The Pine Lake ... Monster?

Lily stood back and admired her new home. The old camper had never looked better. She had spent days cleaning it up, inside and out. She had repaired the screens as best she could, patiently weaving patches into the mesh to cover the holes. She had scrubbed away the dirt and moss that had clung to the sides and roof of the little trailer. She had opened up all the storage spaces inside, cleared out piles of sunflower seed shells and birdseed collected by long-gone rodents, and cleaned everything with Clorox Cleaner with Bleach.

She hung the carved wooden sign, a gift from Ranger Scott: “Camp Host” it said in bright yellow letters. She hauled the last bucket of soapy water over to the Dish-washing Station and dumped it down the sink. Then she returned to the site and collapsed in the camp chair beside the door of the camper. “Open for business,” she said, looking around. “Bring it on!”

A robin cocked its head inquiringly at her. A chipmunk squeaked from a nearby tree. Pine Lake Campground lazed sleepily in the July sun.

Lily thought back over the past few weeks, contemplating how she had arrived at this spot, at this time. She had hit a low point in her life: the end of a relationship, the end of a mediocre job. Annoyed at the dead ends, she had picked up and walked away. And no one had even noticed that she left. How depressing!

When a deer strike totaled her car shortly after she set out, she thought she had really hit rock-bottom. Then, HE drove into her life. Prince Charming. Or, as she had thought of him, her “knight in shining Toyota.” He said his name was Tommy Smith, and he was looking for adventure. And company.

“Tommy Smith,” Lily snorted, shaking her head at her own gullibility. She had hopped in his car without a second thought, cheerfully paying their food bills with a debit card from a recent inheritance. Until one morning, while Lily was napping, "Tommy" had disappeared without a trace, taking her purse, her debit card, and her cell phone with him. 

Park Ranger Randy Scott - the nicest man on the planet - had helped Lily through the aftermath. With the assistance of the State Police, she had recovered her purse and her cell phone, and she had been able to freeze the debit card before “Tommy” completely emptied the account. Then Ranger Scott went above and beyond, and offered Lily the job of Camp Host and the use of his old camper. 

The Camp Host “job” didn’t actually pay any real wages, just a small stipend; but in exchange for her services, she was allowed to use this campsite and the resources of the facility: public bathrooms and showers; electric; and access to the Community Hall, where there was a TV, limited WiFi, and coin-operated washers and dryers. Lily had also taken a job in town, working at the small diner, to make enough money to live on. All in all, she considered herself very lucky.

With her first paycheck, she had bought a used bicycle: a “one-speed” model, with a very handy basket for hauling groceries from the little town. She painted it forest-green, and bought a tiny license plate that said “Lily” from the park’s Camp Store. Not only did it provide transportation to her “real job” in town, but she could also ride it around the Campground on her rounds. 

“Speaking of which…” she said, looking at her watch. She hopped on her bicycle and began her evening rounds. Pine Lake Campground offered 118 sites in two loops. The most popular loop was Loop A, made up of 83 sites with hookups. About half of them had both electric and water, while the rest offered electric only. Today, almost every site was taken. 

Lily rode slowly around the loop. As always, she was amazed at the campers some visitors arrived with. Jeez, that one’s bigger than my last apartment! she thought, checking out a camper that had to be close to 35 feet long. And they call it “Lite”! How is something that big “Lite”? She passed a trio of “Fifth Wheel” campers, with their trucks parked alongside. Their inhabitants comprised a group of related families: two brothers, one sister, and a number of cousins who traveled together. She waved as she rode by. Farther down the loop there was a massive bus of an RV. Its only inhabitants were a pair of senior citizens and their wee dog, a terrier-looking pooch called Muffin. Lily had met them yesterday, and been treated to a synopsis of their recent travels; they had sold their house, and spent all their time on the road, visiting their children and grandchildren.

In between the big campers, there was a sprinkling of smaller ones. An adorable little Airstream. A red-and-white truck camper that made Lily think of an ice-cream truck. A small silver-sided teardrop with a turquoise racing stripe that matched its vehicle. A few pop-up campers that looked a little uncomfortable rubbing shoulders with their bigger brethren.

In Loop B were 35 tent sites. The sites were good-sized, relatively flat, and mostly shaded by oaks and maples. Most of them backed on the lake, offering easy access for fishing and kayaking. Swimming was only allowed at the designated beach area near the Community House, where a lifeguard was on duty from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Only about half of the tent sites were occupied, which meant even more privacy for those who were there. The tents looked like bright-colored mushrooms, growing there in the shade.

Lily stopped to inspect the bathrooms. While the hard-core cleaning was done by the Maintenance Crew in the mornings, Lily’s duties included spot inspections and quick wipe-downs. She picked up a few paper towels, refilled an empty toilet paper holder, and gave all the toilets a good flush. At the dish-washing station behind the bathroom, she rescued a spider from one of the sinks, and rinsed both sinks down. For the most part, people were pretty decent about how they treated the facilities.

He watched from the cover of the trees as she rode by on her bicycle. He often watched her. She never noticed his silent surveillance. When she was gone, he turned and melted into the woods again.

When Lily returned to her camper, it was time for dinner. She had worked at the diner for the lunch shift that day, and had brought home a container of chili, a couple of packets of saltine crackers, and a lovely salad with tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and a few chunks of cheddar cheese. She ate the salad while she reheated the chili in a small pot on her Coleman stove. She washed it all down with the camp’s ice-cold water, then filled her small tea kettle with more water to make tea. No dessert today; Cook’s chocolate chip cookies had sold out before her shift was over. She chose Raspberry Zinger tea from her small stash, telling herself that if she used her imagination, she could pretend that the tea was a valid substitute for dessert.

He watched from behind a small spruce tree as she worked at the picnic table. The smell of the food was tempting, but he knew he had to stay hidden. Perhaps later there would be an opportunity for him to snatch an unguarded morsel. When she loaded her dishes into the basket of her bicycle and rode away, he slipped into her campsite. She had left a packet of crackers on the table. He snatched them up and slipped back into the woods.

Lily rode by three campsites on her way to the Dish-washing Station to wash her dishes. Most of the guests were preparing or eating their dinners. Several of them waved to her. 

At Site 3, Mrs. Adams called out to her. “Hey, Lily! How’s it going?”

“Just great!” Lily answered with a smile. “It’s such a beautiful evening!”

“It sure is!” Mrs. Adams responded. “I hate to leave, but we have to head back home tomorrow. I’m going to miss this place!”

“You enjoyed your stay?”

“Oh, yes! So relaxing! But, back to reality now,” she sighed. “By the way, we have some food left over: pancake mix, syrup, half a loaf of bread. A little bit of turkey breast, and PB and J. Oh, and a couple of hamburgers. I hate to throw it out; could you use it, or find someone who could? It’s all open, so I can’t give it to the Food Bank, but I don’t want to haul it all back to Michigan with us, either.”

“Sure!” Lily smiled. “Stop by my site on your way out tomorrow. I’m sure I can find someone who can use it. So thoughtful of you! And I really appreciate your not throwing it into the Dumpster,” Lily added. “Raccoons and bears become such a nuisance when there’s too much food around to tempt them. It’s better for everyone if they stay in the woods where they belong. See you tomorrow!”

I sure CAN find a use for all that food! Lily thought happily. Support your local Camp Host! Such donations really filled out her diet here. She didn’t make much money, and free food was always welcome. And it was true, filling the Dumpster with all that food was bound to attract the wrong kind of attention from the local wildlife.

Lily quickly washed her dishes, then gave the sinks a wipe-down. She reloaded her bicycle basket and continued to ride around the campground. One family stopped her to ask where they could buy campfire wood. She gave them directions to two nearby camp wood suppliers. A couple of hikers stopped her for a discussion of the best nearby hikes. She showed them a map that she carried just for this purpose, and pointed out her favorite hike, one that meandered through the woods alongside the creek until it reached a lovely waterfall. She added that they could pick up a map at the Ranger Station in the morning. 

The couple who went with the cute little teardrop camper in Site 76 waved to her to get her attention. She pulled her bicycle into their site. She liked this couple; they were very “crunchy-granola,” she thought. Sort of modern-day hippies, and very nice.

“Good evening,” Lily said. “Is there something I can help you with?”

The couple - Owen and Dawn, their camper sign said - exchanged a look, hesitating.

“Well, go ahead, Dawn, tell her!” urged Owen. 

“I don’t want to make any trouble…” started Dawn. She looked at Owen, who nodded encouragingly. “It’s just that…”

“Please,” Lily urged, “if there’s a problem, let me know. Maybe I can take care of it. We want everyone to have a pleasant stay here.” 

“Well,” - another look at Owen - “It’s the people in Site 80.” She pointed down the row of campers at a home-made truck-cap job. Lily could see food piled on the picnic table, and an overflowing trash bag. There was no sign of the campers themselves.

“I don’t want to make trouble,” Dawn repeated, “but they are really making a mess. Owen chased away a raccoon that was on the table there, and I swear, I saw a wolf prowling around the edge of the woods!” Dawn shuddered delicately. “I haven’t seen a bear yet, but I’m afraid it’s only a matter of time. Such an attractive nuisance, their mess!”

Owen jumped in. “We like to be friendly, you know, good camper-neighbors. But this is going to lead to no good!” He shook his head solemnly. “No good!” he repeated emphatically.

“Oh, dear, yes,” Lily commented sympathetically. “I can see that they are a real problem. I’ll go over and talk to them, if they’re there, and I’ll have Maintenance come over with the truck and take away that trash bag. We don’t need any bears coming around!”

“Or wolves,” Dawn added fearfully.

“Well, let me reassure you there,” Lily responded with a smile. “We don’t have any wolves here. Our big predators here are bears, and they’re easily chased away.”

Dawn shook her head, glancing at Owen. “I don’t know…” She shivered. “I swear it was a wolf!” Owen put his arm around her shoulders. 

“I told you there aren’t any wolves here!” he said to her. “It must have been something else you saw. A coyote, maybe.” He kissed her cheek. “Don’t worry, honey, Miss Lily will take care of it!”

“No problem,” said Lily. “Please don’t worry. Enjoy the rest of your stay here.” Glancing at the Reserved sign for the site, Lily went on, “You’re here for two more days, aren’t you?”

“That’s what we planned…” Dawn said doubtfully.

“Two more days,” Owen said heartily. “It’ll be fine! This is such a nice campground! Thanks for your help, Lily.” Reaching into a small cooler, he said, “Can you join us for a drink? Seltzer? Iced tea?”

Thanking them for their offer, Lily declined. “I appreciate the offer, but I’d like to get right on fixing Site 80. Have a pleasant evening!”

He waited in the cover of the trees. He had been keeping an eye on Site 80 for his own purposes. The people were hardly ever there. Much food could be taken, without anyone noticing. As she approached, he slipped back into deeper cover. He could wait. It was worth waiting for.

With a sigh, Lily walked her bike into Site 80 and looked around. These people really are slobs! she thought. The table was piled high with half-empty fast food containers. Drink cups were tipped on their sides, dripping their sticky contents over the table and down onto the ground. Flies and ants gorged themselves on the bounty. A chipmunk scampered away from a ripped-open bag of sunflower seeds, its cheeks full to bursting. A sparrow tried to make off with a huge french fry, but found the treasure too heavy to fly with; three more sparrows came to squabble over it, and managed to break it into small enough pieces that they each escaped with a piece.

The trash bag overflowed with mostly-empty pizza boxes, plastic water bottles that should have been recycled, and soda cans that should have been turned in for their deposits. More fast food containers. Bacon-greased paper towels and empty egg cartons. Beer cans and glass liquor bottles. The last items made Lily fume: it was clearly posted, all over the campground, that alcohol was prohibited in the park.

Lily went over to the truck and peered into the cab. Full of more garbage. Empty of people. She tried the back, a cap that had been converted into a makeshift camper. There were no windows, so she banged on the tailgate.

“Hello?” she called. “Hello! Anyone in there?” She banged again, harder, hurting her hand. “Hello! Is anyone in there? Open up!”

The vehicle shuddered as someone inside apparently rolled over. An angry voice snarled a string of obscenities at her. “Go ‘way!” they snarled. “Try’n ta sleep! Get lost!” The vehicle shuddered again, then went quiet. 

Well! thought Lily. Looks like a Ranger Scott problem! I’ll take an angry bear over an angry drunk any day! She picked up her bike, threw her leg over, and went in search of assistance.

Now’s my chance, he thought as she rode away. Stealthily, he crept from the woods, keeping the picnic table between himself and the neighboring campsite. Darkness crept into the campground as the day faded. He liked darkness. It was safe. 

He carefully looked over the offerings on the table. Rejected the soda. Ignored the potato chips crushed in the middle of the table. He was looking for something better. Ah! There! A half-eaten hamburger! He wolfed it down hungrily. What else? A roast beef sandwich, barely touched. And there, by the truck: a fast-food bag, nearly full. He grabbed it.

A noise from the next campsite startled him. 

“Look, Mommy, look!” a child’s voice squealed. “Monster!”

“In a minute, Danny,” a woman responded. “Let me finish dishing this out…”

“But - but - but - monster!” he shrieked. “Daddy! Monster!”

“The fire’s almost ready,” a man said. “Give me two more minutes, and we’ll go find your monster.”

Taking his choices, he slipped away, back into the safety of the woods. He looked back. The child stared, round-eyed, open-mouthed. Carrying his dinner, he melted away, leaving the child staring at nothing but a dark, empty forest.

“Okay, Danny, what do you want to show me?” the woman asked, wiping her hands on her pants.

The child stamped his foot and began to cry. He threw himself on the ground.

“Danny!” the woman cried. “What’s wrong? What is it?”

“Gone!” he howled. “Monster gone! You didn’t look. Gone.”

“Well, maybe the monster will come back later, and you can show me then,” the woman offered with a smile. “Here, have a piece of this apple! Dinner is almost ready.”

The child sucked on the apple slice, still staring off into the woods.

Satisfied he hadn’t been discovered, he turned and walked away to enjoy his meal.

Lily made her way around the loops and back to the Ranger Station. It was getting late, but she knew Randy would still be there. He always made a point of stopping by her campsite before he headed home in the evenings. He also left a radio with Lily, so she could contact him if she needed to when he wasn’t on-site.

Randy was just finishing up with tidying his desk when Lily poked her head in the door.

“Hey,” he greeted her.

“Hey yourself,” she responded with a smile. Randy Scott was one of her most favorite people in the world. He was kind and helpful, and continued to be very supportive as Lily worked through re-inventing her life. 

“What’s up?” he asked.

“We might have a problem with Site 80,” she told him. “One of the other campers brought it to my attention just now.”

“What kind of problem?” Randy asked.

“They’re slobs,” she said shortly. “And drunks. Surly drunks,” she added. “Judging from the beer cans and whisky bottles, they have to be three sheets to the wind. Plus, the garbage they have strewn around their site is not only unsightly, but it’s going to attract all kinds of wildlife. ” 

Randy nodded. “There’s always one,” he commented with a frown.

“I went to knock on the truck cap - it’s one of those home-made jobs - and got a snarly, drunken-sounding ‘Go away!’ Figured I’d better get back-up. So here I am.”

“Righty-O,” he said, rising from his desk. “Want to come along?” he asked.

Lily debated. She did want to see how Randy would handle the situation, which might help her to be a better Camp Host. On the other hand, she didn’t want any trouble. She lived alone in the camper, and she didn’t need a mean drunk coming after her.

Coming to a decision, she shook her head. “No, I think I’ll sit this one out, if you don’t mind. I don’t need them coming around my camper to harass me in a drunken fit.”

Randy nodded. “Good call. I’ll go see what I can do, and I’ll stop by your place to fill you in before I head out for the night.”

Confident that Randy would take care of the problem, Lily headed back to her camper.

He watched from the woods. Though he had eaten the tidbits he had taken from the messy site, he knew that there was plenty more to be had. Maybe he should take some for later, and tuck it away in his cave. One never knew when such an opportunity would come again. 

The child was staring at him from the other side of the campsite. That could be a problem. He decided to wait.

Suddenly, a large black SUV pulled into the site. The Man got out. The Man didn’t seem like a threat, but he didn’t trust him as much as he did the Girl. He slipped farther back into the brush to watch from hiding. The child lost sight of him and turned his attention back to the marshmallow he was roasting. He waited and watched from the safety of the brush.

A short time later, Randy stopped by Lily’s Camp Host site. She was sitting outside by a carefully-tended fire in her fire ring, roasting marshmallows. She waved as he approached.

“Want a marshmallow?” she offered. “Or a cup of tea?”

“Nah, I’m good,” he responded, taking a seat in a plastic Adirondack chair. 

“How’d it go at Site 80?” she asked, popping the perfectly-toasted marshmallow in her mouth. She licked a sticky glob off of her finger.

“Well, I had a talk with them about the rules. Not sure how much I got through to them, though; you were right, they were pretty lit. I told them they need to have their site cleaned up, and the alcohol gone, by 11:00 tomorrow morning. And that they have to be out of here by noon. I think they’re in for the night, but I called the State Trooper Barracks and asked them to keep a close eye on things here. They’ll make some extra rounds - and be obvious about it, lights on - every few hours tonight.” He looked at Lily consideringly. “I could stay at the Ranger Station tonight. Be close by. If you’re nervous,” he offered.

“Oh, no,” Lily was quick to protest. “You go on home to Colleen and Wee Andrew. I don’t want to be any trouble. I’ll be fine.” Randy and his wife, Colleen, had an adorable 1-year-old who Randy doted on. Lily didn’t want to keep him from his family. “If I need you, I’ll call on the radio. You’re not far away.”

“Well, if you’re sure…” 

“Absolutely. Give Colleen and Andrew a kiss from me.”

With a wave of his hand and a backward glance, Randy pulled slowly out onto the camp road. Lily returned to her fire and roasted one more marshmallow. Then she carefully stirred the ashes of her fire and made sure it was “Out Cold,”  like the Campground Rules advised. She climbed up the step to her camper, locked the door, and settled in for the night.

 *   *   *   *   *   

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Lily bolted upright, startled awake by the banging on her door. The camper shuddered under the impact of the fist pounding on the side.

“Hey! Lady!” a voice shouted angrily.

“Miss Priss!” a second angry voice joined in. “You went and spoiled all our fun! Settin’ that Ranger guy on us,” the voice continued. “Now we gotta be outta here before lunch! We was just gettin’ comfy.”

“Yeah! So we came HERE to find some fun!” the first voice chimed in. “Come on! Show us a good time!”

“Yeah! A good time!” the second drunk voice repeated, following up with more pounding on the camper.

Frightened, Lily reached for the radio. Turning it on, she called, “Randy! Come in, Randy! Randy! Please come in!”

“Randy Scott,” his reassuring voice came on, awake and alert. “Lily? What’s wrong?”

“They’re here,” she whispered. “They’re banging on the door! They sound drunk. What should I do?” she asked, panicked.

“Just hold tight,” Randy responded. “Stay inside, and don’t respond to them. Pretend you’re not there. I’m on my way.”

Shaking, Lily shuddered in her bunk, blanket wrapped tightly around herself. The pounding continued. 

“Hey!” the first voice shouted again. “Hey! Come on! Let’s party!”

“Yeah!” the second voice parroted. “Let’s party! We got the booze!”

“Hey! How ‘bout a song? You want a song?” one of the voices whined. “What song? You know any songs, Floyd?”

Floyd chuckled drunkenly. “What about - what about - I got it!” Floyd began, “Lemme call you sweetheart, I’m in love with you…”

The second voice joined in, a drunken chorus. “Lemme - how’s it go, Floyd?”

“Jeez, Duke, don’t you know nothin’? I gotta do everything! Lemme - “

The drunken serenade went on, both men arguing about the words to the song. Giving up on that one, they pounded on the camper again, then began another half-remembered song. 

“Hey, honey, how long we gotta sing?” whined Duke. “How long we gonna wait, Floyd?” 

“I’m about done waitin’,” Floyd responded with an ugly laugh and a louder-than-ever bang on the door. The door shuddered under the onslaught. 

“Me, too! Me, too!” Duke jumped in eagerly. “Hey! Come on, open the door!”

Both men pounded on the door and the wall of the camper. Lily cowered in her bunk, wondering how long the camper could hold out against them. She gripped her Swiss Army knife, opened to the biggest blade, in her shaking hand, white-knuckled. She knew she didn’t have a chance, but she was determined to go down fighting. If she could just hold out until Randy got here….

 “Hey!” the first voice yelled, louder.  “I said - what the -” The voice suddenly broke off. “Jeezus! What the -” 

A terrifying growl filled the sudden silence. Lily heard a thud, followed by another savage growl. A man’s scream.

“Jeezus!” the second voice gasped. “Floyd! You OK? Floyd!”

“What IS that?” Floyd’s panicked voice cried. “Jeezus! What the hell IS that?!”

Another growl shook the night, followed by a terrifying snarl. 

“Whatever it is, let’s get out of here! Come on!”

Lily heard the sound of a scuffle, then footsteps running away through the woods, snapping branches and crashing through the trees. Another growl, farther away now. An odd-sounding cry. Then silence.

The crunch of tires.

 “Lily?” Randy’s voice. Lily let out a tremulous sigh of relief. “Lily? You OK?”

“Yes!” she cried, crawling out of her bunk to open the door. “Come in! Quick!”

Randy climbed in, the camper sinking slightly under his weight. Lily threw herself into his arms, and he held her in a comforting hug for a moment. Then, getting herself under control, she stepped back.

“Thanks for getting here so fast,” she gasped. “You must have flown!” she added with a nervous laugh.

“No problem,” Randy reassured her. “I’m always just a few minutes away.” He patted her shoulder. “You OK?” At her nod, he continued. “What happened?”

Lily explained how the two drunks, Floyd and Duke, had come pounding on her door. “I stayed quiet, like you told me to, hoping they would think I wasn’t home. But they wouldn’t stop!” She glanced down at the knife she had dropped on the table. “I know this wouldn’t do me much good, but it’s all I had. Better than nothing - but not much better.”

“You were - “ Randy shook his head at the thought of her trying to defend herself with nothing but a 2” blade. Brave, but… “So what happened?”

“I - I’m not sure,” she said slowly. “Something - something was out there!” Randy raised an eyebrow, saying nothing, waiting for her to go on. “It’s like something - attacked them! They started yelling. And I heard a - a vicious growl. A thud. More yelling between the men. A scream. A snarl. Then the sound of them running away.” She peeked up at Randy. “And then it went quiet. And you arrived.” She shook her head and sat back on the bunk. “I know it sounds crazy, Randy, but that’s what happened. Something chased them away.”

“Okayyy…” Randy said. “Let me take a look around. You stay here. And lock this door.”

Lily nodded.

Randy stepped out, flashlight in hand. He paused. “Lock it!” he ordered, waiting until he heard the click as Lily secured the door. He shined the flashlight around the site. There were a couple of beer cans on the ground, and half a slice of pizza. 

Muddy boot prints just outside the door. A cigarette butt: Marlboro. A nearly-empty bottle of Old Grand-Dad, a cheap brand of whiskey. An empty bottle of Wild Turkey. 

Shining the light around the site, he noticed some broken branches to the north of the camper, forming a path leading off into the woods. He followed the trail a little ways, noticing how widely-spaced the footprints were. The men had apparently been running full-tilt; he spotted a few places where it looked like they had bounced off the huge pine trees that carpeted the area. The trail broke and went off in two directions. “Must have split up,” he muttered. He turned back to return to Lily’s site.

A dark shape melted into the woods just beyond the reach of his flashlight beam. “Bear, probably,” he mused. “That mess in Site 80 probably drew one of the young ones out of the woods. Stupid slobs!” He shook his head.

“Lily,” he called softly outside the camper door. “It’s Randy.”

Lily opened the door and peered out at him.

“Anything?” she asked.

“Nah, not really. They left a trail of broken branches, high-tailing it through the woods. Sure looks like something spooked ‘em. But I didn’t see anything,” he reassured her, keeping the possible bear sighting to himself. No point in alarming the poor kid.

“I’m going to head over to Site 80 now, have a word with them. I’ll stop by again after I talk to them, if you want me to.”

“Oh, I don’t want to keep you,” Lily declined. “Give me a buzz on the radio on your way back home.”

Randy nodded and headed back to his SUV. When he drove over to Site 80, though, he found the campsite deserted. The truck-camper was gone, leaving behind their mess. 

“Jeez, I hate slobs like them,” Randy muttered. “Leave a mess for someone else to clean up. Well, it can wait til morning.”

Turning away, he climbed back in the car. Fingering the radio, he alerted the State Troopers to keep an eye out for what was undoubtedly a pair of very inebriated drunk drivers. Shortly after his call, he heard the sound of a siren not far away. “Got ‘em already,” he smiled.

Next, he called Lily on the radio  to reassure her. “ Yeah, they were gone when I got to their site,” he explained. “I alerted the Stateys, and, judging from the siren I heard, they already have them. Nothing more to worry about tonight.”

“Oh, okay,” Lily responded. “Um… I don’t suppose you saw any…wild animals slavering around, did you?”

“Nope,” Randy replied. “Not a creature stirring. Go to sleep, Lily. Keep your radio close. Good night.”

“Good night,” she responded. “And, thanks.”

“Anytime.” Randy drove away.

Lily sat up a while longer, wrapped in a blanket in the camper. That growl, she thought nervously. So strange! Didn’t sound like a bear to me. But what else could it be?

“Oh, well.” She gave herself a little shake. “Nothing I can do about it now. Shake it off, Lily!” She curled up on the bunk again, wrapped in the blanket. Still, tired as she was, it took her a while to fall asleep. Her dreams were disturbed by threatening drunks and mysterious monsters with shining white fangs.

Morning bird-song woke Lily. She lay in her bunk, listening, trying to identify the singers. Robins - always the earliest birds; the “Chip! Chip!” of a cardinal. The virtuoso performance of a mockingbird. 

Still tired from her restless night, she was moving slowly as she started up her stove to make coffee. She boiled up some water for instant oatmeal, rubbing her eyes and stretching. She decided she needed a walk to wake up, so she left her bicycle parked and set off on foot to make her rounds. 

The campers were just beginning to stir, and the aroma of bacon wafted through the campground. Lily waved to a few campers as she walked by; no one seemed to need to talk to her, which was fine by her. Just as she thought she was getting off easy this morning, the man at Site 75 waved to get her attention. With a sigh, Lily hitched a smile on her face and went over to see what he wanted.

“Good morning!” Lilly greeted him. “Is there something I can help you with?”

“Well, yeah, I hope so,” the man said a little nervously, glancing over his shoulder at his wife and son behind him by the campfire. He took Lily by the arm and led her out of earshot. 

“What is it, Sir?” Lily asked attentively.

“It may be nothing….” Another look back at his camper, then he met Lily’s eyes. “You see, it’s our little boy….”

“Is he ok?” Lily asked, concerned, looking back at the boy.

“Yeah, he’s fine, he’s fine,” the man hastened to reassure her. “But he told us this weird story. About a monster in the woods.”

Smiling gently, Lily said, “Well, it’s not unusual for children to tell tales of monsters in the woods. The woods can be scary, after all, and kids have great imaginations - which is not necessarily a good thing sometimes, when things go bump in the night.”

The man’s face remained concerned. “I know, I know, but Danny’s an old hand at camping. We’ve been taking him with us since he was a baby. He insists that he saw - well, something - and now he’s saying that he heard something late last night. A - well, a cry, a whimper, like an animal in pain.”

“Ah,” Lily said with understanding. “Now, that is very possible. Sometimes animals do get hurt, chased down by predators, hit by cars.” She glanced back at the child standing beside the campfire ring. “Do you think I could talk to him?” she asked his father. “Maybe he can put me on the right track to look.”

The man looked very relieved. “Would you?” he asked. “It would mean a lot to us.”

“Of course.” They walked back to the campsite. Lily approached the child, squatting down to his level. “Hi, Danny. Your dad says you saw something - and heard something. Do you think you could tell me about it?”

His huge blue eyes shifted to his father’s face; at his nod, Danny returned his attention to Lily. 

“I saw a monster!” he said proudly. 

“Really? Tell me about it!”

“It was black,” he continued. “And REAL big! Bigger’n Champ!”

“He’s our neighbor’s dog,” Danny’s father explained. “Huge thing. Pyrenees/German Shepherd cross.”

Lily nodded and Danny continued. “It came out of the woods and LOOKED at me,” he said excitedly, “but it didn’t come near me. Then it went back in the woods. It had BIG white teeth!” 

“Where did you see it?” Lily asked. “Can you point to where you saw it?”

“The first time, it was over there,” he said, pointing to the left of the camper across the street. “But when it came close - when I could see its TEETH! - it was over there.” This time he pointed at Site 80, where the troublemakers had been last night. Figures, Lily thought.

“Tell Miss Lily about the sound you heard,” Danny’s father encouraged him. 

Danny’s face turned thoughtful. “It was - sad. Like when Kit Kat got hurt.” He looked to his mother.

“Kit Kat is another neighbor’s cat. She got hit by a car, but she’s ok now,” Danny’s mother provided. 

Lily looked back at Danny. “So it sounded like it was hurt?” 

“Yeah,” he said. Then he looked up at her with trusting eyes. “You can find it, right? And make it all better?”

“I’ll certainly do my best,” Lily assured him. “Where did it sound like the noise came from?” 

“It was dark,” Danny said, a little doubtfully now. “But over there.” He gestured to an area of woods behind the bathrooms. 

“Thank you, Danny,” Lily said, shaking his small hand. “I appreciate your help. I’ll do my best to find it and help it.”

“Be careful!” Danny’s father said hastily. “I don’t want you getting hurt!”

“I appreciate your concern,” Lily smiled. “I’ll call it in before I go look. And thank you.”

Lily keyed her radio. “Morning, Randy.”

“Morning, Lily. Everything alright?”

“Probably,” she reassured him. “Got a report of a possible injured animal behind the rest rooms. I’m going to check it out. I’ll keep you posted.”

“Roger that,” Randy said. “Standing by.”

With a nod to Danny and his family, Lily walked cautiously past the rest rooms. She knew from experience that an injured animal could be dangerous, so she stayed alert. The woods were dense behind the bathrooms, with no campsites there. The campground backed on a large State Park with plenty of space for local wildlife.

He watched her approach cautiously. He trusted her - as far as he trusted any human. He licked his shoulder, where the man had hit him with a stick last night. The cut was no longer bleeding, but it hurt. Would the Girl help him? He had helped her last night. That was when the man had hit him. It was worth it, to keep her safe. And it felt good to chase those bad men away.

Lily looked around her, examining the ground carefully. The leaves were disturbed, just a little, near that holly bush. Was that a rustle?

“Hello?” she called quietly. “Is anyone there?”

A definite rustle, she was sure this time. And movement….

She took a step back. Slowly, a large black animal crept out of the bushes. It was limping, favoring its right front paw. It approached her hesitantly, as if it was forcing itself on in spite of fear.

It was a huge black dog, the biggest dog she had ever seen, easily as big as a small bear. Its coat was matted, and it looked a bit underweight under all that fur, but otherwise seemed in fairly good health. As it came closer, she could see the injury to its shoulder, a wide patch of fur, matted with what looked like blood, damp where the animal had been licking it. The dog was able to move it, so it probably wasn’t broken, though it was obviously painful.

It approached cautiously, watching Lily steadily, ears back, tail low. Wary, but not aggressive. It stopped just out of reach. They stared at each other, measuring, judging.

Lily slowly reached out towards it, hand fisted, murmuring soothingly. “Looks like you had a rough night,” she said. “That must hurt. I’d like to help you. Will you let me help you?”

They considered each other, three feet separating them. “Your move.” Lily waited. 

Slowly, the dog’s ears lifted, just a fraction. It took a hesitant step forward; then another, and another. It stretched its neck and sniffed Lily’s hand. Its tongue darted out, a quick lick of acceptance, and its wary stance relaxed. 

Yes. You can help me. And I can help you. We can help each other.

Still moving slowly, Lily assessed the massive animal. Close up, it seemed even bigger, definitely the biggest dog she had ever seen. It - he, she amended - had to be well over 150 pounds. His fur was black, except for a small white patch in the middle of his chest, and his eyes, shining with intelligence, were grey. 

She took another look at his injured shoulder; it was a long gash, though not too deep, and it looked recent. Her eyes widened as a thought occurred to her. Could it be? Could this be her savior from last night? The “monster” that chased off the men? “Was it you?” she gasped. “Was it you who chased those men away last night?”

Another lick was her answer. 

“Thank you,” she said softly.

You’re welcome.

Lily gently scratched behind his ears. His massive tail wagged once. “Let’s go, boy,” she said. “Let’s go home.”