xp_logs | For Cata!: The Last Prank (Reply)

At Camp Eventide, Clea, Sebastian, and Stephen are putting together their last greatest prank of the Summer when they over hear counselors talking about a T.V Show coming to film a "mythical creature."

The night was pleasant and uneventful at Camp Eventide. The sounds of nocturnal nature might have been spooky to some of the youngest campers on their first few nights at the sprawling village of cabins in the Anglesey countryside, but by now everyone at the camp was sound asleep, peacefully recovering from the day full of activities.

Well, almost everyone was asleep.

"You're sure you want to do this?" Sebastian asked his co-conspirators as they crouched in the woods a short distance from the semi-circle of cabins, digging up the contraband they'd hidden. He tested the trigger on a Super Soaker filled with Kool-Aid, sending a stream of what could vaguely be described as purple goo, illuminated by the pale full moon overhead, at a nearby tree.

Stephen looked up from where he was emptying another packet of Koolaid into a super soaker, "No better time than the present," he pointed out, "No one would suspect the Camp Eventide prankers to hit two nights in a row," he gave his friend a reassuring grin. "Besides, it's basically just dyed water, it's not like it's gonna hurt anyone."

"Except maybe their egos." Clea whispered in between them. "Plus we've made an escape route. No other camper knows theses woods or camp like us. Don't even think those in charge knows as much as we three." She tied her red hair in a ponytail before patting Bas on the shoulder. "It will be fun."

Bas gave her a pained look and pulled several cartons of eggs out of their hiding spot, opening each carton carefully to make sure the hard-boiled, painted eggs, their innards drained out and stuffed with glitter through a small hole which was now taped closed, hadn't broken in transport. "Who's got the string?" he asked, rifling through their duffel bag and searching amidst the cans of shaving foam and bottles of syrup.

Stephen started patting himself down, "I've got it somewhere here," he assured his friends, "I brought a big bag for Cata but," the grinning teen held up a few balls of string, "I don't think she'd mind giving up one or two of them for a good cause now would she?"

Clea was already looking at the cabin with her super soaker on her back. "Are you two done with checking to make sure we have everything? We might have 30 minutes tops before they make the rounds again."

Straightening up, Bas slung the duffel bag over his shoulder and handed the stack of egg cartons to Clea. He had it pegged at more like forty minutes, but he wouldn't complain if they were on a thirty minute timeline. Extra time was better than too little. "Alright, we're done. If we're gonna do this, let's go." He gestured to Stephen to lead the way, taking up a rear position himself to guard their ranks as they emerged from the woods and stalked towards their unsuspecting victims.. "Strange, you wanna unlock the door or did you want me to do it?"

Stephen snuck forward and ever so gently pulled the door open letting it almost swing open of it's own accord so as not to let the hinges creak. "After you," he whispered with a bow from his position on the porch.

"Such a gentleman." Clea whispered as she passed by Stephen as she crept inside the cabin. Phase 1, sneaking into the cabin successful. Now for Phase 2. Setting down her backpack and the water gun before pulling out a stool of string. Quietly she went to work at what her job was.

Bas gave Stephen a friendly salute in thanks and followed Clea inside, body tense as he took in his surroundings. The sleeping forms of two dozen sleeping campers were all present and accounted for. There were no out-of-the-ordinary noises. A window at the back of the cabin was open in case they couldn't escape through the door they'd entered in. It all seemed safe. He relaxed slightly, moving away from Clea to cover a greater area. She was taking care of the shaving cream. Bas motioned for Stephen to start tying the string from bunk to bunk and looping it around the beams of the roof as he started hanging fake spiders up everywhere.

The three friends had been doing this for several years now, they communicated with hand gestures and looks, understanding without words what the others were doing. They always struck the cabins of their peers. Precautions against them weren't even bothered with anymore, so used to the ritual was everyone at Eventide. This was their last year being campers, their last summer to spend together unless they all decided to come back next year and be counselors themselves. But Bas wasn't sure that was going to happen. Their lives would start going in different directions as they prepared for different futures. This year's pranking took on a special significance and Bas found himself actually smiling as he watched his friends work.

If he hadn't been sure that it would get them caught Stephen would have been whistling jauntily, this was his absolute favorite part of camp. All the activities were fun but it was the pranks that brought it to life, well that and hte people. Stephen couldn't stop himself grinning as he expertly looped the string around the room with an ease that spoke of years of experience. The three of them had been puling pranks since they had first met, and never had they ever been beaten by any other campers. He wasn't about to let this be the year where they were surpassed.

Clea carefully climbed up and attached string to the beams and then tied it carefully around on of the campers bed, it would be the first thing the grab for when woke up. Quickly she finished up with the string and went to work of putting up her soaker and aimed it right at another person, attaching it to another string and holding it in place so it wouldn't fall on anyone. The goal was pranking, not hurting. She stepped back to admire her work before looking at her watch. She made a small little chirp and made a hand motion to her boys that they only had ten minutes left before the rounds came again.

Acknowledging the signal from Clea with a salute, Bas started wrapping up his latest task of upturning cans of syrup and molasses on the floor around the bunks and setting up water balloons on the ceiling beams. They'd learned early on that these two tasks should be the last ones they did, due to the fact that these things didn't discriminate between the sleeping campers and the pranksters.

Ushering the others out of the door Stephen carefully looped the ends of the string around the door handle and gently swung it shut behind them. "All in all I'd say that was a pretty good night's work" he mused flashing the others a victorious grin. "Now we just need an alibi in case people wonder where we were. Anyone feel like crashing the pool and getting caught by the counselors?"

Once the red head was outside she turned around at the cabin and smirked, job accomplished. "Aren't we supposed to be in bed?" Clea smirked at Stephen.

"I vote bed," Bas chimed in. It wasn't that he was afraid of being caught. He had just long ago fashioned himself into the one of the trio who tried to temper some of Stephen and Clea's wilder ideas. But they rarely listened to him, and he always went along with what they wanted to do regardless of his personal feelings for the suggestion.

"Bed's no fun," Stephen countered, "besides if we're where we're supposed to be it'll look too innocent and they'll suspect us. But if we're caught doing something minor we're not supposed to, well we were too bus breaking that rule to be arranging something like this." he nodded at the recently vacated cabin with a smile.

Clea suddenly perked up before moving to pull both her boys behind a bush. "They are early." She whispered and pushed them down before settling in between them. "Why are they early." She could already hear the twigs snapping of two approaching adults, talking to themselves.

Well-used to being manhandled by Clea, Bas let her drag him to cover and shrugged in response to her questions. He flattened out on the ground and tried not to call attention to himself as he listened to what the counselors were saying.

"Why would they wanna shoot a tv show here?" asked one, shining his flashlight here and there to check for wayward campers.

"Dunno, answered a second. "Especially one about mythical beasts or whatever that Bloodstone guy does. I mean, we've got some strange kids here, but I dun think any of 'em are mythical creatures."

"I dunno," piped up a third. "Mythical creatures? You know, I always thought something was in these woods. 'Saw strange pair of eyes glowing a few years back. Really big ones. Like, too big for a rabbit or squirrel or a fox."

"Maybe it's the Fen Tiger," cajoled the first counselor, waving his fingers in a 'spooky' gesture at the third.

"Hey," came the indignant reply, "the Fen Tiger exists! There have been hundreds of sightings of big cats in the past 10 years. And we have DNA evidence, and the bodies of some that were captured or killed, I don't care what people say, you can't fake that. There are big cats roaming around the countryside, is it so hard to believe that they could be stalking around the forest around here. There are loads of small animals around, that's why we do the nature treks after all. Good prey, easy to hide, this forest is the perfect place for a big cat to hide, and you'd never know it till they were right on top of you. I best that's all t is, still it'd be really cool to see a panther or puma wouldn't it."

Clea had heard enough as she started to slowly back away from where they were hidden. She tugged on the sleeves of her two friends and made a motion to follow her. The counselors were, one, to close to the cabin they just pranked; and two, a t.v. crew were coming for Cata. It had to be Cata. When she was far enough not to be seen, Clea stood up and leaned on a nearby tree.

"That's probably not good," Bas commented, looking back in the direction of the counselors. "A tv crew coming to look for a mythical beast? You don't think it's me, do you?" he asked, though he didn't sound especially concerned.

"Only in your dreams," Stephen teased, "The only thing legendary about you is how much you snore and how long you spend in front of the mirror in the mornings. So yeah, I guess they could be coming to follow you around all day, catch you in your natural habitat." he noted grinning at his friend. "The film crew will probbly come in, hang around for a few days, not find anything and then leave."

Bas gave Stephen a deadly look. He'd meant because of his shapeshifting, and Stephen knew that. He was just being a prat. "What if they find Clea's faerie cat?" he asked Stephen, not convinced they'd just hang around and leave without finding anything. It seemed like a lot of money to be spending if they came all the way here and couldn't get any results. "I know she's not out in the open or anything, but if this guy has a tv show I'm guessing he's mildly good at his job."

"If it is who I think it is, my mum is a major fan." Clea said. "He'll find her. Because she is actually real."

"Then we need to stop him and his goons from getting anywhere close to her." Stephen decided before heading in the direction of Cata's cave. They had a long night of planning ahead of them.