Luke Jackson: My Story

Introduction

A/N: FYI, this chapter takes place on the night when Luke and his friends get claimed.

"Alright campers, gather round! Meet up at the fire pit! Come on, let's go, let's go!" Chiron ordered, herding all of us towards the fire pit. This was probably one of my favorite times of the week. Once, sometimes twice a week, everyone would gather around the campfire and we'd sing songs and play games. Would you rather was very popular amongst the campers.

"C-man, do we have some s'mores?" I heard my friend Marcus say, laughing like the idiot he was.

"Marcus Underwood, we will not have the campfire gathering tonight if you call me that one more time." Chiron snorted, staring at Marcus with beady black eyes.

"Ugh, fine C...I mean Chiron." Marcus stammered as Ruth (another one of my friends) giggled from beside me. Ruth was our age, Rachel and Orion were adopting her by the end of the summer and she was thrilled. Ruth had been without parents since she was three years old; and had somehow found her way to Camp and she's lived here year round ever since. I was so happy for her, she deserved a family who would love her.
I couldn't imagine not having my parents in my life, I don't know how I could survive without them.

Ruth was a few inches shorter than I was and had wild curly black hair and eyes so brown they almost looked black. Troy, my friend from childhood, playfully punched Marcus' shoulder. His soft green eyes were wild with humor and his brown hair was naturally swept to one side, kinda like my dad's. And finally beside Troy was Marcus, who was just beginning to get his goat legs. We all teased him about it, but Marcus never took anything seriously, he was definitely one of the funniest, yet dumbest people I've ever met. But our parents were really good friends, so of course he was accepted into our group. He was a riot, and our group hadn't changed since the second week of camp, three years ago.

"You're such an idiot Marcus." Lauren laughed. Sitting beside Marcus was Lauren Winters, my best friend. She'd moved to Long Island when we were in first grade and the two of us had hit it off almost instantly. We were so much alike it was pretty creepy. At school and at Camp, we constantly tried to outsmart each other. We spent lots of time in the arena at Camp, I was determined to beat her at swordplay one day. I don't know how she does it, but she always beats me, leaving me either on the ground, disarmed, or both. Lauren has naturally curled hair, kind of like my mother's, except her's was chestnut colored. Her forest green and soil brown eyes danced and sparkled in the firelight as we sat on our bench away from the smoke.

"What song should we sing?" Someone asked.

"How about kumbaya?" Marcus laughed, Troy did too, the girls and I tried very hard not to join in.

"Marcus, another word from you and you're banned from the fire pit for the rest of the night." Chiron snapped.

"Sorry Chiron." Marcus hung his head low.

"Any suggestions?"

"The Campfire Song Song." Someone snickered.

"Yeass!" Marcus and Troy agreed in unison. The two of them began singing terribly, but everyone joined in anyway.

"Let's gather round the campfire and sing our campfire somg. Our C-A-M-P F-I-R-E S-O-N-G song. And if you you don't think that we can sing it faster than you're wrong. But it'll help if you just sing along. Bum...bum...bum." We sang faster and faster and soon enough everyone was rolling on the floor laughing all except Chiron and Mr. D who shook their heads in disapproval. They had clearly never heard of Spongebob Squarepants before.

After our laughing episode that lasted nearly ten minutes, a golden glow appeared over Troy's head, "Troy, look what's over your head!" I pointed.