Unlikely Allies by Tiffany King Read Free Book Online

whisper. I fought back a giggle as Amy gripped my arm. She was obviously a lightweight when it came to spooky stuff.
    "Rumors began to spread like wildfire," Rick continued. "The locals were convinced the area was h aunted and the campsite lost it s luster for camping until a group of college kids decided they were going to get to the bottom o f the rumors." Rick paused for e ffect. Amy soaked it up, but I could n't help but smile. I loved ghost stories , and had pretty much seen every horror movie ever mad e over the years with Carol.
    Glancing around, I could see the others watching him intently, and couldn't help thinking what a field day Carol would have if she were here. She was the queen of sneaking up on people and scaring them. As Rick continued the story, my eyes met Mason's across the fire. His expression looked different than I had become used to, almost troubled, as he studied me. I knew I should probably ignore it and look away, but I found myself contemplating why I troubled Mason so much. We continued our staring match for several minutes as Rick droned on until finally, not able to handle the intensity any longer, I finally looked away.
    "The next morning all but one camper remained. When asked what had happened to the others, he claimed the trees had come alive. The authorities didn't believe him and feared they had a crazed killer on their hands, so they locked him away. The locals now claim the voices of the victims float through the trees when the wind blows," Rick said, finishing his story.
    Amy reached over again and gripped my arm. "I told you he tells some freaky stories," she said, darting her eyes around like she expected to be dragged away at any moment by the trees.
    "You don't watch many scary movies , do you?" I asked, smiling at her.
    "Hell no, that shitzle would give me nightmares for years," she said dramatically. "Are you telling me you like to watch them?" she asked, shuddering.
    "Heck yeah. My friend Carol and I have a weekly ritual where we'll watch a double feature. Most of them are cheesy as hell, but every once in a while we stumble upon a slasher masterpiece," I said enthusiastically.
    "You're a freak. You know that? You look all sweet and innocent with your long flowing skirts , but … " she let her voice trail off.
    "Don't worry , sweets, I won't kill you in your sleep," I teased, dropping my voice down to a deep whisper.
    " Eeeeek . I'm going to have to sleep with one eye open," she griped as Rick joined us.
    "So, what did you two think of tonight's story?" he asked, smiling at me.
    "Well, Ms. Psycho here loved it," Amy said, looking at me like I had sprouted an extra head.
    "Really?"
    "Yeah, I'm a bit of horror buff," I admitted.
    "That's great! So am I. You must have gotten it from me , because if I remember right , Kate isn't much of a horror fan," he said, sounding pleased about finally finding something we have in common.
    "Nope, M om's not much into the horror scene. I've tried to drag her to Halloween Horror nights at Universal Studios for the last couple years, but she's balked at the last minute every time," I said, laughing.
    "Maybe I can fly out and go with you," he said, obviously testing the water on fatherly visits.
    "That would be awesome," I said, smiling at him warmly.
    "Ready to go to the cabin?" Amy said, pulling on my arm.
    "I guess I need to walk baby back to our cabin," I teased.
    "Dam... dang straight," she said, fixing her slip.
    "That was a close one," Rick teased, making a production of looking for Louise.
    "After a story like that , I should get brownie points for my effort," she muttered, dragging me toward our cabin.
    I laughed, feeling lighthearted. Camp Unlikely Allies was definitely growing on me.
    ***
    When Rick found me, I was prepping the art room for the campers' arrival the following day.
    "Hey," he said, standing in the doorway, taking in the long skirt I was wearing, despite the cooler morning temperatures. Practical or not, I still had my own