The Curse of Camp Cold Lake

24

“Huh?” I gasped and grabbed the edge of his desk. “You see her?” I cried. “You really do?”

Richard nodded. He had a solemn expression on his face. “If it makes you feel better, Sarah, I’ll say that I see her.”

“But you don’t really see her?” I demanded.

He scratched his sandy-colored hair. “No. I don’t see anything.”

I turned back to the doorway. Della grinned at me.

“Sit down. Please,” Richard instructed. “You know, sometimes our mind plays tricks on us. Especially when we’ve been through a really bad scare.”

I didn’t sit down. I stood in front of his desk and stared hard at Della. Stared right through her.

“She’s not in my mind! She’s right there!” I shouted. “She’s standing right there, Richard. Her name is Della. She drowned at this camp. And now she’s trying to drown me too!”

“Sarah-please calm down,” Richard said gently. He climbed around his desk and put a hand on my shoulder. Then he led me to the door.

I was standing face-to-face with Della.

She stuck out her tongue at me.

“See? There’s no one there,” Richard said.

“But-but-” I sputtered.

“Why don’t you stay away from the lake for a few days,” he suggested. “You know. Just hang out and relax.”

Della mouthed his words as he spoke.

I turned away from her.

She giggled.

“Don’t go to the lake?” I asked Richard.

He nodded. “Take a few days and rest up. You’ll feel much better.”

I knew I wouldn’t feel better. I knew I’d still have Della following me everywhere, trying to make me her buddy.

I sighed. “That won’t help,” I told him.

“Then I have a different idea,” he said. “Pick a sport you haven’t tried, Sarah. Pick something really hard. Like water-skiing.”

“I don’t get it,” I replied. “Why should I do that?”

“Because you will have to think so hard about what you’re doing, you won’t have time to worry about ghosts.”

I rolled my eyes. “Yeah. Right.”

“I’m trying to help you,” he said sharply.

“Well… thanks,” I replied. I didn’t know what else to say. “I guess I’ll go to lunch now.”

I trudged out of the tiny office. And took a deep breath. The air was much cooler out in the main lodge.

I turned the corner and headed toward the mess hall in the front of the building. As I turned another corner, I heard Della’s frail voice behind me.

“You can’t get away, Sarah. You’re my buddy. There’s no need to run. You’ll always be my buddy.”

The soft words-so close to my ear-sent shivers down my back.

Something inside me snapped.

I couldn’t hold in my fury.

“SHUT UP!” I shrieked. “SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP-AND LEAVE ME ALONE!”

I spun around to see if she had heard me.

And gasped in horror.