Summer Camp Race of Horror

By Michael Kaye

Scott spent an enjoyable, relaxing summer last year at Camp Pioneer, but he could hardly expect the unlikely series of horrible and fascinating events that were to take place this summer, events that would change both Scott and Camp Pioneer forever. Scott's entry into the annual camp boat race was a mind-boggling lesson of a lifetime.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Jul 15, 2002
• ISBN: 9781469760551

Michael Kaye

Michael Kaye was born and educated in England where his long literary career began. He is the author of nine novels, two stage plays, several volumes of poetry and numerous children's books. He resides in northern New York State and is currently working on his latest novel.

Book preview

Chapter One

Welcome to Camp Pioneer! shouted the bus driver as we passed under the large wooden sign that read CAMP PIONEER: WHERE SUMMERS ARE FUN AND SAFE! Beneath the words was a drawing of a strange looking animal of some kind. Had I known then what I would go through that summer, I would never have believed the safe part. It was like no other summer that I would ever experience again, or would ever want to.

My bus pulled up around the parking circle behind a line of other buses. Kids were getting off each one. As I stepped off mine, Linda, a counselor, brushed back long dark hair that hung down to her shoulders so she could check my name on her clipboard.

Hi Scott, back for another summer? she greeted me. So Flirty Linda remembered me from last year. Some of the boy counselors gave her that nickname because she had a reputation around camp for flirting.

Yeah, my parents don’t want me to hang around the neighborhood just playing street hockey all the time, I answered. My father says camp builds character. Dad had told me there’s nothing like the good old outdoors, the fresh air, the woods, and getting closer to nature. I guess he felt that way because he had to work downtown six days a week on the twenty-seventh floor of an office building.

Well, it’s nice to see you again, Scott. Go on over to the pow wow circle for the first day round-up and announcements, Linda smiled.

I followed the crowd of kids, carrying my backpack to the large camp pow wow circle. The circle was actually an unlit campfire, surrounded by a stage, rows of benches on each side, and stands that faced opposite the stage. Arriving campers filled up the seats. The pow wow circle was where many of the camp meetings were held. It was also where we held our pow wow musical shows for Parents Visiting Days near the end of the summer. For last year’s show, my group learned some jumping tricks on the trampoline. We also sang an old rock song about a bullfrog named Jeremiah. I guess it was supposed to bring back memories to our parents’ generation, but my parents couldn’t make it to the show because my dad had to work.

Campers of all ages from 6 to 15 scrambled for seats, running into old friends and meeting new people. Most of the counselors were on the stage wearing their usual redwith-brown-lettered Camp Pioneer tee shirts. I thought their shirt colors were weird. They looked like fresh red blood, stained with dried blood letters. I wondered who chose the color combination or why anyone would want to look like they were bleeding. I never liked the sight of blood, anyhow.

The Camp Director, Ralph, was at the microphone on stage, giving instructions to the campers to sit around the circle. He directed some counselors to hand out our new brown-with-red-lettered Camp Pioneer tee shirts. We get new ones every year, but with the same old colors. These looked just as bad as the counselor’s shirts, only opposite, like dried blood splattered with fresh blood letters. All the tee shirts had the camp slogan and a drawing of the strange animal beneath it, just like the camp entrance sign. This summer, I was 12 years old and ten pounds heavier. I knew I needed a large size shirt.

Ralph also appeared heavier this year with his huge stomach bulging over his belt further than last summer. He still had a cigar hanging out the side of his mouth as he always did. He never had it lit because he told us kids that smoking was bad for your health and that he just wanted to show us how dumb cigars look. But I think he really enjoyed them and couldn’t wait until he was alone to smoke. I’m sure it wasn’t the same old cigar that he had all the time.

One of the counselors came over to me as I sat down next to a little kid with big rimmed glasses. You look like a large, the counselor guessed right, handing me my new shirt, as he looked down his clipboard list. One way to tell someone was a counselor besides their red shirts was that they always carried a clipboard.Let’s see, Scott Preston,here you are.You also get this, he muttered. He handed me an orange card which read Row Boat Crew # 7.

Hey, I have an orange card too and mine says Row Boat Crew # 7 like yours! The boy next to me sounded excited. I looked around and saw counselors handing out different colored cards along with the brown tee shirts to all the campers. I glanced at a blue card held by a girl who sat in the row in front of me. Printed on it was Swim Team # 4 Someone passed through the aisle with a red card. It read, Volleyball Tournament Team # 3. These cards were something new. The summer before, we didn’t have them. I wondered what they were for and why the little kid next to me had one just like mine.

What’s your name? I asked the boy next to me.

Joey,he said with a shy smile. What does this card mean? This is my first summer here at Camp Pioneer.

Just then Ralph removed his cigar long enough to blow his whistle into the microphone to get everyone’s attention. "Okay campers, quiet down. I know everyone’s excited on this first day. For our new campers, I’m Ralph, the Camp

Director. The last few kids settled down in their seats around the pow wow circle. Welcome to all of you and welcome back to our returning campers. This year we’re trying something new. We’d like to see everyone participate in at least one major camp competition. So, based on your applications and interests, we randomly grouped you by activities and teams. The different colored cards you received shows what event and team you’ll be practicing for. The events will take place later in the summer."

Looks like we’re both in the row boat race and on the same team, Joey. I said.

I had picked the row boat race because I wasn’t really that good at any of the other competitive sports. Roller hockey, the only sport I’m really good at because I played it at home so much, wasn’t available at camp. The other camp activity I chose for competition probably was filled up. Last year I came in third in the camp chess tournament.