16: The McGregor Menace

Ji-Ji was off. Again. With that sketchy “Casper.” Nobody liked Casper (besides Ji-Ji), but Logan knew they had no way to restrain her. He stabbed the ground with his stick. It snapped. He picked up another one. It snapped too.

Saraha got up and mumbled, “I’m leaving.” It was around noon, the sun was high in the sky, and the snow had melted. Though it was still winter, the feeling of spring had come prematurely. Saraha went off through the bushes, and was immediately lost from sight.

Flo P and Logan were left alone at camp. Logan felt nervous and his hands felt clammy. He wanted to do something nice, but he didn’t know what. After some hard thinking, he awkwardly jumped to his feet.

“Hey, Flo P… Do you, uh, wanna go for a walk together?”

She looked at him like she didn’t understand. “Alone? With you?”

“Yes, just, um, u-us,” Logan stuttered feebly. His Macho Logan-ness had all gone down the drain by now. Flo P looked a little embarrassed and sad.

“No thanks, Logan. Someone needs to take care of the camp. Why don’t you go, if you wanna stretch your legs?” she suggested.

Logan nodded, and walked off in the opposite direction of Saraha. He could feel tears of shame stinging his eyes. Flo P didn’t feel the same as he did! She had obviously just snubbed him – and worse, tried to turn his affections into something they were not. He didn’t want to “stretch his legs”; he’d wanted to go on a long and romantic walk through the forest.

Logan sat down on a bench and watched a damp drop fall from his eye and spread across his jeans. He rubbed it and it faded. Logan stood up. What used to be a warm afternoon was fading into twilight, and Logan supposed he’d better get back to camp to help prepare for dinner.

As he walked back, Logan furiously kicked an innocent shrub. He would not give up! He would persevere! He entered the clearing as Saraha did, obviously annoyed.

“What’s gotten your panties in a knot?” asked Flo P, looking up from the fire she’d been fixing.

“I don’t have my panties in a knot,” scoffed Saraha. “I just don’t think it’s fair that Ji-Ji gets to traverse the town, while we’re stuck in these filthy woods!” She plopped down next to the not-yet-made fire.

Suddenly, they heard a crash in the distance. It was followed by cursing in rough, harsh voice – obviously a man’s. Everyone’s grouchiness and grumpiness faded, as Flo P looked at them with wide eyes.

Logan froze. Both girls turned to him, waiting for him to answer. Logan didn’t know what to do. It was like when he’d met Commander Brack for the first time; the blood was pumping in his ears, and his limbs felt too light. He never wanted to move again.

“Well, what are we waiting for?” Flo P hissed, coming to her senses. She was looking disappointedly at Logan. “RUN!”

Logan, Saraha, and Flo P jumped and grabbed their supplies. The crunching and crashing of someone in the woods was coming closer. Saraha tried kicking some dirt over the fire, but it was packed too firmly. They sprinted to the nearby bushes.

Soon after, a man stumbled into the clearing. He was not very tall, but his physique exuded the aura that he’d been working in manual labour most of his life. Logan gauged his age to be are 55. He was slightly balding, with small, mean, mousey eyes.

“Who’s in my woods?” he cried. “What’s this fire doing here? I’ll get you… you… YOU RASCALS!”

Logan, Saraha and Flo P ambushed Ji-Ji and Casper near the edge of the woods. Casper looked surprised to see them, but all three ignored him. “Ji-Ji, someone’s pillaging our camp! We got all the supplies out… but still!” Logan gasped.

“What…?” Ji-Ji said.

“He’s this ugly little rat of a man,” added Flo P viciously.

“He called us RASCALS. Do I look like a RASCAL to you?” sneered Saraha.

Carter shook his head, as if he understood. “In his mid-fifties? Yeah, I know who you’re talking about. That’s McGregor – he owns a farm on the other side of the forest. McGregor’s an ass; he thinks the woods are his or something, because by the end of the week he’s been prowling about searching for anyone who’s in there.”

Flo P grumbled, “No one asked you,” under her breath, but Ji-Ji interrupted:

“Yes, if so – then, what should we do?”

Casper shrugged. “There’s nothing you can do. I suppose move your location if McGregor already knows you are there… Unless you want to leave altogether, which I doubt is an option.” Ji-Ji tried to hide the glowing look she gave him.

“Pathetic,” muttered Saraha. “Absolutely disgusting.”

Logan inwardly giggled. He wished Flo P would respond to him like Ji-Ji did to Casper. That would make things a lot easier. Logan felt funny. Like he was a roiling pot of stew, ready to overflow the cauldron. He didn’t know whether he could contain this peculiar feeling much longer.

READ NEXT WEEK IN “I WILL BE ME, BUT WHO WILL YOU BE?”