Believers
After the main camp had quieted down the boys grouped close to the fire. Nick pulled a velvet covered book out of his backpack.
They all looked at each other.
“Was it hard to get it?” Martin asked.
“I can’t believe your mom just gave it to you.” Kyle inched closer.
“They don’t know I have it.” Nick set it on his pack and looked at it. “I stole it out of my mom’s dresser right before we left.”
“You’re going to put it back.” Tom interrupted. “It’s not like you’re really stealing it.”
“Yeah, more like borrowing.” Kyle added.
“So…” Marin pushed. “What’s in it?”
“There’s not a lot in here. She kept everything in notebooks. Dad tried to confiscate every notebook in her room, but Mom went crazy and said her room was to remain untouched. She said something about Eileen’s memory and they stopped fighting after that. I couldn’t understand everything.” Nick looked at the velvet, “She didn’t keep it there anyway. Since she met Jules she changed her hiding place.” He glanced up at his friends, “you remember when she bought that ammunition box from Buddy, and we all thought she was crazy?”
Kyle nodded.
“I followed her to Fullshire Hill, you know that old deer hunting tower? She hid it up there.”
Tom jumped in, “How are we going to get to Fullshire Hill? That’s completely off limits.”
“Jonathan Fullshire will shoot your head off.” Kyle remarked knowingly. “So why was Eileen hiding there?” he mused.
“It doesn’t make sense.” Martin glanced into the campfire.
“It does say some stuff though.” Nick drew back their attention. He opened the book as Kyle held the flashlight over the pages. “About Vampires.”
“I want to go check on Nick.” Sheila could hold in her desperation no longer.
Her sudden outburst stopped the kumbayahish song the group was singing in praise around the campfire.
Carl maintained his firm hold on her, his arms wrapped around her lovingly keeping her in place. “Just relax Sheila.” he tried to calm her down to no avail.
Everyone understood her anxiety.
Pastor Manning walked to her and knelt down looking her in the eyes. “It’s important these boys have this time alone at this junction in their life.” He took her hand and drew in a deep breath. “It’s even more important now, in a time of tragedy.” He pointed towards the boys campsite. “They are just over there, within earshot, and there are five boys.” His face softened as he was sure she would understand his next statement without question. “Don’t you think at least one, if not more of them would come running for help if even a bird chirped out of place?”
“I know Tom would.” Ryan spoke up. “A cricket was in their cabin one night, he woke up the whole camp screaming.” Ryan held up his fingers two inches apart and mouthed the word “Cricket”, to the rest of the group.
“So you see, nothing to worry about.” Pastor Manning looked into Sheila’s disbelieving eyes. He knew the faith she had lost wasn’t in him though.