There are kids everywhere.
Kids climbing trees, kids kicking soccer balls, kids shouting and singing and swarming around the Great Field like flocks of migratory birds. Kids hugging each other, overflowing with joy at seeing each other for the first time in a whole year. "We're back! We're back!" a pair of girls shout as they jump up and down in unison.
It's Arrival Day at Camp Cedarcrest. This is when it all starts.
"ALL RIGHT, CAMPERS!"
You'd know Casey Bennett's voice anywhere. You'd also hear Casey's voice anywhere. They didn't make her head cheerleader at Kingsport High just because she was relentlessly perky; she's loud enough to be heard over a full football stadium. "Get to your cabins! Find your counselors!"
You and Pearl spent the morning preparing for this: double-checking the lists of campers and things to do. And also, decorating the cabin. That was Pearl's idea.