Camp Ivory is a home away from home for Astrid, Violet and Harper. Every summer without fail, they pack their bags and drive to the camp and this year is the same as always. However when they finally arrive at Camp Ivory, something feels off. Differ...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
That night, I pick at my already chipped purple nail polish, as I silently listen to my friend's heated conversation.
"Are you joking?!" Harper chokes out through her disbelief at what Finn had just said.
"He better be," mutters Astrid.
"No, for once I'm not joking, it's seriously gone!" He confirms, answering Harper's question.
I decide not to comment, knowing it will probably only make the situation worse with my worries. And apparently I'm not the only one. Juni has barely spoken the entire time. I think that's what always drew us together. The two quiet kids.
I remember the day we met like it was yesterday.
FLASHBACK - 7 years ago
"Violet, come down here right now!" My mom yells from downstairs, her voice sharp and demanding. I hurriedly place my doll down and scurry down the stairs, not wanting to make her any more angry than she probably already is.
"Yes Mom?" I reply quietly as I reach the bottom step.
She spins around to face me, studying my appearance. "Fix your skirt and tidy up your hair, we're going to meet our new neighbours."
Immediately I twist my skirt around to face the right way and push my flyaway hairs behind my ears. I don't even bother to ask whether my father is coming. He's probably superglued to his desk in his office, which he only comes out of once a month - or at least, that's how it feels
Grabbing my hand, my mom hurriedly leads me across the footpath and up the driveway to our new neighbours front door. She raps on the door impatiently, her knocks carrying the same hint of annoyance that can be seen in the scowl on her face.
She grabs me by the back of my top and spins me around to face her. "I don't want to hear a word out you, okay?"
I nod quickly, only spinning back around when she roughly lets go of me. Subconsciously I take a step back from the door, and she nudges me back forwards, not allowing me to hide. We stand there for a few moments. I can faintly hear music coming from inside the house, though I don't recognise it. It sounds like some sort of foreign language.
Suddenly, the door is pulled wide open revealing a woman wearing an apron covered in what looks like spices.
"Hello!" She greets warmly. "You must be our new neighbours." Her gaze lands on me, and her smile radiates kindness, her eyes shimmering with warmth. "I'm Nila Singh, and this is my son Arjun."
I wonder if this woman is crazy, because I look behind her and don't see any children. As if sensing my confusion at her missing child, she turns around and seemingly realises the same thing.
"Just a moment," She tells us as she disappears into another room down the hall. I study their house, or at least what I can see of it, and suddenly I'm filled with far too much jealousy for a 10 year old to have.
