Camp Killer Read online

  CAMP KILLER

  Written by

  Kate William

  Created by

  FRANCINE PASCAL

  Copyright © 2015, Francine Pascal

  To Anita Elliot Kaller

  Joey closed his eyes and shook his head before continuing with his ghost story. "Only one of them returned—covered with blood, shaking hysterically. His hands had been chopped off, and he kept saying over and over, 'Crazy Freddy, Crazy Freddy, Crazy Freddy. . . .' To this day, they are the only words he speaks."

  Joey's voice took on a warning tone. "Every once in a while, you can still hear the sound of someone chopping wood deep in the forest late at night. Be very careful. It's no ghost, believe me. It's Crazy Freddy."

  The crowd was silent, the flames of the campfire casting eerie shadows on everyone's face. Nicole smiled as she saw Elizabeth shudder. I think the time has come for the wonder twin to meet Crazy Freddy, Nicole thought. One on one.

  CONTENTS

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 1

  Elizabeth Wakefield closed her eyes as Joey Mason pulled her into his arms for a long, passionate kiss. The nighttime sounds of the forest surrounded them, and a soft, pine-scented breeze ruffled through Elizabeth's long blond hair.

  "I wish this night could go on forever," Joey whispered, leaning back against the side of the boathouse.

  Elizabeth sighed and rested her head on his shoulder. She and Joey had just returned from a romantic midnight canoe ride on Camp Echo Mountains Lake Vermillion. An infinite number of stars twinkled in the sky, and a bright crescent moon cast a shimmering silver glow over the lake. It was as if they were in their own special, magical world. Being with Joey seemed so right.

  But it's not right, a small voice inside her said. Hundreds of miles away, at a basketball camp in Los Angeles, her longtime boyfriend, Todd Wilkins, believed she was being faithful. Elizabeth wrapped her arms more tightly around Joey's strong back and pushed aside the thought.

  "Now that we're together again, I never want to let you go," Joey whispered.

  "I know," she murmured. "These past few days have been horrible, seeing you and Nicole together—"

  Joey stopped her words with a soft kiss. "A new beginning, Elizabeth. From this moment on, let's agree to start over and make the most of the time we have."

  She gazed lovingly into his emerald green eyes and nodded. Nicole Banes, a junior counselor from New York, had already tried to ruin enough of Elizabeth's life over the past few weeks. I won't let her spoil my time with Joey tonight, Elizabeth vowed.

  "You're so special to me," Joey whispered as he ran his fingers through her long blond hair. Elizabeth usually wore it tied back in a ponytail or neatly braided, but in her rush to sneak out of the cabin to meet Joey that night, she hadn't bothered fussing with it. Now, seeing the look of admiration in his eyes, she was glad she hadn't.

  A lot more than your hairstyle has changed, the annoying inner voice taunted. This time Elizabeth had more trouble blocking it out, even with the help of Joey's kisses.

  At first, spending a month as a junior counselor at a performing-arts camp in Montana had seemed like a great idea. Her identical twin, Jessica, and some of their friends from Sweet Valley High had also signed on to work at Camp Echo Mountain, which was well known for its excellent theater workshops. Elizabeth had always gotten along well with children, and as an aspiring writer, she'd had a keen interest in writing the camp play. Well, I've accomplished that much, Elizabeth thought, snuggling closer to Joey.

  Joey was the senior counselor in charge of the camps drama department. Under his direction, Elizabeth's play had come to life earlier that evening. But nothing else at camp had worked out as she'd expected. To get her play produced, she'd had to win the camp's writing contest, and she had raced to get her play finished first. Writing frantically at all hours of the night had left her tired and spacy during the day. The ten-year-old girls she was in charge of had given her the hated nickname of Dizzy Lizzie—and it had stuck.

  When Elizabeth had finally finished writing Lakeside Love, her play recounting the camp's legend of a woodsman's tragic romance with a camp counselor, Nicole had tried to steal it and pass it off as her own work. Elizabeth shuddered, thinking of how close Nicole had come to getting away with the devious trick.

  "Are you cold?" Joey asked softly. His warm breath tickled Elizabeth's ear.

  Elizabeth pushed Nicole out of her mind. "What would you do for me if I was?" she challenged in a flirtatious tone.

  Joey cocked his head, as if thinking it over carefully. "I'd give you the shirt off my back."

  Elizabeth laughed softly, running her lips softly against his. "You're too kind," she teased.

  He looked down at his dark blue Yale University sweatshirt. "You're right."

  She laughed and shoved him playfully.

  He gathered her back into his arms. "Hey, my grandmother gave this sweatshirt to me for my eighteenth birthday last month. I'm only wearing it over the summer so it won't look brand-new when I start school in the fall."

  "Sounds like a good plan," Elizabeth joked. "I wouldn't dream of taking such an important shirt off your back."

  Joey chuckled and then kissed her neck, her chin, her eyes. Elizabeth felt as if she were floating higher than the summit of Echo Mountain, the huge peak that loomed over the camp and the lake.

  "OK, it's yours," he said suddenly.

  Elizabeth opened her eyes to see him shrugging off the sweatshirt. Underneath it he was wearing a black T-shirt with short sleeves. "No, really, Joey, I'm fine," she protested.

  "Your arms are covered with goose bumps," he said, slipping his shirt over her head.

  "It's way too big," she said, laughing. "But it's so nice and warm. You may never get it back," she told him playfully as she rolled up the sleeves to her wrists.

  He cupped her chin in his hands. "I'm sure Yale has other sweatshirts just like it, but you're one of a kind."

  Elizabeth felt a rush of pleasure. She knew he was referring to more than just her looks. After all, her looks weren't unique at all; her twin shared the same long blond hair, blue-green eyes, and slim, athletic figure. They even had matching dimples in their left cheeks. Although she and Jessica had very different personalities—Elizabeth was the older, more serious twin, and Jessica was the wild, live-for-the-moment twin—they could pass for each other in appearance. They'd proved it earlier that evening.

  As she remembered the events of that day, Elizabeth's hand clenched in a tight fist. "I still can't believe Jessica ditched the play tonight," she seethed. "Sometimes I'd like to stick a homing device in her ear, like they do to keep track of endangered species."

  Jessica was supposed to have played the leading female role in Lakeside Love, but she'd sneaked away from camp to see a guy she'd recently met. When she hadn't returned in time, Elizabeth had stepped in to cover for her, acting the part she'd written herself. Elizabeth had managed to fool everyone—except Joey.

  After the play he had pulled her aside and told her how he felt about her, how much he cared. For the past few days he'd been hanging around Nicole in an attempt to make Elizabeth jealous, and for that he'd apologized.

  Joey wrapped his hands around Elizabeth's fist, gently kneading her wrist with his thumbs. "You were fantastic," he said. "You have so much talent and emotional depth."

  "I can't believe you knew it was me on that stage tonight," she whispered.

  "You're a great actress, but like I said, you're one of a kind." His lips grazed the side of her neck.

  A sigh of pleasure escaped her. Joey made her feel so alive, so excited . . . . and so guilty! the nasty voice in her head whispered.

  Nicole had blackmailed her into breaking up with Joey by threatening to tell Todd about him. At first Elizabeth had given in to Nicole's treachery, but when Joey had kissed her after the play, Elizabeth knew she couldn't stay away from him. But I sure wish my guilty conscience would shut up once in a while! she thought.

  Elizabeth was suddenly filled with an eerie sense of foreboding. She tried to shake it, but like a dark, sinister force, the woods seemed to be pushing in on her, threatening to engulf her. A branch snapped nearby, and she jumped.

  "It's just the wind," Joey said, tightening his arms around her. "Elizabeth, you're shaking."

  "I know," she whispered, still terrified. "I think I've heard too many ghost stories around the campfire."

  He chuckled. "You want me to walk you to your cabin?"

  She shook her head. "Thanks, but the last thing we need is to get caught. I'm already in enough trouble." Lacey Cavannah, the southern widow who owned and operated the camp, set a strict code of behavior for everyone at Camp Echo Mountain. Sneaking out for late-night dates was strictly forbidden. "I think I've already violated at least a dozen camp rules today," Elizabeth said.

  "Me, too." Joey brushed a kiss across her forehead and sighed. "I guess we should stash this canoe in the boathouse and get back to our cabins."

  Elizabeth reluctantly agreed. Taking care to make as little noise as possible, they carried the canoe into the boathouse. Joey latched the door shut, then reached for her again. "Good night," he whi
spered.

  She leaned forward and kissed him. "Good night."

  He gently ran his fingers over her lips. "Sweet dreams, Elizabeth. I know I'll be having them—because "I'll be dreaming of you." With one last kiss, they parted ways to return to their cabins.

  Elizabeth chose not to use her flashlight, fearing the light would give her away. As she hurried along the dark, wooded path to her cabin, her uneasy feeling grew stronger. She replayed Joey's tender parting words in her mind to keep herself from thinking of the dangers that might be lurking in the night.

  Something fluttered in the tree above her. Elizabeth's whole body froze. Reluctantly she looked up—and saw a cluster of bats take off into the night sky. Trembling, she hugged Joey's sweatshirt more tightly around her and forced her feet to keep moving. I guess I'm not cut out for all this sneaking around, the way Jessica is, she thought wryly.

  The rustic cabin that she shared with five other female JCs looked as ominous and spooky as the shadowy woods surrounding it. The faded white-and-red flowery curtains hung limply in the windows, like spirits hovering in the moonlight. The door creaked on its hinges as she pushed it open and stepped inside. Her gaze went immediately to Jessica's bunk, which was empty. The smooth covers seemed to taunt Elizabeth, reminding her of all the dangers that might be lurking in the dark, creepy forest.

  A feeling of panic rose in her gut as she tiptoed across the room to her own bunk. It was past midnight, and her sister should have been back hours earlier.

  Jessica had originally declared a moratorium on boys and dating for the summer. After the recent death of her boyfriend Christian Gorman, she'd sworn off getting involved with anyone else. Instead, she'd dived right into camp life, endearing herself to everyone from campers to counselors. The seven- and eight-year-old girls in her group adored her and followed her constantly, copying her every move. Jessica had nicknamed them the Wanna-bes. Even Lacey had gone out of her way to praise Jessica's leadership and maturity.

  But then Jessica had fallen for Paul Mathis, the older brother of one of her Wanna-bes, who lived in a nearby town. That evening, reverting to her former reckless self, she'd pedaled to town on an old camp bicycle to see him, leaving Elizabeth to pick up the pieces.

  Across the room, Jessica's best friend, Lila Fowler, lay softly snoring, her body tangled among real linen sheets and a silk-covered down comforter. Lila came from one of the wealthiest families in Sweet Valley and freely applied her family's money to smooth out as much of the "roughing it" aspect of camping as she could—including sending away for new, luxurious bedding to replace the worn cotton and wool provided by the camp.

  Elizabeth crept across the room and stood over Lila's sleeping form. "Wake up!" she whispered urgently, shaking Lila's shoulder.

  Lila rolled over and groaned, her light brown hair falling over her face. "I wanna see . . . gardens . . ."

  Elizabeth shook her again, harder. "Wake up. Jessica isn't back yet. We have to go find her."

  "Go away," Lila mumbled.

  "Wake up, Lila! It's an emergency."

  Lila's eyes opened, gleaming like two brown daggers. "Thanks a lot. You just killed the most beautiful dream." She yawned, ending it on a deep sigh. "I was in Paris. Bo and I were walking along the Champs-Elysées, the most beautiful street in the world . . . . Springtime is just gorgeous in Paris." She closed her eyes, smiling, trying to recapture the image of Bo, the wealthy JC from Washington, D.C., who she met that summer.

  "Come on!" Elizabeth said, shaking her again. "I'm worried sick about Jessica."

  "Bug off," Lila grumbled, pressing her face into her pillow. An instant later she bolted upright, suddenly alert, her eyes alive with curiosity. "Where have you been?" she asked. "If I didn't know better, I'd think I was dreaming right now. Imagine Elizabeth Wakefield sneaking out in the middle of the night." She folded her arms and grinned knowingly. "My intuition tells me there has to be a guy in this somewhere."

  Elizabeth sighed wearily. "Not now, Lila."

  "OK, let me guess." Lila scooted over and patted the vacant spot, gesturing for Elizabeth to sit. "Was it . . . Joey Mason?"

  "Oh, all right," Elizabeth said, relenting. She sat on the edge of the bed. She knew Lila was stubborn enough to badger her all night until her thirst for gossip was satisfied. "Yes, I was with Joey," Elizabeth admitted. "We went for a canoe ride. Big deal."

  Lila raised her eyebrows. "A canoe ride in the moonlight . . . sounds romantic. And I do believe that's his sweatshirt you're wearing. Does this mean you're through with Todd?"

  "No, of course not," Elizabeth replied adamantly. "I love Todd. He and I are . . . never mind, Lila. You wouldn't understand." I don't understand it, either, her guilty conscience added.

  Lila shrugged. "What's there to understand? It seems pretty simple to me. I guess the Wakefield twins are more identical than we thought."

  "Very funny," Elizabeth shot back. "Are you going to help me find Jessica or not?"

  "Not." Lila lay back down and snuggled under the covers. "Go to bed, Elizabeth. Jessica can take care of herself. She's probably having a great time."

  Elizabeth watched in frustration as Lila yawned and closed her eyes. Now what? she wondered. She couldn't go out looking for Jessica by herself, and she was too worried to go to sleep.

  She returned to her own bed and sat on top of the covers, determined to wait up for her twin. At times like these, she felt as if she were more than four minutes older than Jessica. Taking care of her younger sister was a full-time responsibility.

  In the bed next to hers, Maria Slater rolled over and mumbled something incoherent. The moonlight picked up the color of her rich ebony complexion and near-perfect facial features.

  Elizabeth unlaced her hiking boots and pulled them off her feet. Taking care not to drop them, she placed them on the floor next to her bed.

  She'd been thrilled when she'd learned that Maria, an old friend whom she hadn't seen for years, would also be at Camp Echo Mountain. Maria had moved to Sweet Valley during sixth grade. Her charming, outgoing personality had made her an instant success with the kids at Sweet Valley Middle School. When everyone had learned that Maria had been a famous child actress, she'd become even more popular—especially with Jessica.

  But Elizabeth's friendship with Maria had begun with their shared commitment to writing. Elizabeth had felt as if she could talk to Maria about anything.

  A few years later, Maria's mother had taken a job with a New York City record company, and the Slater family had moved to the East Coast. Elizabeth could still remember how sad she'd been to lose her good friend.

  Elizabeth leaned back against the wall and sighed wearily. The week before camp started, Maria had surprised her with a phone call and great news. Not only would they be together at camp, but Maria's family was planning to move back to Sweet Valley in the fall. Then Maria had mentioned that her best friend from New York would also be at camp . . . .

  Elizabeth could still hear Maria's excited words gushing over the line: You two have so much in common, I'm sure you'll get along just great!

  Maria's friend turned out to be one of the most hateful girls Elizabeth had ever met—Nicole Banes. The bane of my existence! she thought wryly.

  Elizabeth pulled her knees up to her chin and wrapped her arms around her legs. Since the moment they'd first come in contact with each other, she and Nicole had clashed. Their first battle had been over the old, scarred wooden desk in the cabin. Soon other prizes had been thrown into the arena—Maria's friendship, the respect of their fellow counselors, the camp play, and of course Joey.

  Elizabeth tucked her arms under Joey's sweatshirt, snuggling in its comforting warmth. I can't wait to see what Nicole thinks of my new Yale sweatshirt, Elizabeth mused, remembering the time Nicole had returned from a date with Joey wearing his T-shirt. Nicole had slept in it, then carried on all morning about the wonderful time they'd had.

  You won't he gloating now, Elizabeth told Nicole in her head. It was a small but satisfying victory.

  Across the room, Nicole lay peacefully on her side, perfectly still except for the rise and fall of her chest as she breathed slowly and rhythmically. Her conscience didn't seem to bother her at all. She looked like an innocent child, with her arms curled around her pillow as if she were holding a favorite doll. The dark red baseball cap she always wore backward on her head was on the nightstand next to her bed.