The Ghost of Ontario (Part 1) (10 Grade Draft)

Chapter 34: Wrath of the Ghost

The camp counselor grabbed my arm and pulled me towards them, asking, "Is this one yours?"

"She is." Dad said in a calm voice.

"You," growled Mom. She pointed at me. "Saddle up. You're in so much trouble."

"No." I refused, and I ripped my arm free from the counselor's grip. "Not until I find Ihaan."

"Ihaan does not exist!" Mom shouted.

"He does too, Mom!" I planted my feet and crossed my arms. "I'm staying right here! Try to make me move! You won't succeed! Ro told me that Ihaan needs my help! When Ro's here, Ihaan's here!" Every word I spoke, I proved to be true at this point in my story. This is it. Ihaan will no longer be popping up out of nowhere. He's staying once and for all.

        I heard shuffling behind me and the sound of a paddle dropping. Gasping, I whirled around, and my eyes landed on a cabin closest to me, Mom, Dad, the camp kids, and camp counselor. I saw him. I saw Ihaan. "There he is!" I shouted, and I pointed at the cabin.

Mom, Dad, the camp kids, and camp counselors all looked with me.

Ihaan stood in the shadows. He jumped when he saw us.

"AHH!" shouted a few of the camp kids. "IT'S THE GHOST OF ONTARIO!" They quickly hid behind their counselor.

"He's not the Ghost of Ontario!" I said, "He's Ihaan! The Ghost of Ontario lives on Red Squirrel Lake! This is Lake Temagami!"

Ihaan tried to run away, but I made sure he didn't get far. It was finally time for me to prove to the whole world that a mysterious hermit really did live in the Lady Evelyn-Smoothwater Provincial Park. "Ihaan!" I shouted.

        "Eee!" he yelled. His voice cracked. The only way how he could escape into the forest was if he stepped out of the shadows. He made it fast, but he didn't get far. Not on his injured ankle, and not with me standing around. I think I scarred him for life.

Ihaan leaped out of the forest, with his bow and quiver of arrows on his bare back, and he stumbled towards the forest. Immediately, he tripped and fell. On the ground, he closed his eyes and clenched his teeth.

I could tell he was in pain. It was his ankle. There were times when it didn't bother him that much and other times when the pain was excruciating. This was one of those excruciating pain moments, and that was why Ro sought me out. I do not know how Ihaan lived with himself on that ankle. If by any chance he did get medical treatment for it when it was first injured, the doctors most likely would have amputated his foot. This little event proved to me that yes, he once was critically injured.

He reached for his foot but slowly rose.

Narrowing my eyebrows to an angry position, I hurried towards him, and he yelled again. Mom later said I looked like Rey in Star Wars: The Force Awakens when she ran after Finn.

Both hers and Dad's eyes widened when they saw Ihaan. They were in total shock. The camp counselor was too, but of course not the camp kids. They thought Ihaan was the coolest guy ever. The camp counselor, Mom, and Dad, showed off some pretty hilarious faces; faces that read Whaaat?

        Ihaan turned on his heel and limped towards the forest.

Both angry and happy, I chased him. The chase went on for about two minutes. During it, Ihaan and I shared another conversation.

To me, he yelled, "Why are you being so irrational, Little Red?! Remember when you said we're friends at the last portage?"

Since I was so tired that day, I ended up screaming angrily at him. "WHY ARE YOU STILL FOLLOWING ME?! JUST LET ME PROVE TO THE WORLD THAT YOU REALLY ARE REAL!! THAT'S ALL I'M ASKING!!"