Camp Kumoni By Anistasia Allread

 

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“Great!” Samantha beamed back. “Now let’s get him to his mom.”

Erika slowly and carefully made her way through the mucky, reed infested water to the canoe. Now, how was she supposed to get back into the canoe while holding the duckling?

“Can you hold him while I get back in?” Erika asked Samantha.

“Just put him down in the canoe. He can’t fly yet.”

“But he hops pretty good.” Erika pouted.

“Not well enough if he got stuck in a hole.”

Erika looked around for some way of keeping the little guy safe while she boarded the water craft. Sighing heavily, she carefully put the frightened duckling into the bottom of the canoe and carefully climbed in without tipping it, and their precious cargo over.

The little black duckling hopped and flapped around the bottom of the canoe terrified by its new surroundings.

“It’s okay, little guy.” We’re going to take you back to your mother.” Erika cooed.

Samantha pushed off and the two emerged from the reeds. Looking around, she spotted Katie and Dani who were across the lake from them, looking their way.

Samantha raised her paddle high overhead and waved it back and forth catching their attention.

“Where are we going to find it’s mother?” Samantha inquired.

“Well, the other day, she and the little ones were taking shelter on the back side of the lake. I think they may be there, especially with all of the helicopters about.”

Samantha pointed with her paddle towards the back side of the lake and the two of them with their rescued animal, headed off in that direction.

Katie and Dani mirrored their movements from the opposite side of the water.

The thundering thumping noise grew louder as the helicopter returned with its empty bucket for another fill. The duckling in the boat became more and more agitated as the noise drew closer and louder. Erika dropped her paddle beside her scooped the frightened bird and held it close to her chest. It kicked and tried to flap its wings, frightened by the noise and unsure of the human’s intentions.

As the chopper lifted away with another full bucket, Erika set the dark bird back down in the hull, picked up her paddle and they began making their way again for the back part of the lake.

“What are you going to name it?” Samantha asked. “You can’t just keep referring to it as ‘the duck’ or the ‘little guy’.”

“I haven’t really thought of one.” She admitted. “he was just the black duckling that was kind of left in the rear.”

“Blackie?” Samantha suggested.

“Lacks imagination.” Erika shook her braids

“Lucky?”

“He is the runt of his nest, and he falls into a hole and left to die. You call that lucky?”

“Lucky that you care about him so much.” Samantha pressed.

“Nah. Lucky sounds like the name of a dog from the fifties or sixties.”

“Freedom?” Samantha suggested. “It’s the Fourth of July and you ‘freed’ him from that hole.”

“Hmm. It has possibilities.” Erika begrudged.

“Or Liberty.” Samantha went on.

“Let’s just get him back to his mother.” Erika tried to dismiss the subject.

The girls paddled on in relative silence as the duckling started to settle down.

“He’s quite dark, how about Ebony?” Samantha broke the silence.

Erika rolled her eyes. This wasn’t going to stop until she picked a name.

“You know he’s also kind of the color of an Oreo. The chocolate part anyway.” Samantha went on.

“Is that the mother?” Erika pointed off to the side.

“It looks like it.” Samantha searched the reeds. “I wonder how close we can get to her.”

The mother duck, unsure of their intentions waddled up on the bank flapping her wings to make herself look bigger as her little ones gathered under and behind her.

“It’s okay, momma.” Erika cooed. “I’m just bringing back someone you lost.”
She scooped up the little black duckling and released him into the water. “There you are, Liberty Go on back to your mother.”

The two girls sat in the canoe and watched as Liberty happily made his way over to his mother and siblings.

Samantha nodded. “Liberty. I like it.”

Erika sighed with relief as the mother allowed Liberty to rejoin his siblings. “Okay, lets meet with Dani and Katie.”

The two girls paddled and eventually met with the other two.

“Did you find him?” Katie asked.

“Yes. We just returned Liberty to his mother.”

“Liberty?”

“That’s what we decided to name him.” Erika confided.

“What she decided to name him.” Samantha corrected.

“How was your canoe ride?” Erika asked Dani.

“Peaceful until the helicopter comes in.”

“Speaking of the helicopter, here it comes again.” Katie pointed to a black dot on the horizon.

“Let’s get back. My parents are due soon.” Samantha sighed.

“I hope they don’t take you away.” Katie chewed on her lower lip. “I like having you around.”

“Thanks, Katie, I enjoy being with you too.”

Side by side, the two canoes, sliced through the calm waters of the lake towards the docks and the mob of campers swimming and sunning themselves along the lakeshore.

“Did Eric ever meet my parents?” Samantha asked. “I don’t remember him doing so.”

“No. Summer and I were friends at school mainly. Sometimes we would hang out after, but I never met your parents. Why?”

“Just thought it might be awkward for you to meet them as Erika, if you had already met them as Eric. That, but I doubt that they would recognize you in any case. You are so different than you were then.”

“Well, Eric never met them, so I guess we’re safe on that front.”

“Race you to the dock!” Dani called out and started paddling with all of her might.

Erika looked up and saw that the dock was about three hundred yards away. She turned and caught the smile on Samantha’s lips and nodded her head. The two girls strengthened and quickened their strokes to catch up with the head start that Dani and Katie took.

The four girls laughed as their canoes bumped into the dock one just ahead of the other. They tied them off, climbed onto the dock and dropped their life-jackets back into the canoes before winding their way through the girls basking in the sun’s rays and guys jostling for position to use the diving board.

The heat coming off the sand was already pretty intense and it was only late morning.

In the shade of one of the trees next to the beach the kitchen staff set up a large table with baskets of snacks, and containers filled with ice, soda and bottled water.

The girls each grabbed a drink. Erika chugged her water before she noticed Samantha and Katie looking appalled.

“What?” She swallowed.

“Don’t chug it, even if you’re dying of thirst.” Samantha shook her head. “The only time you chug anything is when you’re at a party chugging beer, and even then, I think it lowers people’s opinion of you.”

“Oh, sorry.”

“We’re going to go change and come back here.” Dani waved at the two. “You’re welcome to join us.”

“My parents should be here any minute.” Samantha sighed. “And I should probably check in with Hobbs.”

“I’ll go with you.” Erika sipped at her water.

The shade of the forest trees caused a drop in the temperature by about ten degrees. A chill wormed its way down her spine as the cool breeze cooled by the mountains caressed her sweating body.

Hobbs was in her office, filling out paperwork and looking nervous about her meeting. “Oh, Hi Samantha. How are you feeling today?” She twirled a lock of hair around her finger.

“Okay, a bit nervous.” Samantha decided that honesty was the best policy.

“Nervous about what?” Hobbs inquired.

“What my parents might do or say.” Samantha admitted. “I really do want to stay here, but I’m afraid that they are going to over react and have me go home today.”

“You would like to stay?” Hobbs sounded pleased.

“I’ve made some really great friends here.” Samantha smiled at Erika. “and have up until Josh did what he did, had a lot of fun here.”

Hobbs smile. “I’m glad to hear that.” She sounded relieved. “Where do you plan on being when they arrive?”

“I hadn’t really thought about it. I thought either in the mess hall, or in our cabin.” She nodded her head. “In Columbine Cabin.”

“Well that sound about as good as any place.” Hobbs smiled. “If you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a lot of paperwork to finish up here.”

“Sure not a problem.” Samantha and Erika left the small office and stood outside.

“To the cabin?” Erika voiced.

“To the cabin” Samantha raised an eyebrow.

“Sure, then we could be alone.” Erika winked.

“My thoughts exactly.” Samantha smiled. “If these are to be our last moments together, let’s make them be some of the best moments.”

The two walked hand in hand back to their cabin.

“Any one home.” Samantha called upon entering the cabin. The only answer was the low thumping of the helicopter returning to the lake for a re-fill.

“Alone at last.” Erika sighed closing the door behind her. She turned back to the empty cabin and was pulled into a tight embrace by Samantha, the cheerleader’s lips pressing hungrily to hers.

A charge like no other raced through her limbs, causing her arms and legs to feel like they were on fire. Her confined genitals strained at their restraints. Erika didn’t know exactly what to do with her hands, so she placed them on Samantha’s waist and held them, hoping that this moment in her life would last forever.

Samantha’s lips parted, her tongue breached Erika’s, sending a shiver through her body as Erika tasted Samantha. Samantha’s fingers cupped the back of her head as she kissed the friend of her sister, the person who was becoming more than a friend to her. The friend who saved her from the onslaught of Josh.

The two girls found themselves on Samantha’s bed, neither willing to release the other from their loving embrace.

Erika’s fingers caressed Samantha’s golden hair plaited tightly against her head, her fingers pulling through the tails of the red white and blue ribbons. The sweet smell of green apple and watermelon filled her nostrils as she breathed in the cheerleader’s scent.

Slowly, with uncertainty, Erika’s hand slid up Samantha’s sides. Her fingertips lightly caressed Samantha’s breast through blouse and bra. Samantha kissed Erika harder, encouraging her. Erika cupped Samantha’s breast and massaged it, causing her nipple to react to the stimulation.

Emboldened by her reaction, Erika’s fingers slowly slid down Samantha’s belly and under her blouse.

Samantha gently took Erika by the wrist and guided her hand out and away from her top “Huh, uh.” She mumbled softly and placed Erika’s hand on her waist again.

“Sorry.” Erika mumbled between kisses.

“Maybe another time.” Samantha murmured.

Erika smiled down at Samantha. “As you wish.”

* * *

Erika was in the bathroom, changing into her swimsuit when she heard a knock on the door and voices. She pulled a denim skirt up over her hips and exited the bathroom to find Hobbs entering with Samantha’s parents.

Samantha was locked in an embrace with her mother as her father put a loving arm hand on her shoulder.

“Mom, Dad,” Samantha pulled away and wiped tears from her eyes. “This is Erika. She is one of the girls who helped to save me.”

Before she knew it, Erika found herself locked in a tight embrace by Samantha’s mother.

“Thank you.” She whispered in Erika’s ear. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

“You’re welcome?” it came out more like a question than a statement. Erika wasn’t used to this kind of attention. She was unsure how to respond.

“You’ve saved my daughter from some horrible torment.” Samantha’s mother pulled away. “Anything you need, don’t hesitate in asking.” She looked at Erika with such admiration, that Erika just blushed. “Anything.” She repeated.

“Okay.” Erika gave her hands a squeeze. She hoped that would do.

“Thank you, Erika.” Samantha’s father smiled across the room.

“Come, Erika, I think Samantha’s parents would like to talk with her for a bit.” Hobbs gestured towards the door.

Erika grabbed her towel, sunglasses, and sunscreen, gave Samantha a big hug “Don’t let them take you.” She pleaded. Erika pulled away and followed the camp director out of the cabin.

* * *

Erika spread her towel out on the sand next to Tricia and Victoria.

“You’ve already got gorgeous skin.” Erika looked over at Victoria. “Why are you tanning?”

“Just to add a bit of bronze to my olive coloring.” Victoria smiled. “Don’t worry, I don’t get too brown.”

“Samantha’s parents didn’t take her away did they?” Tricia questioned, shading her eyes.

“They’re with her now, in the cabin.” Erika explained.

“I hope they let her stay.” Tricia affirmed. “Even if it means I have to stay sleeping on the roll-a-way cot.”

Erika eased herself down next to the two girls and looked out over the lake.

“Did you find your duck?” Victoria inquired.

“Yes, and we sent Liberty back to his mother.”

“Liberty?” Victoria smirked.

“Yeah, that’s what I named him. It is July 4th after all.”

“Where did you end up finding, Liberty?” Tricia asked Erika.

Erika related the short story about how she and Samantha liberated the black duckling.

“Can I join you?” Katie asked, standing in front of the girls.

“Sure.” Tricia smiled.

“Where’s Dani?” Erika inquired.

“Oh, she’s dumped me.” Katie waved a hand.

“Huh?”

“That Derek guy that you were talking to the other night, well, he came up and started talking to her. They’ve gone over to the shade over there.” Katie pointed.

The four girls lay out in the sun, occasionally making comments about cute guys and pondering about celebs in the magazines that Tricia had brought with her.

“Okay, time to flip.” Tricia commented.

The girls all turned over onto their bellies, adjusted swim suits and lay their heads down to bask, their backs in warmth of the sun’s rays.

Erika was just drifting off to sleep when she heard a familiar voice. “Can I join you?”

Erika looked up and found a smiling Samantha with a towel in her hand waiting expectantly.

“You’re staying?” Erika asked.

“I’m staying.” Samantha squealed.