After another half hour of tedious driving and me banging on phone and attempting to turn it back on, Camp Juniper finally made it to Finlayson Point Provincial Park. Finally. Ugh. Those last thirty minutes were terrible.
The Excursion turned onto a gravelly road in a very buggy-looking forest, and Dad announced, "We're here! We've made it! We've made it to Finlayson Point Provincial Park, Camp Juniper!" He lifted one hand off the steering wheel, and together, he, Aunt Delia, Aunt Lydia, and Uncle Harrison yelled,
"Yahoo!"
I rolled my eyes and placed my palms on the window's glass, which was rolled up again because I didn't want any mosquitoes in the car. Behind the forest's trees, I saw a large lake and more trees. This was as bad as the Grand Canyon we went to in 8th Grade. There, we just saw rocks. Here, we only saw trees. Trees and lakes. It was so beautiful (sarcasm). I sighed and mumbled to myself, "More trees. What a surprise."
We drove on the gravelly road for only a short time, and finally, after seven tedious hours of driving, Camp Juniper had finally made it to Finlayson Point Provincial Park!
So yeah, Finlayson Point Provincial Park was our first destination of the big canoeing trip in Ontario. After our seven hour-long drive, we arrived there around five in the afternoon. All of us were exhausted. I knew we were. It had been a long day, and we wanted to get to our campsite (s) before anyone else claimed it (them). To do that, we needed to sneak a peek at the ranger station and ask the rangers about it. The ranger station was the first place we went to when we arrived at Finlayson. We followed the gravelly road to it. The ranger station was to our lefts, and it was up on a hill. It was a small ranger station, brown all over, and it was decorated by a staircase and ramp that people could take to gain access into the station. It was a cute, little building.
I remember I was still staring out the window because duh, my stupid iPhone died on me, and I saw that the road continued on and on. It then disappeared around a corner.
Dad turned right to get into the ranger station's parking lot. We pulled into a parking space, and he peered back to us, again asking, "Who's ready to canoe?" Dad just loved to ask that same question over and over during the trip.
I stifled a yawn and lifted my hand, saying, "Definitely not me." Ken's warning could not leave my head. It left me hanging.
"I am!" Uncle Harrison suddenly shouted. I moved out of the way as he climbed over the bags and seats and plopped down next to me on his front. He then reached for the door and opened it.
Before he got out, Dad brought his fist to his lips and acted out a tour guide again. "Attention, passengers of Excursion Expedition, we have now arrived in Finlayson Point Provincial Park located in Ontario, Canada. We ask you to please collect all valuables at the exits if necessary, and to please enjoy your time in Ontario." One at a time, each of us escaped the Excursion and shut the doors, and while we were doing so, he waved at us and continued, "Goodbye, goodbye, have a nice evening. Bye bye, and please recommend our company to anybody wanting to do international travel." He waved one last time, "Bye bye," and broke character. Dad crossed his arms and leaned in towards Uncle Harrison, "That's how I passed all my classes in high school." A grin stretched across his face. I could tell he was excited. He was exited, whoopee, but Mom and I weren't.
Not even ten minutes in Finlayson, and already the mosquitoes started to circle us.
I groaned and swatted one on my arm. Todd was right! They were enormous! I had never seen mosquitoes that huge before! Trying to ignore them, I plopped down on the ranger station's grassy lawn and placed my hands behind my head of long, red hair. I groaned as I stared at the treetops and said, "It's been forever." A mosquito whined by my ear. I swatted it away.
I heard Dad. "Oh, come on, Kylie! Seven hours is nowhere near forever." He and Uncle Clement, who had just escaped his own car, approached me.
I tried to take in the new sights and smells of Canada. I then admitted, "Yeah, but I don't want to be here." Maybe it was just me, but seven hours felt like a million years. The ride had been super long and super tedious. Now here we were, at Finlayson Point Provincial Park, and I knew I was going to have the worst week of my life. I wondered if Mom felt the same. Although she too was edgy about being here, she actually seemed a little more involved in the trip than me. I wondered if deep inside, she really was excited. These thoughts scrubbed down my brain, but they soon stopped, and I lost my train of thought when I saw that another enormous mosquito had landed on my leg! Yelling, I swatted it off and jumped to my feet.
"It was a mosquito!" I yelled at my dad, "It was huge! It landed on me!"
Uncle Macon, who had been riding with Uncle Clement, soon joined the gathering, and he chuckled. "Well, we are in Canada after all, Kylie. You'll get used to it." No I won't, Uncle Macon. I will never get used to the giant mosquitos. Before long, next, a freaking black fly buzzed by my head! A black fly!
"Shoo!" I shouted, and I swatted it away as fast as I could. Gosh, if the bugs were this bad not even on the lakes yet, then I don't even want to think about what they'd be like when we eventually did get on them. I just wanted to get into the ranger station so I wouldn't have to deal with them right now. Who knows, maybe the rangers would be kind enough and let me stay? Nodding,
I headed towards the station, but I didn't get far because all of a sudden, my Aunt Jessie approached me, and she yelled, "Yehaw!" in my face, "We're here! Yes, we're here!" She picked me up and spun me around and around in a circle as if I was a little kid again. While she spun me, she rubbed her fist on my scalp and wrapped her arm around my neck. I remember I was suffocating. I fought with my legs, but Aunt Jessie refused to let me go.
Uncle Macon came to my rescue. "Jessie!" he yelled, and he gestured at me with his hand, "Drop her! Let her go! She's suffocating!"
Aunt Jessie peered down on me. "Whoops. Sorry, Kylie," she nervously spoke, and she dropped me.
I landed with a plop on the grass, and immediately, I inhaled breaths of air and brought my hand to my neck, "I need air, Aunt Jessie!"
"I'm so sorry, Kylie!" she repeated in an excited tone, "I'm just super excited!" Running all over the place, she danced and announced, "Yehaw!"
I soon stood up and brushed myself down. I then glanced at Uncle Macon, and I thanked him for saving my life. He nodded and turned, trotting away. I sighed, and my green eyes landed on the ranger station. I didn't even realize how small it was. It was quite small. It was like a midget. The door of the station opened, and out stepped a young couple with hooked hands. Chuckling, they jogged down the staircase together, and I watched as they approached their car. The boyfriend opened the door for the girlfriend and smiled at her. She clapped her hands together and gave him a smooching kiss.
My eye twitched. Love. In my opinion, it's both beautiful and disgusting. After the young couple kissed, they climbed into their car and closed the door. Before long, it started, and I continued to watch it as it backed up and pulled out of the parking lot. Once it left, more mosquitoes and flies soared around me. Camp Juniper now officially were the only people at the ranger station seeking out a campsite.
By this time, the stupid bugs were really starting to annoy me. I did not want to be there. I wanted to be at Gwen's house eating pizza and playing around with makeup, not stuck in the wilderness with just adults.
My Uncle Bart soon approached me, and he placed his hand on my shoulder. I felt it there, but I continued to glare. My bad mood went up another level. Uncle Bart finally told me, "Well, I'm pooped from that long drive. Why don't we go ahead and head into the ranger station, Kylie?"
"Ranger station?" I angrily asked. Uncle Bart tried to pull me towards the station, but I jerked him back, and he stumbled. "I don't want to go to the ranger station. I'm having so much fun!" I broke free and headed towards the Excursion. I'm really good when it comes to being sarcastic. While I headed towards the Excursion, with hope that I could hide in it the entire trip, I swatted more bugs away. Seriously, how would I survive this week with all these freaking bugs around? If I did, I would consider it a miracle.
I was almost at the Excursion when Uncle Clement stopped me. "Where are you going, Kylie?" he asked.
I groaned and replied, "Just take me home."
"Take you home? Without even exploring?" I heard Dad ask. He had just approached Uncle Clement, "That doesn't sound like you, Kylie." Clearing his throat, he stood up straight and stomped his foot, "Attention!" All heads in Camp Juniper turned towards him. "Line up!" added my father. Quickly, we lined up. Dad always makes us line up when he needs to take roll. He stumbled down the line and pointed at each person. While he did so, he counted, "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, and..." He stopped at me, "ten." I was the very last person in line. I was the only one in Camp Juniper who was pouting. My arms were crossed, and I was still glaring. Even though I knew that she too wasn't excited, Mom was hiding her annoyance much better than me. Dad soon finished with, "We're all here! I would like to say to all of you..." Here, he lifted his hands over his head, "Welcome to Finlayson Point Provincial Park! Without further ado," He whirled around and pointed at the small ranger station, "Let's head into that ranger station!"
Since Dad was the big boss of the canoeing trip, he was the line leader. He was the one who had put it together, with a little help from his brothers, Uncle Clement and Uncle Harrison. Dad, including his siblings, are all very adventurous. I believe they got it from their mom. Dad has two brothers and two sisters. Uncle Harrison and Uncle Clement are of course his brothers, and they had come along. Aunt Delia is one of his sisters who had also come along, but his other sister, Naomi, who lives near New York City, decided not to. She instead was spending the week with her kids at Cape Cod. Oh, I wished I could be there instead, but with Dad in charge, no way were we going to be staying at the beach.
He led Camp Juniper up the ranger station's ramp, and I kept my arms crossed. I continued to pout.
Aunt Lydia soon leaned in towards me and asked, "Angry girl want to go home?"
I glanced at her and admitted, "Aunt Lydia, I've wanted to back out of this trip ever since Dad first mentioned it, but he went ahead and forced me to come along! Thanks to him, now I'm stuck in the woods, and I'm forced to live my dream like a hippie! The only reason why I'm here now is because Dad promised he would take me to get my driver's license once we got back to North Tonawanda."
"Aw lighten up." Aunt Lydia said. "You're going to grow to love this place."
I scoffed, "No. I'm going to grow to hate it. Already I do." I quickly swatted another mosquito away. "What's with all these freaking bugs?!"
Here, Uncle Macon spoke up, and he said something that made me jump for joy. "Welcome to Canada. Just wait until we get on the water, Kylie."
I frowned and glared at him. Thank you, Uncle Macon. That made me feel so much better. I thought about saying that aloud, but then I backed out. I actually didn't have a chance to make that statement because Camp Juniper made it to the front door of the ranger station before I could, and Dad, the big boss of the trip, spoke up again.
"All right, who's ready to head inside and ask for a campsite?" Everyone, except Mom and I, raised their hands, and we together listened as the excited members of Camp Juniper started to chuckle. However, as they chuckled, I suddenly felt something. I felt, for some reason, that I was being watched.
Here you go, audience. Here's another creepy thing I experienced very early into the trip.
Gulping, I uncrossed my arms, lost my glare, and slowly peered behind me. Nothing was there. The parking lot was completely empty except for just a few cars. Strange, why did I feel that way? This wasn't the first time I felt something like this. In fact, this was only the beginning. Just after that first strange phenomenon, I really wanted to go ahead and head into the ranger station. Maybe I'll find something interesting to actually occupy me on the stupid trip in there? I peered over my shoulder for just a little longer. Then, I turned back to Dad. He had opened the door of the station, and he gestured for the members of Camp Juniper to pile inside.
With a grin stretched across his face, he announced, "Let's do this, Camp Juniper! Let's pile into the ranger station!"
Camp Juniper, one at a time, stepped into the station, but I stayed behind because I still had that funny feeling that I was being watched. However, this was when things really became weird. My eyes rolled over to the dumpster that sat in the far corner of the station's parking lot, and I thought I saw something, a shadow, pop up from behind it! A shadow! Quickly, though, as fast as a bullet, it vanished.
I gasped. Was I seeing things? I had to check this out.
Soon, I was the only member of Camp Juniper who hadn't stepped into the ranger station yet, and Dad, who was standing in the doorway, asked me, "What's up, Kylie? Aren't you coming?"
"In just a minute, Dad." I said, "I want to check something out." My eyes were still fixed on the mysterious dumpster. They had not moved. I couldn't help but to feel like there was something behind it. Ken's words echoed in my brain.
From the doorframe, Dad nodded and said, "Very well. When you're done, you know where to find us. See you soon, baby." With that, he closed the door, and now officially, I was the only member of Camp Juniper who was still outside.
I didn't care. My curiosity had hit a homerun. What had I seen behind the dumpster? Was it real, or was it all a mere hallucination? There was only one way to find out! I jogged down the ranger station's stairs and approached the dumpster. When I reached it, I had to plug my nose because like all dumpsters, it stunk. Flies buzzed around it, and I could see trash bags piled on top of one another. A mosquito pierced my cheek, and I slapped it with my free hand. I breathed through my mouth. When I was ready, I gave the back of the dumpster a chance to reveal whatever it was hiding. I peered behind it, and I groaned. It turned out I was hallucinating. There was nothing behind it. It was just a smelly, old dumpster butt that was backed up to the forest. Nothing. There was nothing. It was strange. I thought I saw something. I guess my mind was just full of hallucinations, right? It must have been the drive out there. It was seven hours long.
I circled the dumpster a couple of times, but sure enough, nothing was there. The scent of the dumpster soon forced me to cover my nose and mouth with the collar of my shirt. I finally gave up finding my so-called hallucination, and I decided to leave the dumpster and return to the ranger station. While I left, I peered back to it one last time. I then turned on my heel and took off.
Get ready, audience... One of the creepiest things ever is coming up very soon. Keep listening or reading if you're curious about what it is.
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