Camp Terror

Chapter Four: Crush-A-Tac

The next day, I enrolled for the picnic. But to my dismay seats were full. "Sorry we can't have you on board." The secretary said sympathetically. "All seats are full."

Cassy gripped my hand. "It's okay we'll try next time." she said. I nodded, giving her a forced smile. I cursed myself internally. Hadn't I waited for the last moment this wouldn't have happened. Now Cassy will think of me poorly. I fought back tears. I can't cry here.

Class went on as usual. I tried to pay attention but all I could think was my dad's funeral. Mom didn't let me go near the cemetery. I watched with Cassy's borrowed binoculars from out as they laid his body in the ground. "Why do they put people in a casket?" I asked her.

She shrugged. "No idea. But I think it's a cosy bed for your dad. That pillow is soft." She said innocently. "I would love to have a bed like that but it costs millions." We were financially better as compared to Cassy's family. We were about to shift into a new plush home but the disaster affected our savings in the drain. Mom never brought up that topic again and I never asked her about it.

"Cassy," I asked my friend. The wind whipped my blonde hair from the back causing me to hold my hair in my fist. "Where do dead people go," I asked tilting my head to the side as I scratched my head for the correct words. "After they die?"

Cassy was inspecting a rock in her hand. Her black shoes were a muddy brown. "Hey, look!" she said, showing me the rock. I sighed. She hadn't heard my question. When she saw my expression, she gave me a confused expression.

"I asked you something." I said, putting my sweaty hands on my hips.

She shrugged. "What?"

I repeated it to her again. "Oh, that," she said, tapping her finger to the chin and looking towards the sky. "To the sky, I think?"

I tapped her lightly on the forehead. "But my father has just died, it will take time to travel to the sky." I said.

"Then the next day." She said shrugging.

"C'mon girls," someone said behind us and we looked back. It was Cassy's mother. She wiped her eyes and smiled at us. "It's time to go home."

"Home?" Cassy asked. "But we didn't even get to see Dani's pop?" she said with a frown. "All you gave me were these dinoculars." She huffed. "I thought I would get to say some last words to her daddy before he reaches the sky. A lot of people die these days."

Cassy's mom held mine and her hand and we slowly walked to her black Chevrolet. She opened the door for us and we both hopped in. Cassy's mother got in the driver's seat and started the engine. I heard the click of the seatbelt. "Girls don't forget to wear your seatbelts." We both met her eyes in the rear mirror and wore our seatbelts.

I rolled down my side of the window and looked out. We passed by beautiful fields and farms. I turned my attention to Cassy. "How long does it take to reach heaven?"

Cassy pursed her lips. "Twenty-four hours I think. I heard that the soul will be met with God before it reaches the sky-balcony."

"What is a sky-balcony?"

"Cassy." Her mother warned. I watched how her eyes sent a warning glare from the rear mirror.

"It is circular in shape and has gold railings. It helps dead people look down on the living." She replied, nonetheless.

We played in Cassy's room till my mom came to pick me up. I stared at the sky looking for the balcony with gold railings. Nothing was there. Around one hour later, mom took me home and we changed back into regular clothes. "Mom, why didn't you allow me to see dad?"