Marcie came out to join them. Jack took her hand. Everything seemed quiet and peaceful. It was nice having the camp to themselves for a while. No campers to watch over yet. No nervous camp director to badger them about their work every time they stopped to take a break. Jack led Marcie down the lake shore, past the dock and towards the woods. The walked across some fallen logs then stopped in a little stand of trees, sheltered from the others. Marcie smiled and came into his arms. They kissed.

Ned stood by a tree on a path between the cabins, watching them. He could just barely see them through the trees. He smiled and whistled softly between his teeth, thinking about Brenda. He always felt a little awkward around girls he liked. He knew he acted a bit foolish, but he couldn't really help himself and Brenda didn't seem to mind; she actually seemed to like him.

He sighed and started walking back to the cabin. He shared with Jack. As he approached, he thought he saw someone standing on the porch, looking out where Jack and Marcie stood kissing in the trees.

"Hello?" he said.

Whoever it was moved quickly back into the shadows. Ned hesitated, thinking about crazy old Ralph.

He had seen harmless enough, just a skinny old guy with crazy eyes, not much to him at all but you never could tell with crazy people. Yet, if Ralph were really dangerous, he doubted that the local police would allow him to run around loose. Just the town character, he thought, but he didn't like the idea of Ralph being in their cabin, going through their things. He hurried toward the cabin, but whoever had been on the porch had gone inside. He heard the door creak. He paused at the steps leading to the porch, took a deep breath then started up. He paused again outside the door.

"Can I help you?" He said. He rolled his eyes. 'Can I help you?' What was he, a sales clerk in a convenience store? Christ… 'Be firm, Ned!' He told himself, 'Get in there and chase the old loony out before he steals something.'

He stepped in and scanned the cabin. There wasn't anyone in sight.