Story: Camp Pawa: The lake of diamonds and memories (chapter 3)

Authors: Jdwheels

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Chapter 3

Title: Chapter 3 - Eyes!

[Author's notes: Nervousness and other emotions can be more than what they seem.]

Chapter Three - Eyes!!

 

 

The administration office was a hub of activity from the outside, as Mandy neared the large log made structure. People could be seen going in and out of the place, almost like some odd looking choreographed dance. Camp Pawa was definitely alive and kicking her on the first day, under the blazing sun overhead.

Mandy entered the building, after ducking past two people who were rushing out at the same time, making the both gasp as she did squeaked passed. The girl giggled and finished sliding inside the door with a great fluidity of motion, telling herself that she was thankful for her small size at that moment.

The outer office was just like it had been for many years, almost too neat and orderly for a camp office. Mrs. Granger, the long time secretary of Camp Pawa was sitting at her desk as usual, looking as happy as she had ever seen the woman before. Upon seeing the woman, she felt finally, that she was glad that she had decided on coming back to Pawa.

The late middle aged woman was one of her most favorite people here, as she was known for being very approachable, always helping out with every thing that goes on here when asked... and she was known by every returning camper for hand making huge batches of deliciously decant fudge and handing them out through out the camp. With more than a hundred campers expected this year, Mandy had no doubt in her mind that the woman would be doing the exact same thing this year... or possibly already had the fudge done and ready to be handed out..

Mandy had known both Mr & Mrs. Granger, Her likable husband was the maintenance man at Pawa since she cold remember. On seeing the woman again in her usual role, the young girl was glad for the chance to see the woman again, and made her a little more optimistic for a good time here at Camp Pawa.

Mandy approached the desk very softly, as she could see that Mrs. Granger was busy talking to a very tall lady who stood just nearby. The girl could not help but notice this woman that was there, it was as if she was drawn to do so, as the lady was very striking just even on first impressions..

The unknown woman, who seemed to be in her early to mid thirties, had strikingly blonde hair that was done in an amazing short cut bob style, and which was accented by the fact that she was wearing a very nice designer short and top set as well. The woman was as fit looking as she was tall, her height almost was to the point of being intimidating even while looking at her. This was a woman that seemed if she would command authority anywhere she probably went. The woman just came across as that.

Mandy gulped a little, and quietly continued to walk up to where the two ladies were, wanting to disturb their conversation as little as she could possibly do.

Mrs. Granger quickly spotted the girl and smiled. The woman that was with the secretary also seemed to instantly noticed the presence of the young girl..

" Well, well, your back at Camp Pawa again, Miss Thayer..." Mrs. Granger said, flashing a smile that always said ’welcome’ to anyone.

" I am..." Said Mandy, happy to hear the greeting she got.

" Been about two years, by my memory..." The woman said with a smile.

" It’s been about that..." Smiled the young girl at the lady behind the desk.

The older woman leaned on her desk and looked at the small girl.

" So there, little missy... What brings you in here today?" She said, very chipper sounding.

" I brought you these cards from Councilor Olivia...." Mandy giggled in reply, holding out the card towards the woman. " Guess I’m just helpin’ her out a little."

" That is so kind of you to do for her..." Commented the woman, taking the cards. " Things are a little crazy, as usual, for arrival day." She looked at the cards, and then gave a little smile to Mandy. " So... I see that your bunk assignment is in our ‘radically deluxe’ cabin this year."

Mandy gigged, as she knew just what the woman was meaning. She nodded and watched the woman put away the stuff she had handed in.

" It is an interesting set up in there..." She replied.

" Isn’t it?" Chuckled the woman. " Lord, The man who designed it, built it and gave it to us really went ‘out of the box’ on it in a big way.."

" I have not seen anything like that ever..." Continued the girl. " It is... very different than any of the other cabins I have been in..."

" It is very strange, I got to tell you..." Said the woman, laughing along with the girl. " But because it had been donated , and we so really needed at that time for more camper space, I say that we cannot complain in any way with it."

" You know... your right, Mrs. Granger." Said Mandy, agreeing with the description of the cabin, with a giggle of her own.

At that moment, Mandy noticed that the woman that was standing with Mrs. Granger seemed to be looking at her. She saw the smoky grey-blue eyes regarding her with a different sort of look, one that was making the young haired girl more than just a little uneasy. The way the lady was making eye contact with her, was very unusual, and made Mandy a little uncomfortable.

Mrs. Granger then suddenly spoke up, shifting the girl’s thought back. She seemed to be looking at the woman, then at her with a look of shock on her face.

" Where are my manners gone, Mandy dear..." Said the woman, seemingly annoyed with herself. " This is Miss Ashfield, our new head Administrator that came last year to out little summer home here."

The woman turned and looked at Mandy, showing just how tall she really was. To Mandy, she was almost like a giant who loomed over her. This woman was possibly very close to being six feet tall, compared to the under five foot stature, she was very large. The woman looked at her with such an intense stare, those smoky eyes were almost piercing.

" Nice to see you camper..." The woman said with a low and sultry voice, her eyes locking onto Mandy’s.

" Nice to meet you, Miss. Ashfield." Said Mandy, with nervous politeness.

" And what would your name be?" The woman asked, her gaze now solidly locked with the young girl’s

Mandy froze for a moment, the lady’s eyes seemingly stopping any words from coming out. Taking a long, deep breath in to compose herself, Mandy was fighting herself to reply so she could not be considered rude.

" Mandy, Mandy Thayer." She just said

Miss Ashfield shifted on her feet, so she could look at the girl in the face, her eyes still compelling the young girl to not once look away from her... it was as if Mandy was drawn to look right at the woman standing in front of her

" Have you have come to Camp Pawa many times?" The woman inquired, her eyes still locked on to the girl’s eyes.

" I have came here since I was seven..." Said Mandy, her nervousness building at a alarming rate under the woman’s almost unblinking expression. " Except for last year, I did not come."

" I’m dreadfully sorry to hear that you did not attend last year, Mandy..." The woman said, as she continued her stares. " But you are here with all of us this year, and that is the main thing."

" Uh, yeah... I am..." Was all the short girl could blurt out of her mouth.

The very intense stare that was coming from the woman felt intimidating, almost as if the woman was nailing her to the spot with her exotic eyes. The weird thing about it, was that Mandy could not stop herself from locking her own gaze on to the tall lady’s, causing her not to really to know just what to say back to the Head of this camp in response.

" Now that you have returned to our little rustic fold, I hope that you will end up having a great time with us here at Camp Pawa this year..." Miss Ashfield said, as her eyes moved up and down, as if looking the girl over more than once.

" Thank you, Miss Ashfield." Said Mandy, her body having the urge to leave right at that moment. She backed away slightly, heading for the door. " I should return to my cabin now... and see what is happening."

" By all means, Young lady, return to your cabin." Said the tall woman, nodding her head while her eyes continued what they had been doing for what it felt like hours. " I really hope that we will be seeing around camp over the coming weeks. If you have any problems at all, feel free to come and see us, and we will try to help out to the best of our abilities."

" I am sure that things will be just fine here at camp, Ma’am..." Said a nervous Mandy, finding herself now moving towards the door rather quickly. " Thank you Mrs Granger, Miss Ashfield."

Mandy immediately left the office, while Mrs. Granger waved her goodbys as she answered the ringing telephone next to her. The other woman waved also as the girl left, but she seemed to be still intently watching Mandy as she left the admin office... It was almost as if she was visually following her. Mandy found that she could not get out of there fast enough, as she exited.

Once outside, Mandy turned and headed back in the direction of the Cabin, her feet seemingly wanting to move faster than when she had been going to the office. Something about how the woman was towards her, was very unnerving in so many ways... so much so that she wanted to get away from the place as fast as she could.

The dark haired girl could not shake the creepy feeling after her meeting with the Head Person. It had felt like the tall woman had been ‘checking her out’ or something, always leering at her with this most unflattering gaze that made her as uncomfortable as she had ever felt. Mandy shuttered a little and kept her legs moving, as she had came across this type of behavior many times before.

In the apartment building where she lived in the city with her folks, Mandy had this very odd little man living a few floors down from her. Every day as she went to school, the man was standing in the lobby area, and always watched her leave. He would eye her in the same way as the woman had been doing, almost as if the old man was visually undressing her for his own sick pleasure.

The only difference between either the woman or the old man, Mandy thought, was the man would boldly comment on the shape her ass or how pretty he thought she looked. The man was never shy about making that clear, even to the point of telling her exactly what it was he wanted to do to her.

Simply put, the man always gave Mandy a serious case of the creeps, but she had always made sure that she give the leech of a man a very wide berth ever time. The woman in the office had gave that exact sort of feelings. Just the way Miss Ashfield had been looking at her in the office area, really did make her think of that perverted old man, but Mandy just thought that she might be jumping to a conclusion..

She just hurried herself in the direction of her hiding tree out behind the bathroom cabin. She was glad that she had her pack of smokes with her in the pocket of her shorts, deciding that she was going to take a chance sneak one and to calm down from this. With each passing moment, she was becoming more sure that she was wrong, but the similarities were so close to the dirty old man from apartment twenty six-B... it was scary.

Councilor Olivia waved to her to come over to where the busses were starting to turn in, as Mandy passed by. The second wave of campers were now arriving, and it seemed like the woman was needing her..

Mandy sighed and nodded, knowing that the woman could be wanting some help with the children that were arriving. Hurrying over, she wanted to see what the woman was needing, and to put away her little fears for awhile. She was more sure than ever, she had really misinterpreted the woman.

"Did it go well?" The councilor asked.

" Yeah..." Said Mandy, smiling a small grin. " They took the cards and all."

" So I think you met out new ‘boss’?" Asked Olivia.

" I did... She was in the office when I went in." The girl informed.

Mandy nodded, and Olivia seemed to crack as small smile of thankfulness to the girl. Mandy did not tell the woman what she was thinking with meeting Miss. Ashfield, already knowing that she was mistaken for jumping to a conclusion like she had done. She just listened to what the woman needed help with, the arriving children that were crowded on to the busses that were rumbling in to camp. The girl was feeling more than happy to help out, and made the councilor happy as she agreed to do so.

As the children flooded off the yellow bus, Young Mandy helped the younger campers to get to a centralized area near the flagpole, so when the other councilors arrived, it would be easier to gather up their charges. Councilor Olivia seemed so grateful for the girl’s help, and that made the task for Mandy to really feel fulfilling.

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