~ Volume II ~ Chapter 9 ~ Episode 10 ~

Morning arrives. The Bear Scout camping trip comes to an end. “Do we really have to leave?” Josiah asks Aiden.

“Yeah, can’t we just stay for one more day?” Magnus pleads.

“Sorry guys.” Aiden replies. “Not this time, but this isn’t the end of scouting. We’ll be getting together each week to do fun stuff and we can always plan another camping trip in the future.”

“Now how bout’ some breakfast?”

Aiden pours the boys each a bowl of cereal then prepares a bowl for himself. The scouts eat in silence as they try to memorize the scenery around them not wanting to forget a single thing.

Aiden gazes at the four boys as they eat. “How bout’ that. We survived the trip and I didn’t lose anybody!” he beams.

Benjamin and Layton look at one another and break out into laughter. “Well, except for you two yesterday.” he pauses. “But that doesn’t count, does it?” he chuckles.

After breakfast the group pitch in to clean up. Josiah has trash duty while the other boys help with dishes.

“Alright scouts, it’s time to pack up!” Aiden announces. “We need to roll up the sleeping bags and take down the tents, then everything needs to be returned back to the ranger’s station, the table, chairs and cooler included.” All the boys get right to work packing up camp. It doesn’t take long before the site is empty and bare looking. “Good work fellas!” Aiden compliments the boys. “Let’s all take a seat around the firepit.” he says waving the kids over. “I want to say thank you. Thank you for a fantastic scouting experience as a first time Cub Master. I had so much fun spending these past few days with you boys.” Aiden smiles. “Let’s go around in a circle and share one thing that we learned from this trip. I’ll go first. I learned that I’m really going to enjoy being your Cub Master.” He turns to Benjamin.

“I learned to face my fears.” Ben tells the group. “I was nervous about camping cuz I had never camped before. I was excited about the sleeping outside part but I was nervous about all the other parts. I didn’t know what to expect, but now that I did it, I know I really love camping! And I was really scared jumping from the rocks into the water, but I’m glad I did that too because that was really fun!”

Josiah raises his hand. “I learned how to fish. I had never been fishing before.”

Magnus speaks next. “I learned that bears are huge and scary, and if you hear a noise outside your tent when it’s dark, it’s not the best idea to check it out unless you have an adult with you.”

The group laughs. “That night was scary.” they all agree.

“I learned that Ben is really smart when it comes to being outdoors.” Layton begins. “He taught me that you can fish even if you don’t have a fishing pole and how to start a fire without matches or a lighter. He even taught me that you can tell which direction is which just by looking at the sun.” Layton pauses. “I guess I learned that I’m not the best at everything. Ben, you’re a very skilled scout, maybe even better than Logan.”

“Thanks Layton.” Ben smiles, beaming with pride from such a great compliment from the one person who once thought they were the best at everything.

“Okay scouts, there’s only one thing left. Follow me.” Aiden says leading the troop away from the campsite.

The scouts gather in front of the giant statue in the center of the campground for a picture. “Say marshmallow!” Aiden tells them as the ranger snaps a group picture.

“Marshmallow!”

Bear Scout Troop 314 – Camp Granite Falls

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~ Volume II ~ Chapter 9 ~ Episode 9 ~

Layton and Ben exit the tunnel and see no sign of the bear. They both let out a sigh of relief. “Phew!”

“We better hurry if we want to get back before dark.” Ben tells Layton as he watches the sun begin to settle on the horizon.

“It sure feels good to be back among the trees.” Layton says looking at the woodland around him. They waste no time setting back towards camp.

“We made it Layton!” Benjamin shouts spotting their site. “We made it! There’s our campsite.”

“Dad, dad!” Benjamin shouts as he races toward the campsite. His father’s figure now coming into view.

“Ben?” Aiden says aloud hearing his son’s voice faintly. He turns in the direction of the voice. “Ben!” Aiden says again now seeing his son running full force straight towards him. “Oh thank Sims Ben, you’re okay.” Aiden hugs Benjamin tightly feeling relieved that the kids are safe.

“I’ve been so worried about you boys.” he continues, hugging Layton as well.

“Let me see you, you guys okay?” Aiden asks checking Ben over for any injuries.

“Yeah dad, we’re fine.” Ben replies.

With the initial feeling of worry gone, anger now takes over. “Where have you two been? We’ve been looking all over for you! Even the rangers are out searching.” Aiden tells the boys. “I want answers and I want answers now!”

“We got lost Mr. Pickles.” Layton begins.

“We were searching for our scavenger hunt items when a huge brown bear came up behind us.” Ben explains. “We had nowhere to go except to climb into a tunnel.”

“A tunnel?” Aiden questions.

“Yeah, the bear couldn’t reach us in there.” Layton tells Aiden. “We went all the way though the tunnel but when we came out on the other side, we weren’t at camp anymore.”

“You should have followed the yellow brick road, you wouldn’t have gotten lost that way.” Aiden chuckles at his own joke.

“Dad!” Ben hollers. “We’re being serious.”

“Why don’t you boys go join the others for some franks and beans. We’ll talk about this later.” Aiden gestures to the picnic tables where Magnus and Josiah are finishing their dinner. “I gotta call the ranger’s station.” He pulls his phone from his pocket. “Yeah, uh hi. This is Aiden Pickles, Cub Master of Bear Scout troop three one four. I called earlier about two of my missing scouts, yeah well, they’ve returned.” Aiden tells the ranger.

“Where have you guys been?” Magnus asks Ben and Layton as they grab a couple of bowls of franks and beans.

“We were on an adventure!” Benjamin replies excitedly.

“While we were scavenging for out items, a gigantic bear came after us!”

“It was bigger than gigantic!” Layton exaggerates.

“The bear had us cornered with no place to go. Our only way to escape was to go into a scary, dark tunnel.” Ben tells his friends.

“A tunnel? Where did the tunnel go?” Josiah asks intrigued by Ben’s story.

“We’re not sure actually.” Ben answers. “It led us to an open land. We tried to find a different way back to camp but we ended up getting lost.”

“Tell em’ about Logan!” Layton enthuses.

“What about Logan?” Magnus questions.

“We saw him! We saw Logan!” Benjamin shrieks with excitement. “And not like his ghost either, but the real person!”

“No way! You’re lying.” Magnus replies.

“Am not.” Ben says. “He’s an old man now with gray hair and a beard. He must have been living in the woods this whole time! After all, he is the most skilled scout ever!”

“Oh man!” Magnus responds in disbelief. “I wish I was on your team.”

“Why didn’t he come back with you?” Josiah asks.

Benjamin shrugs. “He wasn’t very nice. He was grouchy and yelled at us.”

“You guys should have seen Ben out there though! He was awesome!” Layton brags.

“He made us some fishing poles so we could catch lunch. Then he started a fire using sticks so we could cook the fish. He was amazing!”

Aiden finishes up on the phone. “Alright fellas, it’s our last night here. Who’s ready for some marshmallows?”

“I am!” “Me!” “Me!” “I want marshmallows!” the scouts all cheer.

Aiden gets the fire going while the boys change into their pajamas. “Everybody grab their roasting stick.” he tells them when they emerge from the tents.”Here’s a marshmallow for you, and one for you, and you, and you.” He takes his own place by the fire and slides a marshmallow onto his stick.

“Can you tell us one more story?” Magnus asks twirling his marshmallow in the fire.

“Yeah, please Mr. Pickles, can you? Layton questions.

“It is our last night dad.” Benjamin adds.

Holding the stick too closely to the fire, Aiden’s marshmallow melts quickly and falls into the fire. “Oh no, my marshmallow!” Aiden says looking at his now bare stick.

The boys all laugh, finding Aiden’s marshmallow fiasco funny. “This actually reminds me of a story.” Aiden tells the group. He scoops what’s left of his melted marshmallow out of the fire and tosses it into the woods.

“What’d you do that for? Josiah asks.

“Just keep roasting and I’ll tell you.” Aiden says grabbing himself another marshmallow. “There once was a family that went camping in the woods. It was a mother, a father and their three children. The family were sitting around the campfire roasting marshmallows, and just like me the mom lost her marshmallow to the fire. She dug it out from the flames and whipped it into the woods behind her. As she reached for the bag of marshmallows, she accidentally spilled them causing several marshmallows to fall to the ground. The marshmallows rolled through the dirt, so the youngest son picked them up and tossed the dirty marshmallows into the woods. Soon after, they went to sleep in their tents.”

“This isn’t much of a story.” Layton says pretending to yawn.

“Shhhh.” Benjamin shushes him trying to listen.

Aiden continues. “A short time later, the family was woken to the sounds of their camp being torn apart. They exited the tent to see what is going on and were surprised to see a giant ape like creature standing there. The beast snatched the teenage son up in his hands and ran off into the forest with him. The father chased after the monster but didn’t stand a chance keeping up with the wild beast. Eventually complete exhaustion overtook him; he stopped running and collapsed to the ground. The family was dazed and frightened. They took inventory of what had been damaged and ruined. Soon they discovered that the only food that could be salvaged were a few bags of marshmallows. Too scared to sleep, the father started a campfire, and they began to roast the marshmallows once again. Terrified of the nights affairs, the family’s hands were shaking so badly that to even put a marshmallow on the stick was tricky. The youngest daughter dropped her marshmallow, she kicked at it with her foot and watched as it rolled into the woods. Her brother handed her a clean one, but she dropped that one into the dirt as well. Clearly she was too upset, and too tired to eat so she went to lay down in the tent. Her mother, feeling angry, threw the marshmallow into the woods, letting out a loud scream of anger.”

“That mom must be sad.” Josiah says interrupting Aiden.

“Ssshhhh!” the three boys shush him as they are now getting into the story.

“So….” Aiden goes on. “Hearing the mother’s voice echo throughout the forest, the beast returned. It quickly grabbed a hold of the father giving the rest of the family a once over before darting into the darkness of the trees. Terrified, the mother grabbed her two children each by the arms and took off running in the opposite direction. They ran until the sun began to rise where they came to a small town. Finding the sheriff, the mom frantically told him what had happened. The sheriff then explained to the family that over the years they had learned that the giant beast had a terrible sweet tooth; that the scent of roasting marshmallows attracts it from miles away. Those who absent-mindedly throw marshmallows into the woods had inadvertently ‘shared’ with the monster, thereby saving their own lives. And those who didn’t toss a marshmallow into the woods, well, the Sasquatch simply took them, never to be seen again. It wasn’t until then that it dawned on her that she and her two young children threw the marshmallow into the woods and they had survived each attack. Her husband and teenage son didn’t toss a marshmallow into the forest and they were the ones to get captured and taken by the creature. ” Aiden looks around at the group, their eyes fixated on him. “I tossed my marshmallow in the woods, did you?” he grins. Magnus and Layton both quickly grab a marshmallow and toss them into the woods. Aiden chuckles. “C’mon boys, time to brush our teeth and go to bed. We got a lot of packing to do tomorrow before we head home.”

After grabbing his toothbrush from the tent, Josiah quickly grabs a marshmallow and throws it into the bushes. “Aren’t you gonna throw one?” he asks Ben.

“Naw, it’s just a silly story.” Ben replies.

The troop hike down to the bath house together. Aiden waits while they take turns using the facility and brush their teeth.

When they return back to the site the scouts climb into the tents for what will be their last night at camp. “Ben?” Aiden calls, when his son doesn’t follow him and Layton into the tent.

“Coming.” Ben replies crumpling the bag of marshmallows closed. He tosses the sweet treat into the woods. “Just in case.” he whispers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~ Volume II ~ Chapter 9 ~ Episode 8 ~

Benjamin and Layton make their way through the damp, dark tunnel. “I can see some light up ahead.” Ben says as they approach the exit.

“Where are we?” Layton asks as they exit the tunnel. “This sure doesn’t look like the campground.”

“Look, maybe the camp is on the other side of that hill.” Ben says pointing to a big hill in the distance. They take off running, their boots pounding the hard ground as they run.

They hurry up the hill, hopeful camp is just on the other side.

But when they reach the top, they are disappointed to find nothing but open space.

“Now what?” Layton asks. “Ben, we gotta find our way outta here.”

“Take a deep breath.” Benjamin tells his fellow scout. “We’ll either find our way out or someone will find us, don’t worry.”

“Oh yeah? What if we go missing like that Logan kid?” Layton taps his foot.

“Trust me, we’re not gonna go missing. Besides, that story was just a made up ole’ tale to scare us kids. It’s not real.” Benjamin tells Layton. “C’mon, let’s keep going.” The boys begin running once again. “This way!” Ben waves. They scurry up another hill but come to an abrupt stop when they reach the top. Ben let’s out a loud scream that echos throughout the valley.

“What are you kids doing here?” a man wearing a plaid shirt and torn pants asks, his voice raspy and gruff sounding.

Feeling scared, Layton answers. “A big brown bear was after us back there. We got away just in time.”

“A bear huh?” the man replies.

“Uh-huh.” Ben nods. “Is there a way out of here?” he asks.

The man grumbles. “Urgh, I dunno.” he shakes his head as if irritated.

“Look, my name is Ben and he’s Layton. What’s your name?”

“What’s it matter to ya?” the man replies.

“I’m just trying to be friendly.” Benjamin answers.

“Please mister uh…..” Layton pauses not knowing what to call the man.

“Logan, my name is Logan.” the man says, his voice gruff.

Ben’s eyes light up. “Logan? Did you say Logan?! You’re that lost scout! It’s true! The story is true!”

“What story? What are you talking about?” Logan scratches his head.

“The Bear Scout that got lost in the night while camping! His name was Logan!” Ben explains. “He was the most skilled scout of all. Have you been living here in the woods the entire time?”

“Look kid, I don’t know what you’re talking about but it’s time for you boys to go. Shoo! Go on, get outta here!” the man points becoming angry.

Ben and Layton turn and begin to walk away. “Ya know what, forget it!” Ben shouts at the man. “I must be mistaken. A Bear Scout would never speak to a fellow Bear Scout that way.”

“C’mon Layton, let’s go. We’ll find our own way out of here. I don’t want or need his help anyway!” The man stands on the hill and watches as Layton and Benjamin make their way down the hill. He watches them walk into the distance until they are no longer in his line of sight. The scouts walk for quite a while when Ben suddenly stops.

“What now?” Layton asks nervously.

“Listen.” Ben says standing quiet. “I hear water.” The boys take off running full speed toward the sound.

“My feet are tired.” Layton complains as he begins to slow down.

“C’mon Layton, we gotta keep moving. We’re almost there!” Ben tells him as he pushes forward. Benjamin is only a short distance ahead when he stops abruptly. Putting his hands on his hips, he takes a deep exhilarating breath. “Layton, you gotta see this!”

In the near distance is a reservoir containing crystal clear water, complete with a roaring waterfall. “We can catch some fish there I bet.” Ben suggests. “I know I’m a little hungry, you?”

Layton shrugs. “After that whole fish dinner back at camp, I’m not so sure.” Both the boys laugh. They rig together make-shift poles and toss em’ into the water.

“Let’s hope we can catch something.” Benjamin says crossing the fingers on one of his hands.

It doesn’t take long before the fish are biting at Ben’s bait. He quickly and firmly tugs at his pole thus pulling a fish from the water. “I got one!” he shouts excitedly. Layon pulls his line from the water, checks his bait and casts it out again. Ben re-baits his line and launches far into the water. Within seconds he has another bite. “I got another!” he cheers. “Two fish is plenty. We can each have one. Now we need to make a fire to be able to cook them.”

“I saw a place back there.” Layton points, showing Benjamin the way. “Right here Ben!” he calls as Benjamin walks on by.

“Where are you going?” Layton hollers.

“To find kindling! I’ll need it to start the fire!” Ben hollers back.

“You sure you can start a fire?” Layton asks when Ben returns.

Benjamin nods. “Guess we’ll find out.” he chuckles. Taking two sticks and a small pile of dried up pine needles, Ben kneels next to the fire pit. He begins his attempt at fire making by rubbing the sticks together.

“Do you even know what you’re doing?” Layton questions.

Trying to stay focused, Ben doesn’t answer. He applies a little more pressure as he moves the stick rapidly against the other. Like magic, the stick begins to smoke. “Layton, it’s smoking!” Ben says grinning. Moving quickly and carefully, he transfers the ember to the dried pine needles that he’s placed into the fire pit and blows gently giving it the oxygen it needs to catch. “C’mon, light. Please light.” Benjamin says continuing to blow a little more agressively. With that, the needles ignite! “And we have fire!” Benjamin announces. He adds the kindling he scrounged up and adds that to the flames. In no time, Ben has a decent size fire started, enough to cook a couple of fish on.

Ben and Layton secure their fish on sticks and roast them over the flames.

“It’s not so bad.” Benjamin says tasting his fish once it’s done cooking.

“We should keep going.” Layton tells Ben. “It’s going to get dark soon. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be out here alone all night.” Layton grabs a bucket of water and extinguishes the fire. The wood makes a sizzling sound.

With their bellies now full, the scouts continue their search for the way back to camp. “Look! Butterflies!” Ben says running towards the bright blue insects. He cusps his hands together and catches one. “Got it!”

“Ben, what are you doing?” Layton asks. “We don’t have time for that.”

Benjamin grins. “It’s still not too late to win the scavenger hunt.”

“Ugh Ben! Let’s go.”

The boys walk for what seems like hours. “See anything that looks like camp?” Benjamin asks.

“Nope. Just a bunch of land and rocks.” Layton replies. “Didn’t Granite Falls have more trees?”

“Wait!” Benjamin says getting an idea. “I just thought of something.” He looks up to the open sky and points at the sun. “The sun is going that way, so that must be west. We were walking west while still at the campground, I saw the sun in the sky. So we need to go east, which is this way.” Ben points.

Layton gives him a strange look. “You got all that out of the where the sun is?”

“Yes!” Ben answers. “You can use the sun as a compass. The sun rises in the east and sets in the west. C’mon, I’ll show you.” The boys walk east for approximately an hour.

“Are you sure this is right?” Layton asks.

“No, but it’s the best we’ve got.” Ben replies. They continue to walk until they reach a fallen tree. Looking over the hillside Benjamin is astounded when he spots the tunnel entrance.

“Layton look! There it is! The way out!” Both boys bounce up and down excitedly, shouting happily. “Hurry, let’s go!” They take off in a full sprint toward the tunnel running as fast as their feet will carry them.

“Think the bear is waiting for us?” Layton asks as they approach the tunnel.

“I dunno.” Ben replies. “But there’s only one way to find out.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~ Volume II ~ Chapter 9 ~ Episode 7 ~

The house clears out and Wesley returns home from a day out with Elliot. “Hi hunny.” he greets Jade as he enters the house, both babies screaming loudly.

“A little help here.” Jade replies as she tries to comfort Liam.

“What’s wrong with them?” Wesley asks as he picks up the screaming infant.

“I don’t know about Lucas but I think Liam is hungry.” she answers.

“Liam is always hungry.” Wesley laughs. “Want me to go ahead and feed him?”

“Not unless your milk came in.” Jade giggles. She begins unlatching her bra and holds Liam to her bare breast. “Hunny, that’s Lucas.”

“Can’t we put colored string around their ankles or something so I can tell them apart, geesh.” Wesley chuckles. “I don’t even know who my children are.”

Jade laughs. “We’re not stringing our boys!”

Wesley bounces the baby, rocks the baby and tries holding the baby in different positions. “It’s okay Luke, daddy’s got you.”

“You are still Luke, aren’t you?” he says jokingly.

“Here, switch with me.” Jade says. ” I think Lucas may be hungry too. You get diaper duty. I’ll feed, you change.”

“Sure, I get the stinky end of the kid.” Wesley jokes. “How fair is that?”

******

Later that evening when Jade and Wesley are getting ready for bed, Jade massages Wesley’s shoulders. “Ahhhh, that feels good.” he says, closing his eyes, fully enjoying the feeling.

“How was fishing with my grandpa?” Jade asks.

“It was a lot of fun actually. He’s a great fisherman, I had no idea he knew so much about fish or bait.” Wesley replies. “I’d love to get out there on a boat in the open waters with him.”

“I guess he was always outdoors as a young boy. He learned a lot of his outdoor skills from scouting.” Jade tells Wesley.

“Scouting is great. I love that your dad and Ben are doing it together. Maybe when the twins are older they’ll wanna be Bear Scouts.” Wesley says turning to Jade.

“I’d love for them to be involved in something, whether it be sports or scouting or music.” Jade replies.

“How was your day?” Wesley asks. “Were my little guys good for you at least?”

“Liam and Lucas were fine.” Jade assures Wesley. “My mom stopped by with Bristol and Brooklyn. We had a nice visit. Until my Grammie tried breastfeeding Liam.”

“She did what?” Wesley asks caught off guard by Jade’s statement.

“Grammie was having one of her al-simmer episodes.” Jade explains. “She kept thinking that the twins were my dad and uncle! I came up to take a shower and my mom told me that Grammie started to undress in order to feed Liam.”

“Thank Sims my mom was there to stop her, otherwise I could have stumbled upon our little Liam latched on to Grammie’s wrinkly breast. Ewwwww!” Jade shudders at the thought.

“Not the most attractive vision. Thanks Jade.” Wesley says sarcastically.

“We’re gonna really need to be watchful of her around the babies.” Jade tells Wesley.

“Jade, don’t you think you’re over-reacting, even just a little?”

“Over-reacting? No! Wes, I know she’d never intentionally hurt the boys, but with these al-simmer episodes, we don’t know what she’ll do. I’d never in a million years think she’d ever try to nurse our children!” Jade pauses. “All as I’m saying is we need to be more careful. I think maybe it’s time we get the nursery in order.”

“What’s having the nursery gonna do?” Wesley questions.

“Grammie never ventures upstairs. I feel like the boys would be safe up here.” Jade responds.

“Safe.” Wesley chuckles.

“What? Why are you laughing?” Jade asks. “You make me feel like I’m being overly paranoid or something.”

“I’m just trying to make sure the boys are safe from any potential situations, that’s all.”

Wesley slides closer to Jade, looking her directly in the eyes. “I’m sorry I laughed.” he apologizes. “I admire the fact that you’re looking out for our children’s safety. With your grandmother’s disease, you’re absolutely right about not knowing what could happen. It’s better to be safe than sorry. We can pick out nursery colors and decor tomorrow.”

“Thank you for understanding.” Jade gives Wesley a smooch. “We better get some sleep. Sims knows these two won’t for very long.”

Wesley and Jade climb into bed. Their heads sink into their pillows as they pull the blankets up over them. “After being on my feet all day in those boots, this feels nice.” Wesley says closing his eyes.

Jade replies with a whisper as she dozes off, “I’m so tired I feel like I could sleep forever.”

Ten minutes later, as if the time of night were programmed in them…… “Waa! Waa!”

 

******

The next morning, the Bear Scouts have some free time after breakfast. Benjamin and Josiah play a few rounds of horseshoes while Layton and Magnus goof around together on the monkey bars.

“Boys!” Aiden calls out. “I need you all over here for a meeting please.” he says standing near the fire pit. The scouts each take a seat and listen to what their Cub Master has to say. “Good morning scouts!” Aiden begins.

“Good morning!” the boys reply.

“What are we gonna do today?” Josiah asks excitedly.

“How does a scavenger hunt sound?” Aiden replies.

“A scavenger hunt, yeah!” Benjamin cheers happily.

“What’s a scavenger hunt?” Layton asks.

“We get a list of stuff we have to find. It’s a race to see who can find everything first.” Benjamin explains.

“That’s right.” Aiden says. “This is a game to teach you about teamwork. Ben and Layton, you’ll be on one team, and Magnus and Josiah, you’ll be on the other.”

“You’ll each have a list with the same items to find. Which ever team finds all their items first, wins. If neither team finds all the items, the team with the most finds wins.” Aiden hands each team a list. “Remember, stay together with your buddy. No splitting up. On your mark, get set, go!”

Benjamin and Layton take off running in one direction.

While Magnus and Josiah dart off in the other direction.

“First item, an empty soda pop can.” Layton says.

“Sometimes people litter. Maybe we’ll find one in the bushes or something.” Ben replies. “Or in a recycle bin at a cabin.”

“Or maybe we’ll find one in here.” Layton says, stopping at a trash receptacle.

“In the garbage?” Benjamin questions.

Layton nods. “I can see one, it’s right there.” he points.

Benjamin approaches the barrel and peers inside. Sure enough, an empty can lies at the bottom. “Watch out.” Ben warns as he thrusts himself up and into the barrel.

“Got it!” he grins, holding up the empty can of grape soda.

“Item one, check.” Layton marks the can off list.

“What else do we need to find?” Ben asks.

“We need to find a frog, a butterfly, a ladybug, an element, and a crystal.” Layton tells his partner.

“I know just where to look for frogs!” Ben enthuses. The duo take off running.

“Got our frog!” Magnus announces as he pulls the amphibian from deep within a log.

“I wonder what Layton and Ben have already found.” Josiah says.

“I dunno, but let’s keep moving.”

“There!” Benjamin points. “Check in that log for frogs. They like to hide in there.”

Layton feels around the inside of the cool, moist hunk of wood. “I got one!” he shouts surprised when he feels the slippery toad within his fingers.

“C’mon, we gotta keep moving!” Ben says, waving Layton on. Keeping their eyes peeled for any butterflies or ladybugs, the boys move deeper and deeper into the woods. “Look Layton, a rock!” Ben quickly pulls out his digging tools and begins hammering away. “I betcha there’s a crystal inside. I read about it in science class.”

Cracking the rock open, Benjamin finds a crystal hidden inside. “See! It’s a crystal.” Ben tells Layton holding up the shiny gem. “I think it’s citrine, or something. Let’s keep looking.” The two scouts walk and walk searching for the remaining items on their scavenger hunt list.

“Ben look! Another rock!” Layton points. “Lemme see those digging tools.” Benjamin hands him the tools.  Layton bangs and bangs on the rock.

“It-won’t-crack.” Layton says becoming frustrated.

“Want me to try?” Ben asks.

“No. I got it.” Layton answers. “I’m the best when it comes to digging.” Tired of hearing Layton say he’s the best at everything, Ben walks away to search for ladybugs and butterflies. Not paying much attention to where he’s walking, he gasps when he notices some sort of entrance way hidden within the brush.

“Whoa!” Ben says staring at the opening. “Layton, you gotta see this!”

“No Ben, you gotta see this. Look, I got us our element.” Layton holds the piece of oxypin in his hand.

Ben stands silent, pointing.

Layton’s eyes grow wide when he sees what Benjamin is pointing to. “Wow! I wonder where it goes?” He and Ben both take a few steps closer to try to get a better look inside.

“Should we go in and check it out?” Layton asks as he steps even closer.

“No Layton, don’t!” Ben calls out. “I’m not going in and we have to stay together, rule one, remember?”

“Well what if I go in? You’ll have to come in then, right? I’m the best at exploring.” Layton steps a little closer to the opening.

“Layton! I’m leaving!” Benjamin hollers, now angry. “You better come with me or you’ll be in big trouble! And if you don’t, you’ll probably get kicked out of Bear Scouts!” Ben turns to leave. As he starts to walk, he hears a noise in the woods. “Uh Layton, did you hear that?”he asks nervously.

“Did I hear what?” Layton asks joining Ben at his side.

“That noise. I heard a noise.” Ben replies, squinting to see out into the forest. “Oh my Sims Layton! Is that a bear?”

“Where?”

Ben points into the forest. “See it? It’s right there! It’s standing right there!” he begins to panic.

Layton positions himself next to Ben and scans the trees before him. “No, I don’t see……” Layton pauses when his eyes lock on the giant brown bear standing among the trees.

He gasps. “I see it! I see it Ben!”

“What do we do Layton? What do we do?” Benjamin asks on the verge of tears.

“We’re trapped!” Ben cries out. He notices the bear is now coming their direction. “We gotta go in there! It’s the only way.” Ben gestures to the entrance way.

“C’mon Layton, hurry!” Benjamin says leading the way.

The bear gets closer and closer.

Ben pushes his way through the thick sticks, vines and prickers that block the entrance. Layton follows close behind. “Go Ben go!” Layton tells him. “I think the bear is coming. I can hear it breathing.” The bear attempts to follow the boys, but is quickly detoured by the prickers that block it’s way in. The two boys venture their way through the darkness, not knowing where it leads. They only know a bear waits for them the way they came.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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~ Volume II ~ Chapter 9 ~ Episode 6 ~

Anika and the girls arrive at Jade and Wesley’s shortly after leaving Sage and Jayla’s. Excited to see her nephews, Bristol walks quickly up the driveway.

“Mom!” Jade greets her guests.

“What are you guys doing here?” she asks surprised to see them.

“Dad is off on a camping trip with the Bear Scouts and Hunter is out for the day. So us girls decided we wanted some baby time.” Anika replies.

“Well there’s plenty of baby here to go around!” Jade giggles. She gestures to the bassinets in the living room. “Go say hello to your nephews girls.”

Both Brooklyn and Bristol dart into the living room while Jade and Anika continue to chat in the foyer. “I wonder which one is which?” Brooklyn says peering down at the tiny bundle. “Cootchie-coo!” she tickles the baby.

“This Lucas?” Bristol asks her sister.

Brooklyn shrugs. “I dunno, the both look exactly the same!”

Overhearing the girls speak, Naomi approaches Bristol. “He’s cute, isn’t he?” she says lifting the baby from his bed. She cradles him in her arms and rocks him gently.

“That Lucas?” Bristol asks her grandmother.

“This baby here? No, this is Aiden.” Naomi replies. Brooklyn’s attention is immediately drawn to Naomi and the baby.

“Aiden my dad!” Bristol giggles.

“Silly Grammie, that’s not Aiden!” Brooklyn tries to correct her obviously confused grandmother. “Aiden is your son, my dad. He’s not a baby.”

Naomi stands looking confused.

Bored with the conversation, Bristol works her way over to the other baby. “Hi baby.” she says tickling his feet.

Naomi follows and watches Bristol’s every move.”That’s my Oliver.” she says with a smile. “Those babies are twins ya know.”

Bristol pats the baby on the belly. “Hi Oliver.” she says.

“Bristol, that is not Oliver! Oliver is our uncle, remember?” Brooklyn says becoming a bit worked up. “These babies are our nephews, Liam and Lucas.”

“This Lucas?” Bristol asks.

“No dear, I’ve already told you, that’s Oliver.” Naomi responds before Brooklyn has a chance.

“Ugh!” Brooklyn sighs hurrying over to her mother and Jade.  “Jade, Jade.” she interrupts.

“Brook, mom and I are talking.” Jade replies. “Don’t be rude, say excuse me.”

Brooklyn shoots her sister a look of annoyance.

“Excuse me please! Grammie is getting the boys all mixed up.” Brooklyn says.

“She usually does.” Jade replies. “It’s hard to tell them apart sometimes. Even Wesley gets them mixed up from time to time. It’s not a big deal.”

“No! What I mean is that she thinks that Liam and Lucas are her babies! She keeps calling them Aiden and Oliver.” Brooklyn explains.

“We better go in there. Sounds like she’s having one of her episodes.” Anika says entering the living room. “Hi mom.” she greets Naomi. “How are you?” Anika asks making small talk.

“Talia home?” Bristol asks Jade.

Jade nods. “Yeah, she’s up in her room.

“Upstairs?” Bristol points.

“Uh-huh.” Jade nods again. ” I’ll call her down for you. “Talia!” Jade hollers up the stairwell. “Brooklyn and Bristol are here!” Immediately the sound of Talia’s boots can be heard clicking against the hard wood floor. She makes her way down the stairs.

Bristol’s face light’s up when she sees her niece. “Talia!” she shouts giving Talia a giant hug. “I miss you!”

“I missed you too.” Talia replies. “Wanna see my baby brothers?’ she asks. Bristol nods excitedly. “This one is Liam.” Talia says smiling down at her brother. “He likes when I make silly faces at him.”

“It’s time for Mr. Liam to eat.” Jade says scooping the baby up into her arms. She unlatches her nursing bra, raises her shirt and begins to breastfeed her son.

Seeing the baby suckle at her sister’s breast, Bristol gasps. “Gasp!”

“No boobie!” she shouts. Talia and Brooklyn burst into laughter.

“Girls, girls, enough.” Anika shushes them. “Bristol doesn’t understand what is happening, that’s all.” She gestures to the sofa. “Bristol, come sit honey.” Bristol plops herself down on the side of Naomi. “Sweetie, baby Liam is nursing. Jade has milk in her boobies.” Talia and Brooklyn burst into a fit of laughter again. “Girls please.” Anika says. “This is a learning moment for Bristol, and an important one.”

“Sorry mommy.” Brooklyn apologizes.

“Yeah, sorry Nana.” Talia adds.

“That’s how baby Lucas and Liam eat.” Anika continues. “They drink the milk from their mommy.”

“Like a baby kitty cat!” Bristol giggles.

Anika laughs. “Yes, just like a baby kitty cat.”

“Wow, you’re good.” Jade compliments her mother. “I hope I’m as good as you when I have to explain stuff to my kids.”

“You’re already doing a wonderful job Jade. Talia is blossoming nicely and theses guys,” she gestures to the babies, “well boys are always easier.” Anika smiles.

“Can you do me a favor?” Jade asks her mother. “Can you keep your eye on the boys while I hop in the shower real quick?”

“Sure honey, go right ahead.” Anika answers.

“Thanks mom, you’re a lifesaver!”

Only a few moments after Jade heads upstairs to shower, Lucas begins to fuss. “I know what to do. I got him.” Naomi says shuffling her way over to the bassinet. She picks up the crying baby and rocks him gently in her arms.

Lucas lets out a loud burp then settles within moments. “See? I know just how to take care of them.” Naomi tells Anika. ”

“You sure do mom.” Anika replies. “You’ve cared for many babies over the years. We’ve got a lot of Pickles in our Pickle jar, don’t we?”

Naomi lays Lucas back down and peers over at Liam. She proceeds to lift Liam from his cradle.

Liam begins to cry. “I think he’s hungry.” Naomi tells Anika. “I’m going to go ahead and feed him.”

Anika glances around the room looking for a bottle. Not finding one, she looks back to Naomi who is attempting to remove the upper portion of her dress.

“Mom!” Anika shouts startling Naomi.

Naomi jumps. She quickly lays the baby back down. “What? I was just going to feed him. He likes mother’s milk best.”

“Bottles mom, you  feed them with baby bottles.” Anika takes Naomi by the hand and guides her over to the sofa. “Hate to break the news to ya mom, but your mother’s milk dried up a long time ago. These babies here are Jade and Wesley’s boys. Your boys are all grown up into wonderful men and fathers. Those babies are not Aiden and Oliver, they’re Liam and Lucas.”

Naomi’s face drops.

“But they are your great-grand babies!” Anika adds trying to cheer her up.

“My great-grand babies?” Naomi chuckles finding amusement in those words. “Do I have regular grand babies then?” she asks, her face turning serious.

“Oh yes!” Anika smiles. She calls up the stairs to Brooklyn and Bristol who have since gone to Talia’s room to play. The girls come skipping down the stairs. “Grammie would like to see you.” Anika tells them.

Both girls take a seat next to Naomi. “I’m Naomi. What’s your name?” Naomi asks the stranger at her side.

“Grammie, I’m Brooklyn!” Brooklyn replies. She snuggles up next to her grandmother aware of Naomi’s disease. “I know you forget me sometimes, but I’ll never forget you. I love you Grammie.” Brooklyn says giving Naomi a gentle squeeze.

“Hi, I’m Naomi.” Naomi says turning to Bristol. Bristol scoots herself closer to her grandmother. “Have we met?”

Brisol nods. “You come to my birthday party.” Bristol answers.

“I did?” Naomi smiles. “You must have had a special birthday.”

“I have balloons.” Bristol smiles.

“Balloons, wow. Sounds neat.” Naomi stares at the girl, Bristol stares back.

Like a flick of a switch, Naomi is back. “Ya know, Grammie’s memory isn’t what it used to be.” Naomi tells Bristol. “But I want you to know that even when my mind doesn’t remember you so well, my heart never forgets.”

Bristol wraps her skinny arms around her grandmother. “My heart never forget either.” she whispers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~ Volume II ~ Chapter 9 ~ Episode 5 ~

Meanwhile, back at home….

“What are you making mommy?” Brooklyn asks Anika as she dangles her feet from the stool and watches as her mother cracks several eggs on the side of the mixing bowl.

“Banana bread.” Anika replies stirring the contents of the bowl together.

“Mommy.” Brooklyn says with a quizzical expression on her face. “Where did you learn to cook?”

Anika pours the mixture into a loaf pan and slides it into the oven. “Well sweetie, I learned most of my cooking skills by watching Grammie cook. I moved into this very house with Grammie when I was a teenager ya know.”

“You did?” Brooklyn’s face lights up.

Anika nods. “I did.” she smiles back. “Daddy was a teenager too. We were just boyfriend and girlfriend then and we had found out we were gonna have a baby.” Anika smiles as she recollects the memories. “Grammie was always cooking or baking something. I guess I must have picked up some of her talent just by watching.”

Brooklyn giggles.

“What’s so funny?” Anika asks.

“Mommy, I’ve tasted your meatloaf…yuck!” she laughs while sticking out her tongue.

“Hey!” Anika replies feeling slightly offended. The oven timer dings. She pulls the banana bread from the oven. “But look at how good this loaf looks.” she smiles. placing the plate on the counter.

Anika cuts herself, Brooklyn and Bristol each a slice. Then she waits for a response. “It’s yummy mommy!” Brooklyn says licking her lips.

“Ya know girls, I was thinking. Since daddy and Ben are camping, and Hunter is gone for the day with friends, why don’t the three of us go and visit Sage, Jayla and the baby.”

“Yeah! Can we?!” Brooklyn cheers excitedly.

“What do you think Bristol? Do yo want to go see baby Michiko?” Anika asks.

“I can hold baby?” Bristol responds.

“Bristol, Sage will probably let you hold Michiko if you sit in a chair with her. You’ll have to hold her head real good. Just like I showed you with your baby dolls.” Brooklyn explains to her sister.

“That’s right.” Anika agrees finding their conversation cute.

Bristol smiles from ear to ear.

“Let’s finish eating then I’ll give Sage a call to make sure they’re up for some company.” Anika says.

“I make face to Michiko.” Bristol giggles. “Like this.” Bristol makes a silly face and waves her hands in the air.

“You don’t want to be too loud or move too fast, that might scare Michiko.” Brooklyn tells Bristol. “You have to talk quietly and be gentle.”

“Now hurry and eat. The faster we eat, the faster we can go see the baby.” Brooklyn instructs her sister.

Once finished, Anika make a call to Sage. “Hello Sage, it’s mom. The girls and I were wondering if you ladies are up for some company today.”

While Anika speaks to Sage, Brooklyn and Bristol each lend a hand in cleaning up. Brooklyn takes care of the leftovers.

While Bristol washes the dishes in the sink.

“Thanks for helping girls.” Anika tells them when she disconnects with Sage. “C’mon, we got a baby to go visit!”

******

The Pickles trio arrive at Sage and Jayla’s.

“Hi girls!” Sage greets them, happy to see her sisters. “Do you want to come see Michiko? Jay and I just finished re-doing her nursery a few days ago.”

“Yeeeaaaahhhhh!” Bristol shouts, overly excited. “Baby, baby, baby!”

“Okay, follow me.” Sage tells them leading the way. “Try to be a little quieter though, we don’t want to startle her.”

“The nursery came out beautiful.” Anika says admiring the room. “I just love the yellow and pink together.”

“Hi baby.” Bristol says peering into the bassinet. “Chiko.”

“Mi-chiko” Sage giggles.

“MI-CHIKO!” Bristol shouts jumping toward the baby. Startled, the infant begins to cry. “No cry. No cry.” Bristol says waving her hands about.

“Oh no!” Bristol panics. “MI-chiko cry.”

She runs to the arm chair in the corner and hides her face.

“It’s okay Michiko.” Brooklyn says softly as she approaches the bassinet. The baby continues to wail.

“Here, let me try.” Sage says lifting the baby. “She’s probably hungry.” Michiko suckles at the bottle.

“See, she was hungry.” Sage says as she pulls the empty bottle from the baby’s mouth and returns Michiko to her cradle. “Hey Bristol.” Sage says turning to her sister. “Don’t be upset that Michiko cried, she cries at me and Jayla all the time. And we’re her mommies!”

“She does?” Bristol asks.

Sage nods. “That’s what babies do, they cry. I remember when you used to cry.”

“I cry too?” Bristol giggles.

“You sure did. And Brooklyn and Ben.” Bristol breaks out into laughter finding that funny. “Get over here and give your big sister a hug.” Sage says stretching her arms out wide. She wraps them around Bristol tightly. “I love you Bristol Pickles, and so does Michiko.”

“Awww, she’s sleeping.” Anika whispers. “I could watch a sleeping baby all day.”

“We’re not gonna though, are we?’ Brooklyn asks as she stares at the sleeping infant not quite finding the amusing part.

“I think she’s fighting a cold or something.” Sage says peering over at her daughter. “She’s been napping a little more than usual the past couple days.”

“Then maybe we’ll go.” Anika replies. “If she’s not feeling well, I wanna let her get the rest she needs.”

“Noooo. I wanna stay. Pleeasse!” Bristol begs. “I wanna play baby.”

Anika thinks for a moment. “I have an idea!”

“Jade hasn’t started at the studio yet. We can go visit Liam and Lucas. Then you can see two babies!”

“Yeaaaahhhh!” Bristol cheers loudly waking Michiko. The baby begins to cry.

“Sorry Sage.” Anika cringes. “We’ll come back another time, when Michiko is feeling better.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~ Volume II ~ Chapter 9 ~ Episode 4 ~

Back at camp after their fishing excursion, the scouts have some time to spare. “Can we go swimming dad? Pleeeaaasssee?” Benjamin begs.

Aiden thinks for a moment. “I guess we can go swimming.” he pauses. “On one condition…..I jump first!” he winks. The boys all cheer as they hurry to change into their swimsuits. Once changed into their suits, the boys meet up on the edge of the water hole. The group watch silently as Aiden climbs the mountain of stacked rocks. “Woo!” Aiden shouts feeling exhilerated, peering down from the top. He counts, “One, two, three!” Aiden curls his body attempting to complete the ultimate cannonball.

‘SPLASH’ He hits the water, forcing water to fly everywhere.

“Oohh, that’s cold.” Benjamin shivers as water splashes on him.

“My turn!” Layton calls out. “Wait till you guys see this.” he brags. Layton climbs the rocks. Once at the top he shows off a bit, flexing his muscles and such.

Feeling annoyed by Layton’s swagger behavior, Benjamin rolls his eyes.

“C’mon guys, let me hear you make some noise!” Layton calls from atop the rocks. He raises and lowers his arms attempting to get the scouts to cheer for him.

“Why’s he always got to show off?” Ben asks Josiah as they both take a seat on the log to wait their turns.

“I dunno.” Josiah sighs. “Layton always thinks he’s the best at everything.”

“I can’t hear you!” Layton puts his hand to his ear.

“Woo! Go Layton!” Magnus cheers. Satisfied that at least somebody cheered, Layton dives into the lagoon landing with a belly flop. With his stomach still stinging, Layton swims to the side.

“Ben, you’re up!” Aiden calls out. Ben looks nervously at Josiah.

“You got this Ben!” Josiah smiles. “Surely you can do better than a belly flop! Go show Layton what you’ve got!”

“Thanks Jo!” Benjamin grins.

Ben approaches the rocks and slowly begins to make his way up.

“Go Ben!” Josiah cheers. Layton shoots him an unpleasant look. Benjamin reaches the top and stands nervously overlooking the basin of water below.

“I don’t know about this.” Ben says quietly once he sees how high he is.

“Jump Ben!” Aiden hollers as he watches his son. Benjamin takes a step forward, counts to three and leaps off the rocky ledge. “Geronimo!” he shouts as his body soars through the air, his arm extended like a bird.

“That was awesome!” Ben cheers as his head bobs up out of the water. The group continues to swim for a while, taking turns jumping in, doing cannon balls, and swan dives. Everyone is having a fantastic time keeping cool on the hot day. Once the sun begins to set a bit, Aiden has the boys dry off and get changed for dinner.

“Boys, get yourself a roasting stick. You’re cooking your own dinner tonight.” Aiden tells the kids.

“Huh?” “What?” “We’re cooking?” the boys question their scout master.

Aiden nods. “Ya know those fish you all caught today, well guess what’s for dinner?” he grins. He gets the fire going and helps the group secure the fish on the sticks. They gather around the fire, twirling their sticks in the flame.

“I’ve never cooked my own dinner before!” Josiah says, excited to taste his own cooking.

Slipping his fork into the fish, Josiah takes the first bite. “Ewwww!” he shrieks. “Mine’s nasty!”

“I’ll share mine.” Layton offers. “I’m probably the best cook here anyway.” he says as he gobbles a chunk of fish. Layton swallows quickly,  making a displeasing face. “Gross! Are you sure this is my fish?”

“Guess you’re not the best cook after all, huh Layton?” Benjamin laughs. He takes a taste from his own plate. “Blah!” he spits and sputters.

“Looks like I’m not that good of a cook either.” Everyone laughs at Benjamin’s confession.

“Well, here goes nothing.” Magnus says lifting his fork to his mouth.  “Uh, that’s awful. I can’t eat this!”

Aiden looks around the table at the boys sour faces. “C;mon guys, all the fish can’t be bad…can it?” To see for himself, Aiden cuts off a small piece of his own fish, chewing and swallowing quickly. “Eww, you kids aren’t kiddin’. This is terrible!”

“Seaweed Sammy must have poisoned all the fish in the lake for revenge!” Ben says, his eyes wide.

“Alright boys, in the trash it goes.”

“But what are we gonna eat now dad?” Benjamin asks.

“Bear Scouts are always prepared.” Aiden replies. “Grab those roasting sticks!” he tells the kids. Aiden reaches into the cooler and pulls out a package of hot dogs.

“Hot dogs!” the four boys cheer. Once again, the group gather around the campfire and roast their dinner.

“Now these I know are gonna taste good!” Ben says licking his lips.

It doesn’t take long for the hot dogs to cook. For this meal, the scouts decide to stay put next to the fire to eat.

“Look at the moon.” Josiah says looking up at the sky. “I think it’s a full moon.”

“A perfect night for a campfire story, right dad?” Benjamin replies, watching his father add a few logs to the fire.

“Sure is son.” Aiden answers. He takes a seat next to Ben and rubs his hands together thinking up the perfect story. The boys sit quietly and listen contently. Aiden begins his story.

“Years and years ago right here at Camp Granite Falls, a Bear Scout troop came to camp for the weekend. This troop had an exceptional Bear Scout who everyone looked up to. This scout could hike farther than anyone else, catch bigger fish than anyone, make the biggest fire and had many more great skills.”

“Oh, was his name Layton?!” Benjamin replies sarcastically. All the boys laugh, everyone but Layton that is.

“Hey, be nice.” Aiden tells Ben. He continues the story.

“His name was Logan actually. One night, Logan woke up in the middle of the night. It was pitch black out, but Logan really needed to use the bathroom. He woke up a couple of his tent buddies to go with him, as he knew that no one should ever go anywhere without a buddy. But the other scouts told him that since he was the best Bear Scout in the troop, and since he knew so much, he’d be fine to go by himself. Not wanting to argue, Logan slipped on his shoes and ventured outside to the bathrooms alone. After he finished using the bathroom, Logan washed his hands and started back to the camp site. But as he walked, the path began to look unfamiliar. The sky was dark and the trees began to come alive in the shadows.”

“Logan kept walking, sure the tents were just up ahead. But the more the scout walked, the deeper into the forest he went. Suddenly, the sky shone bright with a flash of lightning, followed by a long rumble of thunder. There was a storm coming. Logan could feel the drops of rain falling through the tree branches. Becoming worried, Logan decided to turn around. As he turned, he felt someone grab him by the arm!”

Magnus gasps!

“Who was it Mr. Pickles? Who grabbed Logan by the arm?” Josiah asks feeling scared.

Aiden continues…. “Luckily for Logan, it was only a tree branch that had hooked itself onto his pajamas. He freed himself from the branch and sloshed his way through the muddy puddles that formed.”

Fearful, Layton asks, “Then what happened?”

“Well, the wind began to gust.” Aiden responds. “Rain blew in every direction! Logan could barely see.”

“The next morning, everyone woke to find Logan’s sleeping bag empty. It didn’t take long for the scouts to realize that he was missing the entire night. They knew that he had never made it back from the bathroom. The scouts rushed to tell their scout master. All the scouts, the scout master and the camp rangers searched the entire camp for hours, but couldn’t find any sign of Logan. They called in search and rescue teams to help, searching for the entire day until dark, but still there was no sign of the boy. For days, search parties combed the area looking for the scout, but he was never found.”

“Wh, wh, where did he go?” Magnus asks terrified.

Aiden shrugs his shoulders. “Nobody knows. It was a sad year for that Bear Scout troop. They had lost a great friend. The next year they came back again to search for Logan’s remains. Again, everyone searched everywhere, but couldn’t find him. It’s been said that if you are walking alone through these woods at night, you may feel a cold draft shiver down your back.”

The boys all shiver with fear. “Wh, wh, why?” Josiah hesitantly asks.

“Cuz it just maybe the lost scout reminding you to…..take a BUDDY!” Aiden shouts loudly, making the kids all scream in terror. “After all, where do you think Bear Scout rule number one came from?”

The boys hoot and holler, cheering for Aiden to tell them another story. “No, no, no more stories tonight. It’s time for bed. Anyone have to use the bathroom?”

In unison, the boys all shout “NO!”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~ Volume II ~ Chapter 9 ~ Episode 3 ~

While the Bear Scouts sleep, they have an uninvited visitor that arrives at their camp site. A big brown bear sniffs its way around.

Not finding any scraps of food on or around the tables, the bear makes its way over to the garbage can and begins rummaging through.

“Psst, Magnus….wake up.” Josiah whispers shaking his tent buddy. “Do you hear that?”

Magnus pokes his head out from within his sleeping bag. “Huh? What?” he asks still groggy.

“Listen, I hear something.” Josiah replies. Hearing the whispers and movements coming from the tent, the wild animal approaches the tents.

Magnus lies quietly and listens. “I don’t hear anything.” he responds rolling over trying to go back to sleep.

“Magnus, I’m scared.” Josiah shivers, unable to sleep.

“It’s nothing Josiah. Just lay down and close your eyes.” Magnus tells him. Josiah does as told, pulling his sleeping bag zipper closed. Neither boy are aware that only a piece of canvas separates them from a large, hungry bear.

No longer hearing any sound, the bear scurries over to the water hole plunging in the cool, murky water.

Hearing the loud splash of the water, both Josiah and Magnus spring upwards. “See! There is something out there! I told you!” Josiah shrieks. Feeling extremely frightened, Josiah quickly grabs his flashlight and turns it on.

The light that shines through the tent catches the attention of the bear. The bear ascends from the water and shakes the excess water from its fur. “Turn your flashlight off, you’re blinding me.” Magnus tells Josiah. “I’m gonna go see what’s out there.”

“No! Magnus don’t!” Josiah begs. Ignoring the pleas of his fellow scout, Magnus unzips the tent and steps out into the cool, dark night.

He immediately spots the giant, furry beast standing only feet away. “A bear!” he shouts.

The bear whips around and lunges toward Magnus. Magnus crouches low, holding his hands up to protect his head in case the bear claws at him.

Hearing the commotion, Aiden exits his own tent telling Benjamin and Layton to stay put. Seeing the bear, he rushes over to the tote full of cooking supplies and grabs a pot and a wooden spoon. Thinking quickly, Aiden begins banging the spoon against the metal pot making as much noise as possible. The bear turns in the direction of the sound. “Magnus, get in your tent!” Aiden shouts. Magnus hurries inside zipping the door closed behind him. He and Josiah huddle together frightened. The bear turns his attention back to the tent, clawing at the door  trying to get inside. Both Magnus and Josiah scream in fear that the bear’s claws will tear right through the material.

Beginning to panic a little, Aiden grabs the metal soup ladle and begins banging it against the pot. The sound echos throughout the trees and the bear takes off away from Aiden and the tents.

“Phew!” Aiden sighs taking a seat on a log. The boys stay in their tents until sunrise. But at the first glimpse of light, the scouts emerge.

“That was awesome!” Josiah enthuses.

“Yeah dad, you fought off a bear!” Benjamin adds.

“You saved me Mr. Pickles! I was gonna be that bear’s breakfast, but you saved me!” Magnus squeals.

“It was just quick thinking.” Aiden replies. “Bears don’t like loud noises. I remember my own father telling me that when I was a young boy.”

“Grandpa told you that?” Ben questions.

“He sure did.” Aiden smiles. “Grandpa used to be a Bear Scout himself, ya know. A long, long time ago.”

“He did?” Ben’s eyes grow wide. “Wow, cool!”

“Well I’m gonna go get changed so I can get breakfast started.” Aiden tells the boys.

The scouts remain in a circle talking about the occurrence during the night. “Your dad isn’t some hero that you think he is.” Layton says in a grating tone.

“It’s not like he wrestled the bear or something.” he adds. “I coulda’ done what he did.”

Feeling his face getting hot, Benjamin tries to keep his cool. “Listen here Layton. If it weren’t for my dad’s quick thinking, that bear would have torn that tent to shreds. You be careful what you say about my father or maybe next time he’ll let a bear eat you!”

“Uh, Ben…I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that.” Layton back peddles. ” What I meant to say is that your dad isn’t some hero, but he should be. The campground should give him a medal or something.”

“Uh-huh” Ben nods, smirking. “C’mon guys, let’s go get changed before breakfast is ready.”

******

Aiden prepares a breakfast scramble that morning. “It’s good, huh?” he asks but gets no answers. The boys are too busy scoffing down their food.

“What are we gonna do today?” Layton asks Aiden as he finishes his meal.

“First we’re going to clean up our breakfast mess. Then we’re going on a hike in the woods to find Lake Llamaweed.” Aiden tells the crew.

“Lake Llamaweed?” Josiah says.

“Yup, I got a story to tell you about Lake Llamaweed too.” Aiden replies. “C’mon guys, let’s finish up.” Once the group is finished with breakfast. they all chip in to get things cleaned and organized. Aiden scrubs the grill.

Benjamin takes care of the trash.

Then the boys head out for Lake Llamaweed.

As the troop hikes through the forest, they come across the park ranger. “Hiya Ranger!” Aiden waves.

“Ay, it’s the Bear Scouts!” the ranger replies happy to see them. “Where ya’ll headed?”

“We’re going to Lake Llamaweed!” Magnus booms with excitement.

“Lake Llamaweed, great lake for catching fish.” the ranger tells them. “Keep an eye out for bears. We’ve had several reports of them being spotted.”

Aiden smiles. “Yeah, one decided to visit our site last night. Gave the kids a pretty good scare.”

The ranger nods. “I heard about that. That was your site, huh? Those bears will scavenge for anything.”

“We’ll make sure camp is extra clean tonight.” Aiden chuckles.

The ranger laughs. “You folks have a good day. Good luck fishing boys.” he waves before continuing on his way.

“Can you tell us the story about the lake now dad?” Benjamin asks his father.

“Yeah, tell us while we hike!” Layton suggests.

“I don’t wanna go scaring you all.” Aiden replies.

“We’re not babies!” Magnus responds.

“Yeah, we’re Bear Scouts!” Josiah adds.

“Okay, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Aiden tells them giving them all a sideways look. “Have you ever heard of Seaweed Sammy?” Aiden begins. “You see, Seaweed Sammy is a boy that haunts this very camp. He was a Bear Scout just like you boys. Years ago, the scouts all hiked up here to Lake Llamaweed  to go canoeing. Sammy and two other scouts went out on the lake in a canoe. But you see, Sammy was the only one who couldn’t swim. The boys thought it would be funny to try and scare Sammy by rocking the boat. Poor Sammy got scared, he stood up calling to his Cub Master for help. The canoe tipped and the three boys fell into the water, but only two surfaced. Sammy was never seen again.”

“They never found him?” Layton asks, his voice wobbly sounding.

Aiden shakes his head from side to side. “No, but the story doesn’t end there. The next morning when the scouts woke up, Sammy’s sleeping bag and pillow were wet and there were strands of seaweed strewn about the tent. They say the ghost of Seaweed Sammy still remains and sometimes his wet footprints can be seen around camp.”

The four boys stop and look at Aiden with huge eyes. “Is that a true story?” Josish asks.

Aiden stands with a smirk and shrugs his shoulders. “C’mon, we’re almost there.”

Walking only a few hundred more feet, they finally reach the lake’s edge. “We made it.” Aiden says. “Isn’t it beautiful?”

The scouts get right to fishing. They cast their lines into the water, unaware that each other are on the look-out for Seaweed Sammy.

“I think I got something!” Magnus calls out, his pole bending.

“I got something too! It’s a big one!” Benjamin cheers excitedly spinning his reel as fast as he can. He pulls the line tight. “Dad look, I got a…a…a log?” He tosses the piece of wood back in the water.

“Mr. Pickles, look I caught a fish!” Layton hollers. With a big smile on his face, he holds up the medium sized yellow fish.

“Good job Layton!” Aiden praises him.

“I got a bite too!” Josiah says excitedly. His pole bends as he tries to reel it in.

Josiah tugs on his line, excited to see his catch. He pulls hard…..

and a large clump of seaweed comes shooting out of the water.

“Seaweed?” Josiah frowns.

Oliver doesn’t hesitate to take this moment to play off his story. “Seaweed Sammy!” he shouts at Josiah. Josiah gasps.

“It’s a sign, he’s letting you know he’s here.”

“And he’s come to reclaim this lake.”

Josiah stands blank faced and motionless. Aiden bursts into laughter. “Seaweed Sammy is just an urban legend.” he grins. “I’m just teasing you!”

Josiah’s face relaxes. “Phew! You scared me.” he smiles.

“Dad look, I really caught one this time!” Benjamin calls out as he holds a fish in the air.

He runs up the small hill to where Aiden is standing. “That’s my first fish dad! I caught it all by myself!” his voice rings.

“Ben, that’s great!” Aiden praises his son. “I’m proud of you. I caught my first fish when I was fishing at this campground with my dad too.”

Benjamin’s face beams. “I’ll never forget this moment for as long as I live!”

Aiden bends down giving his son a hug. “Neither will I Ben, neither will I.”