Story: Camp Pawa: The other side of a coin (all chapters)

By Jd Wheels

A late June morning was breaking a little cooler over the silvery waters of Lake Pawa. The clouds in the sky had just dumped its load of rain onto the land and water, bringing green growth to spring up after a very good drink from Mother nature.

Camp Pawa was unusually still in the morning sun, there were no children bouncing and jumping around on the grounds as yet. It was almost void of anyone, yet there was movement around the camp, movement of a very different variety.

A tall blond woman stood on the porch of the administration building, seemingly surveying the mostly empty camp. She seemed to eye the now slowly clearing skies overhead, and gave the few blotches of blue she could see peeking through a smile. She lowered her head a little, and gazed out on the waters of Pawa, and her smile got bigger still.

A short haired woman in cargo pants and a very bright orange shirt appeared in front of the woman, beaming a smile that was full of exuberance. The blonde woman smiled at the person who had appeared.

" I see you’re back here for another year of fun at Pawa, Olivia..." The woman smirked.

" I can’t seem to get away from the place no matter how hard i think about it once in a while, I guess, Alexis..." The shorter woman commented. " But now that I’m here... I’m not going to complain."

" This year will be a little odd, without Mrs. Granger not being here..." The blonde lady commented.

" She finally retired, didn’t she?" Questioned the lady.

" And donated her little house and the huge parcel of land to the Camp before her and her husband ended up moving down to Florida." Smiled the tall woman.

Olivia nodded and smiled.

" It will be so different here at Pawa, not having her here when the kids arrive the day after tomorrow." She said, then she smiled broader. " She really lived for opening day of camp every year..."

" She was an amazing woman.. That woman always loved every one of the kids year after year, didn’t she?" Giggled Miss Ashfield

" She has been here since either one of us arrived for our first times." Olivia said, then sighed deeply. " I guess change is inevitable."

The head of the camp smiled.

" That is all too right..." She giggled. " I talked to her a few weeks ago, she phoned me directly... She said that she might fly up here for awhile to ‘visit’."

" That is not unexpected for her to think... " Laughed Olivia. " She has a deep connection to the place here... as we all end up having."

That is so true." Alexis said, her smile showing that she had that same feeling towards this little camp on the shore of Lake Pawa.

The councilor sighed and looked at the lake for a moment, as if taking it all in. The day was starting to shape up after the rain, starting with the freshness that the air held..

" So we have a new secretary this year, eh?"

" Mrs Dandly now is the secretary... she’s related to Mrs. Granger, The girl married Mrs. Granger’s Sister’s youngest son." She said, the smirked. " She obviously knows the ins and outs of the place already... Guess it was that our Mrs. Granger made sure we had a good replacement for her."

" With her love for this place... she probably hand picked this girl, who already she knew and trusted to love the kids like she did." Olivia said.

" That would be out Mrs. Granger." Alexis said.

The two went quiet for a moment, then the head of Pawa suddenly handed Olivia a clipboard she had been holding to her. She smiled broadly at the long time councilor, her eyes were sparkling.

" You have to look at this." She beamed.

" Look at what?" Asked Olivia.

" Look at the list of new councilors that are going to be here..." She said, adding with a beaming grin. " I think you will be surprised with some of them."

" New Councilors?" Echoed Olivia, taking the clipboard. " Why would I be surprised? Happens every year that we have a new crop of them..."

" Just read, Silly..." The woman chuckled.

Olivia just browsed down the list of councilors, noting names that she knew from years past. She came upon two that stood out to her, and could not help but flash a grin that went from ear to ear.

" Mandy Thayer and Alison Grey... they are councilors this year?" She half laughed.

Alexis nodded and looked at the woman.

" Yes..."

" It’s been... what... almost four years since they have been senior campers, isn’t it?" Olivia said.

" Four years almost to the day." The woman said, leaning up against one of the porch supports. " They are going to be working here for the summer until going back to University in September."

" They are in University now?" Said the lady back, shaking her head. " Now I am feeling more that just a little old right now..." She chuckled. " Do you know what they are both taking.. or even if they are still together?"

The head of Pawa shrugged.

" I’m assuming that the girls are still together, since they are both working here this summer..." She began. " That is about the extent of what I know..."

" And you have no clue to what they are taking in University by that... right?" Olivia asked flatly.

" Exactly." Said the tall woman, laughing at herself.

Olivia handed the clipboard back and began to walk off.

" I guess we will just have to wait and see just what is what then..." The councilor woman checked her wristwatch. " They are both suppose to arrive sometime today then?"

" Just like every other councilors do." Alexis said. " All need to be here and signed in by noon

" Then I will see you at the first meeting of all of the councilors then, Alexis." The councilor said, turning and continuing on her way. " I should get things ready."

Olivia hurried away in the direction of the cabins, waving at the head of Pawa as she did. Alexis nodded and stayed where she was, now returning to her gazing out at the lake. She smiled, as she noticed that the lake seemed to be coming more alive after the rain that had fell only a short time ago. Feeling so at ease, the lake seemed to be so serene after the downpour... reaffirming that Pawa to her, was the most perfect place to be.

Miss Ashfield lit herself a smoke and stayed looking around from her vantage point. She smiled, as her thoughts were now elsewhere.

" It will be nice to see Mandy again..." She asked herself, as memories of things passed through her head, along with the mental image of the petite girl that she never quite got rid of.

The woman still felt a pull as she thought on Mandy, and she shivered the instant that she started to every time. Obviously the tall woman had never forgotten about the diminutive and very pretty dark haired girl.... not even with the passage of four long years. She took another drag to try and stem the thoughts, but that was not helping. She just sighed and tried her best to at least shift her focus. It was little help.

******

Barreling down a gravel road, a small blue beat up Volkswagen beetle made it’s way through the tree line, the small road ran parallel to the large body of silvery water that held the name Pawa. Two people sat inside of the small vehicle, as it sped down the narrow road kicking up some of the wet gravel as it hummed along.

At the wheel, sat a young woman with very long dark black hair and deep brown eyes. The youthful lady was balancing a lit smoke in one hand, while she palmed the steering wheel with the other so expertly. She seemed to be very intent on the road that was in front of the car, as she pushed the little beetle to move a little faster. She took a drag from the cigarette, and then settled herself on the task of keeping the car on the road.

The second person was another young woman that sat in the passenger seat. By the looks of it, this young woman was very relaxed, seemingly oblivious of how the driver was actually speeding along. The passenger had short dark hair and wore thick glasses in which she intently read from a very large book she clutched. She seemed engrossed in what ever the book was about, not even venturing to look out of the window of the car at the rustic splendor that whizzed passed. She seemed content to just soak in the words inside the book, and nothing more.

The longer haired girl, who seemed to be rather short in stature, had a smile come across her unmade up face, as she spotted a sign on the side of the road.

" We are only a few miles from Pawa now..." She said, her voice held the sound of joy in it. " I can almost smell the overly brewed coffee from here, Alison."

The girl with the glasses put down her book and finally took a look out of the car window. A smile that was as bright as the sun flashed across her.

" You know, Mandy... I am actually feeling excited about this. Just think, we are going back to Camp Pawa, and not as campers this time..." The young lady said, her voice registering that she was excited. ." We are going to be there as councilors for the summer, then we will be returning for our third year at Gainmore University after that.."

" Yeah...I thought of that while we had breakfast this morning..." Smiled Mandy, turning onto the access road towards where Pawa sat. " Gotta admit that all of this is one hell of a change."

Alison leaned over and gave the driver a peck on the cheek.

" You know what being back at Pawa means then... right now in fact..." She giggled.

" Tells me that we have been together for almost four years...." Said Mandy.

" And we are headed back to the place where we fell in love also..." She beamed back, finishing what her girlfriend had started. " Four years ago... it does not seem that long ago... you know."

Mandy looked at her lover with a very curious sideways glance

" Your being sort of sentimental for a future doctor, aren’t you?" She softly pointed out.

" Why not..." She giggled. " The thought of being back at Camp Pawa made me feel all giddy, excited and rather horny also... It’s the fact that this was the place where we were together the first time.... in more ways that one..."

Mandy let go a billow of laughter. She looked over at Alison, and saw the sweet smile that she had fallen in love with four years ago, flashed at her. Dispite the passage of time, and the newer hairstyle Alison now sported... Alison was still such an amazingly beautiful gal.... and she was her’s"

" Your not even close to be that shy bookworm girl anymore..." She said, blushing a little.

" With you... how can I be..." Alison said, slipping her hand onto Mandy’s leg, and boldly moving it under the edge of the dress the woman wore. " You bring out that certain something in me!"

Mandy shuttered, as she felt her lover’s fingers now touch the crotch of her underwear, and gently started to caress her treasure so softly. The car slightly swerved as she found herself unable to focus for a moment, but she kept the little blue bug under control.

" Hey... I’m trying to drive here." She said with a giggle, clamping her legs around the invading hand that was touching her.

" I know you are trying to drive..." Alison smirked, wiggling her fingers a little faster than before. " That is why I did it... I love the reaction."

Mandy shook her head, and kept on driving. She ignored the girl’s hand to the best of her ability, but already could feel that her lover had started things, that they could do nothing about right at the moment.

" You tease!" She poked back.

" Thank you..." Was all the bookish woman replied back, giving her fingers a more vigorous wiggling.

Mandy shivered harder and sighed as she kept her eyes on the road. Her long time lover was usually never was this forward sexually before, bit in the moment, she liked it.. She released Alison’s hand from her thighs, just letting those amazing fingers play with her now very tingling treasure for a while longer.

Alison moved her hand, as she could see the Administration building ahead of them. She winked and watched as the car got closer. Mandy shook her head, as she thought over the boldness from her partner... reminding herself that was a little unusual for her bookwormish lover. She sighed and passed it off, thinking that it was all just because they were going back into the familiar surroundings of Camp Pawa... and soon would be experiencing the change of now being Councilors

Mandy and Alison were soon looking on the board out front of the main office of Pawa, searching the list that was posted for which of the cabins they would be assigned to look after. Other Councilors that were already there mulled around for a time, then each hurried off to store their stuff in the cabin they were in this year.

Mandy saw that she had been posted in cabin nine, the same one she had been in the last year she was a Camper. She noted that she was going to be the co-councilor with Olivia and she smiled.

" I am put in number nine... With Miss Olivia." She said, a little surprised that a first year councilor would get such a assignment.

" Our old cabin and our old councilor for a senior?" Asked Alison, with a little grin.

" Yes... that is the one, love."

" You lucky little shit..." Murmured Alison, who give a small smirk that was accompanied by a tittering giggle. " I could say your hiding horseshoes somewhere, but I know it on authority it is just luck."

Mandy giggled at being teased by the girl while she began to gather her belongings that she had lugged from the car to this spot, resigned to the task of carting this load down to the cabin. Alison stepped around the shorter gal, and began to search the long list that was posted up for the assignment that she was going to get.

Alison’s mood suddenly turned to one of sourness, as she stepped back from the list on the board.. Mandy looked at the frown on Alison’s face, and was a little perplexed at this mood swing.

" You seem annoyed or something..." She said calmly, but the girl’s mood bothering her..

" I got assigned to cabin twelve..." Alison muttered low in her chest, almost in a slight growling tone

" Cabin twelve?" Asked Mandy, hearing the tone of disgust in her girlfriend’s voice over this. " Is that a bad placing or something?"

" It’s one of the cabins that are housing eight and nine year old girls." Alison grunted slightly. " That is what Cabin twelve is..."

" Doesn’t seem that bad of a placing for a first time councilor. Heck, might be a fun time though..." Mandy said, trying to help her lover, as the gal seemed unhappy with what she got.

There was a pause, and the girl in the glasses said nothing back. Mandy waited for something to be said.

" It could be fun after all..." Alison said after a few moments more, oddly the girl’s mood had all of a sudden snapped back to normal.

Mandy was a little curious to why Alison was acting like this, and how fast that changed. It was not like Alison to flair like that with being disgruntled with something, she usually was the more level headed of either of them. She thought that it might be the fact that they just had a three and a half hour car ride from their apartment in the city, not to mention getting up at four in the morning also. She had to admit, she was feeling the effects of the ride herself.

Setting aside her thoughts for now, the short gal hoisted her belongings and started off to her cabin. She looked back once, and saw Alison was walking in the other direction with her, cabin twelve was situated up the hill and a bit of a walk, with her huge armful as well. She sighed and went on down the hill, cabin nine was waiting for her.

Mandy got to her assigned cabin, and found that her co-councilor would be Miss Olivia. The woman greeted her with a smile so broad, that it made any hint of nervousness in her simply vanish.

" Fancy that it would be you assigned to be working with me..." Said the lady.

" It’s going to be quite a bit different than the last time...." Agreed the shorter young lady.

" Yep... last time you were here, you were a camper." She grinned back to Mandy.

" And now, I’m a co-worker." Mandy added, smiling as she felt almost like she was home here at Pawa..

" An’ I know you’ll do well..." Said Olivia, showing the confidence she had in the younger woman

Olivia giggled and clapped the younger of them both on the back

" You know you’ll be bunking in the same room as me for the time we are here."

" Sort of figured that..." She said, a little nervous that the only other one she had sheared a room with in the past while, had been Alison.

" I gotta ask you a rather personal question here..." Olivia said. " You still have that wee little habit of sleeping naked?"

Mandy was surprised that the woman would remember that after so long. She nodded.

" If that bothers you... I do have a few nighties that I wear at ‘that time of the month with me’." She said. " I would respect if it would bother you."

" I ask because I also sleep in the buff." She chuckled. " Until this year, I never had to share a room with another councilor."

" You do?" Mandy asked, never suspecting the woman to be a nude sleeper. " Is it a problem that I sleep naked, and I am gay?"

Olivia shook her head, her expression told Mandy that was the truth of the matter.

" I know your gay... but I’m not... would that be a problem with you?" She asked. " Some of my lesbian friends I’ve had over the years felt a little uneasy with being naked around straight women."

" You sleep the way you do... and don’t worry... I respect that your not." She beamed.

" Just want you to be comfortable as well.. so just sleep the way that is comfortable." Olivia said, seeming relived that they had talked it out. " Then with that settled... Let’s get you settled in right away, then I want to hear about everything over the last few years... over a cup of the acid we call coffee around here"

" Might end up taking awhile to tell you everything...." Admitted Mandy, with a laugh. " There has been many things in the past four years."

" We have all summer then... tell me some of the highlights over coffee when we are waiting for that blasted meeting we need to go to." The senior councilor winked.

" And the ‘acid’ coffee?"Playfully said the younger one.

" I think I heard that they have an antidote for it finally..." The woman smirked broadly.

The younger woman nodded, and entered the councilor’s bedroom at the very back of the cabin that was going to be her home for a month. Together, they worked out space arrangements while catching up on things at the same time.

******

The councilor lounge was fairly full, when Mandy and Olivia arrived for the meeting that was scheduled for the workers of Camp Pawa. With the book that had every of do’s and don’t’s in her hand, she took a seat beside Olivia.

The long haired young lady scanned the roomful for a sign of her girlfriend as they waited for the meeting to get started. She frowned, as she could not see Alison anywhere in the place.

" Looking for you girl?" Asked Olivia, seeing her coworker careening her neck.

" Yeah... I am." She said back, her eyes still searching the crowd. " Don’t see her though."

" She’s been put in cabin twelve, right?"

" That is the one she was assigned to." Said Mandy, still looking everywhere for some sign of Alison.

Olivia surveyed the room as well. Mandy also continued to search every single face in the gathering of councilors.. some of which she recognized as being councilors at one time or another over the years.

" I see the senior councilor of Cabin Twelve right over there, that’s Debbie... but I don’t see Alison..." She said.

" You may not recognize her, she cut her hair awhile back." Informed the young councilor, but she already knew her mate was not here.

" I am looking for that face... you cant really change that.... whish I could change these wrinkled I have discovered" Snickered Olivia, then getting a touch more serious. " She’s probably running a little late...".

" Yeah... probably." Mandy agreed, bit in her head she knew her lover was never one to be late.

Mandy spotted Alison finally, after the meeting had gotten underway for at least five minutes. The pretty thing moved quickly to take a seat beside her senior councilor partner, yet Alison did not seem to even pause to look around for her. She was somber in a way, and had her eyes locked forward.

Mandy could see that Alison had a almost a gloomy type of expression on, pretty much exactly like she had when they were looking up their assignments. She sighed, as the mood of her lover had been really off lately, to say the least. She thought back, and noted that this had been going on for awhile now, along with a handful of out of character things as well... but it had been popping out slowly.

Knowing that she needed to hear some of the stuff in this meeting, Mandy turned back to listen to Miss Ashfield talk about their goals for the upcoming month of camp, but she was planning in her head to have a little talk with her girlfriend at the fist chance she could get. These moods of her lover’s was now beginning to really bother her.... and she wanted to get some answers.

After the meeting, Mandy hurried to grab Alison to have a brief talk before going over day schedules with Olivia. To her surprise, when she got to where Alison had been sitting...the girl had already up and vanished... and had not stayed with her senior. It was another incident of things being not normal with the bookworm gal.

Mandy went up to Debbie VanDallen, Alison’s senior, hoping that she might have a clue to where the girl had rushed off to..

" Excuse me... would you know where your counseling partner has gone off to?" She asked politely. " She’s Alison Grey?"

The off brown haired woman looked around, acting surprised at something.

" She was here..." The girl with the freckles said. " Damn... we need to go over things here."

" Would you know where she might have gone?" Mandy asked. " I know you just met her, but I am hoping you might know that much.

The woman paused to thing, while Mandy waited and hoped for some sort of clue to what she needed to know.

" I don’t know..." Debbie said, seeming still a little confused. " I met her briefly earlier when she came to unpack, then she either had a phone call or had to make one... anyway, I have hardly spoken to her as of yet."

" She had a phone call?" Asked Mandy with a squint, more than surprised with the information given to her.

" Somethin’ like that.... she just left the cabin like her ass was on fire or something..." The woman said. " If you see her before me... tell her that we need to work on things and go over our crap together."

" Could you tell her that I am looking for her as well... my name is Mandy."

" Yeah, I’ll tell her..." Said the woman, obviously a little upset with Alison already, and it was only noon.

The councilor Debbie hurried off, obviously going to search out the whereabouts of Alison, leaving Mandy very bewildered. Olivia appeared at her side, and saw the look that Mandy had.

" You did not find her... right?" She asked.

Mandy groaned a little, turning to face Olivia. She shrugged and shook her head slowly.

" No... she already took off..."

" Did Debbie say she was late or something to get to our meeting here?" Olivia asked.

" She came late because of some phone calls... I have been told at least that." Said Mandy, sounding tight.

Olivia squinted and regarded the dark haired young woman a little curiously. Obviously, something was not right.

" Phone call?"

" The lady said that she either went and made one, or had a call come in for her." Mandy explained.

" And you find that her getting or making a call unusual... right?"

Mandy looked right at the woman next to her.

" I don’t know who she could have been phoning. She talked to her Mom and Dad just before we left this morning... as she was suppose to.. and all of our friend and my family knows that we will be back in a little over a month." She talked out. " She has no reason to phone anyone at all, we cleared up any loose ends that we could come up with..."

" You thing any one might phone her here... maybe it was some sort of a family emergency or something?" Olivia asked.

" No one I could think of... she would have instantly told me about some emergency the second she heard about it..." Mandy replied. " For months, we planned to be here for the summer, and work. We have done everything up perfect so we could come her without worries."

Olivia thought about this situation. She was thinking on this might be a lack of communication between these two, or something simple as well... yet she was still very confused withe the odd behavior of Alison. Things were not really adding up.

" Then I’d say that is very odd." Said Olivia.

" It is."

" I think you two need to have a meeting of the minds here." Suggested the older lady. Sort this out between you both.

Mandy had to agree, they really needed to talk. Somewhere inside of herself, was telling her that things were not quite right with her lover... but this something was not connecting here. She could not put her finger on what that might be, and shook her head. She wanted to clear this up right hear ands know, but she knew that would have to wait. Olivia and her had to get things in order and layed out so they would be fully ready for the children’s arrivals under forty eight hours away.

She resigned herself that she needed to get her work done with Olivia, then go and search out Alison for that talk. She felt fear starting to build in her heart. All of this with Alison, made absolutely no sense.

The first day of being a councilor, was one which was not good.

Mandy made a face and turned her head. It was true, the coffee at Camp Pawa was as bad as she remembered it... even worse by her standards today. She looked at the sugar container to her right and debated about piling more into the steaming dark liquid in her mug. It would be futile in the long run, she thought, because it already has four tablespoons full and it had done nothing for it.

Olivia saw the face Mandy had made after taking a sip of coffee, and could not help but give a very hearty chuckle.

" I see by your reaction... our ‘acid’ has far surpassed expectations from previous years..." She said.

" It’s way more horrible that I even had remembered it to be..." Said the young lady, giving another sour face.

" Has not changed in all the years I have been here..." The senior Councilor commented, adding as she eyed her own mug with a suspicious stare. " This year it seemed to be a little more stronger though..."

" I guess that I could lube my car with it instead of drinking it?" Mandy said through a great amount of laughter, while trying not to think about the lingering aftertaste of the coffee which was just sitting on her tongue.

" Don’t think that would be a great idea.... it just might burn through the sidewall of the motor itself." The older councilor came back with.

" That just might be a possibility that it really could melt the block of a car.... judging from this sludge." Said Mandy, giving the stuff in her mug a second glare and a even heartier laugh. " It might be a good industrial cleaner though..."

Olivia could not help but give a rather large snorting sound through her laugher. She looked at Mandy, and shook her head while she pointed at the mug.

" I hate to think what this stuff could end up doing to the lining of our stomachs then."

" I’ll pass on that thought for now." Said Mandy eyeing her drink, before breaking down and dumping a little more sugar in. " I need the caffeine buzz."

The two laughed even harder, as the older of the two also took her turn in dumping a little more sugar in to the coffee of hers, clearly also hoping to make the coffee a little more civilized. By the looks on either Olivia’s or Mandy’s face when they took a long sip, sugar was futile at best.

Olivia began to talk to another senior councilor next to her, so Mandy just sipped on her now overly sweetened yet still intensely strong coffee. After a few hours of working on the different program schedules for most of the afternoon, Mandy found it nice to have a seat and have a coffee finally. If she could only stop her mind whirling like this to enjoy the break, it might feel a whole lot better.

Here it was for Mandy, her first day as a councilor and she could not stop thinking about Alison and this odd phone call she might have had. This was just adding to all of this secretive things that her lover was doing, and topping off the odd ways she has been acting lately. This really did weighed on her.. and the fact that she had half assed noticed that it had been going on a long time did not help, it told her that she had passed these things off for all of that time. She now finally had noticed.

Mandy hoped that she could slip away for a time, and clear all of this up so she could get down to her work in earnest. She had not even seen the girl since they had gotten their cabin assignments when they had arrived here. She sighed, as she had no idea when that could be done at the moment, but she knew that she would have a time before the camp was invaded by the raucous campers slated to arrive the day after next. The camp had a ton of work to get done, and not long to finish it in.

She took the mug with her overly sweetened java and headed out to the where she had been shown the smoking area for the councilors was. As she left, Olivia paused from her discussion and reminded her that their break would be over in about fifteen minutes, and they had to attend a first aid refresher courses before supper. Mandy nodded and hurried to have her cigarette, knowing very well that the fifteen minutes left would not be long enough time for her to have that talk with her lover.

She hoped that a smoke not only would help her calm a little, she thought a little fresh air for awhile would improve the coffee as well. She had to help herself really try and focus on her job for awhile... personal problems needed to be settled on personal time, that was her mom’s favorite saying..

The young woman found that the breezeless air had warmed up a little as she took a seat in one of the wood chairs. Seeing the warm sun now out and smiling down, this late afternoon had became a very pleasant summer day. She lit one of her smokes and sat back into the tall back, letting herself listen to the constant tin of chatter that came out of the inside lounge area behind her. Taking another drag, she was obviously still hesitant to drink her coffee, even out int the quiet.

Miss Ashfield came out of the lounge area a few minutes later. With a smile so bright, she took a seat next to Mandy. The younger lady looked over at the very tall lady and smiled, as this was the first time she had see Miss Ashfield since the day she had left camp years ago..

" Busy day one, isn’t it?" The woman asked, lighting her own smoke.

Mandy nodded, she agreed with that statement.

" As a camper, we never realize all the work that it takes to make this place run..." She said. " Now that I am a councilor, I really see what goes on even before as campers, really goes on."

" You noticed all of that, once the shoe was on the other foot?" Said the still very pretty woman, smoothing back her long locks of gold. " We do more than show up to wait for you as kids... "

" Yeah." Nodded Mandy.

The lady chuckled and looked ast the girl.

" It has been such a long time since you have seen this place, eh?" Miss Ashfield said.

" It has been almost four years." The younger councilor said.

" Considering that you and Alison are in University... it has been many years since you have been a camper..." She agreed, with a musical giggle. " So... you’re the one who is going in into be a Pediatrician, right?"

Mandy shook her head and giggled at the lady’s query.

" I am the one going in to law... I’m going to be a Legal Advocate for special interest groups some time..." Corrected the girl, adding. " Alison is the one who after another five years, will be a Pediatric specialist."

" You two have both grown so much... I can see how the both of you have..." The lady said, with a wide smile on her angular face. " It’s almost like I feel like some sort of proud parent or something.... with the two of you doing all of this."

The young councilor smiled, as the woman’s pride made her so good just to hear it. Mandy gave a shy smile at the head of Camp Pawa, not really knowing how to respond to such a heart-felt comment.

" Thank you, Miss Ashfield."

" You are an adult now, Miss Thayer..." Said the woman, her voice showing a sternness that was clearly in a humorous way. " Since you work here now, and are not considered to be a teen any longer... to you, I’m Alexis."

" All right then... Alexis." She said, feeling the pride well up in her. The pride to be recognized as an adult... or at least a little more of an adult.

The two went silent for a moment, each taking a drag of their smokes. Alexis looked over at the girl next to her.

" So... you and Alison are still together." Said the woman with a little bit of a singing tone to it.

"Four years also..." Mandy said back, with a hint of tightness.

" Four years.... I only have had a relationship once that long.... That is so nice to hear." Commented the woman, seemingly dreamy. " So being together that long... does it mean that you are both into your second year in school then?"

" Third year..." Smiled the long haired girl.

" Third year... I am truly impressed here." Alexis said, lifting her own mug in a gesture of saluting the young woman." I did not know what year you both were in..When I had talked to Alison earlier today, she never told me any of this."

Mandy blinked and tried to stay calmed. This was the second time she had to hear something about her girl from someone else other than Alison herself

" When did you see her last?" She asked, trying not to tip off that she was desperate to hear this question answered.

Alexis only paused for a second to take a drag from her smoke.

" Saw her coming in to the room with the public phone room in it earlier... she had a call come in from the city." Said the woman. " Guess because of that Phone call, she had no time to explain things to me anyways."

" A phone call?" Asked Mandy.

" Yeah... I was the one who answered it. I called her to the phone and transferred the call over..." Smiled the head of the camp, seemingly trying to read the odd look that was on Mandy’s face at the moment. " You did not know?"

Mandy shook her head.

" I have not talked to her since this morning, when we arrived." She said.

" She been probably busy, she is with our resident obsessive compulsive Councilor Debbie. The way Debbie works, I am guess that Alison will tell you when she gets the time too, I guess..." Alexis said, adding. " It seemed like now real emergency or anything close to it... It was only her sister phoning for her anyway."

To the surprise of the Administrator, the reaction coming from Mandy was one of franticness and confusion smashed into one very unique expression. She eyed the girl, hoping to hear why she seemed like this.

The younger councilor shook her head quit hard, and Alexis gave a confused glance.

" What..." The tall woman said, watching that odd expression morph into another one.

" That can’t be her sister..." Snapped the younger girl.

" That was the one who was phoning..." The lady explained, a little perplexed with the girl’s reaction. " The woman on the other end told me that, and had said that she only needed to talk to Alison briefly."

Mandy glared right into her boss’s face and locked eyes... eyes that show the obvious signs of someone that was in total disbelief.

" She only has two younger brothers in her family... she does not have a sister!" Mandy said sharply, the side of the hand that had the smoke in it slammed down hard on the arm of the chair.

" No sisters?" Said a very surprised woman, seeing the anger that flowed across the girl’s face.

She has not even a single aunt either" Nodded Mandy.

" Are you sure of that?" Alexis asked in reflex to what she had just heard.

Setting her mug down, the very upset girl threw her burning smoke to the gravel under the chairs. Mandy stood there, her body trembling under a huge mixture of emotions that were all wanting to come out at once.

" I have went out with her for four years.... I know her entire family!!" She said loudly, shocking the camp boss with it’s fury.

Without another word spoken, Mandy stormed off with anger flashing through her entire face. The young girl turned the corner of the lounge cabin, and turned in the direction of the main part of the camp. With her anger fueling Mandy, she was out of the sight of Miss Ashfield in seconds.

Miss Ashfield watched the girl storm off, not even taking her mug of coffee with her. Unable to hear the girl’s heavy feet anymore, She took a deep breath in and shook her head, her reaction to all of this was total surprise. Alexis took a puff from her smoke and kept looking at the corner that the girl had turned.

" I think that a whole lot of shit is going to be hitting the fan here..." She thought to herself.

She did not know what Alison was up to, even if their was just a communication problem. The not having a sister thing was something to think about, and saw the reaction of Mandy was normal for a situation like this... all she knew was to let Mandy deal with it, because that was Camp policy on Administrator/councilor relations.

Alexis did admit to herself, that she was still worried about Mandy, and whatever was going on in the first place.

It was dark outside, the wind which had been light all day, had now al but stopped. There was a hint of a heat up hanging in the night, a tantalizing tease to the summer weather that was coming quickly to Pawa..

Most councilors had gone off to bed, each were more than tired from the days duties of setting up things for the campers. Those tasks had continued until late into the hours of late evening. Tiredness ran amuck among every last one of the workers at Camp Pawa... except for one. Mandy was still wide awake in her bed, staring up at a shadow cast ceiling.

For an hour, the girl had layed in her camp bed, listening to the low toned snoring of Olivia in the bed next to her. For this hour, she had tossed and turned every which way humanly possible, but no sleep was coming to spell her. After this hour had passed, it was clear that sleep had vanished from her hands.

Her worries seemed justified, as she had twice tried to go and talk to Alison, to try and get some things answered. Both times, she had not been there, only she very curt acting Debbie was there in cabin twelve- and was no help in locating the pretty bookworm, and seemed so irritated at Mandy even having the audacity of asking her where Alison was. She decided not to ask that lady again, finding this Debbie woman to be very hard to deal with..

Out of options until morning came, Mandy had then taken a walk around the grounds. She busied herself with checking certain hiding spots she knew where Alison might have gone even this late. After three full rounds of the grounds in searching for the girl, she found that there was no sign of where the short haired girl had gone off to at this late at night, or any indication that she was in bed right now.

Frustrated, It seemed that the girl was nowhere ... or that Alison did not want to be found in the first place Dejected and now very much confused with everything, Mandy gave up for the night at that point, hoping that she would finally corner the girl one way or another the very next day... before she went crazy with all of this.

Mandy sat up and climbed out of bed, she felt like she could not lay there any longer. She pulled on just a pair of pyjama pants and a teeshirt and headed outside. Perhaps a smoke might help her calm down enough to sleep, so she could get up early and have that little heart to heart with her seemingly vanished girlfriend. It was the only thing her mind could focus on.

Once outside into the din of night, she lit the smoke and started to walk. She was glad that Olivia was a fairly sound sleeper, as she had not been very smooth at sneaking out of the room they shared. The woman just kept on sleeping, and she was grateful of that, as she got out without any complications.

Mandy headed down to the lakeside, taking one path that would eventually loop down to the lake, rather than the steep direct approach most people used on a daily basis back when she had been a camper. She did that on purpose, as this path was the one that curved the opposite way and went all the way around various cabins, including Cabin twelve, before looping back and ending up going down to the waters of Pawa.

She passed cabin twelve after a few minutes, and could see no lights on in the place even at the back. She thought about banging on the door like a madwoman, to force Alison to get out of bed so they can clear this whole thing up once and for all... but after dealing with the bitchy Debbie twice, she dismissed that all together. She just kept on her long rout down to the water, where she had sometimes found peace it the stillness of the lake.

The water was so calm when Mandy got there. It was like glass, the surface reflecting the moon so beautifully, and refracting it into little points of light that danced in the darkness. Just the sight of the calmness, made the girl feel better. She took a drag of her cigarette and decided to follow the shoreline for awhile, to clear her mind from all of this stuff milling around in her head like opposing sumo wrestlers.

The night held her tightly in it’s dimmed hands, making her feel strangely at ease. Dispite the fact that she was wearing only the pyjama bottoms and shirt, she was not the least bit chilly on this night walk, and that made it more plesant. She continued to walk on, keeping the single light that always was on over the edge of the camp’s dock in her sight for reference when she would go back.

She came upon a solitary figure sitting on a grass and sand bank just a few hundred feet down the shore. She could see by the moonlight overhead, that it was Alison that sat there in the dim. She felt her emotions rise to levels she never experienced before, but she settled them th best as she could and went up to the girl. This would end right now... she thought as she approached.

She noticed that the bookworm sat there, wrapped in a beach blanket, totally not knowing that she was there in the first place.

" Alison..." She said, breaking the quiet.

The girl with the glasses jumped and looked up to where a voice had came out of. She seemed more than shocked to find Mandy standing there. She said nothing, but stared at Mandy with this odd look in her face.

" We have to talk..." Started Mandy, obviously she was not feeling like mincing any words with the girl.

She sat down beside the girl on the sandy grass and looked at her. Even in the moonlight, Alison look so beautiful, and she felt the well of her love to her all of a sudden... that was making this hard for the long haired girl to continue.

" I will ask you straight out...What’s going on with you?" She said, as bluntly as she could.

" Going on..." Alison stammered, her voice trembling.

" Don’t do that...passing it off... we always have been honest with one another since we had started to go exclusively with each other..." Mandy warned. " I heard about the phone call you got and that it was a woman who had said that she was your ‘sister’..." She paused to calm herself. " I found out, and I know for a fact that you don’t have any sisters."

The girl fidgeted a little, not once looking at Mandy for a long time. She made no attempt to say anything, which made the long haired girl worried.

" Is this a girl you have been seeing behind my back?" Bluntly said Mandy. " Have you been cheating on me? Are you?"

Alison looked right into Mandy’s eye, there was a strange look dancing behind her dark colored stare.

" It is... and is not what you are figuring out..." She finally mumbled.

" Which is it." Said Mandy, now getting pissed off. " Cheating or not cheating?"

Alison nodded, seeming knowing that she needed to say exactly what was happening to her lover.

" The person who phoned me was my friend, Leena." She said. " She called here for me."

" That is the one whose a nurse? The one you have been friends with since grade three?" Inquired Mandy.

" That’s her"

" Is she the one you are seeing? I did not know she was even gay." Said Mandy breathlessly.

" No, She is married, not gay..." She said so calmly. " She phoned me and pretended to be my ‘sister’... all because I had asked for her to phone me here at camp, and to make sure no one knew her at all..."

Mandy was not understanding that point. She shifted to look right at Alison, locking her focus on to her.

" Why would you get her to phone you? She asked, as flashed of CC flooded her fear. " Are you sick or something.?"

" I am not sick... it is something else..." She blurted out, knowing that Mandy went there instantly.

" Then what the hell is going on!" Mandy said, her frustration and anger beginning to show.

Tears began to trickle from the bookworm’s eyes, the drops sparkling like little diamonds in the moonlight. Mandy held her breath, as something about the tears made her pause and watch for a moment.

" I did not want to say anything yet, because I did not want to hurt you... you are such a great person, who I care about... and love." She stammered. " We have been together four years... graduated high school together and everything. I love being with you but I never wanted to hurt you..."

" Hurt me... why... what would this phone call be about that could hurt me?" Mandy said. " You being all secretive and doing stuff behind my back hurts me.. what could hurt me more?"

" Because of what has happened..." Alison bluntly said, with a flatness.

" Did you contract something from someone?" Asked Mandy, feeling the rollercoaster of emotions flooding her. " You got VD from a one night stand or something.

Alison lifted her head, and leveled her heat right at Mandy.

" No..." She said. " She told me that I am pregnant."

The words hit Mandy like a runaway locomotive. Her mind spun with the answer she had gotten. She looked at the girl with her mouth open, she felt a cold chill engulf her.

" Pregnant?" She stuttered, not believing what she heard. " Did you just say that your pregnant?"

" Nine weeks to be the exact...." She calmly said.

She looked at the girl, her anger now taking over.

" You cheated on me with a guy? You fucked a guy" She shouted. " That is the only way possible...I sure as hell know that I could not have gotten you pregnant. Who? Who was it that you fucked?"

" Does it matter now?" Flatly asked Alison.

" Fucking yes it does." Screamed back the girl. " Who was the bastard that screwed my girlfriend?"

Alison took a long breath in, while she looked at the very distraught girl who looked at her with a face that made her own heart ache.

" Allen Perot.... he is the father of my baby." She said. " He was the one that I was with."

Mandy knew that name. He was a guy they both new from other people, a engineering student who was taking biotechnology courses with Alison to further his range in the field. He was a tall, thin lad with a big infectious smile and had a almost shy quality to him... they had met him the first year they were at University after joining a birthday party for another person they knew. After that, Allen had became friend with them both.

" Oh no... He raped you then?" Gasped Mandy, figuring the obvious at that moment, hoping that was it.

" He did not rape me... I wanted to have sex with him." She said so meekly. " We fell in love over the last half year, and the sex just happened one night before I could find a way to tell you what I was feeling to him without hurting you in the process.."

Mandy felt her heart sink in her chest.

" Did you just tell me that... love him?" She whispered, so unbelieving of what she had heard. " But... you have said that you love me..."

" I do love you, so much... you are my first love ever, Mandy..." Alison said, her voice now quivering." I never would have thought that I was bi-sexual, because I always seemed to be attracted to girls.. but I found him to be so attractive to me..." She said, explaining herself. " I love you still... that has not changed... but I love Allen as well."

Mandy felt her body shaking, her eyes welling with tears yet her anger was blocking any of it from coming out.

" But you slept with him... and you are telling me that you were also sleeping with me? Living with me? Building a life with me, and I was building it with you also?" Mandy said, her mind racing away. Her hurt choking her from the inside. " How could you?"

" I made love to you... because I do love you. I cherish all of those times even now..." She said, trying to explain herself. " That never changed... but I made love with him, because I lover him as well..."

" You cheated on me, got yourself fucking pregnant and you still have the nerve to say that you still love me??" The girl screamed, jumping to her feet to stand over Alison.. " That is just plain bullshit!!"

" I never wanted to hurt you... it just happened when you went out of town..." She said, the last words trailing off into the night. " We had been seeing each other for a little while... we found ourselves alone and... you know..."

Mandy felt her blood beginning to become boiling, and found that she was clenching her fists hard against her legs. She felt a rage that was far from what she had felt before. She glared at the girl on the bank, hatred flooding her.

" I cant believe it...You cheat on me, and want to just accept this crap of you loving someone else?!" Mandy screamed as loudly as she could.

" I wanted to come clean... but I needed to find a way to tell you before I did..."

Mandy was now beyond angry. She stopped her first instinct she had of slapping the girl across the face, and just glared into the face that looked up at her.

" I won’t stand for you doing this to me like this! Ever! You can find your way back to the city when this camp is over..." She yelled, feeling that anger flow from herself. " You then get yourself out of the apartment and out of my life! We are so fucking through.. hope he can trust you to be faithful to him... I don’t think you will be though."

" I do love you, and I want for you to know that before i told you all of this..." The girl tried to say.

" Fuck that, you bitch!!" Mandy screamed, surprising herself at the level of swearing she was doing... yet not caring one bit. " You just can go to hell!"

Mandy turned and started to run. Her anger was changing into tears, and she did not want to give the girl the satisfaction of seeing how hurt she was feeling. Down the beach she fled headlong, head in her hands. She could hear Alison calling her name, but she ignored it and continued on.

Alison now stood on the beach watching the girl run off. With tears of her own pouring down her face, she could barely follow the figure as it race head along away from her like as if shot out of a cannon. She patted her still flat stomach as she stood there beside the waters of Lake Pawa.

" What have I goddamn done?" She said to herself.

She knew one thing for sure, on thing that her inside of herself was screaming at her all of the time... she had hurt the one who had seen the real her, and that is the one person who now literally loathed her. She could not blame her in any way.

Mandy opened her eyes and groaned. By the light that streamed into the bed from the window over her, morning had came. She instantly remembered what had happened the night before, and fought the explosion of crying that was already there. The hurt was still so raw, what Alison had done fueling the darkness that her heart held.

She layed there for a moment, noticing that Olivia was still snoring away in her bunk.... although a little louder than the night before. She made herself take a breath in purposely, wanting not to end up a complete blubbering basket case on her second day... but she wondered if she could pull that off. The thought of Alison in that man’s arms and rutting like a horny beast, was pounding away on her psyche... it was a image she did not want, but it was unrelentingly right there.

The night before played wildly in her mind, How could it not? Alison’s unemotional words still cut so deeply into her heart, touching her very soul with what it meant. She could still hear them,

"I’m pregnant" Alison’s voice kept replaying in her mind.

After breaking up with Alison, she had run away from the beach area and away from the heart of camp as well. She had found the quiet and solitude of the archer field in her blind flight from the girl. With that field being as far from the camp as it was, without going off of Pawa’s property, she sat herself right into the very center of it.

Sitting in the moonlight and crying her heart out to the stillness, Mandy ended up smoking almost a full half pack of cigarettes before she could get her emotions under control. She just could not stop trying to think of what she had done that was so bad to made her long time lover do what she had done. What was her part that ended up forcing her girlfriend into the arms of another...into the arms of a man...but after pondering it so intently, she could not find a single reason. After crying herself out, Mandy decided to make her way back to the cabin and to her bed.

When she had successfully snuck back into the quiet of the cabin, the clock on the wall in the main area said that it was almost two in the morning. She discarded what she had been wearing before going into the councilor sleeping quarters, not wanting all of the rustling to bother the still sleeping Olivia, and went to bed. All she wanted to do was to hid in the darkness of the night.

Mandy quickly put herself into her small bunk, purposely rolling herself to face the far wall. She layed there in the dark, her mind was spinning and her heart feeling shattered into millions of pieces. It would be about another full hour of softly sobbing into the pillow, while questioning herself over everything that her mind could come up with, before she finally had fallen to sleep out of exhaustion.

Now that she was unfortunately wide awake, she could hear the birds outside chirping up a storm, heralding the start of the day with the exuberance of nature itself. The bird’s morning songs usually made her feel happy and made the day brighter... this morning it did not make her feel that way. The singing of the songbirds actually had in effect deepened her mood to a lower level, almost to the point of aggravating her..

She sighed and layed there, trying not to let the silliness of being agitated with the birds get any farther than what it was. To redirect her thoughts from all of this crap, she wondered what time it was, then remembering that she had her wristwatch sitting on the stand next to her bed. Picking up the gold banded little thing and using the sunlight that had woken her up, she read twenty to six.

" That’s just great..." She muttered to herself, having even the time now bothering her.

She put the watch down and shook her head. She had twenty minutes left until she needed to actually be up, and she had only a few hours of sleep. That was not a good thing, when you had tons of things to get done before over a hundred and some kids were about to invade them the next day while you felt your world crash. Putting the pillow over her head, she wanted just to hide.

Making herself just lay there, she groaned and hoped that she could make herself fall back asleep at least for the last twenty minutes. It would be twenty minutes of total forgetting of the horrible day that had passed... and it would be twenty minutes that she could numb the pain in her heart.

Closing her eyes, she tried to force herself to get back to sleep, but already she was expecting that would not be happening. She could not stop herself from thinking about it, or settle the huge weight that had replaced where her heart had been. She was feeling like her entire world was crumbling around her, and she was totally powerless to stop it from doing so.

******

One hour later, Olivia and Mandy reached the dining hall for breakfast and the list of the things needed to ready Pawa for the next day from the Camp’s head person. It was now a little over twenty four hours or so until the children were to arrive, and there was still a whole lot of stuff to take care of..

Olivia took a seat beside her councilor partner at the breakfast table, coffee and a plate of overly burnt toast in hand. She looked at the long tressed young lady beside her and noticed that the normal bubbliness she knew in the girl, was very much absent. She was sitting, looking into her coffee with this so vacant of a stare.

" You alright, Mandy?" The woman inquired, seeing the younger woman’s face and how pale her complexion was. " You seem quiet today."

" Did not sleep well." Was the answer Mandy gave.

" Did you get any seep at all?" Said Olivia, snapping more awake.

" Couple hours I guess... I just need some coffee."

Through her still half sleep fogged mind, Olivia just could feel that something was not at all right with the girl next to her. She could feel emotions so dark emanating from the girl, telling her that it was not just the lack of sleep that was affecting the younger woman. She eyed the girl for a few moments, the drawn face and slumped posture told of something that was very wrong.

Olivia then took a visual scan of the Dining hall. She quickly picked out the two figures that were Alison and Debbie, who were sitting together about half way across the large expanse of the hall. Even from this distance, Olivia noted the drawn face and deep darken rings around the eyes of the girl in the glasses, Alison’s paleness also caught her attention. She watched the girl for a few moments, and quickly noticed that Alison was taking great care not to take a look over this way. She noted also that if Mandy had seen her girlfriend, she was not acknowledging the girl as well.

She put two and two together, and knew that this relationship was sinking faster than the Titanic. Olivia was going to speak to her young councilor pardner, but Miss Ashfield stood up to give the staff the speech of the day and lay out what had to be done before sundown tonight. She knew now was not the time to poke into what was going on. She planned to just play it cool while they were working, and just try and see what had happened between the two.

Cleaning the bathroom and shower cabins is one of the tasks that no one liked, but was necessity when you have children coming. That was the main task assigned to Mandy and Olivia, along with a team of others, to go out to the various bathroom cabins around camp to give them a real deep down cleaning..

Olivia watched the girl as she swung the mop at their first assigned bathroom. The girl was so deliberate in her strokes, almost as if she was trying to mop the tiles right off the floor with every swing she took. The woman would venture a glance at the girl’s face from time to time, and always saw that it had not changed since breakfast... there was not even a hint of a smile was on the smooth face.

******

Mandy found herself almost winded by the time the last bathroom and shower area was finished. She wiped the sweat from her face, and wished she could dirty the showers up by showering right then. She hrumfed a little at the thought, as it was a nice and refreshing thought. She picked up the bucket she was using and hurried out of the large tiled room to meet up with her partner in cleanliness.

She found Olivia was done the changing room and had nearly done the bathroom part as well. They had done four of the facilities cabins now, and it was just past ten thirty. It was a spirited cleaning job, and they had gotten all of them done much faster than they had been expecting to.

Olivia gave the young girl a smile, as she finished the last few feet of bathroom floor with a flair of the mop.

" We are done these cans it seems." She said, almost seemingly proud of it. " I am so impressed! Four bathroom cabins along with the showers in just a few hours... we were cleaning whirlwinds today!!"

" Seems so..." Said the girl, smiling a little as her friend’s grin was contagious and broke through her mood.

The older woman gave a little chuckle, as she noticed that the girl had finally cracked a smile of her own. Olivia leaned on the mop and regarded the shorter young lady, and nodded a little.

" That is the first smile I have seen on you all day." She commented. " That looks so much better than that sour face you had been sporting."

" Guess I am having a bad day..." Mandy replied, a little surprised that Olivia had noticed her mood dispite trying not to show it.

" Have one hell of a bad day or what?" The older woman asked, her words holding almost a knowing tone in it

Mandy looked at the woman, as she thought the woman could not have a clue to what had happened the night before... yet being so observant, Olivia had already pieced together that things were not all peaches and cream with her. The girl nodded and took a deep breath in, looking right into the face of her partner here at Pawa.

" Have a little on my mind I guess." She said softly, with a meek stare at her camp partner.

" Trouble between you and Alison?" She prodded, raising an eyebrow.

" Something like that..." Mandy said.

" Is it a big something or small something?" Olivia asked, watching the younger gal’s face.

The girl did not know how to respond to the question. Her face dropped and she looked down at her feet.

" By that face I see your sporting, I am guessin’ pretty close that it to be a big one indeed..." Said Olivia.

" You could say it’s really big!" Admitted the girl.

" Let me guess... I’d bet the bank that she cheated on you?" Said the woman, very assured of her query

" Yeah... She did..." Mandy replied a little shakily, then added through trying not to burst out crying. " And a little more..."

Olivia blinked, as the last part of the girl’s comment struck her. She peered at the girl with a small squint as she stood up from leaning on the mop handle.

" A little.... more?" She asked with emphasis on the last word.

" Yeah..." Said the young woman.

" Did this girl, that Alison slept with, give her some sort of VD or threaten you?"

" I wish it was only that simple of a problem..." Said a now really shaky Mandy.

" Then... what?"

Mandy looked right into the woman’s eyes, her face still very void of any emotions... except the eyes showed pain.

" She’s pregnant." She flatly said, surprised that she had actually said it out loud to Olivia.

The woman seemed to nearly fall over, as soon as Mandy had spoken the words. She took a breath in, obviously trying to comprehend what had been told to her.

" Are you serious?" Olivia finally said.

" I wish I wasn’t." Said the short lady, as her face dropped more. " She told me that she was pregnant."

" She fucked a guy?" The woman crudely said, her disbelief apparent.

Olivia sat Mandy down on one of the benches used to change for showering. She looked right in to the girl’s eyes.

" I thought she so happy with you... and you were happy as well from what I could gather." She whispered. " What happened?"

" She found herself realizing that she might be Bi... and ran with it."

" You just sit there, and tell me the whole fucking story..." Said Olivia, seeing the tears that now were flowing down Mandy’s face.

" You don’t have to...it’s my problem to try and figure out..." Mandy said through her crying, but was cut off.

" If I did not want to hear, I would not have asked in the first place." Said the woman. " We have been friends for years here... even though in the past I was the councilor and you the camper, so get over that and just spill it, girl!"

For the next fifteen minutes, Mandy found herself pouring out her heart. She found herself unable to contain it any longer, the words flowed out of her like a torrent of a raging rapids... as did many tears. Olivia stood stone like and listened to all of the deception and lies surrounding what had happened. .

When Mandy was all done her explanation, Olivia just put her arm around her camp assistant and nodded.

" That is just beyond doing something shitty to someone... what Alison did... that is cruel." The woman spat. " And you had no idea?"

" I did..." She nodded. " I feel like a fool!"

" Your no fool..." Sternly calmed the woman. " What she did... was so hurtful.. I know that feeling... had a boyfriend years ago do that to me."

Mandy nodded, feeling better now that someone knew, and actually understood her mood. She broke a smile, it was just a small one, but it was a pure one.

" I have the remedy for cheating and lying ex’s bunch of bullshit.. no matter if the ex’s are guys or girls!" Olivia announced, hugging the girl tightly.

" What type of remedy are you suggesting?" Mandy asked.

" All of us councilors always go out for a few drinks on the night before the kids come..." She smiled, with a impish smirk a mile wide. " Here is my plan...We’ll go out to the town north of here... get you not falling down drunk, but we will get you sufficiently anesthetized for a couple of hours."

Mandy laughed at the suggestion.

" I don’t drink much..." She admitted, through her giggling. " It will take just a few to do that."

" Then because I’m buying you the drinks... It won’t end up costing me an arm and a leg.... thank god for cheap drunks like you..." She winked, adding. " Come on, we have a cabin now to mop, along with those other picky-assed tasks to get out of the way, before we can get you feeling no pain."

" Get me sobbing like someone having a break-down, then put me back to menial work?" Said Mandy, now laughing through the last few words. " That is cruel...It’s inhuman..."

" Ya gotta pay, to get drunk around here... you mopping will suffice for me." Olivia said.

The two began to laugh hard, as they headed out to return to their cabin, and the clean up that awaited them.

The town of Pasha was a vacation spot Mecca, but a small one by anybody’s standards, as was the town’s main drinking spot. The Tree-line Bar holds perhaps a hundred people at most inside what was an old farm parts store. It was, as the locals say, the only true hotspot in the town.

Olivia took Mandy to The Tree-line, along with two others right after they had finished the setting up for the arriving children the next day. The councilors all followed the time honored tradition, and headed into Pasha for a night of drinking and relaxation... to pack the little bar in the middle of nowhere.

Along with Olivia and Mandy, they were accompanied by two others. There was Doug, the preteen boys cabin Four councilor who was an out going chunky man with wild blond hair and equal as wild personality. It seemed that the man had been there for so long by this year, that it was joked that Pawa had been built around him.... or at least that is how Olivia described him. He seemed to like everyone, and the feeling was instantly mutual from Mandy. He was a very likable character

The last of the group was Abby. She was a very tall and incredibly thin woman, by looking at her, she seemed to be like a Flower Child from the late sixties caught in a time warp and brought to the present day. With long frizzy hair that was actually very nice on her, the white shirt with a ridiculously odd saying on it and finished up with large rounded sunglasses, she did look and act the part of the ‘Hippie’.

The group of four took a seat in the temporarily half full place at the back, beside a old jukebox that was pumping out some tunes. They all ordered a gallon pitcher of beer for everyone to share, along with a normal drink for each person. Once they had the beverages and a huge bowl of pretzels, they all sat back to enjoy the few remaining hours before heading back to Camp to await the arrival of the kids early next morning.

Doug and Olivia were in a spirited discussion over something political in nature, but seemed to be having fun being at opposite ends of it. They were arguing like crazy, yet there was no angriness attached to it all. Mandy sat back and listened, sipping on the tall mug of beer she had been handed while puffing away on her smoke. Abby was busy checking out a tall man sitting alone at the bar, her attentions so focused on the man at the moment- it was almost like she had forgotten she had came with people.

Mandy was feeling a little better by now, relaxed and just enjoying being out.. With a beer in hand and out with people like this, it was like a small vacation from all of the craziness that was happening overtop of the work they had just finished. Redirecting her focus on things that were pleasureful was helping, the cold beer in her hand was just a good addition to everything.

" Olivia was right." She mused to herself... this was just the thing she was needing.

Taking another sip of her frosty cold beverage on and off, she cold actually feel herself relaxing little by little. It was driving that image of Alison out of her head for the time, her stress was fading. She smiled and just began talking to Olivia, who seemed to have had enough political discussions for one night.

About two hours past, and so had three full mugs of beer into the young councilor... Mandy now was feeling the alcohol buzz kicking in. She was feeling just a touch of giddiness while she was enjoying everything The Tree-line had to offer... and well as the comradery of her fellow councilors. Feeling more relaxed than she had been, she even found herself checking out one young woman who was standing not far from her, looking at the song selections on the jukebox while sipping on a beer.

Mandy could not help noticing that this young thing was exceptionally beautiful, dressed in her purple top and tight fitting walking shorts. She felt her own face flushing, as the long legs that came out of the girl’s shorts were like looking at heaven. She noticed how the girl’s blonde hair was pulled into a ponytail, and how that helped show just how silky and shiny like spun gold it was. The girl’s heart shaped face had very little, if any, make up on it smoothness... that natural beauty needed little help for it to show through, Mandy thought to herself.

The girl never looked over once, but that did not matter. Mandy just tried her best not to be so obvious that she was staring at the girl, normally she was a very discreet type of person when it came to that... but the amazing attractiveness of the girl made it hard for her not to be staring. She knew that it just might be the beer making her like this, and for once, she tried not to be so self-conscious.

Olivia leaned over and giggled in Mandy’s ear all of a sudden.

" Seeing something your liking, Little miss Mandy?" She said.

" Uh, yeah." Said a now embarrassed Mandy, realizing that she had got caught looking at the girl.

" She’s a pretty young thing, I gotta admit...." Olivia giggled as she looked over to the girl Mandy was eyeing, obviously the woman had caught a buzz also.

" She is pretty...isn’t she..." Admitted Mandy, her eyes falling back on to the pretty thing.

" Gonna go up ‘n’ talk to her then?" Razzed Olivia, nudging her with an elbow repeatedly. " I think that girl works at the camp as well, would be convenient... Go on, you’re a free player now!"

Mandy blushed shook her head, as her embarrassment grew.

" No... not right now I think...." She stuttered

" Awh... Go for it... all she can do is shoot you down." She said back, poking Mandy with her elbow again.

"Your so bad....." Mandy giggled nervously, while a little voice in her head was telling her that she was not quite ready for that type of step just yet.

" Don’t say that I didn’t try to encourage you any..." Olivia said, taking a swig of her drink.

Mandy just laughed and took another sip of her beer. Olivia had gone quiet for a time, then leaned back to the young girl again.

" Don’t look now, but Doug here is startin’ to eye you up..." Olivia said

" He is?" Said Mandy, seeing the man was looking at her... but not in a creepy leering way... but still it was like a man looking at a woman.

" He thinks your pretty, I overheard him say..." Olivia said with a giggle. " Little does he know that he doesn’t have a snowballs chance in hell with you... does he?" She snickered. " for you, he has the wrong parts!"

Mandy giggled bashfully and nodded. Doug was a nice guy, but Olivia was right with her thoughts.

" Your way too blunt for your own good, but that is right...." Mandy said, adding. " Say...Why don’t you go for Doug yourself?"

" I did not know you had it in you... to even suggest that to me..." Said Olivia, looking at the girl with shock.

" So are you going too?" Said Mandy, needling the woman back.

" Quoting you... Not right now!" Was the woman’s answer.

" Chicken!" Pestered Mandy back in play.

" Cluck, cluck." Said the woman back, much to the surprise of the young woman next to her.

Olivia peeled off a loud fit of laughing and nearly spilling her beer in the process, much to the confusion of the two at the table. The confused two looked at the laughing women, then at one another as they took another drink..

Mandy also join in the group ‘sip’, the she suddenly stood up.

" I’ll be back, guys..." She said, finding herself not as unstable from the drinks as she was expecting to be..

" Let me guess... the beer is starting to do it’s inevitable work.... to pee it out?" Olivia said, smirking.

" Yeah." Laughed Mandy, stepping away from the table.

" Well, with beer... comes pee even for me. I’ll come with you... gotta really pee too.." Said Olivia nodding as she got up from the table very quickly, obviously she had to go rather urgently.

The youngest of the councilors at the table laughed, and went off with her friend to the washrooms that were located behind where the jukebox was situated in the bar. The others just stayed at the table, continuing to drink and talk away with some of the other councilors from Pawa that were sitting at various table around the bar.

A few minutes later, Mandy was at the row of sinks in the bathroom, fixing her hairband a little, after relieving herself of the beer. She was passing the time while waiting for Olivia, who was still in a stall at the far end of the bathroom, to finish her own pit stop.

" You feeling better, Mandy?" Called the woman’s voice over the sounds of running water.

" You know.. I am." The younger woman said, realizing fully that she was a little better.

" Told you going out for a drink with friends would chase things away..." Said Olivia, walking out of the stall, a drink sodden and relived look on her face. " Now you might get some perspective back on things... forget about that what’s-her-name. After what she did to you...she ain’t worth it, if you ask me."

" You think?"

" After years of failed relations myself... I’d have to say yes on that!"

Mandy smiled and nodded. She was starting to feel that same way already, but just starting on that. It hurt like hell still, but she was getting a little better of a perspective than she had before joining Olivia and the others here. She knew that things would get better, but she would have to go through things that were going to be tough.

After camp, it was gong to be hard When her and Alison finally part ways completely. Alison will have to move out of their apartment before school, that will be rough in itself. There was going to be so much emotional stuff that will come after being together for four years, living together for almost two... but with what has happened, it was now unavoidable. What will be harder still, was the unknowingness of life after that.

Mandy knew that she had her dreams of being a Law Advocate to follow, there are other friends at school who will support her through this and everything, but after being with someone for so long... there was that black specter of doubt looming so large. She knew that she could not bend to that. She would have to buckle down and get to work on her studies, knowing that a failed relationship does not mean she stops her life. What Alison did, hurts, but she vowed now not to let that break her.

She took a long look at herself in the mirror and give that reflection a grin. Her own Pep talk to herself, was just what she needed. Feeling much better now, she followed Olivia back out to their table. Mandy was expecting that they were going to drink a little more, before going back to camp for the night. She smiled, telling herself to have some fun in the process.

She stepped out of the bathroom, and around the jukebox while trailing Olivia, but she suddenly stopped. Two people walking in to the bar caught her eye, and that what had froze her in mid stride. She could not believe what she was seeing with her own eyes...there just inside the main doors of the bar, stood Alison hand in hand with the man that had taken her away and made her pregnant...their friend from school called Allen.

Olivia had noticed that the girl stop, and was baffled with why Mandy had just stopped. The woman saw that Mandy was staring past her, so she then followed the girl’s gaze over the throng of people and to the front of the establishment. The woman caught sight of Alison and the tall man over at the main bar of the little club.

" Oh shit!" Olivia commented, turning to look at her friend.

" Oh shit is right." Agreed Mandy, feeling ever ounce of those emotions she had been working through, now busting out to the surface.

Olivia took a second glance at Alison and the man, then snapped her head back to look at Mandy

" Why would Alison be in here?"

" I... I don’t know..." Said the still shocked young woman.

" Would she have known you were going to be here?" Olivia asked.

" I never told her... have not talked to her since the other night."

The senior councilor took a few moments to eye the two at the front bar.

" Would that man standing next to her... be the one that fucked your little bitch of an ex, would it?" Dryly asked Olivia, showing her dislike she was now having for the girl in question.

" It is... He is Allen" Was all the younger one said.

" Why is he out here, with her, in Pasha?"

" I am not sure...." Mandy said.

Mandy shook her head, as she could not speculate why they were even in the bar in the first place. She wanted her feet to turn so she could find another exit and get the hell out of there as fast as she could have, but what her mind was telling her feet to do failed miserably... they seemed not to want to even move. All she could do then was watch the two, as her heart pounded deep in her chest...and her soul felt like it was breaking into little shards like fine crystal.

Mandy and Olivia both watched as Allen seemed to be there picking up something from the bar’s main counter with Alison happily waiting. Mandy watched, her heart sank as she watched the two, noting they kept close and were hand holding. She fought back the many tears of both hurt and anger that were welling up in her eyes, not wanting to let herself collapse into some sort of pitiful sobbing heap in the middle of this place.

Alison finally took a look around the bar as she waited. Instantly, the girl had spotted Mandy standing near the back of the place. Alison’s face showed not one hint of any emotion, not the slightest indication of what she may or may not have been thinking could be even speculated. As Mandy looked back at her so intensely, the young woman seemed to sink herself into the tall man’s side... while her eyes stayed locked on to Mandy. For a instant, there seemed a glint of defiance in Alison’s brown eyes. After a few seconds, the girl then averted her eyes, the way she did it so cold.

The tall man known as Allan finally got whatever it was from the pudgy bartender, wrapped up in a brown paper bag. Allen payed the bartender with a laugh, then turned to look at Alison. After a few seconds of talking, the two left hand in hand, and exited the bar. Alison never again looked back as they left, she seemed just to stay very close to Allen as the walked out. As quickly as they had appeared, the two were gone.

Mandy looked at Olivia, unable to say a word for a moment. The woman read the girl’s face, she just put her hands on hips.

" That was just plainly screwy as all hell." She spat, then got concerned looking at the still blank faced Mandy. " Your not alright, are you?"

Mandy shook her head and headed to the table again. Sweeping up the mug that held her beer, she looked at Olivia with this look of sheer astonishment as she took a seat heavily.

" No.. I am not alright." She said. " I think I am far from that..."

" How could you be?" Said the woman, looking over at the now empty front doorway. " What do you need?".

" I need a fucking drink." She flatly said, the half full mug was drained in about a second after she had said that.

The two at the table stared over at Olivia and the long dark haired woman, not knowing what was happening. Abby leaned over and eyed the pale faced younger gal.

" You seem mad as hell..." She said, her head swaying a little off to the side as she spoke.

" She saw her ex come in here..." Explained Olivia, but not going any further than that in the explanation. Abby did not have to know anything else.

The hippie lady seemed to pause to pounder all of this very carefully, dispite the fact that she was now almost too drunk.... as this had really caught her attention more than the man she saw earlier, had done.

" Saw an ex, did she?" Mused the flower child out loud. " Thought I was recognizing that look of shock, pain and anger on Mandy’s face..." She hiccuped loudly and smirked before continuing on.. " I myself, have one particular man from my past in mind... if I saw him right now, in this very bar... wow... it would not be a good scene!!."

" Murder scene?" Asked Olivia, trying to lighten the mood a little.

" Precisely!" Nodded the hippie woman, as she once again erupted with a big hiccup fit. " It would be murder... although I think it would be justified on my part!".

" I think we all have that in one way or another..." Commented Olivia, noticing that the woman did not have a clue to who Mandy’s ex really was.

Abby slowly nodded and raised her glass to Mandy.

" I don’t have to know anything else but this..." She said, her bloodshot eyes catching Mandy’s. " ... if I ever see my dumb assed ex-boyfriend ever again, I’d probably end up in jail for murder...."

" I would be in jail forever if I saw my one ex too..." Piped in Doug, who seemed to be the drunkest of their group.

" Your such a copycat..." Said Abby, giving a glare at the man.

" It’s the truth..." Said the man back, his eyes were now glassy as all hell. " But you repeat yourself when your smashed."

Abby just shook her head again at the now far too drunk Doug. She looked across the table at Olivia and raised her now empty glass as she poured some more beer from the gigantic pitcher they had almost emptied by now.

" Olivia... lets just get this girl a wee bit more drunk and take her back... it might not solve things, but damn it feels good from time to time.

" That was my plan... but we cant be too drunk though." Warned Olivia. " We do have the kids coming in first thing.

Abby downed her drink, winced as it slid down and then took a long look over at Olivia.

" The kids arrive...I know..." She grinned, then added after a very un-ladylike loud burp that could be heard over the music. " How unfortunate."

" Lovely!" Sarcastically thought Olivia to herself. Politeness was not one of Abby’s strong suits, she always knew that.

The four soon shifted the talk to other things as another round of drinks came for them. Mandy just sat and had a couple of drinks more the rest of the night... but stayed very silent. Her mind was trying to help her heart... and it was also so very desperate to forget. She could not shake one memory in particular from this night. The defiance that she had seen in Alison’s eyes as she stood there with Allen, haunted her. The more she tried to force it out of herself... she found that it could not be pushed away.

Through the rest of the evening, Mandy made herself hold her own self back from drinking like crazy. She wanted to be nothing more than drunk and numb to get away from the crap that whirled around in her head... but Olivia was right. The children were coming, getting drunk was not an option..

The girl finally found something to be smiling about, as she realized her responsibilities looming closer and closer. Being with the kids...being their councilor... she was sure that it would help her. She had promised to do a job, and she was not about to not do it, because of her now up-in-the-air personal life

******

The four councilors made it back to camp just a little after twelve thirty. Olivia and Mandy seemed to be the soberest ones in the car... dispite each being more than just tipsy, while Abby and Doug were they ones staggering their way to their cabins. They obviously had drank the bulk of the beer and hi-balls this evening.

Through the dark, the two made their way back to Cabin Nine from the parking lot. Mandy was quiet while she was walking, but how she was so intensely smoking on a cigarette said volumes to what may have been going through her mind.

This odd way of acting did not pass the notice of Olivia. She quietly watched her young fellow councilor, as she strolled along beside her. The girl was puffing away like a steam engine going up hill. She wanted to say something to the girl, give a little comfort or some sort of advice... but she had a feeling that it was not the right time to actually do it. She sighed, and kept walking.

The two stepped into the cabin’s silence, hearing their own footsteps echo through. It was still as sparkling clean as they had left it before they gone in to town. To each of them, it was a great thing to see.

" Clean, Hu?" Commented Olivia.

" Very..." Said Mandy, somewhat flatly.

" How long do you think that this level of cleanliness can last though?" Posed the older of the two.

" A day or two..." Mandy said flatly, looking at the ultra clean cabin area around them both.

" I sort of figure that as well..." Snuffed Olivia, knowing that teens, no matter if they happened to be boys or girls, they can all be real slobs.

Leaving the open area and heading straight into their little room at the back of the cabin, they each hurriedly undressed for bed. The arrival of the little people known as Campers will be starting to arrive just after their breakfast tomorrow morning... sleep was a real necessity to be getting now.

Mandy was just about to jump into bed, when she found a white envelope had been jammed under her pillow. The writing that was on the front, was pleading for her to read what was inside, the words seemed to be so desperate in nature. She already had identified that the writing was clearly and unmistakably Alison’s. Without even opening it, Mandy crumpled the envelope and tossed it into the small trash can at the foot of her bed. She stared at it for a moment, laying in the empty wastebasket, then turned away from it.

Olivia was already undressed and tucked in bed, but she was now looking over at Mandy. She had seen Mandy find the envelope that had been placed there, and how the girl had stared at it for a long time... then watched her simply discarded it.

" I take it that envelope was some sort of note from Alison?" She asked,

" Yes." Mandy flatly responded with a snap as she threw her self into bed and threw the covers over her nakedness. Without another word to Olivia, she quickly rolled herself over to face the wall.

Olivia knew that Mandy was not trying to be rude directly to her, and let it go. She did wonder about the girl’s mind set going in to the first day of camp being open to the children. It was not quite on at the moment, but she had some sense that somehow... Mandy will be right on the ball and it would be for the sake of the children that were going to be assigned to them. She turned off the light for them both, and layed there.

An hour went by, and Olivia found that it was now her turn not to be able to sleep. She layed there, listening to the breathing of her bunkmate. By the sounds from the last little while, the girl had finally feel asleep. She was glad for Mandy, as all of this can be so exhausting to be dealing with, but now it was her problem t sleep.

Olivia could not stop thinking about Alison, and what she had done to Mandy. It seemed to have touch a very raw nerve in her, a nerve that she never even knew that she had in the first place.

Olivia herself had been married twice, but neither one of the break-ups had been because of infidelity. Her marriages had all just had seemed to fall apart within the space of a few years, without ever really knowing why they had collapsed in on her like that. Because of that, she had no idea just why it bothered her like this, but it has.

Olivia sat up on the side of the bed and stayed there in the dark. She could see the sleeping Mandy in her bed, and watched the younger person for a moment. She looked so sweet as she layed there, the moonlight that was coming in partially lit up the girl’s face.

Her attention soon moved to the trash bin at the end of Mandy’s bed. She seemed to be almost drawn to it, now her mind fixed on the letter the girl had gotten. She shook her head, not quite understanding why she was focused on it all of a sudden. She had the urge to see it up close for herself.

Feeling the coolness of the air on her nudity as stood up on her bare feet, she crept over to that side of the room and peered in. She saw the envelope at the bottom of the waste can, crumpled up but still looking pretty much in tact. To her own surprise, she reached in and snatched the envelope out and walked back to her side of the room, looking at what she had in her hand.

The white envelope was unopened, but badly creased and crumpled up. She smoothed it out as quietly as she could do and then turned the writing towards the window for a little moonlight help. The writing was in green ink, and just pleaded for Mandy to open up the letter and read it...if she would do nothing else but. The message scrawled there made Olivia a little mad at it’s apparent boldness.

" The bitch..." She thought in her mind.

Olivia did not replace the envelope to the trash, but ended up tucking the thing into a large book she had sitting on the small stand next to her bed. Once she had closed the book, she found herself really unsure of why she was actually doing this in the first place. She set the book down under the bed, then crawled back into her bed., feeling this wave of relief go through her.

She layed there until she fell asleep, still figuring out why that odd thing she did had calmed her so much.

Kids were piling off the buses like waves of ants onto a larger picnic. They hit the grounds of Camp Pawa on the dead run, each heading for where the cabin assignments had always been posted at on the large bulletin board outside of the administration building. It was only nearing nine in the morning by this time, and it was already so chaotic with only the second of the eight busses scheduled to bring them.

Mandy stood outside of her cabin, waiting to greet the girls that were going to be her’s for one month to start arriving, not long after putting up all of the cardboard signs that would say each cubbyhole room for each girl. Things were ready and raring to go, now all that was left was to wait and meet her gaggle of girls that she would be looking over.

She felt a little nervous as she saw some girls that could have been old enough to be in her cabin heading her way by the path that passed closely, the events of the past few days now put on the back burner. She had already told herself that she could not let her private life get to her many times over this morning in trying to avoid letting her low heart overshadow her mind at this point of time.

She had awoken a little early, and found she had a wee bit of a hangover from the drinking she had done the night before. She had not had been a little tipsy but not even close to drunk... even though she really wanted to get totally smashed after seeing Alison in the bar with that ex-friend of her’s, but she had gotten a hangover anyways. She was hurting and her tongue felt like there was a film on it, that all aside though... she was feeling more than capable of doing what she came to Pawa to do - work..

She started to really wonder how the other two felt this morning though. Abby and the guy had way more to drink than either Olivia and she did. When she had saw them at breakfast this morning, they looked like they were really hurting. She felt bad though, when she saw them both looking like walking zombies, she could not stop from laughing a little. Olivia on the other hand, had nearly peed herself.

She found herself still really feeling a little beside herself, aside from the effects of her hangover... but she was trying to be upbeat. She could not let what has happened to her, get to her... she did have a job to do, and she was determined to do it as good as she could. Alison was not going to ruin her summer and her job, that she had been looking forward to this all school year long. What she would do now with out the young lady had to take a back seat as well for the next four week, and that was a good thing.

The letter she had found on her bed still bothered her as she pushed most things away, but she had willed herself not to fish it out of the trash, but could not get herself to fully get it out of her mind. She did not want to give any satisfaction to the brainy young lady. She was the one who had cheated on her, not the other way around. She felt her anger welling up inside of her again, but she refused to let it overtake her.

Nothing would stop her from doing what she had came to camp for, that was what she kept repeating to herself... not even a cheating girlfriend.

Her thoughts were suddenly broken as she heard more voices now into her direction, they were obviously older teenaged children looking for their cabins. She popped on a smile onto her face and waited, and noted they were angling straight for this particular cabin.

" Here they come..." She told herself, taking a long deep breath. " Let camp now begin."

She noted that two girls coming in her direction, obviously they were old enough to be seniors... the exact ages that were going to be in her cabin for the next thirty days. She readied herself, hoping that it things would work out for her, and met the two on the path to the steps of the cabin.

Within a hour and a half, all eight assigned campers had arrived in Cabin Nine. Olivia and Mandy looked over the group, and smiled as the teens were busy unpacking.

" Looks like a good crop of girls this year...." Olivia commented, her smile was broad and bright.

" Seems like a hell of a load of bags they all brought with them for this..." Giggled Mandy, seeing the mountains of suitcases, totes and other carry-on luggage piled in the very center of the cabin’s main area.. " Don’t anyone travel light anymore?"

" You seemed to have forgotten our most notable hoarder camper of all time... the insufferable Miss Tracy and her massive mountains of clothing then..." Pointed out Olivia, laughing.

The younger Councilor thought back to the prima donna called Tracy. She remembered how much stuff the girl had with here, and found herself laughing as well. She remembered that the girl could have clothed two cabins... and still would have not had to do laundry for the month aside that.

" I nearly forgotten about her and her traveling clothes boutique..." Nodded Mandy, thinking back on the girl she once despised.

" That is one of those campers really sticks out in my head always... she was extreme when it came to clothes." Said Olivia, still laughing away. " A real clothes hog, that gal was. Have you seen her lately?"

Mandy shook her head.

" Not since that year." She said.

" Always wondered about that girl..." The woman said with a sigh.

" Frankly, I had simply blocked that girl out." Smirked Mandy. " One of many, I think..."

" That might have been a good thing, from what I remember of that girl." Olivia chuckled.

The woman then changed the topic of conversation by handing her a small stack of cardboard cards and smiled. Mandy looked at the cards, then saw the mischievous way the woman looked at her.

" I know that you have more than an idea of just what to do with these." Said Olivia, with a smile.

Mandy nodded, as she stared again at the cards held out to her. She had done this little chore for Olivia before, her mind remembering it like it was yesterday.

" I take it I am suppose to hand all of them in for you to officially say these girls are here." Mandy smirked brightly

" Precisely, young grasshopper." The woman grinned. " But get back here as soon as you can... the welcome gathering will be in about two hours... and we need to set the cabin ground rules to out little group here."

" I took in these things the last time... as a camper..." She commented with a smirk back to the woman, taking the cards.

" And that is why you are doing it in the first place, besides the fact that you are my slave... er...councilor partner." Olivia laughed, adding. " You wont get lost on the way, I take it?"

" Cute." Mandy said, turning with the cards now in her hands. " So I am your slave, hu?"

" Suppose to be... although you do get payed for it as well..." She came back with, her laughter was nearly unbridled in it’s fervor. " Now get your skinny little ass moving and put these in and get back her to help out!"

The younger gal laughed and hurried off, while Olivia stayed back to watch over things. Camp was truly underway now.

******

The office was busy, as councilors were dropping of the same cards and darting off back to their kids. Mandy scooted in and put hers in the wire basket marked ‘arrivals’ that sat on the desk, and quickly hurried off.

The new secretary was dealing with them all the cards as they came in, her way was not as friendly, and she seemed not to be as organized as Mrs. Granger normally was. It was... a change, and Mandy felt a little sad about it. She missed the jovial lady, the one who always seemed to care about everyone equally.

Once outside, Mandy was heading back to the cabin to help out with things when she came face to face with someone dressed in the red and black shirt of a councilor. She realized then that it was Allen Perot, the man she most hated right now. To her horror, it was obvious that the man was also working here as well.

She glared at the taller lad, hatred filling her almost instantly, the vision of him and Alison doing it flashed through her mind. He seemed not too surprised to be meeting up with her, looking at her with a certain smugness to him..

" I take it by the look I am getting you know about Alison and me?" He said calmly.

Mandy choked down a few choice words she found herself having and opted just to nod her head. The man sighed, but did not move.

" You stole my girlfriend." Mandy said flatly, controlling herself to the best of her ability.

" I did not steal... I you could say that I ‘straighten her out’...." He corrected, smugly.

" Straightened out?" Gasped the woman, disbelieving what she had just heard.

" Even you gotta admit through all of this, Allison and me falling in love like this, makes her life so much easier... and better as well...." He said so matter-of-fact like.

" Better for who?"

" Alison’s life..." He said, undeterred by the glare he got from the shorter young woman in front of him.

The young councilor’s face got red, and her eyes flared with anger.

" Better for Alison?" She repeated, through gritted teeth. " You thinking that when you had screwed my girlfriend and then getting her pregnant... and all behind my back... is an actual good thing?"

" For her... yes.". Allen said, bluntly.

Mandy flashed with anger, and she fought the urge to slap the man.

" And why do you think doing that is such a great thing to do on me?" She said. " Alison and I have known you for a while now...that means that you knew that we were together, and been girlfriends for four years... and you just one day just decided to fuck her?"

The man started to seem angry right back.

" Being some gay freak is not the life for anyone.." He said. " This is the best way for her, she can have kids, perhaps get married to me or another man and have a real life... rather than live and be ridiculed and chastised for a lifestyle that is, in of itself- wrong."

" You think that being lesbian is wrong?" She replied. " This is not the nineteen fifties here...we can marry one another, adopt children and lead a very great life... an all of that, being gay!"

" You would think that way... being a dyke and all..." He smirked with a off handed tone. " You just don’t get it, do you?"

" Two people expressing their love is neither straight or gay... That I get..." Mandy spat, now angry beyond anything. " What I don’t get is why Alison went out and did all of this behind my back... or how you had convinced her of it in the first place?"

Mandy was just about to explode with more of what she wanted to say to the asshole in front of her, but the man simply continued on without pausing to let her get a word in.

" Well, two girls having sex... it’s so unnatural..." He said, adding. " Alison now has a chance to be one hundred percent a normal person, unlike what type of life she faced with you... She can now be a mother and know what sex is really suppose to be like... along with a life that will be so full and fulfilling as well.." He looked right at Mandy. " She has made the right choice, the only true choice...where as you have chosen a life of being a lesbian."

" I loved her very much, and you just ignore that fact and get her to somehow fuck you?" She screamed at the man. " And all for some homophobic rhetoric that is years out of date?"

Allen seemed to bee unaffected by Mandy’s words. He smirked with such vicious glee, that it was almost evil the way he looked at her.

" It was her choice... and she realized that was the right choice... I just ended up helping her see that her lifestyle was not the right choice to make." He smirked, obviously not caring one way or another at this point. " You should get out there and actually stop this mess and find yourself a man, let his screw you so you understand why this is so fucked up in the first place."

" That is sick."

" Not as sick as you are being... wanting pussy when you have one." He angrily said, looming over her in intimidation. " I really suggest that if you were to let a man screw you a few times, I am sure that you will then ’see the light’, and then you could save yourself from this life of being this bitch-slut of a dyke."

Mandy was so very mad, knowing that her ex had chosen to be with this man... but she started to thing about Alison. No matter what that girl had done to her, she now worried about Alison and her choice.

" You know that she is studying to be a doctor... are you now going to stop her from doing that too?" She screamed.

" She will be too busy with our kid..." He smirked. His eyes got this little glint and he smirked almost evilly. " After the kid is old enough, and we have maybe a few more... she can go back." He smugly said, adding with a shrug. " She wanted children of her own, two point three children and all of that cheesy shit ... I just helped her out with her decision, and give her the pleasure she so really needed also."

Mandy was now livid. She knew that Alison did this willingly, but she had help from this chauvinistic asshole

" You are taking such a demonistic style of pride in what you have done, don’t you?" She spat.

" I did what a man does." Was all he said, patting the crotch of his shorts with a smug look " With the right equipment a woman can be just that... a woman."

" What does that mean for me?"

" It means that you will end up having a lonely life, spent hidden in the shadows around our society norms..." He calmly said, with a air of pure superiority. " I got to say, such a pretty girl like you are... it is a great waste, if you continue to want to lick some other girl’s snatch."

" Fuck you!" Mandy said with venom.

" Fuck me..." He smarmily smiled.

" Yes...Fuck you!" She said again, with even more fire in her voice.

He flashed a very disgusting smirk to Mandy, leaning over her as he leered down at her chest.

" That could be arranged to teach you the ways of being a female, as long as Alison does not know... I could really teach you a thing or two" He said with a purely despicable tone. " But... it is your loss if I don’t... be a dyke if you want... let real women be real women!"

The man shouldered past Mandy roughly as he chuckled lowly in his chest. With a snorting sound, the man then walked on to the administration building while leaving a stunned and quite angered woman where she was...Allen’s pleasure with himself more than evident by they way he acted.

Mandy watched, the man walk away, noticing that Miss Ashfield had appeared on that stoop. He went by the tall woman, his stride was now a out and out swagger as he went to pass the boss.. He give the lead lady a calm smirk of being so pleased with himself, then glanced back.

" We will chat later on maybe, Mandy..." He called out so snidely, as he entered the administration building.

Mandy saw the look in the woman’s eyes, and saw that she had indeed heard the little altercation she had with the man. Alexis looked at her, her eyes were wide, she had gotten the entire scoop just being there. Mandy just turned and stormed away, her heart now feeling much more lower than it had been.

Miss Ashfield stood there, watching Mandy storm off in the direction of the boathouse and the cabin that was hers. The administrator of Pawa looked back at the cabin and frowned. She had heard everything, and had figured it all out from that.

" That prick!" She whispered to herself, as she went back into the cottage that was her office.

There was a hint of calmness that was falling over Camp Pawa as the sun dipped behind the edges of Lake Pawa’s calm waters. The evening was bringing a slim respite from the days chaoticness.

The day had been amazingly busy as every councilor at the camp showed what the camp had to offer the campers, and made plans with the children to set up the first full day in between scheduled activities. The kids seemed so jazzed with everything, but now as night fell... they were running out of gas finally, much to ever councilors relief.

Night fall had found Mandy was on what they called ‘walk’ duty inside of Cabin Nine. It was her job to just hang around in the main area, in the wide hallway area just outside the cubbyhole rooms... to see if any of the girl’s needed something or had some sort of question and to keep the peace.

The ‘walk’ was a boring task as a whole, one that Olivia had happily bestowed on her as the junior in this partnership... but Mandy found that this task was really helping to be distracted from the memory of the hateful altercation she had with Allen earlier in the day. His words were the most despicable and offensive ever spoke to her, and that was including the actions and other things that Isis had done to her the last time she was a camper here. Different people, same prejudiced attitudes

She had calmed herself down so as to do her work to the best of her abilities, but still found herself troubled by Allen’s acidic words. She also was worried about Alison being with that type of person, after hearing his words for herself.

She hated what the girl had did to her, more than anyone else in her life, but you cannot shut off the feelings for someone. This man was filled with hate, anger and chauvinistic venom to the tent power... and the fact that Alison had chosen him like that made her so confused yet filled her with a rage she did not want to feel. She was still hoping that dispite that bastard of a man’s attitude and obvious hatreds he held like a weapon, Allen would end up treating Alison right. She was hoping for that, but in her heart she knew the horrible truths, Allen would not.

She hated the fact that she was torn by these emotions, but all she could do was do what she had came here to do. She came here so she could be the best damned councilor Camp Pawa had ever seen, or getting as close to that as possible. After all the time she was here as a camper, she wanted to give a little back. She smiled, as the memories did bring her a little piece of joy back... and the good feelings she had still with CC and all.

A tall blond haired girl wearing a satiny pink nightgown poked her head out of her little room and looked right at Mandy. She giggled a little nervously, which made Mandy look over and stay her mind.

" Miss Mandy..." She said politely, shifting on bare feet against the coolness of the wooden floors.

" You need something, Mercedes?" Mandy asked

The girl, who seemed to be a little shy, nodded.

" Do we get shower times every morning?" She asked.

" We do... time permitting." Mandy informed.

" Ah..." Said the girl, smiling brightly as it seemed another question was snot very far off in the girl’s mind. " How long do we have in the showers when we go?"

" Ten or fifteen minutes or so... depending on things and whether or not we are running late for breakfast..." The young councilor said, adding with a smile. " Because our cabin here is really close to out facilities cabin, we are going to be usually the first cabin in there."

" Cool!" The girl said more than happily, popping herself back into the room with a smile so big.

Mandy could not help but giggle at the girl’s exuberance. It seemed that her answer had made the girl happy to hear it. She turned to overlook what was going on, watching the campers in various states of bed readiness go between room.

All of their campers seemed to be a nice bunch, and that was making Mandy feel more relaxed with things. The day had gone smoothly, and for the most part they all got along. Mandy smiled a little broader still, happy that everything had gone as smoothly as she could have hoped for.

Two loud voices suddenly broke the low murmuring of the cabin’s peacefulness, shouting with very ’colorful’ language that was growing in volume. Mandy already knew that it was the start of an argument coming from the other side of the room, and it had developed quickly into a very furious one in seconds. She knew the voices already.

Mandy shook her head and sighed, she already had delt with the two girls who were involved in the arguing twice already. Olivia had warned her of Ashley and Annette McCabe when she had pointed out the names on their list of girls they were going to have this year..

They were identical twin red heads who were known for sharp tongues that were always at the ready for one another. It seemed as if the sisters lived and loved to argue with one another at ever chance. The McCabe girls always did, Olivia had explained, but had assured Mandy that no matter how heated the arguments got... they never would come to blows no matter how heated.

Olivia came in to the cabin at that moment, caring a stack of towels that was nearly over her head. The senior councilor looked at her younger councilor as she was making her way to one of the cubbyholes. She could hear the voices ringing through the cabin with fire.

" Let me guess... it’s the McCabes who are at it again?" Olivia smirked.

" Um, Yup." Said Mandy, hurrying to try and defuse the situation brewing in the second last room on the left before the front door. " Sounds like something has pissed either one of them off."

" Pissed off...Now what are those two jawing about?" Sighed the older lady, hearing the swearing escalating with each passing second.

" Dunno yet." Said Mandy back, as she hurried into the room in question.

Olivia chuckled and hurried over as well, after setting the towels down on a shelving unit beside the doorway of the cabin. She was sure that Mandy could handle it more than well, but she wanted to see what the dispute was all about. She knew, that ninety percent of the twin’s squabbles were petty at best... and she usually got a giggle out of the two figuring that out, and how they reacted when they did.

This was just how it always went with the McCabe girls at the best of times. Olivia had the girls for two years already, now this was the third year in a row... this was old hat to her.

******

It was almost ten o’clock, and Cabin Nine was silent and still. Every camper had layed head to pillow, and they were off asleep. It was so peaceful and quiet, the first day of Camp Pawa was now in the books.

Olivia stood in the middle of the cabin area and smiled.

" Day one... scratch one off the ol’ calendar." She said, looking at Mandy. " We survived the invasion here."

" It was... interesting" Mandy said.

" Never a dull moment around here during camp..." Chuckled the woman, looking around into the dimness of the place, "You did well."

Mandy broke a small grin of her own, and took a long breath. She knew she had done well, and all with things going on. She nodded her head, feeling pride in it.

" Go off for a smoke there, kid... Hell have a couple and take your time..." The older woman said. " You deserve it.. I will keep watch over out girls for a bit."

" You sure?"

" Go already." Said Olivia, in urging the girl, pushing the younger lady playfully towards the door.

The short young woman nodded and hurried off, after retreating to her bunk area to grab here pack. Olivia just waved, then sat down on a stool next to where her and Mandy slept at night, her time for ‘walk’ was now.

The smoking area out at the councilor’s lounge was empty on this warm night. Mandy was glad, needing a little solitude for the short time that she was going to be there. She lit up one, and felt herself relax a little as she took a seat. It had been hours since she had snuck one.

The night was quiet, except for a noise she kept hearing coming from a ways of. Mandy tried to ignore the noise, sounding like some animal, but she was curious at it as well. She stood up, knowing there was no dangerous animals in the area except for a few snakes, and went to look for the source.

She found the noise was coming from the parking lot on the other side of the lounge area. She looked around at the cars, the single flood lamp overhead they had there lighting up the area well. She stepped around a few cars, her ears trying to figure out where she was hearing the sounds from.

Her eye caught a motion in one of the cars near where she was standing and looked over. She saw a guy and a girl inside of the car, both were obviously naked and making very wild love in the front passenger seat of a old grey and very rusted Pontiac. From how the car bounced and shimmed, they were not holding nothing back.

Mandy could see a slim bodied girl who was straddling a man in the seat, and was bouncing like she was possessed with her light skin glistening with a heavy sheen of sweat. Mandy could see the girl’s small but very well developed breasts bouncing against the man’s chest all the while the two kissed intensely as their love making sounds could be clearly heard from where she was.

Mandy felt herself blush as she chuckled, the two in the car had no idea they had just been spotted. By the amazingly animalistic sounds that were coming out of that car, it was very clear that they probably were way too preoccupied for that. She felt a little tug on her heart, as the memories of her love making with Alison flowed back, but she let that go... tonight was the night for those two lovers, and that was more than alright.

The girl turned and went to leave the two lovers to their little rendevous, when the two turned their head. Mandy gasped, as the faces were clearly visible. It was Allen and Alison inside of the old clunker.

Mandy felt her whole body go numb, her smoke fell from her now nerveless hands to the gravel at her feet. Alison’s eyes turned and caught onto her’s.

" Oh god!!" Her mind said over and over again, as she could feel the girl’s gaze having a cold and clammy hold of her heart- and squeezing whatever she had left, out of her.

The brainy girl seemed to be blank faced for a second, then had a very calculating smirk come over her small face as she began to bounce on Allen’s lap again with slow and determined motions.. making sure that Mandy was seeing everything in minute detail. Allen also turned his head and looked over. He saw the long haired young woman standing there and gave an disturbing smirk, then his cold laughter could be heard echoing through the car window. Alison’s laughter joined the man, and the sound of it was deafening.

With out another word, Mandy whirled around and ran away from the parking lot. As she turned the corner of the building next to the parking lot, she could still hear this malicious laughter coming from the two inside of the car... it’s sound mocking her as she raced away into the night.

Mandy suddenly knocked into something as she ran past the administration building, the thing was bore down with her as she crashed to the ground. In her haste, it seemed like she had knocked someone over, as the thing was moving and talking. She looked down, wanting nothing more than to give an apology and get out of there.

Alexis was the one who she had bowled over in her fleeing from her waking nightmare. The tall woman seemed not to be angry, as she saw who it was they had taken her off her feet.

" Don’t know if I needed that... to fall for someone like this is very unusual indeed..." She said, chuckling as they moved from the heap they had crashed into.

Mandy mumbled a very quick apology while getting to her feet, and began to leave as soon as the woman had regained her standing position. A hand stopped her from going any farther.

" Hey... what’s wrong?" Miss Ashfield asked, seeing how the girl only wanted to get away.

" Nothing...." Said a very unstable voiced Mandy, her body shaking as she stood there.

" You sure of that?" Asked the woman, seeing the girl and her very pale face in the moon’s light.

" I am alright... just in a hurry..." She blurted out, as she fidgeted under the woman’s worried stare.

The woman shook her head, as her open hand kept the girl right where she was. She eyed Mandy for a second, and took a breath in.

" That is the worst alright I have ever heard in my life..." Alexis said back, not buying it for a second. " You body is shaking like a leaf in a windstorm here, you are looking at me with such a wild look... what is going on with you?"

" I need to go and relieve Olivia of watching the kids.... I promised her that I would...." Said Mandy, almost bumbling her lie. " and I am late in doing so... Sorry for knocking you down, Miss Ashfield..."

Mandy did not even finish her sentence and simply hurried off without answering the lady with the truth of the matter. In a flash, she was swallowed up by the darkness as she headed back to Cabin nine.

Alexis was stunned by the girl’s behavior. It was not like the young lady to be rude, and even though it did not seem like it ... it was. The question was why was the girl running off like a scalded cat. She snuffed and just stood there.

" I think it is time I talk to Olivia... then her.." She told herself, remembering how the new councilor Allen had talked to Mandy earlier. " Something is really not right here, and not just because of that idiot either."

Just then, a police car appeared out of the gloom from the direction of the entrance road to the camp and stopped near where Alexis stood. A tall and willowy policewoman that was dark tanned stepped out and quickly walked over into the light that was being thrown by a grounds light.

" Sorry about the wait you had to endure here, Miss Ashfield... we had a emergency on the highway a few miles away, and I had to respond to it." Said the officer, pleasantly.

" I understand..." Said Miss Ashfield, focusing on the officer.

The woman in the uniform straightened her hat a little as she looked at the very tall and stately head of the camp..

" You had phoned us because of some concerns and questions surrounding things and people that in your camp?"

" I did." Alexis said, straightening up to her full height. " It was something that I could not just simply ignore what I seemed to be seeing."

" Then that is why I am here, Ma’am." The officer said.

Alexis took one more glance in the direction that Mandy had ran, then went back to the officer in blue standing near her... as Mandy had already vanished and probably was back at her cabin by now.

" Did you look up that information for me then? The report I had given to your superior about yesterday.?"

" That is why I was sent here, Ma’am... we have found things that seemed to have matched up with" Said the policewoman, holding up what appeared to be a large white file. " To make sure of this... I have brought you a few things for you to look over in this matter.. along with out chief’s notes."

" Do you think I might be crazy with these very odd speculations I have seen?" Alexis asked.

" When it comes to the safety of all one hundred and twenty five of these kids in your charge... no." Said the officer bluntly.

Miss Ashfield seemed to relax with the woman’s words. She nodded as if she was calming herself down from all of this.

" Then lets go into my office behind us, officer..." Alexis said, motioning to the administration cabin. " I can look through these things in there...In some ways, I am hoping that I’m wrong... that I have seen far too much into all of this."

" I will walk through it with you..." Assured the tall and pretty lady cop. " If there is something there, something very tangible....lets hope that you have brought it to our attention in the nick of time."

" And if not?"

" It never hurts putting the needs of all of these young boys and girls before worrying that you might be wrong or ending up looking rather foolish... To be cautious is the right thing to do." Comforted the officer.

" That was my reasoning behind bringing this to the police." She said back.

" Then lets just work on this, and we’ll go from there."

Camp Pawa’s head nodded and then the two woman headed into the head office, leaving the night to fall silent in the clutches of the darkness... and to be broken by only the songs of crickets in the grass. The darkness had to be left anyways... it would never reveal things that humans never knew of.

The fourth day of Camp was breaking rather hot and sticky. The sun now up, had decided to bake everything under it, bringing it’s summer swelter full force on the clear watered mighty lake that is called Pawa.

It had been a few days for Mandy that had been rough. Seeing her ex like she had in the parking lot, had dampened her will and made her a brooding mess. It helped that she had been open to Olivia, and told her what she had seen. The woman, in her usually blunt way had a few choice words she would have loved to have shared with Alison and Allen... but simply supported Mandy instead.

Seeing the brazen smiles the two shot at her every time she saw them around camp also did not help. It hurt her just to be seeing them, but it was their leers, mocking laughter and little silent looks between them both that showed that they were out to play it up... and to hurt her with every glance possible.

Mandy had vowed for herself never to show what their actions was doing to her, but it was ripping at her heart like a hungry bear at a honey tree. Alison’s actions were the hardest to cope with... she hated that she still loved the young brain.

The best thing that had come out of all this was that she had noticed that the envelope she had found and crushed days earlier... was gone out of the wastebasket. In her dark mood, she was glad that Olivia had thrown it out, because she did not know why she had not done that herself the morning after she had found it. It was gone, and that was all that mattered

This fourth morning of camp, was now feeling totally different right from the start. She awoke as usual a few minutes before her campers would have been waking...and found something odd with herself. As she layed there in the stillness and allowed herself to completely slip into being fully awake, she noticed her mood was not dark any longer... it was not a chipper or happy mood by any means, but she felt a little better about herself.

Feeling more energized that she had been, Mandy got up and threw on her clothes, already having had a shower the night before which had helped her sleep in the long run. She did not speculate over why she had a change of moods while she dressed in the dim light of morning, she just was glad that she felt this way. It was lightening, and she was simply enjoying it.

She noticed that Olivia was awake now and sitting up on the edge of her bed, looking at her sleepily.

" Your up and nearly dressed before me today.." Said the naked woman through a mumble. " That is a switch!"

" Yeah..." Mandy replied, slipping on her shirt to complete her dressing. " Just popped my eyes open, and felt like gettin’ up."

" You seem... oddly happy this morning..." Olivia verbally noted, peering through half open eyes

" Guess I am feeling better..." She said, flashing a smirk.

The woman looked at Mandy, swaying a little as she seemed to be having trouble actually waking up this morning.

" Good to see... after all of the crap you have had goin’ on." Olivia said, as she clumsily hunted for her clothes in the pale light that was filtering in through the window. " Now where is my underwear?"

Mandy nodded, as she could not disagree with the woman’s observations and comment, but she was not about to help Olivia in finding her panties.... that was a one person job. She giggled, as the woman was leaning over as she looked for the elusive underthings, and ended up getting a great view of the lady’s lilly white ass. She had to admit...For a middle aged woman, the ass looked not half bad.

Mandy loved finding herself feeling so much better than she had for about a week. She turned and headed out into the main area of the cabin to do the morning job of the ‘walk’ while the woman continued to struggle to find the rest of her clothing. She giggled, and repeated to herself that it was going to be her job to find the clothing..

Mandy stood in the long hallway area, listening to the various girls grumble and rustle around in their rooms as they awoke and started their day. She could not stop herself from giggling, as it seemed like her campers were also hard pressed to find their own clothing as well. By the swearing and bitching that came from different rooms all up and down the length of the cabin, it was not going well this morning. It must have been one of those days, she mused to herself as she suppressed the urge to burst out laughing.

Standing and listening, Mandy heard Olivia step out of their room from behind her. She turned and smiled to the still half asleep looking woman, who obviously had in the end managed to find her missing clothes.

" You made it..." She joked.

" Laugh it up..." Smirked the woman, getting the girl’s needling her as she still adjusted her shorts " Go have a smoke, Kid... I’ll deliver our group to the showers."

" You sure?"

" Go and smoke your brains out... Enjoy it while you can...I am making you take them to arts and crafts after breakfast anyways, so it’s only fair that you go off and have your smoke..." She smirked, as she seemed to wake up a little more. " I am doing it like that just because I can."

" Ahh, lucky me." The younger lady said, heading back into her bunk room to get her smokes.

Olivia giggled and took over watching the area, hearing the swearing that was coming out of the rooms. It seemed like she had gotten the why of it. She just kept her laugh under control, and watched the young woman leave for the smoke she had told her to get.

The air was already heating up, as Mandy made her way to the smoking area. She looked up at the bright sun, and felt the hot rays bath her face. It was going to be a real hot one, she thought to herself.

She walked across the campgrounds straight to the smoking area. Turning the corner of the building, she surprised to find someone already was out there having a smoke. The slim and very fit looking woman that was there was a person she never had seen before.

The woman was roughly about three or perhaps four years older than Mandy. The woman had reddish brown hair that hung past her shoulders, and was as thick as any hair could have been. She was wearing a bright blue ‘Camp Pawa’ tee shirt and a pair of very tight fitting black spandex shorts, ones that really showed off a large tattoo she had that went up from the knee and slipped up under the leg hole of those shorts.

The tattoo was of a very skimpily dressed mermaid sitting on moss covered rock under water, holding a large starfish in one hand, and a crystal like bubble in the other. The colors were so vibrant and deep, the face of the drawing showed such expression. It was as if the mermaid seemed to pop out of the skin, and have a life of it’s own. It was the best skin art she had ever seen, since the dragon tattoo that CC sported.

Mandy was surprised with herself all of a sudden - as the sleekness of the woman caught her attention right off. She could not help herself as she eyed the bold tattoo for a moment, going from admiring the artwork to just how slender the leg was that it was on. She could not help but see how perfectly fit the woman was. She did not want to keep on staring, but trying to stop herself felt futile.

The woman looked up suddenly, her smooth skin of her oval face jumped and ended up holding the look of surprise on it.

" Oh!" She gasped, as she blinked twice. " I thought I was the only one that needed a smoke this early in the morning."

" If I don’t have one in the morning... I can be a bit testy, myself." Smirked Mandy nervously, her heart jumping a little.

" Me too..." The woman said, softly giggling. " That also goes to say that I need coffee as well."

" That goes without saying." Mandy said, feeling herself tingle.

Both laughed, as Mandy headed inside the lounge to grab herself a coffee. The woman’s sense of humor touched her, and that was why Mandy found that the woman intrigued her. There was something about the lady that had almost instantly hit her, something that she could not put her finger on.

She came back out and took a seat near the woman in the brightness of the morning. It seemed that the lady was really glad that the long haired girl had decided to join her on the smoking patio. She eyed the younger girl and seemed to almost relax at that very instance..

Mandy lit one of her smokes and sat back, reveling in the warmth that was now there. She looked over at the other councilor and could not help but give a smile. They just sat together for awhile, chatted lightly as they sat and sipped on coffees.

Mandy quickly found out that the woman’s name was Sunny Carter, and her name was just like what the word actually meant. Sunny was an aircraft mechanic for a small fleet of planes with a cargo delivery airline back in the city. She was working here during this summer for a very good reason, it was a way to remember her brother who was killed in a auto accident a few years back. This was one of his favorite places to come, and she wanted to honor that.

Mandy felt in awe at what the woman was doing, and that made her smile even broader than before. She was quite impressed with the lady at every turn, and she was feeling very at ease with her as well... She looked at the woman’s smooth features and friendly way about her... noticing that she was starting to feel more than just a little pulled towards her as well. The woman was very beautiful, but held back her feelings..

Just then, Mandy caught sight of Alison and Allen. They were walking along together, hand in hand. They looked over and saw her, the smug smiles of both of them were clearly evident. She stiffened and looked away, it still hurt what her mind flashed back to.

Sunny looked over and squinted.

" You Ok?" She asked politely, but her eyes showed that she was catching on to what was going on..

" Yeah... I am." She replied as quickly as she could have, embarrassed that she had shown her uncomfortableness towards the two that were walking by. " Just saw someone I wished I didn’t

The woman looked over, and saw the young couple and noted the arrogant smiles they were flashing. She looked back at the long haired younger lady, and there was a flash of understanding she got across her face.

" I see..." She said, with a long sigh. " I am sort of getting the impression here that the person over there is your ex-lover ...and continuing on that pig-of-a-man is obviously parading around his newest girl for you to look at in spite of yourself...."

Mandy looked up, a little surprised that the woman had figured at least that much out just from her reaction. She was going to play it that way so as not to need to explain things to Sunny, but she also did not want to lie either. She never went around lying about not being gay... she was actually settled with it. She already had felt more that just the sting of the stigma of being a Lesbian.

She sighed, knowing full well that to tell this person, was the right thing to be doing.

" To be really truthful with you..." She said meekly, looking right at Sunny. " I have to tell you that it is the other way around, from what you are thinking."

" Other way?" Sunny questioned, obviously not expecting Mandy to say that. " You broke up with him?"

" It is a little different than what you guessed.. It is... The girl in the glasses is my ex, not the man." She flatly said, adding without going into more sorted of details. " The man was the ‘mutual’ friend of both of us, and who is now is dating her."

The woman’s face did not change any, nor we there any signs of shock with the girl’s admission... all there was this sense that she had now understood Mandy. She nodded and took a second glance over at the couple, who were now almost out of sight.

" She dumped you... for him?" She asked, almost seeming like that upset her in some way.

" There is more to it than that, but basically yes." Mandy said, seeing the woman’s unchanged face.

" All I have to say for that is.... girl or guy... that just really stinks." The woman said boldly.

The lack of an adverse reaction took Mandy by surprise. She looked at the woman and felt better, almost like Sunny had accepted what she had explained, and in a way also was accepting her for who she was. She was going to ask why didn’t she seem fazed with it, but the large bell that sat near the dining hall was being rung for breakfast at that moment. They both looked up, as they heard it peel out loud and strong to echo across Pawa.

The woman smirked and seemed to like the low tone that she heard in the air.

" Looks like we better get back to our work..." Sunny said, standing with her cup in her hand and discarding her smoke. " Hope to see you soon, Mandy..."

" Uh, yeah." Sputtered Mandy, still shocked at this woman’s ease with accepting her words.

" I am the councilor in Cabin Seventeen... that’s over near the archery field on the far side of camp." Sunny informed. " If you want to have coffee again... knock."

" Cabin Nine for me..." Said Mandy, shocked at the fact she could almost not get the three words out.. than felt stupid for just saying it in the first place

Sunny nodded that she had heard the young lady, then hurried off, after taking a second to throw Mandy a wave and a smile while she did. The reddish brown haired woman then turned and then seemed to pick up her pace going into a jog. It did not take long for Sunny to be out of sight within a few moments.

Mandy waved back, a little dazed at the moment, then realized that she had to meet up with her group right away for breakfast. She could not help but smile to herself, as the woman’s reaction had made her wonder about a few things... but soon had passed it off as just a flight of fancy as she turned her attentions over to the busy day ahead of her. .

Whistling, Mandy headed to the dining hall, feeling so light on the inside as the day was getting better and better. Walking along quickly, Mandy could not help but notice there was a marked police car parked out front of the admin cabin. She looked at the vehicle, and how it just stood out like that this morning.

" A police car....That’s odd..." She commented to herself, seeing the police car sitting there.

She wondered about it for a moment, but as she met up with Olivia and the crew from the cabin, she quickly forgot about it.

Chapter Ten - Turn-a-round

 It was a little past mid-morning, art classes had been great but the heat that was building over the camp now was perfect for a little swim time. Outdoor activities were being opted into, instead of being indoors all day like had been planned for most. Troubles with certain buildings and their air conditioners forced that.

 With that decision... The entire kid population of Pawa was now being let loose on the proud waters of Lake Pawa and its sandy beaches.

  Mandy watched as her charges swam in the cooling waters of Pawa from onshore. She could see that the girls were having so much fun, splashing around and making quite a noise as they enjoyed the lake.  She found the sound of their playing to be actually great to hear, her mood had been much more lighter than ever.

 She could see a group of boys out on the water, paddling a flotilla of canoes past about a fifty feet away. The boys, around thirteen or so were very interested in the bikini clad young girls of her cabin, to the point of nearly crashing into one another as they gawked.  One she could see, nearly fell right out of his canoe as he looked over the girls.  Mandy stifled her laugh at the youth, knowing that was just in their nature to be like that.

 She shifted on her feet, feeling the heat from the sand seeping right through her sandles, as the day had gotten incredibly hot. Even in shorts and a tank-top...Mandy felt so damned hot.  She saw Olivia in the water with the girls, still just off to the side of them. She smiled, as the day was so bright and everything.

 Mandy looked down the beach, and saw two of the pre-teen aged cabins engaged in a very spirited game of volleyball on the sand.  By the way they were playing, it was more than just competitive in nature.  She could not help but break a smile, as she caught sight of Sunny playing with her group of girls.

 She watched , as the woman dove and bounded around on the sand as the match went on. Sunny was so graceful, leaping so effortlessly as she spiked the ball like a pro over the net and past the young boys that were her cabin’s opponents.. Muscles taunt and lean moved like a well oiled machine, making the large tattoo dance on her sweat covered leg.  The girl’s strong body settled, as she urged her girl’s on, as the boys theat they played seemed to be not up to the task of playing these gals.

 Mandy could not believe how effortlessly the woman moved, Sunny was so smooth in each motion,  yet it seemed so strongly.  She was like a goddess, yet even she had never heard of a goddess spiking a ball like that ever. Mandy smiled at that thought, as it did describe the woman to a tee.

 As she watched, Sunny looked over and obviously saw her.  The woman give a looping wave with a big smile on her sleek face, then  made a playful gasping motion as if she was pretending to be winded from playing with the kids, but she looked so fresh that even her joking made Mandy giggle. Sunny then flashed a second smile, as one of the girl’s near her asked something.

 The sweat soaked teeshirt Sunny wore clung to her upper half like a glove, and Mandy then noted how developed the woman really was as she leaned over a little to listen to the girl that was asking her something..  For an athlete like Sunny so obviously was, that was a tad unusual to be endowed like that... dispite that, to Mandy, that was a smile producer. 

 Mandy could not help herself... Sunny was so very pretty, to her she was past the point of beautiful.  She could not help but notice how Sunny’s spirit seemed to shine right through the beauty she had, it just made her feel even more attracted than ever.

 Sunny went back to the game at hand, seemingly almost into the match as much as her girls were. Mandy made herself turn back, needing to keep an eye on her group. She had to make herself mentally remind herself that she had let her mind wander off from her duties.

 To her shock, Olivia was already standing right next to her by then. She saw that the woman was brightly smirking at her like a Cheshire cat.  Mandy had been caught again looking, and it seemed it was always by the observant woman.
  “ Who is that your looking at?” Olivia asked, seeing who it was that her younger colleague was looking at.

 Mandy could not help but break into a very crimson blush. That made Olivia chuckle as she saw the brightness of the girl’s face
  “ Her name is Sunny.” The short young woman replied, with a big smile that made her blushing even more prevalent.
  “ Sunny, Hu?” Olivia smirked, looking at Mandy.
  “ That is her name...” Mandy beamed, feeling a little giddy all of a sudden... but calming it almost as quickly..
  “ Interesting...  This ‘Sunny’ lady is attractive as hell, I see by how you are looking.” Laughed the woman.
  “ Yeah... she is...” Said Mandy, her eyes swooning a little as she spoke the words.

 Olivia turned to have a slightly longer look at the athletic woman who was playing Volleyball near them, regarding who Mandy had been eyeing for a long moment. She turned back to her young partner and looked into the browns of Mandy’s eyes.
  “ Dare I ask if there is there some definite ‘like’ going in the mix for you?” Cheekily asked the woman.

 Mandy rolled her eyes, and caught herself giggling away like some schoolgirl. She was feeling so shy at the moment, almost like the first time she had ever seen CC, as she heard the question. She felt herself now really beginning to blush, and she fought to answer her friend and colleague.
  “ I think so...” She said, taking a glance over at the woman who was now fully involved in the game.
  “ Is this a mutual thing between the two of you, or are you looking from afar?  Seriously here... is it?” Prodded Olivia.

 The smaller gal shrugged her shoulders, and gave a sigh. Olivia squinted at her, it seemed like that was not quite the answer she was thinking would have came.
  “ It isn’t?” She asked.
  “ I am not sure of anything yet...” Said the girl with a small pout. “ You know I just met her this morning while I was out having my smoke and coffee.....” Mandy replied shifting on her feet. “ I sat and talked to her for a while and everything... Even after that, I am not even sure if she is into girls or anything in the first place.”
  “ She might be though...” Teased the woman. “.. You can never tell what a person is attracted to...”
  “ That is the point to what I am saying... I am not sure if she is gay or if she isn’t.” Said Mandy.
  “ Then you just go right up to her and ask her then plain as anything... After everything with Alison and that reptile she is seeing... why the fuck should you not do that?” Said Olivia.

 Mandy shot a look that said ‘ you got to be kidding’ right at Olivia. The senior councilor seemed to be a little perplexed by the look she had been given. The shorter of the two took a deep breath in, knowing that Olivia was not quite getting it.
  “ Yeah, like I can just go up to someone out of the blue and ask straight out ‘ Hi, I am hoping that you are... because I really think I like you?’” Explained Mandy. “ That would not really work...”
  “ I guess that you can’t...” Nodded the woman, realizing the little speed bump  in her plan was a very monumental hump instead.
  “ If I ask that, and she is not gay...it might offend her that I even asked that... or it could end up scaring the hell out of her.” Explained out Mandy, wanting to make sure that Olivia had some sense of what she was saying..
  “ I can see the problem in being that straight forward....being way too forward...” Said Olivia. She paused to think on it a little longer. “ Then why don’t you take the time to just poke around and see what comes around?  If you don’t do it so obvious like... you might find that out. ”

 Mandy knew that plan of Olivia’s would be hard to do sort of covertly, but it was a good way to find out things like this  She knew that she wanted to be friends with this woman, and to make sure of not scaring her off just because she was feeling so amazingly attracted to her. She quickly decided just to see what might go, and keep her attraction at bay... it was the only safe way to go with this.
  “ I think I will do a wait and see sort of thing then....” Mandy said, convincing herself of that.

 Olivia was going to give a comment for Mandy, but she suddenly heard an argument breakout in the water near them both. From experience, she knew that the two extremely loud voices were of Ashley and Annette. They were the two who were bitching at each other again with such fire.  She sighed and began to turn to quell the twin’s venomous sniping of each other.
  “ We’ll talk later about this, Kid”  She said, hurrying over to where the girls were arguing nose to nose in the water.

 Mandy just sighed and went back to work, her mind not really wanting to discuss the pros and cons of being so straight up with the woman she found so attracting.  She sighed, and tried to collect herself, and not act like some love sick girl.

 Mandy watched the other girls frolic in the water a little harder to ignore the ruckus near them all. Olivia was trying her best to calm things with the McCabe twins. By the way the two girls were starting to calm down, the woman obvious had managed to put a lid on this little spat and had both girl’s more relaxed and communicating again. 

 Mandy was glad that Olivia had the skills to handle the fighting twosome, because  her inner thoughts were all on the woman with the amazing tattoo.  Since she had chanced meeting her earlier, it seemed that Sunny was all she could think of. She tried to focus and do her councilor shtick, but her mind always seemed to do nothing but make her look over at the lean girl.

******

 The campfire light up the evening darkness as songs rose higher that the embers that flew up into the air. The nightly bonfire was in full swing as the entire camp gathered for the ritual, sing-a-long that ended the day...everyone doing it with great joy while sweating because of the heat that still hung from the daylight hours.

 As soon as it was over and the fire was being snuffed out with a well placed bucket of water by a senior male councilor, Mandy and the entire crew of her cabin headed off back to their home-away-from-home.  Other campers did the same, as the day was over and the time to get some sleep was upon them all.

 Mandy stood in the center of the cabin, as it was her time for her ‘ walk’ duty while Olivia was off getting the alternate lists for activities that were posted in case the heat got even more hot... a list that came out when the weather was going to be either too hot or stormy the next day.  The weather report on the radio had predicted a hotter day than it had been today.. it sounded like it would be blistering, judging from the loud mouthed DJ.

 The short councilor slowly walked her way  up and down the hallway like area, listening for any troubles or squabbles that would break out from time to time.  It was like music to her ears, as the whole area  seemed to be a quiet enough for a baby to sleep.  She smiled, hoping that she could slip out before her own bedtime and have that all important last smoke of the day.

 Olivia came in to the cabin, and was throwing Mandy a large smile.  The woman carried a large clipboard and a tall glass of what seemed to be ice water in her hands, while ignoring the sweat that was dripping down the sides of her face.
  “ Did they have some strange choices for the activities?” Mandy asked, seeing the woman’s face.
  “ There are some...really unique activities suggested... but nothing that weird I guess.” The woman responded.
  “ Then... why the odd look?”
  “ That is not why I am smiling...” Olivia said.

 Just then, the short councilor saw that Sunny had made her way in to the cabin.  Mandy was stunned to see the woman there, and felt her heart beginning to pound a little faster than it had been.
  “ Found this young lady outside... and she was asking for you.”  Smirked Olivia.  Mandy knew what she was thinking about.

 Sunny smiled and looked at Mandy, there was this strange sort of heat coming out of those eyes
  “ Doing the walk thing, eh?” She asked with a giggle.
  “ Yeah...” Said Mandy, feeling that overwhelming wave of shyness come over her again.

 Sunny nodded, obviously she has done this sort of duty more than a time or two.  She seemed to be almost nervous, as she stepped a few times, getting closer to where Mandy stood
  “ One of my friends and I were going to drive in to town for a late coffee at the truck stop before we turn in... I was thinking you might want to come along and decompress for awhile.”  She asked. “ After a day like this, it is good to get away from Pawa, at least for a hour or so...”
  “ Well...” Started Mandy, obviously surprised by the invitation.
  “ Oh, go ahead...” Jumped in Olivia, not even letting Mandy reply. “ I’ve got the girl’s covered for awhile, and you have not gone for your smoke break yet either. Go on..”

 Mandy could tell that Olivia was giving her a little silent nudge, reminding her of the little talk they had earlier on in the day. It was clear that Olivia was trying to help and give her a kick in the shorts, and that was sweet as all get out, but she felt her nervousness growing with each moment.
  “ Sure why not...” Finally agreed Mandy, her voice coming out way softer than usual.
  “ Great!  Meet me out at the parking lot... I drive a red Honda that is parked closest to the front of the Admin building.”  Said Sunny, seemingly so elated at the girl’s answer. “ See you in about fifteen then...”

 Sunny left the cabin, as Olivia looked at Mandy.  The smirk on her face showed she was satisfied with herself.
  “ See... I think she likes you.” Said the woman.
  “ Like I said, well see.”  Said Mandy, going to grab her smokes.

 Olivia smiled and watched the girl go off to meet the pretty woman. She smiled and stood there on ‘the walk’.
  “ I think this could be a turning point for her... she deserves to be happy after all of this crap”  She said to herself.

 She giggled to herself and went back to listening as the girl’s readied for bed.   She shook her head as by the sounds of it.... the McCabe twins getting into it again. She giggled as this was going to be a normal night in the comfort of Cabin Nine again. She smirked, hearing the two girls starting to snipe at one another a little louder still. She was going to wait for a moment, then break it up once and for all.

 Miss Ashfield suddenly came in to the cabin a few moments later.  Olivia was a little shocked to see the head of Pawa making a ‘cabin visit’ so late in the evening.
  “ What a plesant surprise to see you tonight, Alexis...” Said the woman.

 Olivia’s pleasant greeting was met by pure silence, which took Cabin Nine’s senior councilor totally by surprise.  The look she saw painted on the head lady told her that this just might not be a social call after all.
  “ Would you stop by my office after lights out please. Around eleven or so?” The woman said flatly.
  “ Your office?” Olivia asked with a hard swallowing breath. “ Is there a problem, Alexis?”
  “ You’re my most senior councilor here at Pawa...” Started the woman. “ You need to hear some information... Information that I have just gotten conformation on in the last hour.”

 Olivia was now stunned with the woman’s words.  She looked at the woman, who stood there with a rigid stance. She was reading the expression Alexis had on her sleek face, and was worried.
  “ Is it about that some of the councilors are not working out this year or something...” Posed Olivia, thinking on why the woman would look this serious. “ Are there problems?”

 Miss Ashfield did not hesitate to reply.
  “ It is about a councilor here at camp... one of the new ones in fact... and you need to know some things about this information directly from me.” She said flatly. “ It is not about you in any way...”
  “ Is Mandy in trouble or something?” She asked, processing things.
  “ Heaven’s no... but she might be one that is in a bit of danger... as well as some others working here at Camp.” The woman flatly said, her voice turning rather stiff as she spoke.
  “ Sounds serious.” Squinted Olivia, hearing just how tight the woman’s voice was getting withe each syllable.
  “ Very much, Olivia... that is why I need to speak to you in private later..”
  “ That bad?” Said the woman back, knowing the woman long enough now that dramatics are not part of who she was.

 Miss Ashfield leveled her intense gaze at the councilor. She seemed to pause for a second, as if making sure she knew what to say next.
  “ For the good of this camp, and it’s continued survival to serve as a summer respite for kids... yes it is.” Said Miss Ashfield, then turning and leaving the cabin almost as fast as she had appeared.
  “ I will be there then.” Agreed Olivia to the exiting woman.

 Olivia had a sinking feeling weigh in the pit of her stomach, knowing that once in private with the woman... this will be revealed. There was something very bad going on, and even though she had to know... she did not want to know it either.  She just sighed and stood there in overseeing the girls.

Chapter 11 - Oh, what caffeine can do...

 Grandview Gas ‘n’ Go was the name of the truck stop that was located just outside the little town of Pasha. It was a place for fuel as the truckers headed through to the city, or to by pass it to get to smaller towns... and a place where a good hot meal was always ready to be served up.

 The little eating establishment was nearly empty, only two truck drivers were at the main counter, watching a sporting event on the television.  The owner, a nearly bald man in stained apron was watching with the two.  They seemed to be totally engrossed in the game that was on, swearing away almost in unison as it seemed the team they were cheering for was not quite doing good at the moment.

 As the three cheered away, the only others in the place was three young women from the Summer camp down the road had came in. They had quietly set themselves down, after ordering up some coffees from the man who then seemed overly irritated to be bothered while the game was on.

 Mandy sat next to Sunny in a booth next to the window, her dark skinned friend named Karen who also worked at Pawa, sat across from them. Each had a steaming cup of coffee in front of them and they were engaging in small talk as they sipped away. Dispite the heat that the day had held, it seemed to please each woman to have this quiet time with the hot beverage... but there was this hanging feeling of tension between them.

 Karen was talked away, explaining about a fire that had happened when she was working in the kitchen of Pawa.  By the sounds of it for both Sunny and Mandy, this fire was almost one to be worried about.
  “ I’d say that there was a whole lot of excitement goin’ on in there...” Commented Sunny, as the woman had finally stopped talking.
  “ It was... just one of those damned things, ya know...” She smirked, placing her cup back down.  “ I have been one of the cooks at Pawa for three straight summers now, and every single year there has been a grease fire or something that ended up exploding at some point.”
  “ Perhaps all of these things happening is sort of like firing up the Olympic torch... maybe it the place symbolizing it’s opening.” Said Sunny dryly. “ Almost as if it’s announcing that it is ready for the summertime.”

 Karen laughed and made a funny face at the woman who had made the wisecrack.
  “ Only you would end up thinking up something like that...” She said back.
  “ Why Karen... Thank you for those kind words...” Smirked Sunny playfully, looking at Mandy who had loudly exploded into laugher as she listened to the repartee of the two women.

 The dark skinned woman gazed over at Mandy for a moment, then shifted her gaze back at Sunny. Karen’s way of looking at her was a unusual look, one that had made Mandy stop her laughing and to stare at the lady.
  “ Don’t worry... I was just was noticing just what it was that Sunny was saying about your laugh...” She smiled. “ I see why it struck her like it did, it is full and honest.”

 Mandy was stunned by the words. She regarded the woman for a moment, curious to why Sunny had said something like that.
  “ Pardon?” She asked.
  “ I think I have said way too much...” Said Karen, smiling sheepishly and looking over at Sunny.
  “ Said too much?  About what?”  Mandy asked.

 Karen took a nervous look over at Sunny for a second while Mandy waited for someone to answer.  It seemed like the two women were communicating back and forth without saying a word between them.  Mandy waited, listening to the two’s silence.

 After a very uncomfortable few seconds, Karen sat back into her side of the booth’s seat and lifted one palm up..
  “ I ain’t saying a word for you... Sunny, the floor is yours...you might want to take this time to explain things...” The woman said flatly.

 Sunny seemed to lightly blush as she took a deep breath.  She ventured a slow look over at the very puzzled Mandy who was sitting there with some confusion in her eyes.
  “ I was telling her about you and your great sense of humor I could see when we met this morning... and how I liked it.” She said, almost meek-like.
  “ You liked my sense of humor?” The small framed woman said, shocked at the revelation that had just fell out of nowhere.
  “ I don’t normally find myself noticing these type of things of people right off the bat like this...” She said, almost as if she was being shy about it. “ It was like...” Her voice trailed off from there.

 Mandy blushed and looked down, her shyness appearing quickly as her mind spun. Karen giggled and shook her head, seeing the girl acting shy
  “ Perhaps I need to explain after all...” She said  “ It was all about you that she could not stop talking about after she met me this morning... The sense of humor that you had and the way you seemed to be and everything like that... it had a marked impression on Sunny here” The Ebony skinned lady said, with a gleeful tone. “ How you have so totally giggled at us, I can see why it leaped out at her like it did....”

 Sunny seemed to take a long breath, as she looked at the young councilor next to her. She seemed almost flushed, nervous and even seemed to be trembling at this point.
  “ I hope that this won’t end up scaring you right off, Mandy... I am usually quite a blunt person to begin with... But I find myself not being able to be as direct as I usually am... ” She said, her voice having a very prominent waver in it. “ I am so very attracted to you, and I have to say that it was right off the bat.”  She smirked a little. “ I hope this don’t make you feel weird, but I felt something with you right off and I wanted to say it right off when you finally sat down with me in the smoking area.”
  “ She was afraid to say anything all night long about how she was feeling... because she did not want to make you go running off scared because of what she was feelin’ about you so quickly.. Being so direct about it, is her trait though, and she has scared people off with int in the past...” Karen came in with, snickering a little as she spoke. “ She really likes you, that si what I’m sayin’!”
  “ Sunny’s is gay?” Said Mandy, figuring out what this was all about... then she seemed to be so relieved about it. “ Oh, Man...”

 Sunny stiffened a little, as she saw the look on that came on to Mandy’s face.  She saw the change in the behavior of the long haired young woman, one that seemed to be of a calming down of sorts.
  “ You knew I was gay all along?” She asked, blinking rapidly as she looked at Mandy.  “ I never even said that I was... I am normally quite up front about it...”

 The long haired girl shook her head, giggling a little.
  “ No I did not know that you were gay... until right now...” She giggled, then sighed. “ It was more along the lines of ‘I was hoping that you might have been gay’. That might be a better way of putting it...” Said Mandy, her voice now was much calmer. “ Now that I know... it makes me feel happy.”
  “ This is confusing as hell right now...” Said Sunny, still not completely understanding the relief shown by the young lady.

 Mandy could not help but blurt out another little sputtering giggle before nodding her head to the stunned lady beside her.
  “ I was worried that you would still be totally weirded out because you knew already that I was gay....” She explained, laughing as she explained her relief. “ I was feeling attracted to you as well... more than I probably knew even to myself...”
  “ I did not know if I should have said that I was gay...” Sunny said. “ Normally, I do speak up and say it...”
  “ Trust me, she does.” Interjected Karen.
  “ But with you automatically, something had stopped me from doing it, even though my attraction to you was so instantaneous.” Continued Sunny, bypassing her friends comment.

 What the woman had explained, made sense to Mandy, for it had been something like that for her also. She felt herself now feeling more comfortable with each moment that now went by.
  “ You seemed a little uneasy when I had explained about my ex, when you had noticed it... and I was completely surprised by the fat that I had felt such an attraction to you so immediately.” She explained. “ I still go under the thought of most people are not gay, even when I am... I guess.”
  “ Oh... WOW.” Said Sunny, her bright smile beaming out as she seemed to relax all at once.

 The dark skinned woman rolled her eyes and seemed to be just ready to burst out in a huge fir of laughter. Sunny and Mandy looked at her, waiting to see if the woman was going to laugh.
  “ Goddamned!! If this don’t that beat all...” Karen said in a drawl, finally laughing at the parallels between the two being so hesitant to say anything about it.. “ We got ourselves a fully out in the open dyke-love-fest here at the ol’ Grandview tonight..”

 Mandy nodded, then turned to look across the table.
  “ Your gay too?” She asked the darker girl.
  “ Me... Nahhh, I’m not gay here...” She drawled, then smirked “ I am as straight as an arrow... but I have known Sunny for years, hence my understanding of the whole lesbian thing...”  She winked. “ I just know my friend here a little too much at times, more than perhaps I need to ...”
  “ Plain ol’ nosy is what I’d be calling  it, girl...” Smirked Sunny, looking at her friend.
  “ Wanting to be fully informed... is what I’d be callin’ it.” Quipped back the woman, giggling.

 Sunny reached over and put her hand on Mandy’s hand that rested on the table. She gazed  at the girl and gave a much easier smile than she had been all night long. Taking a moment, she seemed to be collecting her thoughts.
  “ Can we start whatever this is over again?”  She asked calmly, with a refreshingly broad smile on her face. “ We sort have gotten off on a nervous tract here.”
  “ We can...” Smiled, looking at the woman beautiful blue eyes. “ That would be nice...”
  “ Well... I kind of like you...” She said, in a playful kid-like voice. “ Like, I really do...”
  “ Guess I do too...” Said Mandy, also in a very small voice as she reflexively griped the hand that was on her’s.
  “ Oh, goody!” Sunny squeaked with a high voice.

 Karen shook her head at the playful women sitting across from her.
  “ Gheesh!!” She gasped.
  “ What the hell?” Asked Sunny, not really knowing why the lady had gasped like that.
  “ This is more sickening sweet than seeing two teens in love for the first time talking...” She said. “ Anyone got a toothbrush... I feel my teeth rotting.”
  “ Your pretty much a very warped individual, aren’t you?” Piped in Mandy, with a smirk.

 The dark skinned woman raised her eyebrows and shook her head. She looked at the two for a moment and seemed to start to laugh at the younger gal.
  “ Mandy, You are just like Sunny... which is scary in itself...” She said holding back her laughter. “ I am in deep trouble now with two of you, if you two hook up.”
  “ Could be fun to drive you completely nuts.” Smirked Sunny. “ We can go for insane, ya know.”
  “ God help me...” Groaned the ebony skinned woman, through the laugher that seemed to pour out of her.

 For the next ninety minutes or so, the three women sat and drank coffee while ignoring the men at the counter.  With the over- nervousness and awkwardness gone finally, they settled into to getting to know one another.

******

 The Honda Sunny drove turned into the access road that led into Camp Pawa at just after twelve thirty.  The evening had gone better than anyone had hoped it to have. Mandy sat in the back seat of the car, looking at the driver from her vantage point, a smile a mile wide could not be his by the darkness. 

 The long haired young woman snickered lowly in her chest, knowing that once she had told Olivia of this little turn of events... she might have a ‘ I told ya so...’  To give her. Mandy giggled, the woman was right... again.

 As they rounded the dusty turn that would lead the car towards the admin building and the parking lot, they were met by a blinding array of flashing lights and a whole  hoard of people that were mulling about in the courtyard in front of the main buildings.  It was a scene, that they all could not believe was there
  “ What the hell...” Said Sunny, as she noticed it all first and slowed the car to a crawl.
  “ Police cars?” Said Mandy, a little taken back by what she was seeing.

 They could see six police cars stopped in front of the administration building, their top lights still flashing wildly. There were many officers gathered around the front of one of the police’s cars, and there were other people also collected around who seemed to be carrying flashlights and hand held camp-lamps.
  “ Doesn’t seem to be a fire or anything...” Karen speculated as she looked at the collection of people.
  “ Then why are the cops here?” Muttered Sunny.
  “ Somebody got hurt while we were gone?” Karen speculated again.
  “ I see no ambulances yet...” Came in Mandy.
  “ We better find out what the hell is goin’ on here...” The driver said, eyeing the scene.

 Reggie, one of the senior male councilors at camp hurried up to the car.
  “ Sunny... thank god your back here...” He said. “ We got a missing girl, and she is from your cabin...”
  “ Which one of my girls is missing?” She gasped.
  “ Tabitha Gambit...” The broad shouldered man said with a rushed voice.   “ Your other councilor that was in charge, Beverly, said that Tabitha had gone to the bathroom just before eleven, and no one has seen her since.”
  “ Maybe she took a walk before going back?” Karen said, leaning over to listen to the conversation.
  “ That is what they thought at first, but they found a pool of fresh blood in front of the bathroom doors on the outside...” The man informed.
  “ Fresh blood?” Said a horrified Sunny.
  “ Beverly had gone to search with another councilor she saw outside, and they found the blood...” Reggie told Sunny, while the others in the car listened in “ Because of finding that, Miss Ashfield called in the police, and they are now getting a search team up to comb the campgrounds.”
  “ They think Tabitha might be hurt or something?” Mandy asked from the back seat.
  “ After finding that blood.... they are assuming the worst right now...” Reggie added.  “ Some are looking after the campers... most of whom are scared because they know about it, but we need more searchers.

 The girl in the driver seat seemed to force herself to calm down, a task that would never be easy at this point.  She looked at the man at her window and nodded.
  “ I’ll park and join...” Sunny said frantically.
  “ Hurry, the cops are organizing it right now.” Racing off to join the clutch of people at the officers’s cars.

 After quickly parking, the three councilor women hurried to join up with the officers and the councilors that had gathered to search. .As they neared, they came across one very worried looking Miss Ashfield who was standing beside an equally upset Olivia.
  “ We are joining up with the team...” Said Sunny. “ We just came back from having coffee, Ma’am.”
  “ We are on the way...” Mandy said also.

 The woman looked at the newly arrived three, and seemed to register that they were there all at once.
  “ After you have completed the search with the officers... please come to my office... Sunny and Mandy.” Said the woman flatly.
  “ Your office?” Questioned Sunny, seeming torn between wanting to know what was going on there, and to search for her missing camper.

 Mandy looked at Alexis with a concerned look, as did Sunny. In the midst of all of this, neither young lady was sure of why the woman had asked such a thing from them.  

 The woman saw this looks she was getting and softened her face a little.
  “ Neither one of you are in any trouble here... we need to talk over a  matter of great importance about Camp Pawa....” Bluntly said the woman.
  “ Talk... about what?” Mandy expressed loudly.
  “ It could be really nothing....” Started the woman with her voice back to being flat and in charge. “... Or it might be something...”
  “ Something?” Mandy repeated, after hearing it.

 The woman took a long pause to look at the smaller woman, as Olivia left to join up with the search party. Alexis face seemed to softened again, but the air of authority she always exuded, never once left her.
  “What we need to talk about needs to wait... just go and help look for this girl.” She explained. “ Both you and Sunny.”

 Mandy nodded and hurried as Sunny and Karen rushed off also.  She was not sure of what that all might have been about, but they had more pressing business than to be wondering about what that might all be about... there was a young girl missing around camp, and they needed to find her as fast as they could.

 Her mind flashed to her own attack, now many years passed, and was already hoping that history was not repeating itself.  Her stomach was rolling, as if her instincts were telling her to be ready for something big. 

 She joined up with the others, as the police were verbally planning out how to search the expanse of Pawa.  It seemed that this was going to be one long night.

Chapter Twelve - A owl sees all, tells nothing

 The pinpoint beams of many dancing flashlights, along with the moon overhead cut the night’s pitch blackness that was holding the large lake.  Councilors and police had fanned out over Camp Pawa like a blanket of humanity, searching high and low in ever conceivable place for any signs of the missing girl.

 From the boathouse into the gentle hills that led down to the crystalline waters of Pawa itself, the people searched hard as the heat of the night stuck to them all.  Calls to the girl echoed through Pawa, and each were coming back unanswered as the men and women kept at it. Talk about bringing tracking dogs by the police on scene were now becoming more frequent as no sign had been found of the girl by one thirty.

 Mandy had teamed up to search with Sunny, Karen and two Police Officers.  They were sent out just past the stables where the horses were, intently picking there way through light brush paralleling the athletic field. The dark made it hard going, but the group of four seemed to be making a strong try at locating the girl.

 As they went along, Mandy could see the face of Sunny by the light of their flashlights and could not ignore it. The look Sunny had was one of worry and fear... and showed her franticness to find out just what my have happened to the missing girl.

 Mandy stayed close to the very worried Sunny, holding the woman’s hand tightly as they searched. By the tightness Sunny was gripping her hand back while they went along the brush, it was appreciated by the woman.
  “ Where can Tabitha be?” Sunny said, her eyes searching the darkness frantically for anything..
  “ We’ll find her...” Tried to comfort Mandy, but her mind flashed back to things from her past... and found her own hope was waning a little to find Tabitha, but she needed to keep that to herself..

 The tall woman let a small sob go, as she looked around herself.
  “ I should have stayed back in camp tonight...” Sunny said, her voice trembling as she spoke. ” This would not have happened if I had.” 
  “ You cant lead them everywhere, what were you going to do?  Go into the toilet stall right with her and wipe her ass to make sure she was going to be safe?”  Mandy pointed out to the distraught woman.
  “ But I...” Sunny blathered immediately, then the words simply trailed off.

 Mandy shook her head at the girl, hearing how she was blaming herself for the girl vanishing.
  “ It was your time for a break from work, and you had a competent Councilor also in charge so you could go out for coffee with Karen and I... What you did to make sure of things was all you could have done.  You put into place what you needed to have in place so you could go.“
  ” I know that in my head...” Sunny admitted, after about thirty second of thinking it over. “ I feel though if I was here in camp instead of having coffee...”  She shook her head. “ I know I can’t follow them twenty four seven, but There must have been something I could have done... I was intrusted with their safety...”

 Mandy made the lady look at her, as she seemed to be shaking like a leaf. She could see the deepness of her emotions right there in those eyes.  She could not help but feel her own level of hope for this missing girl somehow was somehow being bolstered inside of herself.
  “ Look at how she disappeared... It happened right in the middle of our Camp, close to many councilors and Campers that were all around reading for bed or doing routine checks of Pawa’s grounds... She may be just hurt or even lost somehow, and it happened all in plain site it seems.” She said. “ You being here, would not have changed that.  We need to find her... then take the steps to not let it happen again.”

 Sunny paused for a second then nodded. She took a purposeful and calming breath in, Mandy’s words seemed to have been getting through.
  “ Thanks.”  She smiled at the young lady, squeezing Mandy’s hand gently.
  “ No problem...” Mandy said, trying to give the woman a look of understanding. “ I can see how you might start thinking like that, but it does us no good in the long run if you descend into that.”
  “ Your right... We should get back to searching then...”  The lady said, her voice still holding a little bit of a waver in it.
  “ Lets just think positive here... We have to...” Mandy said with a thankful tone, having a renewed sense of hope now starting to spread through out her mind. “ Tabitha really needs that.”
  “ I know she does... We’ll find her...” Was the only thing Sunny said back.

 Sunny nodded, her face now had a distinct light of determination on it, a light that Mandy fought to use against her own hidden doubts and wavering determination. In seeing the woman set things in her mind,  made her feel much stronger again. She smiled and let it sink in, grateful for that.

 Silently and now focused, the two young women went back to searching through the thick brambles and brush for any signs they could find of the missing girl. They kept within sight of the officer in charge of their search team. The only words any of the team spoke  were to call out to the missing Tabitha in hope that she would follow their combined voices back to them.

 They had searched for about a half hour more when they finally had made their way over to the stables. They started an intense search of the area just in front of the brick and wood building... but it seemed like all the other places that they had combed.... empty.

 There was no real marks on the dust and dirt gin front of the building that would mark someone being here in the past little while, and the only thing that they heard while searching was the mournful call of a lone hooting owl that could be heard somewhere close to the group.
  “ Creepy...” Muttered Mandy, hearing the bird and feeling the hairs standing on her arms. “ Really creepy...”.
  “ Yeah... just like those old horror flicks...” Agreed Sunny, trying to keep her mind on what they were doing.

 Ignoring the bird’s woeful nocturnal song the best that they could, the two continued on as they noticed the Officers had not even noticed the bird’s call. Inside of Sunny and Mandy, they hoped that this lone bird of the night’s call was not going to be a forecaster of something that could be right out of the some slasher film.

 The group stopped when they ventured a look right at the large building that housed the riding steeds. As one, they moved to enter the dark shrouded horse house.  They could see that the main door was ajar about three feet, against the camp’s policies. Each member of the search party felt a huge welling of hope come in to their hearts... the possibility that the girl was there had to be there, even if it was low.

 The inside of the stables was very still and dark. A few of the horses made grunting noises as the searching team entered. The horses stayed relatively calm, probably not understanding why their nighttime had been disturbed by these people invading their home at this time of night. One horse in particular whinnied rather loudly, obviously this was the leader of the group of horses, and it was announcing that he was the top of the heap around here.  He pawed the ground a few times then stopped, probably satisfied that he had made himself very clear to the interlopers that had awoken him.

 Mandy started her search down the far rows of stalls at the far end of the stables, checking each one for any signs or clues while trying not to startle the enormous beasts any more than what they were. Each one of the stalls so far, had seen in place and undisturbed... not even a stick of straw seemed to have been out of place. She was unsure of whether or not this was good or bad, but just took it as it was and moved on to the next stall.

 As she neared the end of the long isle of stalls that lined the long interior of the stables, something had caught her eye in the beam of her flashlight. It was chalky white in color, and almost seemed to glow inside the scope of the beam. She stopped the circle of light on the thing, and took a very careful look, as whatever sat on the ground seemed to be very much out of place amidst the straw and dirt that covered the floors.

 The object was a small white shoe resting in the hay in the very center of the walkway. She could make out the vibrant pink trim on the shoe’s side, making it very clear that it was a girl’s shoe that layed there. She gasped and hurried down to where the shoe layed, her mind was almost instantly filled with horrible thoughts.
  “ I think I have something here...” She called out as she moved through the darkness to the running shoe.

 As she stooped to pick up the shoe, a small noise from her right side made her heart nearly stop.  The noise was like a little moan and a cry rolled up in one, and her heart instantly sank again. Glancing over, she could see the open gate of a stall, showing boldly the pitch blackness of the emptiness inside. She straightened up from stooping over and hesitantly shone her light in while hearing people’s feet beginning to hurry to where she was.

 Laying a pile of hay at the very back of the stall she was lighting up, was a very still figure.  The light showed that the it was a fragilely small person , who seemed to be half clothed. Mandy gasped, spotting blood that she could see on the carpet of hay under the form, and where the crimson pool grotesquely colored the wooden flooring under it. There was also blood that stained the pale white skin of the person who lay so very still on the hay. She stepped in quickly, her heart racing in her chest.

 The beam of the flashlight then gave a name to the face for the horrified Mandy. It was now more than just clear that the face was that of the missing Tabitha.
  “ Sweet mother of God!” Spat Mandy, scrambling like crazy over the floor, to get to the girl.

 The petite girl on the hay looked so pale, her face streaked down the left side by a light river of blood. Black and blue marks could be seen developing all over Tabitha’s, the deepest of them were darkening blotches on her thighs.  Mandy reeled a little, as she could also see that there were fragmented remnants of clothing strewn everywhere inside the stable stall, obviously having been ripped from the girl’s small frame in a sadistic cacophony of pure violence and control.

 Making herself move to the girl’s side, she was sickened to see there was a  pair of ripped panties, barely recognizable for what they were, stuffed deeply into the girl’s mouth. She felt a wave of revulsion hit her, as this was a scene, that Mandy had seen before... and had lived through so many years ago.

 She got down on to the hay and cradled the girl’s head in her lap with as much gentleness as she could while removing the ripped panties so Tabitha could breath easier. The white shirt the thin girl had on was ripped up very severely as well, but the printing on the front which said ‘Urban Teen and Pre-teen Rainbow program ‘ was still clearly marked in very bright bold red lettering. 

 Stomach clenching to keep from throwing up at the moment, Mandy was horrified to see this the shirt Tabitha wore... and knew what the lettering meant. The shirt was from the program she had started with a group of like minded people when she was in her first year in law school. It was a program she had spearheaded that was tailored to support and lend information to kids like she had been.... A Gay teen. 

 Mandy now was almost in tears as she had not made the connection with Tabitha’s picture the police had given her as a reference when they started to search. The girl cradled in her lap, she had seen in that program on more than a few occasions, but never had ended up even knowing her name or anything. She could remember the girl now, and how frightfully shy the girl always seemed to be... but that was not unusual in a program like hers.

 She lifted the girl’s head so she could look at her, eyes were now welling up as she tried to stay calm for the young one..
  “ I’m here...” She said softly.
  “ Miss Thayer?” The girl said with great effort, her eyes showing that she knew exactly who Mandy was. “ Your  here?”

 The girl’s face turned into a mask of fear and pain, her body started to shake violently as tears flooded down her face.
  “ A man... hit me in the head... took me here an’...an’ kept calling me a dyke whore as he... as he...” She tried to explain frantically, as a wave of loud sobbing cut off her words. “ He did things...”
  “ Your safe now, Tabitha..” Mandy cooed lowly, trying to help calm the girl a little.

 The tall and very thin officer that was the leader of the team got there at that moment. He looked at the girl as he kneeled down, his professionalism could not hide the pure horror he was feeling. For a moment or two, the officer seemed to be as affected and anyone there with seeing the young girl in this state.
  “ God please help this girl..” Mandy could hear the Officer say under his breath.

 The Policeman seemed to gather up his wits with in moments.  He quickly assessed the situation almost in that second, the Officer was quick on his radio almost , calling in that they had found the little girl and asking for medical personnel to be dispatched there right away. Mandy just stayed with the girl, focusing in on Tabitha,  as her cries filled the stall.
  “ The officer has called for help, Tabitha...” Said Mandy, trying hard not to cry at the moment.
  “ Stay with me...Please... he might come back for me!!!  PLEASE!!” The young girl desperately screamed as she turned head so her face was buried into Mandy’s stomach.
  “ I will, Tabitha, I will...” She whispered, continuing to stroke the girl’s blood matted blondish hair, listening to gut wrenching cries.

 Sunny was standing in the doorway of the stall, her own eyes were now filling with tears as she watched the horrible scene.  She seemed to almost be praying, her body vibrating every time the young girl’s cries echoed through the stables.

 No one there seemed to be able to do anything other than what they were, as the sounds of an ambulance began to be heard of in the distance.

Chapter Thirteen - A camp’s teetering

 The night was very dark, almost foreboding in it’s unlit grip. A solitary figure sits on a wooden chair, a lit smoke dancing in the darkness like a firefly. Every now and then the light stopped and was still for a second, then was on the mover again.

 Mandy was the one who was sitting there, her face was a mask of great emotions. What she had seen this night, was haunting her as she had a smoke. In the darkness, it seemed to help to sit there, but only to elevate it.

 She had just gone to see Miss Ashfield, but she was gone to the hospital to check on Tabitha’s condition, their meeting would be tomorrow sometime after breakfast. She was sort of glad of it, as this had turned out to be such a long day.  She just wanted to have this smoke, and then go off to try and get some sleep for herself... even though she was sure that she would probably not get very much.

 She could still hear some of the police that were still on Pawa’s property milling around in front of the administration building and were walking around. She just stayed right where she was and tried to ignore it all, all the while she was fighting to settle herself down.

 Mandy heard the heavy sounds of boots coming from between the two buildings, on the way to the smoking area. There was someone from the darkness heading her way.  She squinted through the dimness to see who it was.  By what she could slightly make out through the darkness, it was one of the Officers who was coming over.
  “ I thought I would find you here, Miss Mandy Thayer...” Said a voice from the figure, a voice that Mandy recognized.

 The figure got closer, and the young councilor could see that it was the Officer that had helped both CC and her when she was attacked that one summer years ago. The woman had not changed one bit in all of this time.
  “ Officer Dana Livingstone?” She called out, shocked to see the Policewoman after so long.
  “ It’s me...” The officer smirked.
  “ How did you know I was here?” Asked the long haired young councilor, her shock growing mor apparent.

 Officer Dana giggled, as she was now close enough to gaze at the younger woman’s face clearly.
  “ With a list of all of the employees we have to help out with this investigation...I saw your name leaped off of the page right at me...” She explained.
  “ And you remembered me?” Mandy was surprised.
  “ Lets just say that it is hard not to have remembered you... even after all of this time.” Chuckled the Officer.

 Mandy nodded and regarded the woman with a smile that was broad.  It was a pleasant thing to know that, regardless of just how they had to have met the first time. Officer Livingstone saw the reaction and smirked
  “ I have read the statement you already have given to the officer in charge here, and was glad to be sent over to talk with you more.” Said the tall blonde woman, giggling just a little.  “ It’s been many years since we saw one another.... hasn’t it?”

 Mandy nodded, as she knew it had been more than just a few years now since seeing the Officer Dana, and she felt herself being able to relax a little. Dana walked over to just near the petite young woman and took a seat next to her on one of the deck chairs.
  “ I was just thinking about that right now.  It must be five years, by my count it has been...”  The woman said.
  “ Feels way longer...” Commented Mandy, her mind still processing the fact that the woman was actually there.

 Officer Dana seemed to start fidgeting a little in her seat, her very expressive eyes locked right on to Mandy’s dark orbs. Mandy looked back with a tired stare of her own, her eyes showing just how overwhelmed she was.
   “ I... uh... before I start here... I seemed to have heard about CC passing away awhile back... That must have been so hard.”  She said, her voice showing that the woman knew of the loss incurred by the young woman.

 Mandy nodded and tried to smile a little grin.  Even after all of these years since that fateful day, losing CC still was hard on her.  She swallowed hard, as it brought up her recent break-up as well.
  “ Yes... “ Was all she could say.
  “ Cancer?”
  “ Leukemia.” Choked out Mandy, just saying it even now... very hard.

 The officer seemed to pause for a moment, regarding Mandy with a long look.
  “ I lost my own mother to Breast Cancer many years ago already...” Officer Livingstone said softly, her eyes flashing a sense of understanding to the smaller person sitting beside her. “ It has been almost eight... no... Nine years now for me since she passed away. It sometimes feels like it happened only yesterday.... other times it starts to feel like it just happened a few moments ago.”

 The long dark haired girl understood just what the policewoman said all to well. She looked at Officer Dana and gave a little nod.
  “ I think it feels that way for a very long time, and it seems like it will be like that always.” Mandy said, her eyes glossing over with sadness.
  “ Yes... Yes it does.” Nodded the woman in blue, hearing the wisdom the younger lady had in this.
  “ Unfortunately that is a reality.” Added in Mandy

 The officer shifted in her seat, reacting to seeing the girl’s eyes falling dark with the emotions her words had brought up.
  “ Getting back to this task at hand....” The woman in blue said, seemingly hesitant to do it. It was clear that the Officer was there not for a simple social call.“ I hate to be doing this to you, but I need to ask you a few more questions of what you seen when you found the young girl.”
  “ You have more questions for me?” Said the younger gal, with a sigh.
  “ Unfortunately I do have a few more questions to ask of you.” Answered back the Officer.

 Mandy rubbed her sweat dampened brow and looked at the woman through eyes that seemed to be almost blanked by everything.
  “ I guess that you have to, don’t you?” She said, her voice having no inflection in it.  “ Sort of what you do, eh?
  “ I’ll admit, it is not one of favorite things I have to do in this job...” She frowned, giving Mandy a sigh to accent her own words. “... but it is how we conduct things to solve crimes... and one of those things is to go over the information you give us many times over to get that whole picture.”

 Mandy was not wanting to revisit what she had seen tonight, the image of the near lifeless form of Tabitha cradled in her lap was still way to clear in her head. It was so very hard having to relive it all over again, but she knew she had to do it to help the Police to have any chance of finding the twisted person who had did this to the young girl. Propping her courage up once more, she looked at the officer.
  “ I promise you... I will try to be as gentle as I can when asking these questions....” Added in the officer. “ Are you up to that?”

 Mandy locked her eyes on to the officer, and she hung there as her mind whirled. After a few moments more of silence while looking up at the moon hanging overhead, the young councilor agreed to go over whatever had to with a nod. 
  “ What do you need to know then...” She softly asked.

 Officer Livingstone flipped open her small notebook and began to question the young councilor as gently as she could, inside finding herself shocked at just how detailed the petite framed woman could be. She wrote everything down quickly, trying to make this as emotionally painless as she could possibly do.

******

 Cabin nine seemed so quiet, as Mandy stepped through the door and into the entrance area.  She paused to make sure she was walking as lightly as she could make herself. She could hear the sounds of deep snoring echoing from every part of the cabin’s interior, even from the entrance area. She stopped to listen to it all for a second, and found the sounds to be a calming sort of effect for her.

 Taking a few steps further in, the young councilor could see a single soft light on just outside the shared bedroom she stayed in, left on probably by Olivia who had stayed back to look after the girls.

 She made her way, noting that the time of nearly a quarter to four. She frowned as her mind saw the time, knowing that she had only two hours of sleep coming to her. She could only hope that she would pass out once in bed and sleep soundly for a hundred and twenty minutes and hope that would be enough... that was the only way she would be able to drag herself through the next day.

 Nearing the door to her room and she was surprised to find a unknown tall and nearly too thin woman sitting in a shadow spot  nearby on a old stool they had set there for their ‘walk’ duties. Startled with finding some unknown person sitting there, Mandy took a small step back, as the woman stood up.
  “ You must be Mandy, there?”  The woman asked, her voice painted with a heavy north east United States accent.
  “ Yeah...” Nodded Mandy, feeling a little silly at her hesitancy as the voice of the woman was friendly. “ Who are you?”

 The way too thin looking woman gave a small chuckle, shifting her stance, so she could see the younger lady in the light better.
  “ I’m Irene Carter... I am usually one of the councilors with Cabin five up the hill a-ways...” The woman answered back in her unusual accent, giving a big smile that was so warm. “I was here keepin’ and eye out on yer campers fer ya... Olivia had to suddenly step out fer awhile here, an’ I was assigned to be here.”

 Mandy understood why the lady was here and nodded.  That was the rules when a lone councilor had to leave for a moment.
  “ Did she say when will she be back?”
  “ She did not say to me just what it was she left fer or nuthin’...” Irene said, shrugging her gangly looking shoulders. “ She just told me to come ‘n’ watch the girls until either you or she finally got back.  She left with one of those policemen that are around... and that girl who’s the secretary for the Camp’s boss about twenty minutes ago.” She shrugged and yawned as she continued to speak. “ Seemed like it was somethin’ important...”

 With everything has been happening tonight and the turmoil it was throwing Pawa into, she already had surmised that as one of the senior councilors here at Pawa, Olivia was probably needed to oversee things until Miss Ashfield came back from the hospital.
  “ I’m back now... so just get back to your cabin and get whatever sleep that is left to actually get.” Suggested Mandy.
  “ Gittin’ some sleep? That sounds like a good idea... I feel like I can sleep fer a week an’ more...” Said the woman with a small cracked smile, her accent getting heavier by the moment from the lateness of the night.
  “ I hear you on that one...” Nodded the smaller of the two. “ Starting to feel like that myself.”

 The shockingly thin woman broke a smile as she looked at Mandy with such a extremely tired look while she passed the small woman and headed for the door. By that single look that was on Irene’s face, it was clear that the whole camp would not probably be getting any real sleep this night. 

 It was like a feeling that hung over the camp...It was clear that the things that had happened here this night, was already  impacting everyone from Campers, Councilors to any one of the administration support staff and would also reach to the kitchen help as well. No one was going to go untouched by what had happened on this steamy night. This thing had changed the feeling of the sleepy summer camp... more than ever before.

 Mandy sighed and just stood there for a moment, her mind feeling the effects of being so muddled ,that it almost was too tired to tell the rest of her to get to bed.  She could not help herself as she give herself a weak giggle int her chest, as this strange reality hit her exhausted funny bone.
  “ I’m actually feeling too tired to go to bed...”  Mandy mused with herself, finding that more than ridiculous.. but laughing at it anyways. She shook her head and giggled a second time. “... that is just so sad on so many levels....”

 She sighed, as she looked around the stillness of the cabin again. The girl knew that she could not go straight to bed, her job as councilor was not done and it was overriding her complete heavy feeling of exhaustion.  The young councilor knew she had to force herself to first take a check on each of her charges before tucking herself in. One last bed check before turning in herself for a brief sleep.

 Behind each curtained door she checked, everyone was safely tucked into their beds and sound asleep, and Mandy felt thankful of that. Even both of the constantly battling twins were sound asleep like peaceful angels.. belying what they were like when awake, remembering how they were.

 All was calm and quiet in the cabin, secured in the grip of a long hot night... it was a small feeling of satisfaction for just that.  Mandy was grateful for that, after what she had seen on this night.

 With her last councilor duties done, Mandy smiled and decided that it was now her turn to get some of sleep herself. She had been worried earlier that she would not be able to get any rest even if she tried, but the complete weariness she was feeling reaching throughout her entire body, made her know that was not going to be a problem at all. Sleep was the only thing her mind could tell her to do now.

 She got into her room and striped down as fast as she could have done, enjoying the sensations of getting off her sweat and grim caked clothes. She hoped that she would have time for a shower in the morning, but right now all she wanted was the couple of hours of sleep that was coming to her.

 The young woman heavily crawled into the small bed, feeling every part of her body was already was anticipating just where it was she was going. Her whole body felt like it was becoming heavier by the second, and the bed was feeling so damn inviting.

 Sighing, Mandy covered herself up and layed there for a moment in the near pitch blackness of the room, the silence that was there was such a relief for her weariness. Her body in reaction to finally being horizontal , almost felt like it was literally sinking in to the comfort of the mattress. She quickly dropped off to sleep the very second she had allowed herself to close her eyes.

Chapter Fourteen - Camp Uncertainty

 A hand on her bare shoulder brought Mandy out of a very deep sleep. She let out a groan, as the hand was really shaking her like crazy... moving the bed along with her with each movement.
  “ What the hell...” She muttered sleepily into her pillow, as the hand was relentless in the task of waking her.

 Mandy was  almost irritated for a moment or two as she quickly slipped into the waking world. Who ever it was that was doing that, was not going to leave her alone, no matter how much she would play being asleep for.

 She turned on her back and forced her eyes open, which was hard as hell. As her vision focused on whoever was waking her, she saw that it was Ol iva who stood over her.. She gasped and sat up.
  “ What time is it?  Did I oversleep?   What?”  Mandy rattled off, realizing how light it was in the room.

 The woman chuckled and held out what appeared to be a large white colored mug of steaming coffee for the babbling gal.  The sight stopped Mandy’s babbling and brought a sleepy smile of enjoyment on to her face.
  “ Easy, kid...It only eight in the morning... The woman started
  “ Damn, I slept in!!” Mandy squawked, stiffening to get herself up as quickly as she could.

 Olivia gave the girl a look to calm down with, causing Mandy to pause in her attempt to leap out of bed..
  “.. As I was trying to say before you started to babble like this... they told us to let you people in the search teams had earned the right to sleep a little longer.” She explained.
  “ Extra sleep...?” She smiled with her question, as the information sunk in. “ We were given extra time to sleep?”
  “ Hell... The whole camp has ended up getting to sleep in an extra bit...” Chuckled the woman, seeing that what she had said penetrated the sleepy lady’s mind.  “... breakfast will now be in about an hour or so.”

 Relived at the information that the girl was alright at least physically... mentally would be a longer road, she knew that all too well. The young lady took a long breath in, letting some of her tension go.  She found that the events of the previous nights had fell back into place for her, and that made it harder.
  “ How’s Tabitha?”  She asked, taking the mug from her camp co-worker as she shifted the blankets over herself.
  “ Scared, really confused and battered but she is physically going to be alright, the last time I heard..” Olivia said, sitting down on the edge of the bed.
  “ That is the best news that we can have, I guess...” Breathed Mandy, taking a sip of the coffee. 
  “ It will take a lot of caring and perhaps some professional help, but I think Tabitha will be just fine...” Said Olivia hopefully.
  “ Anything else do you have?” Asked Mandy, turning her head a little.  “ Do the police have any leads yet?”

 By the look that had suddenly appeared on Olivia’s face, it was clear that the woman did have some more information.  Mandy waited for a second for the woman to tell her, but nothing came. She waited for a few moments more for Olivia to spit out the information, and when it still never came, Mandy quickly was becoming very uncharacteristically impatient
  “ Well?”
  “ I do have something to report on that.. but it’s not from the cops though...” Said the older councilor, her voice was full of hesitation..

 Mandy was now awake fully, and was instantly curious at what the woman had just said to her. The cryptic way that Olivia was speaking about her as of yet untold information was more than odd.
  “ When we took the Staff roll call this morning, Miss Ashfield and I... we found two of our councilors were missing.”
  “ Missing?” Sputtered Mandy, not expecting that. “ Who are they ones that are missing?”
  “ I have to warn you that this might not seem like what it could be...” Started Olivia.
  “ Who?” Restated Mandy jumping in on Olivia’s statement, now with a little more force behind her words.

 Olivia frowned and looked at the girl in the bed with such a serious air to her.
  “ Alison Grey and Allen Perot.” She said so stiffly, her eyes were as cold as two cast iron frying pans. 
  “ Alison and Allen took off?” Echoed the young woman.
  “ They were missing when we did the count at six, but there is no car gone out of the parking lot.” Olivia calmly said
  “ Jesus!” She spat, her mind quickly playing with the possibilities with this revelation. “ They are gone?”
  “ A initial search by the senior councilors found nothing.”  Olivia said with a tight jaw. “ The police need to know this.”

 Mandy fell silent, as the information was now hitting. She was now wondering if these two were involved in the rape of Tabitha last night, or something else altogether. This was making no damned sense at all.
  “ So now what do you think the camp do about it?” She poised the question..
  “ You finish your coffee and then go have a shower, We meet with Alexis and the other senior staff right after breakfast.”

 Mandy blinked, nearly choking on a sip of coffee she had just taken.
  “ Why me?” She asked.
  “ It is because you know them both...” Plainly said the woman back. “ And might have something to contribute into it.”

 Mandy frowned, as she heard the words.  Her stomach started to turn wildly, as she felt herself being really upset with the woman.
  “ You told Miss Ashfield about Alison and me... and about the thing with Allen as well, haven’t you?” Asked the younger lady.
  “ I had to tell Alexis about it all...” Olivia said calmly.  “ There really was no choice for me not to in the matter...”
  “ Did you have to tell her everything like that?” Snapped Mandy with a voice that was way louder than normal, inside she was feeling almost guilty at this point.
  “ After everything that has happened around here, the boss really needs to know everything she can....“  The woman said, after letting Mandy say her few words. “ The board of directors for Camp Pawa are going to meet in a day or so back in the city... because of all of this, they might just end up shutting down Pawa not just for this summer season.. but for good.”

 Mandy hated that her private life... and private disappointment, had to be aired out like this.  As she continued to think about it, she already came to the conclusion that Olivia was right in telling her sad story... Miss Ashfield needed to know, she was not wanting this place to be shut down.  Dispite everything that had happened her over the years, to her and others as well... it was the only kids camp around other than the youth Gay one a ways away. She could not let that happen to good old Pawa.

 Olivia left to let Mandy drink her coffee in peace and the go to have that shower  This day was going to be something else indeed.

******

 Miss Ashfield sat behind her desk when Mandy, Olivia and a handful of the main Senior staff councilors all met.  The woman looked so tired sitting there, but was a sense of like she never had been before. Sitting there, she was the epitome of an administrator.

 Mandy had just sat down, after explaining things to the lady.  She had gone through everything, not missing any single hurtful detail as she layed it all out.  As hard as it had been for her to do, She felt a sort of freeing sensation come along with it, a sense of closure that was surprising and plesant.

 The woman leaned back in her large-backed chair, surveying the group that had assembled in her office.  She had finished hearing everything that was there from not just Mandy, but the entire group.
  “Guess it is now my turn to finally tell you what I know...” She said slowly, adding. “ I will try and explain everything that I can... but some things the Police have told me I cannot reveal at this point in their investigation.”

 The woman paused for a moment, her face showing the stress of the past twenty four hours. The group sat, each one of them very stunned as they were waiting for the woman to continue.  The room was so eerily silent, only the light humming of the air conditioner going could be heard..

 Miss Ashfield leaned forward to look over at the group across her desk, her eyes seemed to be so cold at the moment.
  “ Somehow, a registered sex offender has gotten work here at the Camp.  The application process that is in place, did not catch it. I caught on when I saw something on television, ad the person they were profiling was this person”  She said flatly.  “ The police has confirmed this person’s record already for me.”
  “ How did that happen? Letting a pervert like that actually to get hired here?” Asked a woman off to the side.
  “ I do not do any of the hiring here, it is the main board who does this.” Alexis said.
  “ The how did this person?” Asked the woman again.
  “ As far as what the police have said...it seems like this person has manipulated the background check system because of his families wealth and influence.”
  “ Who is this pervert?” Asked the tall and lanky Irene.
  “ Yeah... who is this freak?” Called out a very chubby man from the back.

 Miss Ashfield threw a mug shot on the desk in response to people’s questions.  Mandy could see the picture from where she was, and gasped.  It was a picture of Allen staring up at her almost mockingly.
  “ He is Allen Perot... and he has already gone missing with one of our councilors, Alison Grey.” The woman said as calmly as she could. “ This man has a disturbingly long record of raping and beating young females who are homosexual or suspected to be, always saying after being caught that ‘A good fuck will straighten these girls out for good’.”
  “ Are you sure of all of this, Miss Ashfield?” Mandy said, her mind now worrying about her ex.
  “ All too sure, Mandy...” Alexis said. “ He likes to go after fairly young girls, twelve to around fifteen who are just starting to figure out their sexuality. He gets close to them by volunteering or working for teen youth groups and such.”
  “ So he acts like it is his job to stop them from being Lesbians?” Irene asked.
  “ In a short sort of way... Yes.  He has been quoted in saying that if he does the ‘deed’ early enough, they will turn out normal and not Gay, showing them exactly what they were made for... all the while he goes out with a female of an older age to mask his twisted plans.  The profile on him is quite extensive... but his very wealthy family has kept him out of prison for this long.”

 Mandy felt a horrible chill up her spine, as she connected the dots.  Alison had been used by this man for his own devious needs it seemed, and she has no clue to who she has made a child with. Alison seems to think that she loves this man, and has taken on the same smugness as Allen has directed on her. That bastard never loved her.

 Snapping out of her own thoughts, Mandy looked at Alexis with a gasp on her lips. She found the woman already was looking at her.
  “ Is Allen a suspect in what happen to Tabitha?”
  “ The Police strongly think so, but Tabitha could not identify him from the pictures they showed her... DNA results will help that, cops have been clear to tell me that his DNA is on file from a earlier attacks....” Said a frustrated Miss Ashfield.
  “ That will point to him then?” Mandy posed again.
  ” It is not as easy as that...” Said Alexis coldly. “ There was another male councilor that had been seen talking with Tabitha around the time she vanished, but I am not at liberty to reveal that name as yet.  Only the tests can determine if this councilor or if Allen... are the perpetrator.”
  “ How long will that take?” Irene asked.
  “ The police have not said... only that it was top priority for the results.” Calmly said Alexis. “ They are investigating this other councilor while waiting for the tests from the lab.”

 A low mummer went through the room, as every one of the assembled councilors seemed shocked at what has developed. The most shocked of them all was Mandy. Regardless of how Alison got into this shit, she knew that she would be... and was, in danger.
  “ Are the police going to search for Allen and Alison then?” She said, hoping that the Police were going to do that.”
  “ They are looking for them both as we speak...” Alexis said. “ But they have told me to inform you all that if any one of you actually see them, to contact either me or the department as quickly as possible, and not try and stop them yourselves.”

 She swallowed and turned, her face still very much having a very serious look on it’s tired look.
  “ Tell nothing to the Campers, or anyone else for right now... The police want this place working as normally as possible for the time being...” She warned. “ Just keep all of your eyes open, and mouth shut.”
  “ What if one of the campers ask about the rape or about Tabitha and how she is doing... do we just out and out lie.. telling them there was no rape at all and what they saw last night with all the cops around was nothing?” Asked Irene.
  “ I agree with that.. I’m going to have may girls scared of this... and many more who might be at risk as well...” Said another woman. “ I cant just fake it all,  after what happened... It’s not right!”

 Alexis nodded, as it seemed that she too had thought of that.
  “ We just have to say that Tabitha is doing well, and that the police are doing what they have to keep everyone safe here at Camp.” The head administrator said, without a moment of hesitation. “ The fact that Allen is a sex offender has to be kept quiet for now as well...”
  “ That just seems worse than plainly lying to them.” Said a dark skinned young man. “ Some of these kids need to know if they might be targeted, so they can protect themselves by budding up...”

 Miss Ashfield looked at the group, as her eyes were now showing that she was a little frustrated herself with the situation.  She leaned with one hand on the desk, never once turning away from the assemblage.
  “ You just say what you can, without crossing the line between what you can and cannot say... so nothing can interfere with the police’s investigations.” Alexis snapped, obviously she was feeling overly strained by everything.  “ We can’t do anything else.... only hope that this might not end up closing down Pawa... and pray that another girl will not be attacked in the meantime.”
  “ We just have to make sure our children are safe the best that we can do until the cops have their ducks in a row.” Olivia said, her face showing the monumental strain as well as she jumped in to help the boss. “ We need to especially look over those kids who seem to be at the most risk.”
  “ Keep an eye on everyone the best that you can over the next little while....” Alexis said, adding in. “ Police are going to be constantly patrolling through our camp on a regular basis for the next while, so we can go about our jobs a little better without excess strain.”
  “ That is the only thing we can do at this juncture...” Added in Olivia, putting an accent on what had been told so far.

 Mandy was angered and worried at the same time, but grudgingly knew that both women were right.  Until the cops could figure out which one of these men was the one who did this and capture him... their job was to make sure that their kids were completely safe. She was so very worried about Alison, after hearing all of this... but the kids were the only priority here... no matter what her feelings were.

 With out any fanfare or anything else, the meeting was abruptly ended by the head of Pawa.  The group quickly dispersed and went back to start the day off the day’s activities with their kids. As they all did, it was clear that none of councilors were really wanting to put on a brave face.  They simply had to, for the collective good of the Camp. 

 Miss Ashfield sat back down in her chair, showing the exhausted state she was in.  She rubbed her eyes and lit a smoke for herself. She took a long drag and let the plume of smoke float off onto the breeze made by the air conditioner, and she seemed to relax a little as she sat there. She rolled her head to the side, as her face showed her mind was drifting far away from her office.

 Her secretary suddenly appeared and hurried in to the room. The younger lady plopped a large folder on her desk.
  “ This just came for you, Miss Ashfield...” She said.
  “ What is it now...” Alexis grumbled, eyeing the folder with hesitation.
  “ The lead investigator dropped it off while you were in speaking with the councilors.” She said.

 The woman behind the desk seemed to perk up a little, as she looked at the folder with a bit more interest than before.
  “ Is it that DNA test already?” She said hopefully.
  “ He did not say what this was....” Started the secretary, with a shrug. “ But he did stress that you need to look at that immediately.”

 Alexis flipped open the folder and began to read whatever was inside with voracious enthusiasm The secretary turned and left rather quickly, going to answer a ringing phone in the other room. Head of Pawa seemed not to even notice, as she was already engrossed in the words she was reading.

 The woman finished reading what was in the folder and sat back in to the chair back with a strange heaviness. She looked up at the ceiling and let out a long sigh. The secretary came back in again, and noticed the blank look on her boss’s face.
  “ It’s not the DNA test that you wanted to see?” She asked, looking at her boss with the question written on her face.
  “ No, unfortunately...” Sighed the head woman.
  “ Then... what?”

 The woman sat up a little in her seat and looked at her secretary with a very intense yet blanked stare.
  “ There has been a monkey wrench thrown into this now...” She said flatly.
  “ Like what?” The younger lady said.
  “ Call Olivia back here on the double...” The woman answered. “ She needs to see what this says.”
  “ What is it?” Questioned the lady.
  “ I have to show Olivia this first...” She said flatly. “ Get her here as fast as you can....”

 The secretary hurried off, her face showing that she was not quite sure of just what it could be that her boss was not telling her.  She was aware of one thing by how her boss was acting like, this was something very big that had been dumped into the mix of this horrible situation.

Chapter Fifteen - Meeting evil

 Boiling hot would describe the days’s weather right from the very start. Pawa was baking under the broiling sun, adding to everything else that was going on. The bright sun masked the darkness in people’s thoughts.

 The morning had dragged by like someone pulling a two ton boulder around on their back, that feeling was helped by the sun that seemed to sap the strength from even the strongest of people. The past two days had not helped either, as the mood of the camp was not a real cheerful one.

 Olivia had just returned to Mandy and the girls of her cabin from a one-on-one with the Camp’s boss. That was more than a little strange to the younger councilor of the two, considering all of the senior councilors had just ended a meeting earlier.. and this one had taken up an hour for her partner to come back.. 

 Mandy was curious to why Miss Ashfield had called only Olivia back so soon after the meeting, it was strange... but not unusual either.  She already understood that Olivia was the longest serving councilor that was at Pawa
  “ Your not going to tell me anything on just why Miss Ashfield asked for you to meet with her again... right?” Half jokingly yet half seriously asked Mandy.
  “ I am not going to say a word about it.... I can’t at the moment.” Said the woman plainly.
  “ I figured that you wouldn’t... or couldn’t” Sighed Mandy.

 Olivia turned her head and flashed a curious type of smirk at the young gal who had surprised her. She put a hand on her hip, as she pondered the younger woman.
  “ If you knew that I would not say anything about my meeting...Why did you ask me in the first place?” The woman asked, with a hint of an approaching giggle fit that was held just behind her words
  “ Guess you can say that I just felt like it...” Giggled Mandy back, with a impish grin as she understood the woman’s silence
  “ You felt like it?” Said the woman, her giggled now were almost not able to be held back.
  “ Yeah...” Mandy Smirked. “ I felt like it.”

 The woman straightened up a little and looked at Mandy. The woman’s body then started to shake, then trembled before she all of a sudden burst out laughing.
  “ Well, I guess that is a good  reason as any to ask a question like that...” Olivia chuckled.
  “ I thought it was a hell of a good reason.” Cheekily said the smaller girl, through her own fit of giggling that seemed to release some of the days tension in her.
  “ Being a tad ‘nosy’ might be the better word for your question...” Giggled the short haired lady.
  “ Maybe... but I’ll stick to me reason.” Laughed Mandy, seeing that Olivia was getting a huge laugh out of this.

 The head Councilor of Cabin Nine just watched her young friend laugh for a moment or two, and seemed to be almost relishing the musical sound.
  “ Since you being such a comedian today... you can just laugh yourself down to the boathouse and pick up some life-vests for the safety demonstration we are having to give out girls in the swimming area.” Smirked Olivia, her own fit of laughter coming as little more freer than it had been.
  “ Is that my job?  Fetching everything for you, when you want?” She asked with a giggle still in her voice
  “ Seeing as you are one of the new Councilors on the block here...” The lady started, chuckling now out of control. “ I’d say that would be a very big ‘yes’ to the many tasks under my command....”
  “ Meanie!!” Playfully pouted Mandy, as she turned and headed off to do her duty as a the ‘Newbie’ councilor, while her laughing still was flowing out of her.

 Olivia watched the girl leave, and just shook her head while hurrying  into the cabin to gather up the campers for a walk down to the swimming area just down from the dock.. Dispite things going on, the woman felt a little better after being tickled with her interaction with the small woman with the long dark hair.

 It was now just after one o’clock, the heat was almost unbearable by now.  Mandy was heading down the soft sloped hill towards the boathouse, feeling the heat literally weighing on her.  She wished that she had other lighter clothes with her for such a day as this, but she already knew what she had on was the lightest things that she owned.

 As she thought of such things, Mandy started to giggle as she found herself wishing that Pawa was a ‘clothing optional’ place just to have a chance of getting cooled off.
  “ That’s just crazy to think...”  She told herself with a giggle as she hurried down the dirt path. The image of everyone being naked at Pawa tickled her, and she found herself continuing to giggle.

 The long and gangly councilor Irene was just coming up from the docks with her group bouncing around behind her. The woman looked up the trail, and could see Mandy was coming down the slope. The woman never paused, but had put a smile on her face as the young woman got closer.
  “ Hot as hell today, ya think?” The very bony looking woman called out, as the smaller councilor passed by.
  “ Gimme a egg and a flat rock from on the beach, we’d have some more breakfast to eat in no time...” Commented back Mandy.
  “ That’s fer sure...” Irene came back in her distinct American accent, as her cabin of girl hurried passed Mandy, obviously wanting to get out of this heat as quickly as possible. “ Next time I’ll bring the bacon an’ we can have a cookout.”

 It was clear by how the woman was forcing her little jokes with Mandy, Irene was still feeling the great stress that has hung over Pawa ever since Tabitha had been noticed missing.... and how it had become like a lumbering beast after the young girl had been found. That was so evident.

 An obvious tightness of voice could be heard so clearly through the woman’s attempt at humor , made Mandy start to feel a little more tighter herself. It had reminded her of what just was going on around here, and brought an abrupt end to her lightening mood.  She took a glance back up the path, but could see that the Councilor and her rowdy group of Campers were already over the top of the hill and completely gone from view.  She turned back to continue down to the boathouse, her mind now flooded with things.

 Unknown to even herself, Mandy had quickened her step in an attempt to push those growing feeling down once more. In her mind, she knew the police were out there doing what they had to... and that everyone had to just wait.  She was worried about Alison as well, but she already knew that the young lady had made her bed for herself on this one... yet it was hard to stop caring all together.

 Whatever Alison had done to her, Mandy still felt a great sense of love for the woman she had shared four years with. It was true that she did not want to see Alison hurt in anyway, but she had made the decisions all on her own dispite what they had shared. She was feeling such a mixture of emotions and resentments, all of them with no sense of any resolution.

 Alison was the one who had gotten pregnant when she had cheated, had been the one who chose to run off with Allen who seemed to be the one that had raped a helpless young girl and everything. She had done nothing to make the woman do any of these things, she had only freely handed Alison her heart, only to have it stomped on in the end. The fact of her still loving and caring for Alison, made her mad at herself.

 Sick of battling all of this, Mandy just made herself focus onto what she was doing fort the time being. With everything else that also was occupying her still very tired mind, the need to keep herself as busy as she could was probably a better thing to do. It was in all honesty, the only thing.

 Entering the large boathouse by way of a very rickety door on the side of the structure, Mandy was more than pleased to find that inside the long and large place felt cooler than outside... but it was not cooler by much. She just sighed and stepped in more, as the small relief that the place gave her was way better than nothing at all.

 Now that she was out of the blinding sun, the low light inside made it very hard to focus for a moment but she knew that she had little time to let her eyes adjust.  She squinted a little while she hurried  to gather up those life-vests for her waiting group, bumping into one of the damaged canoes on the floor that was waiting to be repaired.
  “ Forgot that was there...” She muttered to herself, as she had helped carry it in the other day when it was broken.

 Thinking hard, Mandy was glad that she in a round about way, knew the general area inside this large building to find the much needed bright orange vests. Moving with that knowledge in her head, she made sure to avoid tripping over any other things that would be around her

 As she headed to the very back of the boathouse, Mandy’s hearing caught a sound off to her right. The brief sound was almost like if someone had just moved a little in the shadows, but she thought it might have been that local cat that had seemed to make Pawa home.  She turned her head a little and tried to squint more to make sure of the little feline, but her eyes were still not accustomed to the dimness as yet and the sound had seemed to have stopped already.

 Out of the dimness, she saw something flashing towards her from the side... moving in an horizontal arc and coming straight at her. She tried to move herself the best that she could sideways with a instinctive lunge to avoid whatever it was. She was not fast enough and the thing ended up hitting her squarely on the side of her head. It was a very vicious connecting blow, one that had knocked her clear off her feet.. the sound of it hitting was deafening.. 

 Mandy collapsed to the ground heavily, the back of her head smacked hard on the concrete floor. Her mind spun with an array of multicolored lights, then there was a very overwhelming strobe of pain that shot through her entire body. She felt all of her breath expel out of her lungs, forcing her to try and suck some air back into herself... but the pain that now overtook ever part of her senses, made that hard to do.

 As she layed there in a heap on the sand and dirt that covered the cement floor for a few moments, she felt hands roll her onto her back then beginning to touch her in places that no one should be as she lay so very helpless. Her vision blurred, she could not make out even a part of the face that was now molesting her.

 A very rough skinned hand roughly pushed up her sundress she had been wearing then was followed by large fingers that suddenly were being jabbed inside her little treasure through one of the leg hole of her underwear. She could do nothing to stop this person as her body was not responding to the frantic messages her mind was screaming like mad through the horrible pain that shot through her crotch. 

 This was the rapist Allen, her fear numbed mind figured out, as those calloused fingers ripped themselves even deeper to her womb. She could feel a tear starting to roll down her sore face, as those fingers probed her like she was nothing to this person.  She heard the rustling of clothing and heavy breathing that was very foul smelling, then she had her panties violently ripped from her body. 
  “ You’re a little old here, but this is how sex is really suppose to be, you little dyke bitch... Enjoy!!” Was the only thing the male voice had said in a hiss, spoken in a way that she could not identify that it was Allen.

 Fear now gripped Mandy’s very soul, as she knew what was going to happen to her next. That was verified when her own ripped panties were then roughly shoved deep into her mouth, making her gag violently as she had enough of a time breathing as well. The person then yanked apart her legs, painfully splaying her entirely for his pending deed. Her head slowly lolled to the side, thankful that she was too weak to move it herself,..she could not see the person anyways who had her at his mercy, and this would be a small blessing in the middle of this curse..

 The person who was violating her all of a sudden had stopped for some reason, echoing sounds of running feet now filled the stillness and they were moving past where she layed exposed. Those footsteps were very heavy even on the cement, and they were obviously heading straight for the partially open door.  She could make out a blurry hulking figure running away from her, but she could not tell who it was from where she layed... she was only glad that the person had stopped what they had been doing to her.

 She struggled to focus on anything that she could, but her head was now hurting even more as she lay there. She still struggled to breath right, but it was getting even harder to do so. With every second that passed now,  the world around her was painfully spinning out of control, even the light that was from the now fully wide open doorway hurt as much as anything else on her body

 With nothing she could do, Mandy laid there on sand covered surface while her as her arms and legs tingled wildly. She could feel herself slowly beginning to slip away into nothing, as the pain throbbed and grew in her head.  She tried to will herself to get up, but not one part of her body responded to her feeble attempts.

 As she continued to slip into blackness, her head was suddenly being filled with thundering loud shouts from outside of the boathouse. She could not make out what they were screaming, but it meant that people were near.  She wanted to call out for help desperately, but she found even her voice was not working. She could only give a very low groan, while she listened to whatever was going on.

 She began to hear a storm of loud cursing, then was followed by the sounds a furious struggle that was going on outside. She could hear the obvious sounds of a scuffle going on, and there were punches being thrown as the swearing increased to echo through her numbed body. With so many voices being heard, that told her that it was a whole group of people that were involved in whatever was happening.

 She tried again to call out, to let them know that she was there and needed help, but she could only get out a small whimper, as the pain wracked through her entire body.
  “ Help me...” Her mind screamed over and over again, but her moth continued to be stilled by her pain

 She could now tell that the fight had suddenly had stopped, and she hoped that someone would come in and find her now.  She could hear the voices still outside, and her mind screamed for someone to find her.

 A husky yet very female voice suddenly hung in the sudden stillness of the boathouse. Mandy was thankful to hear that voice, as it seemed that whoever it was had stepped in to where she lay.
  “ We got someone on the floor in the boathouse where that bastard came out of...”  It loudly called out, as it seemed that the owner of the voice was running up to were Mandy layed.

 She felt someone touch her softly, as she began to descend into a vortex of blackness in her pain clogged mind. As she fought to keep herself from slipping from reality, she could hear the lady’s voice gasp very loudly while she felt something very soft was being placed under her head.
  “ Jesus Fuckin’ Christ!! Someone go get the nurse or some damn help..” The voice said with a urgent tone in it. A hand touched her cheek, but the figure was too blurry for Mandy to tell who it was.  “ Oh my God... It’s Mandy... and she’s bleeding really bad from the...”  The voice trailed off from there.
  
 Mandy lapsed into unconsciousness at that precise moment, the voice now disappearing like the wind. Drifting into a inky murk, she could vaguely make out that other people were gathering around her as her world collapsed into a sea of dark nothingness.

Chapter Sixteen - Never too late to grow?

 The hospital in Pasha was not very busy. Doctors and nurses walked around the halls, going room to room on rounds while other people hustled through on their own routes with somber faces.

 Just in the hallway, Ol iva stood looking into one of the room. She was so still as she leaned against the doorjam, not moving or even mildly fidgeting. Her face was drawn and full of gloominess, her eyes were locked on whatever it was that was in the room in front of her.

 The woman was watching as Sunny sat next to a bed inside of the hospital room. Mandy was the one who was laying in that bed, and she was so very still.  The petite woman’s head was bandaged tightly, a heart monitor beeped constantly while she layed there like if she was asleep. The ugly truth was far from that since coming into the hospital after being attacked back at camp, she had not regained consciousness.

 With anguish now creeping over her face, the woman stood there for a few moments more, then started to turn as to leave but stopped.  Beside her stood Officer Livingstone and Miss Ashfield had appeared there almost as if out of the blue.  Olivia looked into each face of the women that stood there, and could see the deeply pained expressions of worry that was in them both. She knew that look all to well.

 Miss Ashfield looked at her head councilor, her face showing even more weariness than it had earlier.
  “ No change in Mandy?” Alexis asked.
  “ None...” Olivia said stone faced. “ She still has not come out of it yet.”

 Miss Ashfield took a deep breath, it seemed to waver a little as she did. Silently, Olivia knew what was going through the Boss’s head. 

 The officer next to them both started to speak at that time, so as to relive the uncomfortable silence.
  “ We have charged Doug Lankers with the attack he did on Mandy... he confessed to everything the minute we put the handcuffs on him.”

 Olivia shook her head with the information, a look of pure shock had replaced her anguish.
  “ So it was not Allen who was the rapist, even with his record of doing the same thing.”
  “ As stranger as it seems, that is not correct to assume...” Dana said.
  “ It’s not?” Asked Olivia, a little stunned with the officer’s statement.

 Officer Livingstone shook her head.
  “ Doug has a lengthy record in his own right... but it was hidden because he changed his name from Richard Cole a few years ago...”  She said. “ We ran his prints through, and that popped up plain as day.”
  “ I cant believe the coincidence of two Sex Offenders getting work at the same camp and at the same time.” Olivia commented. “What are the odds of that ever happening?”
  “ There is more to this, that you know...” Entered in Alexis, flatly..

 The officer’s face became stiff and professional all of a sudden. Olivia clearly was not following what she heard.  The officer then spoke.
  “ It seems that Allen and Doug, now known as Richard, knew each other from court appointed Offender classes a few years back...” She started. “ They had became friends then, and it seemed like they hatched a plan together...”
  “ A plan?” Said a clearly shocked Ol iva.
  “ Our man in custody explained it all to us while he was being booked.” Dana said. “ He spilled it more in depth when we interrogated him...”
  “ What the hell?”

 The Officer took a long breath of her own, as she looked at the puzzled woman.
  “ They came to camp under a plan they had plotted over a long time, wanting to simply rape and punish these young girls they deemed almost like traitors to their gender, and to make sure they turned out ‘normal’...” Dana explained.
  “ That is sick...” The senior councilor commented, feeling queasy with it.
  “ When Allen, who also like the challenge of trying to get adult lesbians into bed once in a while... he actually scored one and got her pregnant, and thought it out that it could be such a good cover to have, so he continued to play her as his lover. It was a bonus that Alison was going to be working at this camp for the summer”
  “ They pulled that off?  How?”
  “ With Allen’s huge money reserves, he payed off a few people and got the both of them hired on at Pawa and they could put their warped daydreams into play.”
  “ So this all was some sick plan?”
  “ Precisely..” Officer Livingstone said. “ With Richard being the pure pedofile of the two, he was the one that would attack the girls and Allen would be waiting nearby to join in, or just masturbate while watching because he like the power of it all... and because they both hated lesbians young and old, it was a match made in their twisted heaven.”

 Olivia gasped, as this sounded so disgusting.  She thought for a moment.
  “ But Mandy here is not a kid anymore... why did Richard target her?”  She asked. “ Why not Allen, who we all knew loved to torment Mandy...”
  “ With the stress that came with the last attack, and the fact that our force was there investigating, made him snap and needed to release it.” She started, then added. “ He attacked her for two reasons: she is known to be gay and the fact that she was such a petite woman, looking still like a young teen girl... it fit for him. It was also luck that she had walked in on where he was hiding out to think, because his partner in this had ran off with his girlfriend.”
  “ Just opportunity?”
  “ Not exactly... he was targeting her before, but never had made a move.” She informed. “ To him, when she came in to the boathouse and was alone, it probably felt like Christmas for him.”  She frowned. “ The plan was originally for him to attack Mandy, incapacitate her, then Allen... because of his disgust for Mandy being a ‘pure’ Lesbian would do the rest... he wanted to rape her.  Richard said he wanted to because he already had Alison ‘changed’, Mandy needed to be as well.”

 Olivia understood, but it made her nearly vomit with it.  These two’s insidious plans were the most grossest ting she had ever heard.
  “ That means that Allen is still out there still... And Alison is following along love struck.”
  “ And Alison probably does not even know any of his past probably.” Flatly said the cop. “ But we will find him... and hope like hell that she is not going to be hurt when we do.”
  “ But he got her pregnant...” Olivia pointed out. “ He already proved his suppose it ‘manliness’.”
  “ He knows that she was with Mandy, and in his mind, she still was a traitor to her gender even though she has discovered that she was bi-sexual.” She explained. “ We think that he may also snap one day... because she had been sexual with another woman.”

 Olivia nodded, as sick as it was.... it was genius.
  “ Was Allen then there when Doug...er... Richard raped Tabitha?”
  “ Initial tests confirmed that there were two different male’s sperm present inside Tabitha’s body that proves two were involved... and Richard said that he was there when he confessed...” Dana said tightly. “ It meant that he probably also raped the girl...”
  “ But Tabitha said there was only one...”
  “ She also had said that she blacked out for awhile.... she probably did not even know that there was a second attacker.” Explained Dana.

 The senior councilor was going to ask another question, when the officer’s radio came on loudly.
  “ I have to go...” Dana said. “ When Mandy comes to, call us... we need to talk with her.”

 The Policewoman hurried off, leaving Olivia and Miss Ashfield standing there.  The head of Camp Pawa turned and looked at her employee.
  “ Lets wait in the waiting room... I want to talk with you anyways.” She said.
  “ With ... me?” She said, her instant reaction was to look back inside the room where Mandy was.
  “ Yeah... I do.” She said.

 The two women walked off towards where the waiting room was at the very end of the corridor. Olivia was a little uneasy with this all, but wanted to know what was so important to talk about when Mandy was still unconscious.

 The waiting room was empty at this time, and strangely it was eerie that it was. The two took a seat next to the window.
  “ You seem to be disturbed by what happened to Mandy the most..” Bluntly pointed out Alexis..
  “ Guess I am..” Agreed Olivia. “ Knowing her for so long, and now working along side of Mandy... I feel close to her.”
  “ Is that all... or more?” The tall lean head of the camp asked.

 Olivia gave a surprised look to her boss, as the words seemed strange.
  “ What do you mean?”
  “ I am thinking that there is more than that to it.”
  “ I care about Mandy... what in hell are you reading into it?”
  “ All I am saying is that you may be feeling more than comradery towards Mandy...” Softly suggested Alexis.
  “ Like I am in love with her?”
  “ That would be what I am seeing...” The woman smiled.

 Olivia’s mouth fell open, as her boss’s words struck her deeply.  She looked at the taller woman, who seemed so calm in suggesting such a thing to her.
  “ I am not gay though...” She said to Alexis. “ What makes you think that I have fallen in love with Mandy?
  “ I may be an administrator of the Camp, but I am also Gay and I have never hid that fact.”
  “ So?”
  “ I see it in your face, the way you are so concerned with Mandy and everything... I also have seen you looking at her in a way that tells me that.”

 The middle aged woman shook her head, although it was a slow way.
  “ I am not gay... I have been married twice before...” She pointed out.
  “ I know that in both of them, you were not married for long...”
  “ So?”
  “ Why did you get out of them?”
  “ They just fell apart after a few months..that’s all” Explained Olivia. “ There was no communication of anything... And what I felt for both of them had vanished.... showed me that it was not time to be married.”

 Miss Ashfield looked into the woman’s eyes.
  “ Have you asked yourself why they just collapsed like that?”  She asked slowly. “ Was it your husbands... or you?”
  “ We just grew apart fast... it almost felt wrong from the start” Almost suggested Olivia.  “ I found that I could not relate to them after awhile... no communication and noting else also.”
  “ Was it that you could not relate to them... or was it that once in bed with them, there was no spark as well?” So bluntly asked Alexis. “ They just never give you what you wanted, or were you expecting something else?”

 Olivia seemed to make a few sputtering sounds, as the conversation had now changed to being very personal very fast.
  “ How could we, if I could not relate to them...  my one husband cheated on me, I thought... and only after four months.”  She said with a sour tone, then she sighed. “ I never honestly knew if he did for sure or not, but we never had sex much in those few months... we split up before I could find out for sure.”

 Alexis looked at Olivia’s face, as if reading it.  She was seeing something in there, but was not sure of it.  She snuffed and leaned towards the woman beside her.
  “ Were you two were not active in the bedroom at the time then...” Alexis asked, as she was being even more blunt than ever.  She watched the lady’s face changing expressions as she spoke to her“ I am thinking that neither one of you were...”

 Olivia seemed to not like where the questioning was going on this. She eyed the woman with a scowl.
  “ If you must know...we never had sex a lot... is that what you want to hear?” She admitted, her tone getting louder, her face becoming more animated. “ Having sex with Robert never felt right... you satisfied.”
  “ Question for you to put to yourself is if you have not resolved the reasons for both of your marriages breaking up like they have.” She plainly stated back to Olivia. “ And you always have stated that Mandy was your favorite Camper of all time...”

 Olivia stood up and began to walk away, seemingly upset with what Alexis was implying to her. She stopped and looked over her shoulder.
  “ I don’t know you can even suggest that I am attracted to Mandy... I have known her since she was a little girl.” She said with wild eyes. “ It’s been about eight years that I have known her... maybe even nine.”
  “ That may be true... but if you have not noticed, she has now a very beautiful young woman...” Alexis calmly pointed out. “ The shy teenager or the all too demure pre-teen is long gone...”
  “ I have see that...” Olivia said with a snappiness in her tone. “ What are you getting at?”
  “ If you look at Mandy as a whole... She has blossomed into someone that is amazing in so many levels.”. She said. “ There is no shame in the fact that you probably have always felt something for her for years, and as she grew up... so did your feelings as well. Realizing who you are happens at any age, and you are perhaps on that edge...”

 The woman stared at Alexis, her mouth falling open even more.  The woman’s words shocked her.
  “ You are insinuating that after all of these years, I am gay?” She spat with a gasp.
  “ I am saying that you might be, and have refused to think that you are gay all along because of your views.”
  “ How can you say that?” She said, now getting louder. “ I don’t have any sort of thing against anyone...gay, straight, people of all colors and backgrounds...none...”
  “ I know that... but I am thinking that you are denying that you could be in fact, gay.” 

 Olivia stormed off right then.  She could not believe that Alexis would even thing that she was feeling attraction to Mandy. It was, way out there.
  “ That is just preposterous!”  She grumbled to herself as she walked back to Mandy’s room. “ It’s just too screwed up to even think like that... That I am attracted to Mandy like that when I am not gay to start with...”

 Miss Ashfield stayed in the waiting room for awhile, watching the woman walk away.  She looked out of the window at the bright hot day that was starting to wain into evening. She snuffed and smiled as she enjoyed the beauty of the hospital grounds while she dialed a number on her cellphone.

******

 The Tree line bar was nearly empty, only scattered locals sat nursing their beers and talking over the sounds of the music the jukebox was pumping out. The older gentleman behind the bar looked rather bored at this point as he served the customers the drinks, but it seemed like he was doing it with great dignity and pride as well.

 Olivia was in the bar this early evening, sitting at a table all alone with a mug of beer placed in front of her.  She seemed to be totally in a world of her own, not even venturing to look around the establishment, or trying to listen to the noticeable music of the band RUSH pumping out.

 The woman seemed to be heavily thinking on things very hard, as her beer looked half full and had lost all of it’s frothy head. If the beer was warm as well, it seemed like Olivia would never notice it in any case. She had been siting there for some time by now, and the other in the bar had simply left her alone. 

 A voice broke her out of wherever her mind had drifted off to, and she looked up slowly. She found Sunny and a dusty skinned woman at the side of her table.
  “ After a day like we had today... guess we were not the only ones that felt a need for a drink..” Sunny smirked.
  “ With you here, I think that is safe to assume...” Said Olivia, trying to be pleasant through her somberness.

 The two women ordered a few drinks and ended up joining Olivia at her table.  Sunny looked at the strangely quiet woman they had set down with a bit of curiosity... she had noted the somberness the woman had in her eyes, but she also was feeling that it was no way mixed with sadness... it was as if she was torn with something on the inside.
  “ It’s great that Mandy now has woken up and the doctors are sure there are going to be no lasting effects from that blow she took.... she just had to get twenty stitches and watch for any signs of a concussion” She said, trying to start a conversation. “ I was sure relieved to hear that... she could have been worse, the doctor told me.”

 Olivia nodded as she looked at the woman
  “ Gotta tell you, I was very worried watching when she was being loaded on to the ambulance” She agreed. “ Seeing her like that, was so hard... seeing her so still in that hospital bed, was harder still.”
  “ Everyone seems to be worried about her.” The dark skinned woman said, tipping her beer to take a sip right after she spoke.
  “ It is hard to see someone like Mandy, in that vulnerable of a position...” Sighed Olivia, expressing her self.  “ Especially when it is someone you know.”

 Sunny looked at Olivia as she spoke, and saw this little glint of light dance in the woman’s eyes as she talked. She watched Olivia a few more moments more, almost like she was captivated with the feelings that flowed out of the woman.
  “ You have known Mandy for a long time, haven’t you?” Sunny asked.

 The older of the three nodded. She was looking right at Sunny, her mind drifted to think on just how much Mandy liked this woman. Sunny had beauty, and she seemed so nice as well... she could tell why Mandy liked her.  Strangely she began to feel almost irritated with the woman... it felt almost like she was resentful in some ways..
  “ It’s almost like I’m jealous... could that be possible?” She asked herself, as she realized what she was feeling on the inside.  “ Oh my God!”

 Sunny broke through her thought, and her own unusual reactions to Sunny. Olivia became aware of the girl staring at her right then.
  “ Have you known Mandy that long?” She asked again, obviously wondering why there was not an answer.
  “ Eight or nine years by now...” She smirked, her mind returning fully. “ Seen her really grow over that time, it is so amazing. She was just this small, very shy little girl with a sweet smile back then, now look at her.”
  “ That is a long time...” Agreed Sunny, taking a sip of her own beer.  “ It’s probably the reason why you looked so worried about her back in the hospital.  After all of the years you watched her... you could not help but worry.”

 Olivia smiled in reply, not disagreeing with the woman.  What she had felt when she heard about Mandy being hurt, was undescribable... and she could still feel that still.  She sat there, feeling so much better that Mandy was awake and doing great... yet the words she had with Pawa’s boss picked at her.. as did the strange feelings that still hung inside herself.  It was like Alexis’s words had hit a chord in her... and like a stubborn pitbull, it was refusing to let go. That was why she felt like she did... but curiously, she found she could not blame her feelings on Alexis.

 Reminding herself that she had came here to forget everything for awhile and relax a little...  She still was aware that her thoughts have been constantly rolling over every last word that Alexis had said to her back in that waiting room. She just wanted to relax, all of this could be delt with later. She decided that sitting with Sunny and her friend would help her divert all of this that was clogging her mind... and hopefully that resentment she was feeling towards the pretty woman, could somehow simply fade away..

 She took another swallow of her drink, willing herself to stop thinking like this for now and simply relax a little.  She entered into the conversation with the others, the topic had no changed to something lighter than it had started as.  Her mind though, still was at work on things.

******

 “ This room  is so fucking still, it’s almost freaky in a way..”  said Olivia to herself as she layed in her bed in the still of the night.  She was awake, and not even sleepy for this late.

 For the last two hours, she had layed there trying to sleep, but finding that was not even close to coming. Even with the four beers she had in her, which normally did not get her drunk, but always made her sleepy....it did not help at all.  All she could think about was Mandy.. and her little ‘talk’ with Miss Ashfield.

 The woman sat up and rubbed her bare stomach, getting a little worried about not being able to sleep. It was like something was not right, and her mind was making her deal with it. It was way too weird.

 She just sat there on the edge of her bed, feeling the heat of the air hang around her naked body as she looked over at Mandy’s bed. The room seemed so empty at the moment, dispite how small it was in the first place. To Olivia, it really had this strong sense that something was missing to it... and it’s name was Mandy Thayer.

 She rubbed her face a little, as she could picture a sleeping Mandy laying there... she could almost hear the soft constant breathing the young councilor made deep in slumber. She smiled as she thought on that image...it was bringing such a marked sense comfort with with it.
  “ Is Alexis right about what I am feeling?” She whispered to the heated night air, her mind pounding through memories of her ex-husbands. “ Am I just ignoring the facts here?”.

 She turned away and picked up a book that was stashed under her bed. Opening it up, she looked at the envelope that was tucked in between the pages.  This was the letter that was left by Alison for Mandy that night only a short time ago. Olivia had no idea why she had fished it out of the trash and put it away like this when Mandy had thrown it out in the first place.  It was still unopened, but it seemed as if it was speaking to her at this point... leading her heart to do something.

 Looking at the envelope carefully, it came to her that she knew exactly what she had to do now.
  “ I will give this to Mandy...” She said to the emptiness of the room, feeling something overtake her. It was as if a little light had gone on in her soul “ It a feeling here... but I need to do this.... and another thing...” She sighed and closed her eyes. “ Damn you and your logic, Alexis... you are right... I do love Mandy”

 She closed the book again, keeping the envelope safely in the pages. She after looking at the leather cover fort a second, she slipped the large book back under her bed and found that she could not stop herself from smiling. 

 Getting herself into bed, Olivia lay there without the covers on and closed her eyes, feeling a small light breeze on her entire body. She pictured the small woman with the long dark luscious hair in her mind, and soon had drifted off to sleep. She dreamed of nothing but Mandy for the rest of the night.

Chapter Seventeen - A long ignored past

 Mandy got out of the car that had gave her a ride back to Pawa and started walking towards her cabin.  Her head still hurt like crazy underneath the large band-aid that she sported on the side of her forehead, but it was manageable. She was just glad to be back in Pawa again, after two days in the hospital and finding out there was a place that had worse food than the Camp did.

 She rounded to the front of the administration building, and was surprised to be met by Olivia and the entire cabin nine.  They all held up painted banners welcoming her back as they swarmed her to give a major group hug.

 So happy with the reception she had gotten, Mandy felt like crying.
  “ You guys...” She said, choked up with emotions.
  “ Welcome back!!” Said the girls almost as one.
  “ Are you sure of that?” She poked back to the gathering, eliciting all of the girls to giggle at it.

 She saw the smiling face of Olivia, and felt a sense of belonging flow through her. She sighed as she felt almost back to normal with all of it.
  “ So now what do we do, Olivia?”  She perked up.
  “ What else is there to do but... get back to work...” Olivia smiled.
  “ Slave driver!” Playfully pouted Mandy, but her pout turned into laughter.
  “ Did you expect anything else?” Smirked the woman, seemingly in a great mood.. “ You probably have not had a smoke in awhile, go have one and meet us in the arts and crafts area quickly.”

 Mandy giggled and nodded, she was wanting a smoke badly by this time. She nodded and then hurried off to do just that, while Olivia and the cabin made their way to start the whole arts thing.

 That first drag made Mandy a little light-headed within moments, but it felt so good.  Sinking into the chair, her body seemed to relish the cigarette and made her feel even more at home again. She took a second drag as she felt the heat of the sun easing her even more to being back at Pawa.
  “ Ahhh... Heaven!” She said to nobody.

 She paused to look over, and saw Sunny was there, smiling sweetly as her deep blue eyes sparked at her.  Mandy broke into a broad smile, as her heart felt so much love with just being back all over again.
  “ Welcome back To Pawa there...” The woman said. “ I heard you had been released from the hospital.. and ventured a good guess this would be your first stop.”

 Mandy chuckled as the woman sat down and lit up her own smoke.  Sunny took a drag and looked over at the small statured woman.
  “ How the head today.”
  “ A little sore still.” Admitted Mandy, then giggled a little. “ But it seems like nothing got seriously scrambled up there.”
  “ Shaken... but not stirred, right?” Cheekily added Sunny, which made the two laugh.

 Sunny leaned over and cupped her hand on Mandy’s cheek.  She smiled broadly, gazing right into Mandy’s dark orbs.
  “ I am glad you were not hurt worse than what you were...” She said, leaning in more. “ Or he had not hurt you as he had planned to...”

 The woman seemed to going in to place a sweet kiss onto Mandy, but a very loud and unsettled voice who now called out Sunny’s name. The pretty woman cocked her head over a little, as the voice seemed beyond frantic, then she shook her head and could not help but smile.
  “ Damn!  My job is never done, I guess...” Sunny giggled.
  “ Around here, it seems like it never is...” Agreed Mandy, with her own nervous giggle.
  “ Then this has to be quicker than I want it to be...” She smirked, her eyes twinkling. “ Oh, well...”

 The woman did as she said she was going to, quickly placed a small kiss onto Mandy’s lips. The smaller woman instantly reciprocating as lips touched so gently, putting her hand up to cup the face of Sunny as well.  It was quite a hurried type of kiss, but it’s softness and energy it had against the skin on her lips made Mandy tingle wildly all over.  They hung like that for a while, oblivious of anything around them.

 Breaking the peck with great reluctance, the woman stood up and hurried herself off in the direction that the voice had been bellowing from, waving as she went.  By the step in Sunny hurried walk, it almost like was she was skipping off like a happy little girl would on a peasant summer’s day.

 Mandy felt herself blushing a little as she put the cigarette into her mouth, while she was aware that she was shivering with the pleasing after effects of Sunny’s kiss, but there was a reservation about it as well... it was almost like a fragment of doubt in her mind that hung behind the enjoyable feelings.

 She took a long drag and made a soft moaning sound in the back of her throat, enjoying the pleasant feelings that had been left by the woman, regardless of whatever this other thing she was feeling. She let out a long plume of smoke onto the very still summer air, her mind feeling so settled at this moment.
  “ Great kisser...” She giggled to herself, noting that she had to hurry herself and join the others in the Arts and Crafts building as soon as possible.

 She took a few more quickened drags, then threw the nearly finish smoke into an old coffee can that served as a makeshift ashtray for the councilors.  She stood up and walked very fast away from the smoking area, not wanting to be lagging behind her first day back. After all that had happened, she was happy to join back in. 

 She was still worried about Alison and the mess she had gotten herself into... but she knew that she could not help her at this point.  The beautiful yet naive bookworm had made all of this for herself, and Mandy knew that well, yet she still could not help but to be so concerned... after four years of loving Alison, you could not turn it off like some light switch on a whim.  Four years have been just that... four years of caring.

 Mandy just said a little prayer for her ex as she returned to her duties, knowing fully that only God could protect her from harm from Allen. She made herself a mental note to try and have a talk with Officer Dana later on, to see what if any developments have occurred. She already knew that Allen and Alison were still out there on the run together... and that the man was still dangerous dispite having his partner locked up.  That still made him dangerous to girls, and Alison.

******

 The day turned out to be so long feeling for Mandy.  She was glad to be back and beside Olivia working again, but it was a little different as well.  She had this new sort of appreciation towards the woman she worked along side of... it was an appreciation that was curiously freeing.

 She had watched Olivia through out the day as she expertly headed the Cabin, and found herself drawn to that strength she had.  She had always thought the woman was a very pretty lady to begin with, and always admired how much caring and respect she gave to everyone around her. Even when she had been a small girl she had seen that, but now working along with her as a co-councilor.. it just made Olivia seem even more like someone to look up to, and to feel this closeness with. 

 Mandy paused for a moment,  A strange thought came into her mind, one she had not had came across, but now begged to be answered. She now wondered if she had a crush on Olivia back then, even though she had not understood the fact that she was a lesbian as yet. She could remember how drawn she was to the woman. Could that be a possibility?

 After thinking about it for a moment, going back in time in her mind to simpler days to play it through...it was clear that was more than a possibility, she decided.  She had always been so pulled to the woman... now she was feeling the same way.  Even now, there was something strongly felt there towards Olivia. It was a little more than just liking this woman... Perhaps their might be and much more, she thought   Remembering the doubting she had earlier, she knew that she still liked Sunny a lot... yet this was a much different type of attraction than she had with the woman with the tattoo. 

 Was she mistaken with what feelings she had for either Sunny or Olivia?  She was unsure if she confused, scared from everything or just plainly wrong.

 Aside from all of these conflicting thoughts, she knew the that her lead councilor was not a Lesbian in the first place. Even if she was feeling attracted in the way she thought she was to Olivia, it was not possible for that reason.

 Putting an end to her thinking, she saw that her cabin was heading off to the athletic field for some fun with bows and arrows before supper was to be served up.  She put the thoughts away, as she had resolved them for the most part.

 The day was done and night had fallen, and every girl in Cabin Nine was in their little cubbyholes safe and sound for the night. Peacefulness reigned supreme in the Cabin at last.. that was a big time bonus when anybody was working at a summer Camp.

 Doing her last ‘walk’ duty before turning in for a better sleep than she had in the hospital, Mandy was pleased with the quietness that had fallen at the end of her day. Standing in the hallway that ran the length of the cabin and looking at each drawn drape, she took enjoyment from it to heart. She had already did a check inside ever single little room,  and found who was there was suppose to be there... no one was missing in there group.

 There had been a few little bumps through out the day, most notably the screaming match the twins had over a boy they both liked, but it ended up as nothing too serious as the boy expressed that he actually liked another girl in another cabin.  The twins ended up comforting one another and cursing the boy for not seeing either one of them as desirable, and the hostility ended there.

 Mandy entered her shared bunk-room, where Olivia was sitting up in her bed, a book in her hand.
  “ You’ll be happy to know that everyone is tucked in their respective bed and all is quiet.” She announced to the woman, as she began to shuck off her clothes.
  “ Even the McCabe twins have gone off to sleep without trying to kill each other again?” Olivia asked.
  “ Even they are tucked in and probably asleep.” Happily nodded Mandy, tossing her clothes into the hamper for washing the next day. “ I had a look in on all of them... they are all accounted for.”

 Mandy was pulling her hair back into a ponytail for the night when she noticed that Olivia had sat up on the edge of her bed and was looking at her.  By what she saw, the woman seemed serious about something.
  “ Could we have a little chat here?” Olivia said.
  “ Uh, sure...” Mandy said, a little unsure just what was so seriously on the woman’s mind.

 The woman crossed the room so smoothly, not even trying to hide the fact that she was as naked as Mandy was.  She took a seat next to Mandy on the bed, still carrying the big book she had been holding since the younger woman had came in. Mandy eyed the woman, who seemed to now stare at that book

 Olivia seemed to pause for a moment, and Mandy just waited patiently beside her.
  “ First thing I need to talk to you about... is that I sort of tucked something away that was yours...” She said finally.
  “ Something of mine?” questioned the long haired young lady, a little perplexed at this point.

 Olivia opened the book and pulled out a obviously very wrinkled envelope and held it out to Mandy.  The younger lady instantly recognized it as the letter she had thrown away unopened awhile back, a letter that was penned by Alison.
  “ I threw that out... why did you keep it?” She asked., frowning a little.
  “ To be honest... I have no idea the reasons why I picked it out of the trash and ended up keeping it...” Started Olivia. “ I just did it, and I am sorry that I did..”
  “ I see...” Said Mandy, a little shaky. “ And now why are you ending up giving it back to me?”
   “ It just came over me to give it back now... it’s sort of like something is pushing me to make sure you get it back...  As you can see, I never opened it.”

 Mandy felt her chest get tight as she looked at the unopened letter that was being held out to her. It was bringing up those feelings she thought she had been almost through... they now appeared in all of their horrible glory.
  “ Is there more to the reason your giving me this back?”
  “ I feel strongly  that you need to read it now...” Olivia said. “ After everything that has happened... I am playing a gut feeling that you are suppose to read it.”

 Mandy looked at the envelope, almost holding her breath when she was.  She looked into the woman’s face, and saw the light of support in them.  She had always trusted the woman, over the many years.  She realized that if the woman was doing this and felt strongly about it... it was time to trust again.
  “ You stay with me while I read this then?” She asked softly.
  “ I ain’t going anywhere...” Olivia smirked, using a drawl that was right out of the south.

 Nervously, Mandy opened the letter. Inside was a folded sheet of paper and what seemed to be a small photograph tucked beside it. She pulled out the picture first to look at it, as Olivia sat quietly beside her, good to her word that she was not going to go.

 The photo was of her and Alison on their very first day at University. They had their arms around one another and smiling so proudly as they posed in front of the tall stone and brick clock that sat in the center of the campus, it instantly brought her those times.  She could see in her eyes in the picture, just how happy and proud she was at that moment. By the look in Alison’s face, she was happy as well. Times sure had changed from that photo.
  “ This was taken on our first day of university..” She said with a tear, showing the picture to Olivia.
  “ Nice picture...” The woman commented
  “ Happy times...” Mandy commented, her words trailing off, a pained expression flowed over her face.

 Mandy took out the letter part and unfolded it. She looked at Olivia with a hesitance in her eyes. The woman nodded in support, but said nothing. She took a deepened breath in and finally started to read.

 The letter started.
  “ Dear sweetest Mandy:” She read, causing a lump to form in her throat, “ How I hurt you... I know that I have.  It was not anything you did that caused all of this to come about, I just have fallen in love with Allen.  He was the first man who really showed an interest in me as a person, and I always had pushed him away because of my love for you... but I found that I was attracted to him more and more as time went on.  I was torn, but I simply have followed my heart even though I still am very much in love with you.” Mandy paused as her anger, hurt and sadness mixed.  “ I hope that someday, you too will find the right love with the right person... and not be jaded by what has gone on to the point of pushing people away.  My only wish in all of this is that you are going to be happy, and that someday you will look on my child as a sort of God-child to you. I would really like for him or her to know such an amazing person as you are Don’t hate Allen, he is the one I love.”  The letter was plainly ended by Alison’s name.

 Mandy looked up and sighed.  Olivia tried to read the woman’s facial expressions, and she found that there was this curious mix held in those eyes.
  “ Are you alright with that... I sort of read along with you.”

 The young councilor thought for a moment, skimming over the letter a second time while her friend waited. She seemed to be upset to a point, yet there was this sense of calmness that had came over the woman as well.
  “ Actually, I am more than fine...” She finally said, looking over at her friend. “ This seemed to be so self absorbed of Alison... and it also shows me that she was knowing of what she was doing... ending up that she was making her choice on her own.”
  “ Seemed almost selfish to me...” Agreed Olivia. “ But it scares me for Alison as well... she does not know what this Allen asshole is capable of, and she really does not understand how much hurt she really caused you..”
  “ That worries me too... but I don’t want to see her hurt, even after she has done all of this.” Admitted Mandy, folding the letter like if it had some sort of finality to it. “ I can’t help it that I still love her in some part of myself, but I have to let her find out what she has done for herself, and hope that God will keep her safe while she does it... as well as her unborn child.”

 Olivia felt proud at the level of maturity the woman was showing in this, she might have been acting differently if it happened to her.  It was not a surprise to her in any way, even when Mandy had been her Camper for all those summers, the girl had always exhibited this type of maturity.  It made only her decision to tell her a little harder in a way.

 Mandy  looked over at Olivia, then paused for a second as she seemed to be remembering something.
  “ You have something else for to talk to me about... right?” She smiled, letting Olivia know that she was just fine with this.

 Olivia nodded slowly, looking right into Mandy’s eyes. To the woman, it felt like now or never to lay it all out.
  “ I need to talk to you about something... er.... rather personal.” She said.
  “ Personal?  Go right ahead...” Mandy said with her usual grin.

 As Mandy waited for the woman to start, she noticed something rather odd.  It was a very hot night, and they were both naked... yet Olivia was sitting there and sweating profusely while she was not.
  “ Are you alright?” She asked.
  “ Yeah..” Smiled the woman, sheepishly.
  “ Your sweating badly.” She commented. “ Are you not feeling well or something?”
  “ No...Guess I’m a little bit nervous here...” Olivia said, her voice wavering a little.
  “ Nervous about what?”

 Olivia sucked in a dep breath, and leveled her gaze at Mandy.
  “ It is about what I am going to tell you here...” She began. “ It’s kind of hard, considering I was not even sure myself for a while... its sort of like I actually have found who I am finally...”
  “ You can tell me...” Said Mandy, smiling to try and settle the woman down. “ We have known one another for a long time... what ever it is, just spit it out.”

 The woman paused, obviously figuring just how she was going tell Mandy her feelings. She then leaned over, and planted a strong kiss on to the smaller woman, obviously opting not to use words..

 Mandy stiffened a little, then seemed to melt into the kiss.  When Olivia pulled a way a little she looked right at the young woman.
  “ I think I am in love with you... and have been, much to my own surprise, for a long time.” She whispered.
  “ You are?” Said Mandy, feeling her own emotions for the woman coming out.
  “ Yes!” Olivia said. “ I don’t know when that came for me, but I feel so strongly for you.”
  Mandy was shocked, but seemed like her heart was not. She looked deeply into Olivia’s eyes, and saw that this was flat out truth.  She smiled, as she had bee thinking about Olivia as well, and wondered.... could it be they had somehow mind linked?
  “ Wow...” Said Mandy, unsure of what to say in actuality as she saw the passion in Olivia’s eyes. “ Now what?”
  “ This..” Said Olivia as she leaned in and kissed Mandy again.

 The kiss was one of pure passion, as the woman put her hand on Mandy’s bare side. She rubbed the side lightly, trailing her fingers along the entire length of the young lady’s body.  She felt Mandy shiver slightly, and could fell the younger woman’s hand now on the roundness of her hip.  She sighed, this felt right.

 Mandy could feel how well muscled the woman was. Even though the woman was quite a bit older than her, Olivia’s body was as fit as her’s was... she would have guessed even more so. Feeling how the muscles moved and dance, just made Mandy melt.. Kissing those sweet lips back as she felt ever sinew move against her body, she could feel how her heart was pounding in her chest.

 The two fell on to Mandy’s bed together, hands roving over heated skin. Olivia traced her fingers across the flatness of Mandy’s belly and was enamored with how it felt to her. She slipped her hand lower with a bit of apprehension, nervously going for the clean shaven treasure that was nestled in between the very lean looking legs.
  “ This is my first time with a woman...” Olivia gasped, as she touched the soft wetness of folds on the smaller woman. “ I feel like just like a virgin all over again... but now I feel alive...”
  “ You are doing ... amazing....” Said a gasping Mandy, as the woman had slid her finger inside of her. She bucked her hips against the hand in reflex, and it slid in a little further still. “ Really amazing!”
  “ I want to make love to you...” Olivia breathed, excited by how her finger were being gently embraced by the velvet lining of the treasure of Mandy, and how she had began to hump back. “ Teach me to love...”

 Mandy turned her head, as they were directly beside each other.  She kissed the woman back softly, using her tongue to lightly touch those full lips. She moved her hands to cup the small but still very perky breast of Olivia’s, totally enjoying the firmness in her palm.. When she squeezed the delightful roundness with just a light touch, the woman moaned into her mouth and her hand reacted by pushing the finger deeper inside of her. The young lady felt herself shiver over every inch of herself, as a pre-orgasmic spark shot through her.

 Taking all the time in the world, they just explored one another.  Mandy could not believe the tenderness the woman was showing... every light tough she received from Olivia made her whole body quiver.  When she would touch the woman, it seemed almost as if she had never been touched before herself... she would arch against her hungrily, almost as if to get as close as she could to her. Skin to skin in the darkness, they did not even need the small light that was on... touch was all that was needed.

 Mandy took the initiative after awhile, gently guiding the woman over on to her back.  She saw that the woman had willingly allowed it, her sweat glistening smile told her that she was wanting whatever was coming. She felt herself being excited by this as well, as she looked down at the short cropped patch of now very damp dark hair that awaited her attentions.  It was sitting there, open and shining with the wetness that came from arousal. It was breathtaking.
  “ I will take it slow.. I promise...” She said to Olivia through heavy panting, surprised at herself at  being so bold.
  “ I know...and I am waiting..” Breathed the Lady back, her breathing heavy and making her breast rise exquisitely for Mandy.

 Olivia watched with wide eyed passion, as the smaller woman slipped down her body.  She trembled as she watched Mandy lower her head between her propped up knees. Anticipation mounted, as she could feel the woman’s soft breath on her very wet opening. With ever fiber waiting, she then felt Mandy’s tongue touch her labia and began to move over it with caressing attentiveness. She took a sharp gasp in, as her body was quick to respond by trembling with great pleasure.

 Sighing, the woman layed her head back as Mandy began to lap with great tenderness, eliciting so many feelings she had never experienced before. She felt a finger also being put in as an added bonus, and she shivered with delight.
  “ Oh, God!” She moaned, as the very amazing young woman carried her off into a state of pure bliss.

 Mandy found the woman’s juices to be so sweet tasting, the musk of Olivia’s was strong yet it made for great pleasure as well. She took care as she directed herself onto the very sensitive nub that was already excited, as it just throbbed there in waiting. The first little ring of her tongue she did, caused a flood of juices top come out. She eagerly let herself go and relish the sweet nectar, as the woman’s body was calling her mind...body... and soul.

 Olivia was enraptured, encased by every overwhelming sensation that flooded her. Waves upon waved of orgasms thundered through her, each grabbing a hold of her only to give way to another right behind her.  She gasped, bit her lip to keep from crying out and waking the girls... as another one pounded through her. Glowing, she just let things come as they may.

 Mandy stopped and looked up, as the woman had called out her name..  She saw the sweat streaked face of Olivia looking at her as she sat up. By the smile that was being flashed to her, the woman was very much pleased at this point.  She pulled the younger gal towards her and gave a long kiss.
  “ I take it that you liked it?” Said a smirking Mandy.

 Olivia smiled in reply, eyes sparkling. Without saying anything, the woman pulled the younger one on top of her, then so gently deposited her on to the bed beside her.  Mandy was a little shocked when the woman got up on to her knees and moved down to be between her legs this time..  She found her very own anticipation made her entire body now tremble in excitement.
  “ I’m not too sure how to do this...” She said with a passion filled smile as she looked down at the girl’s treasure. “ But I think I am going to give it a try... I think I need to put a stop to my virginity again.”
  “ You don’t have to... OH, God!!” Gasped Mandy, while her body was wanting the attention at this time, feeling the woman’s already tracing a fingertip over a very erogenous zone
  “ I want to..” Was all Olivia said, lowing her head.

 Feeling Olivia’s lips contact her now very excited rose petals. She gasped at just how gentle Olivia was doing it.  With a sigh of complete delight, Mandy let her legs open fully, and drunk in what the woman started to do to her.  It may not have been the most experienced way, but to her, it was bringing her to a level she had not experienced even with Alison. She was in total rapture.

 Sighing, she let the first of soon to be many orgasms go, already knowing there would be many more waiting. This night would be filled with many more passion filled minutes... she was sure of that.

Chapter Eighteen - As reality cracks

 The shrill sound of a buzzer going off pierced through Mandy’s sleep. It seemed to sear right into her brain, and her sleepy mind reminded her that noise was Olivia’s alarm clock going off as usual. She felt the bed shift, then the nights events came back to her as the familiar clicking sound ended the irritating noise.

 Opening her eyes, she saw that the pretty rounded backside of Olivia’s was sticking right at her. The woman had just finished turning off her alarm hastily. Mandy smiled, as the beautiful curves of the woman was a nice thing to see first thing in the morning.

 Olivia looked back and saw that the petite woman was awake.
  “ Sorry...” She whispered, moving back to the bed.  “ I tried to be quick about stopping that infernal racket...”
  “ That’s alright....” Sighed Mandy sleepily, looking deeply into the sparkle that was in the woman’s eyes.

 The woman leaned into the bed and give the younger lady there a peck on the lips, one that was not short of passion even if it was a quick one.  Mandy sighed, as the night had been one of great adventure... they had made love until the wee hours of the morning, exhaustion was the reason that they had stopped.
  “ How are you with all of this... being as it was your first time with a woman?” Mandy asked curiously.
  “ Well.... all I can say is that I now know one thing for certain...” Smirked Olivia, her smile showing a playfulness
  “ And what would that be?” Quizzed Mandy, wondering what the answer might be.

 The woman gave a uncommonly bashful smile and touch the woman in bed’s cheek with a very light hand. She looked deeply into Mandy’s eyes, showing off the twinkle that lit up her own gaze.
  “ I can say for certain... I am not the straight female I thought I was.” She giggled and commented to herself. “ Ya know... Alexis was right.”
  “ Alexis... what about Alexis?”  Asked the smaller gal, not getting what Olivia had commented on.
  “ I will tell you that later...” The woman said giggling, then kissing Mandy again a little more deeper. “ You should go for a shower and get that smoke of yours over with... I’ll do the ‘kick the girls out of the bed’ routine for us.  I’ll escape later for a shower of my own while you oversee them finishing up those sand candles they started yesterday.”

 Mandy nodded and rolled out of bed to do just that. The woman took the chance she had and fluidly wrapped her arms around Mandy and layed a much bigger kiss on to her. Mandy felt her whole body start to tingle, as her bare skin was now mashed up against her lover’s taunt nakedness.
  “ If we don’t stop this right now... how am I going to have that shower in time?” Mandy whispered with a sigh, as her mind swooned.
  “ Is that my problem?” Olivia said with an impish giggle on her lips, her hands now had traveled down Mandy’s back and had settled on cupping the shorter one’s rounded slopes of her ass.
  “ If you keep doing this... yes.” Said Mandy, the hands on her backside had made the juncture of her legs twitch and become wet.

 Olivia let her go and winked, as she turned to get herself dressed.  Mandy threw on her thick terrycloth robe then scooped up her shower kit, a new set of clothes and smokes. She knew that she would only have about thirty five minutes or so to have a shower, dress, and then race off to have a smoke.

 With a wave, she hurried herself off out of the door, while the woman was busy pulling on her shorts at the moment while grumbling... apparently, Olivia had once again had misplaced her underwear again.  She giggled and hurried through the cabin, hearing that some of the campers were already stirring, also hearing the start of the twins once again starting to pick at one another as was the norm.

 Being very quick at being of the shower, feeling all fresh and clean, Mandy was just finished dressing when a figure come barreling in to the changing room part of the showers. The young woman was startled by the sudden entrance, then saw that it was the very out of breath secretary, Mrs. Dandly.
  “ Your... here... Thank God!” The secretary panted, obvious that she had ran all the way here.
  “ Ok... I’m here...” Said Mandy slowly, not quite understanding.

 The secretary to Miss Ashfield seemed to still be catching her breath as she leaned up against the doorjam that led into the change room.
  “ Right.. away...” Started the woman, still breathing hard. “ There will be a meeting with Miss Ashfield .  You are suppose to be there...”

 Mandy raised her eyebrows in interest.
  “ Is there some sort of developments in Tabitha’s attack?” She asked, reminding herself that she had not gotten a hold of Officer Dana like she had wanted to last evening.
  “ There is big news I think... Miss Ashfield has not told me anything yet...” She nodded, whirling around had heading back out.
  “ Right now?” Said a surprised Mandy.

 The woman paused for a split second and nodded, then  was out the door in a heartbeat, muttering quite loudly about having to run all over the fucking place. She was gone as suddenly as she had appeared to the young woman.

 Mandy just tied back her hair again and hurried to throw her stuff back in the cabin while she went by to head to that meeting.  She was eager to know just what was what... considering the secretary was running all over notifying people like she was.  She hoped that there was some good news that would come finally... a sinking feeling in the lowest pit of her stomach told her differently.

******

 Mandy came into the office of the administrator, her feet moving very quick as she did do. All of the other Senior Councilors had already gotten there except for one or two who she had seen right behind her.  She went to stand off to the side of the room next to Olivia, as there was not a single chair to be had.

 There was no sign of Alexis yet, and people were buzzing about what this all was about. Olivia leaned her head closer to Mandy.
  “ Wonder what this was all about...” She whispered. “ The secretary said I had to come quick... I had one of the newer councilors take the girls to shower and they would go straight to the dining hall...”
  “ I saw Councilor Patty with our girls as I passed them on the way back to the cabin...” Said Mandy. “ I don’t know what to expect with this meeting...”
  “ With everything that is going on this year... I’m expecting anything.” Said the woman flatly.

 The room fell into a uneasy state of silence as Miss Ashfield came in to the office, flanked by Officer Livingstone and a tall male officer that was known to be the lead investigator of the Rape of Tabitha.  Everyone seemed to let out a little gasp as the noticed something strange, as Alexis seemed to have been crying. This was something out of the ordinary for the usually stoic woman.

 Miss Ashfield took a seat, as it seemed that Officer Dana was the one who would be conducting the meeting. She leaned on the desktop and scanned the room for a hanging moment.
  “ I have some very disturbing news for you all... please be patient with me as I go through it.” The officer said, her face oddly void of any sort of expression as she waited fr people to settle down.

 The mummer in the room was very loud at this point, as the Officer Dana gave a moment of respite before continuing.  Mandy felt her stomach tighten and churn as if she had a cement mixer in there... as she could feel that whatever her instincts had been telling her coming into the meeting, they seemed to have been terribly correct.

 Officer Livingstone cleared her throat, then took that moment to level her eyes with a very serious look.
  “ Sometime early yesterday afternoon, there was a burglary in the town of Pasha... A older model car, a large cash of money and two handguns were stolen from a residence while the owners were at work.” She started.
  “ Was it Allen and Alison?” Asked a female near the door.
  “ A young person going off to a friend’s house saw a man and a woman escaping in that stolen vehicle just as he passed the house. This young teenager then hurried over th his friend’s house and reported it to the local officers who then contacted us...” Started Dana. “ The clear description of the robbery suspects lead us to believe beyond a shadow of a doubt... that it was Allen Perot and Alison grey who had did the robbery.”

 More of a buzz quickly filled the room, as the tall female officer paused for a moment to let things calm down a little.
  “ So they are on the run now?” Asked Olivia, even her face showing the shock from this all.
  “ They are on the run... there is more to this...” Officer Dana said, clearly disturbed by whatever she had more to say. “ About an ninety minutes after the had been last seen, there was a shooting at the Pasha hospital... Tabitha Gambit was killed by a man wielding a .45 caliber weapon as she was reading to go home when her parents arrived. That was the same caliber of weapon stolen earlier, and initial test proved that it was this stolen gun. The car that had been stolen was spotted speeding off, driven by a female now identified as Alison with the gunman next to her.”
  “ Dear God Almighty...” Gasped Irene, as she had a flood of tears burst forth.
  “ Do you think they are capable of anything else, since you are telling us all of this?” Smartly asked Michael Kingwood, who was one of the senior Male Councilors for Pawa.

 The officer paused, as she seemed to be stopping tears herself.  She took a long break to collect herself and looked right back at the roomful of very shocked camp workers.
  “ There is more...” She said flatly.
  “ What the hell more?” Said Michael, his tone showed how complete and utter his shock was.

 The officer did not pause this time, her face showing great strain as she continued over top of the sounds in the room.
  “ As we were searching for these two in connection to the burglary and the subsequent murder of Tabitha Gambit, we were searching a clearing just outside of town where we then found a twelve year old girl lay naked just behind a clumping of bushes. This girl’s clothing had been ripped off, her underwear had been stuffed into her mouth.”
  “ Oh gheesh...” Spat another voice in the room.
  “ This girl had been raped viciously, and then she had ended up being shot in the head. A few yards away, beside a set of deep tire tracks... lay the body of a dead man that already has been identified as Allen Perot.  He had been shot twice in the chest and once in the head at close range.  There was a second set of torn female clothing beside his body, blood pooled on the ground that was found not to be his or the dead female’s.  Neither of the stolen weapons were on his body, and the car was gone.”

 People were more than just stunned at this point.  There was no noise in the room except for the sounds of weeping. Mandy felt her heart sink, her own eyes quickly welled up with a wave of tears. This was not the Alison she had lived and loved for four years.
  “ So she is a suspect in all of this?” Mandy said, finally getting the only question she could muster.
  “ By all of the evidence collected this far... That would be a ‘yes’, Miss Thayer.” Said Officer Dana, her voice so monotone. “ She is the only suspect in the shooting death of her boyfriend, Allen... and we don’t know exactly what her involvement will be with the other crimes... but we need all of you here to keep an eye out.  She may not come back to Camp Pawa , we thing she is simply escaping back to the city... but on the off chance... if you see her, call the police instantly.”

 With that, the two officers left the room without any other words. Alexis continued to sit quietly in her chair, obviously still trying to make sense out of this.  The room slowly emptied as every shocked councilor went to return to their charges. No one in the place was expecting to her things of this nature.

 Mandy gripped Olivia’s hand as they left to return to their own group, her mind was going at warp speed.
  “ This is not the woman I knew... It seems like I never knew her now...” She said, her face a mask of blankness.
  “ It is not the girl I knew either...” Agreed Olivia. “ This is far from the girl I looked after her at Pawa for these years.”

 Mandy shook her head hard, all of this feeling like some waking nightmare that would not go away.
  “ How in the hell did she get involved in all of this... to the point becoming a murder?” She gasped.
  “ She could have snapped realizing who the father of her baby really was past his behavior towards her.. perhaps she watched as the love of her life raped this girl... or she could have been a willing participant in all of this shit... and finally just snapped.”
  “ It is all just so surreal... Since our break up, it seems like noting at all makes any sense.” Said Mandy, trying keep herself from collapsing mentally. “ What ever did happen to her, Alison is not Alison anymore.”

 Squeezing Mandy’s hand, Olivia seemed to be feeling exactly what the girl was. She seemed to pounder things for a second, as they made their way out of the Administration building together.
  “ I think she has not herself from the very first time she fucked Allen...” Said Olivia back after a moment. “ Perhaps eve before that....”
  “ Do you believe that?” Mandy said.
  “ Frankly... I don’t know what to believe at this point....” The older councilor said so flatly. “ Just speculating.”

 Mandy nodded and kept walking beside the woman. She was a lady that now was unsure of anything in her life.  She still could not wrap her head around the almost evil way Alison had changed.

 Quietly, they headed off to meet their girls at breakfast. They never stopped holding hands, not caring at this point of anything.  Allen was dead... they both were sort of glad about that... it was Alison that was the most shocking of all. Shock and disbelief overruled the memory of what the girl had been.

Chapter Nineteen - Memories always flash back

 The campfire was burning away brightly in the stagnant heat that filled the night.  The campers were all happily singing the songs, enjoying the comradery that came with life in Pawa. Things seemed a little more relaxed, but the faces of most of the Councilors seemed to really differ from what they young faces were saying.

 The smiles of each of the cabin leaders were clearly being put on at this moment, the stress of the past few days were being hidden from the singing children.  The Councilors were trying so hard to make things look and feel as normal as they could possible have, for the general well being of their charges.  They had to do this, as their responsibilities clearly were about the singing younger people intrusted to them.

 Mandy watched as her group of girls sang away with abandonment, most of them were busy sneakily pointing out all of the cute boys as they did. They all seemed to be having a good time still, which was the only good thing at this point... her own mind was still agonizing over trying to wrap itself around the news they all  had gotten this morning.  It was clear that her mind was ending up failing miserably at it.

 Alison already having been tagged as a killer, still haunted her. The woman she had shared a bed with for four years, went everywhere with to a greater extent... made a life together while they went to school and everything... now was now a burglar, a car thief, a cheater and most shockingly... a killer.   In no way, did she ever see something like this happening to her... but the reality of her life was stranger than any book.  Her little ex-bookworm had turned into something that was unrecognizable.

 Mandy felt a bump on her shoulder, and saw that Olivia had butted her with her own shoulder as she was singing along. She give a smile, as if to try and calm the smaller gal down a little.  Mandy smiled back at Olivia and actually did feel a little better with the woman’s playfulness. She began to sing, and found that just letting herself go and join in,  that helped her feel better.

 Soon, the huge campfire was doused and everyone made their way back for the night. Councilors and their charges walked through the dark night, back to their cabins that were flung across the camp’s property... as the nocturnal heat hung around them. There was not one hint of a breeze in the air, not even in the slightest... which made the darkness feel sticky and very heavy for the citizens of Pawa.

 Inside of Cabin nine, things had became somewhat chaotic in the twenty or so minutes that had passed since Campfire had ended. Girls were yakking away, pulling off clothes as they mulled around between rooms. Adding to the noise, it seemed that the twins were in a heated discussion between themselves, not quite becoming an argument yet... but it looked like it was heading for an explosion of epic per portions as their voices swelled in volume.

 A slightly overweight girl named Ingrid quickly skirted passed the arguing two, shooting them both a distasteful look as they began to yell a few obscenities at one another.  The girl was wanting not to get involved in any of this, as the results of arguments could be very wrenching at best.

 Olivia was quick to get in between the two to defuse the two McCabe girls, seemingly already starting to get a handle on it. Mandy was busy nearby handing out fresh towels to the other girls for the morning showers, and laughing as Olivia was obviously using her natural gift of humor on the two squabbling sisters. Whatever she was saying, or joking about, was starting to work.

 Mandy finished doing her handing out the towel job and left to have a last smoke for the night, as it was Olivia’s turn for doing the ‘walk’ tonight.  Olivia smiled an waved, as the McCabe girls went to their respective sleeping quarters still grumbling a little bit.. the crisis had been averted again.

 The warmth of the night was feeling quite soothing, as the woman took a seat to have her smoke. The little smoking area was empty, and she just smiled for the chance to have a little quiet time. Taking a leisurely drag, she sunk back into the chair and listened to the stillness that had befallen the camp. It was a perfect night.

 Mandy sat there listening to the lapping of the water onto the shore, and felt her body relax a little.  It had been one of those types of days that needed to be put into some sort of perspective... but she just wanted to relax for a little.

 Heading back to the cabin, she came across a single police cruiser, and she spotted Officer Livingstone inside. Going over, she was curious if there were any developments that have cropped up yet.

 The officer stepped out of the car when she saw Mandy approaching.
  “ Hot enough of a night for you?” She called out.
  “ More than hot...” Said Mandy.
  “ Try being in a uniform in this sort of weather...” Flatly quipped the officer.

 The shorter woman could see that there was a very strained look on the officer’s face, telling her that something was indeed up.
  “ You have a little more news... dont’cha?” Mandy asked bluntly. “ I can see it on your face...”
  “ You should become a cop instead of a lawyer...” The lady smirked.
  “ So... there is... out with it” The small woman said, knowing right off that she was right.

 Officer Dana sighed, taking a seat on the front hood of her police car..
  “ We found that stolen car, and it had been abandoned about five miles west of here, in a clearing in the woods...” She started.
  “ No sign of Alison though... right?” Mandy asked.
  “ None at all... they are starting to comb through the woods right now...” She said with a frown. “ Command is right now waiting for some tracking dogs to arrive from the city right now, but we do have about twenty officers out looking while we wait.”

 Mandy nodded, as she began to feel a little uneasy with the fact that Alison was still out there somewhere with a weapon... the thought of that actually scared Mandy right through, even though Alison had never been violent before... but this was not a normal time either.
  “ You think she might come and hide somewhere around Camp?” She asked.
  “ That might be a little too obvious for her to lay low around here, but in her state of mind after all of this... that might be a possibility after all.” Snuffed Dana. “ We are hoping that she somehow has gotten away from here already...”
  “ You think she might be dangerous?”

 The officer nodded grimly.
  “ If she was the person who killed Allen, or has seen what did go on... she very well could be a threat to herself and others.”  She said. “ Being desperate, scared and all of that... she just might be a real threat.”  She looked right at Mandy. “ With a not-so-normal state, and she is possibly armed... the unpredictability factor just went up twenty fold.”
  “ This is not like Alison at all...” The younger of the two sighed.

 Dana nodded, understanding what Mandy was saying. She hung there, staring at the shorter gal with a look that showed the stress of the times.
  “ Those types of people are the ones who are the most dangerous...” Plainly put out the officer. “ It is the unknown factor of a mind under great stress that is a play right now.”

 Mandy shook her head, as her mind was now busier than ever. She looked at her police friend and gave a long sigh.
  “ It is hard to believe that Alison could ever do this....” She said, then shook her head again.  “ But this, everything she has done over the past few months seem to be totally out of character for her.”
  “ Unfortunately... I have heard that many times over the years.” Was all the Officer could say to Mandy’s words.  “ Us as humans are predictably unpredictable at the best of times... that is what this job has taught me.”

 Mandy frowned and nodded, as she could understand just what the experienced woman was trying to say.  She waved as she walked off, hurrying back to her cabin, having enough for one day.

******

 The night just had past midnight by the clock.  All seemed so silent and still, Camp Pawa was completely bedded down for the night dispite the sweltering heat that had grippe dit for days upon days. There was no real movement anywhere on the camp grounds, other than the familiar sounds of  the odd car that whizzed by on the roads. 

 In the grip of this seemingly very peaceful night, Mandy layed curled tightly up against a sleeping figure next to her in bed. Olivia had her arms wrapped around her sweat covered body, but she did not mind one bit... as it was so peace filled. She just could smell the light muskiness of Olivia, which she found to be the ultimate perfume... even if it was only to her.

 Her and Olivia had made quite passionate love for awhile earlier, but her lover who was so exhausted.... simply had just cuddled in after and drifted right off to sleep. Mandy on the other hand, still was somewhat awake at this point, her mind flying with the information she had gotten from Dana not very long ago.

 She layed very still, enjoying the woman’s naked body that was pressed up against her own nakedness. She found pleasure in just listening to the rhythmic cadence of breathing that came from Olivia, as it was slow and constant almost as if it was the reason for the tranquility in the air.  Mandy could not help but give a a giggle low, as the breath that came out of the woman tickled her neck and cheek. 

 As she layed there, she heard a movement out in the main area of the cabin. It sounded like the main door had opened and closed, the squeaking of the hinges told her that. She was scared a little almost instantly, but knew shew should go and investigate... that was what being a councilor was all about.

 She slipped out of the bed quickly without waking the sleeping form with her and tossed on a pair of shorts and a shirt onto herself.  She giggled almost out of control for a second, as she could not find where her own panties had gotten to when they had eagerly stripped each other in a fit of passion. She was beginning to think that Olivia’s on and off problem of losing her panties had finally become catching for her.

 She slipped out of her bedroom and into the main area, and immediately could see a small shadowed form slowly making it’s way towards her from the doorway.  Mandy sighed, as from the small light that was always on inside the cabin, she could see that it was Shelly Chapman, a very thin young girl who was one of her campers. She was the one that had tried to sneak back in to the cabin.

 The young girl spotted her councilor, her face changing to a look of blushing surprise. The girl seemed more than just a little shocked to see Mandy standing there in the dimness of the cabin.  The young girl seemed to be so nervous at the moment, and appeared to be fighting to be saying something.
  “ Did I wake you when I came in from the bathroom?” Shelly finally asked, her tone seemed to say that her question had been literally picked out of thin air.

 Mandy shook her head as she came over to the girl, wanting to make sure that the girl was alright and everything... following the guidelines that had been put on since all of the stuff had been happening.
  “ No... I was awake anyways...” She said so calmly. “ Now it is my turn to ask something...Why are you up so late?”
  “ Like I said.. I had to go to the bathroom...” She repeated, the way she spoke was very unconvincing.

 The minute Mandy had neared the girl, she could smell the heavy hanging odor of a masculine cologne coming off of the girl. She quickly took note that the girl’s usually well kept long blonde hair was in disarray and she was blushing quite badly. The clothing Shelly wore looked very wrinkled and seemed to have been literally thrown on in a hurry.... and there seemed to be some grass smudges and dirt all over the skirt.  She came to the conclusion that the young girl had not been to the bathroom as she had said. 

 Mandy looked over her young charge one last time, and she spotted some type of fabric that was sticking out of the pocket of Shelly’s jean skirt. The fabric was a very light pink color which had little purplish hearts all over it.  It was clear that the fabric was not a hanky or anything sticking out of that pocket... It was clearly a pair of sheer panties, and it spoke of some nighttime rendevous had happened.
  “ You were in the bathroom, hu?” Mandy said, putting a unconvincing question out there to the girl..
  “ uh... Yes...” Stammered the girl, obvious that lying was not this girl’s strong point.
  “ What was the bathroom’s name?” She said, smiling a wry smile to the girl who stood there like a deer caught in the headlights while she reached over and pulled out the pair of underwear from Shelly’s pocket and then held them up.

 Shelly’s face glowed bright red, and she started to fidget a little, faced with her own panties being held up by Mandy...  she knew that the councilor had caught her, and there was no escaping that fact. She looked right into her councilor’s smiling face, and quickly snatched back her skimpy underthings.. her face was now redder than anything..
  “ Glen... Glen Tishcarowitz” Shelly finally sputtered, knowing that she had been caught.

 Mandy nodded, already having that information simply by seeing the girl reddening face. She draped one of her arms around the thin girl and nodded.
  “ Well... I hope this  ‘Bathroom Glen’ used some sort of protection when you two ‘hooked up’...” She said dryly.
  “ Protection...” She stuttered back, now really flustered.
  “ Yeah.. a condom...” Said Mandy, watching as the girl squirmed with her very blunt questions.
  “ Yes... we, uh, did...“ Shelly sputtered back, involuntarily clamping her legs tightly together in response of the question she had ben asked, but the wetness that ran down the insides of her leg and shone a glossy white color said otherwise.
  “ You should have been...” Warned Mandy sternly, seeing the semen Shelly was trying hard not let show.

 The girl shook with great nervousness, looking over Mandy’s face like as if trying to gauge the reaction.
  “ W... What are you going to do with me now...” She asked nervously, eyeing her councilor’s face.
  “ As your councilor, I should be giving you one hell of a sever reprimand at the very least... then reporting this behavior to my bosses and your parents...” Mandy said, then smiled. “ But I decided that I wont do that... just try and be more discreet next time, and keep it better hidden... also think about using a condom... hoping that this time won’t end up being a bad decision...”
  “ You... wont?” She asked, a little shocked at the woman’s words.

 The councilor shook her head slowly, making sure that the girl saw exactly what she was doing.
  “ Your not going to say anything about it?” Shelly whispered excitedly, her face showing a great relief.
  “ I am not... but just this once though....” Warned Mandy sternly. “ Next time... I am going to have to report this.... just be careful if you do... I cannot stop you from doing it... I am not your parents here... so just promise me like you would a friend... that you will use that protection every time more... you hear?”

 Shelly looked relived that her councilor was not going to do anything to her at the moment. She smiled and hugged the woman back.
  “ We will, Miss Mandy...” She whispered as she hugged in.” I’m guessing that you must understand the thing about love....”
  “ In a way... I guess I do...” She said, remembering when her and CC had snuck off a few times to have alone time.

 The girl let go of Mandy had headed over to her little cubbyhole room, tucking her panties back in to her pocket as she went off.   Shelly suddenly paused right in front of her cubbyhole and looked over.
  “ Excuse me, Miss Mandy...” Shelly suddenly whispered, turning to face the councilor.
  “ What is it, Honey?” Said Mandy, stopping herself from walking off as the girl called out.

 The girl came back over, still obviously feeling a little bashful at being caught like this. She looked at Mandy for a moment, and it seemed that there was something else on her mind other than getting caught after sneaking out like she had
  “ I think you need to know somethin’....” She said, seemingly a little more calmed. “ When Glen and I... well, were busy.. we had started to hear some strange noises coming from the boathouse, but we could not see anyone there.”
  “ Noises in the boat house?” Asked Mandy, her breath being sucked in loudly, her mind flashed to the attack she suffered inside of that building.

 Mandy fought to calm herself, knowing that she needed to hear what the girl had heard in the boathouse.  She quickly settled herself down and focused., but what images from her attack still lurked just under the surface.
  “ What type of noises were you hearing from the boathouse? Are you sure that you were hearing noises?” She said, getting a handle the best that she could.
  “ Yes... and they were like... thumping and scraping noises...” Said the teen girl, after a second of thought. “ Really loud like...”
  “ Thumping and scraping?” She unknowingly mimicked, wanting to hear more of this.

 The girl nodded, her eyes seemingly locked onto Mandy’s face..
  “ It was like as if someone was moving something around in there... we were sort of hidden in the bushes near there, and it went on for a minute or more...” Explained the girl with a very bright blush. “ It seemed to have stopped once we had hurried and left... we did not want to get caught... you know?”
  “ I understand...” She calmly said, but wanted to urgently hear a little more. “ You never saw anyone before that?”
  “ We sort of chose the spot because we want a little... privacy..” Said the girl, obvious still flustered from having to admit what she had been up to in the first place. “ We saw no one around, and we hurried away at that point.”

 Mandy was now getting a little worried, as the caution that Officer Dana had warned about kicked back into her thoughts.  She thanked the girl for what she had said without letting on what she knew, then urged her to go off to bed. The girl smiled and nodded, while stammering out a few words of thanks. The girl turned and then headed to go into her little room for the night.

 Mandy stood there for a moment, gathering up all of her thoughts as she made sure that the girl had gone into the room for the night.  She then hurried back in to her room, knowing that she had to wake up Olivia and tell her about these noises, but not about what Shelly had been up to as was her promise. 

 She was now feeling a little more than just spooked at this point. Between the memories that flashed through her mind of the attack on her, and the possibility that a very unhinged Alison now out there lurking around... it was all she could force herself to doing her job at the moment, yet deep down she had to.

 Olivia sat on the end of the bed, almost wide awake, while her partner layed out what she knew from the girl who ‘had been going off to the bathroom’. It seemed to snap the woman to fully awake while Mandy relayed the information
  “ Well...” She said, shoving on her clothes as she spoke. “ You go and find those officers that are around here, and tell them about it... I will stay up and look after the kids while you do that.”
  “ You think it’s Alison?” She stammered out, wanting to make sure the woman knew what her fear was.
  “ Right now... who knows for sure...” Said the woman, standing up and placing a kiss on Mandy’s cheek as she buttoned her shorts.
  “ That’s true...” Said Mandy with a nod.
  “ We need to tell them exactly what we know, and they will investigate... they need to know who it was on our property here... just in case that it is Alison who is out there.”
  “ Yeah... I’ll go do that.” Mandy said, already reaching for the door.
  “ Listen... be safe while your doing that...” Said Olivia, her face showing that she too was a little worried.

 Mandy nodded and hurried off, her heart pounding away in her chest.  She did not know for sure if it actually was the on the run woman that was in the boathouse, but she did have her suspicions about it.. and after that happened in the boat house, it made it all that much more scary for her. 

 She hustled her way out the main door, knowing just where to find Officer Dana right away.

Chapter Twenty - The coldness of a broken soul

 Pawa’s usually lazy night was full of action, breaking the quiet.  Many police officers had descended on the sleepy camp in one large group, and then they fanned out around the boathouse area like ants at a picnic.

 Mandy was standing out there too, just beside the large structure that was being searched. The young gal seemed to be a little hesitant with getting too close to the place, as the attack on her still played in her mind.  She watched the officers as the looked inside and out of the boathouse, waiting to hear if they were going to find anything at all that would explain the noises heard by Shelly.

 Officer Dana strode out of the large building and glanced over at the shorter girl who waited so intently. The tall policewoman looked at Mandy and made no attempt to smile as she approached.
  “ No one was in the boathouse...” The officer started, then adding. “ But there is clear evidence that some things have been moved around a little though...”
  “ Moved around?” Asked Mandy, tilting her head slightly... as that was quite interesting.

 The tall lady cop nodded and sighed a little, then looked at the smaller gal that waited on her to speak.
  “ There are a few canoes stored in there that definitely have been moved in haste... almost as if who ever had tried to move one, then another on their own... only to end up finding that they could not budge either of them alone.”
  “ Any of the inflatable rafts we have... are they gone?”  Mandy asked.
  “ By the list of how many  that was given to us, it seems like they are all still there.” Said Officer Dana. “ They are checking the lists to see if anything is missing from there in the first place... that will tell us what this person was after, although it looks like some transportation.”

 Mandy nodded, understanding that the cops were being thorough. She paused and thought on the information for a few seconds.
  “ Do you think it could have been Alison who was trying to take a canoe like that to get away somehow on the lake?”
  “ Perhaps it was Alison... perhaps not either...” Stated the Officer slowly, her eyes telling that she was thinking the same way at least on her own. “ We are right now collecting any fingerprints we can find to see if she even had been there in the first place... but there is no clear cut sign if it was her or not.”
  “ Do you think then... that it was Alison or not?” Asked Mandy again, wanting to get a sense of what Dana might be fully thinking.

 The officer shrugged her shoulders at the question posed by Mandy. She paused as if making sure of what to say next.
  “ I am not sure what your camper named Shelly really had hear coming from in there...” She started slowly. “ ... but what we have found in there makes up pause to think... It does raise more than a few questions when you see a that a few canoes are moved compared to others in there.”
  “ So are you tryin’ to say that it could have been Alison in the boathouse earlier?”
  “ Like I said... we are not sure of anything right now.... other than things have been moved.”  She said, then added. “ We suspect that it was... yes, but we have no basis other than that.”

 The officer’s deep unsureness did not sit well with Mandy.  She wanted to know for sure if it had been Alison or not in the boathouse, but even the cops seemed  not to have a solid clue to it. She had a feeling in side of herself, that it just might have been the girl that was still evading the police... and that did not sit well.

 Mandy shook her head and began to walk off as she felt her frustration building inside of herself, leaving the police to do their jobs.  She headed off in search of something to do for awhile because it felt like sleep was not in her vocabulary at this point in time despite the lateness of the hour.

 She looked at the water for a moment as she walked off, looking at how calm the lake was around the end of the dock.  She eyed the long wood dock for a second or two, as something had attracted her attention, but nothing was even there... she had no clue what had attracted her to look over.  Everything seemed to be as normal as it could be, and she wondered if her mind was playing with her a little bit.
  “ I think I need a smoke...” Her mind told her without a flinch, continuing up the path and away from the lakeside.

 She got to the smoking area, after stopping in on the cabin to check on things with Olivia and her sleeping bunch, and to grab her cigarettes while she did.  Lighting one for herself, she took a seat and just listened to the voices of the officers she could hear from even this far away, yet her mind still was thinking on whatever it was that had made her look at the dock in the first place. It had now taken over her every thought she had.. because she had no explanation for it

 After a long while of being out there in the heat of the night, she had to take a pause.  She was surprised when she soon had came to realize that she had already smoked three cigarettes in the space of an hour... she had been out there that long. It was clear by how quickly she had went through the cigarettes, which she never does normally, just how stressed she was because of this crap.

 She shook her head and started to laugh at herself a little, all the while she was lighting up another smoke. After three... one more was not going to hurt anything
  “ A beer or two would go nicely with this about now...”  She mused with herself, finding it rather funny that she was even thinking like that.

 Mandy finally finished up her smoke, and found that it might be the time to go and try and sleep. Whatever was happening around camp was under control, now was the time her body was telling her.
  ” Exhaustion sometimes is such a good thing... now and then...”  She said to herself, finding that she ended up even laughing at that little self-statement.. “ Lord... I must be really be damned tired... Think I’m going Just a little crazy here.”

 Mandy had stepped only a few feet between the two buildings that would lead out to the main area of camp and the path that led back to Cabin Nine... when she felt something jabbed in her back.  It was hard and round, instantly she know that it was a gun.... and her mind flickered to her suspicion of who it was
  “ Hello there, Mandy...” Said a voice, familiar yet cold from behind her.

 Mandy’s mind was in shock, as she already knew it was Alison’s voice behind here... and it was also Alison who apparently had a very large gun jammed into her spine. She felt the cold hand of fear grip her, as she came to the realization of what was happening to her.
  “ Alison...” She stammered, feeling all the blood leaving her face.
  “ Nice to see you again... My dear sweet Mandy...” She said, her voice having no inflection to it.

 Alison’s voice was so flat, it held for Mandy nothing in the way of anything to it. It was as if the woman she had loved, was taken over by some unknown entity... no love or anything was in that voice, only a desperate growl.  She could hear the voices of police off in the distance, and knew she could not call out to them in no way.

 Thinking on her feet the best she could under the circumstances, the short petite girl tried to keep herself calmed down.
  “ What is it that you want?” She asked with a little waver in her voice, trying not to show her fear.
  “ Just a little bit of help here from you...” Alison coldly said back, her voice totally was void of any feeling or emotion.
  “ You should just turn yourself in you know... That would be the best thing right now...” Said Mandy, trying to keep the conversation going to giver her a few more precious second to think. “ The police are here at camp and they are actually looking for you in a big way...”

 Alison let out a laugh that was bordering on unsettling, sending a chill down Mandy’s neck. The woman had clearly lost her mind.
  “ They are looking for me, I know it’s because of that goddamned rat of a boyfriend I left for dead back there with that little whore slut he was fucking right in front of me!”  She snuffed, eyes flashing with the redness of anger. “ Those cops should be giving me a medal for that...”
  “ You... killed them?” Mandy stammered, now hearing the truth for herself... and the fear that came with that knowledge.

 Alison smirked calmly, almost as if she was proud of what she had done. It was chilling to the young girl at the other end of the gun.
  “ That bitch led him on... wanted to get fucked... so he took her to that clearing and made her give what she was so wanting to give...” She spat, with evil venom. “ Then he want to fuck me, and did... so when he was done and looked so smug about it, proud that he had fucked a little girl and then me..  I up and shot him, then I knew I had to kill that little crotch rot of a girl as well...”  She smirked even more evilly. “ Ands that felt so damned good.”
  “ You should just turn yourself in and tell your side of the story... He raped that girl, and you... they might go easier on you knowing what he had done...” She pleaded. “ Listen to me...you have to think of the little life growing inside of you as well... give yourself up for at least the sake of that baby you were so happy to get!”

 Alison’s face turned even more blank, as she levered her gaze at Mandy. She seemed to have this wild anger flash through, an anger that made her look not even human. She patted her stomach and gave this wicked look at Mandy.
  “ You know, that little skanky bitch wanted to get raped, and that fucker Allen obliged her. It was clear that he did not want me, or his baby, just my fucking cunt to slam when he wanted, and get young stray stuff as well... so I needed to kill them both... that is why I am trying to avoid the whole ‘getting arrested’ thing here...” She said, with a giggle that seemed to be almost as fear inducing as the weapon she held. “ He had it coming, you know?”
  “ Your crazy...” Said Mandy, knowing fully that her ex-lover’s mind was now twisted.

 Alison laughed manically, still training her weapon firmly onto the woman that stood there.
  “ Maybe I am... but I am smart enough to know that with this gun... you will help me get away...” She whispered so cooly, getting this far away look in her eyes. “ I know that you still love me, still feel for me....  You never cheated on me ever, so I know that you will help me...”

 The woman with the weapon then fell silent for a moment, which made Mandy’s fear responses go into overdrive.  What Alison was telling her that happened,  made no sense to Mandy, all she knew was that she had just admitted to killing both that poor young girl and Allen. That was not a good thing to know at this time, as that same killer gun was still in the murderer’s hand... and that person was far that mentally stable. 

 The now unrecognizable bookworm then let out a long sigh and poked the gun hard into the back of Mandy.
  “ Enough of this for now...first we take a little walk together...” Flatly said Alison, turning Mandy around so she could shove her to walk in the opposite direction. “ ... then we can have a nice chat once we are far away from all of the police that are around here...”

 Bodily whirled around by Alison, Mandy finally was finally placed face to face with her ex-lover for the first time since the messiness of the break up. What Mandy came face to face with, made her gasp with total disbelief.  This was not the woman that she had known and loved all of this time, and now seeing her now standing there with the cold grey steel of a gun right at her with nothing to loose... put that point home.

 Alison looked very disheveled, as here clothes were all smudged and wrinkled from the days she was on the run. There was a thick caking of dirt all over that pretty face, those normally pretty eyes that were behind the very smudged glasses were what disturbed Mandy the most with her appearance.  Those eyes were cold and hard as the rocks out on the sandbars in the lake.. there was no hint of any life left in them. 

 As Mandy stared nervously at the large caliber gun that was still leveled at her... she could see only stoniness was left in those brown eyes of Alison’s.... they were so hard with not one inkling of any emotion whatsoever held in the girl.
  “ Where are we going then?” Mandy asked, trying to keep herself as calm as she could be, as the woman shoved her to keep moving... Away from the floodlights at the front of the buildings.
  “ Why... to your car... What else?” Said the woman, her tone was almost a smug sort of flat.
  “ My car...” She stammered, knowing that if they went the way she was being pushed, no one would see her with Alison.

 Mandy thought quickly, she knew that she had to really get some plan up to try and keep herself alive.  Alison was totally off her rocker at the moment, and with that gun she held... there was no telling what she might end up doing. The fact that she has killed already, haunted the young councilor... it very well could be that Alison was perfectly capable of now killing her.
  “ I don’t have my keys with me.... They are in my room back in the cabin...” She said, trying to buy some time to think of what to do.
  “ Nice try...” Said the bookworm so coldly, a air of superiority creeping through her words as she jammed the barrel of the gun harder into Mandy’s back. “ I happen to still have a copy of your car key right here with me, and avoiding any need to try and get them from you...”
  
 Mandy swore at herself in her head.  She had forgotten that Alison had a set of keys to everything, because they had not settled their break up yet. Apartment keys, Car keys and even a key to her own safety deposit boxes back in the city.  Alison still had everything... including that gun in her hand.  In the world of cards... Alison had a straight flush... while she held only a pair of deuces. The pot seemed empty.
  “ Then if you have a key... why take me?”
  “ Like I said... I need you to help me get away from this hell-hole of a place.” Flatly said Alison

 Unknowing what to do next, she kept on walking with Alison kept pressing the gun tightly into her back.  Mandy had no idea what to do... fearful to even calling out for help.  That large gun was a great silence motivator.... and with children still around, even if they all were tucked in bed, it could end up being a virtual bloodbath, all starting with her.

 She went along with Alison’s forceful request, hoping that she could wrangle her way out of this, without getting shot in the process.  It did not look good... she saw no way out... and no way to tell why she wanted her with her

Chapter Twenty One - A desperate heart

 Olivia looked at her watch probably for the hundredth time this evening. The time was nearly three thirty in the morning.  She sighed and looked up at the silence of the main area of Cabin Nine. The night was so peaceful at this time of day, but the woman was far from feeling peaceful..

 Something was bothering the middle aged woman, and it seemed like it was not going to go away.  Her councilor partner and new lover had not came back to the cabin as yet. The younger woman had left to talk to the police about something that one of the campers had heard when she had gone to the bathroom, then went with them as they checked things out. Now that Olivia had noted that the police had came and checked things out thoroughly... and already left roughly a hour ago now... there still was no Mandy.

 She was getting a little worried, and as she sat there in the near darkness... she was now having a feeling that something was wrong. She looked at her watch again for a second then cursed herself for doing it.
  “ Jesus Christ!! Where is she?” She whispered to the stillness, getting fidgety with every passing second.

 Mandy was the one who was always on time, even when she had not been.  Olivia took that as a sign that there was something out of place in Camp, and that what was driving her gut feelings about it.

 She stood up from the stool she was on and walked around the quiet area, trying not to get too upset. She sighed after about four minutes of moving, as it was not working one little bit.  She rubbed her hands on her shorts, trying to defuse her nerves a little... but that did not even start to help. She wiped her sweat cover brow and kept moving a little, as that was the only thing she could do.

 Irene came in to the cabin, and quietly went over to the woman.  Olivia frowned at the sight of the woman, it was not the one who she wanted to have been coming through that door.
  “ Pretty quiet out there now...” Irene whispered, her heavy accent making it hard to decipher. “ Only a hour ago it more busy than a worker bee in the hive with the cops and all.”
  “ Its pretty much quiet here too...” She said, but finding herself frowning. “ I take it all of the police out there are gone?”
  “ Only one black and white is out there at the moment, parked just in front of the admin building at the moment.” Irene said. “ I passed it a few minutes back, It seems like the other cops have left...”

 Irene was about leave to head back out, but Olivia stopped her with a hand on the shoulder.  When the thin woman looked at Irene, she could see a look in this eyes that made her stay put.
  “ Have you seen Mandy out there by any chance?” Olivia asked.
  “ Mandy... no.. I saw her out there awhile back talking to that really tall policewoman next to the boathouse...” Started the woman, looking deeply into Olivia’s face with a question. “ I have not seen her since... why? She’s not here?”

 Olivia shook her head and cleared her throat.... reminding herself that she might be just overreacting somewhat.
  “ She has not come back to the cabin yet.” She said as calmly as she could muster up.
  “ She’s probably out there having a cancer stick as usual...” Said Irene, with a smile that was soothing.
  “ For well over an hour?” Asked Olivia.
  “ After the few days like we have had... I’m about to pick up the habit myself!” Laughed Irene. “ She probably sitting there talking to someone who is having a smoke too, and simply was enjoying not thinking on all of this bloody crap any more.”

 Olivia smiled, it seemed like a very logical explanation.
  “ Guess your right..” She agreed, feeling a little better.
  “ It has been an hour?” She asked.
  “ Over an hour.”  She said, trying not to look like some mother hen.
  “ Here, I have one of my brilliant ideas...” The lady said back to Olivia, smirking with playful glee. “ I will stay here and watch over your little *coughs* ‘angels’ and you go and check.”
  “ You will?” She asked, with a smile creeping on to her face.
  “ Yeah... but don’t be long... I have my own little pack of demons to tend to..” She giggled.
  “Any one of these kids can be little demons... but we do love them you know...” Said Olivia, with a smile.

 Irene rolled here eyes, as she agreed with the woman’s little comment
  “ Sometimes I wonder about the whole ‘demon’ tag..” Sighed Irene, her playful smile lifting the mood a little.
  “ You wonder?” Olivia said back. “ About what?”
  “ It’s like once in a while... I have this urge to check if there is a ‘666' tattooed anywhere on some of them.... but only at times.”

 Olivia giggled at that from Irene... and wondered if the McCabe sisters might just be the ones that would have had the mark of beast on them. If any kids that had ever been in her care over the years, the fighting twins just  might be the ones who were the ‘Satan spawn’. She thought back and amended that thought for a moment, as the one called Tracy could very well be Satan’s child.  She giggled, that might have been the better choice for it.

 With a nod of thanks, Olivia hurried past the bony thin councilor and hustled herself out the door.  She seemed a little more lighter, as she headed off to find her diminutive partner whereabouts.

 Irene shook her head and took a seat on the stool that sat in the main area of Cabin Nine. She seemed to listen to the silence that hung there, and gave a small smile with the stillness around her.
  “ This will be a breeze..”  She said to herself, settling on to the stool.

******

 Olivia found the smoking area empty. There was no short pretty girl sitting out there enjoying a smoke or nothing. She felt her heart sink a little, as that same feeling crept back in onto her.  She had not passed the short woman on the trail or anything... this was getting really unnerving.  She walked around the building that housed the Councilor’s lounge, going to check out a hunch she was having.

 The woman went around and straight to the parking lot. The place was even more still, as the row on top of rows of cars sat in the quiet of the night, all were lit by the one huge flood lamp that was on top of a tall pole. She was not sure why her hunch had brought her hear, but at this lat of night, anything was worth checking in to.

 She scanned the many rows of cars slowly, looking for the one car that she knew was Mandy’s.  She had been thinking that the woman might have decided to sit inside her car and listen to the radio while having a smoke. Mandy had done that more than a few time she remembered.  That was exactly what her own mother had liked to do also when her father had quit smoking.  She was hoping that she was doing that tonight as well.

 Olivia came across an empty spot in the lot, it was the only empty place that was there. The woman’s blood ran cold in her veins, as she was absolutely sure that this empty stall was Mandy’s parking place.  She stood there and stared at the empty slot for a moment or two, her mind trying to make up a possible reason why the Mandy and her car was not there in the first place.

 She started to think that the Mandy had just gone off for awhile to take a bit of a drive while having a smoke to take a bit of a break.  Olivia did not smoke herself, but there had been more than one occasion that she had gone off to take a long drive to get the peace and quiet to think more clearly. She could relate to needing a little bit of a break herself from what had been happening around Camp.

 With all of this going on, she had thought about doing the exact same thing over the course of the last few days. She already knew the stress it had been putting on everyone in camp.
  “ She’ll be back in awhile...”  She said, assuring herself of Mandy just going for a drive.

 Olivia turned and was going to just head back to the cabin and simply wait for the woman to return from her drive. As she did,  something caught her attention when she had taken only a step or two away. It was something that really made her heart jump into her throat, and a very cold chill go through her.

 Illuminated perfectly by that huge flood lamp overhead, she had suddenly spotted on the ground, three very noticeable splotches of  red that was staining on the dirt of the parking place. She took a step closer, hesitant to look, as she was starting to be sure of just what it was that she was seeing.

 Being brought up on a cattle farm that did their own butchering for local markets when she was a little girl, she had already identified the pooling stain was a telltale trail of fresh blood. With it still sparkling in the light, she knew that blood had not been there very long, because it had not soaked into the dry earth yet.  Adding to all of this, she could not help but notice that the pooled trail of suspected blood was on the same side as the driver’s door would be.  Her mind felt numbed, as that reality clicked in her mind.
  “ Jesus fuckin’ Christ!! No!”   The woman spat with a gasp, whirling on her heals and to run away.

 On feet that pounded the dusty ground with ever stride she took, the woman hurried to get to where the lone police car was still parked. She knew she needed have someone look at what she had found, but she was desperately hoping that what she had discovered, was not what she had concluded happened.
  “ God... No please.. It cant be that...” She whispered as she raced straight for the black and white cruiser.

 Her mind had already started to fill in the blanks quickly, even though she did not want to even think of the possibility she was entertaining.  Inside herself, that tell tale little voice that had been nagging at her for what seemed to have been hours, now had grown to become a stabbing horror filled scream inside of her head. Something had happened to Mandy.

 With in the space of a minute, she had gotten Officer Livingstone and the two were checking out the empty parking stall.  Olivia was made to stand off to the side with a nightgown clad Alexis, who had came out to see what was happening after hearing the commotion going on.

 While the officer did her work, the two women stood there in the warmth of the night, each never speaking a word while they watched somberly.

 Both women looked very apprehensive, as they watched the officer who was kneeling down and doing something on the ground. At that moment, there seemed to be even a stranger silence going on around them, almost as if Mother Nature was holding her breath in waiting as well.

 The councilor looked at her boss, her face showing so many types of emotions she was having.
  “ You think something has happened to Mandy...” Olivia said, obviously her usually calm exterior was painted with everything she was experiencing.
  “ We don’t even know anything yet..” Said Alexis, yet her voice seemed to hold a air of being not convinced with herself. “ It could be just something else altogether... and a simple explanation for it...”
  “ Why do I always come back to Alison then.... could she have done something to Mandy?” Olivia asked, obviously not buying what the woman was trying to sooth her with.

 Alexis’s coming answer was cut off when Officer Livingstone was seen coming over to them.  She held up a long cotton swab and a small box like object in her rubber glove clad hands.  Olivia looked into the woman’s face, and found the Officer’s face had no smile, marking whatever she had to say or show them both... was not very good.
  “ I checked out the puddled substance you have pointed out to me over there...” She said.  “ I have to call this in... My test I have right here, it’s human blood, and it is not very old either.”  She frowned.
  “ Human blood...” Gasped Olivia, her eyes widening with horror.
  “ There is more...” The officer said, continuing without any inflection in her voice. “ On the ground there are two sets of fresh footprints in and around the blood... one is of a short adult person that is  barefooted, the other set is of another adult that is wearing a slip on type of shoe... that print is also small as well.”

 Olivia gasped, as her mind flooded with thoughts.
  “ Oh... my god...” She said, her words coming out as almost stammering every syllable. “ I remember that Mandy had not put on any shoes when she had gotten up the first time... she was still barefooted the last time I saw her when I sent her to talk to one of you Officers....”
  “ I was afraid that you might say that..” Said Officer Dana, her face showing it had lost all color.
  “ Why?” Asked Olivia, her only word wavering as she spoke it.

 The officer answered back with a very direct statement of her own, almost the instant that Olivia had finished..
  “ Because... I have see the shoe tread before... it had been left by the person in the shoes... they were all around Allen and that young girl’s bodies that we had found, and they were also the exact same prints that were found at the burglary scene in town as well....” She said, so plainly.
  “ Dear god.. is it Allison?   Is that what you are saying?” Olivia choked out, her mind seemingly reeling from the information.
  “ I am afraid so...It can’t be nobody else but Alison... these footprints are the same shoe prints we have positively identified as belonging to Alison Grey.” She grimly yet honestly answered. “ I have looked at the prints many times, and they are right down to the same wear patterns on the soles.”

 Olivia looked at the officer with her face now ashen white, her knees seemed to almost wanted to buckle right there.
  “ Alison has Mandy hostage?” She whispered, so afraid of verbalizing what was being suspected.
  “ Seems that could be one of the scenarios in play here.....” Said Dana, putting her hand on Olivia’s shoulder to comfort the woman a little. “ We need to contact our Police Headquarters as soon as we can... I need to know right now just what make and model that Mandy’s car is so I can get out a APB as fast as I can.”

 Alexis was quick to give the officer the information asked for, knowing it already because of the parking arrangements that had been made for all of the Pawa employees. As the two talked, Olivia slipped away quietly, her face showing that she had been crying a little as the others spoke to one another.

 A few seconds had passed and Officer Dana could hear the obvious roar of a car come to life. She quickly glanced up and saw Olivia was in her car, and was starting to drive off. She knew exactly what the woman was up to, and she felt her heart pound harder as this reality became all to real.
  “ Stop it you idiot... let us go and find them both... Alison is much too dangerous at this point of time for you to run amuck and play cop!!” She yelled out, frantically waving her arms as she tried to step in front of the car.

 The vehicle stopped, and the woman inside rolled down the window more, as the Officer tried to close the distance as quickly as possible.
  “ You do it your way, but that takes time...” Screamed Olivia out of the car window as she started to drive past the officer, making sure that the Police woman did not have any chance of stopping her. “ I am going to find them myself... and save time and hopefully save Mandy!”
  “ But you know that she already has murdered two people..” The police woman yelled out, as the car began to speed past her. “ She could very well ending up killing Mandy... or even killing you!”
  “ Waiting for all of you fucking cops is not an option... Alison will just have to fucking kill me if I find them...” Shouted Olivia, as her car lurched forward as she punched the accelerator and plunged into the night. “ Do what you need to, Officer... I will do what I need to do...”

 Alexis and Officer Livingstone could only watch helplessly as the woman in the car raced down the exit path and tear out of the camp at a high rate of speed, throwing a cloud of gravel wildly as she hits the main road that passes the camp.
  “ I need to call this in now... Alison is armed, and that damn foolish woman in going off half-cocked!.” She said, frantically hurrying for her car. “ Alison is dangerous enough on her own... with her having a hostage, she will be that much more unpredictable!  She just might kill Mandy, if she has not done so yet... and it would not be a stretch that she would kill Olivia if she succeeds in finding Alison out there”
  “ I fear that Olivia could be more dangerous than Alison and her gun is at this point..” Said Alexis calmly. “ Way more...”
  “ More dangerous?” Asked Dana, flashing a look of disbelief at Alexis. “ What the fuck are you sayin’?  Are you going completely nuts also?”

 Calmly, the head of Camp Pawa looked right at the policewoman, her eyes were solidly locked on to the officers.
  “ A woman that is in true love for the first time is more dangerous than any person with a gun...” Alexis said. “ Gun or no gun... Olivia is on a mission, and it might be Alison that needs to be protected at this point...”
  “ You think she is that dangerous?” Officer Dana asked, her mind seemingly now to understand what the head of Camp Pawa was saying to her.
  “ That... I have to say yes to..” Calmly said Alexis. “ She is now protecting the one she loves... that can block out anyone’s sense of right and wrong right there.”

 Taking a few steps towards her police car, the officer seemed to now get what was being warned about.
  “ Then we have to stop Olivia then... and then we can hopefully find Alison... and  a still alive Mandy!” Said an angry Dana.
  “ I hope that you can... it might be the only way to stop more killing...” Said Alexis, so calmly that it was spooky.

 The officer only nodded as she hurried over to her cruiser, she knew that Alexis might be firmly correct all too well.  She already had enough of death right now, this all had to come to some sort of end.

 As the officer radioed in, Alexis just stood and watched Olivia’s taillights fade off into the distance.  She could not see the lights after a few moments, and she turned to head back in to the administration building. She knew that the end game was now going on, and hoped that another tragedy was not in the mix.

Chapter Twenty Two - One on one.

 The waters of Pawa looked so calm at this time of night, the glass surface bouncing the moonlight into the dark sky and the ripples making a moving masterpiece on the top. Serenity can be deceiving though.

 Mandy had stopped the car about five miles away from the camp on the banks of the large lake, and now sat in silence for over an hour.  Alison was sitting in the passenger side, the weapon still trained on the woman next to her, seemingly unable to decide what to do next while the cold steel seemed to tremble in her hand.

 Mandy looked down at her left arm, and watched a large blotch of red that was staining the fabric of a old teeshirt that she had wrapped just above the elbow, get bigger. Alison had proven to not have as good of control with the gun she had. Alison had shot her in the arm when they were getting into the car... the bullet thankfully ended up just grazing the outer part of Mandy’s arm and the bullet had shot past her into the night.

 Shooting her seemed to have been perhaps unintentional on the part of Alison when it had happened, but for Mandy that still did not matter... she here not by her choice other than by way of the gun. It was so crazy, her ex-lover doing all of this.

 The pain Mandy was feeling from the gunshot was so intense, feeling almost like if someone had stuck a hot poker deep under her flesh, but the young injured woman seemed to be more focused on the girl in the glasses, and the weapon she still was pointing at her. Her focus was being fueled by a gathering seething anger and her total dismay with the woman’s erratic and abnormal actions of the past few weeks.

 Alison had fallen silent for all the time that they had been driving, watching Alison out of the corner of her eye.  The pretty bookworm seemed to have completely lost her mind, the obvious wildness that was held in her eyes told of a mind teetering on the very brink of a breakdown.  She could see how shaky the woman was, as that weapon trembled while she leveled it at her... that alone was scary in itself.

 The girl with the gun looked over at Mandy, her eyes still holding this vacant stare that was all too unnerving. She regarded the woman’s profile, almost as if she was prying into Mandy’s thoughts.
  “ You figure where we are going to go now.. we have to get far away from here...” Alison barked out, the look in her face was almost one of being totally disengaged from everything.
  “ You have the gun there... decide for yourself.” Said Mandy, now overflowing with the fear charged anger that she had for Alison right then.

 Alison shot a look right at Mandy, her face showing shock with the long haired girl’s very strong voice. She lifted her hand and pointed the weapon right at Mandy’s head with such a cold stare, but her hand still was shaking.
  “ I have the gun here... you’ll do what I say.” She said so coldly, adding the last part almost as an afterthought. “ I can make you do whatever I want, whenever I want...”
  “ You have the gun, you are the one who is wanted bu the police and everything else... and you ask me about where we are suppose to go?”  Mandy said so frankly. “ You’re the one that has robbed a house, been a part of a rape... ending up going as far as committing murder and everything... now your adding kidnaping and shooting me... then asking what the fuck to do now?”
  “ Shut up...” The girl spat, seemingly very uneasy with the way she was bing spoken to. “ I don’t need this crap!”
  “ You’re the cause of all of your problems.... not me!” Shouted Mandy “ Why should I help you.

 Alison’s face turned white, as if she could not believe what she had just heard.
  “ But you loved me... I know you did... You said that you would help me.” She said in a whisper, almost sounding child-like.
  “ I did not agree to help you...” Said Mandy, trying not to cry with all of the emotions this was bringing up. “ With all of the crappy things you have done to me, Goddammit... I still care about you for some reason... but do I love you any more?  No!”  She shook her head and gave a grunt. “ You went cheated on me, got pregnant from that and then all of this crap as well... No, I don’t love you...”

 Alison seemed to stop talking and think on what the girl had been saying.  She looked right into the woman’s eyes, then that crazy hardness came back into her eyes... chilling Mandy’s soul.  Alison clearly was not the girl she knew in any way now... this was a beast, and the beast could take her life at any time.
  “ Just shut up and do what I say!!”  Alison said, her eyes now were wild and showed just how unstable she was. “ I see...You never loved me then, never ever did... an’ neither did Allen...”
  “ I did love you... once...” Said Mandy, looking down the barrel of the gun. “ I really did at one time.”
  “ You did?” Said Alison, a little surprised.
  “Yes... and you should have known that...” Said Mandy back. “ But you turned your back on me, went off and did all of this shit... and left me wondering what it was that I done for you to cheat like that... but, no more!”

 The woman seemed to be trying to comprehend what Mandy had said to her. That look was fleeting, and in it’s place flashed a look that was chilling
  “ I know what I have done... but you gotta know that I still love you.  Why can’t you see that? “ She said, griping the gun as it was now only inches away from Mandy’s head.. “ If that is the case then... fuck it all!!  The only thing I have left is this baby, and if I end up going to jail, this baby will be taken from me when it is born and I will have nothing... I will not be letting that happen...”
  “ I don’t know what you are expecting me to do about all of this...”   Gasped Mandy, her eyes locked onto the vacant stares of the woman she once loved... and saw that the person was not who she had been.  “ You’re the one that has fucked up here... it is not me!”

 Mandy saw the change in the girl’s demeanor again, this time it was like evil had invaded her.
  “ Shut up... I can make you do what I want you to do...” Said Alison, seemingly trying to gain control of both the situation and her own mind.  “ Right now, I am in control here... you will love me, because I know you love me... and that is the fact.”
  “ Then what is it you want me to do?” Said Mandy, seeing the gun come even closer to her head, her life now was hanging in the balance if she did not play along with the woman.

 The young intellectual seemed to think on Mandy’s words, her cold eyes seem to burrow right into the other woman’s soul.  Mandy now wished that she hadn’t talked to her captor like she had been earlier... as that woman was clearly not the Alison she had known for all of this time. Alison seemed to be so unstable at this point,  she really did not know what she was capable of doing now.

 The young lady then seemed to smile, a sort of smile that told of a deviousness at work deep within her. She eyed Mandy for a moment, her now very lifeless eyes locked on to the woman next to her.
  “ Take off your clothes!” Alison finally said.

 Mandy was shocked at the barked order she had gotten. She looked right at the bookworm, shocked with her request.
  “ You want me to take off my clothes?” Mandy said, actually now feeling fear as the wildness that was now captured in Alison’s eyes turned her blood cold.
  “ Take them right off... take off every fuckin’ stitch you have on!” She said, her eyes now so deep and lifeless, her finger now firmly squeezing the trigger.

 With the gun pointed right at her head, Mandy knew that she had no options other than to comply with this woman’s orders.  The reason of Alison was wanting her to strip was not the issue now, the large gun that was in her had was the only answer.  Mandy knew that Alison was in full control, her only option right now was to comply.
  “ I am waiting for a little stripping to start...” Hissed Alison, a evil smirk was now painting her face.

 Sitting behind the steering wheel still, Mandy complied and started to do what she was told, pulling down her shorts as the woman watched.  In just the space of a few seconds, she was sitting naked except for the makeshift bandage on her arm, while the woman that held her hostage seemed to be reveling in watching her, eyeing slightly tanned bared skin that was now uncovered on Mandy. 

 Alison looked at her and actually gave a very evil sort of smile.  The woman then simply tossed Mandy’s clothes into the back seat like if they were of no use any longer, and continued to look at the long haired young woman.
  “ You always were so beautiful... your skin is so smooth and inviting...” She commented, a flash of softness coming over her, while she stroked Mandy’s now very bare breast with her free hand. “ Your breasts are so wonderfully amazing...”
  “ What are you doing...” Gasped Mandy, as the bookworm began to fondle her breast.
  “ Come on... You loved me once, you told me that....I know that you can end up loving me again. Just think, the two of us can simply vanish... Go an hide somewhere far from here, the both of us...  Then we could both bring up my baby right together.. and be just like a real family should be.”

 Instinctually, Mandy shied away from Alison’s hand on her breast, feeling such a overwhelming sense of revulsion quickly flood her.  The woman’s intentions were perfectly clear to her now, and that made her skin literally crawl and her stomach knot.

 Mandy pulling away from her, made the bookworm’s eyes flash red, the softness that had been there vanish.  Angered, the woman jabbed the gun downward into Mandy’s lap, the barrel suddenly shoved into the treasure of the girl at the wheel.  Mandy froze, as she felt the gun was tightly up against her private area, and tightly painful.
  “ You’ll see... you’ll come to love me again... and also you will come to love this baby of mine as well...” She whispered so flatly, flicking Mandy’s ear with her tongue. “ Let me make love to you like we use to do, and that will show you my sincerity... convincing you that all of this can work out, only if you just let yourself love me all over again...”

 Alison finally lifted the gun from Mandy’s crotch, until it was pointed right at Mandy’s chest, the barrel ending up nestled between the now trembling mounds of flesh she had been fondling.  The bookworm leaned over a little more and slid her free hand in between the girl’s legs, forcing her fingers quickly inside the scared young woman’s treasure. Mandy tried to pull away from the woman’s actions but she could not move because she was being pinned against the seat and the locked door of the car.

  The young councilor woman wanted nothing more than to get that door open and run for her life at this point, but knew what the deadly consequences would be. With Alison’s gun where it was, she would be dead in seconds if she even tried to get herself away.  She turned her head slightly, and allowed her  legs to part widely and let those invading fingers to be pushed all the way in. 

 Alison seemed to take Mandy’s action with great pleasure, beginning to pump her fingers wildly in and out with ragged strokes.
  “ You’ll see... this will be the beginning of perfection for the two of us...” Alison panted with satisfaction, while inserting a second finger into the woman’s channel. “ I knew that you would come around... you do love me still... you will see, our future is so bright living as one big family!”

 Mandy felt the pain as those fingers were being so violently jabbed in to herself, and she forced herself not to show the pain that shot through her private area. Her mind reeled into a darkened vortex of agony and total confusion, her inner self screaming out in shock and horror of the situation.  Here she was, being raped at gunpoint by someone that she once had truly and genuinely had loved and trusted at one time... now she was being violated more than just in the physical sense of the word.

 She had felt the sting of betrayal many times before in her life... but what Alison was doing to her right then, was way past that level.  It was as if while the woman continued to force herself on to her, it was beginning to crush her very soul! She kept her face turned, not wanting to show the tear that was forming in her eye.

 The passenger side door suddenly flung open as Alison leaned on Mandy.  A hand came inside and forcefully pulled the very surprised bookworm right out of the car. Alison was caught so off-guard that she lost the hold of the gun, which ended up sending the weapon clattering to the floorboards. Mandy screamed as all of this was going on, not knowing what was going on as she was wedging herself against the door.

 Olivia was the one that had the depraved woman by the back of the shirt, and had dragged her out like a large sack of laundry.  She slammed the smaller woman up against the side of the car , eyes flaring with the fire of anger. With a force that belayed the middle aged woman’s frame, she let fly two heavy punches straight into Alison’s face, splitting both of the woman’s lips with the very first blow
  “ Fucking Crazy Bitch!” Shouted Olivia at the top of her lungs, through her tightly clenched teeth.

 A reeling Alison hit the side of the vehicle with her fill weight, Olivia’s punches had propelled her backwards. She felt her legs were buckling, and she slid down with a muffled groan. She could now hear that Mandy was shouting from inside the car, calling out to Olivia with almost a calmed tone
  “ Olivia?  That is you??” Mandy cried out, her voice seemingly relived.
  “ It is... and I got this bitch of a slut, Mandy!” Called back Olivia, standing over the crumpled form.

 Quickly, the now weaponless woman on the ground fought to get up and get away, but Olivia’s knee connected solidly on the girl’s jaw, almost as if she had turned into Bruce Lee or something. Spinning in air with the blow, Alison let out a low grunt, as she was now flat on her back on the dirt beside the wheels of the car, and was quick to notice that the woman’s knee planted in the center of her chest.
  “ Don’t fucking move an inch more, bitch... Or I will fuck you up more if you move!!” Shouted a very incensed Olivia, who had somehow gotten the gun out of the car and had it right against the prone woman’s forehead.
  “ I won’t...” Alison shouted, her eyes could not move away from the gun that was now trained on her. “ See..I give up... just don’t hurt me!”
  “ Better fucking not move...” Hissed Olivia, as she could not ignore the officers that were racing over. “ Just be glad that the cops are here to deal with you.. instead of just me one on one... you would be dead by now!”

 Officer Livingstone hurried over, seeing the middle aged woman who straddled the smaller gal’s body and had a weapon trained on Alison... ready to fire.
  “ It’s over now, Olivia... relax and give me the gun..” She pleaded, as her fellow officers encircled the scene.
  “ She was trying to rape Mandy... She fucking shot her too...” Said Olivia, still having the gun squarely on Alison’s forehead, finger tightening on the trigger. “ She has to damn well pay for her shit!”
  “ I promise... she will end up paying for everything she has done up to now..” The officer said in a soothing tone, trying to calm down the very angered woman. “ Let us be the ones who deal with her... it would not solve anything if you end up killing  her... you would be just like her.”

 Olivia looked at the taller woman and paused, then took a final glance down at Alison.  She got off of the woman on the ground and handed the weapon over, her face still a mask of pure rage.
  “ You make sure that this bitch does pay for this...” She said, giving a sigh as she let her body relax.
  “ With everything that she will end up being charged with... I’d say she will be put away for a very long time” Said Dana, now having the weapon in her hands.

 Olivia nodded and swallowed hard, knowing that the officer was right.  She looked down at Alison, while three other officers had her at the end of their drawn guns. The older councilor smiled and felt as light as a feather on the inside, as it was now really over.

 A still very naked Mandy suddenly ran into the woman’s arms as she stood there, throwing her arms right around her tightly. Olivia found herself smiling broader than she ever had, as she embraced the woman that she had came to love. Olivia then found a way to smile down the now captured Alison, as Mandy tightly held her.  
  “ I hope that you are going to rot away in jail, you bitch.” Was all she said, leaving the justice to the professionals.

 Olivia gently draped a blanket that she had been just handed by one of the officers around the pretty woman next to her, being careful of the injury that seemed not really to bother Mandy at all.  She smiled and looked deeply into Mandy’s face, as her mood had softened from the anger fueled woman a few minutes ago..
  “ Come on here... Let’s get your wound checked out... then go back to the camp...” She said, fixing how the blanket hung around the young woman’s body. “ It won’t be light out for awhile longer.”
  “ Can I go get my clothes out of the car first?” Mandy asked with a effortless smile, her face showing no signs of the fear she had been having.
  “ Nahhh...” Winked the woman, as they stood there, embracing again. “ You look cute as all hell, dressed only in that blanket.... It’s quite a fashion statement as well, I might add...”
  “ Being somewhat heroic makes you a little perky?” Smiled Mandy, poking fun at the woman.
  “ Shhh... who told you my secret?” Joked back Olivia with a chuckle, squeezing the pretty lady against herself a little tighter. “ Enough of all this adulation and shit there, woman... Shut up and just hug me like you mean it, dammit!”

 Even after all that had happened to her, that little humorous comment from the woman that she now looked on, made Mandy laugh as she did hug the woman back.  Olivia leaned in and give her a kiss, oblivious of anyone else being around them. Mandy smiled, as that was worth all the money in the world to her.

  Alison still layed on the ground, tasting her own blood in her mouth while listening to the people around her talking. She took in a deep breath, as she had came to her reality very quickly.  Her fleeing days were now over.... along with all of her hopes and dreams she may have had at one time. She had given everything up and for what... to her, it was a realization that hurt like hell.

 The woman kept staring up from where she lay, and saw Olivia and the blanket clad Mandy now were embracing one another so softly, while two large officer’s were slapping the handcuffs on her.  Alison forced her eyes closed and began to weep. for herself. This was the end point of everything as she watched Mandy go off with Olivia. As she was pulled up to her feet, she could feel the heavy sense of loss she had never felt before, now was there... and the loss was walking away with another.

 Alison pushed her face into her chest to avert her eyes for a second, seemingly resigning herself to her fate that she had made. While she was being led off to a awaiting Police car, things were in full perspective now.  She had let so much go for so little... and now she was going to lose so much more.

Chapter Twenty Three - Epilogue

 Two long years had past, and then some since everything that had happened at Camp Pawa.  It had been Seven hundred and forty eight days gone by, things were you could say... were much different.

 Camp Pawa had been spared being closed by the board of directors that late summer, and it was rumored that the place was going to be expand even more over the next few years under the continuing leadership of Miss Ashfield. That was one of the terms that had been put into place by the board, at which the woman gladly had jumped at.

 Seemed that the expansion was going to being bankrolled by a certain ex-secretary who still had a great love for the place. Nobody had ever expected that the woman who had lovingly helped keep the place going for all of those years, was in fact a multi-millionaire... and one that had secretly kept the funds going in the first place.  She had the one stipulation though, that safety in the camp would be a priority.

 On the other side, Alison had plead guilty to all of the charges laid against her only a month after everything. Without the need for a trial, the woman was sentenced to three life terms plus ninety nine years with no chance of parole ever.. the stiffest sentence ever handed down in that jurisdiction 

 Alison seemed to be resigned to the fate that had befallen her, accepting her punishment almost happily. In her final words to the court, she apologized to the camp she had nearly ended up closing down, and to everyone that had been affected by all of the things she had done... taking it like a woman would..

 Mandy was in the court room when Alison had been sentenced, knowing full well that the girl was taking responsibility for everything.  As she watched her ex be led away to start serving her time at a maximum penitentiary, she found herself feeling a sense of respect towards the woman... Alison had taken it like she was suppose to.  With her being pregnant, things went really well in the end.

 Alison had the baby in jail just after Christmas that year. She had a beautiful little girl who came out perfectly healthy in every way. The task of finding out who would end up rasing the little one fell to Alison, but the woman ended up surprised everyone with what she ended up deciding.

 Alison’s family was thinking that they would be taking the little bundle to raise themselves, but Alison spoke up and made sure that her other ideas for just who it was that she wanted to raise the baby was heard. What she ended up deciding, came as such a huge surprise to everyone in her family.

 The family had thankfully listened to Alison’s requests very seriously. After just a short period of discussion and planning, the Grey family all ended up in full agreement with their incarcerated family member... and set the ball in motion to honor Alison’s wishes to the letter. In the end, that whole family was all in agreement and had became more than just happy with the family that Alison had chosen to raise the little one.

 Alison had picked the people out carefully... as she knew that her life was to be behind bars.  She had picked that Mandy would be the one to adopt little Angelica and raise the little girl as her own daughter... a decision that the woman made so honestly and openly.

 In a letter from Alison to Mandy during the process, she layed out just why it was that she wanted this so much. Through the seven pages of this letter, she relayed the respect she had for Mandy, and expressed that it was only Mandy who could instill what she was wanting for this little girl in the future.. and the fact that Mandy would show the type of unconditional love she wished for her little girl

 To Mandy, it was more than an honor to be put into this position... through this, she finally found her path to life.

******

 Mandy drove up a small residential street in her little banger of a car, a big smile radiating on her face as she did.

 She looked over to the house that she had parked in front, noticing that someone was standing on the front steps already. The girl could not help but feel a sense of happiness flood her, as she stepped out, and her quick movements told of that.  She looked up and just took in what she was seeing, and a new wave of happiness came over her.

 There was her wife, the woman that she had married only a few short months back now. What better thing could she see on such a glorious day like it was, she asked herself as she looked over.  There was one thing else, she thought to herself... and that was with the woman on the steps.

 Olivia stood on the steps of the little light blue colored house, a toddler wrapped up in a blanket that sat resting on her hip.  Both girl’s that were in her life were there to meet Mandy, and that gave her such a sense of belonging, she wanted to cry with the joy she was feeling, but a smile always seemed to get in the way.

 Olivia too a step to the edge of the top of the steps, and peered right at the petite woman in the business outfit while the toddler seemed to get very excited, once spotting Mandy standing there.
  “ Did you get the job?  Did you?” She asked excitedly, as the little girl stared out at Mandy as well.

 Mandy smirked with pride, as her wife looked at her while waiting for some reply to come from her. She paused to make the woman wait, but her own exuberance finally made her have the need to divulge it all.
  “ I am the new co-advocate of legal services for the Gay and Lesbian society.” Mandy answered back and smiled broadly.
  “ You are?”  Olivia said, her face glowing.
  “ Yes... I start first thing Monday.” Mandy announced, feeling her pride swell in her chest.

 Olivia looked like she was going to explode, her smile beamed so brightly as she seemed to celebrate the news right there on the steps.
  “ Told you if you aced the bar exam like you did right after graduating last spring... someone would come along and hire you on the spot.” Olivia said, looking proudly at the young woman dressed in a very fetching business outfit.

 Mandy chuckled, as they had this conversation many times over, and she had to admit her wife was right.
  “ Yes, yes..” She replied. “ I admit it already....You were right.”
  “ Course I was, darling..” Jabbed back Olivia with a playful smirk. “ Even our little Angel here thought that I was going to be right..”
  “ I will only admit that little one there was right.” Mandy said, hurrying up the steps to join the two. “ But I will accept the fact that you helped her be right in a little part... I guess...”  She smirked

 Olivia looked at the pretty little girl in her arms, and her huge laugh came out to fill the warm air at which Little Angelica started to laugh as well.
  “ I can live with giving Angel here the credit...” Laughed Olivia, looking into the sweet pudgy face of the little one she held. “ See... You were right, precious...”
  “ Momma O... you happy...” The toddler said so clearly, her smile sweet on her face as she put a chubby little hand on Olivia’s cheek. “ You happy!!”
  “ Yes I am so happy, our little Angel-girl..” Olivia said, making eye contact with the cherub faced child. “ Momma M got the job...”
  “ Yay!” Shouted Angelica, her happiness flowing so effortlessly from her as she raised her little arms up in the air.

 Mandy leaned in and give the little tyke a sweet peck on the cheek, then gave a more serious kiss to the woman with Angel. The little one giggled softly as she watched the her two mothers kiss.
  “ So... what should we do now...” She said, looking at her remarkably gorgeous two girls standing there.
  “ We should celebrate... I will give Alexis a shout on the phone, and we will run out to the Camp...” Said Olivia, eyes sparkling. “ She can gather the others to celebrate this together... she has not seen the little Angel her in a few weeks anyways.”
  “ She likes being A God Mother, don’t she?” Said Mandy, beaming as the little girl was happy to hear that they were going to take a drive.
  “ Yeah... she does...” She smiled “ Now that she has settled down with Sunny as her partner... I’d have to say that she really has embraced it.. to the tenth degree!”
  “ I think Angel is going to be so spoiled by her God Mother...” Mandy giggled, as the little girl leaned out, wanting her to hold her now.
  “ That she will be...” Laughed Olivia, her eyes sparkling as she handed over the angel to Mandy. “ Come on, you change after saying hi, I will phone out and we’ll get down there.”

 Mandy smiled and agreed...this was something to be with friends for.  She sighed contentedly and they all went into the little blue house chatting away, her little one raining kisses on her cheek as they did. Things could not be better, she told herself..

 Life has ups and downs, but it seemed to always right itself in the end.  For the little family, it was a god send.

The end