A Little Witch in Summer Camp (Sample)

A Little Witch in Summer Camp Copyright © 2015 by Michael Romano All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the publisher, except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages. ISBN-13: 978-1508733720 ISBN-10: 15087337242 A LITTLE WITCH IN SUMMER CAMP

FAMILY NAMES1...RUTH PRESKAR.. Rich old family, Field namedafter her and lots of other things. Grand Mom of Mary2...JESSE COLE...Jo's Mom3...ISLA VASSAR...Mom of Amy4...AMY & NANCY CATHERINE...Mom and auntof Anna and William5...ANN CARTWRIGHT...My Mom (Isabel)6...CONSTANCE PRIMM...Mom of Stella7...VERONICA WHEELRIGHT...Mom of Veronicajr8...JESSICA COOPER...Mom of Hank9...LLEWELLEN ARMSTRONG...Dad of Kristin10..EMMY MILLER...Mom of Jenny11...JENNA LAKE Mom of Lara12...MARYJANE FOSTER...Mom of Mike MICHAEL ROMANO 3

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CHAPTER I A PLAN IS NEVER 'JUST' A PLAN... THINGS CAN GET FUN... THEN STRANGE The school term was coming to an end andSummer vacation was on all our minds. Mom was drawing up plans to open herbakery in town, with all Aunt Isabel's recipes. Having read and translated all the ingredientsfrom the old writings, I was able to, with my twobest bud's help...and Aunt Isabel's teachings, pickand forage (That means sort of find and pick too)for all the necessary ingredients in the hills, woodsand meadows around town. When I got home from the last day of school,Mom was standing on the front porch, smiling,holding her hand behind her back. \"What's up Mom?\" \"You're going to 'Summer Camp'...with Mikeand Jo ...and who knows how many new friendsyou'll make?!\"6 A LITTLE WITCH IN SUMMER CAMP

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At first, I just stopped and stared, not knowingwhat to think...But as it set in, ya know, mightreally be fun! As I finally smiled, so did Mom and we wentinto the house arm in arm, talking about whatmight go on there. \"When I went...in the 'Way Back' as you kidssay, there was swimming, hiking, campfires, somany games and ...and.\" She sort of went back inher mind to when she was a kid then looked at me. \"If you have only half the fun I had, you'llremember it for the rest of your life,\" Mom said. Those words would become so very true. Mom and I went over the brochures andpictures of Camp Crescent, as she told me ofseveral secret places there, a knock came on thefront door. As I opened it, Jo and Mike were holding thesame pictures of the camp, jumping up and downexcitedly, so...so did I! \"Can you believe it?\" \"Three weeks of greatfun!\" They both yelled. I looked back at Mom, she smiled then wavedme off to go with my friends to talk about our upcoming adventure...and I think to sit, rememberingher times there too.8 A LITTLE WITCH IN SUMMER CAMP

Along the road on our bikes I said, \"Let's talkstuff over at the Soda shop while deep in a malt?\" An answer wasn't necessary as Jo and Mikeraced ahead of me in that direction at full speed. Slurping and talking excitedly about what wewere going to do took up over an hour, and \"Two\"malts to be honest. Right then, Mr. Smythe walked in and stood atthe end of our table. \"I hear your Mother is planning to open up abakery in town,\" he said. MICHAEL ROMANO 9

\"Mike jumped in saying, \"I have never tastedcookies and cakes like hers in all my life.\" Jo shookher head in agreement. \"We shall see if they are all as good,\" he said ina way that made me uneasy. Mike grabbed my arm saying, \"Do you knowthat right across the lake from our camp is the areawhere the Mayor and all his group's kids stay atthe same time?\" \"We even have a few days togetherin hiking, a game of \"Capture the Flag\", which I'llexplain to you plus the final evenings dinner andcampfire.\" \"Oh...'That' should be fun,\" I said as we allshook our heads. I asked about what I should expect as both ofthem had been there before and they said \"Fun!\"like two peas in a pod. When our meeting was done, I biked home tomake plans with Mom about what to take... and topack certain things Mom would not know I wastaking. Let's see...There is Crystal, my small spell bookand perhaps one of the small wands. Won't have toworry about the spell book as I'm the only one whocan read it. Least wise, I think so.10 A LITTLE WITCH IN SUMMER CAMP

Around my neck is Aunt Isabel's amulet... andthe amethyst crystal that we all three wear. I must remember to be always careful whenand in front of whom I do any witchery.There are many things I have learned from AuntIsabel's writings. The most important was to helpothers and not to be selfish... sometimes I get a bitout of hand, so I have to make a pledge to thinktwice before acting once. Mom's packing my bag for Monday's bus rideand I am stuffing goodies into my shouldercarrying bag for things that may happen. Let'ssee...poison ivy salve, bee sting paste...scratch andcut cleaner/healer as says and my Little Witch\"Apothecary label\" (that means sort of a pharmacymedicine book) but this one is from stuff thatgrows free and wild outside. Boy oh boy...this is gonna be FUN! END CHAPTER I MICHAEL ROMANO 11

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CHAPTER II A PLACE AND A NAME What to name Mom's bakery was the topic forus that next day on Saturday morning, while momwas going through the recipes for the best ones. \"How's 'Mom's' sound?\" she asked...and Ishook my head \"No.\" Back and forth we went till Mom's keychainnametag was tossed onto a baking magazine,making the name. Both of us said \"Cartwright's Cookies andCakes.\" I added Easy to pick up....impossible to putdown! She thought the last part was a bit much butafter we ate a few from her latest batch, looked ateach other and smiled in agreement to keep it. A drive down town was in order to see whatwas available and which spot would give her thebest showing. Of all the places we saw...Mom looked at meand said what I had hoped she wouldn't. MICHAEL ROMANO 13

\"You know...the best store would be right next tothe...\" \"Wait!\" I interrupted. \"Not next to theMayor's office?\" \"Well...Yes\" \"Olden time charm and a twohundred plus year old oven that I don't thinkwould take too much repair to make good.\" I knew she was right, but next to MayorSmythe and his gang was going to prove morethan interesting. We went into the realtor's office and Momleased the space for her newest adventure. Now Ineeded to finish packing for mine. Maybe theMayor will love Mom's sweets so much that he'llease up on me...one can only hope. Back home and in the kitchen finishing thetranslating for Mom. You know, she amazinglydoesn't even have any curiosity about my beingable to do that anymore, although she said not totell anyone else about my ability. What do youthink she meant? Packing of not only Great Aunt Isabel's recipesbut the baking pans, bowls and forms aswell...along with some, \"What the heck can thesebe for but will figure out as I go along\" thingies.14 A LITTLE WITCH IN SUMMER CAMP

Well, Sunday night...Mom is all boxed andready to go. I am packed too and we are ready too,I hope, both of us for one great new experience. Spending a last few hours before bed in AuntIsabel's castle room learning as much as my braincould soak I and saying goodbye to Millie, tellingher of my trip and wishing I could take herbuuuuutt, no. She understood, I felt. Let's see...I have my medical kit, my Spells andHerbs handbook, oh...my wand. Let me see. Thesmall one better be my choice as we are in a placewith a buncha kids and adults and I don't want tomake any scenes what so ever! Maybe I shouldread a bit on the small wand to see how and whenit is best used. Hmmm...It seems that one of the wand's mainpurposes is to power up a spell or thought to ahigher level. How can it work? Out to the platformright outside, I thought of my wind chant, sayingthe words,\"The leaves to rustle...the trees tosway...Come ye winds...and blowthis day.\" MICHAEL ROMANO 15

Then gripping the wand tightly and pointing to aleafy tree across the way in a big stand. Whoosh, Bang...the tree was stripped of it'sleaves and half it's branches!! Back into the room I sped, hoping no one sawit happened cause I know somebody had to haveheard that ruckus. Back out to my room, speedily, I heard Momcall up asking, \"Are you alright up there?\" \"Sure Mom... goodnight.\" Why would she askme if \"I'm alright if the noise was outside?That's pretty curious but I'm sleepy and need agood night to be one hundred percent for themorning. With Crystal clamped tightly in my handand my kit by the bed I was all set for themorning's adventure. Even in my sleep, I could hear the grandfatherclock, downstairs, chime sometimes and this nightit sounded especially loud. My eyes opened with a snap but I could notmove. Looking as far as my gaze would allow, Iwas able to see fields of trees and meadows withkids playing just as if I was right there looking. There was Mike, Jo and others from schoolkicking a ball and talking about something quietly.I tried to get closer so what they were saying waslouder.16 A LITTLE WITCH IN SUMMER CAMP

Then my eyes quickly looked off to my leftseeing shadows behind the trees at the edge of thewoods. As hard as I tried, making them out wasimpossible...till one of them stuck his head into thelight. It was the young Smythe boy Damon. Nastylooks he and his gang of no goodniks were givingtowards my friends but as yet, I couldn't hearthem. With all the power I could muster, my righthand ooched up to my amulet, grasping it as myleft clenched Crystal. Now, their words were plain...and what Iheard was certainly not what was expected....or was it? Damon said they needed to make an exampleof these poor dirty little kids who dare come to thesame lake as them. Some of the plans called for drilling half holesin our canoe so it would start to sink shortly aftergoing out on the water. Another I heard was to cut our tent ropeswhen we slept to scare us when they collapsed. Even though I strained, I could hear no more,but that was enough! MICHAEL ROMANO 17

I'll tell...I'll.. Who can I tell? I know what to do.Just let them try, cause I'm a \"Little Witch inSummer Camp\" and not someone to be messedwith, OR my friends! The clock stopped chiming and I must havefallen way back to sleep. END CHAPTER II18 A LITTLE WITCH IN SUMMER CAMP