Benny opened the kitchen door and walked in.
“There you are, Benny,” said Maude. “That was perfect timing.” She handed Benny a big bag of marshmallows.
“Can you carry these out to the campfire?” said Maude.
“Are these for s’mores?” asked Benny. Benny loved hot and gooey s’mores. He forgot all about the teens and their grimace.
“Yes, they are,” said Maude. “What is a campfire without s’mores?”
“Yum,” said Benny.
“Here we go,” said Maude. Henry carried the fish, Jessie carried the corn, and Violet carried the chocolate bars and the graham crackers. They all walked down the trail to the fire pit.
“You can put it right here on the picnic tables,” said Maude. The Aldens set all of the food down. There was already a big bowl of coleslaw and a platter of rolls on the table with the red-and-white checkered tablecloth. An ice cooler filled with drinks sat next to the table with the blue-and-white checkered tablecloth.
Maude picked up the long tongs and walked over the fire pit. The fire was already burning, and there were two-dozen foil-wrapped packages on top of the coals.
“What are you making?” asked Violet.
“Fire-baked potatoes,” said Maude as she turned the foil wrapped potatoes over. “They have to cook for over an hour, so I put them in a while ago.”
“It takes a lot of planning to cook outdoors,” said Jessie.
“Yes, it does,” said Maude. “But everything tastes better when you cook it outdoors. And the guests really like it. So we eat outside as long as the weather permits.” She used tongs to put the foil-wrapped corn and fish into the fire. “Dinner will be ready soon.”
More and more lodge guests came down the trail to the fire pit. It looked as if everyone staying at the lodge had come out for dinner.
“They really do like to eat outside,” said Henry.
“The view is much better outside,” said Violet. She took the camera out of her pocket and filmed the people around the fire pit.
“But what about the zombie?” asked Benny.
“That was probably Jake,” said Henry.
Violet turned off her camera. “We don’t know for sure,” said Violet.
“So we won’t say anything,” said Jessie. “Okay, Benny?”
“Okay,” said Benny.
A few minutes later, dinner was ready. Maude used her long tongs and took all of the foil-wrapped food out of the fire. She put all of the food on big platters. As she unwrapped the foil, a wondrous smell filled the air.
Benny stood up and walked to the end of the table. He picked up a plate.
“I think someone is hungry,” said Jessie.
“Benny is always hungry,” said Violet.
Henry came up and stood behind them. “Yes, he is, but this food really does smell delicious.”
“We have to see how our fish tastes,” said Benny.
“You’ll know in a minute,” said Maude. She put a serving of fish on Benny’s plate.
“Thanks,” said Benny. He walked over and sat by the campfire. Violet, Jessie, and Henry joined him.
“Now I can eat our fish,” said Benny. He used his fork to take a big bite. “Mmm!”
Henry took a bite of fish, too. “It’s very tasty.”
“Everything tastes better when you eat outdoors,” said Violet.
Jessie took a bite. “And the fish is fresh, too. We just caught it this afternoon.”
“Right after I saw the zombie,” said Benny. “Maybe it was good luck.”
Jessie gave Benny a quick look.
“I won’t tell anyone,” said Benny. “I promised.”
After the guests were served, Jake filled up his plate and came over to sit with the Aldens. “I see you had good luck with the fish,” said Jake.
“Yes, we did,” said Henry. “It was a good fishing spot.”
“I told you the zombie was good luck,” said Jake.
It was hard for Benny to stay quiet. “I saw . . .” said Benny.
Jessie touched Benny’s arm, and he stopped talking. All of the Aldens looked at Jake. What would he say?
“Jake,” said Maude. “Can you help me?”
“Coming, Grandma,” said Jake. He stood up and took his plate back to the table.
“That was close,” said Violet.
“Sorry,” said Benny.
“After we eat, we can help Maude clean up, too,” said Henry.
“That’s a good idea,” said Jessie.
After the Aldens finished eating, they brought their plates back to Maude. “Where do these go?” asked Jessie.
“The dirty plates go over there,” said Maude. She pointed at a bucket by the end of the table.
“I see it,” said Violet.
The Aldens walked over and put their plates into the bucket.
“Do you want us to collect plates from the other guests?” said Henry.
“That would be wonderful,” said Maude. “And I have a special task for you, Benny.”
“For me?” said Benny. “What do you want me to do?”
Maude pointed at the bag of marshmallows he had carried out earlier. “Can you hand these out to our guests?”
“Sure,” said Benny. He took the bag of marshmallows off the table. Then he walked around the campfire and gave each person two marshmallows. Jake followed behind Benny, passing out sticks.
Benny put the half-empty bag of marshmallows back on the table. Then he sat down and put his own two marshmallows on a stick. He leaned forward and held the marshmallows over the fire.
“Don’t leave your marshmallows on the fire for too long,” said Jessie.
“Or they will burn,” said Violet.
“Or fall into the fire,” said Henry. “Then you’ll have nothing to eat!”
“Oh no! I don’t want that to happen,” said Benny. He pulled his stick out of the fire and put the hot marshmallows on top of the chocolate bar and the bottom graham cracker. After he put the top graham cracker on, he held the s’more tight and pulled out the stick. Mmm . . . now it was time to eat!
Benny took a bite. The outside of the marshmallow was toasted just a bit, but the inside was soft and sticky. S’mores were so good!
“Does anyone have a campfire story?” asked Maude.
“Tell us about the Winding River Zombie,” said Madison. She was sitting on the other side of the fire pit.
Jessie looked at Henry. Now they would find out the story behind the zombie legend. Maybe that would help them figure out who had been walking in the woods this afternoon.
Jake looked over at his grandmother Maude. Maude nodded her head. “Go ahead,” she said. “You know the story.”
Jake leaned in toward the fire. He rubbed his hands together as he looked at the guests gathered around the fire.
Violet turned her camera to record as Jake began the story . . .
“A long time ago, a dead body was found in the forest by the river. It was here in our woods.”
Jake waved his hand at the trees, and the guests at the campfire looked around at the woods.
Benny grabbed Jessie’s hand.
“Don’t be scared,” whispered Jessie. “It’s just a story.”
“Go on,” said Madison.
Jake continued. “It was the old hermit who lived in the woods. A hermit is someone who doesn’t like to be around people. Great Grandpa said the man had lived in the forest for years.”
“How sad,” said Violet.
“My great grandparents called the sheriff,” said Jake, “but he couldn’t find the hermit’s family. No one knew where he came from. So they buried him here in the cemetery by the Winding River.”
Jake pointed toward the river, and everyone looked in that direction.
“Great Grandpa, Great Grandma, and the sheriff were the only ones that came to the service,” said Jake. “But the next day, something strange happened.”
“Uh-oh,” said Benny.
Henry looked at Benny.
“Someone camping along the river said that he saw a stranger walk by his camp-ground right before sunrise,” said Jake. Then Jake stood up and moved his body as if he were walking. But Jake wasn’t walking normally. He was lurching forward, just like he had done earlier at the river.
Benny whispered to Jessie. “Just like the zombie!”
Jessie nodded her head, but she also put her finger to her lips.
Benny nodded back. He would keep the secret.
“The camper walked up to the stranger and tried to help the poor soul,” said Jake. “But when the camper reached out his arm, the stranger grabbed him. Then the stranger tried to bite the camper’s arm with his bloody teeth!”
Jake pretended to bite his own arm.
Violet leaned over to Benny. “Is that what the zombie you saw did?” she whispered.
Benny shook his head. The zombie hadn’t tried to bite anything.
Jake put his palms up and made a pushing motion. “So the camper pushed the stranger over and ran away. He jumped on his horse and left the campground. He left all of his things by the river. His food, his bed roll, his fishing pole, everything . . .”
Jake paused for a minute. Then he lowered his voice and continued . . .
“When the camper came back later with the sheriff, everything at his campsite was still there. It was just as he left it. The stranger wasn’t hungry for food. But what did he want? Why did he try to bite the camper? They just didn’t know.”
Jake shrugged his shoulders. So did Jessie. Biting a stranger was a strange thing to do. It didn’t make any sense.
“Later that day,” said Jake, “the caretaker at the cemetery called the sheriff. Someone—or something—had been digging in the graveyard, and the old hermit’s grave was dug up. The dirt that had covered the coffin was scattered all over the graveyard.”
Jake lowered his voice even more. Everyone had to lean in closer to hear him.
“Inside the grave, the coffin lid was pushed away . . .”
Jake paused and looked at the guests sitting around the campfire.
“What a scoop that would be for my blog!” Madison interrupted. “Maybe even the Gazette!”
Jake quickly looked over at Maude, who was frowning.
Jessie looked at Maude, too. Why was she upset? Then Jessie remembered that Maude didn’t like to talk about the zombie. And she didn’t want visitors to come looking for it either.
Jake looked back at Madison and continued his story. “The coffin was empty,” he said. “The dead man’s body was gone! That’s when they knew that the man they buried had become a zombie.”
Suddenly there was a loud CRACK in the woods. Everyone turned to see what had made the sound.
Henry picked up a flashlight and shone it into the woods. Benny stood behind him. Violet grabbed Jessie’s hand. The noises stopped.
“That was dramatic, wasn’t it?” said Maude. “Who knew that our wildlife had such great timing?”
Some of the guests around the fire pit laughed.
Henry turned and looked carefully at Maude. She looked a bit nervous herself, but she was trying to calm her guests. Henry turned off the flashlight.
“The campfire is almost out,” said Maude. “Jake, can you help me put it out all the way?”
Jake picked up a bucket by the fire pit and tossed sand on the fire. The fire hissed as it went out.
Benny stood up and looked at the woods. Now it was very dark. “Can you turn on the flashlight again, Henry?” said Benny.
“Sure,” said Henry. He flipped the flashlight switch.
Jake walked over to the other side of the fire pit and picked up a rake.
“Will he use that to fight the zombie?” Benny whispered to Henry.
“Benny, you know zombies aren’t real,” said Henry. “Maude said it was just an animal in the woods.”
“Yes, that’s probably what it was,” said Jessie.
“I hope so,” said Violet. “That was a pretty scary story.”
“Yes, it was,” said Benny.
Jake walked around the fire pit and smoothed out the ashes. He poured more sand over the ashes that were still smoldering.
Maude stood up. “Time for bed, everyone.”
“Let us help you clean up,” said Henry. The Aldens picked up the containers they had carried to the fire pit. Jake and the teens helped carry the platters and the dishes back to the lodge kitchen.
“Thank you,” said Maude. “Just leave them on the counter. I’ll wash the dishes while I listen to my music.” She turned on the radio by the sink. It was playing golden oldies music.
“Good night,” said Maude. “Thank you for all of your help. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Good night,” said the teens.
“Good night,” said the Aldens.
Benny could hear Maude singing as they walked down the path. After they passed the first few cabins, the singing faded away. Benny looked nervously at the woods. But nothing else happened.
When they reached their cabin door, Henry opened it. Benny stood at the door and turned around. He took the flashlight from Henry and shone it at the woods.
“Do you see anything?” asked Violet.
“No,” said Benny.
“It was probably just a raccoon,” said Jessie.
“Or a possum,” said Henry. “There are lots of animals that hunt in the woods at night.”
Benny went inside the cabin and closed the door. “That’s what I’m afraid of,” said Benny.
“It’s like Maude said,” said Henry. “It was the timing that made it so dramatic.”
“It was very dramatic timing,” said Violet. “Do you think Jake made the noise?”
“It couldn’t have been Jake,” said Jessie. “Jake was the one telling the story.”
“What about the other teens?” said Henry.
“They weren’t there tonight,” said Violet.
“Do you think Caleb and Abby were in the woods?” asked Henry.
“Caleb,” said Benny. “That reminds me. What is a grimace?”
“A grimace is the look on someone’s face when they are in pain,” said Jessie. “Like this.” She closed her eyes partway and scrunched up her nose as if she had smelled something bad.
“Where did you hear that word?” asked Henry.
“When I was putting away the fishing pole,” said Benny. “Caleb asked if he should make a grimace.”
Violet shook her head. “That doesn’t sound good.”
“Do you think they were talking about the zombie?” asked Benny.
“We’ll have to watch all three of them carefully tomorrow,” said Jessie.
“Good idea,” said Henry. “Now I’m ready for bed.”
Henry, Jessie, and Violet washed up and went to bed.
Benny washed up and put on his pajamas. He lay on the bed, but he couldn’t fall asleep. He couldn’t stop thinking about the zombie.
What if his brother and sisters were wrong? What if there really was a zombie?
Benny heard the owl hoot. Then a light flashed in the window. What was that? Benny sat up in bed. Something was out there in the woods.
Benny looked around the room. Henry, Violet, and Jessie were fast asleep. How could he let them know something was out there in the woods without waking them? He had to show them some proof.
Wait a minute! Where was Violet’s camera?
Benny looked at the nightstand by Violet’s bed. The camera was next to the clock.
Benny walked over to the clock. It was ten o’clock. Benny picked up the camera and turned it on. He filmed the clock and then he walked over to the window.
Out in the woods, he saw a light flashing. The owl hooted again.
What was out there?
Benny filmed the light as it moved away from the cabin. The light moved farther and farther away . . . until it disappeared.
Benny turned off the camera and put it back on Violet’s nightstand.
“I’ll show everyone in the morning,” whispered Benny.
He went back to bed. The zombie was gone, for now. At last, Benny could relax. He pulled the covers to his chin and went to sleep.
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