Summer Camp.P1

Intro: It’s the summer of 1986. Your parents have signed you up for a 2-week summer camp, far away from your VHS players, action movies and other shenanigans. This will give your parents some peace of mind as you won’t be left home alone during working hours.

June 1^st: Your parent(s) hand you the camp brochure: [H1a+b]

Wednesday, 18 June- 7:30am morning scene boarding the bus parked in the school lot:

Lukas, pinball wiz (Aaron): His parents dropped him off. Dad promised, “I’ll take care of your pet rats.” Mom licked her fingers to tame his cowlick then to remove that jelly stain on his chin before giving him a big hug. Nearby, a familiar voice yelled, “Mama’s boy!” Lukas ignored Randy (leader of the school bullies) and hugged mom tighter.

Ein, computer geek (Joey): Ein packed his own clothes. Since mom was already opening her hair salon, his big sister Petal drove him to school. Ein leaned in to give her a hug goodbye before reminding once more, “Please remind Slack (his younger brother) to feed Slim Jim (his wiener dog) while I’m gone.” Petal remembered her days at camp, “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.” Ein’s reply of “Like What?” went unanswered.

Vicky, popular girl (Lily): Her stepmom dropped her off and gave a big hug before Vicky got in line. Vicky dragged the suitcase she packed that included her own pillow. A nudge at her back forewarned her of Erica Sander’s (another popular girl) threat, “Better stay outa my way. I’ll be ruling the girl’s camp!” Vicky flipped her ‘the bird’ and even tried (failed) to trip her as she left. Erica scowled, “Better sleep with one eye open.”

Jack, jock (Tom/Leo): Only mom could get away from the Loop to drop him off, “I hope I packed everything. 20 underwear for 2 weeks ought to be enough.” Someone snickered in the background, but Jack ignored him. While standing in line, Jack played with his soccer-ball at his feet while slinging his Yo-yo. He couldn’t wait to get to camp to join in the water activities and archery.

Eric, bookworm (Mike): With mom working the late janitor shift at the Loop, Eric’s grandfather dropped him off, “Don’t worry, I’ve got your paper-route covered.” Gramps presented a beaded bracelet, “It’s an Indian good luck charm, not that you’ll need luck. Remember not to show off in the archery classes; help others that struggle.” They touched foreheads in a silent prayer before parting.

Ace, rocker (Whitney): he’ll join the conclusion. No sooner did he get to camp than he suffered severe stomach cramps. Just what did Jack do to him? ;>)

Benny (21yo inexperienced camp supervisor) held a clipboard and checked off the names as each kid climbed aboard the bus. Gunhilda (25yo counsellor (Swedish college exchange student)) had to correct him, “There’s 3 Jacks on the list. Be sure to call the last names too.”

Eric and Vicky headed for the back of the bus while Ein stopped at the first row. Jack took a mid-bus row and slid toward the window. No sooner did Lukas sit beside him, than that familiar voice (Randy) rang out, “Keep moving Dwebble, that’s my seat.” Lukas tapped the skateboard in his lap as if to make a threat. Jack threw a jolly-rancher, hitting Randy in the chest, “Calm down and find your own seat.” Randy was about to up the ante, till his minion Darrel dove at his feet, “A jolly-rancher, my favorite. Sweet!” His other minion Joey fought over it as they both settled in a forward bench. Randy relented and joined them… kicking Joey out of the seat and grabbing the jolly-rancher for himself. Jack leaned into Lukas, “Those bullies bother you often? Ya gotta stand up to them, else they’ll walk all over you.”

8am: FINALLY, the buses (yes, 2 from their school joined another 10+ buses from other schools… over 100 kids going to the same camp) pulled out of the school lot and headed north out of town for the 2.5-hour drive northeast along the Lake Meade coast toward Camp Big Lake. Imagine the clamor and noise from a busload of excited kids. Benny tried to maintain control, but Gunhilda placed her hand on his shoulder, “They’re kids. Let them have fun.”

It wasn’t long before the kids’ adrenaline rush wore off and they began to feel the stifling heat of the closed bus whose air-conditioner wasn’t keeping up with the summer heat. Yes, a hot/sweltering day as the sun climbed over the lake. Some kids began to open the windows to get air… those behind the open windows began to cough and choke on the dust let in. At least Ein up front was comfortable as he pulled out his own battery-operated personal electric fan. In the back, Jack tried to close the windows around him while Lukas covered his mouth and nose with the inside of his elbow sleeve. Vicky pulled her hat down to block the dust. Eric (Lead) stood up to convince everyone to “Please close your window. We can all deal with the heat better than this choking dust.”

10:30am, Echo Bay: The cooler full of water-bottles quickly emptied as Benny handed them out to the kids. Relief from the heat but it caused more problems, “I need to pee.” Luckily the bus turned off of highway 167 and onto a side road that led them to Echo Bay (small town with a drug store, library, and barber shop) when the bus pulled into the gas station/drug store (Market Basket). “OK kids, line up for the bathrooms.” Randy and his minions made sure to get to the head-of-the-line. Those late to line-up took the time to shop in the store. [Investigate] And that’s when Lukas and Vicky noticed the young store clerk Otto (stocking the shelves and stamping the cans with price labels) eyeing them. Vicky warned the other kids, “Don’t try to steal anything.” But then it seemed strange how he was watching the adults more than the kids. Everyone made sure to empty their pockets in front of the cashier Carol as they checked out.

The bus drove slow down the sloping dirt road toward the camp. Along the way, they weaved thru a junkyard of old cars, rusting appliances, stacks of metal parts, and odds-and-ends (everything imaginable for parts, motors, gears, etc.). The driver had to yell at the old man walking along the road, “Rut, get outa the way you old fool before you make me wreck this bus to then be added to your collection.” And that’s when the kids heard the “Hummm” and felt the hair on their heads stand up. They looked out to see a crane swinging a large metal magnet disk over their bus, aiming for a car on the other side. “Rut, ya gotta turn that thing off when we drive by.”

[Investigate] While the rest of the kids giggled and squealed about their hair standing on end, Eric planted his face in the window to get a better look at the robot that appeared beside the junkyard main building. Sure, he’d seen many before but this one seemed out-of-place and made of different parts as if cobbled together.

11am Camp Arrival: They drove under the big sign proclaiming “Welcome to Camp”, past the guard shack, and into the compound to unload. Benny and Gunhilda lined them up, “Follow us to the dining hall for lunch and to read your cabin assignments. We’re here to help guide you thru a fun-filled stay.” At the camp lodge, they met the elder camp manager (Mr. Gerald Scott). 42yo Gertie (idealistic nature lover, i.e. hippie) went over camp safety and scheduled activities. She finished with, “On the last day of camp, each cabin team will perform a skit for the entire camp. You get to (write, direct, and perform) your skit. I can’t wait to see what you come up with!”

As they munched on lunch, the kids discussed ideas of where they could privately gather for their secret hideout: The dock near the shop offered access to tools- “Too near Mr. Scott’s cabin.” The campfire bowl- “The flickering fire light might give us away.” The kids brainstormed, offering their own idea, till Vicky took the [Lead], “Then it’s settled. We’ll use the barn since it’s separated from the main camp. Besides, the horses’ nickering and movement would cover any conversations/sounds we make.”

After unloading their gear (suitcase and backpacks) at their assigned cabins (separate supervisor room in front of the open bay filled with cots and footlockers), the rest of the day was a chance to unwind: sport activities at the softball field, riding mountain-bikes around camp, then evening hotdogs over an open fire. And roasting marshmallows over the campfire as they listened to ghost stories or were called upon to tell their own spooky story.

19 June, Thursday: A way -too-early rooster crow preceded the 8am bugle reveille and flag raising before the Lodge. Jack rubbed sleep from his eyes with a growl, “I’m gonna find that bugle and silence it!” After breakfast, they gathered for their first water activity: Only given [a block of wood/12-inch dowl/string/foot-square of cloth], each kid had to hand-make a sailboat to race. [Tinker to craft it; Comprehend to cut the right size sail and to correctly angle it for the crosswind on the lake.] Ein’s design was a wide base to support his short double sails. Lukas’ boat was a narrow (and thus fast) single-sail craft. Others were variations between those extremes. “Go!” Ein’s craft took 1^st place while Lukas’ tipped over soon after sailing. Eric’s design came in 2^nd, followed closely by Vicky’s sailboat.

For Arts & Crafts, supplied with [a framed canvas/paint/pipe-cleaners], the kids were challenged to make their own treasured item. Jack (0) painted a simple flower while Ein (2) crafted a rugged treasure-chest out of the pipe-cleaners. Vicky (2) sculptured a 3-dimensional flower using the pipe-cleaners as the stems and leaves while cutting the canvas out of the frame for her flower petals she painted. Lukas (0) skipped the framed canvas and painted a skull & crossbones on his skateboard. [He’d later realize the paint too slippery. Maybe he should have painted the underside.] 

what he saw

what he drew

Eric (1) took his time to paint the robot he saw at the junkyard.

After lunch, they had an opportunity to go horseback riding. Both Ein and Eric had to be excused to the lodge for showers to wash off the horse manure they had fallen into.

Prior to dinner, the kids participated in Capture-the-Flag. Setup in the trees north of the campfire bowl, 3 teams faced off. While Jack was left to defend their own flag, the others worked together to [Sneak, Move] towards the other flags. The 3^rd team was quickly eliminated as their flag was captured. Which meant it was The SNOOPS versus The MUDBUGS vying for the title of champions. Jack turned the tide, kicking his soccer-ball at the opposing kids trying to outmaneuver him. Yes, SNOOPS was crowned champions.

[Zero successes but Ein described the scene, “The ball missed them but ricocheted off a tree and smacked one kid in the back of the head making him yelp. Which caused the others to standup to see what happened and thus exposing themselves.”]

Evening came way too soon as the kids gathered in the lodge after dinner to make cookies. Who knew Vicky had an evil streak about her?! [Contact 1] She purposefully made peanut-butter cookies, fully knowing her rival (Erica) was allergic to peanuts. Thank goodness Gertie (supervisor) heard Erica’s gasps for breath and recognized her swollen throat: she rushed the poor child to the Clinic! And there stood Vicky, “What happened? Is she all-right?”

After retreat, the kids retired to their own cabins. Jack waited till “lights out” to make his move. He conspired with Lukas, “Let’s get those bullies off your back for good. I bought soda and mentos at that drug store on the bus ride in. We’ll pull the covers tight over Randy, I’ll sit on his chest to pin him down while you pour the soda and mentos down his throat. He’ll be burping and farting for a week from all the carbonated indigestion!” So much for the plan… [Sneak 0] “Clang, bang, Ouch!” Lukas stubbed his toe on Randy’s footlocker waking the other kids. “What’s going on?”

20 June, Friday: Jack rose at the sound of the rooster crow while the others waited for the bugle call to walk to the lodge in a low fog. Along the way, they heard (but couldn’t see) a small plane flying overhead heading north. After breakfast, they gathered at the docks where canoes rested on the shore. “You’ll pair up to race out to the buoy and back.”

[I had them each roll a 1d6 where the first 6 allowed that kid to pick his best friend. Otherwise, they got the corresponding #ed kid from my list. The task: Force to paddle from the stern or Lead to paddle and steer from the front.]

Jack (Force7) chose Lukas (Lead2) while Ein (Lead3) paired with Jenny (hick: Force5). Vicky (Lead6) …yeah, you guessed… Erica (Force4) barked, “We better win this race if you know what’s good for you.” Eric (Lead3) was paired with Randy (Force7) who also threatened, “We better win this race if you know what’s good for you.”

And They’re Off: Erica berated Vicky as the other canoes surged ahead, “Straighten us out!” Ahead, Jack/Lukas, Ein/Jenny, and Eric/Randy were neck-and-neck closing on the buoy. [Listen/Investigate] Lukas, Ein, and Eric heard a small motor puttering from their left out in the fog. They remembered seeing the boat marina north of the camp on their bus-ride in. But this didn't sound like a fishing or pleasure boat they saw tied up at the pier.

Then suddenly, a rubberized boat driven by an outboard motor came speeding into view right at them! Lukas and Eric steered their canoes out of the way. Ein also steered clear… he thought. The rubber boat smacked his canoe, tipping it over: Ein and Jenny went under.

[Difficulty 2: Move 1 plus auto 1 from Pride (No one calls me chicken and he was playing chicken with us)] Jack sprang into action slinging his Yo-yo at the boat’s steering handle and yanked it hard over before it could crash into anyone else. A man in a rubberized diving suit was flipped from his perch and let out a yell before hitting the water. Whatever he yelled wasn’t English. Eric (pretending to be washed overboard) fell out of his canoe with a yelp but then swam toward where Ein and Jenny went under.

[Investigate] While underwater, Ein saw light flicker from a metal object that twisted and turned as it sank. He grabbed it before surfacing. Even though they had life-vests on, Jenny was struggling when she surfaced. [Difficulty 2: Force 1 plus auto 1 from Pride (Tries to do stuff by himself)] Ein cautiously swam toward Jenny and grabbed the back of her vest collar so she couldn’t grab him and make both of them drown. About that time, Eric arrived to help guide then to the side of the tipped canoe to hold onto its side.

[Charm] Meanwhile, Vicky called out to the other canoers for help as the adult staff was too far away, standing at the docks. They were having trouble getting their own motorized boat to start. Behind her, Erica screamed, “Now’s our chance: go, go, go!” Vicky paddled since it was in the direction of the accident. Her intent was to also help. But once there and confident seeing others like Eric helping, Vicky continued leading their canoe around the buoy then back to shore.

[Investigate] By now the rubberized man had climbed back into his boat and sped off. Lukas and Jack kept their eyes on him: trying to memorize his facial features and to watch where he went. Luckily the fog was lifting such that they could see/hear him pulling into shore about a half-mile away.

Vicky climbed out of her canoe and rushed to the podium to claim the 1^st place ribbons. She held them high then to her chest in victory, only to realize no-one was watching. Everyone else was too focused on the accident. When Erica arrived, Vicky reluctantly handed her HER ribbon.

The rest of the day was a blur. They still had a sack-race and crafted wooden puzzles. But there was too much excitement about the accident. “Were you hurt?” “How does it feel to be a hero and rescue the drowning girl?”

That evening, the kids used their free-time to gather at the barn to discuss what happened. Eric spoke up, “I couldn’t understand what the man said, but it sounded like Gunhilda’s accent.” Lukas and Jack relayed what they’d seen. 

Which prompted Ein to remember as he pulled out the metal star, “Look what I found sinking in the water. Suppose the man lost it?”

TO BE CONTINUED: https://tftljoey.blogspot.com/2023/11/summer-campp2-conclusion.html