Summer Days

            Alice and Joe McClinton were bothers and sister only a year apart, they liked to play detectives in their small neighborhood. There Father Lt. McClintion was a police officer for the city, so the kids always aspired to be just like their father. Although this week they couldn’t play detectives because the kids were off to their annual Summer Camp. “Make sure you pack your sunscreen, you know how easily sunburned you get” said Alice. Joe ran to the bathroom open the cabinets and said “ok I got the sunscreen lets go.” They picked up their sleep bags and luggage and off they went to Camp Wallybee. The car ride was long and tiring for the kids, but none the least the kids arrived, it was late noon by then and the tradition of capture the flag was about to being at Camp Wallybee.

            The moon was full and was just cover by some clouds. The kids ran up and down rock searching for someone from the opposite team. Finally the clouds were away the moon and their dark night began to look not so dark. Bang Bang Alice lifts her gun up but looked down she was shoot. I hate this game thought Alice. Paint ball mixed in with capture the flag was never a nice combination. “Looks like someone got killed,” yelled Eric. Eric was a year older then Alice a nice boy who loved to play pranks on the younger campers. “What were you guys planning on doing?” said Eric. Joe pointed across the forest and said” we were scooping the other side of the camp and see if we could get the flag.” Eric looked to where Joe was pointing and said “You know that’s Mr. Lando’s property, your not scared of all those ghost story you hear around the campfire right?” “Don’t be silly they only tell us those stories so we can stay off his property.” Alice said.

Joe glanced at both Eric and Alice. “Let’s do it” Joe said with a mischievous smile. “Well I’m out ill see you guys back at camp” Alice said as she walked away from the boys.

            The boys crossed the forest and passed Mr. Lando’s property to the river, as they continue walking they saw a bright light flashing them in the face. They saw figures in white suits from head to toe glowing in the night. Alien’s thought Joe.  On the shore there was a red light flashing into the night. “There is a machine out there wonder what it’s for.” Said Joe One of the lights flashed onto them and no place to hide the boys turned around and fled back to camp. The game had ended with Joe’s and Alice team winning.

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            Joe woke up in his tent the next morning sore and a little tired. He looked to his left and saw that his tent teammate Eric was gone. Maybe he woke up earlier then me thought Joe. Joe headed to the mass hall to grab breakfast, when roll was being called the consolers noticed that Eric was missing. The senior consolers searched the perimeters of the camp, but all came back with the same news, no one had seen Eric since last night. Alice and Joe become very concerned. “You think he went missing because of what we saw last night” said Joe. Alice being the older sister said “no I’m sure everything will be fine.” “We should take a look maybe we can find something.” The faint smell of cigarettes mixed with daisy, overcame the kids and for a moment the kids felt as if they were being watched. They decided on looking for Eric after lunch since they both committed to help set the canoe race.

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            Eric tried to move around till he realized he was tied to a chair, he opened his eyes and realized that he was blindfolded as well. He got a headache as he tried to remember how he got into this situation.  He waited for Joe to fall asleep so he could look more into the Aliens, they both had just seen. He crossed the forest into Mr. Lando’s property; it was quite and looked peaceful. Until a man in an all white suite come from behind him and asked “who are you?” Eric took one look at the man’s suite with bug liked eyes and he was off down the hill until he fell. Fell? That’s all Eric could remember judging by the smell he assumed he was in a barn on Mr. Lando’s property.  “The men finished last night, it’s all buried safe and sound.” The other voice was so soft Eric had to struggle to hear what the man said “of course, you think I’d let them hid tons of barrels of toxic on my property if it wasn’t.” Was that Mr. Lando? “With the money their giving me I’m set, I’ll retire, sell the farm. You think the camper are gonna enjoy their new toxic field.” Camper? Eric wondered. The faint smell of cigarettes began to fill the barn. “Hey put that cigarette out don’t smoke in my barn. How much do you think the kid knows?” “Who cares he’ll be buried with the toxic waste sun enough.” Eric held his breath shocked by what he heard. No their going to kill me because.

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            The Children were heading towards the river where Joe and Eric found the “aliens.” As the kids passed Mr. Lando’s property Alice spotted a barn. A couple more yards away and there was Mr. Lando’s house “Hey the barn is a pretty good place to hide someone right.” “We should check it out Alice maybe Eric there.” Mr. Lando was an old man who wore overalls everyday. He was sitting on the porch with a shotgun in his lap and his faith full dog sleeping right next to him. “We need to distract Mr. Lando so he won’t see us looking into his barn.” “I think I have an idea sis.” Pop! Pop! Two blue paint balls hit the cows and off they went into frenzy. Woken by the pop! Mr. Lando shot a bullet in the air to see if that calmed the cow, which didn’t it caused them to go even more ballistic. “Nice shot lets go check out the barn.” They kids ran past the crazy cows and into the barn, there he was Eric lost and confused as ever. Alice ripped the tape off his mouth and waited for him to speak. “Owww!! You found me” Eric spat out. “Of course we did, well we had luck and our detective instinct never fails us” said Alice. “Well what happened did you see the aliens or what?” asked Joe. “No it’s much worse one of the camp consolers and Mr. Lando got a deal to put toxic waste by the river.” Eric points to the half smoked cigarette butt on the ground and said “I don’t know who the consoler is but I know he smokes.” Alice picks up the cigarette butt and says  “No one is going to believe us unless we get some evidence. Let’s split up Eric you come with me to collect some toxic in and Joe you go back to camp and look around from a consoler who smokes cigarettes.” 

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            “Those Camper of yours shoot my cows!” yelled Mr. Lando at Miller. Nervously looking around Miller began mumbling “this has never happened before, I’m extremely sorry.”  Officer Harris was standing between Mr. Lando and Miller looking annoyed with all the yelling. Joe felt awful for Miller because he had to deal with Mr. Lando. Well it was for a good cause thought Joe. He sneaked passed Miller and Mr. Lando and found the consolers tent. He searched for the faint smell of cigarettes walking past each tent taking his time. Then he found it Tent 10, he opened the zipper and found the packs of Lucky lying on a sleep bag. “Hey Joe what are you doing by my tent” said a voice behind him. Joe turned around his jaw dropped as he discovered who the pack of Lucky belonged too. “I thought I saw a butterfly land on your tent,” Joe said as he walked away to look for Alice and Eric by the river. I have to tell Alice she’ll be shocked thought Joe as he walked past the forest to the river.

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            Eric and Alice walked around the shore looking for recently re buried dirt, not having any luck. “Maybe we should move up the shore a little” said Alice as she switched the shovel from one hand to the other. Eric took the right side of the upper shore and Alice took the left side of the shore. “Hey I think I found something” Eric shouted, Alice rushed to Eric and looked straight to where Eric was pointing. A strange odor was coming from the ground. “Good work now but these gloves on and pick up a sample of the toxics.” Eric grumbled and did as he was told. Alice pulled out a plastic bag to put the sample in and began drawing a sketch of the scene. “What are you doing?” asked Eric as he pulled the gloves off his hand. “Well I’m drawing a sketch of the scene the cops will want to know where we found the toxic.” Alice said in a matter of fact manner.  “ALICE! You’re never going to believe it. I know which camp consoler is in on it” yelled Joe. “Who did it what did you find?” asked Eric. “Wait no we must tell the cops first lets head up to camp and make the call” she says as she walks past the boys to head back to camp.

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             “Officer Miller we have a confession to make” Alice said “we shot the cows but for good reasons” said Joe “They had to save me I was tied up” Eric said. “So you guys are the ones that shot my cows, and trespass my property” said Mr. Lando. “Are you getting paid to put toxic waste by the river?” Alice said once again as matter of fact. “Why you stupid kids you don’t even know what you’re talking about” shouted Mr. Lando. Alice pulled out the evidence bag, one bag containing the Cigarette butt and the other containing the awful smelling green toxic-in. Alice walks over to Officer Harris and begins tell him how they collected evidence against Mr. Lando. “Officer Harris I have an evidence bag with a cigarette butt in it because this was found in the same location that Eric was found which concludes my theory that Mr. Lando had an accomplice tell em’ Joe” Alice said with a smile. Joe took the Lucky out of his pocket and points to the man next to Mr. Lando “Miller did it. He is the only man on the campsite who smokes cigarettes, if you look at the color of the butt it’s the same color as the butt found at the barn.” All eyes wend to Miller he was stunned no words came out of his mouth. He looked lost and then turned a bright shed of red.  Officer Harris said nothing but nodded his head which was a clear sign to continue with the evidence. Alice cleared her throat and began once again “the other evidence that I have again Mr. Lando and Miller is that if you do some search you will find that they both have a contract that allows polluters to bury toxic waste by the river, and here is the toxic, I have also drawn you a map to show where Eric found the toxin seeping form the ground.” Officer Harris signed and took in a deep breath “Mr. Lando and Miller you guys are under arrest for failing to abide by the rules that are meant to be followed.” “You foolish old man I told you it wouldn’t work out why did I think that money was more important then running my camp,” said Miller. “Your upset I was about to retire with all that money know I’ll be sitting in jail thanks to those three damn smart kids” said Mr. Lando  Alice, Eric and Joe looked as Officer Harris  put both Mr. Lando and Miller into the back of his squad car. “Well another one for the book. Case solved” Alice said beaming with pride that they all three solved the mystery of the “aliens.”