The Sign in the Smoke (Nancy Drew Diaries Book 12) (3 page)

“Why would we be?” I blurted.

Charla looked confused too. “Away from home, you mean?” she asked. “Or out in the woods? I
am
kind of scared of bears.”

“
No
,” Bella said, sounding a little impatient, “I mean
here
. On this site. You know, the old Camp Larksong.”

There was silence for a minute, and then George looked at her skeptically. “Is this about the ‘tragedy’?” she asked. “I heard something happened here, but I couldn’t find out much more than that.”

“Yeah, ‘tragedy,’ that’s one way to put it,” Bella said.

I felt a shiver run up my spine. “What’s another way?” I asked, wishing she’d get to the point.

“Well.” Bella’s eyes widened and her face seemed to come alive. “Five years ago, the last year Camp Larksong was open, they had the Best of All Worlds camp—just like the one we’re here for.”

“Okay,” said Taylor. “So?”

“On the last night,” Bella went on, “they took their tents and sleeping bags and headed out to Hemlock Hill for the campout by the lake—a Camp Larksong tradition.”

“I remember,” said Maddie, who was the third alum. “It was always the most fun night of camp . . . though I barely got any sleep!”

Bella widened her eyes even farther. “Well,
this
night, something really crazy happened! The rumor is one of the counselors went nuts. . . .” She paused for dramatic effect.

“And did
what?
” George demanded finally. I could tell Bella’s milking of the story was driving
her
nuts.

“And she
drowned
one of her
own
campers in the lake!” Bella finished. “You guys, this place is legit haunted. Everyone in Potterville knows that. We’re always seeing weird lights in the woods, a wailing sound coming from the lake. . . .”

Taylor looked horrified. “She
drowned
one of her campers?” she asked. “Yeah, that would make me pretty mad! I would totally haunt this place if someone
drowned
me.”

Maddie nodded slowly, looking down into her lap. “I heard about this too, from a friend from camp I used to write to,” she said. “I didn’t want to believe it was true. But—”

“We don’t know it’s true,” George cut in. Her voice was as sharp and no-nonsense as ever. I found it kind of comforting. “And to be honest, I kind of doubt it.”

Bella glared at her. “Why do you doubt it?” she asked. “Are you calling me a liar?”

George shook her head. “No, no. I believe
you
believe it. But . . . guys, drowning someone is murder. I’ve Googled this place a few times. I’m sure some of you have too. Don’t you think, if a murder actually happened here, it would have ended up in the news somewhere?”

“Maybe the camp covered it up,” said Bella.

“Yeah,” Maddie whispered. “I’m sure they wouldn’t have wanted anyone to know.”

Whooooooooooooo!
We all jumped as a sudden wailing traveled over the water from the other side of the lake.

“That was an owl,” George said.

But Bess looked unconvinced. She bit her lip. “The camp
did
close down kind of suddenly,” she said. “I always wondered why. If something like this happened . . .”

George gave her a doubtful look. “Bess, come on.”

“Come on
what
?” Bella said. “She’s not allowed to believe me either? What is she, your dog?”

Bess scowled at Bella, clearly annoyed. “She’s my
cousin
,” she said. “She doesn’t tell me what to do. But I am interested in her opinion.” Bess got to her feet. “Look, nobody can prove anything tonight. So that was an interesting story, Bella, but that’s all it is right now—a story.” She yawned and covered her mouth. “I’m really tired, and I think we have to get up at some ungodly hour to make breakfast tomorrow. Anyone else ready to turn in?”

“Me,” George said without hesitation, getting up.

“Me too,” said Sam, slowly getting to her feet.

Soon most of the others followed. Bella was the last to stand, and did so reluctantly. I could tell by the look in her eye that she wasn’t pleased by how this conversation had turned out. But why? I wondered. Was she hoping to bond with the others over this ghost tale? I was with George on this one—it was super creepy to think about the camp closing because someone had died here, but Bella’s story sounded far-fetched.

“Let’s go to bed,” I agreed. “I’m sure we have a busy day ahead of us.”

Pine Cabin was basically a rustic pine box. Six metal bunk beds lined the walls, and there was a separate bathroom with a few stall showers and toilets. We laid our sleeping bags out. George and Bess shared one bunk, so I asked Taylor if she wanted to share, and she said yes. We were all sleepy, so we didn’t take long to change into our pj’s, use the bathroom, brush our teeth, and climb into bed.

I had the top bunk. “Good night, guys,” I called as I sleepily burrowed into the pillow I’d brought from home. It smelled of Hannah’s favorite lavender-scented detergent.

“Good night, Nancy,” came seven voices back to me.

I dreamed I had to go to the bathroom, but I was up in a tree, and the bathroom was down on the ground. I had to climb down the thick pine branches to get back to earth, but they were too tangled, and it was too confusing. Meanwhile the pressure was building, and I was getting really worried I wasn’t going to make it! The dream seemed to go on forever until suddenly my eyes popped open and there I was, staring at the ceiling of Pine Cabin, desperately having to pee.

I scrambled down as quickly as I could without stepping on Taylor and ran to use the bathroom.

Hugely relieved, I finished up and was walking back to my bed when I heard it.

WHOOOOOOOO-WOOOOO-HOOOOOOO!

I felt like ice water had been poured into my veins. It was coming from just outside the cabin. It was kind of like the sound that had come across the lake—the “owl” sound, according to George. But this was much louder, and closer.

WOOOOOO-HOOOO-WOOOOOOOO!

“What the heck?” Sam’s confused voice came from one of the bunks to my right, and I turned toward it.

“You hear it too?”

She sat up. “Yeah, I can hear that. I’m pretty sure the whole camp can hear it.”

“It’s loud, right?”

“It sounds like it’s coming from right outside.”

There was a creak from the bunks across the room.

“What
is
that?” Bess asked.

“I’m not sure,” I said honestly.

Wooooooooooohh . . .

This time the sound was softer, almost pretty. More of a whisper than a wail.

“Should we go outside and check it out?” Sam asked. Now that I could see her face, she looked terribly annoyed.

I glanced out the small window. It was dark outside, but cool blue moonlight shone down on the clearing that surrounded the mess hall. I didn’t see anything unusual. But the thought of going out there was not appealing.

More creaking. Bess got up from her bed and walked over to us. She grabbed a flashlight from her duffel bag. “I think we have to go,” she said.

“Where are you going?” a sleepy voice asked from behind her. George.

“Outside,” Bess said. “To check out—”

Wooooooooo-woooooooo!

There was an abrupt
thunk
as George jumped down from her bed. “What on earth . . . ,” she muttered.

I got my flashlight too, and so did Sam. As we approached the door, I couldn’t help asking, “Do you think it could be the ghost?”

I was normally much more logical than this. But it was the middle of the night, in a cabin, in the woods.

I was surprised when no one said
no
right away.

“I don’t want to think about it,” Bess murmured. “We’re going to be here for nine more days.” She was the only one to respond.

We pushed open the heavy wooden door and walked outside.

Woooooooooooooooo!

It was coming from the woods . . . from the path toward the lake.

We crept toward the woods. Closer . . . and closer. My skin felt too tight and my heart beat a jumpy rhythm in my chest.

“How far do we go?” Bess whispered.

“Far enough to figure out what this is,” Sam replied.

It was cooler outside than it had been during the campfire, and an even cooler breeze seemed to come down the path from the lake. I knew it was probably just air cooled from skimming over the lake’s surface, but it felt . . .
ghostly
.

I couldn’t help wondering what it would feel like to drown. Feeling the air leave your body and knowing you would never take another breath. What if someone was holding you down when you were trying to break free of the surface . . . if someone went crazy and drowned you, like Bella had said? What would it feel like to be held underwater and know you were dying?

“
Wooooooooo
 . . . BOO!”

“AAAAAUUUUUUUUGH!”

I let out an ear-piercing scream as a pale figure jumped out from behind a tree. Bess, George, and Sam were screaming too. But instead of wailing at us some more, or grabbing us with its ghostly hands, the figure abruptly stopped wailing and started cracking up. When I was over my shock, I turned to look at her.

Bella!

“Were you
scared
?” she asked, a smug look on her face. “Bet you believe my story now, huh?”

“What the heck, Bella!” Sam cried, putting her hands on her hips. “This was all a joke? Do you think this is funny? We have to get up in, like, three hours!”

Bella’s lip twisted. “Chill, guys,” she said, folding her arms and glancing toward the clearing. “It was just a prank! I thought you’d been to camp before.” She looked at Bess.

Bess frowned. “I’ve been to camp before,” she said, “but pranks are usually funny.”

George, who wore a deep frown and had seemed to be thinking something over this whole time, suddenly spoke. “Did you make up that whole dumb story?” she asked. “About the counselor drowning the girl? Was it just the setup to your prank to scare us?”

Bella turned to George, surprised. Then her expression hardened into a cold, steely glare. “I’m not telling,” she said. “I guess you’ll just have to wait and see, hmmm?”

“Well, I’m going to ‘wait and see’ back in bed,” Sam said, turning her flashlight toward the cabin. “This was stupid, and I’m exhausted.”

Sam led the way back to the cabin, and Bess fell into step behind her, then George. After a moment, Bella scowled, shook her head, and followed behind George toward the cabin, folding her arms more tightly around her.

I couldn’t help but glance one more time down the path that led to the lake. Another chilly breeze blew, sending a chill up my spine.

I wasn’t totally sure Bella had made up the story. But I wasn’t so sure I wanted to wait to find out, either.

I WASN’T SURE WHETHER IT
was because of Bella’s prank, but the next morning I felt tired and out of sorts. It was still a little chilly outside, and the shorts and T-shirt I’d packed did little to keep me warm. Sam encouraged me to tough it out, because it would be warming up later. But I couldn’t help wishing I was back in bed—at home.

Things only got worse when Deborah announced our morning activity. “Swimming tests!” she said enthusiastically at breakfast. “These are very important to judge your comfort level in the water, and how much supervision your campers will need while they’re at the lake.”

Normally I enjoyed swimming—but I was very much a “splash around in the shallow end” kind of girl, and nowhere near lifeguard level. I knew how to swim, but I wasn’t great at it. I couldn’t hold my breath very long. And I tired out easily.

After breakfast, we all went back to Pine Cabin and put on our bathing suits. Mine was a simple green one-piece I’d had for eons. I pulled on a hooded sweatshirt as a cover-up, but I knew it was only a temporary comfort—I’d soon be plunged in the cool lake.

As we were about to leave the cabin, Taylor suddenly let out a moan. She clutched her stomach and went running for the bathroom, and after a few seconds we could hear retching.