Since I didn’t get any sleep that first night on the lakes and since I didn’t have Ihaan anymore, I was still pretty grumpy. My mood didn’t really start to change until that night. Breakfast that morning on Red Squirrel Lake wasn’t entirely nice. I refused to talk to my family, but Mom kind of forced me to. She, Dad, Uncle Bart, Uncle Macon, and I sat at the picnic table to eat our breakfast, and everybody else sat in their camping chairs around the fireplace. Aunt Lydia went and used the restroom before she ate her breakfast.
While she was away, Mom started a conversation. She swallowed her spoonful of oatmeal and told me, “So, Kylie, I’ve been talking with your dad, and we’ve come to a decision that we think it may be best if you canoe with us instead of Uncle Bart.”
I glanced at her with a grossed out face and asked, “Why?” Why did they want to pull me away from Uncle Bart? He was my favorite uncle! What was wrong with him? Mom and Dad came up with this decision because they wanted keep a close eye on me. You see, they thought I hit my head and that I imagined Ihaan. Parents. Sometimes I really hate them. I poked at my oatmeal and yawned.
After a bit, Dad answered my question. “Well, Kylie Wylie, it’s like this. Your mother and I think you may have hit your head on the way to the latrine last night, or maybe when you went overboard, so we want to watch you to make sure you don’t have any signs of a concussion.”
“Or worse.” Mom said. She shivered. “Amnesia.”
I took another bite from my oatmeal. “Oh for the love of…!” I yelled, and I smacked my hand to my face. “I did meet a boy, Mom! I didn’t hit my head at all!”
“No, you didn’t!” Mom snapped at me. “Here’s the thing, Kylie! It’s not logical! How on earth could there be a boy hermit living here in the lakes?!”
“How did he get here?” was Dad’s question. “Did he fly? Is he a fairy?”
Uncle Macon wanted no part of our argument. He just picked up his bowl of breakfast and shuffled over to a log, sitting down next to Uncle Bart. Mom, Dad, and I were left alone at the picnic table.
“I don’t know how he got here!” I worriedly answered, “Honest! I don’t have amnesia! I think he does! I asked him how he got separated from his family, and he replied, ‘I don’t know.’ He’s also injured! I have to find him again!”
“Just enough!” Mom retorted. She dropped her spoon and waved her hands. “You have no proof that you met a boy here!”
I glared, “Wanna bet?” and I reached into my pocket. “Check out what he gave me, Mom and Dad.” Here, I pulled out Ihaan’s flute and set it down on the picnic table. Sitting back, I crossed my arms.
Mom and Dad’s eyes landed on the flute, and Mom sarcastically said, “Oh, isn’t that nice. You decided to take up crafting, Kylie.”
“No, I didn’t! Ihaan gave it to me! He made it with his own two hands!”
“Enough!” Mom yelled. She picked up Ihaan’s flute and glared at me. “We have had it with you, Kylie! First, it was the Ghost of Ontario, and now it’s a stupid boy!”
“He’s not stupid! He’s very talented!” I saw that the rest of Camp Juniper was glancing at us. Uncle Bart actually looked nervous.
With every second that passed, Mom got madder and madder.
I continued to yell at her. “He made his own clothes, he’s friends with every animal here, and he knows how to shoot a bow and arrow!”
“Enough!” Mom shouted again, much louder that time. With the flute still in her hand, she stood up. “When we make it to Camp Wanapitei, Kylie, we’re going to get you checked at the doctor. If I hear one more thing about the Ghost of Ontario or this stupid Ihaan, then your punishment is going to be updated! You’ll be grounded for a full month! You will not leave that house!” It was here that she did something terrible. She lifted her knee, and still glaring, she broke Ihaan’s beautiful flute on it!
My heart snapped in two.
“NO!!” I shouted, and I smacked my hands to my mouth. Tears invaded my eye sockets. My gift! It was destroyed! Ihaan worked so hard on it too! I knew he did.
Mom threw down the broken flute and gave me the evil death glare.
Dad did too.
I lowered my hands and whimpered. I didn’t waste any time. I got up from the picnic table and shook my head. Tears ran down my cheeks. I started to sob. Turning on my heel, I sprinted away and towards the beach.
Behind, Mom yelled, “Kylie! Kylie!”
I refused to go back. Yes, that really did happen. Mom really did break Ihaan’s flute.
After that happened, I really didn’t want to stay there. I actually tried to run away. I couldn’t stand another second with just adults. Sobbing, I rushed down the hill and made it to the bottom where our canoes were. My eyes landed on the pile of paddles, and approaching it, I picked up my paddle. With it clutched tightly in my hand, I scrambled to Old Town #3 and tossed it into it.
Just before I could push it out, I suddenly heard, “Kylie!” behind me, and I gasped. It was my Uncle Bart. I whirled around and saw him standing at the top of the hill. He held his hand out to me and called, “No, wait!”
If it was my mom who stood at the top of the hill, I would’ve carried on with my escape. However, if it was Uncle Bart, I wouldn’t.
He slid down the hill and approached me, asking, “Why are you running away?”
“I can’t stand this anymore, Uncle Bart!” I choked out. Closing my eyes, I brought my hand to the bridge of my nose and continued to sob. “Nobody believes me! Nobody believes me when I say I met a boy, but I really did!” I opened my eyes and picked up my paddle again, climbing into the canoe. I prepared to sit down and paddle off.
Just before I could, Uncle Bart admitted, “Well, I believe you.”
I froze. My hands continued to grip my paddle. Was Uncle Bart bluffing? Did he really believe me or not? He did. I turned and faced him.
“I heard him last night.” Uncle Bart continued. “I heard him talking to someone named Ro. He said that he wanted to help a little, red-headed girl, you, but he was afraid he was too shy. I know he exists, Kylie, and I know he’s scared of other humans.
A small smile stretched across my face. “Oh, Uncle Bart.” I choked out.
“Please, you don’t want to do this, Kylie,” said Uncle Bart, and he held his hand out to me. “How about we search for Ihaan together? We’ll prove to the rest of Camp Juniper that he really does exists.”
Tears continued to fountain down my cheeks, but this time, they were tears of joy. I set down my paddle and took Uncle Bart’s hand. He helped me out of the canoe, and we shared a hug. Oh, I love my Uncle Bart.
Once we disconnected, he took my shoulders and asked me, “So, you said Ihaan knows how to shoot a bow and arrow?”
I rubbed my eyes and nodded. “He does, Uncle Bart.”
“Well then, let’s first see if we can find an arrow of some sort around here.”
“Good idea!” I sarcastically spoke, and I placed my hands on my hips. “And where do you think we’ll find one, Uncle Bart?”
We heard the voice of Aunt Lydia over a blast of wind. “Hey, Camp Juniper! Check out what I found in the forest! An arrow!”
“I think we’ll find one here.” Uncle Bart joked. “Come on!” He grabbed my hand and pulled me back up the hill into the campground. There was Aunt Lydia. I remember, she was hurrying towards Camp Juniper, extremely excited, and in her hand, she held, yes! An arrow!
“It’s an arrow!” she repeated. She tripped over her own foot, and she went toppling to the ground. However, she quickly got up and approached Camp Juniper.
Uncle Bart and I did too.
Mom and Dad were still sitting annoyed at the table, but they together glanced at Aunt Lydia.
“What is it, dear?” Uncle Harrison asked her, and he set down his spoon.
“Check out what I found in the forest!” Aunt Lydia excitedly announced. She held the arrow out to us. “An arrow!”
At the sight of it, I immediately knew it was Ihaan’s. “Let me see that, Aunt Lydia!” I cried out, and I hurried to her.
Mom and Dad gave me a funny look, as well as the rest of Camp Juniper, excluding Uncle Bart. He smiled.
Once I reached Aunt Lydia, I held out my hand, and she handed the arrow to me. Accepting it, I looked it up and down. Yep, this arrow was definitely Ihaan’s. How do I know? Well, the fetching had eagle feathers, and I could tell it was handmade. I couldn’t help but to smile. Holding the arrow out to Camp Juniper, I asked them, “Camp Juniper, do you know what this arrow means?”
Before Camp Juniper could even open their mouths, Mom stood up and announced, “Oh, for the love of Pete, Kylie! Stop it! There is not a boy hermit living here on Red Squirrel Lake!”
“I would appreciate it if you let me speak, Mom.” I angrily growled.
Mom held up her hands and sat back down.
“This arrow,” I continued, and I exchanged glances with each member of Camp Juniper, “proves that we are not alone in this park. This is not the arrow of the Ghost of Ontario. Not yet, at least. It is the arrow of a mysterious boy that I met whom lives here. Say all you want, but he does exists.” Suddenly, I felt something. My teenage instincts booted up. They told me that another teenager was nearby. I gasped and quickly turned towards the forest. “And he’s right there!” I yelled. With that, I chucked the arrow, and I heard it hit a tree trunk in the forest. A flock of startled blue jays zoomed out of it, and they were followed closely by an eagle. Ro.
“Holy smokes! It’s an eagle!” Uncle Clement yelled, and he immediately drew his camera.
“Ro!” I yelled. Turning on her heel, I chased after her, but she disappeared in the treetops with the jays. I wasn’t sure if she heard me. My eyes soon landed on the forest.
While the rest of Camp Juniper hurried forward as an attempt to see Ro and the jays better, I grabbed Uncle Bart’s hand and pulled him into the forest with me.
“Kylie Wylie!” he yelled. “Where are we going?!”
Behind us, I heard Mom yell, “Kylie! How dare you kidnap your Uncle Bart!”
“Stay out of this, Mom!” I snapped back. “I’m just going to show him something! In the meantime, admire the pretty eagle!”
“But, Kylie!”
“Admire it! Just admire it!” And just like that, I pulled Uncle Bart into the depths of Red Squirrel Lake’s forest and headed in the direction where I had chucked the arrow.
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