The Island Experiment

Chapter 13 Freak Out

Chapter Thirteen

                         Freak Out

            Beach camp awoke to the sound of Amy screaming.
     Julie slapped the teens face,"what's wrong Amy!"
     Amy gasped for air,"Cat, Cat is gone, I looked for her everywhere.All of her stuff is here, it's like someone stole her from her bed."
            Page ran to shed camp,"Chance!Chance!"
     Chance ran to the hysterical girl,"what's wrong Page?"
     Page wiped away tears,"it's Cat, she's gone. All of Cat's things are still here, Amy searched for her everywhere, she was no where to be found. There is no way, Cat wouldn't have started breakfast by now. We think someone, has abducted her."
     Chance immediately thought of the paper he signed,"I don't know what to say,I'm at a loss for words. Cat is my everything, the reason I keep on trying. Please excuse me Page, I need to be alone."
           Chance stood against a palm tree,"did you remove Cat from the island?"
     The Captain responded,"yes I did,she will not be returning.Cat is on her way home, her testing is over."
     Chance fell to his knees sobbing, feeling alone and helpless.

            One hour later, both groups merged into one camp.
     Jake pounded a nail into a piece of wood,"see if you turn the wood sideways, the door is locked. If you turn the wood straight up, the door is unlocked."
     Steve shivered from fright,"Jake are sure no one can get in?"
     Jake put his arms around his ex embracing him,"I will sleep in this cabin with you Steve, I would beat anyone, who threatened you, to a bloody pulp.Swim camp is more secure, than shed camp."
     Steve's eye's showed fear in them,"how can you say that? Cat was stolen from this camp."
     Jake smoothed the teens hair,"the Cabin Cat slept in, wasn't your cabin Steve. Perhaps the criminal was afraid of you? A good reason to combine camps. Locks on both sleeping cabin doors, and strong men protecting them."
     Steve asked the question he dreaded,"which guys will sleep in this cabin?"
     Jake took a calming breath,"I will sleep in the same cabin as you Steve but we will have separate beds. Julie and Page will share a bed here, Matty and Rochelle will share another bed. In the second cabin Amy and Lizy will share a bed, Kevin and Ronny will share a bed, Chance and Kyle will have their own beds.
     Steve hugged his ex,"that sounds safe, plus we go everywhere in pairs."
           Steve felt bad for Cat, but was happy Jake would be near him.
           
            Kevin and Ronny carried spears wherever they went, Amy and Page had a machete within reach.Chance felt bad, everyone was paranoid, but couldn't tell them the truth.

            Matty ran into swim camp breathless,"everyone come see what Max found!"
     Four campers followed the boy near the cave shelter.
     Matty pointed into the tall weeds,"look it's a bathtub."
     Page squealed with delight,"OMG we can finally take a proper bath!"
    Amy touched the tub,"it is filthy, but a good scrubbing, should clean it up nicely."
     Kevin tapped the tub with his knuckles,"sounds like the thud, of cast iron to me,that's one heavy object to move."
     Ronny touched his lower back,"sounds like a backache to me, I guess we could leave it here."
     Page glared at the two guys,"it is in the open, and too far to carry water. If it was near the swimming hole,buckets of water could be filled quickly. All of the water, would need to be boiled.What's the sense of taking a bath in dirty water?"
     Amy envisioned soaking in the tub,"we have tools and bamboo, we could build a small shelter around the tub, with a door."
     Page saw frustration,"don't you dare give me, that look Ronny Perry.Our genius leader, will figure out a way to move the tub.Come on Amy, let's go talk to Chance."
     Kevin watched the girls walking away,"we're in for it now Ronny, like we don't have enough to do."
     Ronny slapped his friend on the back,"none of this would have happened, if that darn dog, was kept on a leash."
                  Chance had a headache, from all of the opinions flying at him,"the tub can be moved, it will be a long and tedious project. The entire group, must be involved as well."
     Matty pouted,"I'm too small to be of much help."
     Chance messed the boy's hair,"you can do chores Matty, while we move the tub."
     Chance thought out loud,"it's a twenty minute walk, from the cave, to beach camp. It takes about ten minutes, to walk to the swimming hole from there.we're looking at, about half an hour walk.The tub is very heavy, obviously we can't carry it all of the way. It has claw legs, which is a huge problem. If not for the legs, we could put the tub on bamboo, tie a rope around the tub and pull it. I see two possible ways to move the tub.The first is,the entire group but Matty,carry the tub. It will take weeks to carry it that far.The second way, we must all turn the tub upside down, then lift it onto the bamboo."
     Chance took a deep breath,"if we choose the second way, once we start we are committed,but either way, it will take away any free time we have. We must keep up with our chores, we will be more tired, than we ever thought possible."
     Chance put it to a vote,"if you want to carry the tub, put up your hand. If you want to roll the tub, put up both hands."
     Kevin and Ronny, were the only people raising one hand.including Chance, the rest of the group, held up two hands.
     Chance stated the obvious,"bamboo it is. I will chop down, weeds around the tub,then help the group gather bamboo.It will take time, gathering and carrying bamboo to the tub.We will begin moving the tub, after an early breakfast, in the morning."
      Kevin whispered to his friend,"what are we worried about Ronny? They will give up quickly, especially the girls."