Secrets of Camp Tortuga: Episode 2

NOAH

Man, I really went all in, laying it all on the line, telling her straight, "Then you know what to do."

When Alexia dropped that hint last summer about coming back to Camp Tortuga this year as a counselor, I didn’t even second-guess it; I was signing up too. And if I kept it real, yeah, I was hoping this might be the summer things changed between us. That I'd finally step up, move past those kid vibes and let her know how deep this thing between us really went.

All was going well with my plan for us going into town alone, but then she hit me with that curveball. She's got a man now. Seriously? Could my timing be any worse? Maybe that's karma getting back at me for all the times I held back. But, every part of me kept yelling, 'What if this is your last chance?' Just thinking that had me ready to make moves.

So who's this boyfriend of hers anyway? Alright, he's got her attention now, but what Alexia and I have? That's some deep-rooted history right there. Our summers are like chapters in a book; those late nights laying on the grass, calling out constellations, clowning around during movie nights with popcorn going everywhere, racing each other in the lake, and always, always teaming up in those camp games. Each year, like peeling back layers, we got realer with each other, building something.

Pushing those thoughts to the back of my mind, I made my way to the bonfire. It lit up the night, shadows vibing to its rhythm. The usual camp noise filled the air – kids swapping stories, counselors belting out songs, another epic summer night in the making.

And then, there he was.

Man, this guy was tall, probably eye-to-eye with me. Didn't have my swagger, but he had this self-assured air about him. The way he moved towards Alexia? Felt a bit like he was staking his claim. But even with his act together, I caught a hint of hesitation when he looked her way. Something about it just didn’t sit right with me.

I felt this twist in my gut. That had to be the boyfriend, I’d never seen him before. But what was he doing here? And why wouldn’t Alexia tell me he was coming? Was I reading the situation or just catching feelings of straight-up jealousy? Maybe it was some random new comer. I couldn't shake this nagging feeling that something was off.

I tried to get closer, to size him up better. Their laughter sounded like some inside joke, a moment that was only theirs. Some backstory I wasn't hip to.

Carrie, the camp's unofficial gossip network leader, slid next to me. "Scoping it out, Noah?"

"Who's he?" I tilted my head towards them, trying to play it cool.

With a smirk, she whispered, "That's Ian. Alexia's guy. I ran into him a little bit a go, he’s here to surprise her."

Hearing 'guy' felt like a gut punch. My instincts were right. Was he the wall that had sprung up between me and Alexia?

Seeing my reaction, she added, "You good?"

Forcing a smile, I replied, "Always."

But before we could dig deeper into the gossip, a sharp, panicked scream tore through the night. The chill camp vibes flipped to intense real quick. Not waiting another second, I bolted toward Alexia’s side, needing to make sure she was safe.

“You need to get inside," I told Alexia, my hand landing protectively on her shoulder.

Her eyes went wide, clearly not expecting me to be there. "Noah? How did you —"

"Look, I gotta talk with Mrs. Marshall about this and see what’s going on. Let’s get you inside." I said, my tone hurried.

Dude's eyes narrowed at my hand on her shoulder, like he was trying to figure out our deal. But with everything turning sideways, he wasn't my priority. If something was up, Alexia needed to be out of the way.

"What's happening?" Alexia asked, her voice edged with worry.

"I'll handle it. Just get inside," I urged her. I could feel the dude's glare, but I wasn't about to let him distract me.

He started to say something, "Look man—"

But Justin’s loud voice cut him off, his face serious as he walked around with a clipboard and pen. "Where's Tara? Anyone seen her?"

All around us, campers and counselors shook their heads. My heart skipped a beat. Tara, that bubbly kid with the curly fro who was always buzzing with questions, was missing.

"Alright, we need to form search groups. Tara could be scared, lost, or worse," Mrs. Marshall said, her voice thick with urgency as she walked up to us from the crowd. "I'll head to the office and inform the local authorities.”

"The cops? This won’t end well," Carrie whispered, her eyes darting around.

Mrs. Marshall zeroed in on us. "You three," she pointed at me, Alexia, and her dude, "Group up. Carrie, Jake, join with them. I gotta handle some things." With that, she darted off in the direction of the camp office.

Of all the groups, she had to put me with him? But now wasn't the time for beef. With Alexia in the mix, I had to step up. "Listen up, we're all solid in the water, right?" I paused, shooting a side-eye at Alexia's dude. "Well, I know four of us are. Tara loves the lake, that’s where we should look for her while the others search the woods."

Carrie choked back a laugh, catching my pettiness, while he looked like he wanted to say something but held back. Probably didn't want to cause a scene in front of Alexia. Lucky for him, she seemed to miss my slight dig.

We split up, each group going its own way. I took the lead for mine. Man, this camp has been my second home since I was a kid; I could navigate this place blindfolded, even under the moon’s dim glow. Our path led us towards the lake, the only soundtrack being crickets and the distant chatter of other groups, their words carried off by the wind.

"There!" Carrie suddenly whispered, pointing. By the water's edge was a pair of shoes, unmistakably Tara's favorite white sneakers with the bright pink laces.

I approached them carefully, dread coiling in my stomach. "Tara?" I called out, hoping she'd pop out laughing, revealing it all to be some kind of prank.

But there was no response. The waters of the lake remained eerily still, reflecting the moon's silvery glow.

Carrie's voice trembled, "You don't think she...?"

"Nah, we can't jump to conclusions," I shot back, not even wanting to entertain that thought. "Let's keep searching."

We scoured the lake's edge, searching for any sign of Tara, but she seemed to have vanished.

Suddenly, Jake, who had gone a little farther down the shore, called out, "Hey, over here!" He was kneeling, holding something in his hands. As the rest of us over, I recognized it immediately. It was Tara's locket, the one she never took off, the one she said her mother had given her.

Things just got a whole lot more complicated.

Jake carefully handed over the locket, his fingers trembling. The small silver pendant felt ice-cold in my hand. The photo inside was of a younger Tara, nestled in the arms of a smiling woman - presumably her mother.

"Why would she take this off?" Carrie whispered, her voice quivering with concern. "She told me it was her most prized possession."

We gotta find her," I said, every inch of me thrumming with resolve.

The breeze started whipping up, making the leaves whisper secrets to one another. The lake’s once serene surface began dancing, mirroring the restless vibes of the night. You could almost touch the tension in the air.

Outta the corner of my eye, I caught Ashley moving towards us from another group, her face a ghostly shade in that moon's glow. "She here?" she murmured, so soft it was like she was scared of her own voice.

I just held up the locket in response. Her eyes widened, echoing the dread I felt. "That ain’t good..."

Then, cutting through the weight of the moment, was this faint crying. It's crazy how everyone just locked onto it. Drawn to the sound, we found a lil clearing where someone sat, curled up like they were trying to disappear.

"Tara!" Alexia's voice cracked with relief as she bolted forward.

Lifting her head, the kid's face was a map of trails left by her tears. "I didn't... I’m sorry, I heard something over here and then I…" she choked out.

As Alexia held her close, she pressed, "But why'd you leave your sneakers and locket by the water?"

Tara took a shaky breath, her eyes darting everywhere but the lake. "I... I saw something. Or... someone there. She told me to get in the water with her. So I took off my shoes and my locket to keep them safe but…then I got scared and I hid over here."

The group of us exchanged anxious glances. Camp Tortuga had its share of ghost stories and legends, and the lake was central to many of them.

"What did you see?" I pressed gently.

She swallowed hard, her gaze fixed on the locket in my hand. "It was a woman. She looked... she looked just like…I thought it was my Mommy but then I realized it wasn’t..."

The clearing was drenched in a weighty silence after Tara spilled. All of us were trying to wrap our heads around what she’d just dropped on us, a whirl of skepticism, worry, and a creeping sense of dread.

Trying to break the tension, Tara managed a fragile grin. "I know, it sounds crazy. That lady at the lake... she wanted to talk to me."

A chill coursed through me. "She say anything to you?"

She shook her head. "No just... she used her hands to tell me to come to her."

Our eyes met – Alexia's, mine, and then back to Tara's. It’d be easy to write this off as Tara’s imagination acting up, but the girl's dead-serious look was hard to ignore.

Alexia's voice, low and unwavering, broke in, "We gotta get to the bottom of this. Camp Tortuga's got urban legends and maybe we're due to unravel a few."

The thought had my heart racing and my mind swirling in possibilities. I felt it deep down – Alexia had a point. If we didn't chase this lead, this shadowy puzzle would keep hanging over Tara, maybe even all of us.

But before we could dive deeper, a voice echoed from afar. "Tara! They found her!"

Josh and some of the others burst in, all smiles, dapping me up and hugging me, clearly relieved to see Tara. But the girl was still terrified, eyes darting away from the lake.

"Yo, chill for a sec, guys," I cut in, wanting to shield Tara a bit. "She's had a rough one tonight." I kept the details she spilled to myself. Her grip tightened on my hand. "Let's get her back to her cabin," I suggested.

Walking back, with Tara clinging to me, I couldn't resist a glance over my shoulder at the lake. All those campfire stores, and I'd never seen anything wild for myself. Was this the summer it got real? The tremor in Tara's grip seemed to hint at that. I could feel Alexia was on the same page.

We got Tara over to Mrs. Marshall right when the police rolled up. Watching them handle things, I felt better about leaving Tara in their care. As the squad gathered outside, taking in the events of the night, the air felt different.

"Man, my first day here and I'm already dealing with some ghost stories," Alexia's dude joked, trying to break the tension. "Name's Ian, by the way.", he said addressing the group with his hands in his pockets.

Alexia looked genuinely surprised to see him, as if she'd momentarily forgotten about his presence. Honestly, given how bland the guy seemed, I wouldn’t put it past her.

"Oh, right, my bad. Everyone," Alexia started, sounding a bit thrown off, "This is Ian —"

"Her boyfriend," he jumped in, finishing her sentence with a smirk as he locked eyes with me.

“He surprised me by coming here for the summer,” she explained. To most, her voice might've sounded casual, but I caught the hint of unease. I've known Alexia for years; it's hard for her to hide things from me.

"Yeah, figured I'd land a summer gig here and drop in on my girl," he chimed in, wrapping an arm around her and pressing a smug kiss on her forehead. Seriously? Who does that?

The atmosphere was thick, each word I chose weighed with a tension that couldn't be ignored. "So, you just decided to show up unannounced at her workplace? Sounds a bit stalkery, don't you think?" I said, raising an eyebrow and taking in every nuance of the scene.

Alexia's eyes, those deep pools I knew so well, grew wide, a mix of surprise and apprehension, as if she was silently pleading with me to reel it in.

Carrie, sensing the looming storm, chimed in, "Looks like Jake and I should find somewhere else to be." She grabbed Jake's arm, giving it a firm tug, her eyes signaling a discreet retreat. The two of them began backing away, leaving an electric void filled with unspoken words and a whole lot of history.

Ian's jaw tightened, clearly not appreciating my dig, but he seemed to be trying to hold onto his chill for Alexia's sake. He shot me a pointed look, "Figured I'd come support my girl at the place she loves the most. What’s wrong with that?"

Alexia, running a hand through her hair nervously, intervened, "Come on, Noah. It's just a surprise visit. Let's not blow it out of proportion."

I met her gaze, searching for any sign that she was genuinely okay with his sudden appearance. "Just making sure you're good, Lex," I said, using her old nickname, a subtle reminder of our long history.

She gave a small sigh, her shoulders dropping a fraction. "I'm good. Really. Thanks for looking out, though."

The night, thick with tension, was only broken by the occasional whispering breeze and distant chatter. It was a far cry from the jovial mood that usually graced Camp Tortuga's nights.

Ian, trying to reassert his presence, extended his hand towards me. "Look, man, no hard feelings, alright?"

Hesitating for a split second, I took his hand, giving it a firm shake. "Noah. And just so we're clear, I've got Alexia's back. Always have, always will."

He nodded, a semblance of understanding passing between us, though the unspoken words weighed heavy in the air.

As Alexia moved between Ian and me, the warmth of her presence pushed back the heavy tension. Moonlight highlighted the determination in her eyes, softening the atmosphere as she spoke. "How about we hit the brakes on this tonight? Tomorrow's packed with camp stuff, but beyond that, I think it's high time we dig into whatever's lurking around here."

I could hear the mix of curiosity and concern in her voice. As the distant campfire sent a gentle glow and crackle through the trees, a sense of foreboding settled in. We were about to delve into stories that had been buried under layers of time and whispers.

Unbeknownst to us, our search for the truth would not only expose hidden secrets but also unearth old, raw emotions. It would reveal connections to Camp Tortuga that were more intricate and personal than any campfire tale we'd ever heard. The day might have come to an end, but in the shadowy twilight, a new chapter of our story was just starting to unfold.