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  Ch. 6—The Old Hunting Camp a.k.a. My Hideaway

  Our road was a dead end. You would think that at the end of the mile remaining from our house that I would have had enough running. Not today. I felt like making it to China wouldn’t be far enough! I hit the dead end, still running. I had two options—run straight through somebody’s yard and dive into the lake at the water’s edge, or cut left and head out on a dirt trail that led into the woods. I chose left, staying off the path once I was a good ways in. I wanted to make sure she wouldn’t find me until I was good and ready. I was headed somewhere I had never told my mother about.

  My legs kept pumping even though my breathing came in gasps and I had a stitch in my side. Just a little further, just a little…finally. I arrived at a small clearing, the sweet smell of pine reaching out to me from all of the trees standing guard, pressed in closely to keep the world away. I called the spot a clearing only because it wasn’t a forest yet; it was still overgrown with weeds, tall grass and saplings.

  In the middle was a ramshackle, abandoned hunting camp. The shack was made out of pine wood with a rusted, tin roof and four cracked windows. The door was barely hanging by a rusty hinge. Inside was one small room with a wooden table and two chairs, an old, canvas cot and an oil lamp for furniture. There was a pile of mismatched tin dishes and a little pot-bellied stove. It was paradise for two kids searching for adventure.

  Tadpole and I had discovered this place two years ago on one of our many explorations of the woods surrounding our home. We had made a pact not to tell our parents, turning into our secret hideaway. Once we were sure no one else was using the cabin, we began smuggling things in. I hung up old curtains to cover the windows, then swept and scrubbed. Tadpole brought a sleeping bag, pillow and braided rug. We even found some oil for the lamp but decided against it, afraid we might cause a fire; flashlights made the perfect substitute. There was a little shelf for books, pictures and our treasures from the woods, such as pinecones and pretty stones. We came often throughout the year, even firing up the stove in the window. This was our special place, a place where the rest of the world went away for a little while.

  At that moment, a secret getaway from my world was where I wanted to stay forever and never go back. I stepped into the clearing and put my hands on my knees while I caught my breath. I thought about my mother and John. They probably wouldn’t even care if I did come back. It would be that much easier to start their new life together. I flung the door open, feeling the little building shake with the force, and dropped down onto the cot. I closed my eyes and tried to shove all of my thoughts out of my head.

  I stayed that way for a long time. The light began to change and grow dim. I chose that moment to walk on the old, overgrown path from the cabin to the lake. A rickety dock still stood by the shore. It was dusk, the fireflies beginning to make scattered. constellations in the night. This section of the lake was isolated. There were no neighbors, no one to see as I stripped out of my clothes so that I would have something dry when I got out. I dove into the cool, green water, starting at the surface, pulling myself through with the crawl stroke. I took deep breaths with my mouth turned to the side, just the way Daddy had taught me on so many lessons at the little dock that stood by our big dock when I was a child.

  Inhaling in one big gulp, I took the plunge, making my way down as far as I could. I waited until I was out of air, bobbing to the surface. I floated on my back until it was dark, hoping the storm inside of me would die out, but it was still there. I headed back to shore, pulled on my clothes and stumbled back to the camp.

  I fell onto the cot in exhaustion and tried to shut out the world by shutting my eyes. But no matter how hard I tried, my mother’s words kept echoing in my mind. I finally drifted off into a fitful sleep and dreams of Daddy. He was far away, out on the lake in his boat. A breathtaking sunset was behind him and he was smiling. His arms were held out to me. I called to him; I screamed his name but he just drifted further away. I jumped into the lake and swam as fast as I could. No matter how I tried to reach him, I never got any closer. “Daddy! Wait for me, Daddy! Don’t leave me here!” I cried out to him then jerked awake. I shot up out of the cot, breathing hard in the pitch-black cabin. I sensed someone was in the room.

  “Geez, Christina! You made me drop the flashlight and scared the bejesums out of me!” Tadpole’s voice complained in the darkness as his hand squeezed my arm. He let go and scrambled around on the floor until he found the flashlight. By the time he stood up, both of our heart rates had slowed down and his light made a welcoming glow. Tad’s eyes were clouded with worry as he stared into mine. I wondered how wild they looked because he reached out and took my hand. “Christy, are you okay?” He asked quietly.

  My best friend’s worry for me started the waterworks again and I sank down on the cot, crying my heart out. As for Tad, he did what he had done so many times in the past two years. He waited, patted my back, and told me it would be all right. How many eleven-year-old boys could be so grown up? When I could finally speak again, sniffling and hiccupping, I grabbed his hands in a panic. “Is she out there? I don’t want to see her right now! You didn’t tell her about this place? Did you?!” I was frantic at the thought of losing my refuge and facing my mother.

  Tad pulled his hands away and crossed his arms across his chest. He wore a hurt expression under the brim of his new Dale Earnhardt Jr. racing hat. “We made a pact not to tell. I don’t break by promises. Your mom called my mom, looking for you. I told them that I would help find you. That’s all!” He looked down for a moment, his feet scuffling against the floor before he met my gaze. “Your mother told my mom why you ran off. What are you going to do? You can’t stay here forever. My mom said you could come to our house until things calm down.”

  I stood up and began to pace, then whirled around to face him. “But don’t you get it, Tad? Nothing is ever going to calm down. I feel like my life is a boat with a leak that’s going to wreck or sink. First Daddy got sick, then he died, and now this! What could be worse?”

  Tad ducked his head and looked at me with a grin full of mischief. “Your mom could have a baby!”

  I stared at him, speechless, then started to laugh so hard that I couldn’t breathe. It must have been contagious because he was soon folded over beside me, gasping for air between giggles. We fell in a heap on the cot, a tangle of legs and arms. Eventually, the laughter died out and we lay back, spent. I stared at the circle of light cast by the flashlight as Tad aimed it at the ceiling. After what seemed like forever, I forced myself to sit up and hoped my voice sounded like steel even if I was shaking inside. “Come on. Let’s go back.”

  He held the flashlight under his chin and attempted to make a scary face that sent me into another fit of giggles. “Are you sure you want to go back, little girl?” He said in his best Darth Vader imitation.

  I stood up with my hands on my hips, my chin tilted toward the ceiling. “I can’t stay hidden forever. She’d send out a search party and rescue dogs. Besides, you don’t need to get in trouble. Just put your thinking cap on. Maybe we can sabotage this relationship.”

  Tad rubbed his hands together and put on his mad scientist expression. “Oh, we have many ways, my pet, many diabolical ways. I will set my brain to work overtime. You can count on me!”

  On an impulse, I threw my arms around him and held on tight. “I don’t know what I’d do without you. I can always count on you. Thanks for putting up with me.”

  Tad broke away, blushing to his roots under his cap. “What’s to put up with? I never get bored around you. Now, let’s get going before my mom sends out the dogs!” He took my hand and pointed the flashlight in the right direction. Slowly we made our way out of the woods. We walked the length of our road without the light as the moon glowed brightly, showing us the way. Tad walked me to my door and gave me a quick hug. “Good luck,” he whi
spered then scurried home. I stood and watched until he made it to his driveway. Feeling like I might be facing a firing squad, I squared my shoulders and put my hand on the doorknob. Because of Tad, I could do this. Magic lesson learned: you can make it through anything with a good friend by your side.”