Prologue: It all began at summer camp. I had been to this camp several times throughout many summers, but this summer was different. My friends and I were older and more mature… well I hoped we were. I couldn’t stand getting in trouble again this year. What happened last year? Let’s just say raiding the kitchen and having a food fight was not our counselors’ idea of a good time. But this year I was ready for a new start. We had finished 6th grade with a bang and couldn’t wait to lead the school in 7th. My friends and I were daring and itching for excitement. As one said later, we wanted something more in our last year at camp, and boy did we get something.
Chapter One:
‘Is everyone here? Where is Liese?’ Judy, our counselor, asked. ‘Here!’ Liese said popping her head up above the seat. ‘Celeste?’ Judy questioned. ‘Right here!’ Celeste answered appearing next to Liese. ‘Sam?’ ‘Present!’ I shouted over the clamor of voices. I was sitting with my best friend, Kate. Across the aisle were my other two good friends, Hallie and Mary. We were all riding the bus to our favorite summer camp, Camp Fire. Although the name was a bit odd, we still loved Camp Fire dearly. Most of us had been going to Camp Fire since we were six, and some like our counselor Judy had arrived last year. ‘Samantha, it is so good to see you again! It has been forever!’ that was Hallie. Straight from London, Hallie had perfect manners, and charming British accent, and an incredible character. Every so often, when I’d hang out with Hallie, I’d find myself taking in an accent and using very proper words. ‘It has been quite some time!’ I replied smiling. Almost all my friends were here with the exception of those who either didn’t ride the bus or were always late. This was our last year, and we all wanted it to be perfect. The only thing none of us were looking forward to though was the long bus ride.
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Chapter 2:
‘Can you believe it’s been six years? We were only tiny-tots when we first waddled into this place and now we’re mature, young ladies!’ Liese said. We all giggled at the thought of us being mature ladies. ‘Yeah, look at those tiny six-year-olds coming here for the first time. Time flew didn’t it?’ Kate sadly replied. ‘Oh, come on! Let’s not think about the past! Let’s just have fun and make this the most exciting…’ I started. ‘Terrific…’ Celeste continued. ‘Craziest…’ Hallie jumped in. ‘And most unique…’ Mary added. ‘Summer ever!’ all six of us finished. We all laughed and rolled to face the ceiling. It was covered with doodles and engravings we had left there over our time at Camp Fire. This had been our cabin for six years, and we were going to miss it. From roasting marshmallows by the campfire to telling stories with a flashlight in front of our faces to hiding out in the bathroom past lights out, we all had some pretty incredible memories.
‘The quality of dinner hasn’t changed much,’ Celeste said sticking her tongue out. ‘Yeah, neither has the bathrooms,’ Hallie giggled ‘The kitchen seems cleaner though.’ Mary reminded. We all roared with laughter at the memory of our food fight in the dead of night. ‘Oh, remember the story you told us Celeste that made Sam pee in her pants when we were eight?’ Liese asked. ‘Who could forget?’ Celeste chuckled. ‘Har har har. Very funny. I was only eight!’ I exclaimed. ‘Speaking of spooky stories, did anyone pick up a good one to tell us?’ Hallie asked. ‘I got one. It’s called the Tale of Boody Mary.’ Mary whispered. ‘Are you sure it’s not about you and the canoe?’ Liese questioned. That sent us into fits of giggles remembering Mary and the ‘cursed canoe’. It kept cutting her as she tried to paddle downstream and we finally declared cursed after the rest of us got cut on it too. ‘No, this one’s even spookier!’ Mary exclaimed. ‘Well don’t keep us waiting!’ Hallie cried on the edge of her bed. She loved nothing more than a good ghost story. ‘It’s said that once there was a girl named Mary.
She was pretty, rich, but picky and had a nasty temper and a fantastic memory when it came to wrongful deeds done against her. Mary had many suitors and admirers, but she could never choose just one. She broke heart after heart trying to find someone. Most forgot about her or buried their hatred for her so deep it would never surface. But one, whose heart had been shattered beyond repair, vowed to get revenge. In the dead of night, he climbed up the wall to Mary’s room using the roses that grew on the trellis. There he found her staring at herself in a mirror. He brutally murdered her. It’s said that she never forgot. So at midnight, the time she was killed, if you go to a mirror and say, Bloody Mary, three times and then say, please come out, she will reach out of the mirror and choke you.’ Mary finished.
All of us were on the edge of our beds, hanging on to every word. At the close of the story, we came to life. We began talking about this new story. ‘It certainly was a good one,’ we all agreed. ‘Hey!’ Kate said standing on the top of Hallie’s her bunk bed, ‘I dare you, Celeste, to go to the bathroom at midnight and do the Bloody Mary thing.’ ‘Me?’ Celeste asked. ‘Yes!’ Kate exclaimed. ‘When do you think she’ll come back?’ I asked. Celeste had left at least 30 minutes ago and had not come back yet. ‘She likes to play pranks. She’s probably fine. She just wants us to come find her.’ Liese said. We agreed and fell asleep.
Chapter 3:
‘Dong! Dong! Dong!’ the breakfast bell sounded waking me up. I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and got up. Looking around it looked as if the rest of the girls had already left. I scrabbled out of bed and raced into the dining area. There the five girls sat talking at our favorite table. ‘Hey, Sam! You slept like a log!’ a strange girl said. ‘Who are you?’ I asked. ‘Come on silly. I’m Mary.’ Mary giggled. ‘She’s Mary,’ I stated, pointing at Mary. ‘Sam, what’s up?’ the real Mary asked. ‘Did Celeste come back?’ I questioned worriedly ‘Who?’ Liese asked. ‘Celeste, the girl you have been friends with for six years. Your best friend, Celeste,’ I repeated. ‘I’m her best friend!’ the new Mary said, her eyes narrowing. Kate got up and put her hand to my forehead which I promptly shoved out of the way. I couldn’t understand what was going on. What happened to Celeste? No one but me could remember her it seemed. I was confused, but after a glance at my friends’ faces, I decided to drop the matter.
We had a wonderful day. Mary, after getting to know her, wasn’t that bad after all. By the end of the day, we were worn out. I opted to go to bed immediately, but the others overruled me. ‘I’d love to hear the Bloody Mary stories again!’ Liese said. ‘No! Anything but that!’ I shouted in panic. ‘Why not?’ Hallie asked. ‘Look what happened to Celeste!’ I almost screamed still uncertain if the story had caused her disappearance. ‘This thing again? Really, who is Celeste?’ Kate questioned, annoyed. ‘Please guys, you know I’m up for stories of any sort but not this one please!’ I begged. ‘Sorry Sam, everyone wants me to tell the story.’ the first Mary said. ‘I know it too from someone else; could I tell a different version?’ the other Mary asked. The other girls nodded, and she began. I could only whimper as she told them the bone-chilling story. I figured it would be the same, but this one was different.
The only similarities between the two stories were the chant, Mary, the time she died, and she was looking in a mirror when she died. When you spoke the incantation that Celeste had uttered the night before the result was different. The second Mary narrated the horrid death that would befall you if you said the chant. The Bloody Mary with her bloodshot eyes would appear in the mirror and steal your soul, making you her mindless minion forever. Whenever you would look in the mirror, you would see her bloodshot eyes staring back at you. Except they weren’t her eyes… they were yours. ‘Hey, Hallie, what do you think about going to the bathroom at midnight and doing the chant?’ Liese question, a smile dancing on her face. ‘With you?’ Hallie asked. ‘No, alone,’ Liese said. ‘Please no!’ I begged. ‘Stop now, Sam. Don’t even start with the Celeste thing again.’ Kate scolded annoyed. ‘I’ll do it!’ Hallie said nervously but still eagerly.
Chapter 4:
‘She’s gone!’ I cried looking at the empty bed. Hallie had not returned from the night before, and I was worried. ‘I’m right here silly.’ a girl said smiling standing under my bunk bed. ‘Uhh… who are you?’ I asked puzzled. ‘I’m Mary, silly. Did you fall off your bed and hit your head in the middle of the night?’ she asked with a British accent. ‘Be quiet! I’m trying to get some sleep!’ Kate shouted. ‘Oh, Kate, there’s another Mary!’ I screamed. This woke up the rest of my cabin who sat up irritated except for Liese who could sleep through an earthquake. ‘There are four Marys?’ Kate asked confused. ‘No there’s three!’ I yelled. Kate rose from the bed and looked around. ‘Hey, Mary,’ she said without batting an eye. ‘Hey, Kate.’ Mary, or whoever it was, answered. ‘What! Kate, please, you got to be joking!’ I yelled desperately. ‘Is this about Celeste?’ she asked annoyed. ‘Celeste and Hallie both disappear, and you can’t remember them?’ I cried. ‘Oh, Sam, I don’t know who Hallie is, and I still don’t remember Celeste. I’m sorry,’ Kate replied remorsefully. She was sorry for me I realized. She thought I was losing it.
The three Marys laughed. It was a hollow, evil laugh. Even Kate shuddered when she heard them. ‘Sam must be exhausted. Just go to bed, Sam.’ the three Marys murmured simultaneously. ‘Let’s.. let’s go… go to breakfast.’ Kate stammered nervously. I nodded, and we practically ran out of the cabin. Even as we drew further and further away, we could still hear them. ‘I…’ Kate trailed off. ‘You believe me?’ I asked. ‘I don’t know what to believe,’ Kate whimpered, ‘That was too creepy.’ I hugged her, and we walked to the main cabin for breakfast. ‘Tell me about Celeste and Hallie,’ Kate asked after we got our breakfast. We were sitting alone. The three Marys and Liese had come in a bit later. ‘Well, Celeste was super sweet. She cared about everyone. Celeste was Liese’s best friend, and they did everything together. Hallie had perfect manners, and charming British accent, and an incredible character. They both were there at the start with us.
We were the ones who had been there since we were six,’ I said on the verge of tears. I added some memorable stories to help Kate remember. ‘In all the stories and even their personalities, they sound like Mary and Mary, though your physical descriptions of them are different,’ Kate replied after a pause. ‘I’m so sick and tired of Bloody Mary,’ I said shaking. ‘Hey, guys, what’s up?’ Liese asked walking toward us, ‘Why aren’t you sitting with the Marys and me?’ ‘Liese, something really peculiar happened this morning with the Marys,’ Kate whispered. Leise bent in closer. ‘And Hallie’s not back yet either,’ I added in the same tone. ‘Ha, good one you guys. You almost had me there.’ Liese chuckled leaning back on her heels. Kate and I exchanged looks. ‘No really Liese! Something’s up with the Marys,’ Kate pleaded. ‘They’ll tell the same story as last night, but this time Mary’s death and your death will be different. And Hallie-Mary will tell it.’ I predicted.
‘Whatever guys. I’m gonna go hang with the Marys.’ Liese said. As she walked away, we heard her mutter, ‘Who in the world in Hallie?’ Kate and I avoided Liese and the Marys as much as possible, but it was a small camp. On top of that we were the only twelve-year-olds, so most of our activities were together. Whenever the Marys were in hearing range, we overheard their creepy laughs. After hours of this, it was time for bed. And time for Bloody Mary. ‘Who knows a good horror story?’ Liese asked. ‘I know a different version of Bloody Mary,’ said the third Mary. Liese gave me a look, and I shot back one of contentment. I had known this was going to happen. It would serve Liese right if one of Marys dared her to go to the bathroom at midnight. I would never dare Liese and hopefully neither would Kate. ‘Mary was a teenager. She loved junk food and sweets. Because of this Mary wasn’t that attractive. She would stare at herself for hours. Finally, she gave up. They found her body in front of the long mirror. They heard repeated whispering, ‘Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary, please come out.’ It wasn’t Mary.
No one knows who it was, but all who have repeated those words have died. Their bodies were found in front of mirrors and were enlarged to the size of Mary. Rumors said all of them died at midnight.’ the third Mary finished. I shivered just imagining one of my friends like that. ‘Hey, Liese,’ Mary said in a suggestive voice. ‘Yeah?’ Liese asked. ‘I dare you-‘ Mary started. ‘No! No! No!’ I screamed cutting her off. The Marys cocked their heads, ‘Sam must be exhausted. Just go to bed, Sam.’ They repeated it several times before Liese spoke, ‘Guys stop fooling around.’ Liese glanced at Kate and me with a questioning look. I nodded. The Marys had done this exact thing this morning. ‘I dare you to go to the bathroom at midnight and say the chant.’ The Marys challenged in the same voice. ‘I do it,’ Liese said an apprehensive, uncertain voice. ‘Goodbye Liese,’ I cried running up to her. ‘I’m not dying,’ she laughed trying to joke, but even her laugh held a nervous waver. I stood back taking a good look, trying to remember the friend I knew and loved, the friend I’d never see again, the friend who would never be the same. Chapter 5: ‘Hi, Mary,’ I said to a random girl in the top bunk diagonal to mine. I didn’t know her. Well, I knew she was another Mary. I mean who else would be sleeping in Liese’s bed? ‘Hi! You remember me?’ she asked. ‘No, your strange magic didn’t work on me again.
I still remember Liese.’ She cursed. It must be pretty frustrating not being able to make me forget Liese. I’m glad I still can though. Liese doesn’t deserve to be replaced by a Mary. ‘Hey, Mary,’ Kate said, our voices waking her. ‘You too?’ Mary asked. ‘Me too, what?’ Kate question innocently. I smacked my forehead, ‘She doesn’t remember Liese.’ ‘Who?’ Kate asked confused. ‘Good,’ Mary said satisfied. She climbed down and left the cabin slamming the door behind her. ‘Another Celeste and Hallie,’ I said. She frowned, ‘I forgot another one.’ ‘Yeah, you did,’ I replied leaving the cabin. As you might have guessed, Liese never came back, a fourth Mary had appeared, and everyone but me had forgotten. I ignored everyone that day even Kate. I was sick with worry about tonight. I couldn’t lose Kate. She was my best and now, only friend. Kate was great in so, so many ways, but she did have three qualities that made me worry. One: she was loyal.
Kate would jeopardize her life to rescue those who mattered to her. Two: She was brave and loved adventure. Three: (last and the most concerning) she could never turn down a dare. When dared she even kissed an earthworm and ate. ‘Hey, Kate,’ the newest Mary started. ‘No, I don’t want to hear a horror story!’ Kate yelled. ‘Why Kate, you don’t even know what I was going to say,’ Mary said innocently. ‘Oh, I know,’ Kate replied. Go, Kate! I thought. Kate was trying to delay the imminent. ‘Well guess what, you’re going to hear it.’ the Marys screeched surprisingly forcefully. Kate was taken aback, ‘Alright!’ ‘Bloody Mary, the devil in the mirror, has been known for awful deeds. She kills in many different ways, but no one lives to tell the tale so how do people know? They don’t. No one knows the actual story except for Mary and all others by her surname. We know the truth. ‘ Mary started. ‘Oh, cut to it!’ another Mary yelled. ‘Fine! She had friends, and she went into the mirror to save them because of an evil magician who had trapped them there. Bloody Mary saved her friend and herself from their abductor, but they were still imprisoned in the mirror. ‘The magician found them again, but Mary protected her friends. The magician finally made a pack with Mary.
He gave her an enchantment that would free her in return for Mary’s and her friends’ beautiful bluebell eyes. The wizard replaced them with red, blood-shot eyes. Because of this, Mary has blood-shot eyes. ‘The enchantment would free them when someone on the other side of the mirror said it. The only catch was the person who said it would have blood-shot eyes. Or so people say that’s the only catch.’ Mary finished Oh no. We had all been waiting for this. ‘We double-dog dare you, Kate, to do Bloody Mary.’ all the Marys synchronically said with an eerie grin on their faces. I started bailing. I had had some glimmer of hope that maybe Kate would say no to a dare, but a double-dog dare! She would never decline that! ‘It’s ok Sam! I’m just going to find out what happened to our friends.’ Kate said trying to convince me. I was convinced alright. Convinced that tomorrow there would be five Marys and no Kate. ‘Please Kate, you’re my best friend. You can’t-‘ I choked up at the thought of losing her. ‘I have to, Sam,’ she sobbed, wiping away the tears streaming down my face, ‘I have to save our friends.’ I hugged her as hard as I could. Kate would disappear, and her family and friends except me would never remember her. I couldn’t bear the thought that her little brother, Jamey, would never see a Kate again. It brought another wave of tears as I thought about it. ‘Now you’re scaring me,’ Kate said trying to joke. I gave a feeble smile, ‘Goodbye.’ And just like that, I was the only one left.
