Joey's parents Rob and Tina, signed Joey up once again for summer camp even though he told them that he didn't like it last year. Joey’s dad told him that he will benefit from what he learns at Lakeview Summer Camp. Joey grumbled as he packed his backpack with the most recent issues of the Green Lantern comic book and his flashlight. He also stuffed a can of bug spray and two small bags of Cheetos inside.
As Rob drove down the heavily wooded and winding road to the camp, Joey dreaded every minute of it. As they pulled into the parking lot, it was full of buses and cars dropping off young campers. Rob pulled into a parking spot and they all got out of the car. Joey’s mom Tina gave Joey a big hug goodbye. His dad handed him the suitcase and told him that they will see him in four weeks. Joey walked toward the main lodge and glanced back at his parents. Rob and Tina waved as Joey hesitated to go inside.
Joey was greeted by one of the counselors that remembered him from last year, “hello, it’s Joey right? I’m Rebecca the activities counselor. Do you remember me?”
Joey nodded his head yes while she took his suitcase from him. Rebecca walked him over to the sign-in table and introduced him to Ben. Ben is a new counselor who helps with the boys. Rebecca told Ben that Joey is a little shy at first but is a good team player when he gets used to everyone. Ben signed Joey in and then directed him over to the group for cabin six. As Joey was waiting to go to his cabin, Mr. Frank, the owner of camp Lakeview called out and brought attention to a rules board.
On the board were six rules:
No food in the cabins/eat at meal times
No fighting
Listen to your counselors
Stay clean
Participate
Stay within the campgrounds
When Mr. Frank was done going over the rules, he welcomed everyone and then went into his office. After all the campers were signed in and assigned a cabin, Ben took Joey and the other boys to their cabin. Joey was among nine other boys in cabin six ranging from ages ten to fourteen. Joey was twelve this year and felt a little more at ease with the older boys. Ben told the boys to put their clothes away and that he will be back in about twenty minutes.
Joey picked his bed and quickly shoved his clothes into the drawers of the dresser next to the bed. When he was done, he sat down on the bed and pulled out one of his comic books. He glanced through the comic while the other boys unpacked and got acquainted with each other. When Counselor Ben came back to the cabin, he sat down by the empty fireplace and asked the boys if they wanted to hear a scary story. It was a story that he heard when he was a kid years ago. Some of the boys sat down on the floor of the cabin, but Joey laid down on his stomach at the foot of his bed and listened.
Ben started the story with once upon a time…
A little old grey-haired woman lived in a cabin much like this one. He said that she had two sons but they got married and moved out leaving her to take care of herself. Well, the old woman just put the last two pieces of cut wood into the fireplace that she had burning. She knew that she needed more wood and had to go out into the woods and somehow cut down another tree. Her sons usually did the chopping for her before but now it’s up to her.
The sun was low in the sky so the old woman picked up the ax and carried it out into the woods. She smiled when she saw a fallen tree on the ground. The tree however was as thick in diameter as a truck tire is round. The old woman lifted the head of the ax high into the air and brought it down as hard as she could. The sharp blade penetrated the wood but only a quarter of an inch. She pried the ax out of the tree and attempted another chop. Once again, the blade went in only a quarter of an inch. The old woman knew that if she was to continue, it was going to take a long time to cut through that tree. She decided to look around for a smaller tree to cut down.
While she was wandering the woods looking for a smaller tree, she heard a noise behind her. She stopped and looked around but didn’t see anything. She continued on her search and went deeper and deeper into the woods but never found a smaller tree to cut down. By this time the sun had set and the temperature was getting colder. The old woman started to shiver. I should head back home, she thought even though she didn’t have any wood. The old woman turned around and walked back in the direction she thought she came from, but nothing looked familiar to her.
Feeling tired, she came across a large stump and sat down to rest. Even though it was almost dark she needed to catch her breath. She looked up into the tops of the trees and thought, I wish my husband was still here with me. The old woman sat there and listened as the crickets started to chirp and the nighttime critters crawled among the dried leaves. She could also hear and feel the cool breeze as it blew through the trees. She sat there shivering, tired, and unsure of which way led back home.
The old woman thought of her sons and wondered if she would ever see them again. I could die out here and they would never know it, she thought. Just then she heard the rustling of more leaves in the woods behind her. She turned around and stared into the now dark woods.
“Who’s there?” she called out.
The crunching of leaves got louder as the person or thing got closer.
“I could use some help,” the old woman said.
All the boys listened intensely and wondered what it was that was in the woods.
All of a sudden the crunching of the leaves stopped. The old woman’s heart was beating fast as she sat there and glanced all around her. The sounds of the crickets had also stopped. There was complete silence now in the dark woods as the old woman looked around. Not sure what she should do, she slowly stood up. Still looking around, she took one step forward and heard the snap of a stick. Just then, as she turned to look, a large hairy grey wolf jumped on her and pushed her to the ground.
Just like that, Jason, the oldest boy burst through the cabin door wearing a hairy wolf mask. Joey and the younger boys screamed while Ben and Jason started to laugh at them. Joey’s heart pounded in his chest and his face turned red. Ben tried to calm the other boys down by telling them that it was only a story. Joey felt angry and embarrassed while Jason laughed at him. Jason then turned and walked over to help Ben with the younger boys. As they calmed the younger boys down, they suddenly heard a deep growl. Everyone turned to look and saw a large hairy grey wolf on Joey’s bed snarling at them.
Who is scared now?
The End.
What a twist ! ! Wow, I wasn't expecting that at all.