Madison give a quick knock on the solid wood door leading into one of the many dull mono-coloured buildings; a hand painted sign indicating it as the camp office. A freakishly tall and skinny man answered the door, his obviously dyed red hair hidden under a hat that had gone out of style after the revolutionary war. The man’s baggy jean cut-offs shorts left nothing in mystery showing his legs from mid-thigh, held at the top by a green shoe lace from his right hiking boot. Letting out a laugh, the man extended his long fingered hand. “Albert Helbert, I run things around here.” his nasally voice cracking on the final word.
“Madison Grey,” Madison raised a hand in greeting waiting for Albert to remember her from last year and the seven e-mails and two phone calls since then. But what Madison had forgotten and would soon re-learn, Albert was very forgetful and actually didn’t know it wasn’t 1997 anymore. Albert Helbert stood motionless for a few seconds before, looking in both directions then getting his head down onto Madison’s eye level; which is hard for someone who is over seven feet tall to do with a girl only 5‘ 7“ with out picking her up; something that he couldn't do even if he wanted to he had lost most of his muscle mass after he started driving places in his golf cart.
“I think you’re lost,” Albert said his eyes getting wide.
“This is still Camp Owtaluk right?” Madison said knowing that nothing had changed here since the mid 90’s when Albert’s wife had died. it was not actually a very sad story, she had died while hiding for a night game and wasn't found until the final week of the summer under an old sail boat wearing a ski mask and full cam0flause with plastic plants stuck on with a hot glue gun. The most tragic part of the whole story is that she had hidden in the same hidding place for fourteen summers straight and no one had ever found her, camo or not. Camp legend goes that she actually never moved from that spot and ate and slept hiding so even if you found her when the game was over you still got the points.
“I think you’re looking for South Camp Owtaluk.”
“There’s a South Camp Owtaluk?” Madison asked in surprise.
“Not unless you started it.” Albert’s one eye squinted as he turned his head a little to the left. he stood there squinting. “Well did ya!” He appeared to be frowning but it was hard to know with a 73 year old man, everything starts to sag and it’s harder to figure out emotions.
“No.” Madison almost wanted to laugh but didn’t know if she should. “Diamond,” All the staff had nicknames that they received, it was a fun way to distinguish themselves from the campers and a great way to get to know each other, Albert Halbert’s was Diamond and Madison’s was Lucky. [Her name came from a long adventure the previous summer when she had fallen off of a roof during a wide game and got a cast. She had always loved to live on the edge and even with the cast she still playing sports and climbed on top of every roof]. “You told me that staff training was starting today, you called me. I’m going to be a councilor here like I was last year.”
“Well why didn’t you tell me!” Albert Rushed forward and hugged Madison bringing her close to his chest. Madison could feel all of Albert’s ribs through his shirt, and she felt extremely uncomfortable. “I didn’t know, you’re eleven minutes early. Here come inside and sign the guest book.” Madison moved into the room, as she did her his foot bumped into an empty jello cup laying on the floor. Picking it up Madison went to place it in the garbage can that was over flowing, as well as surrounded, by jello cups. As Madison looked around the room she noticed that Albert had not redone the office since he had first built the place in 1973. The smell of decaying animals and face paint filled the air mixed with dust, cedar wall coverings and ceiling, and assorted half eaten jello cups on almost every surface including his fax machine which already had a read jello smear across the key pad. Pulling a book covered in construction paper and duct tape, Albert placed it on the desk spilling a banana flavored jello all over the desk. Not one to waste, Albert quickly swept the transparent gelatin snack into his hand then throwing back his head swallowed it whole. After a swallow that could be followed as it descended, Albert grabbed a parrot head pen and handed it to Madison. As Albert licked his fingers Madison opened the book to see only Albert’s name through the whole book. “Am really a visitor, I’m going to be staff.”
“Are you?” Albert said surprised. “Well than we better get you an application.”
“I already sent it in.” Madison said.
“Well than I better find it.” Albert ran over to a small laundry basket behind a slot in the door. Starting to rummage through the letters, suddenly he stopped looking up at Madison. “Sorry can’t find it, better luck next year, there’s the door.” giving Madison a slight shove Albert closed the door and locked it.
Looking at the door for a few seconds Madison walked back towards her dad’s SUV. She would just come back in a few minutes when ’Diamond’ was a little more into the swing of camp again. Reaching her dad’s SUV Madison sat down on the back bumper and ran her fingers through her hair. Looking up she saw a little Honda civic and black pick-up truck pulling up the gravel road. Madison stood up from the bumper, surprise covered her face and slipped into every word. “No way…”
To be continued…
“Madison Grey,” Madison raised a hand in greeting waiting for Albert to remember her from last year and the seven e-mails and two phone calls since then. But what Madison had forgotten and would soon re-learn, Albert was very forgetful and actually didn’t know it wasn’t 1997 anymore. Albert Helbert stood motionless for a few seconds before, looking in both directions then getting his head down onto Madison’s eye level; which is hard for someone who is over seven feet tall to do with a girl only 5‘ 7“ with out picking her up; something that he couldn't do even if he wanted to he had lost most of his muscle mass after he started driving places in his golf cart.
“I think you’re lost,” Albert said his eyes getting wide.
“This is still Camp Owtaluk right?” Madison said knowing that nothing had changed here since the mid 90’s when Albert’s wife had died. it was not actually a very sad story, she had died while hiding for a night game and wasn't found until the final week of the summer under an old sail boat wearing a ski mask and full cam0flause with plastic plants stuck on with a hot glue gun. The most tragic part of the whole story is that she had hidden in the same hidding place for fourteen summers straight and no one had ever found her, camo or not. Camp legend goes that she actually never moved from that spot and ate and slept hiding so even if you found her when the game was over you still got the points.
“I think you’re looking for South Camp Owtaluk.”
“There’s a South Camp Owtaluk?” Madison asked in surprise.
“Not unless you started it.” Albert’s one eye squinted as he turned his head a little to the left. he stood there squinting. “Well did ya!” He appeared to be frowning but it was hard to know with a 73 year old man, everything starts to sag and it’s harder to figure out emotions.
“No.” Madison almost wanted to laugh but didn’t know if she should. “Diamond,” All the staff had nicknames that they received, it was a fun way to distinguish themselves from the campers and a great way to get to know each other, Albert Halbert’s was Diamond and Madison’s was Lucky. [Her name came from a long adventure the previous summer when she had fallen off of a roof during a wide game and got a cast. She had always loved to live on the edge and even with the cast she still playing sports and climbed on top of every roof]. “You told me that staff training was starting today, you called me. I’m going to be a councilor here like I was last year.”
“Well why didn’t you tell me!” Albert Rushed forward and hugged Madison bringing her close to his chest. Madison could feel all of Albert’s ribs through his shirt, and she felt extremely uncomfortable. “I didn’t know, you’re eleven minutes early. Here come inside and sign the guest book.” Madison moved into the room, as she did her his foot bumped into an empty jello cup laying on the floor. Picking it up Madison went to place it in the garbage can that was over flowing, as well as surrounded, by jello cups. As Madison looked around the room she noticed that Albert had not redone the office since he had first built the place in 1973. The smell of decaying animals and face paint filled the air mixed with dust, cedar wall coverings and ceiling, and assorted half eaten jello cups on almost every surface including his fax machine which already had a read jello smear across the key pad. Pulling a book covered in construction paper and duct tape, Albert placed it on the desk spilling a banana flavored jello all over the desk. Not one to waste, Albert quickly swept the transparent gelatin snack into his hand then throwing back his head swallowed it whole. After a swallow that could be followed as it descended, Albert grabbed a parrot head pen and handed it to Madison. As Albert licked his fingers Madison opened the book to see only Albert’s name through the whole book. “Am really a visitor, I’m going to be staff.”
“Are you?” Albert said surprised. “Well than we better get you an application.”
“I already sent it in.” Madison said.
“Well than I better find it.” Albert ran over to a small laundry basket behind a slot in the door. Starting to rummage through the letters, suddenly he stopped looking up at Madison. “Sorry can’t find it, better luck next year, there’s the door.” giving Madison a slight shove Albert closed the door and locked it.
Looking at the door for a few seconds Madison walked back towards her dad’s SUV. She would just come back in a few minutes when ’Diamond’ was a little more into the swing of camp again. Reaching her dad’s SUV Madison sat down on the back bumper and ran her fingers through her hair. Looking up she saw a little Honda civic and black pick-up truck pulling up the gravel road. Madison stood up from the bumper, surprise covered her face and slipped into every word. “No way…”
To be continued…
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