Goosebumps: The Curse of Camp Cold Lake (8 page)

The hum of the boat echoed over the water. The lake bobbed and rippled in the
boat’s wake.

Meg let out a cry and let go of the towrope as the boat sped near the dock.
She splashed into the water, then quickly pulled off her skis. Then she came
walking to shore.

“My turn next,” I said softly. I felt a knot in my stomach.

Meg flashed me a thumbs-up.

I struggled with the skis, but finally got them in place. Then I pulled up
the towrope, gripping it tightly in both hands.

The boat motor sputtered and coughed. The boat rocked up ahead of me in the
rippling blue water.

I steadied myself. Lowered myself the way Liz had shown me. And took a deep
breath.

“Ready!” I called.

The motor sputtered—and then roared.

The boat pulled away so fast, the towrope nearly flew out of my hands.

“Whooooooooaaa!” I opened my mouth in a long cry as the rope pulled me up.

Yes! The skis bounced over the surface. I bent my knees and gripped the
towrope tightly.

I’m doing it! I realized. I’m water-skiing!

The boat picked up speed. We headed in a straight line over the sparkling
water. The cold spray swept over my face, my hair.

I started to lose my balance. Tugged myself back up. Held on—and kept
going.

“Yessss!” I cried out loud. What an awesome feeling!

But then the driver of the boat turned her head.

And I recognized Della’s evil grin.

As she worked the controls, Della’s white-blond hair flew up like wings
around her pale face. Her blue eyes sparkled like the water.

Her grin grew wider as she saw the horror on my face.

“Turn around! Turn back! Please!” I begged.

She made the boat swerve hard.

I nearly toppled over. I gripped the towrope.

My skis slapped the surface. Pain shot up to my knees. The cold spray washed
over me.

I gasped. Struggled to breathe.

Della threw back her head and laughed. The sound was drowned out by the roar
of the motor.

I could see the sky through her body. The sunlight poured right through her.

“Turn around!” I screamed. “Stop! Where are you taking me?
Where
?”

Della didn’t answer. She turned away from me, her hair flying wildly behind
her head.

The boat bounced over the water, sending up tall waves of foam and spray.

The waves splashed over me. Chilling me. Blinding me.

Gripped in panic, it took me a long time to realize that I had an easy
escape.

I let go of the towrope.

My hands shot up. The tow bar snapped against the water.

I skidded for a few seconds, my arms thrashing wildly. And then I toppled
over and sank.

The life vest pulled me back up. I bounced on the surface, gasping, spitting
out water. My heart pounded.

I felt so dizzy. The bright sunlight seemed to surround me. Which way was up?
Which way to the shore?

I spun around and saw the motorboat in the distance.

“You didn’t get me
this
time!” I called to Della.

But then I froze as the boat began to turn. Della swerved the boat, kicking
up a tall wave of white water.

Swerved it back around. Until it pointed to me.

I gasped as I heard the motor roar.

I bobbed helplessly in the water.

The boat picked up speed, skipping over the rippling surface.

She’s coming for me, I thought. She’s coming to make me her buddy forever.

I’m trapped out here.

She’s coming to run me over.

I treaded water, watching in horror as the boat sped toward me.

I’ve got to dive under it, I realized. The only way to escape is
down.

I took a deep breath. Every muscle tensed. I knew I had to time my dive
perfectly.

The boat roared closer. I could see Della crouched over the motor. Guiding
the boat.

Aiming
it.

I took another deep breath. And then I realized I couldn’t dive.

The life vest—it was holding me up. No way I could plunge beneath the
surface.

With a cry, I grabbed the front of the vest with both hands.

And tugged.

I can’t do this!
I realized.
I can’t get this thing off in time!

The water rocked harder as the boat sped nearer. The whole lake seemed to
tilt and spin.

The boat—it’s going to tear me to pieces! I thought.

I pulled at the vest. Pushed it.

Please—please—slide over my head!

No time. No time.

I can’t dive!

The motor’s roar drowned out my scream.

With a frantic tug, I pulled the life vest up. Over my shoulders.

Too late.

The front of the boat bounced over me.

Then the whirring motor blades sliced off my head.

I waited for the pain.

I waited for the darkness.

The water swirled around me. Blue, then green.

Choking on a mouthful of water, I thrashed up to the surface. Struggling to
breathe, I let the waves rock me back and forth.

“The life vest!” I choked out.

I held half of the vest in each hand.

The motor blades had sliced the life vest in two.

I tossed the two pieces away. And started to laugh.

“I’m alive!” I cried out loud. “I’m still alive!”

I turned and saw the boat speeding across the lake. Did Della think she had
won?

I didn’t care. I spun around. Found the shore. And started to swim.

My close call gave me new energy. The strong, rocking current helped push me
back to the camp.

I heard girls calling to me as I stumbled onto the grass. And I saw Liz
jogging quickly over.

“Sarah—” she called. “Sarah—wait!”

I ignored her. I ignored them all.

I started to run.

I knew what I had to do. I had to get away from Camp Cold Lake. I had to get
away as fast as I could.

I wasn’t safe here. Not as long as Della wanted me for her buddy. Not as long
as Della wanted me to drown too.

I knew no one would believe me. They all said they wanted to help. But no one
could really help me—not against a ghost!

I burst into the cabin and tore off my wet swimsuit. Tossing it to the
floor, I frantically pulled on shorts and a T-shirt.

I swept my wet hair back with both hands. Tugged on socks and my sneakers.

“Got to get away. Got to get away,” I chanted to myself.

What to do? Where to go?

I’ll run through the woods to the town on the other side, I decided. I’ll
call Mom and Dad. I’ll tell them I’m hiding in town. I’ll tell them to pick me
up there.

I stopped at the cabin doorway.

Should I tell Aaron?

No. No way, I decided.

He’ll only try to stop me.

I’ll get a message to Aaron from town, I decided. I’ll tell him where I am.
But not until I’m safe. Not until I’m far away from this place.

I poked my head out of the cabin and searched around, making sure the coast
was clear. Then I stepped outside and made my way around to the back.

And ran into Briana.

She narrowed her eyes at me, studying my face. “You’re going?” she asked
quietly.

I nodded. “Yes. I’m going.”

Once again, Briana’s expression changed. The light in her eyes seemed to
fade.

“Good luck,” she whispered.

Why is
she
acting so weird? I wondered.

I didn’t have time to think about it. I gave Briana a wave. Then I ran past
her and headed into the woods.

I glanced back as I followed a path between the trees. And saw Briana still
standing there behind the cabin. Watching me.

Taking a deep breath, I turned and hurried along the path.

The trees overhead cut off a lot of the sunlight. It grew darker and cooler
as I ran.

A hedge of sharp burrs and brambles scraped my bare arms and legs as I tried
to edge past. I wished I had worn jeans and a sweatshirt. Something that covered
me better.

My sneakers slipped over a thick blanket of dead leaves. I had to skip over
fallen tree limbs and clumps of thorny weeds.

Tree roots rose up over the path. Tall, dry reeds leaned over me, as if
reaching to grab me.

The narrow path divided in two. I paused—breathing hard—trying to decide
which path to take.

Would they both lead me to town?

I held my breath when I heard a voice. Singing.

A bird?

No. A soft voice. A girl’s voice.

“Oh, no,” I moaned. Raising my eyes to the sound, I saw Della, perched on a
low tree limb. She tilted her head from side to side as she sang. Her blue eyes
sparkled, gazing down at me.

“You—you followed me!” I stammered. “How did you know that I—” My voice
caught in my throat.

She giggled. “You’re my buddy,” she replied. “We have to stick together.”

“No! No way!” I screamed up at her. “You lose, Della. I’m not going to be
your buddy. Because I’m never going to the lake again. I’m never going to drown
like you!”

Della’s smile faded. “Drown?” She shook her head. “Sarah, what made you think
that? You’re very confused. I didn’t drown.”

“Huh?” My mouth dropped open. I stared up at her in shock.

“Close your mouth, Sarah. A fly will fly into it.” Della tilted back her head
and laughed.

Then she shook her head again. “How could
anyone
drown at Camp Cold
Lake?” she demanded. “They give a lecture about water safety every five minutes!
No one ever drowned at Camp Cold Lake!”

“You didn’t drown?” I cried. “Then how did you die?”

She rested her hands on the tree limb and leaned forward, peering down at me.
I could see through her body, see the leaves shaking in the breeze.

“It’s a simple story,” Della said with a sigh. “One night I got tired of
listening to the water safety lecture at the campfire. So I sneaked off into
these woods.”

She swept her hair back with a toss of her head. “I made one major mistake,”
she continued. “I didn’t know the woods are filled with deadly poisonous
snakes.”

I gasped. “These woods? Snakes?”

Della nodded. “It’s nearly impossible to cross through these woods without
getting bitten,” she sighed. “I died of a snakebite, Sarah.”

“But—but—” I sputtered. “But you were always at the lake,” I choked out.
“Why did I always see you at the lake?”

“Don’t you get it?” she replied. “That was my plan. I made you afraid of the
lake, Sarah. I made you
terrified
of the lake. Because I knew you’d try
to escape through the woods. I knew you’d run into the woods and die like me—and
be my buddy.”

“No—!” I protested. “I won’t. I—”

“Sarah, look!” Della pointed toward the ground.

I gazed down—and watched a fat black snake curl around my leg.

“Buddies forever,” Della sang cheerfully. “Buddies forever.”

I stood frozen, gaping down in horror. Watching the fat snake wind itself
around me. Feeling its warm, dry body scrape over my bare skin.

“Nooooo.” A low moan escaped my throat as the snake arched its head.

“It won’t hurt that much,” Della said brightly. “It’s like a bee sting,
Sarah. That’s all.”

The snake let out a loud hiss. It snapped open its jaws.

I felt its body tighten like a warm rope around my leg.

“Buddies forever,” Della sang. “Buddies forever…”

“No! Sarah is
not
your buddy!” a voice rang out.

I tried to turn toward the voice. But I couldn’t move. I felt the snake
tighten its hold on my leg.

“Briana!” I cried. “What are
you
doing here?”

She hurried out from behind a clump of tall reeds.

With one quick motion, she grabbed the snake in one hand. Slid it off my leg.
And tossed it into the trees.

Briana raised her eyes to Della. “Sarah can’t be your buddy, because she’s
my
buddy!” Briana shouted.

Della’s eyes grew wide. She cried out in surprise. She gripped the tree
branch to keep from falling.

“You!” she exclaimed. “What are
you
doing here?”

“Yes, it’s me!” Briana shouted up to her. “I’m back, Della.”

“But—but how did you…” Della’s voice trailed off.

“You tried to do the same thing to me last year,” Briana said. “You tried all
summer to make
me
your buddy. You terrified me—didn’t you, Della?”

Briana uttered an angry cry. “You didn’t think I’d come back. But I did. I
came back to camp this summer… to protect the next girl!”

“Nooo!” Della wailed.

I finally understood. I stepped up to the tree beside Briana. “Briana is my
buddy!” I declared. “And I’m coming back next summer to warn the
next
girl!”

“No! No! Nooooo!” Della raged. “You can’t do that! I’ve waited so long! So
lonnnng!”

She let go of the tree limb and shook her fists at Briana and me.

Lost her balance.

Her hands flew up as she started to fall.

She grabbed for the limb. Missed.

And dropped silently to the ground.

Then she was gone.

Vanished.

With a weary sigh, I climbed to my feet. I shook my head. “Is she gone for
good?” I murmured.

Briana shrugged. “I don’t know. I hope so.”

I turned to Briana. “You—you saved my life!” I cried. “Thank you for
following me. Thank you for saving me!”

With a happy cry, I stepped up to her. “Thank you! Thank you!”

I wrapped my arms around her to hug her.

And my hands went right through her body.

I gasped. I grabbed her shoulder. But I couldn’t feel a thing.

I jumped back in shock.

Briana narrowed her eyes at me. “Della killed me last summer, Sarah,” she
said softly. “On the last day. But I didn’t want to be her buddy. I just never
liked her.”