The Curse (Seacliff High Mystery Book 2) (7 page)

“Oh, Mom, you don’t have to go through that much trouble. Cold cuts would be fine.”

“Hey, it’s me you’re talking to. When have I ever served anyone cold cuts? If you had one of those camp stoves I could make a nice hearty soup you could heat up. Might seem welcoming on a cold night.”

“I’ll call Devon to see if he has one. Sounds like he and Eli and their dad go camping all the time.”

Alyson called Devon, and he did have a camp stove and a couple of cast-iron pots and, for her mom’s cooking, it would be no trouble at all to make two trips for the supplies if he had to. After that she decided to turn in early. The next few days promised to be busy ones. After washing up and packing a few clothes for her sleepover, she climbed into bed and drifted off to sleep.

The group met in the drama room at lunch period again the next day. By this point everyone knew what still needed to be done and got to work right away. Chelsea showed up for the first time since the beginning of the week, and another pair of hands—any hands—were welcome.

“You look really tired today,” Mac said to Alyson. “Are you feeling okay?”

“Yeah. I just didn’t sleep well. I’ll be fine.”

“I know what you mean. I barely slept myself. I’m really excited about our little adventure. Spending the night in a haunted barn two nights before Halloween. It’s what horror movies are made of. I can’t wait. Maybe something spooky will happen.”

“Yeah, maybe.”

“I called ahead and booked a rental truck for this afternoon,” Devon interrupted. “I can pick it up any time after one, so I figured I’d go get it right after I leave here. Everyone else can help Caleb get the stuff ready to pack up. We’ll take a load out to the barn, then I’ll come back into town to get Trevor and Eli and Alyson’s stuff. What about you, Caleb? Do we need to stop by to get your stuff?”

“No, my mom rented me a pickup truck for the weekend so I’d have it to get back and forth between town and the barn. I’m all loaded up.”

“Why don’t you just buy a truck?” Chelsea asked. “You have like a zillion dollars now. You can certainly afford one.”

“Yeah, I know. I just haven’t gotten around to it yet.”

“The first thing I would have done if I had inherited a lot of money would be to buy a car,” Chelsea commented. “A red convertible. And not some domestic one either. Something sexy and German.”

“Actually, I’m thinking about getting something used,” Caleb commented.

“Oh please, tell me you aren’t going for the whole poor-little-rich-boy routine,” Chelsea complained.

“So, back to the schedule for the afternoon,” Devon interrupted again. “Eli and I have already loaded our stuff into my Expedition, including one requested camp stove and two cast-iron pots for Alyson’s mom’s wonderful contributions.”

“Your mom cooked?” Trevor grinned.

“Something simple,” Alyson answered. “I don’t think we’ll be having baked lasagna.”

“The simplest fare from your mom is worlds better than the most expensive gourmet dish at most restaurants.”

“Thanks. I’ll tell her you said that.”

“What’s with all the camping stuff and the food?” Chelsea asked, “I thought you were just going to drop this stuff off.”

“We decided to camp out and keep an eye on the stuff,” Caleb explained.

“Everyone?” Chelsea looked around the room.

“Everyone here.”

“I want to come.”

“Huh?” Mac looked shocked. “You do know there won’t be any room service?”

“I know. I’m not stupid.” Chelsea pouted.

“Devon doesn’t have any more sleeping bags,” Mac added.

“I have a sleeping bag.”

“You do?”

Alyson could see Mac was running out of arguments. Chelsea along on this camping trip spelled disaster. There was no way anyone wanted to listen to her whine for two days straight.

“Sure. I go to cheerleading camp every summer.”

“We’re cutting school on Friday,” Mac tried again. “You’d miss cheerleading practice.”

“That’s okay. They can manage without me for one practice. Besides, the football team has a bye this week. We’d even talked about canceling practice tomorrow because the football team won’t be practicing. It’s no fun cheering if they aren’t on the field.”

“But you’re not packed,” Mac pointed out.

“I’ll go home and pack after school, then meet you guys out there.”

“The rain washed the road out. I doubt your little Miata can make it.” Mac looked at Alyson with desperation in her eyes.

“Then Devon can pick me up. Or maybe Alyson. They both have four-wheel drives.”

“You think your mom will let you spend the night in the barn with a bunch of boys?” Mac tried one last time.

“Are you kidding? I’ll lie. That’s what you’re doing, isn’t it? I can’t imagine your mom going along with this plan.”

Mac shrugged. “Okay, but don’t say I didn’t warn you. We’ll be sleeping on the ground and there will be lots of spiders. Really big ones. And probably snakes.”

“You’re just trying to scare me, Makenzie Reynolds. Besides, I have a tent and a cot. I’ll be perfectly fine. I even have a space heater.”

“There’s no electricity in the barn,” Alyson said.

“It’s battery operated. Has a long-lasting battery too.”

A heater would be nice, Alyson thought. And a cot. “You don’t happen to have any extra cots, do you?”

“Actually, I do. Want to borrow one?”

“Yes, please.”

“I have one for you too, Mac, that I will graciously lend you even though you tried to talk me out of coming.”

“Thanks,” Mac said grudgingly. “And a tent would be great.”

Alyson had to agree about the tent. She actually had been a little worried about the stuff that might be crawling around in the night.

“We have a tent too,” Caleb volunteered. “I’ll bring it. Girls in one tent and boys in the other.”

“That doesn’t sound like much fun,” Devon observed.

Alyson kicked Devon in the shin. “Mind your manners. Your hormones are showing.”

“Well, yeah. I’m an eighteen-year-old guy about to go on a campout with three beautiful women. What did you expect?”

“Men are such pigs,” Mac grumbled.

“Hey, guys, I hate to break up the friendly banter, but we still have to finish all these decorations before fifth period,” Caleb reminded them.

“You’re right. We’re sorry. We’ll get back to work.”

Caleb, Mac, and the drama students had everything packed and ready to be loaded into the rental truck by the time Devon returned.

“Stuffs loaded,” he called to them. “We’re ready to roll.”

The roads had completely dried out and someone had been through to clear away debris, so the group made it to the barn in record time. After unloading the contents of the truck and moving it into the barn, Devon and Alyson headed back into town. They picked up Trevor and Eli from football practice and then headed over to Chelsea’s. She was waiting for them, which sort of surprised Alyson. She had Chelsea pegged as the always-late, need-to-take-ten-bags-for-a-sleepover type, but not only was she ready on time but she only had one small duffel bag in addition to her tent, the cots, and a sleeping bag. They loaded her stuff into the cargo area of the Expedition and drove over to Alyson’s to pick up the food.

“Mom, we’re here,” Alyson called as she walked through the kitchen door.

“Be right down,” Sarah Prescott called from somewhere upstairs.

Tucker came running down the stairs at full speed when he heard Alyson’s voice. He immediately started doing his happy dance as he pranced around her legs.

“Hi, sweetie,” Alyson cooed as she bent down to scratch the enthusiastic puppy behind the ear. “You want to go camping?” Tucker licked her hand in response.

“Look at all this stuff.” Alyson walked across the kitchen to the huge pile of ice chests and boxes, which took up a good part of the kitchen floor.

“You did tell your mom we were only going for a couple of nights?” Chelsea questioned. “It looks like she packed enough for a month.”

“Mom likes to feed people. I just hope there’s room for all this in the Expedition.”

“We can take your Jeep too if it doesn’t fit,” someone said.

“We’ll start loading while you say good-bye to your mom,” Devon said, lifting the first of the heavy ice chests.

“Don’t forget to leave room for Tucker.”

“I’ll load his travel crate in first, then pack this stuff around it.”

Devon, Trevor, Eli, and Chelsea all began loading the supplies in Devon’s Expedition while Alyson went in search of her mom.

“Hi, honey,” Mom greeted her. “I hope I didn’t forget anything.”

“Mom, there’s plenty. Really. It looks like you packed for an army.”

“You can work up quite an appetite when you’re camping. I think it has something to do with all the fresh air. I didn’t want you running short.”

“Somehow I doubt that will be a problem.”

“You have your cell phone and it’s all charged?”

“Right here in my pocket.” Alyson reached into her pants pocket and held up the slim phone.

“And you’re all set in regard to a sleeping bag and a pillow and stuff?”

“Check.”

Alyson’s mom hugged her tight. “Please be careful. I can’t help but worry.”

“Don’t, Mom. I’ll be careful.”

“And remember to keep Tucker with you at all times,” she reminded Alyson.

“I will. I promise. I’ll check in with you after we get set up tonight and again first thing in the morning. I’ll be fine.”

Alyson pulled away from her mother’s death grip. “You can call me anytime you want. I’ll keep my cell on at all times.”

“You’re going to be okay here alone, aren’t you?” Alyson asked, realizing for the first time that her mom would be totally alone, without even the protection of Tucker.

“I’ll be fine. Blake’s coming over for dinner so I won’t even be lonely.”

“That’s good.” Alyson kissed her mom on the cheek. “Just remember our conversation about safe sex. I wouldn’t want a little brother or sister showing up in nine months.”

“Very funny.” Her mom swatted her on the bottom. “It looks like your friends are ready to go. Have fun,” she said, and hugged Alyson one last time.

The gang piled into the Expedition, then headed out toward the barn. Alyson stared out the passenger side window at the passing scenery. The coastline along this particular stretch of road was dotted with both sandy beaches and rocky shoreline. In spite of the slight chill in the air the water was dotted with surfers dressed in black wet suits waiting for the next wave to carry them to shore.

Although Alyson hadn’t lived all that far from the ocean in New York, she’d rarely made the trip to the beach except for those occasions when her dad had dragged them out to their house in the Hamptons. When she was younger she’d loved the family trips, but during the last few years they’d lived as a family she’d been too wrapped up in her friends to want to spend time with her mom and dad.

Now Dad was gone. Not dead, but, in a way, dead to her. She knew he was somewhere out there in the world, but she realized she’d probably never see him again.

“Something wrong?” Devon asked. “You seem quiet.”

“I’m fine. I guess I’m just tired. The coastline along this road is so beautiful. I find it soothing to look at.”

“Do you surf?” Devon asked.

“No. I never learned. But I’d like to.”

“Maybe we can spend a day at the beach next weekend. If the weather holds.”

“That’d be nice.”

“We’re almost to the turnoff,” Trevor said from the backseat.

“I see it,” Devon verified.

When they got to the barn a group of drama students had already set out the tombstones for the make-believe cemetery. Mac was inside, helping another group set up tables with wooden coffins on them that would be used to hold the snacks and drinks.

“Isn’t this cool?” Mac commented enthusiastically when the group walked in. “They’re going to use dry ice to create eerie smoke around the coffins.”

“Where’s Caleb?” Alyson asked.

“I think he’s showing a couple of kids where to set up the scarecrows out back.”

“Did Caleb mention where we should set up the tents?”

“We talked about that before he went out. He said the area directly under the loft is reserved for the band and dance floor. He won’t be setting up any decorations in that area, so it would probably be best.”

“Okay, I’ll go tell Devon.” Alyson turned back toward the barn doors. “The coffins look really good, Mac,” she added as she walked away

By the time the Expedition had been unloaded and the tents and cots had been set up, Caleb’s crew were wrapping things up for the night. The graveyard was complete, the coffins were ready for their bounty, and scarecrows had been strategically arranged.

“Wow, it looks like you’re almost done,” Alyson observed. “Why the big rush to get out here today?”

“This is just the easy stuff,” Caleb explained. “Tomorrow we have to rig all the props for the hayride. That’ll take the whole day at least, and that’s only if everything goes right.”

“Oh, I had no idea. We’re building a fire out front. Want to join us?”

“Sure; just let me say good-bye to the crew. I’ll be right there.”

The rest of the gang were already huddled around a fire in front of the barn and were in the process of arranging ice chests and logs to sit on.

“It’s already getting cold.” Mac wrapped her arms around herself in an effort to keep warm.

“Once the fire gets going it shouldn’t be too bad.” Eli piled more tree branches on the fire, which hadn’t quite caught yet.