Camp Kumoni By Anistasia Allread Edited by Alexis

Camp Kumoni 42

“You’re staying? Really?” Erika imitated the high pitched squeal.

“Mom convinced dad to let me stay a little longer.”

“That’s great. What happened?” Katie smiled, digging for more info.

“Well as Erika was leaving there was the hug fest.” Samantha sighed. “Parents can be so over dramatic. Then we sat and talked a bit. Mom and Dad, really wanted the details on what exactly happened. I think my Dad is going to get a Lawyer and see if there is a case.” She paused. “They then asked me several times if I wanted to stay or go? If I felt safe here? If I was being pressured to keep what happened quiet? Did I like the girls in my cabin? Was Director Hobbs being proactive? Who my counselor is? That kind of stuff.”

“What did you tell them?” Victoria inquired.

“That I’d rather stay here at camp, than be home alone for most of the summer.”

“So when are they going to check back in on you?” Erika bit her inside lip.

They said that when they come up on ‘Parent’s Day’, they will decide if I will be going home or not.”

“Parent’s Day? What’s that?” Erika looked from Samantha to Tricia and Victoria.

“It’s the day when our parent’s come and spend the afternoon with us.” Victoria explained. “They see the crafts we’ve been doing, witness our various swimming, riding, climbing, and boating skills and how nutritious our meals are.”

“Our parents come here?” Erika looked to be in a panic. “To this camp?”

“Yes, of course, where else would they go?” Victoria rolled her eyes.

“You’re putting me on, right?” Erika’s face was white.

“No.”

“Shit! Shit, shit, shit!” Erika cursed.

“Your parents don’t know about this, this,” She lowered her voice to a whisper “About you being a girl?” Victoria scanned Erika’s body up and down

“No.” Erika’s head flopped to the towel.

“You know, there are some parents who can’t come.” Katie stated.

“Not with my luck.” Erika mumbled into her towel. “Do the parents know about ‘Parent’s Day’?”

“I believe they’re told about it in the camp brochure and then they are invited as well.” Victoria bit her lip in thought. “At least that is what I remember reading the brochure. I only skimmed through it.”

“Aaaarrrrrgggg!” Erika screamed in to her towel.

“We’ll work something out.” Samantha tried to make her friend feel better.

“We’ve got two weeks to figure out something. Besides, you don’t know if your parents are even coming.” Tricia encouraged.

I’m sure, if there is a ‘Parent’s day’, my mother will be coming.” Erika wanted to cry. “I need to go for a swim.” She stated suddenly and jumped up, kicking a bit of sand onto the others towels. “Anyone coming?”

“I’ll go.” Katie volunteered.

“I guess a bit of algae infested water won’t do me too much harm.” Tricia grimaced, then smiled.

“Samantha?” Erika invited.

“No thanks, I’d like to soak in some rays first.”

The three girls waded into the warm lake water. Once up to their thighs, they dove in. Long smooth graceful strokes took them out to the dock. Katie with her long limbs reached the ladder first and hoisted herself up. She adjusted her top and reached a hand down to assist Erika up the ladder.

Tricia followed and made sure that her top was secure before turning to the other two. “Now what?” She raised an eyebrow.

Erika looked around. “Let’s go off the high dive.” She grinned.

Katie looked up at the platform and shuddered.

“Oh, sorry Katie, I wasn’t thinking. We don’t need to do that, we can just dangle our feet off the dock.” Erika winced at her error.

“No, go on ahead, I’ll watch.” Katie insisted. “Really, don’t let my being chicken keep you two from having fun.

Two boys ran past them and scampered up the ladder to the platform. The first one ran out along the length of the board, bounced on the end and did a cannonball into the lake with a ku-splash.

“Come on, Tricia.” Erika smiled. She took to the ladder as the second kid jumped off with a ku-sploosh. droplets from the displaced lake flew into the air.

Erika stood up on the platform and looked out back at the lake shore, butterflies danced in her chest. Things sure looked like they were a long way down from up here. She spotted Samantha and Victoria who were shading their eyes from the sun’s glare. Erika lifted a hand and waved. Samantha waved back.

“Well?” Tricia asked as she waited at the top of the ladder. “Are you going to jump, or should let you crawl back down the ladder?”

“Hold your horses.” Erika called back. She walked out towards the end of the board, bouncing a little bit to feel the flex in the board. She then walked back to the platform and took a couple of deep breaths.

She took a few quick steps, bouncing towards the end and shot up and out over the lake. She grabbed her knees and pulled them to her chest, as she rolled slightly back and made impact with the water with her lower back. The noisy chatter and hollering of the campers was immediately silenced to a dull roar as she was engulfed by the warm water of the lake. As soon as she felt her momentum slow, she opened up and kicked to the surface.

“That was great!” Katie shouted at her after her head broke surface.

“Dude, a girl totally kicked your cannonball.” One of the boys teased the other.

“Not bad.” Tricia called from the platform.

Erika smiled and with only a few powerful strokes, make her way to the ladder. She turned in time to see Tricia bounce on the end of the board, and sail into the air. Tricia sailed head first out over the water, her arms out at her sides. At the last moment, she tucked her head forward and brought her hands in front of her executing a beautiful swan dive.

Erika was in awe at the grace and beauty of her friend. She climbed the ladder to stand beside the towering Katie.

“That was incredible.” Erika looked at their new cabin mate in a new light.

“I was on the dive team at my last school.” Tricia shrugged.

Erika looked at the platform and watched as one of the boys did a spinning cannonball.

“You want to go again?” Tricia invited with a smile.

“And embarrass myself?” Erika looked forlorn.

“This isn’t a contest.” Tricia reminded her. “Guys compete all of the time, girls can just have fun and enjoy one another.”

Erika let that sink in for a moment. “Okay.” She headed for the ladder.

“Can you dive?” Tricia asked.

“Yeah, but not like you.”

“Try a forward flip.”

“What do I do?” Erika paled.

Tricia quickly talked her through the steps and waited on the ladder as Erika surveyed the lake again.

She took a deep breath and ran out to the end of the board, bouncing a foot from the end and swinging her arms and tucking her head as she kicked her feet up. The sky and lake traded places for a moment as she spun feet over head, the world righted itself as she neared the water. She over rotated a little as she hit the water, not quite accomplishing a belly flop. Her legs and arms stung a little as she kicked her way to the surface and looked to Tricia on the platform.

“A little over rotated.” Tricia called back, “But very good for a first time.”

A giddiness and warmth spread through her body at the praise from the pretty blonde. Erika swam out of the way and watched as Tricia bounced on the end of the board. As she leapt into the air, she kicked her feet out while rotating her head and arms back. When she was approaching vertical with her head down, she straightened out and dropped like an arrow, hardly making a splash in the lake.

“Brava!” Katie shouted from the dock as Tricia’s head broke surface.

“You are incredible.” Erika tread water waiting for the blonde.

“Not good enough to win state.” Tricia sighed.

“You went to state? In diving?”

“I took fourth.” Tricia sighed. “I was supposed to go again this next year and give them a run for the gold, but we had to move. Again.”

“Well, our diving team sure could use you.” Erika accepted Katie’s hoist onto the dock.

“We’ll see.” Tricia said. “Let’s see what your school has to offer.”

“I’m the wrong person to ask about that.” Erika grimaced. “Talk to Victoria or Samantha about things our school has to offer.”

Erika found herself atop the platform looking out over the lake again. The thump, thump, thumping of the chopper was nearing. She looked the direction from which it was coming and made it out, a dark dot emerging from the smoky haze that still filled the sky.

Erika loped down the length of the board, bounced in the air, arched her back and head back as she kicked her feet in the air. She heard and felt a sharp crack on the back of her head. A blackness filled with stars swam before her eyes as she felt her body, suddenly change direction. She then felt a stinging impact across her back followed by a soft floating sensation as she submitted to the darkness, welcoming its promise of no pain.