Genre (s): Teen Fiction/Mystery

Written When? 9th Grade

Chapter 9

Touring the Campground

Just like I wanted, I sat on the front steps of the station's staircase and thought about the disappearance of Ranger Kate's child. It was so bizarre. Come on, you have to agree with me. Thinking would've been a lot better if there weren't any bugs around.

The entire time I sat on the steps, mosquitoes whined by my ears and caused me to lose concentration. Seriously, what was with those bugs? Sure, I was a bug magnet, but was I seriously that magnetic? Dad had blackmailed my soul. I knew he did. I couldn't think.

While I sat and dealt with the bugs, I thought about the mystery. I thought about Ranger Kate, her son, and connected the pieces. "Hm," I elucidated to myself, "the disappearance of her son may be the very reason why she's so depressed. He's been missing for years?" I shivered. "Yikes. Years she said, but how many years?" How could a child go missing for years? The case was serious, but it wasn't anything Detective Kylie Juniper couldn't solve.

I heard the ranger station's door open behind me. Before I knew it, Uncle Bart sat next to me.

"Uncle Bart," I softly spoke.

Uncle Bart and I stared at the continuous trees. For a minute or two, we didn't speak.

Then, Uncle Bart peered into my face and smirked. "I know that look anywhere. You're thinking, right, Kylie?" He put his fingers in between each other and rested his hands on his lap.

"Of course, I'm thinking, Uncle Bart," I said. I dropped my hand from my chin and peered into his own face. "I can't stop thinking about that boy who went missing. Why would a boy go missing?"

Uncle Bart shrugged and answered, "Maybe he wanted to start a lifestyle of his own, so he became a hermit."

Normally, I would laugh at his jokes, but I didn't that time. The case was one that shouldn't be taken lightly. I slightly glared at Uncle Bart and said, "This is serious! A boy doesn't just go missing, Uncle Bart! I, Detective Kylie Juniper, am going to solve this case! This will be the only thing that will keep me occupied on this worthless canoe trip."

A cloud of mosquitoes swarmed around me.

I quickly jumped to my feet and shooed them away. "These stupid bugs are really starting to get on my nerves!" I shrieked, and I forcibly rubbed myself down. I slapped a mosquito off my arm and started to pace back and forth. Perhaps if I paced, it would keep the bugs off me?

Uncle Bart watched me. Under his breath, I heard him mumble, "Welcome to Canada."

After a few more minutes, the ranger station's door opened again. Dad, along with the rest of Camp Juniper, exited it.

I begged for all the campsites to be full so we could return to North Tonawanda, but of course, we just had to get the last two open ones. My demons were really putting on a show for me.

In one hand, Dad held a bunch of maps, and in the other, he held a notebook. He announced, "We've got our campsites, Camp Juniper! Ranger Amelia said they're pretty full right now, but lucky for us, Sites 1 and 2 are open."

"Terrific," I mumbled. I know why we had to get two sites. It was because we had a freaking party of ten people! Rangers, of course, can't fit ten people in just one site.

Uncle Bart soon stood up, and he said, "Excellent, Azul!" to Dad and gave my shoulder a pat. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go to Sites 1 and 2!"

"Everybody, to the cars!" Dad yelled, gesturing to the cars.

I groaned and lowered my head. Sigh, why couldn't the campground be full? However, now that I'm thinking about it, if it had been full and we never made it to the Lady Evelyn-Smoothwater Provincial Park, then I wouldn't have an amazing story to share with all you lovely people out there tonight. At this point in the story, though, I was still pretty grouchy.

All of Camp Juniper descended the stairs and piled back into our assigned cars.

I stared out the window into the forest and watched for the mysterious shadow, but I didn't see it. Perhaps I had just been seeing things?

Dad turned on the Excursion, and we pulled back onto the gravelly road. We started forward, and he said, "The sites are just around the corner."

We drove for about five minutes. Sites 1 and 2 were very close to the ranger station.

I was amazed by how fast we got to them.

We turned left on the gravelly road, into one of the most forestry, buggy-looking areas of Finlayson, and pulled right up to Site 1.

Uncle Clement pulled up to Site 2. Sites 1 and 2 were right next to each other. I remember, both of them were right in front of a swamp hidden in the forest. The swamp was where all the mosquitoes lived. Awesome. That was just what I needed–a campsite that was right in front of a swamp, in one of the most bug-infested provinces in all of Canada. Though, I do have to admit, I kinda liked the site. The Excursion half of Camp Juniper was going to stay in Site 1, and the Explorer half was going to stay in Site 2.

Dad actually let me choose which site I wanted, because I was the only kid there, and yes, I did pick Site 1. I just wanted to get out of the bloody car. I had already been in it for over seven hours.

Site 1 was a decent-sized site. The ground was soft enough to make setting up a tent not that difficult. A picnic table was tucked in towards the back of it, and a fireplace was right next to it.

Dad turned off the Excursion.

Just to my luck, the second I stepped out of it, bugs attacked me. "Ugh!" I yelled, swatting my arms and legs.

Dad, Mom, Uncle Harrison, Aunt Delia, and Aunt Lydia got out of the Excursion.

I saw Aunt Lydia pull a baseball cap with a moose on it and a mosquito net out of it. While I continued to swat mosquitoes away, I turned my back to her and examined the swamp, because that same weird feeling that I was being watched washed over me. Seriously, what was with that? What could be watching me? Don't tell me it was that creepy eagle again! No, it wasn't. It was something else. Something that I'll get to eventually. No, it was not Ihaan. It's going to be a while before he steps onto set.

Now that I have all you on the edge of your seats, shall I continue? All right.

I continued to stare at the swamp and swat away bugs, but suddenly, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I leaped out of my skin and whirled around. "Aunt Lydia!" I yelled.

Yeah, it was Aunt Lydia. "My, my," she said, and her eyes rotated all around the site, "this is quite the site." She focused on me again. "Here, Kylie." She held the cap and mosquito net she pulled out of the car to me. "Why don't you go ahead and put the cap on and the mosquito net over it? I'm a bug magnet, just like you."

That was true. Aunt Lydia, too, was a bug magnet, so she came prepared with bug supplies as well.

I thanked her and accepted the cap and net.

Aunt Lydia put her own cap and net over her head. The net protected her head, face, and neck. To me, she smiled and said, "This is what I do, Kylie. Watch." A mosquito sluggishly made its way towards her neck. She let it land on her. "I just wait until it lands on me," she explained, and she lifted her hand, "and then I smack it!" She smacked the mosquito on her net, and it fell dead to the ground. "These mosquitoes are sluggish, so they're easy to smack. That's the only problem with being a big mosquito vs. a small one."

I nodded and put the hat over my head. I put the net right over it. Officially, I was wearing my bug protection gear. The net made everything look a lot darker, like shades, but at least it kept the bugs off my face and neck. However, shoulders down, I wasn't protected, so the mosquitoes just whined around my arms, legs, and ankles, instead.

Aunt Lydia soon tossed me a bottle of Deet, ultimate bug spray, and I caught it. She finished her explanation. "The bugs out on the docks shouldn't be as bad."

There was a small marina in Finlayson Point Provincial Park.

I sprayed myself down with Deet, gagging when I smelled it. Whoo wee, it stunk! I could see why mosquitoes hated it. I placed the bottle down on the picnic table and watched as Aunt Lydia also sprayed herself down.

I decided to take a tour of the campground. I didn't feel like hanging out with a bunch of adults while they set up camp. I wanted to do what every teenager would want to do... explore. I asked for Dad's, who pulled camping supplies out of the back of the Excursion, and he said yeah, I could explore. I thanked him and picked up a water bottle that had been set on the picnic table.

I first checked out Site 2, where Uncle Bart, Uncle Clement, Uncle Macon, and Aunt Jessie were staying. It wasn't that much better there. The bugs were still bad, and the site looked exactly like Site 1. Except in Site 2, the fireplace was on the other side of the picnic table.

It was now time for me to go on bathroom duty. Whenever I went camping with my parents, Mom always made sure I checked out the bathrooms and gave them a rating from 0 to 10. Now, I don't understand why Mom was too lazy to do it herself, but whatever. At this point in the story, I wanted to get away from my family for a little bit. I wanted to think a little bit more about the disappearance of Ranger Kate's child and the creepy eagles. Therefore, I just went ahead and decided to go on bathroom duty and tour the campground.

Mom thanked me for agreeing to go on bathroom duty.

I just scoffed and nodded. I crossed the road and followed the path that was in front of Site 2. It was actually a bit chilly out there. Then again, it was Canada. I didn't even want to think about what the winters were like in Finlayson. Most likely, they're quite desolate. I shivered and tried my best to ignore the chill.

When I managed to escape the forest, I tripped and fell onto some grass. I spit grass out of my mouth and very slowly lifted my head. My jaw dropped to the ground at what I found. I had made it to the wide-open space in Finlayson Point Provincial Park where all the docks were. A rock rested next to me.

I soon stood up and hopped onto it. While up there, I studied the area. My eyes landed on a playground, which was a perfect place for children. There were two slides, both yellow, and it was a cute, little park. I didn't go over there, though. I was too old to be playing on a playground. Instead, I went over to the docks and checked out the boats. There were so many boats. I couldn't count them all. The water was calm, and to the left of it, on the grass, rested a red canoe. There was also another path that led to a long dock further down and a small hill that had a picnic table on it. Across the lake, the trees continued. There were more trees than houses.

Boats sped down the lake, and I sighed. I thought that perhaps a good place to think would be on the docks. No one out there would bother me. Everything would be peaceful. It'd be perfect.

That's what I did. I smiled, and my eyes landed on the closest dock to me. Without further ado, I sprinted towards it and announced, "Detective Kylie Juniper is on the case! She will figure out what happened to Ranger Kate's child! Whoop, whoop!"

However, I whooped too soon. I didn't even realize how wobbly the dock was. To all you guys out there who were waiting for me to fall into the water... Well, too bad. That didn't happen. It almost did, but it didn't.

I sprinted onto the dock, and immediately, it tilted forward into the water, and I lost my balance. "Whoa!" I shouted, and I flung my arms. However, lucky for me, I fell backwards instead of forward. I slammed down hard on my buttocks. Reaching for it, I closed my eyes and yelled, "Ow!"

Under me, the dock wobbled.

When I recovered from my fall, I crawled to the edge of the dock, gripped it, and peered into the water. The water was very clear. Weeds swayed in it, and minnows flitted away from me.

I lifted my hand and ran it through the water. Whew, it was quite chilly. I shivered. I did not want to go swimming in it. I knew I'd get wet once on the water in the Lady Evelyn-Smoothwater Provincial Park, and if I caught a cold, then I would blame Dad. Keep in mind, he was the one who forced me to come along on the trip when I didn't want to in the first place.

I spent a couple minutes on the dock thinking about the mystery involving the disappearance of Ranger Kate's child. I didn't have enough information. If I could, I needed to find some witnesses. Who, though? Who could be a witness? Ranger Kate, of course, but she was gone. She went back to Lake Temagami for some apparent reason.

I didn't stay concentrated for much longer because out of the blue, I heard the splash of a stone hitting the water. Gasping, I lifted my head and peered in the direction the splash came from. It had come from the dock next to and in front of me–the dock that had a boat tied to it.

I saw ripples in the water. Somebody must've thrown a stone into it. Who, though? There was nobody at the dock or on the boat. It was empty. I swear, there was something really weird about that place.

I tried to not let it get to me. I decided to continue exploring the campground and fulfill Mom's request for me to check out the bathrooms and give them a rating. I shooed mosquitoes away and stood up from the dock.

The bathrooms weren't far from the docks. They were up on a small hill.

I passed a couple campsites during my expedition, and all of them were filled up. I heard children cheering, and suddenly, a few bikes whizzed by me. I quickly dodged them. Irritated, I clenched my fist and waved it at the children riding the bikes. The day would've been a lot more beautiful if there weren't any mosquitoes and we weren't going on a weeklong canoe trip.

The day really was beautiful. There was a nice breeze, and the rays of the sun shone through the treetops.

I finally found the bathrooms. They were to my right. I followed a brick road to them. No, not the yellow brick road, but a brick road. The bathroom building was brown with a white roof. Like the ranger station, people could gain access to it by going up either a ramp or stairs.

I placed my hand on the railing and took the ramp up to the bathrooms. During the process, I swatted another mosquito off my bug net. I finally made it to the bathrooms. Just to my luck, I faced the women's restroom. I concluded that the men's was on the other side. There were a couple papers pinned up next to the brown door that led into the bathroom, but I bothered not to read them. I had more pressing priorities. I had to fulfill my mother's request. Therefore, I brushed the papers off to the side and entered the bathroom. Once inside, my eyes widened at what I saw.

There were four, white bathroom stalls and three, white sinks with mirrors over each one. At least the bathroom had flushable toilets. I had to enjoy flushable toilets while I could. Once Camp Juniper got on the water, all we would have was the latrine. Oh, God. Well, I did use it. I used the flushable toilet before carrying on with my tour around the campground. After I used it, I washed my hands and hummed as I did so. I didn't have my rating of the bathroom yet. The last thing I had to check and see if they had were showers. All you men out there should know that showers and flushable toilets are a woman's best friend. I can guarantee you that if you make sure there's always a shower and flushable toilet within range, your woman won't dump you.

I wiped my now wet hands on my jacket and stepped out of the bathroom. Okay, showers. Please say there were showers. Please say there were showers. Please say there were–yes! There were showers! Oh, showers! I think I almost cried! The showers were on the left side of the building, and they were in front of a few long, brown benches. A long row of showers skewered the entire left side of the building. It was amazing. One of the best things ever. I knew they were showers, because they had a shower symbol on each door and because I heard one of them running. They were actually quite nice.

I poked my head inside and checked one out. The shower had white walls and a few hooks where people could hang their towels or whatever up on. The floor was tiled and red. Oh, I couldn't wait to take a nice, hot shower that night. As I mentioned before, I had to enjoy it while I could.

Even though there were showers and flushable toilets, I remember I gave the bathrooms a rating of 4. Not 5, because the bathroom smelled like latrine, and bugs buzzed all around in it and the showers. So yeah, that's my reasoning behind why I gave the showers a 4 rating instead of a 5.

I still didn't want to return to my family after I checked the bathrooms out. I wanted to continue touring the campground. I just did a loop.

While I looped around Finlayson Point Provincial Park's campground, I studied each campsite and eavesdropped on a few conversations. You could easily tell there were some camping lovers there. There were not only cars, but also tents, hammocks, brewing fires, and RVs. It was pretty awesome, actually.

Yeah, you can say I'm a bad person for eavesdropping on peoples' conversations, but some of them were actually quite interesting. I remember, one couple in a campsite chit chatted about how their kid won the championship game in soccer, and another couple, who owned an RV, chit chatted about how "mysterious" Finlayson Point Provincial Park was. I had to agree with them. It was quite mysterious.

I was drawing near the end of my loop when speak of the devil, something else weird happened! Aw man, seriously? I asked that question over and over again in my head. Why did so many weird things have to happen to me that day? To this day, I still don't have the answer. It remains a mystery–as mysterious as Finlayson Point Provincial Park itself.

What happened was I heard a crack in the forest. Something was in the forest, but what? I thought about exploring it,–I even approached it–but then I decided that I didn't want to get eaten alive by the bugs. Since the day was starting to wind down, it was rush hour for the mosquitoes, and they started to come out. I didn't run away from them, though. I had to figure out what was in the forest. I placed my hands on my knees and peered into it. I waited for something to move in it, but nothing did. Standing still allowed the mosquitoes to catch up to me, and they started to nibble away on my bug net. I shooed them away.

The bugs finally got so annoying that I just gave up and decided to leave. However, just before my eyes left the forest and I turned on my heel, I heard something else. As crazy as this may sound, but I heard a voice. A male voice. You may call me crazy all you want, but it's the truth.

It was a voice, and it whispered, "There she is," from up above.

I leaped out of my skin. What was that voice? No, I wasn't hallucinating! I thought I heard a voice! I knew I heard a voice!

It spoke again, of course, in a whisper. "Give me another one."

I felt something brush my bed of red hair. "Oh, God, something's got me!" I shrieked, falling onto my butt on the gravelly road. I lifted both my hands and rested them on my head. Guess what I pulled down from it? Two gorgeous, pink flowers. They were the most beautiful flowers ever. I stared at them, creeped out, of course, and asked, "Where did these flowers come from?" There were no flowering plants in the provincial park. At least, not what I was aware of. So, where did the flowers come from? Yeah, I know. This is all very mysterious. I think I mentioned this before, but I'll mention it again. There was something very weird about Finlayson Point Provincial Park. Aside from creepy flowers, what was that mysterious voice?

It spoke one last time before it faded away. "Go on, Ro." From up above, another eagle stooped down from out of nowhere and whipped by my head.

My hair blew, and I closed my eyes. Opening them, I gasped and turned my head. With the flowers held tightly in my hand, I sat on my knees and watched while the eagle soared into the treetops and disappeared in the sky. Oh no, not the creepy eagles again. I had a headache. Creepy eagles, disappearing children, mysterious shadows and flowers, and now there was a voice?

Once the eagle disappeared, I quickly looked in the tree the voice had come from, but nothing was there. I swear, that was too weird. It was so weird and I was so creeped out that I decided to go ahead and return to Camp Juniper's campsites. I did not want to stay there. I wanted to go home.

It was strange. Lucas said the Lady Evelyn-Smoothwater Provincial Park was haunted but not Finlayson. Perhaps he meant Finlayson? If he did, then honestly, I wouldn't mind getting to the Lady Evelyn-Smoothwater Provincial Park. Then I wouldn't have to deal with all the weirdness.

I took the flowers back with me to the campsites. I couldn't just leave them. They were so beautiful.

There you go, my fellow audience. That was my tour of Finlayson Point Provincial Park's campground. Creepy was all over the place, and I warn you, it's going to get a lot creepier. It's called a ghost story, darlings.

Chapter 11 (Don't be alarmed. You didn't miss much.)

Uncle Harrison's Big Find

Just like Uncle Clement mentioned, dinner that night for Camp Juniper was on the docks and picnic table sitting atop the hill I saw before when I took a tour of the campground. While we fixed and enjoyed our dinner, we were able to examine the view of the beautiful lake and Ontario itself.

Well, of course, at first, I didn't think it was beautiful. However, it was. It really was.

Every once in a while, we waved to boats that zoomed by us.

I remember, everybody, except me, was in a good mood. Yep, deep down, Mom really did enjoy the trip and was looking forward to it. I was still in the dust. I regretted being there. I wanted to go home. Yeah, the disappearance of Ranger Kate's child was a little interesting, but it still wasn't enough for me to stop thinking the trip was such a waste. It currently, to me, was Hell. I apologize, but it was. The bugs were my main problem.

I didn't openly admit my discomfort to Camp Juniper, because they were having a blast, and I didn't want to ruin the fun. I just pretended to have fun. Sigh, already it felt like a thousand years had passed since I'd been home. Camp Juniper, most likely, won't be home for another million years. However, I tried my best to not show I was bored.

While Camp Juniper chit chatted and took pictures, I went ahead and fixed my dinner. In the light of the sunset, I sauntered over to the picnic table, where dinner was set up, and grabbed a plate. I fixed myself a cold cheese quesadilla, some chips, and my personal favorite (sarcasm), Camp Juniper's best friend during the trip... dried fruit. I then poured myself a cup of ginger ale.

Once my plate was full, I headed over to the long dock and sat at the very end where there were no bugs at all, since I was on the water. Thank God. Anything but bugs. Without bugs, I was able to take my bug net off and eat in peace. I set it down next to me.

While I ate my dinner, I peered into the crystal clear water of the lake and watched the weeds sway back and forth. I next peered out to the open water and watched as more boats zipped by. I sighed. Perhaps Lucas was mistaken? Perhaps Finlayson Point Provincial Park was the haunted park but not the Lady Evelyn-Smoothwater Provincial Park?

If that's so, I remember thinking to myself, then yay, the creepy part of the trip is over.

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Before I knew it, the rest of Camp Juniper, excluding Uncle Harrison because he was using the restroom, joined me on the dock to eat their own dinner.

Uncle Bart sat next to me and said, "Hiyah, Kylie Wylie."

Kylie Wylie. That's a little nickname my family likes to call me. Everybody has a nickname in their family. In mine, Peacemaker was Uncle Clement's nickname and Tosh was Uncle Macon's.

After calling me by my own nickname, Uncle Bart took a bit into his own cheese quesadilla and added, "Mmm."

While Camp Juniper ate, they talked with each other about the next day–our first day of canoeing. Everybody, except me, was super excited.

I groaned, and in my head, I asked myself, When will this trip get interesting? The disappearance of Ranger Kate's son isn't enough! I need something else!

Just when I thought I lost everything important to me, things actually did take a turn. Things actually did become a little more interesting.

Uncle Harrison returned from the bathroom. In his hand, he held a flyer.

I assumed it was one of the flyers that were hanging up next to the door that led into the bathroom that I didn't bother to read.

This was Uncle Harrison's big find.

He joined us on the dock, and all of us stopped eating and peered back at him. Uncle Harrison read from the flyer, and he appeared to be interested in whatever was written on it.

After a bit of an awkward silence, Uncle Macon spoke up. "Harrison, my man," he said, gesturing at the picnic table, "why don't you grab a plate and fix dinner?"

"In just a sec!" Uncle Harrison excitedly answered, and he tightly gripped the flyer he held. "Guys, you have to listen to what this flyer says! It's very interesting."

"Interesting?" I sarcastically asked, and I crossed my arms. "What could be more interesting than spending a week in the wilderness with just adults?"

Mom gave me a slight glare.

Huffing, I held my nose up to the sky and took another bite from my quesadilla.

"No, I'm serious!" announced Uncle Harrison, and he excitedly shook the flyer. "According to this flyer, tonight at the amphitheater, Ranger Amelia, one of the rangers we met today, is going to share with all the campers something called The Legend of the Lady Evelyn-Smoothwater Provincial Park."

After he announced that, all of us froze. Legend? There was a legend tied in with the Lady Evelyn-Smoothwater Provincial Park?

"Legend?" I soon asked, and I gently set my plate down on the dock. "Wait a minute, there's a legend tied in with the Lady Evelyn-Smoothwater Provincial Park, Uncle Harrison?"

He nodded and answered, "Apparently, yes. Also according to this flyer, it's one of the most remarkable legends in all of Ontario. It's even more remarkable than the legend of the Bermuda Triangle."

"Really?" Aunt Lydia asked with widened eyes. "In all of Ontario? Even more remarkable than the Bermuda Triangle legend?"

"Yeehaw!" Aunt Jessie suddenly shouted, and she leaped to her feet. "We should check it out! We should check out this ranger talk tonight!"

Uncle Harrison nodded. "I agree. This seems quite interesting." He folded the flyer in half and dropped it to his side. "What do you think, Camp Juniper? Should we finish the day off with this ranger talk?"

"Why don't we let The Oracle decide?" asked Aunt Delia. She focused her attention on me.

There was "The Oracle". "The Oracle" was my main nickname during the canoe trip.

When I saw Aunt Delia and the rest of Camp Juniper looking at me, I gasped and pointed at myself, asking, "Me?"

"Yes you, oh great and powerful Oracle," Uncle Clement spoke, bowing to me. "You're the youngest one here. What do you think?"

I checked behind me, to make sure Camp Juniper wasn't looking at anybody else. Nope, they weren't. The only thing that was behind me was another boat.

Okay, I have to admit, I was a little interested in the whole The Legend of the Lady Evelyn-Smoothwater Provincial Park. Everybody else was, too. I made up my mind, although I really regretted this in the near future.

I forced a feeble smile, nodded, and told Camp Juniper, "Sure. Let's end the day with the ranger talk."

"Yeehaw!" Aunt Jessie yelled, leaping to her feet again.

"The Oracle speaks!" Uncle Macon yelled next. He jumped to his own feet, "Whoop! Whoop!" and started to dance. "This is going to be so much fun!" He quickly reached down and picked up his empty plate, finishing with, "I'm going to get seconds!" With that, he sprinted towards the picnic table.

The rest of Camp Juniper, excluding Uncle Harrison and I, also wanted seconds, so they sprinted after Uncle Macon and left me behind.

I didn't mind. I said, "Hmm," and got down on my front. I gripped the edge of the dock and let myself hang over it. I peered into the beautiful, clear water. While I hung, I thought about the so-called Legend of the Lady Evelyn-Smoothwater Provincial Park. What exactly was it? Would it perhaps tie in with the disappearance of Ranger Kate's child and actually give me something to do on the lakes?

While my legs dangled, I thought about that. I thought about all the strange things that happened to me that day. Did the creepy eagles, disappearing children, mysterious flowers and shadows, and voice have to do something with the legend?

I soon heard a screech in the sky. Oh no, speaking of eagles, not again! I dragged myself back onto the dock and sat on my heels, glancing into the sky.

Sure enough, there was the eagle. It circled me from up above, like it was a vulture and I was the carcass.

I stared at it. Seriously, why wouldn't those creepy eagles just leave me alone? Why were they harassing me? They're eagles! Eagles don't harass people! They're scared of them! At least, I thought they were.

I suddenly heard a, "Holy sharks!" behind me, and I turned my head. It was Uncle Clement. He was the one who spoke. "Sweet!" he added, and he studied the eagle. "It's a bald eagle! Oh man, is it my lucky day!" He put down his second plate of food and drew a camera from his back pocket.

I watched him as he did so.

Once Uncle Clement was ready, he pointed the camera into the sky.

I looked with him.

However, the eagle wasn't there anymore. It vanished into midair.

Lots of things had vanished in midair today, so I wasn't too surprised. Although, I was confused. I was confused on I was having so many creepy eagle encounters.

Attention, all my lovely friends out there! It is time! Are you guys ready to hear The Legend of the Lady Evelyn-Smoothwater Provincial Park... A.K.A., the legend of the Ghost of Ontario? Clap, if you are! Cheer, if you are! Awesome! Get ready! The fun is going to begin very soon. You've all been so patient, so now it's time for your patience to be rewarded. Let's let the story take a really big step up from boring to something very mysterious and creepy!

Chapter 12

The Scream in the Forest

Dinner ended forty-five minutes after Uncle Harrison shared the flyer with Camp Juniper. Immediately after it did, we got ready for the ranger talk.

Before actually going to the amphitheater, we had to do a few things. We had to clean up, wash the dishes, and get ready for our one-hour drive to the Lady Evelyn-Smoothwater Provincial Park the next morning.

Since I was actually kind of interested in the legend, I decided to help clean up. Cleaning up is something I don't do best. I make things messier than cleaner. However, I tried.

The entire time I worked, I thought about the ranger talk. I hoped it would be worth it. The talk wouldn't begin until it got a little dark out, and fun fact, Canada actually gets dark a lot later than the U.S. does because it's so far up north. I always thought it got darker earlier, but I was wrong.

Camp Juniper worked for a whole hour. When we finally finished cleaning and packing, it actually was a little dark. We were finally ready to head to the amphitheater.

I'll be honest, I actually really like ranger talks. I always enjoy going to them. However, this ranger talk was a little different.

Once Camp Juniper was ready, we met up with each other.

Dad took roll again because duh, he was the big boss of the trip.

All of us were there. We weren't missing anybody. I remember, everybody was super interested in the ranger talk, and I actually was, too.

While Dad took roll, I watched as a few young children hurried down the familiar gravelly road in front of us, with their parents, and headed in the direction of the amphitheater.

All members of Camp Juniper held a headlamp, but they weren't on yet.

After Dad took roll, he excitedly stated, "All right, we're all here! Awesome! Are we ready to head to the amphitheater, Camp Juniper?" We nodded, and he added, "All right then! Without further ado,–" He put his headlamp over his head and turned it on, "everybody, follow me!"

The bright light shone on all of our faces.

There was a blast of wind.

I held my mysterious flowers in place. Hm, it got windy all of a sudden.

Dad turned on his heel. He led Camp Juniper onto the gravelly road, where we ran into a bunch of other campers who headed towards the amphitheater.

While we made our way towards it, I hummed a tune to one of my favorite songs.

The amphitheater wasn't right next to our campsites, but it definitely wasn't a super long walk. It wasn't short, but it wasn't long either. We had to take a small path through the forest to get to it. Since we were in the forest, it was much darker there than out. However, lucky for us, all the mosquitoes had gone to bed, so we didn't need our bug nets and Deet. All we needed were our headlamps. We turned them on the second we stepped onto the dark path that led to the amphitheater.

We soon marched on the trail, in a line, and I was in the very back. I kept on humming the tune to one of my favorite songs.

Aside from my humming, I also heard the voice of Uncle Macon. "So, Azul," he said, and he patted Dad's back, "let me clarify. Do we by any chance have a summary of what the legend is about?"

"I don't think so," Dad answered. "I'm sure it's all going to be told to us once we get to the amphitheater. Yeah, Macon, I'm curious, too."

"Do you think it has to do something with canoeing?" Uncle Macon asked. He stayed close on Dad's tail.

"I sure hope so," Dad answered. "That'd be pretty cool."

Another blast of wind blew one of the pink flowers out from behind my ear. Gasping, I stopped humming. I reached for the flower and called, "Come back!" but the flower blew down the path behind me. I couldn't just leave the flower. I loved my flowers, even though they were given to me in a mysterious way. I had to chase after it. Before I did, I glanced at my family, who started to leave me. I just had to stay on the trail. Then I wouldn't lose them. I would find them at the amphitheater. They wouldn't mind if I took a small detour, right?

I nodded and turned on my heel, whispering, "I'll be right back." Without another word, I jogged down the path–back in the direction of the road–and chased after the flower.

The wind blew it quite some way down.

I dove after the flower numerous times, but I always missed it. The flower did not want to cooperate with me. I dove for it one last time but missed and fell onto my front.

A final blast of wind blew the flower into the treetops, and that was the last I saw of it. No, not my flower! I loved that flower! It was true that I did have another one, but the thing was, without both the flowers together, they weren't as special. I got them both at the same time, so I wanted them both with me at the same time. I hope you understand.

"No!" I groaned. I begged for the flower to come back, but it didn't. I lost it. I lost one of the mysterious flowers I was given that day.

I was deeply saddened. The flowers looked beautiful together. It wasn't the same with just one of them. I sank to my knees and sat on my heels, lowering my head. Since the final flower wasn't as special anymore, because it didn't have its partner, I just took it out from behind my ear, sighed, and tossed it away, closing my eyes. Another final blast of wind gushed through my hair.

A few minutes passed, and then something else strange happened. From the forest, I heard another crack of a stick. Oh, God, things were getting really creepy then. It was weird, though. Lucas was so wrong. He must've meant Finlayson Point Provincial Park was haunted instead of the Lady Evelyn-Smoothwater Provincial Park.

A stick cracked again.

I opened my eyes, took a deep breath, and shakily stood up. I turned my body in the direction the cracking had come from and stared into the forest. I studied it very carefully. After a bit, I saw something. Guess what I saw? It was the same mysterious shadow that popped up from behind the dumpster. Oh no, it was back! First the eagle and now the shadow!

I couldn't see the shadow very well, because it was so dark, even with the light of my headlamp.

It made sure it stayed in the shadows and not in the light. Yep, the shadow was definitely the shadow of a person. It seemed to stare at me.

I narrowed my eyebrows and asked, "You again?" I pointed at the shadow. "Who are you? What are you doing here?" What if this shadow was a bad person? What if it was someone planning on doing something terrible to the campers and workers of Finlayson Point Provincial Park? Gasp, what if the shadow had kidnapped Ranger Kate's child? I had to figure out what it was. Waving my hand, I yelled, "Come out here!" to it, but the shadow didn't move.

It just stood there.

I finally narrowed my eyebrows and took a step closer to the forest.

Immediately, the shadow jumped. It turned and dove back into the trees.

Hm, it was a skittish shadow. That made it even more suspicious. Boy, for once, I actually couldn't wait to get to the Lady Evelyn-Smoothwater Provincial Park.

I waited for a couple more minutes, but the shadow didn't return. I shook my head and yelled, "Fine, be that way!" into the forest. "But I'm going to turn you in, dude, and you can explain your plot to the rangers!" I scoffed and turned on my heel.

From out of nowhere, a great tumble came from the forest–it sounded like somebody had fallen–and then a scream! A scream! The voice belonged to a male, and it sounded like a boy. It sounded like whoever was screaming was getting tortured by the mysterious shadow.

By that point, I was gone. Talk about creepy! That scream beat it all! I didn't bother to go back and search for my flowers. I forgot about them and took off at a full sprint. The entire time I ran, I didn't look back.

Eventually, I made it to the end of the trail, and I leaped off it, out of the forest, and landed right at the amphitheater, totally out of breath. I brought my hand to my heart. Sweat fountained down my face. Oh, God, I had never experienced something as scary as that before! I did not want to go back down that trail. I thought that perhaps the ranger talk would calm my spirit, but I was wrong... so wrong.

When I managed to catch my breath, I stood up and frightfully searched the amphitheater. I felt a little safer there. There were a lot of people, and a great bonfire brewed. It lit up the forest like a lamp. Behind it, numerous benches were set up, and people sat on every bench. A few people had brought their dogs along. Okay, good. I definitely felt safer with dogs around. After all, a dog is a man's best friend, right? A lot of people came to the amphitheater that night.

My green eyes landed on Camp Juniper. They sat together across one bench. Noticing me, they gestured me over.

With my eyes opened wide and face white, I approached them and shakily sat down next to Uncle Bart. I was in shock. I thought I just heard a torture or murder scene in the forest.

All members of Camp Juniper peered into my eyes.

Uncle Bart soon asked me, "What took you so long? What happened? You look like you just saw a ghost."

"I-I saw something!" I stammered. "I-I saw a-a shadow in the for-forest! I then heard a great tumble and a scream!"

"A scream?" Dad asked. "What are you talking about, Kylie?"

"Yes, a scream, Daddy!" I answered, wrapping my arms around my body. "It sounded like it belonged to a boy. Camp Juniper, I don't think we're safe here. I think there's a serial killer on the loose!"

"A serial killer?" asked Mom next. She chuckled. "Oh come on, Kylie, that's not possible. If there was a serial killer, then I'm sure the police would've shut it down. You must've been hallucinating."

"No I wasn't, Mom!" I snapped, unwrapping my arms from around my body. I peered into her and the rest of Camp Junipers' faces. "I heard a scream! I'm not crazy! I know what I saw and heard!" I shakily took my headlamp off and turned it off.

I felt a tap on my shoulder, and I leaped out of my skin. Quickly, I threw down my headlamp and turned my neck. I met eyes with a golden-haired, young man who sat behind me.

He waved and said, "Hi," in a low voice. "My name is Kyle. What's yours?"

"Ky-Kylie." I shakily answered. "What do you want, sir?"

The rest of Camp Juniper glanced at Kyle and his family of two little kids: a girl and a boy.

"Kylie," he repeated after me, and he nodded. "I don't believe it was a serial killer you saw, young lady."

"Then what was it?" I asked. "I know I saw something, sir! I know I did!" I wish I never asked that question, because Kyle's next line really made me shake with fear.

All members of Camp Juniper, including me, listened to him.

He crossed his arms and softly told us, "You may have seen the Ghost of Ontario."

"Ghost of Ontario?" I shrieked. Great fear tore through my flesh like a bullet. "What's the Ghost of Ontario?"

"You don't know?" Kyle asked. "Ah, are you guys from out of town, then?"

We nodded.

I lifted my hand and started to chew on my nails.

"That makes sense," Kyle added as one of his kids, the little girl, crawled into his lap. "All Ontarians know about it. I'm not so sure about Americans, though. Are you guys Americans?"

"We are, sir," Daddy spoke in a slightly angry voice. "We're from North Tonawanda, New York. Do you have a problem with that?"

"Oh no, sir," Kyle answered, while he hugged his little girl close to him. "We love it when Americans come to Ontario. We don't always get to share the legend of the Ghost of Ontario with you guys, because all the people who hear about it are from here, and they already know."

"What is the Ghost of Ontario?" I cried out, and I gripped the edge of the bench.

Uncle Bart took my arm and tried to calm me down.

"The Ghost of Ontario is the reason why we're sitting here right now," Kyle explained. He pointed at the ground. "The Ghost of Ontario is The Legend of the Lady Evelyn-Smoothwater Provincial Park."

"It's a remarkable legend," spoke his little girl, and she hugged her dad's neck. "Daddy, Mommy, Parker, and I love to hear about it. We hear it all the time, and it never grows old."

"She speaks the truth," next spoke her mother. "The Ghost of Ontario, dudes and dudettes, is defined as the 'most extraordinary legend in all of Ontario'."

"Really?" Mom asked.

"Really?" I repeated. "Hm." I shrugged. Perhaps the legend wasn't scary, even though it was known as The Ghost of Ontario?

My mind returned to Lucas. He's bluffing. The Lady Evelyn-Smoothwater Provincial Park was not haunted. I calmed down and nodded, saying, "Thank you," to Kyle and his family.

They nodded back. "No problem."

Right after we talked with them, from the bonfire, we heard the voice of Ranger Amelia. "Good evening, everyone!" she announced.

Uncle Bart shook my arm and excitedly spoke, "It's starting! The ranger talk is starting!"

When Kyle and his family first mentioned the Ghost of Ontario, I was sure it wouldn't be something as terrifying as Finlayson Point Provincial Park, but actually, it was. And I thought Canadians were nice.

Chapter 13

Legend of the Ghost of Ontario

Ranger Amelia and Ranger Kate, the rangers we met that day at the station, were the ones in charge of the ranger talk.

Ranger Kate had returned from her expedition to Lake Temagami, but she still looked depressed as ever. She worked as Ranger Amelia's assistant.

However, Ranger Amelia was the ranger who explained everything. She was the ranger who really got me scared.

Now, audience, you're going to learn why this story is called The Ghost of Ontario. Get your paper bags and flashlights ready, because this is it.

Ranger Amelia and Ranger Kate stood on either side of the magnificent bonfire.

Uncle Bart nudged me and whispered, "Check it out, Kylie. It's Ranger Kate."

He pointed at Ranger Kate, and I nodded, saying, "I know, Uncle Bart. I know. Hmm." I rubbed my chin.

Ranger Amelia soon stepped in front of the bonfire, and she smiled out at the audience. She had a beautiful smile. I wondered if Ranger Kate's smile was just as beautiful. That was as if she ever did smile.

Ranger Amelia brought her hand to her chest and introduced herself. "In case you don't know, I'm Ranger Amelia, and that,–" She dropped her hand and pointed it at Ranger Kate, "is my partner, Ranger Kate. Everybody say, 'Hi, Ranger Kate'."

"Hi, Ranger Kate," spoke the entire audience, including Camp Juniper, me, and Kyle and his family.

Ranger Kate feebly waved hello. However, she didn't speak. She appeared to be a little shy.

Ranger Amelia smiled out at us again and said, "I see a few familiar faces out here tonight." Her eyes landed on Kyle and his family members. "Hi, Kyle, Leslie, Parker, and Regina Baker."

"Hi," they all spoke at the same time. They, too, waved.

I was confused for a moment. Why did Kyle and his family and Ranger Amelia seem to know each other?

She answered my question immediately. She gave a tip of her hat and asked them, "Weren't you guys here the other day for the first time we shared the legend this season?"

"Yesterday, actually," Kyle answered. "We just find it astonishing, Ranger Amelia."

"It really is," she said, and her eyes landed on the rest of the audience again. "To all you newcomers out there, welcome to Finlayson Point Provincial Park, located here in the beautiful province of Ontario, Canada!"

"You mean the bug-invested province?" I murmured to myself.

Uncle Bart nudged me. I was being rude. However, did I care? No.

Ranger Amelia added with, "Are any of you from out of town?"

Camp Juniper and one more family with a little girl raised their hands.

"Awesome," said Ranger Amelia. She focused on the family with the little girl. They sat in the front row bench. Ranger Amelia approached them and kneeled to the girl, asking, "Where are you guys from?"

"Oregon," spoke the little girl's cute voice. "We're from Salem, Oregon, ma'am."

Oregon? Holy camoly, they sure were far from home. They were even further than us. What had convinced them to come there? I asked that a few times to myself.

Ranger Amelia put her hands together and said, "Wow, you guys are far from home, eh? Well, we're pleased to have you here."

"And we're pleased to be here," spoke the little girl.

A few people in the audience chuckled at her cuteness.

Ranger Amelia's eyes soon left them, and they landed on us, instead. Even though we told her where we were from when we met her at the station, she went ahead and asked, "And where are you guys from?"

Since I was the youngest in the party, all eyes of Camp Juniper landed on me. They wanted me to tell the audience and rangers where we were from.

I sighed. I was very rude to Ranger Amelia. I didn't mean to be so rude, but I was. Perhaps it was because I was tired and didn't want to be there? I glanced at her and growled, "We're from North Tonawanda, New York, lady. We told you at the station. Did you forget already?"

"Kylie," Mom angrily whispered to me. "'Ma'am'."

I ignored her.

Ranger Amelia knew I was being rude, but she kept her positive attitude. "North Tonawanda, New York?" she asked.

"North Tonawanda, New York?" a few people in the audience questioned after her.

"Yes North Tonawanda, New York," I growled.

"Whoo wee," spoke Ranger Amelia, and she fanned herself with her hand. "You, too, are quite far from home."

"Tell me about it," I mumbled. "These jerks here made me ride in a car for seven freaking hours."

"Kylie," Mom angrily whispered again. She glanced into Ranger Amelia's eyes. "I apologize about her, Ranger Amelia. Kylie,–" She patted the empty bench next to her, "come sit next to me, please."

"No," I refused, and I crossed my arms.

Uncle Bart leaned to me and asked, "What is wrong with you tonight, missy?"

I didn't answer him. I kept my arms crossed. "Get on with this stupid legend, lady, so I can hitchhike back to North Tonawanda," I snapped at Ranger Amelia.

"Kylie!" Mom whispered for the third time. She glared. "If you don't get over here when I count to three, then there will be consequences."

Seriously? She was going to treat me like a five-year-old? I deserved this, though. I was such a butt that night. I embarrassed Camp Juniper like crazy.

Mom started to count, "One, two..."

At "three", I scoffed and stood up. "Shut up. Out of my way, lady." I banged Ranger Amelia's chest with my elbow to get by her and caused her to stumble.

She reached for her chest.

I soon sat next to Mom, and she snapped, "Kylie! Say you're sorry!"

"I'm sorry," I snapped at Ranger Amelia.

She continued to smile. Removing her hand from her chest, she waved it and said, "Don't worry. All right!" She turned and approached the bonfire again.

I was being so much ruder than the little girl from Oregon. That must've been super embarrassing to my parents.

Once she made it to the bonfire, Ranger Amelia turned and faced the audience again. She asked us, "Are any of you heading to the Lady Evelyn-Smoothwater Provincial Park for a canoe trip?"

Dad raised his hand.

Another family lifted the paw of their dog.

Chuckling came from within the audience.

Ranger Amelia also chuckled. "Great!" she said, and she asked the dog, "And are you, my furry, little friend, going to chase tennis balls on Lake Temagami?"

To say yes, the dog's owner moved his pooch's head up and down.

More chuckling came from within the audience.

I didn't chuckle, though. I still glared.

Ranger Amelia soon lost her smile, and she brought her hands together. "Attention, campers!" she announced. "Since ten years ago, there has been a legend tied in with the Lady Evelyn-Smoothwater Provincial Park."

"Legend?" a few people murmured.

"Yes, my friends," Ranger Amelia added. "Canoeing in the park is beautiful. You'll see so much in it. You'll see eagles, beavers, and if you're lucky, maybe even a moose or two."

"Ooohh," spoke the family with the dog.

"However," continued Ranger Amelia, "any of y'all heading to the Lady Evelyn-Smoothwater Provincial Park, you can't go there without knowing about..." She tried to make her voice sound scary. "The Ghost of Ontario!"

Right after she spoke that, Ranger Kate tossed another log into the bonfire. The flames spewed up behind Ranger Amelia.

I shivered and uncrossed my arms.

A few younger children shivered as well.

The adults didn't, though. They just scooted to the edges of their seats, interested, and waited for Ranger Amelia's next words.

After a bit, the man who owned the dog, slightly glared and told her, "The Ghost of Ontario is just a myth! It's not real!"

"No," Ranger Kate finally spoke in her sad voice. "It's a legend." She approached Ranger Amelia and placed her hand on her shoulder. "The Legend of the Lady Evelyn-Smoothwater Provincial Park is the legend of the Ghost of Ontario. Do you guys like stories?"

"Oh, absolutely, ma'am," spoke the dog owner, "but I thought the Ghost of Ontario was just a myth."

"Well, it depends on how you look at it," Ranger Kate explained. She removed her hand from Ranger Amelia's shoulder. "Do you believe in ghosts?"

The dog owner gulped. "Ghosts?" he asked. He shook his head. "No, not really."

Ranger Kate nodded. "Then it's a myth. To any of you out there who do believe in ghosts, it's a legend, but if you don't, it's a myth. Either way, it is still known as the 'most extraordinary legend in all of Ontario'."

"And it is," Ranger Amelia finished for her. "It really is. Take a seat, Ranger Kate."

Ranger Kate nodded and plopped down in a chair next to the bonfire. She crossed her arms.

Ranger Amelia focused her attention on us and asked, "Are you guys ready?"

We nodded.

A few members of Camp Juniper propped up their heads and watched intrigued.

I just wanted to get the legend over with so I could return to the campsite. Too many creepy things had happened to me that day.

Ranger Amelia soon reached for her belt. From it, she drew a flashlight. She just had to make Story Time extra creepy. She turned on the flashlight and held the light up to her face.

"Ooohh," a few people spoke in the audience.

Before we knew it, Ranger Amelia shared with us The Legend of the Lady Evelyn-Smoothwater Provincial Park, also known as the Legend of the Ghost of Ontario:

"Ten years ago, a five-year-old boy and his mother went canoeing on Red Squirrel Lake–one of the many lakes that hide in the Lady Evelyn-Smoothwater Provincial Park. They were returning to Lake Anima Nipissing, after a weekend-long canoe trip. When they hit the fourth hour of canoeing, they also hit tremendous waves that had been picked up by the wind. The day was stormy.

The mother and her son tried their best to reach the campsite they were staying at on Red Squirrel Lake, but the waves were too powerful. They attempted to hug the shoreline, but they were too late.

A powerful wave crashed into their canoe, capsized it, and broke it into two pieces. It sunk to the bottom of the lake, and the boy was separated from his mother. The current pulled him. His life jacket was loose by mistake. It was ripped right off him, and he was incapable of retrieving it, because the accident had badly broken his ankle. He couldn't swim because of it. His mother tried to rescue him, but she couldn't. The waves were too powerful. They pulled the little boy underwater, and he was never seen nor heard from again.

The rangers searched for as long as they could, but they could not find the boy. They eventually gave up, but his mother didn't. She is said to still be searching for him to this very day.

After the accident, the boy became known as the Ghost of Ontario. It is said that whenever he sees canoeists on Red Squirrel Lake, he threatens them with waves and tries to capsize them and pull them to the bottom of the lake, where he and his canoe sank. He likes to make other people experience the same kind of pain he did when he traveled on Red Squirrel Lake. It is said that in the Lady Evelyn-Smoothwater Provincial Park, whenever there are waves, it's the Ghost of Ontario's dirty work.

It is also rumored that in the Lady Evelyn-Smoothwater Provincial Park, whenever the ghost is nearby, he plays 'Lucilla' which is also known as 'The Call of the Ghost'. 'Lucilla' is said to be a beautiful but dangerous tune, and it's his warning call. He plays it to warn people that he's nearby and that they need to watch their back. 'Lucilla' is also sometimes known as 'The Death Song', so if by any chance you hear a mysterious sound while in the provincial park, stop and don't move a muscle. It's the Ghost of Ontario calling you. He's lurking in the shadows, waiting for his chance of revenge."

Okay, I was officially petrified.

Once Ranger Amelia finished sharing the tale, she turned off the flashlight and reattached it to her belt. Smiling, she said, "The end. "

Kyle and his family members started to clap. "Bravo!" they shouted. "Bravo!"

Bravo? Were they crazy? That was the legend? Holy smokes, now I knew what Lucas meant. I really wanted to go home then. Red Squirrel Lake was Camp Juniper's first destination the next day. Seriously, I thought Canadians were nice!

After Kyle and his family members clapped, the dog owner stood up from his seat and slightly glared at Ranger Amelia. "No!" he said, and he pointed at her. "You don't know what you're talking about, ma'am. There is no such thing as the Ghost of Ontario! It's a myth!"

His wife took his arm and tried to sit him down.

Unfortunately, things became even more petrifying after he said that.

Ranger Amelia opened her mouth to speak, but she wasn't able to because from the audience, a new voice spoke... a creepy one. "It's a true story, though."

"Huh?" I yelped.

All heads turned in the direction of the voice.

It belonged to an emo man, dressed in all black, who wore a hat over his head.

"What do you mean?" Uncle Harrison asked him.

The man crossed his arms, but he refused to look up. In a low voice, he explained, "Ten years ago, a five-year-old boy went missing on Red Squirrel Lake, and he has not been seen since."

"Ahh!" I screamed. I slapped my palms over my mouth. Oh, God! Oh, God! Oh, God! Somebody did go missing on Red Squirrel Lake?

Yep, somebody did, and that was what the rangers based the legend off of.

I think Ranger Amelia noticed my distress because she stated, "We're not trying to scare you. Honest! We're just giving you a precaution before you get on the lakes."

"Is it really true, though?" I asked. "Did a boy go missing on Red Squirrel Lake ten years ago?"

Ranger Amelia shut her mouth and took a step back. She glanced over her shoulder at Ranger Kate and nodded.

She nodded back. Then, she stood up and stepped in front of her partner. In her sad voice, she told us, "It is."