The Curse of Camp Cold Lake

7

The snake wriggled in my hand.

It looked like a long black shoelace. With eyes! And a mouth that kept snapping open and shut.

“Noooooo!” I totally lost it.

I let out a shrill scream. And I heaved the snake with all my might.

It sailed into the woods.

My back still itched like crazy. I could still feel it wriggling against my skin.

I reached back and tried to scratch with both hands.

Kids were laughing. Telling each other what Briana had done.

I didn’t care. I just wanted to rub away the feeling of that snake against my skin.

My whole body tingled. I uttered an angry cry. “How could you?” I shrieked at Briana and Meg. “What is your problem?”

Aaron came hurrying over to be the grown-up again.

Just what I needed. Mr. Mature Kid Brother.

“Sarah, did it bite you?” he asked softly.

I shook my head. “I can still feel it!” I wailed. “Did you see it? It was three feet long!”

“Calm down,” Aaron whispered. “Everyone is staring at you.”

“Think I don’t know it?” I snapped.

“Well, it was just a tiny snake,” Aaron said. “Totally harmless. Try to get yourself together.”

“I–I-I-” I sputtered. I was too upset, too angry to talk.

Aaron raised his eyes to Briana and Meg. “Why are those two girls picking on you?” he asked.

“I don’t know!” I wailed. “Because… because they’re creeps! That’s why!”

“Well, try to calm down,” Aaron repeated. “Look at you, Sarah. You’re shaking all over.”

“You’d shake too if you had a disgusting snake crawling up and down your skin!” I replied. “And I really don’t need your advice, Aaron. I really don’t-”

“Fine,” he replied. He spun away and hurried back to his friends.

“I don’t believe him,” I muttered.

Dad is a doctor, and Aaron is just like him. He thinks he has to take care of everyone in the world.

Well, I can take care of myself. I don’t need my little brother telling me to calm down every second.

Richard was still talking. But I didn’t care. I stepped away from the campfire circle and started back to the cabin.

The path curved through a patch of woods, up the sloping hill where the cabins were perched. Away from the glow of the fire, I was surrounded by darkness.

I clicked on my flashlight and aimed the yellow circle of light at my feet. My sneakers crunched over dry leaves and twigs. The trees whispered above me.

How did I get off to such a bad start? I asked myself.

Why do Briana and Meg hate me so much?

Maybe they’re just mean, I decided. Maybe they’re total creeps. Maybe they’re mean to everyone.

They think they’re so hot because they were at camp last year.

Without realizing it, I had wandered off the path. “Hey-” I swung the flashlight around, searching for the way back.

The light swept over tilting trees, tall clumps of weeds, a fallen log.

Panic tightened my throat.

Where is the path? Where?

I took a few steps. My sneaker crunched over leaves.

And then my foot sank into something soft.

Quicksand!