Phil and the Ghost of Camp Ch-Yo-Ca (13 page)

WHOEVER’S TAPPING AT THE DOOR CAN WAIT.

And if
that’s
what’s freaking out campers in the middle of the night, then maybe you need to talk to kids these days about having some guts and backbone. There’s nothing haunting about the tapping. It’s annoying, but you ignore it and soon fall into a deep slumber.

For a while you dream of groundhogs. You have no idea what inspired this dream, but you find yourself at a campfire with several of the rodents. The first odd thing is that they can all talk. The second thing is their size
 
—they’re as big as humans (and they’re sitting upright like you are too). The third and weirdest detail is that they all sound like your sons.

There’s the biggest groundhog, who thinks he’s the boss of the rest of them. His name is Weehog.

Then there’s a short groundhog who acts like a big baby. His name is Jep-hog.

The third one is really talkative with a bit of a dramatic flair. His name is Jayhog.

And the fourth is a groundhog who doesn’t have any hair. His name is Al-hog.

Of course, since this is a dream and all your sons have suddenly become groundhogs, you have no idea what’s going to happen next. But just as Weehog is starting to tell a story, you hear a crash and a boom.

You open your eyes but don’t see any groundhogs. You realize you’re back in the cabin at Camp Ch-Yo-Ca.

Is it haunting time yet?

John Luke stirs in the bed beside you. “What was that?” he whispers.

“Something outside.”

“Should we go check it out?”

“No, let’s stay in here for a while. It’s probably nothing.”

Then you hear another boom. And some kind of thudding sound, like a tree falling in the distance.

If a tree falls in the forest and barely makes a sound, is it worth heading into the darkness to investigate?

“Sounded like a tree hitting the ground,” John Luke says.

You’re still groggy from being awakened, but you’re sure glad not to be talking to the groundhogs anymore. You wonder what you guys should do.

“Should we see what’s going on?” John Luke asks. “That’s why we’re here, right?”

Do you do the safe thing and stay inside?
Go here
.

Do you do the risky thing and check out the sound?
Go here
.

IT'S DARK OUTSIDE,
and you have no idea where the chainsaw dude is. But you're so close to the Jeep now, you go out in the open anyway.

Maybe you haven't watched enough movies in your lifetime.

Do you not understand that people who decide to be careless around chainsaw-wielding wackos end up in trouble?

Or do you not get that doing anything
other
than running far, far away from the crazy person is a bad idea?

But here you are, sneaking across the grass toward the Jeep. Peering around you to make sure the stranger with the chainsaw isn't nearby. You're crawling on all fours now to keep him from spotting you.

You don't think to actually look
in
the Jeep. Nah. Why would you do that?

You're too focused on your surroundings.

So when you reach the vehicle, you quickly open the back door, hoping to grab the rifle and dash into the woods again.

The first thing you notice in the back of the Jeep is a hockey mask. A very dirty hockey mask.

Then you spot a knife half-hidden under a blanket.

These two things are definitely
not
good to see. Like
ever
.

You gulp and say a quick prayer that God will protect you as you slowly lift a corner of the blanket.

Good thing there isn't a scary person underneath it. The chainsaw dude must have stashed his extra accessories here in John Luke's Jeep. C'mon now. What was he thinking?

Well, you're in way over your head at this point. Time to get John Luke and grab his keys from the cabin
 
—as long as the chainsaw creeper isn't still hanging around there. You slip on the hockey mask as a disguise and pick up the knife for protection, then retrace your steps into the woods.

John Luke doesn't hear you come up behind him, so you tap him on the shoulder. “Hey, let's go!”

He turns before you remember you're still wearing the mask.

You've never seen anyone scream so loud or jump so high.

This mystery-solving stuff is more than you guys can take.

THE END

Start over.

Read “The Shadows That Follow Us: A Note from John Luke Robertson.”

IT’S BEEN ABOUT HALF AN HOUR
since you got into your sleeping bag. Everything’s quiet outside except for the crackling of the fire. You’re not sure if you’re asleep or awake when you hear more strange sounds coming from the woods.

You open your eyes and confirm that John Luke is secure in his sleeping bag. He’s definitely asleep.

The scraping sound of wood moves through the darkness. Of something tossing things around. Stepping on branches.

Then you hear a
scrape-scrape-scrape
that sounds like
 
—

No.

But you’re sure a creature is gnawing at some wood. Like a beaver . . .

Or an allibeaver.

Whatever it is, you know something’s going on not too far from the fire.

It takes you a few moments to unzip your sleeping bag and climb out. Sure enough, John Luke is out cold. You keep hearing that tapping, chewing noise.
It’s gotta be a beaver. A regular beaver.

You pick up the flashlight and wonder whether you should grab your rifle too. Then you remember what John Luke said about cutting off the tail of the allibeaver. You know there’s an ax you could pick up back at the cabin.

Which one will you take?

Do you choose the rifle?
Go here
.

Do you choose the ax?
Go here
.

BEFORE YOU GO INSIDE THE CABIN,
you pause and tell John Luke to do the same.

“What?” he asks.

“Shhh. Just listen. It’s so peaceful out here.”

But no sooner have you spoken than you hear
something
 
—a barely audible something.

“Is that a phone?” you ask John Luke.

He nods. “It sounds like it.”

It rings every few seconds.

“Where’s it coming from?”

“I think the dining hall.”

“They put one of those in there?”

“Not that I can remember.”

It keeps ringing and you assume it’s going to stop soon. But it doesn’t.

The ringing continues on and on.

“I guess it doesn’t have an answering machine,” you say.

On about the fiftieth ring, you wonder if maybe one of you guys should go get it. “You think someone’s trying to get ahold of us?”

John Luke checks his cell. “No, I got my phone here. And it has reception right now.”

There’s something eerie about the repeated rings of the phone. Over and over and over again. Not to mention that it might be hard to sleep.

“I can go get it,” John Luke offers.

“Okay.”

But you think about why Isaiah summoned you here and wonder why someone would be calling the camp.

Could be any number of weird reasons.

Do you play it safe and go to the dining hall with John Luke?
Go here
.

Do you decide there’s nothing to worry about and let John Luke get the phone himself?
Go here
.