“Get it out of here!” Rachel sobbed. “Get it out!” “Why don’t you get it Eric?” Victoria said in a low tone, just loud enough for Erika to hear. “I don’t like snakes either… why should I?” Erika asked. “Because you’re a guy!” Victoria growled as Rachel screamed again. The blood suddenly drained from Erika’s face. Victoria knows! Oh my God! Victoria knows! The world around her began to spin.   Camp Kumoni By Anistasia Allread

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Chapter 23
 
Victoria hid the laptop under a pile of clothes in one of their baskets and sat down in a chair along the wall to think. Eric ‘the plague’ was in her cabin posing as a girl. Why? Why would a guy pose as a girl? Especially at a summer camp where there would be swimming and rough play? What could someone gain by that? Was he a pervert? Was he getting his jollies off of watching girls change? She hadn’t seen him gawking, or looking over his shoulder, trying to peek at anyone. If anything, he seemed to be trying to keep to himself. What part in this does Samantha have? Is she being taken advantage of by him? Victoria shook her head. That couldn’t be it. Samantha was too strong willed and popular to be pushed into doing something that she didn’t like…… Maybe it was the other way around? Maybe Samantha was pushing Eric into being Erika. But why? Why would Samantha have anything to do with ‘the plague’?

A commotion at the front of the Laundromat woke her from her deep thinking.

“…… looks great!”

“……brings out your eyes.”

Victoria looked up to the front where the sudden excitement was occurring to see a pretty dark-haired girl surrounded by her cabin mates blushing and being fussed over. Victoria’s jaw dropped. The pretty girl that they were all fussing over was Erika….. er Eric. She had …. He had gotten his hair cut into a beautiful style with layers that framed the face and bangs that hung down into his eyes. Samantha seemed to be practically showing him off. Did the others in the cabin suspect that Erika was a guy? How could they? Especially after the emotional outbursts that he had thrown? Samantha had to be the one in control of this farce. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be fawning over Erika…. Eric this way.

“Okay, girls, let’s get all this onto the bus, we need to get back to camp.” A counselor called out over all of the chattering.

Erika made her way over to Victoria. “Where did you stow the laptop?” she smiled.

Victoria looked intensely at the person she had known as Erika. Was this really Eric? The Eric Martin she knew in school was a clumsy nerd at best, standing before her was a pretty, shy girl who smiled and gave as much to her cabin mates as they gave to her. “It’s under your pile clothes.” She turned away. Erika….. Eric…… the person before her confused her and made her feel uncertain and kind of creeped out.

Erika sat on the bus; blushing every so often as other girls on the bus would turn and either stare at her, or smile at her. Who knew a haircut could invoke so much attention? But then again, as Eric, how many times did he look upon, stare or ogle a pretty girl with a new look?

Victoria, Erika decided must not be feeling well. She hadn’t been acting herself since they met back up at the Laundromat. The Latina girl sat by herself, separated from the others of the cabin and stared out the window. Every once in a while, Erika caught her cabin mate looking her way, but she would turn away and go back to her own thoughts. Maybe she has a head ache. Erika wondered.

Rachel was showing the cabin mates the different things that she and Victoria had purchased for the cabin and the upcoming Fourth of July celebration. From the much-needed hangers, duct tape and air-freshener, to streamers, balloons, and flags.

Erika was only half paying attention to their excitement. Although her breast forms were beginning to feel more comfortable and an actual part of her body, the gaffe that Sasha had given her was still a bit restraining and felt alien to her. Her thoughts drifted to what these new things were going to do for her. She would no longer be as fearful of breast forms floating away while swimming, or ripping duct tape from her sensitive areas. Dressing in the cabin around her cabin mates would be a lot less stressful, as would the stress of one of the others walking in while she was going to the bathroom. The long blue nails on her fingers were going to take some time to get used to. She was going to have to be a lot more careful with how she used her hands. They did make for better scratching of itches she smirked.

She looked out her own window and smiled. There might be a chance of making it through the next seven weeks without someone finding out. She couldn’t let her guard down now, though. Ease up on it, lighten up and try to enjoy the summer, yes. But she still needed to be guarded.

“Could you girls take my clothes back with you to the cabin?” Phoenix asked. “I need to see Director Hobbs about something when we get back.”

“Sure.” Rachel grinned.

Once the bus pulled into the camp, the girls all pitched in and hauled their clean clothes and sacks of purchases back to their cabin.

“Hold up here.” Rachel paused and put her load down.

“What is it?” Dani whined. “This is getting heavy.”

“Our cabin has been invaded.” Rachel turned to the others.

“How can you possibly know that from out here?” Samantha scoffed.

“Do you know why I was late getting to the bus this morning?” Rachel looked at each of her cabin mates. She then turned to a bush and pulled out the cabin’s broom. “I swept the dirt in front of our cabin.” She pointed to the area in front of the front steps. “I erased all of our foot prints. If you will take a close look, you’ll find that there are a lot of large foot prints going to and from our cabin.”

“Paranoid often?” Krystal asked.

“When it comes to the pranks that these guys pull, yes.” Rachel bared her teeth. “I’m going around to check through the window.”

“What do you think they did?” Dani looked to the other girls.

“I’ll be right back.” Rachel took the broom with her and eased around the side of the cabin to one of the windows.

“What a pain.” Krystal sighed. “I hope they didn’t do anything to my books.”

Rachel peered through the window for a long moment before making her way back to her cabin mates. “It was a good thing I checked before opening the door she joined the others. “They trapped the door so that anyone opening it would knock a bucket of something over.”

“Did you see anything else?” Katie asked.

“Not immediately. It could be that this is just the beginning, and like us, wish to save the other pranks for later. Or it could be that there are other, more hidden traps for us to find once we are in there.” Rachel looked at each of her cabin mates and smiled. “So, here’s what we are going to do. “Katie, I’m going to have you help me open the window, then, I’d like your help getting Dani through it so that she can remove the bucket from the front door.”

The two girls nodded.

“What do you want us to do?” Samantha inquired.

“Keep guard of the clothes and watch to make sure that no one either sneaks up on us, or enters the cabin door until its clear.”

“I think Krystal is right, you are paranoid.” Erika shook her head with disbelief. Her bangs danced around her eyes, tickling her eyelashes.

The three girls quickly made their way back to the window. Now confident that they wouldn’t be set upon by anything until they reached the window.

With a little elbow grease and determination, Rachel and Katie were able to open the window. They boosted Dani up and watched as she disappeared head first through the window and into the cabin with a squeal. Rachel watched inside the cabin as Katie rushed around to the front door. A moment later the front door swung open and Dani waved to Samantha, Erika and Krystal.

“Be careful coming in.” Dani warned. “There’s something on the floor here.”

Erika and the others carried their loads of clothes and purchases into the cabin and set them down on a clean area of the floor.

“Before we do anything, let’s open all of our drawers and beds to make sure that they didn’t leave anything for us.” Rachel cautioned.

“What’s on the floor?” Victoria inquired at the white powder all around the front door.

“Probably talcum powder.” Rachel explained. “If the bucket of water had gone over, it would have been a nasty mess to clean up.”

Erika and Samantha went over to their bunks. Before they had left that morning, they each had set out a pair of panties for the guys, in case they raided. Now, in place of their panties, were a pair of guy’s boxer shorts.

“Eeew! What are we going to do with these?” Dani held a pair of briefs between thumb and forefinger.

“Toss them over in the corner there.” Rachel instructed. “I have an idea.” She tossed a pair of underwear into a corner. “Remember, be careful opening your drawers.”

One by one, Erika and Samantha opened the drawers under their bed, but nothing seemed to have been touched.

“My books look to be okay.” Krystal voiced.

“My stuff’s okay.” Dani chimed in.

“Clear over here.” Rachel added.

“We’re good.” Samantha closed her last drawer.

“Let's get to putting our clothes away.” Katie went to the baskets.

“Here’s the hangers.” Rachel reached into a bag and pulled out some plastic hangers and handed them to the tall young lady. “I’ve got to pee.”

“Did you get the super glue and duct tape?” Dani asked Victoria.

“Yes.” Victoria shot a hard glance over to Erika and then went back to putting her clothes away.

A scream came from the bathroom. “Oh my God! Get it out! Get it out!” Rachel screamed.

Erika, as well as all of the other girls ran to the bathroom. Katie flung open the door to find Rachel standing on top of the toilet and trying to get into the sink. “Get it out!” she screamed. Tears leaked from her eyes as she screeched. “Get it away from me! Someone please!”

“Oh my God!” Dani shrieked “Snake!” the blonde jumped back and dove through the crowd that had gathered in the bathroom doorway.

“Get it out of here!” Rachel sobbed. “Get it out!”

“Why don’t you get it Eric?” Victoria said in a low tone, just loud enough for Erika to hear.

“I don’t like snakes either… why should I?” Erika asked.

“Because you’re a guy!” Victoria growled as Rachel screamed again.

The blood suddenly drained from Erika’s face. Victoria knows! Oh my God! Victoria knows! The world around her began to spin. She reached out to grasp something - anything to hold on to.

“Get it out!” Rachel’s screaming became more pitched and pierced the air, bringing Erika back to her body.

“I’ve got it.” Katie stepped forward. “Settle down, Rachel.”

“Are you alright, Erika?” Samantha inquired. “You scared of snakes too?” She loosened my fingernails from her shoulder and guided me back to sit on a bed.

She was present, but her body felt numb. Her heart flipped and flopped, not knowing whether to beat faster, or to stop all together. Visions of being duct taped to the flag pole wearing nothing but lacey lingerie, flashed through her head. Headlines of the school paper, “The Plague unmasked” “I know What the Plague did Last Summer” or “The Plague mutates”.

“I knew it.” Victoria sneered.

“You knew what?” Samantha asked.

“No! Get it away!” Rachel’s screams were starting to die down.

“It’s only a gopher snake.” Katie held the snake just behind its head and rushed through the cabin taking it outside followed by Dani. “Let’s take it out into the woods where nobody will harm it.” Katie’s voice faded.

Krystal went into the bathroom. “It’s okay, Rachel, it’s gone.” She soothed in her soft voice.

“What I can’t figure out is how you’re mixed up in this.” Victoria looked to Samantha.

“What are you talking about?” Samantha asked.

“Why are you covering and assisting Eric Martin in this masquerade?”

“What are you talking about?” Samantha tried to deflect the question.

“Erika” She pointed to Erika and hissed. “Is Eric Martin. I couldn’t figure out what was going on at first, but while using her….. I mean his computer, this morning; I came across some pictures that he and your sister had drawn….. I let that slide, but then while on line, one of her…. I mean his friends came up in messenger. After a brief talk, I confirmed that Erika is actually Eric. Otherwise known at school as ‘The Plague’.”

“Keep your voice down.” Samantha hissed back. “And don’t call her that.”

Erika’s world was spinning again. Victoria knew. Samantha wrapped her arms around Erika and embraced her to her breast, as a mother would a frightened child.

“….. okay, Rachel….. everyone has something their scared of.” Krystal soothed.

“Why are you going along with this?” Victoria asked. “Give me one reason why I shouldn’t go to the camp director right now.”

“Because I need her.” Samantha began stroking Erika’s hair. “I need her to help me and she needs me to help her.”

“That doesn’t mean anything to me.” Victoria’s voice was starting to get louder. “He is a guy pretending to be a girl in our cabin.”

“Have you seen a guy living with us since you’ve arrived here?” Samantha demanded. “Have you seen Eric ‘the plague’ anywhere this past week? I haven’t.” She met Victoria’s hard stare. “I’ve seen a beautiful and wonderful person who has shared laughs and hurts with us. A fantastic person named Erika…… It’s only been a week and look how incredible the difference is in her. Imagine what eight weeks will do.”

“So you want to turn Eric into a girl?” Victoria asked.

“That’s up to her.” Samantha continued to stroke Erika’s head. “I just wanted to give her a summer without being beaten up, spit upon and dunked in trashcans.”

Erika lifted her head but stayed in Samantha’s embrace. The blonde’s strength and passion was so comfortable. If only Eric had friends at school like this.

“Is he paying you for this?” Victoria asked. “What are you getting out of this… this…. this farce?”

“I’m getting to know what happened to my sister.” Samantha’s pleading voice turned to one of ice. “I’m getting to learn what caused my sister to act the way she did, and to learn why she did what she did.”

“You still haven’t given me a reason not to go to Director Hobbs.” Victoria crossed her arms across her chest.

“Please, Victoria.” Samantha began pleading again. “Give her a chance.”

“Victoria.” Erika found her voice.

The Latina girl looked almost startled that Erika spoke.

“You said that you came up here to get ideas for your writing.” Erika looked everywhere, but into Victoria’s eyes. “What better writing idea than one of self-discovery.”

There was a long quiet between the three girls. They stiffened slightly as Krystal helped the shaking and frightened Rachel out of the bathroom.

“Are you feeling better?” Erika asked.

“I hate them.” Rachel hissed. “I just can’t stand snakes.”

“It’s alright, Rachel.” Erika reassured. She looked into Victoria’s eyes “Your secret is safe with us.”

Victoria got up off the bed and crossed the room to Erika and Samantha. She leaned down and spoke only for their ears. “You have one week. If you don’t tell the rest of the girls, I will.”

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To Be Continued...
 
End of Chapter Twenty-Three