The Curse of Camp Cold Lake

10

The boat tilted more as she raised one foot to the side. She pulled off the T-shirt she had over her swimsuit and tossed it to the canoe floor.

“No-please!” I begged. “Don’t leave me out here. I’m not a good swimmer. What if the boat tips over? I don’t think I can swim back from here!”

“You ruined my summer,” she accused. “Now everyone knows I have asthma. So they won’t let me go on the six-day canoe trip.”

“But-but it was an accident-” I sputtered.

“And you’re messing up everything for Briana and Meg too,” Jan said angrily.

“No. Wait-” I started. “I apologized to them. I didn’t mean-”

She shifted her weight.

Tilted the canoe the other way.

Then she shifted her weight again. Again.

Deliberately making the canoe rock.

Deliberately trying to frighten me.

“Don’t tip it over, Jan. Please-” I pleaded.

She tilted it more. Made it rock so hard, I thought I’d tumble out.

“I’m really not a good swimmer,” I repeated. “I really don’t think I-”

She uttered a disgusted groan. Then she tossed back her hair. Raised her arms over her head. Bent her knees. Kicked off hard.

And dove into the lake.

“Noooo!” I let out a cry as the boat rocked violently. Jan’s dive sent up a tall, foamy wave of water.

The canoe tilted… rocked…

…and flipped over!

I hit with a smack. Cold water rose up around me as I sank.

Frozen in shock.

I felt the canoe bounce above me on the surface.

Then I started to choke as water invaded my nose and mouth.

Sputtering and gagging, I thrashed my arms and legs.

Pushed myself… pushed… pushed myself to the surface.

And raised my head over the bobbing current.

Still sputtering, I sucked in a deep breath of fresh air. Then another.

Floating on the surface, I saw the canoe bobbing upside down on the water.

I struggled to catch my breath, to slow my racing heart.

Then I swam to the canoe. I grabbed on to it. Wrapped one arm around it. Held on for dear life.

Bobbing with the canoe, I squinted into the sunlight, searching for Jan.

“Jan? Jan?” I called to her.

“Jan? Where are you?”

I turned and searched in all directions.

A feeling of cold dread tightened my chest.

“Jan? Jan? Can you hear me?” I shouted.