Chapter 25: Wanna Go to Summer Camp? Say Hi to Baby Jason!
Carrie was still floating in a daze when her feet touched solid ground again.
The feeling of breaking free from gravity and embracing the sky was intoxicating, leaving her entire soul feeling light and weightless.
The light in the woods had grown dim. The last rays of sunset were sliced into fragmented patches by the dense tree canopy, scattering across the leaf-covered ground.
"How was it?" Edward's voice pulled her back from her reverie.
"I..." Carrie opened her mouth but found words completely inadequate to describe the shock and joy she'd just experienced.
She could only nod vigorously, her usually timid eyes now sparkling bright, as if filled with an entire galaxy. "Thank you, Edward."
The gratitude wasn't just for the incredible flight, but even more for the 'hope' he'd given her.
Edward smiled, saying nothing more, and the two walked out of the woods side by side. The road home was so quiet that only their footsteps and distant dog barks could be heard.
Carrie wanted to say something several times, but the words caught in her throat, swallowed back by teenage shyness and nervousness. She just secretly, from the corner of her eye, glanced at the boy's profile beside her, burning that silhouette into her memory...
Back home, the familiar smell of cooking greeted them. Lily was sprawled on the couch, clutching an enormous teddy bear, totally absorbed in some cartoon on TV, her little legs swinging back and forth—looking like any spoiled kid in a normal family.
Hearing the door open, she immediately dropped the stuffed animal and charged over like a tiny missile, wrapping her arms around Edward's leg.
"Big brother, you're home!" She looked up with a smile sweet enough to cause cavities.
Edward ruffled her hair, mentally noting that this little demon's acting skills were getting scarily good.
"Edward, Carrie, you're back! Go wash up, dinner's ready." Their mom Sarah's gentle voice floated from the kitchen.
At the dining table, their dad John was watching the evening news while Sarah brought out a plate of golden-brown roasted chicken. The family gathered together, warm and ordinary.
"Mom, Dad," Edward took a sip of milk, speaking casually, "school's organizing a summer camp, and I want to go."
"Summer camp?" John set down his newspaper, interested. "Where to?"
"Camp Crystal Lake."
"Crystal Lake?" Sarah's hand holding the serving spoon paused, her brow furrowing slightly. "I think I've heard of that place. Doesn't it have kind of a sketchy reputation?"
"Those are all old stories, Mom." Edward put on his most innocent 'you're overreacting' expression. "It's completely renovated now, totally safe. Plus, it's a school-sponsored group activity—good for character building."
John clearly bought it, nodding in agreement. "Sarah, don't be so paranoid. Boys need to get out and explore. Keeping him cooped up at home will just make him soft. How much does it cost?"
"Registration fee is three hundred bucks for the week." Edward paused, then added, "Carrie's going too."
Hearing Carrie's name, Sarah's expression softened. "Oh? Carrie, you're going too? That's wonderful—you'll have company."
Sarah knew about Carrie's family situation, and there was genuine warmth and concern in her voice.
"Her mom left her some money before, it's enough," Edward explained. He didn't mention the psychiatric hospital, just glossed over it.
Sarah looked relieved, then shot John a look as if blaming him for being careless earlier. She pulled her wallet from her apron pocket, counted out the cash, and handed Edward five crisp hundred-dollar bills.
"Here's five hundred. Three hundred for registration, and you can keep the other two hundred as spending money. Don't just eat McDonald's and junk food the whole time you're there."
"Thanks, Mom, you really are the best mom in the entire world." Edward laid on the charm thick, making Sarah beam with happiness.
John watched from the sidelines with a chuckle, then cleared his throat. "Speaking of which, your mother and I are planning a trip too."
"Huh?" Edward looked surprised.
"I've got a case I need to handle in the city, should take about a week," Sarah explained.
"I've got nothing going on, so I figured I'd tag along with your mom," John winked at Sarah, his tone full of anticipation. "Consider it our second honeymoon."
"We're an old married couple, still talking about honeymoons," Sarah protested, though a blush crept onto her cheeks.
"What about Lily then?" Edward asked the million-dollar question.
"That's exactly what we wanted to discuss," Sarah's expression turned serious. "You're going to camp, and both of us will be out of town, so we can't just leave Lily home alone. We decided to hire a temporary babysitter to look after her for the week."
Edward's expression instantly turned weird.
Hire a babysitter... to watch Lily?
He instinctively glanced at Lily, who was innocently working on her mashed potatoes, her little face focused on her plate. This outwardly adorable girl was actually a genuine demon capable of creating fear and weaving illusions.
Edward could already picture the fate of whatever poor soul they hired. Best case scenario: scared out of their mind. Worst case: having an existential crisis and running away in the middle of the night with a packed suitcase.
He silently thought: Pretty sure we don't know who's gonna be watching who here. What if Lily ends up having to cook the babysitter's meals and provide therapy sessions?
"What's wrong? You think it's a bad idea?" Sarah asked with concern, noticing his odd expression.
"No, no, I think... it's perfect." Edward forced a smile. "Lily will definitely... get along great with the new babysitter."
Lily looked up, mashed potatoes smeared across half her face. She blinked her innocent big eyes and gave Edward the sweetest smile—one that seemed to hide barely contained excitement over a prank about to unfold.
Edward felt his scalp tingle, quickly looked back down at his plate, and decided to just ignore whatever tragedy was about to go down in his house over the next week.
After dinner, night had completely settled over the town.
Edward took Carrie out for a walk and to find somewhere to practice her telekinesis. Carrie had changed into comfortable athletic wear, still looking a bit shy.
"Is Lily coming too?" Carrie asked curiously, noticing Lily trailing behind Edward.
"Just bringing her along for kicks," Edward said casually.
The three of them, under cover of darkness, headed once again to the wooded area on the edge of town.
Moonlight filtered through sparse clouds, casting a silvery glow over the forest path. The surroundings were so quiet you could only hear crickets chirping and wind rustling through the leaves.
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