to us. “Sorry if we all acted a little weird. We don’t get many visitors in the middle of thenights. How did you find us?”
“We—we saw your fire,” Charlotte said. “We were camping by the river. We’re lost, I guess. Our counselor—”
“You’re lost? It’s lucky you found us,” the man said, scratching his beefy arm. “The woods can be dangerous at night.”
“We were on a canoe trip,” Marty explained. “But it…got messed up.”
“Everyone calls me Uncle Brian,” the man said. “I run this camp. Camp Evergreen. Ever heard of it?”
We shook our heads. “We didn’t know there was a camp nearby,” I said. “Do you know Camp Hawkwood? That’s our camp.”
He frowned. “No. I don’t know it. But I’d better phone them and let them know you’re okay.”
He took a few steps, then turned back to his campers. “Lights out, everyone. Get going. Back to your cabins. You can hang out with these ghosts in the morning.”
Lots of laughter and joking as the campers made their way to the cabins around the circle. A few of them turned back to stare at us one more time before disappearing into their bunks.
“Did you guys have dinner?” Uncle Brian asked.
“No! We’re starving!” Erin cried.
Uncle Brian turned to Will, the storyteller. “Think you can find them something?”
“Maybe some sandwiches,” Will said.
“See what we have,” Uncle Brian instructed. “I’m going to try to reach their camp. And then we can put them up for the night in those two empty cabins near the lake.”
He trotted off, his stomach bouncing in front of him.
“Welcome to Camp Evergreen,” Will said. He flashed us a toothy grin. “You don’t look like ghosts to me. I don’t think ghosts get hungry—do they?”
We followed him to the mess hall, a long, low building at the top of a grassy, sloping hill. He pulled out turkey and tuna sandwiches from the big fridge in the kitchen. And we gobbled them up as fast as he pulled them out.
Uncle Brian came in to say that he couldn’t reach our camp. No one answered the phone. He said he’d try again first thing in the morning.
“We made up the two cabins by the lake for you,” he said. “Will can show you where to go. Make yourselves at home, guys. You can swim and join in anything you want tomorrow. Then we’ll get you back to your camp safe and sound.”
We thanked him and went back to our sandwiches.
“We lucked out,” David said, chewing hard. “We really lucked out.”
“At first, I thought those boys were weird,” Charlotte said. “But when we came running out of the woods like that, I guess we gave them a good scare.”
After we pigged out, Will led us back outside. The cabins were dark and silent now. Purple embers glowed in the dying campfire.
He pointed the way down the hill to the cabins. “You should have everything you need,” he said. “Sleep tight. See you in the morning.”
We started down the hill. “Wow, this is great,” I muttered.
“Better than sleeping on the ground,” Erin said.
We were passing a dark cabin near the end of the path, when a boy jumped out at us. He wore the camp uniform—white shorts and Camp Evergreen T-shirt. He was short and very skinny, with long dark hair
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