Read Camp Wacko: The Drones of Summer for Free Online

flying thousands of feet from the ground, there was no turning back. All I could do was grit my teeth and sit back as I flew farther and farther away from life as I knew it.

Strange Encounter
    TURNS OUT DUSTIN had been right. We landed in California a little over four hours later. As we had earlier, we moved from one vehicle to the next quickly, deplaning and immediately getting into a limo. These windows were tinted inside and out as well, so I couldn’t even see where we were going. Dustin fidgeted with the dials until the whole limo shook with the sound of mindless pop music; he wanted to wake everyone up, I guess.
    The ride turned torturous when Dustin insisted on obnoxiously singing along to every song at the top of his lungs. By the time we eventually made it to what I hoped was our final destination, I was practically on my knees begging for it to end. Since the driver had slid the screen down between us as soon as the singing started, I knew he wanted the same thing.
    When we finally came to a stop, I threw open the door and gasped. Laid out in front of us was the most beautiful campus I had ever seen. My eyes swept over everything: the rolling hills, the charming glass-and-marble buildings, the tennis and basketball courts and multiple swimming pools. Heck, there was even a golf course.
    I tore my eyes away to follow Dustin and our chauffeur to the main building, an old Victorian house about three stories high. Vines encircled the windows. They looked so perfectly placed and elegant that I wondered if they had been glued there as decoration.
    The reception area appeared more like a hotel lobby than a school office building. The walls were a creamy pastel. A fireplace faced the entrance. Big vases of flowers stood in every corner, filling the room with a sweet scent. Right across from a plush couch stood a large marble desk. A young woman was stationed behind it, seemingly bored out of her mind. She studied her dark red nails. Once she noticed us, she immediately straightened up.
    “Good morning, Dustin. How you doing, Henry?” she greeted. Then she laid her eyes on me. “This must be Lily. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
    From the corner of my eye, I could see Dustin blush a little. “Casey, can I have the key and pass, please?”
    With a wink, she handed them over. Dustin thanked her and then swiftly hurried away toward the staircase. Henry the chauffeur stayed with Casey. I lingered to marvel at everything that caught my eye, but Dustin soon turned back to tell me to hurry up. He ascended the winding stairs while I followed like a good little captive. They went up and up without stopping. Dustin remained unscathed, but I, on the other hand…let’s just say I was happy once the Stairs of Doom finally ended.
    Dustin did not slow his pace one bit as he made his way to the door at the end of the hallway. He put the key in the keyhole and slowly turned the knob.
    The door swung open to a fairly attractive room. Set against the opposite wall was a king-size canopy bed. A vase of pink and white roses had been placed on the nightstand beside it. The walls were a calming lavender. Over to the left was a bathroom and to the right was a rather large closet with three doors.
    I stepped inside. The soft rug felt squishy under my Converse sneakers.
    Dustin loudly cleared his throat. “This will be your room until the school year’s over. Father thought it best that you don’t attend the classes, since school ends in a few days. After that, you’ll be free to roam the campus, but not without me or Casey.”
    Was it me, or did this little speech sound rehearsed? He turned to leave. Then paused. “Oh, and if you need anything, just press that button.”He pointed to a small red button on the headboard of the bed.
    “Wait, so I can’t even leave this room?”
    He shrugged. “Sure. Just not the building. If you get bored, I guess you can go talk to Casey.”
    Again he turned to leave, but I had one more