Kai threw himself into the open space above the water, free falling about ten feet Kai hit the water feet first. Surfacing he shook his hair of water as he swam to the rock that provided a first stepping stone to the climb to a larger rock that jutted out over the water of lake Owtaluk. Sitting on the rock he watched as Brandon and Madison jumped off, climbing up for another jump he saw Amanda sitting at the top of the rock.
“Not going to jump?” Kai asked reaching the top, pulling his wet shorts back down over his knees.
“No, I’ll get hurt if I jump.”
“Well it’s not that intense of a jump.” Kai said stepping back on the rock for a run back, “Watch!” Kai shouted as he ran the few steps on the top of the rock, at the very edge he turned and thrust his arms and head back quickly followed by his feet tucked by his chest back flipping off the end of the rock. Over rotating he twisted in the air hitting the water with his right shoulder and upper back. Resurfacing Kai let out a shout of excitement and pain.
“Awesome back flip man,” Brandon congratulated, “Well except for the end.”
“I didn’t know you could do back flips Kai.” Madison said from the top of the rock, “I would try but I don’t want to get hurt.” Madison said launching her self off the cliff as she finished the last syllables. Climbing up the rock Madison turned and saw a canoe gliding across the water. “Hey guys, heads up it’s The Leadership.”
“So what?” Kai said getting ready to jump again.
“Dude they don’t like us cliff jumping.” Brandon said holding out his arm to stop Kai. “Ever since Derek swallowed lake water and threw up after jumping. It’s been deemed ‘The Cliffs of Insanity’ by The Leadership.”
“It’s a rock,” Kai said laughing, “And swallowing lake water?” Amanda nodded her eyes wide and glazed over.
“I was there that day.” Amanda said her eyes appearing to be moments from tears, “I could have stopped him but I didn’t. He swallowed that water and then upchucked full noodles.”
“Sounds gross, but why stop us from jumping?”
“Oh, I don’t know.” Brandon said as he ran to jump off the rock. “It’s just one of those things.”
Thursday, April 29, 2010
"Is that a suitcase?"
Kai had just joined the three person brotherhood. Nothing was really different being in the brotherhood beside weird handshakes and continually fighting about having a clubhouse. Kai really had not known Amanda before the day that he had stood in the rain joining the brotherhood but that was quickly changing. He found out about all the broken bones she had suffered; he had known she was clumsy but Amanda really took it to a new extreme. The year before she had dislocated her shoulder tripping over a box of polo shirts. And Kai also found out all about Brandon’s crazy adventures from high school and several camps he had gone to. Brandon told stories of paper fires in his locker that shut down his school for four days, playing night games with his chest painted with glow in the dark paint, and driving a go cart in his school’s old gym. Most of Kai’s stories were very average, crazy bike jumps, cliff jumping, and pulling all nighters hopped up on energy drinks and trampoline wrestling. But others were not average, jumping off the back of moving speed boats, winning a street fight, painting himself black while playing capture the flag, waking up with a pineapple beside his bed [oh wait that hadn’t happened yet], trying to do a remake of martial arts movies and falling from a hay loft and breaking a rib, and going on a slip-and-slide covered in pudding.
Kai and Amanda stood throwing stones into the lake as Brandon briskly walked up shaking with excitement.
“I’m thinking if we set up a couple of planks in the boathouse we could have a perfect hide out.” Brandon half shouted
“NO! we’re done talking about a hide out, that’s been our only topic of conversation since yesterday” Kai groaned, Amanda nodded.
“Fine, but I’m still going to look for a good spot.” Brandon sulked as he picked up a rock and threw it at the lake clipping the end of the dock with a thud. “Oops. Hey what were you guys talking about before I rudely tried to help out our brotherhood?”
“Oh we were just talking about potential members of the brotherhood.” Amanda said “So far we are thinking: Neil, Madison, Devin, Robert.” Amanda scrunched up her face as she itched her nose, “Oh and Dannaya”
“Ok, Neil is pretty cool, but I’m not sure he understands the essence of the brotherhood.” Brandon said puffing out his chest.
“Dude what even is our ’essence’? I don’t even know.” Kai said
“Awesomeness and being super extreme.” Brandon stammered, “We can talk to him but…” Brandon tilted his head back and closed his eyes. “Anyway, Neil is a maybe. Madison, is super awesome so yeah totally. Amanda you’re a girl can you talk to her?”
“Thanks for noticing I’m a female.” Amanda sarcastically said, “Yeah, I’ll talk to her at campfire meeting tonight.”
“Who else did you say?”
“Dannaya, Devin, and Robert.” Kai said
“No to all of them.” Brandon said starting to walk away.
“What?” Kai said following Brandon, Amanda ran to catch up after throwing a final stone. “Why? And where are you going?”
“I’m going back to my cabin to get ready for camp fire.” Brandon said continuing to walk, “And why, Devin is a great guy but he scares me with all the camera angle stuff and he’s awkward to talk to.”
“Hey Kai!” A voice yelled from behind them.
Kai turned to see Dannaya walking with Samantha from the archery range, she smiled and waved at him. “See you later!” She shouted, as the path she was on went behind a building.
“See ya!” Kai croaked his voice letting out a slight squeak his eyes wide.
“That’s why not to Dannaya, you would be even more obsessed with her than you are now. And who’s Robert?”
“The guy who hid in the garbage can for the game last night.” Amanda said.
“There’s you’re reason.” Brandon said, “Ok, meet in front of my cabin tonight after campfire.”
[That night, approx 10:32:07]
“Brandon, Kai” Amanda and Madison searched around the cabin Brandon, Kai, Mark, and Kyle stayed in. “ Where are you guys?”
“Right here” Kai said emerging from under the deck of the cabin dressed in all black including his face, Brandon crawled out as well wearing a helmet with plastic foliage glued to the top and sides. “Lets go!” Kai and Brandon ran zig-zags hiding behind trees with a floral suitcase on Brandon’s back. Amanda and Madison followed at a distance not being stealthy at all. Reaching a tree, Brandon and Kai climbed onto the lowest two limbs. Amanda and Madison walked up looking into the branches.
“Ok initiation Madi.” Brandon said leaning down from his perch in the tree. “You must take this suit case and tie it to one of the top limbs.”
“That’s it?” Madison said, “No water torture, or running with a brick across camp.”
“Don’t be stupid.” Kai said handing her the suitcase and some rope. Madison grabbed them and starting climbing. “Dude she thinks of way cooler initiations than us.”
“I know, right?” Brandon said turning to Kai then back to Madison ascending the tree. Approaching a large limb she called down to Kai to go to the tree across from the one she was in. After he had fought to the near top of the other tree, Madison tossed one end of the rope to him. Making a knot on the trunks of both trees, Madison lowered the loaded suitcase to the center of the rope and leaving it suspended twenty sum feet above the ground. Taking a final look at their new masterpiece the now four part brotherhood ran back to their perspective cabins.
[The next morning]
Jason drove his tractor towards the waterfront, humming with the beat of the motor. Stopping the tractor below a tree he climbed out looking straight up. “Is that a suitcase?”
Kai and Amanda stood throwing stones into the lake as Brandon briskly walked up shaking with excitement.
“I’m thinking if we set up a couple of planks in the boathouse we could have a perfect hide out.” Brandon half shouted
“NO! we’re done talking about a hide out, that’s been our only topic of conversation since yesterday” Kai groaned, Amanda nodded.
“Fine, but I’m still going to look for a good spot.” Brandon sulked as he picked up a rock and threw it at the lake clipping the end of the dock with a thud. “Oops. Hey what were you guys talking about before I rudely tried to help out our brotherhood?”
“Oh we were just talking about potential members of the brotherhood.” Amanda said “So far we are thinking: Neil, Madison, Devin, Robert.” Amanda scrunched up her face as she itched her nose, “Oh and Dannaya”
“Ok, Neil is pretty cool, but I’m not sure he understands the essence of the brotherhood.” Brandon said puffing out his chest.
“Dude what even is our ’essence’? I don’t even know.” Kai said
“Awesomeness and being super extreme.” Brandon stammered, “We can talk to him but…” Brandon tilted his head back and closed his eyes. “Anyway, Neil is a maybe. Madison, is super awesome so yeah totally. Amanda you’re a girl can you talk to her?”
“Thanks for noticing I’m a female.” Amanda sarcastically said, “Yeah, I’ll talk to her at campfire meeting tonight.”
“Who else did you say?”
“Dannaya, Devin, and Robert.” Kai said
“No to all of them.” Brandon said starting to walk away.
“What?” Kai said following Brandon, Amanda ran to catch up after throwing a final stone. “Why? And where are you going?”
“I’m going back to my cabin to get ready for camp fire.” Brandon said continuing to walk, “And why, Devin is a great guy but he scares me with all the camera angle stuff and he’s awkward to talk to.”
“Hey Kai!” A voice yelled from behind them.
Kai turned to see Dannaya walking with Samantha from the archery range, she smiled and waved at him. “See you later!” She shouted, as the path she was on went behind a building.
“See ya!” Kai croaked his voice letting out a slight squeak his eyes wide.
“That’s why not to Dannaya, you would be even more obsessed with her than you are now. And who’s Robert?”
“The guy who hid in the garbage can for the game last night.” Amanda said.
“There’s you’re reason.” Brandon said, “Ok, meet in front of my cabin tonight after campfire.”
[That night, approx 10:32:07]
“Brandon, Kai” Amanda and Madison searched around the cabin Brandon, Kai, Mark, and Kyle stayed in. “ Where are you guys?”
“Right here” Kai said emerging from under the deck of the cabin dressed in all black including his face, Brandon crawled out as well wearing a helmet with plastic foliage glued to the top and sides. “Lets go!” Kai and Brandon ran zig-zags hiding behind trees with a floral suitcase on Brandon’s back. Amanda and Madison followed at a distance not being stealthy at all. Reaching a tree, Brandon and Kai climbed onto the lowest two limbs. Amanda and Madison walked up looking into the branches.
“Ok initiation Madi.” Brandon said leaning down from his perch in the tree. “You must take this suit case and tie it to one of the top limbs.”
“That’s it?” Madison said, “No water torture, or running with a brick across camp.”
“Don’t be stupid.” Kai said handing her the suitcase and some rope. Madison grabbed them and starting climbing. “Dude she thinks of way cooler initiations than us.”
“I know, right?” Brandon said turning to Kai then back to Madison ascending the tree. Approaching a large limb she called down to Kai to go to the tree across from the one she was in. After he had fought to the near top of the other tree, Madison tossed one end of the rope to him. Making a knot on the trunks of both trees, Madison lowered the loaded suitcase to the center of the rope and leaving it suspended twenty sum feet above the ground. Taking a final look at their new masterpiece the now four part brotherhood ran back to their perspective cabins.
[The next morning]
Jason drove his tractor towards the waterfront, humming with the beat of the motor. Stopping the tractor below a tree he climbed out looking straight up. “Is that a suitcase?”
Key to the candy shack
The Leadership stood up at the front of the room, “As you have probably noticed it is raining outside today. We were supposed to do a course on wide game equipment for the afternoon, but since it is raining half of us will be doing candy shack training, and after an hour the groups will switch.” After the leadership had explained the groups a large group of the staff left leaving the others in the basement of the dining hall.
“What are we suppose to do?” Dannaya asked, “You didn’t really explain that.” Kai looked over at Dannaya the way she said each word, and the way she brushed the long ringlets of blonde hair out of her eyes. Kai had developed a slight crush on her over the past couple of days of staff training. Madison had made fun of him because of the age difference between them. Dannaya was twenty one and Kai was only eighteen. Even if she did go out with him there was still a problem, Dannaya was Kevin’s sister. Kevin had been in the pre-cursers to the navy seals for four years, but after he broke his leg in a diving accident he decided to go to university for human kinetics. Kevin was big and intimidating so Kai had kept the fact that he had a crush on her a secret.
“For all you who are left, you can go to the staff room and write in your journals or whatever.” and with that the leadership that was still in the room left.
“Alright I’m going to head to the staff room.” Dannaya said, walking to the door grabbing her hoodie as she left.
“Wait up sis’” Kevin jumped up and left without putting on a coat. No one is quite sure if he even did own a coat or if he just doesn’t wear one. Kai got up from a 1970’s coach he had been sitting in and grabbed his black zippered hoodie followed by the rest of the group. Pulling the hood over his head Kai walked out into the down pour on the gravel walkway down the center of the camp grounds. Caleb caught up to him the yellow rain jacket filled out by his large weight.
“Hey Kai, no rain coat?” Caleb asked
“No left it in my cabin.”
“Here,” Caleb walked into a little building they where walking past. Reappearing in the door seconds later he brought out a black raincoat. “Here you go.”
“What is that place?” Kai asked putting on the rain coat in the cover of the roof over the door. Kai looked in and saw four walls of clothes and a center column full of odds and ends, from a shoes to football helmets.
“The costume room.” Caleb said, “also known as the camp museum. Browsing through that place you can see all the memories from years past. A stain, a costume that someone wore. Whatever.”
…And two hour later…
Brandon burst through the door of the staff room, looking around. Seeing Kai he rushed over, rain dripping from his short blonde hair down his face. “Kai you have to come with me!” Kai stood up from talking to Caleb and Dannaya. After he saw Kai was coming he quickly walked to the door. Kai followed Brandon outside into the rain, wearing his new raincoat.
“Dude, what is it?” Kai pulled his hood up again from under the raincoat from the costume room. Brandon ran ahead not saying a word, finally reaching the back door of the candy shack. Amanda tripped out from behind the building where she had been hiding in the bushes; leafs and twigs caught in her hair. Reaching the door Kai looked at Brandon and Amanda who both where smiling. “What is it? Why are we here?
“Guess what we have?” Amanda said, “You know how we have a key to almost every building except this one because they don’t want us to steal the candy?” Kai nodded. “Well when one of the leadership was leaving the building I saw them hide the key. And now that we know where it is we have access.”
“Wouldn’t that be stealing?” Kai said.
“Well yeah, but as long as we don’t take a lot, no one will know.” Brandon said.
“The way you drink root beer they will notice in a few days.” Amanda said remembering the year before. “So I will be the only one who will know the where abouts of this key.”
“Why did you tell me about this then?” Kai asked confused about why they would tell him if they weren’t going to let him go into the shack or go in there really at all.
“Because you’re part of the brotherhood now.” Brandon said as if it was something amazing.
“Who else is in this brotherhood?” Kai asked
“Oh just us.” Brandon said, “Well she’s a woman but it’s still a brotherhood. But yeah, just the three of us for now, soon everyone will want in…and you could say you were one of the first.”
“Yeah, totally, but I think I have some ideas for other members.” Kai said.
To be continued…
“What are we suppose to do?” Dannaya asked, “You didn’t really explain that.” Kai looked over at Dannaya the way she said each word, and the way she brushed the long ringlets of blonde hair out of her eyes. Kai had developed a slight crush on her over the past couple of days of staff training. Madison had made fun of him because of the age difference between them. Dannaya was twenty one and Kai was only eighteen. Even if she did go out with him there was still a problem, Dannaya was Kevin’s sister. Kevin had been in the pre-cursers to the navy seals for four years, but after he broke his leg in a diving accident he decided to go to university for human kinetics. Kevin was big and intimidating so Kai had kept the fact that he had a crush on her a secret.
“For all you who are left, you can go to the staff room and write in your journals or whatever.” and with that the leadership that was still in the room left.
“Alright I’m going to head to the staff room.” Dannaya said, walking to the door grabbing her hoodie as she left.
“Wait up sis’” Kevin jumped up and left without putting on a coat. No one is quite sure if he even did own a coat or if he just doesn’t wear one. Kai got up from a 1970’s coach he had been sitting in and grabbed his black zippered hoodie followed by the rest of the group. Pulling the hood over his head Kai walked out into the down pour on the gravel walkway down the center of the camp grounds. Caleb caught up to him the yellow rain jacket filled out by his large weight.
“Hey Kai, no rain coat?” Caleb asked
“No left it in my cabin.”
“Here,” Caleb walked into a little building they where walking past. Reappearing in the door seconds later he brought out a black raincoat. “Here you go.”
“What is that place?” Kai asked putting on the rain coat in the cover of the roof over the door. Kai looked in and saw four walls of clothes and a center column full of odds and ends, from a shoes to football helmets.
“The costume room.” Caleb said, “also known as the camp museum. Browsing through that place you can see all the memories from years past. A stain, a costume that someone wore. Whatever.”
…And two hour later…
Brandon burst through the door of the staff room, looking around. Seeing Kai he rushed over, rain dripping from his short blonde hair down his face. “Kai you have to come with me!” Kai stood up from talking to Caleb and Dannaya. After he saw Kai was coming he quickly walked to the door. Kai followed Brandon outside into the rain, wearing his new raincoat.
“Dude, what is it?” Kai pulled his hood up again from under the raincoat from the costume room. Brandon ran ahead not saying a word, finally reaching the back door of the candy shack. Amanda tripped out from behind the building where she had been hiding in the bushes; leafs and twigs caught in her hair. Reaching the door Kai looked at Brandon and Amanda who both where smiling. “What is it? Why are we here?
“Guess what we have?” Amanda said, “You know how we have a key to almost every building except this one because they don’t want us to steal the candy?” Kai nodded. “Well when one of the leadership was leaving the building I saw them hide the key. And now that we know where it is we have access.”
“Wouldn’t that be stealing?” Kai said.
“Well yeah, but as long as we don’t take a lot, no one will know.” Brandon said.
“The way you drink root beer they will notice in a few days.” Amanda said remembering the year before. “So I will be the only one who will know the where abouts of this key.”
“Why did you tell me about this then?” Kai asked confused about why they would tell him if they weren’t going to let him go into the shack or go in there really at all.
“Because you’re part of the brotherhood now.” Brandon said as if it was something amazing.
“Who else is in this brotherhood?” Kai asked
“Oh just us.” Brandon said, “Well she’s a woman but it’s still a brotherhood. But yeah, just the three of us for now, soon everyone will want in…and you could say you were one of the first.”
“Yeah, totally, but I think I have some ideas for other members.” Kai said.
To be continued…
The one where they eat chicken
Construction paper scraps had been collecting on the chairs in the dining hall since the night before when they had been doing theme night prep. Brushing the scraps off his seat Kai sat down at the stained wooden table. Kai was exhausted, he had hauled equipment for every land activity from the storage buildings all afternoon. What he didn’t understand was why the Leadership had decided to wait until the hottest part of the day to do all the outside work. The morning had been filled with sitting on the hard carpet covered cement floor of the basement of the dining hall listening to the Leadership talk about the importance of safety at the low ropes course.
[editors note: far be it from me to detract from the importance of safety on the low ropes course, but really it‘s not the ‘million foot high ropes course’]
Kai let his head drop onto the table. “Hey bro-seph, can I sit down?” Kai looked up, construction paper and glitter sticking to his forehead and hair because of sweat and glue residue. Standing beside him was Neil. Neil was another councilor who lived his life fore online RPG[role playing game]’s. Neil once tried to explain to Kai the idea behind ’kiting’ and what the difference between a ’night elf’ and a ’blood elf’ was. Neil was the guy who sat beside you all through high school who you knew was getting at least 107% in every course. He could often be found in the computer lab hacking around the firewalls so he could set up Starcraft games on the school’s network even though it has been blocked for the last couple of months. Neil was the guy who you wonder if he has any friends; but after you get to know Neil, you find that he is one of the coolest, but most nerdy, guys you have ever met.
“Sure dude, sit down.” Kai said, pulling the construction paper off his face, and throwing it on the table. “Can’t believe how much stuff there is to bring to all the activities.”
“Yeah I bet. I was in the nurses station cause of my asthma.”
“You have asthma, I didn’t know that.”
“I don’t, but I think the new nurse is cute.” Neil said getting up to get some food. Kai let out a confused laugh, “By the end of the summer bro-seph, I will have asked her out. How about you man, any girls?” Neil asked as Kai got up to walk to the buffet table of food. “Girlfriend? Any girl you are just crushing on?”
“Not really.” Kai said glancing over at a table full of girls. “Well maybe one.”
“Hey, chicken.” Neil said excitedly. “My favorite.” Kai glanced over once more at the table catching her eye for a second then looking down at the potato salad. If he had known what would aspire later in the summer he would have kept his eyes on salad, but since guys are not known for logical thinking, Kai walked over to the table and started talking to Dannaya.
To be continued…
[editors note: far be it from me to detract from the importance of safety on the low ropes course, but really it‘s not the ‘million foot high ropes course’]
Kai let his head drop onto the table. “Hey bro-seph, can I sit down?” Kai looked up, construction paper and glitter sticking to his forehead and hair because of sweat and glue residue. Standing beside him was Neil. Neil was another councilor who lived his life fore online RPG[role playing game]’s. Neil once tried to explain to Kai the idea behind ’kiting’ and what the difference between a ’night elf’ and a ’blood elf’ was. Neil was the guy who sat beside you all through high school who you knew was getting at least 107% in every course. He could often be found in the computer lab hacking around the firewalls so he could set up Starcraft games on the school’s network even though it has been blocked for the last couple of months. Neil was the guy who you wonder if he has any friends; but after you get to know Neil, you find that he is one of the coolest, but most nerdy, guys you have ever met.
“Sure dude, sit down.” Kai said, pulling the construction paper off his face, and throwing it on the table. “Can’t believe how much stuff there is to bring to all the activities.”
“Yeah I bet. I was in the nurses station cause of my asthma.”
“You have asthma, I didn’t know that.”
“I don’t, but I think the new nurse is cute.” Neil said getting up to get some food. Kai let out a confused laugh, “By the end of the summer bro-seph, I will have asked her out. How about you man, any girls?” Neil asked as Kai got up to walk to the buffet table of food. “Girlfriend? Any girl you are just crushing on?”
“Not really.” Kai said glancing over at a table full of girls. “Well maybe one.”
“Hey, chicken.” Neil said excitedly. “My favorite.” Kai glanced over once more at the table catching her eye for a second then looking down at the potato salad. If he had known what would aspire later in the summer he would have kept his eyes on salad, but since guys are not known for logical thinking, Kai walked over to the table and started talking to Dannaya.
To be continued…
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