Camp Kumoni By Anistasia Allread Edited by Nick B “I don’t think I could ever see you as ‘the plague’ again,” Victoria said with a grimace. “It’s too bad Erika can’t join us at school.” “Why?” “Because you’re really fun to hang out with.”

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Camp Kumoni 58
 
 
“So how was your day off?” Phoenix enquired.

Eric shrugged. “Difficult, strange… confusing.”

“Did it help at all with your decision?”

“I don’t know. It was kind of hard being a guy when I had to wear these,” he said displaying his acrylic nails. “And these,” he remarked, pointing to his breast forms. “I couldn’t quite get away with not wearing them without calling attention to myself.”

Phoenix nodded understanding. “Back to being Erika tomorrow?” she asked.

“Yes,” Eric agreed. “But I want to reserve the right to have another day off before the end of camp.”

Phoenix grinned. “I think that is a fair request.”

“Just don’t go scratching and adjusting yourself next time,” Rachel called in mock disgust from across the cabin.

“Stay out of it,” Samantha defended.

“Leave her alone,” Tricia added.

“It’s alright, guys, she has a right to her opinion.” Eric ran his fingers through his hair.

“Not after she dropped a flour bomb on your head,” Samantha sneered.

“I didn’t get hurt,” Eric insisted.

“You could have,” Samantha pointed out.

“Alright, that is enough, girls; lights out.” Phoenix padded across to her bed and held her finger on the light switch.

“Night Phoenix,” Eric called out. His voice was followed by the others wishing the same thing.

“Good night girls, sweet dreams.” Phoenix pointed the last part of that at Eric before switching the lights off.

Eric lay in bed, thinking about the day. Did anything really change?

Not a whole lot, really.

The girls in the cabin were a bit more guarded with dressing in front of him as opposed to Erika. He still played sports about the same; said and did the same things. He tried to do things with a little more masculinity than he would have as Erika, but some of those things seemed a bit forced now. He didn’t apply make-up or dress in any of Erika’s clothing, but still he was accepted as Erika, by his cabin mates.

Did he feel different as a guy compared to as a girl?

A simple and plain ‘YES’ was the answer to that.

Why was that? He had already established that he did most all of the same things as a girl that he did as a guy, so why should it feel different?

Did he feel alien?

Not really. He’d been a girl for six weeks now. Before that, he’d been a guy for fifteen years. Alien–no; different–yes.

Did he act differently as a guy?

He didn’t think so. Well… maybe a bit. He didn’t feel as outgoing as a guy. He thought about that for a long while. Why didn’t he feel as outgoing? Was it conditioning?

As a guy, every time he spoke up, he was verbally beaten down or ignored. He didn’t excel at sports, which seemed to be important to being a guy. As a girl if Erika didn’t excel at a sport, it was accepted and no one thought differently about it. Erika would be better at other things.

Eric decided to question his cabin mates in the morning. How was he different as a guy versus a girl?

With that, Eric fell asleep, exhausted from the very long day.

*     *     *

Erika buried her head as the alarm went off. She felt like she had slept well, but she still felt a bit fatigued.

Samantha tapped her leg. “Come on sleepy head.”

“Alright; I’m coming,” Erika moaned. She slid out of bed and traded places with Victoria in the bathroom.

She dressed in her shorts and a light weight T-shirt and began slipping on her socks and tennis shoes.

“How did you sleep?” Tricia enquired.

“Like the dead. I don’t remember anything after my head hit the pillow last night,” Erika yawned.

Tricia smiled. “It’s good to have you back.”

“Tricia?” Erika asked.

“Huh?”

“How am I different as a guy?”

“You seem more comfortable with yourself as you are.” Tricia thought for a moment. “You are too introverted as a guy. I don’t know what you’re thinking and you seem very guarded.”

“Anything else?”

“Well? Hmmm,” Tricia replied, pondering the question. “I have only known you as Erika, so it’s kind of hard. Yesterday you seemed kind of depressed. I don’t know if that is how you always are as a guy, or if it was because you were lacking in sleep or if it was because of the bad dreams.”

“She was always that way as a guy,” Samantha butted in.

Erika grimaced.

“Come on, let’s get going,” Rachel called from outside the cabin.

Erika was sweaty and a bit out of breath by the time she had jogged around the lake. She lined up with the girls in the cabin and joined in with the sit-ups, crunches, pushups and stretches. Missing the previous morning’s exercise and the morning before really took its toll.

She along with the others grabbed their shower bags, and clothes for the day and headed off down to the showers. The other girls had relaxed around her, and showered at the same time as she did now, comfortable in the fact that she wouldn’t be trying to spy on them.

After shaving just about every bit of body hair, Erika turned the water temperature to cold, hoping that cooling off this morning, would help with the scorcher the afternoon was promising to be again today. She toweled off, and dressed in a skirt and light weight top before running a comb through her wet hair.

Back at the cabin, she borrowed a bottle of hot-pink nail lacquer from Tricia and painted her nails whilst waiting for the bathroom mirror.

“Want me to braid your hair?” Victoria asked.

“That would be great. It’s going to be a hot one today,” Erika replied and blew lightly on her nails.

Victoria quickly plaited her dark hair into two braids that helped to keep her hair off her neck.

“I’m glad you’re back,” Victoria admitted, speaking softly just for Erika’s ears. “I’ve kind of gotten used to having you around.”

“I was here yesterday,” Erika pointed out.

“It wasn’t the same. I don’t know why, but I just like you better as Erika,” Victoria explained. “It has nothing to do with ‘the plague’ either. I just really like Erika. Eric is so moody.”

“Eric, Erika; it’s still me,” Erika insisted.

Victoria shrugged. “Kind of–Eric is too internal. Too wound up. Erika is relaxed and more comfortable.”

“So what are we going to do when school starts?” Erika asked. “Are you going to go back to ignoring me, or seeing me as ‘the plague’?”

“I don’t think I could ever see you as ‘the plague’ again,” Victoria said with a grimace. “It’s too bad Erika can’t join us at school.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re really fun to hang out with.”

“But Eric isn’t?”

Victoria was quiet for a few long moments. “I think Eric is too busy wrapped up in his own world, trying to survive the next hour and too busy dealing with what others think about him. It’s kind of hard to relax and enjoy yourself around someone like that.”

“You know, I really don’t like being ‘the plague’,” Erika stated. “It’s not something I chose to be.”

“I know, I know,” Victoria defended. “It’s just that every school seems to have that odd person out; the one that doesn’t fit in.”

“You know, you could help with that.” Erika was practically glaring at her. “You could talk to those around you and let them know that I’m not that bad of a person and that the things that they do to me are hurtful.”

“I agree. I’m sorry,” Victoria agreed holding up a hand to ward off the verbal attack. “I’ll do what I can to help.”

Erika got up and took her turn in the bathroom, applying make-up. She finished with stroking her eye lashes with mascara, looked in the mirror at the pretty face staring back and sighed with relief.

“Why did I do that?” she asked herself. “Why would I feel better after putting on make-up?” She bit her glossy pouting lower lip.

She cleaned up her stuff and told herself that she was going to have a great day, before giving up the bathroom to Rachel.

Breakfast was fresh fruit, muffins; the usual cereal, toast and other things were also available.

“What’s on the agenda for today, Victoria?” Dani enquired

“This morning it’s basketball, followed by the rope course and then a bit of time with Grizzly Adams.” Victoria began listing. “Lunch, Arts and Crafts, soft ball then trail riding.”

“Trail riding might be called off if it’s too hot,” Phoenix interrupted. “It’s not good for the horses.”

“Then last of all, lake time,” Victoria finished off.

“Any free time in any of that?” Erika questioned.

“A bit after lunch as usual.” Victoria searched her brain. “If trail riding is called off, then we might be able to get some time then.”

*     *     *

The basketball game was a joke. Erika couldn’t dribble let alone shoot. Eric’s lack of athletic ability was one of the reasons why he had been dubbed ‘The Plague”.

Katie wasn’t much better. With her height, Rachel was hoping that she might have a bit of talent, but the tall model of a girl was uncoordinated. At times she looked to almost be in tears with frustration that she couldn’t be good at a sport that her genes had designed her for.

Dani would have been great, if she wasn’t so short. She could dribble, dodge and pass. However, the taller girls could cover her too well and kept her from shooting any baskets.

Tricia shouldn’t have even walked on the court. She shied away from the ball anytime it came close to her. She was afraid of ruining her manicure. She flinched and cringed every time anyone came near her let alone the ball. For some reason, Erika thought that her ultra-femininity was attractive.

That left Rachel, Samantha and Krystal. Samantha had played basketball in junior high, but found cheerleading much more to her liking. She was good if not a bit rusty. Rachel and Krystal had spent a lot of time the last few weeks on the court. They made a great team as Krystal with her weight could edge in near the basket and somehow knew where to pass it to Rachel so that the athletic one of the cabin could score time and time again.

Disappointed at the loss and sweaty so early in the morning, the girls dragged their weary limbs over to the rope course.

Erika’s exhaustion evaporated as Skyler pointed out a new, higher course that he had installed amongst the trees. His smile was contagious and Erika soon found herself in her element in the tree tops, winding her way through the course.

Katie had to sit down and not watch. Apparently even watching someone that high off the ground was causing her quite a bit of discomfort. Victoria just looked on with a mixture of awe and disdain, knowing that she was up next to do a less complex, lower course once Erika was done showing off.

Grizzly Adams took the girls down near the lake where they could sit in the shade of a large maple tree. A light breeze barely stirred the hot air. The lake did cool it off as it blew across it and it helped somewhat to keep the Columbine girls cooler.

Grizzly talked about sun stroke, and hydration a bit more. He showed them plants that would help protect against sunburn and plants that would help soothe it if you had gotten it. Aloe as most knew was the plant of choice.

He told them that many blacksmiths would grow a pot of it outside the forge to help alleviate their many mishaps. Train engineers of old would grow it at their train stops in case they got too close to the furnace.

“The best thing you can do if you get sunburn,” he paused, waiting for their undivided attention, “Is to take a hot shower.” He held up his hand to halt the oncoming protests. “I know, I know, it hurts like a son of a–like the devil, but only for about twenty seconds. “

“But you’re putting heat on top of a burn. That defeats the purpose,” Victoria protested.

“Ah but here’s the thing of it,” Grizzly smiled. “Your skin feels like it is burning because it has all of that heat trapped under the first couple of layers. If, however, you allow the pores to open, you’ll allow the heat to escape, alleviating most of the burning.”

“That just seems backwards,” Victoria continued. “Any time you get a burn, you’re supposed to cool it off, not heat it up.”

“Have you ever noticed that after sunburn that your skin feels all crackly and tight?” Grizzly asked.

“Yeah.”

“The hot shower helps get rid of that too. By opening the pores, it can allow the heat out, but also allows the skin to absorb moisture and retain its elasticity,” Grizzly went on. “Before you get too worked up, I already checked this all out with a well-known dermatologist. She agreed that hot showers are great, they hurt like hell, but they’re great. She also said that after the shower, to blot yourself dry, then apply a good amount of aloe to the affected areas. The open pores will suck the stuff in and help heal you faster.”

*     *     *

Lunch consisted of cold cuts laid out for everyone to make their own sandwiches. Sheila had also laid out a salad bar that had all of the main ingredients for a good salad.

“What are you going to do for the rest of our lunch time?” Tricia asked.

“I thought I’d go get that sketch and work on it for Matt. The cabin should be cool and quiet.”

“Mind if I join you?”

“It’ll be boring.”

Tricia shrugged. “I’ll take a nap.”

Erika pulled the sketch out of her drawer and sat on Tricia’s cot, Tricia curled up next to her, watching her as she began to detail the sketch into a more finished piece.

Time drifted away from her as she lost herself into her drawing. The cabin disappeared into a blurry nothingness as her focus sharpened on her work. Her heart-rate slowed, her breathing deepened, relaxed and comfortable.

“Time to go,” Tricia announced tapping Erika’s arm.

“Huh?”

“It’s time to go to arts and crafts. Didn’t you hear Katie?”

“No.” Erika looked up from her drawing to Tricia’s pretty face.

“Katie just poked her head in to call us. We need to get going.”

“Okay,” Erika sighed. She really missed drawing; missed her mind drifting off to nowhere, as her hands and eyes danced together in a complex string of steps to an unheard orchestra. She put the sketch away and followed Tricia out to Amber’s set up.

“Has anyone ever done any carving?” Amber asked of the group.

“What kind of carving?” Erika asked.

“Whittling.”

“I used to with my grandfather.”

“Good. What was the very first rule he told you when carving.” Amber asked.

Erika paused, thinking back to sitting on the back porch with her grandfather. “Always cut away from you.”

“That’s the one.” Amber beamed. “Always cut away from you,” She reiterated and demonstrated with a piece of wood and a knife.

“What are we carving?” Rachel asked.

“Spoons.”

Dani looked horrified and confused. “Spoons?”

Amber gave each of the girls a piece of wood that had a vague spoon shape to it. She then took one of the knives and started working on the blank, showing them how to cut away the excess and smooth the surface by dragging the blade perpendicular to the piece. Next, she took out a small chisel and quickly showed them how to slowly create a bowl to form the spoon.

“Each of you grab a knife and put enough space between you and your neighbor so that you aren’t slicing at them while you carve.”

As the girls worked their blanks of wood, paring them down into kitchen utensils, Amber told them of a person that she knew who would make the most beautiful and delicate spoons and forks from tree branches. How he would start with a hatchet and work his way down to something as thin as their tableware in the dining hall, and never having to use sand paper to make it as smooth as glass.

Erika found carving the spoon to be almost as relaxing as drawing. She zoned out, not paying much attention to the other’s conversation and withdrew into herself, trying to figure out who or what she was. It was hard to think so deeply, because she was so relaxed. Her mind kept drifting off to nothingness like when she sketched.

*     *     *

The two cabins met out on the large soft ball field for their match. The hot sun beat down on the dried yellow grass. Grasshoppers rubbing their legs together sounded a chorus of something that wasn’t quite chirping. As they stepped out onto the grass, they could feel the oven-like temperature. The grasshoppers under foot took to wing and fluttered without grace to a safe distance. It was difficult to breathe the hot air.

Rachel met with the other cabin’s leader and after a few minutes of discussion, decided to call it a draw and both teams sought the comforts of the shade of the tall evergreen trees.

“Alright ladies, if you aren’t going to play ball, then let’s head back to the cabin.” Phoenix herded them.

“Riding is cancelled isn’t it?” Victoria asked.

Phoenix nodded her head.

“Can we just go on down to the lake and cool off?” Dani looked hopeful.

“There is a class going on down there right now.” Phoenix shook her head. “It wouldn’t be fair to them if we barged in on their private time. Let’s hang out here in the cool of the cabin.”

Erika noticed Krystal reach for a book so she picked up her sketch book again and began again where she had left off.

“That is so amazing.” Tricia commented glancing over Erika’s shoulder. “How can you make someone look so real when it is just pulled from your imagination?”

“I don’t know.” Erika shrugged. “It just happens.”

“All right, girls, let’s get ready for the lake.” Phoenix finally relented.

Dani was lying on her bed. “Thank you, I was dying in here.”

“Think Matt will like it?” Erika bit her lip.

“He’d better.” Tricia grinned. “If he doesn’t then I’ll take it and he can just go jump in a lake.”

“That’s my plan.” Dani intruded. “Jump in and cool off.”

Once all of her cabin-mates had changed, Erika took her suit and went into the bathroom and changed into hers.

She posed in front of the mirror, turning around and looking over her shoulder at how the suit fitted then turned back towards the mirror.

“You look like a girl,” she muttered quietly, the conversations earlier coming back into her mind. “You look like a girl; sound like a girl; walk, talk, eat and sleep with girls, but are you truly a girl?”

She posed one more time and looked at herself critically.

“Or,” she wondered. “Is this just a case of the grass being greener on the other side?”

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To Be Continued...