Free Mine by Brett Battles Page B

hadn’t hurt that bad, and now it wasn’t much more than a dull ache.
    “Director Melk said you can take the rest of the day off,” Todd told her as they left the office.
    “You talked to him?”
    “Well, sure. He had to know what happened.”
    She knew Todd was right but it still bothered her. “I don’t need any time off. Besides, Kelvin and Maddie could probably use our help.”
    “Are you sure? I mean, you can goof off while the rest of us work.”
    “Sounds boring.”
    They walked in silence for a few moments before Todd said, “I don’t know how you did that.”
    “What?” she asked.
    “Caught her. I mean, I was looking right at Sidney when the thing broke. Before I even realized what happened, you were waiting under her.”
    A familiar tingle played along the skin at the back of Leah’s neck. She thought about the moment she’d acted. She’d seen the bracket break and had begun to move, that was all. Or was it?
    “If you’d been standing where I was, you’d have been able to do the same,” she said.
    “I don’t know. Maybe.” He looked far from convinced.
    Not wanting him to pursue it any further, she said, “I’ll race you back,” then sprinted away, making sure she ran just slow enough to let him win.

T WENTY-THREE
     
     
    C AMP CEDAR WOODS was a strict, one-week-per-group camp. Attendees arrived around one p.m. on Sunday and left at noon the following Saturday. For the counselors, Sunday mornings were spent in preparation for the incoming campers, while Saturday afternoons were free for them to hike or swim or lounge around.
    On the Saturday between groups two and three, Leah had planned to return to the spot by the lake she’d found the previous weekend, and spend a quiet afternoon reading. But Todd came looking for her right after the buses left and said, “Terry’s taking a few of us to town. Thought you might like to come along. What do you say?”
    Technically, any counselor under eighteen was not allowed to leave camp without Director Melk’s permission, but the director had hitched a ride on one of the buses back to the city and wouldn’t be returning until the next day. For the duration, Nurse Dixon was in charge. She was good at dealing with cuts and bruises but wasn’t the most observant person in the world, and it was unlikely she’d notice who left and who stayed.
    Though Leah had been looking forward to some reading, getting away for an hour or two—especially with Todd—sounded like fun, so she accepted the offer and off they went.
    Town was a twenty-minute drive away, and was really no more than a four-way stop with a gas station/mini-market on one corner and a café called Monty’s Eats on the other. Leah and Todd bought slushies and waited outside while Terry and his friend Juko loaded up on snacks and sodas the camp store didn’t carry.
    When they all piled back into the crew cab of Terry’s truck, Leah assumed they’d be returning to Cedar Woods, but that wasn’t the direction Terry headed in.
    She whispered to Todd, “Where are we going?”
    He shrugged. “Just driving around a little.”
    She had no place to be, so why not? Leaning back in her seat, she sucked down some more of her drink and looked absently out at the forest.
    Fifteen minutes later, she suddenly sat up. The view hadn’t changed, but for some reason it felt familiar.
    A wide turn and then—
    I’ve been here before.
    “Where are we going?” This time she asked loudly enough for everyone to hear.
    Terry glanced back at his brother via the rearview mirror. “You didn’t tell her?”
    Todd squirmed in his seat and avoided Leah’s gaze.
    “Tell me what?” she asked.
    When Todd still didn’t answer, Terry said, “Camp Red Hawk.”
    Her eyes widened. “Red Hawk? But…but it’s closed.”
    “Yeah, but the camp’s still there.” He smiled. “Since you know the place, thought maybe you could show us around.”
    “No!”
    The others looked at her in surprise.
    She calmed