Camp haunt, p.1
Camp Haunt, page 1
Camp Haunt
Dawn Vogel
Camp Haunt is copyright 2016-2017
Author's preferred edition is copyright 2022.
All rights reserved.
Smashwords Edition
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Smashwords Edition, License Notes
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of these authors.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
An excerpt from the letter sent to campers, May 19, 2003
Official copy of the opening campfire story, from the Camp Fairmarsh files, as written in 1944
Jessika Yamaguchi's diary, June 16, 2003
Letter from Brooke Cunningham to her parents, June 17, 2003
Letter from Alexis Blackwell to her family, June 17, 2003
Letter from Mary Jefferson to "M", June 17
Chapter 2
Incident report, June 19, 2003
Jessika Yamaguchi's diary, June 19, 2003
Letter from Alexis Blackwell to her family, June 21, 2003
Nurse's report, June 21, 2003
Letter from Brooke Cunningham to Mallory "Mallard" Button, July 15, 2003
Letter from Mary Jefferson to "M", June 21
Article from the inaugural issue of the Camp Fairmarsh Weekly, June 23, 2003
Purchase requisition from Groundskeeper Grandma Scorpion, June 23, 2003
Excerpt from Thunder's weekly narrative report on Willow Unit, June 23, 2003
Chapter 3
Alexis Blackwell's dream journal, June 23, 2003
Letter from Mary Jefferson to "M", June 24
Letter from Brooke Cunningham to her parents, June 24, 2003
Letter from Jessika Yamaguchi to her parents, June 24, 2003
Nurse's report, June 26, 2003
Incident report, June 26, 2003
Discipline report, June 27, 2003
Jessika Yamaguchi's diary, June 27, 2003
Alexis Blackwell's dream journal, June 27, 2003
Chapter 4
Letter from Mary Jefferson to "M", June 28
Letter from Brooke Cunningham to her parents, June 28, 2003
Camp Fairmarsh Weekly newspaper clipping, June 28, 1943
Purchase requisition from Counselor Dori, June 28, 2003
Nurse's report, June 30, 2003
Letter from Jessika Yamaguchi to her parents, July 1, 2003
Letter from Alexis Blackwell to her family, July 1, 2003
Maintenance report filed by Groundskeeper Grandma Scorpion, July 2, 2003
Open letter to all campers and staff at Camp Fairmarsh from Director Ace, July 2, 2003
Chapter 5
Article from the Camp Fairmarsh Weekly, July 7, 2003
Letter from Brooke Cunningham to her parents, July 8, 2003
Letter from Mary Jefferson to "M", July 8
Incident report, July 9, 2003
Jessika Yamaguchi's diary, July 9, 2003
Purchase requisition from Quicksilver, July 9, 2003
Camp Fairmarsh Weekly newspaper clipping, July 11, 1973
Letter from Alexis Blackwell to her family, July 12, 2003
Excerpt from Morningstar's narrative report on Willow Unit, July 12, 2003
Chapter 6
Plan of events for the campout, submitted by Firebug, July 13, 2003
An undated campfire story found in the Camp Fairmarsh archives, told on the second night of the annual campout, July 14, 2003
Letter from Brooke Cunningham to Gretchen "Bella" Bianchi, July 15, 2003
Memo from Groundskeeper Grandma Scorpion to all counselors at Camp Fairmarsh, July 15, 2003
Jessika Yamaguchi's diary, July 17, 2003
Letter from Mary Jefferson to "M", July 19
Alexis Blackwell's dream journal, July 19, 2003
Scene from "Shadows of a Great City," notes by Jessika Yamaguchi, July 20, 2003
Camp Fairmarsh Weekly newspaper clipping, July 20, 1973
Chapter 7
Nurse's report, July 21, 2003
Alexis Blackwell's dream journal, July 21, 2003
Scene from "Shadows of a Great City," written by Dori, July 21, 2003
Letter from Brooke Cunningham to Hailey "Hailey's Comet" O'Hare, July 22, 2003
Letter from Mary Jefferson to "M", July 22
Camp Fairmarsh Weekly newspaper clipping, July 22, 1943
Jessika Yamaguchi's diary, July 22, 2003
Letter from Mary Jefferson to "M", July 22
Incident report, July 23, 2003
Chapter 8
Discipline report, July 24, 2003
Maintenance report filed by Groundskeeper Grandma Scorpion, July 24, 2003
Nurse's report, July 24, 2003
Jessika Yamaguchi's diary, July 25, 2003
Alexis Blackwell's dream journal, July 25, 2003
Letter from Mary Jefferson to "M", July 26
Letter from Brooke Cunningham to her parents, July 26, 2003
Camp Fairmarsh Weekly newspaper clipping, July 27, 1943
Announcement of auditions for "Shadows of a Great City," July 27, 2003
Chapter 9
Letter from the Cunninghams to Director Ace, received via fax, July 31, 2003
Announcement of the cast for "Shadows of a Great City," July 31, 2003
Work order request from Director Ace to Groundskeeper Grandma Scorpion, August 1, 2003
Letter from Mary Jefferson to "M", August 2
Letter from Alexis Blackwell to her family, August 2, 2003
Letter from Jessika Yamaguchi to her parents, August 2, 2003
Camp Fairmarsh Weekly newspaper clipping, August 3, 1913
Excerpt from Thunder's weekly narrative report on Willow Unit, August 4, 2003
Letter from Director Ace to the Cunninghams, August 4, 2003
Chapter 10
Letter from Alexis Blackwell to her family, August 5, 2003
Camp Fairmarsh Weekly newspaper clipping, August 5, 1943
Maintenance report filed by Groundskeeper Grandma Scorpion, August 5, 2003
Letter from Jessika Yamaguchi to her parents, August 5, 2003
Letter from Mary Jefferson to "M", August 5
Purchase requisition from Counselor Dori, August 6, 2003
Open letter to all campers and staff at Camp Fairmarsh from Director Ace, August 7, 2003
Closing scene from "Shadows of a Great City," performed August 8, 2003
Police report filed by Officer Evelyn Campbell, August 9, 2003
About the Author
Chapter 1
An excerpt from the letter sent to campers, May 19, 2003
Welcome to Camp Fairmarsh! We are excited to celebrate the camp's 120th anniversary this year, and we have many exciting activities planned for our campers: horseback riding, swimming, canoeing, archery, hikes, campouts, and plenty of s'mores! We also offer less outdoorsy activities, such as a drama production, a weekly newspaper, and lots of crafts to try out! In honor of the camp's 120th anniversary, we may even try out a few old-time activities, to see what life was like for Camp Fairmarsh's first campers!
We know eight weeks is a long time to be apart from your children, but we've learned over the years that the time will simply fly by! Every year, many of our campers wish they had even longer to enjoy the fun and excitement of Camp Fairmarsh!
In preparation for your camping experience, we want to remind all campers and parents of a few rules and regulations. This isn't the exciting part, but it is a necessary part of our great camp!
Important rules to keep in mind:
We always use the buddy system! No one goes anywhere alone!
Do not feed any animals without the direction of a counselor or other camp staff. Our wild animals spend ten months out of the year without campers and must not be allowed to come to rely on us for food. Our horses are on a normalized feeding schedule and should not be given any treats.
Fires are restricted to designated fire circles. No one--campers and counselors alike, and parents while dropping off or picking up your campers--is allowed to smoke on camp property!
Medications must be turned into the camp nurse. Any medications that may be necessary at unscheduled times (asthma inhalers, allergic reaction auto-injectors) may be carried by unit head counselors.
Life jackets must be worn at all times while on or near Lake Fairmarsh, and lifeguards must be on duty at the pool or lake while campers are present.
The boundaries of the camp are clearly marked with fencing. No campers or counselors are permitted to cross the camp boundaries, except in the case of an emergency.
Many of Camp Fairmarsh's buildings are very old, and some of them are undergoing rehabilitation for future use. Campers should not enter any buildings marked with a yellow warning sign on the door without a counselor or other member of camp staff.
What not to bring:
Cellular phones, Walkmans, or other electronic devices. You'll find nowhere to plug them in to recharge at Camp Fairmarsh!
Weapons of any sort. A standard camping pocketknife is allowed, but no larger knives will be permitted.
Food, snacks, candy, gum, or be verages. We don't want the raccoons to get your treats! Campers will be provided with adequate meals and snacks at designated times throughout the day. Gum is prohibited, as it poses a risk to wildlife.
Drugs, alcohol, tobacco, and lighters. Any camper found in possession of any of these items will be sent home from camp without a refund.
Expensive or valuable jewelry or other items. We wouldn't want anything to get lost!
~
Official copy of the opening campfire story, from the Camp Fairmarsh files, as written in 1944
Camp Fairmarsh was built on a portion of the lands of an Indian tribe whose name has been lost to the mists of history. Some people say the land itself is haunted by the ghosts of those Indians, who died hundreds of years ago. Some even say those Indians are buried beneath our very feet!
The name of the camp comes from the conditions of the area near the lake when the camp was first founded. Bess Danaher Raddish, our founder, wrote in her diary "this place is quite damp, but in the morning, when all is touched with dew, it is glorious." With the help of her husband, Anthony Raddish, she directed workmen to drain the marshy lands near the lake and create a place that has been cherished by campers for many years.
The camp opened in 1883, with Bess as its director, and only forty campers, the daughters of her friends and associates. Bess had been in ill health prior to founding the camp, but her doctors believed the country air would be good for her. Unfortunately, Bess only got to see a single year of campers at her beloved Camp Fairmarsh. Before the camp session had ended, she suffered a bout of pneumonia, and even with the care of many doctors, she died just after the session ended.
There are some stories that ascribe a more gruesome death to dear old Bess, but we know they could not be true. If all of the campers had disappeared during the course of that summer, or if the camp had burned down in a horrible fire, we would know--there would be records. Since nothing of the sort exists, we have to assume they are simply stories that were told to explain why Camp Fairmarsh lay dormant for a time.
But in 1885, after Anthony Raddish had mourned the loss of his beloved Bess, he threw himself into reestablishing Camp Fairmarsh, with the help of Bess's sister, Lucy. In time, Lucy became the second Mrs. Raddish, and she found herself director of the camp when it reopened to campers in 1886. In that year, we do know Camp Fairmarsh suffered a minor fire, when the cooking fire in one of the units grew out of hand. Fortunately, no lives were lost during that fire.
Lucy lived to the ripe old age (for the time) of sixty-seven and died at Camp Fairmarsh in 1913. Neither Bess nor Lucy had borne Anthony any children, and so the camp passed to one of Anthony's cousins on his death in 1925. But luckily for us, Anthony's will specified that the land on which the camp was located must always remain a camp, and Anthony's cousin made sure his wishes were honored.
Some people believe Camp Fairmarsh is still visited by the ghosts of Bess and Lucy, though they mean the campers no harm. So if you feel like someone is watching you as you go about your daily routine, give a little wave to dear old Bess and sweet Lucy, and thank them for making Camp Fairmarsh the fantastic place it is today!
~
Jessika Yamaguchi's diary, June 16, 2003
So. I'm at camp. Which is yay, because I don't have to deal with my parents for eight glorious weeks. But it's also boo, because camp. I can't get on the Internet or call anyone for eight whole weeks. What kind of ridiculous punishment is that? Speaking of, since I don't have to see my therapist for eight weeks, she told me I have to keep a journal while I'm at camp. Whatever.
Got here yesterday, and I already want to punch one of the other girls in my cabin. Her name is Brooke, and I think that if she had the option to dye her entire body pink, she probably would. She's a prissy little goody-goody two shoes, and seriously, if I don't punch her at any point during the next eight weeks, I'm going to deserve a medal. Or maybe a sainthood. At the very least, maybe I can use my not punching her as evidence of good behavior to get my probation reduced. That would be cool.
The other two girls, Alexis and Mary, are fine. Alexis is a big old nerd, but I don't think she reads comics. Maybe if she keeps seeming okay, I'll let her read the ones I brought with me. (Shhh, don't tell Mom I brought comics. She thinks they're a bad influence.) Mary is quiet and timid, and she sort of flinches when anyone talks to her. I suppose if I wanted to be mean, that could be good for a laugh sometimes, but I'm trying really hard to be a good girl, like I'm supposed to.
The counselors, well, they're counselors, so what do you expect? I'm pretty sure SOMEONE tipped them off about why I'm here, because I swear they're watching me like hawks. I'm not going to steal stuff while I'm here! Everyone left their good stuff at home anyway, as far as I know. Lord knows Mom dug through my bag enough times to make sure I didn't bring anything on the "forbidden" list.
Anyway, the only good part so far has been the big opening campfire they made us go to last night. I mean, most of it was pretty boring, but one of the counselors, Dori, got up to read this history of the camp thing. Only I'm pretty sure she went off script, because one, some of the other counselors were giving her weird looks, and two, it was EPIC! I guess the founder of the camp might have been burned alive, or possibly murdered by her sister. And then her sister, who totally married the founder's husband, might also have been murdered by the ghost of her dead sister. And there's an amulet that maybe lets you see their ghosts? Super cool! I'm thinking about signing up for the drama program so I can find out if Dori has any more good stories up her sleeve. I don't want to have to act, but they'll need people to run the lights and stuff, right?
Oh, and I've gotta rant. Apparently, part of the camp thing is getting a "camp name." And you mostly get to pick your own, which is good, because the suggestions the other girls had when I said "I dunno" were really ridiculous. Like one of them said I should be Mulan. Do they not know the difference between Chinese and Japanese? Anyway, I decided on Kitty Pryde, because she's awesome. And one of the counselors goes by Rogue, so I think we're buds now. Too bad her and Dori aren't in my unit. We've got Thunder, Firebug, and Morningstar. And apparently Princess Brooke is like best buds with all of them because she's been coming here FOR-E-VER.
Anyway, that's about all I have to report so far. Tomorrow is another day of "exploring all of our options" for activities. If it's anything like today, I'm anticipating no big surprises. I'll sign up for drama and maybe swimming, because if nothing else, I think it'll be a good way to cool off. (NO AC FOR EIGHT WEEKS? WHAT IS THIS? TORTURE CAMP?)
~
Letter from Brooke Cunningham to her parents, June 17, 2003
Dear Mom and Dad,
I know, that's the most cliché way to start a letter, but here it is. I imagine this letter will arrive before you leave for Europe, but if it doesn't, I hope Ava will fax it to you, like she said she would. So much faster than international post!
I've only been here two days, but I'm really bummed Mallory, Gretchen, and Hailey aren't here this year. Cabin 8 just isn't the same without them, and none of the new girls could even hold a candle to my dear old camp friends. Only one of them has ever been to camp before! Her name is Mary, and she must have been in another unit the past few years, because I don't remember her at all. She says she's not fond of horses, so that probably explains why I've never met her. She also told us her camp name is Cherub, but I'm pretty sure angels have to have blue eyes and blonde hair. She does NOT qualify.
One of the other two girls, Jessika, has been eyeballing my stuff since I unpacked. She says it's because she's never seen that much pink in her whole life, but a little bird told me she's been in trouble. Like, BIG trouble. Don't worry, I left all of my valuables at home, just like I do every year. Her camp name is something ridiculous, like Proud Kitty or something like that. If she had like a cute stuffed cat, maybe that would make sense, but she has a stuffed bunny that she keeps tucked under her pillow.
