India Rose & The Eternals - The Fountain Of Youth Chronicles Vol. 1

Chapter 10 - Life At Camp Outermost

The Montross Island Ferry, 1982, 1:34 P.M, The 4th Day Of Summer

Across the ocean and across the years, another person was battling both her fears and her surprise at a sudden turn of events. As she stood looking over the railing of the ferry boat to Camp Outermost, she saw the white-capped waves of the ocean and felt just as turbulent inside.

She always loved this spot on the ferry. When she was just a toddler, her parents would bring her out to the bow on the various ferries that they traveled. Her Dad would point out seagulls flying around fisherman's boats (there were good scraps to be had there) and the seals laying lazily in the sun on the ledges of rock that peaked out at low tide. Somehow, today, this spot called out to her as she had sat with the other campers in the glassed-in interior of the passenger cabin.

The cabin was filled with happy, chatty campers, looking forward to an exotic summer on a Maine island. Some were from far-away places like New York City and other points south. Some were classmates from her school. Her fellow contest winners, (Bobby and Cynthia) were among the gaggle of campers sitting on their sleeping bags and socializing with one another. Many were going through their bags, sorting outdoor gear, and a few were reading letters and notes their parents had tucked into their suitcases. All were wearing the same bright green t-shirt with the Camp Outermost logo on the front. They had been given these shirts to wear at the ferry terminal by the counselors, who had come over on the ferry to escort the campers on the voyage. Because India was having a hard time matching the enthusiasm of her fellow campers, she left the warmth of the passenger cabin and came out to this spot at the bow to be alone with her thoughts.

She played with a homemade bracelet on her left wrist, a gift from Ireland, that somehow made her feel better. Ireland had been making tokens for her since she was very little. When India had gone to kindergarten, she had left for her first day with a homemade card that her pre-school sister had cobbled together out of mismatched scraps of paper. It was their tradition to trade mementos when they were apart for long stretches, and this summer promised to be a long stretch, indeed. India wished that her sister or her parents could be with her at that moment, to know how confused and alone she felt. What had seemed like a great opportunity just a few days ago, had turned into a dreaded experience; like this ferry was taking her to a prison camp for the summer.

As India was brooding and leaning over the side of the ferry boat, a counselor, who was a college-age young man wearing a yellow, camp STAFF t-shirt, approached her position and also leaned over the side, seeming to enjoy the sea air and the ocean view.

"You look pretty glum, camper," said the young man. "Would you like a stick of gum?" he asked, holding out a pack to her across the railing of the ferry.

"Sure," said India in a gloomy voice, taking a stick of gum and popping it into her mouth.

The young man was quiet for a few seconds before he spoke again.

"Be careful not to blow a big bubble with your gum while you're out here. You might get a splash of salt water on it and then your gum will taste funny afterward. It happened to me on the way to the mainland, and a wonderfully fresh bit of gum was ruined. I had to get a new pack at the ferry dock store because there is nowhere to buy gum on the island."

India laughed out loud at this strange young man, and quite suddenly felt a little better. She absentmindedly blew a bubble with her gum.

"Watch out, now! That's how I started and you know what happened!" teased the young man. "So, camper, tell me, are you going to miss your Mom and Dad?"

India looked back out at the ocean.

"My sister, too. But that's not it. I got in deep trouble with Mrs. Blue a few days ago, and she and my parents made some sort of agreement about a punishment for me out on the Island. I feel like I'm headed to a penal colony or something."