I stared out the dusty window as the camp bus bounced over the narrow, winding road. I could see sloping red hills in the distance beneath a bright yellow sky.

Stumpy white trees lined the road like fence posts. We were way out in the wilderness. We hadnt passed a house or a farm for nearly an hour.

The bus seats were made of hard blue plastic. When the bus hit a bump, we all bounced up off our seats. Everyone laughed and shouted. The driver kept growling at us, yelling for us to pipe down.

There were twenty-two kids going to camp on the bus. I was sitting in the back row on the aisle, so I could count them all.

There were eighteen boys and only four girls. I guessed that the boys were all going to Camp Nightmoon, which is where I was going. The girls were going to a girls camp nearby.

The girls sat together in the front rows and talked quietly to each other. Every once in a while, theyd glance back quickly to check out the boys.

The boys were a lot louder than the girls, cracking jokes, laughing, making funny noises, shouting out dumb things. It was a long bus ride, but we were having a good time.

The boy next to me was named Mike. He had the window seat. Mike looked a little like a bulldog. He was kind of chubby, with a round face and pudgy arms and legs. He had short, spiky black hair, which he scratched a lot. He was wearing baggy brown shorts and a sleeveless green T-shirt.

We had been sitting together the whole trip, but Mike didnt say much. I figured he was shy, or maybe very nervous. He told me this was his first time at sleepaway camp.

It was my first time, too. And I have to admit that, as the bus took me farther and farther from my home, I was already starting to miss my mom and dad just a little.

Im twelve, but Ive never really stayed away from home before. Even though the long bus ride was fun, I had this sad kind of feeling. And I think Mike was feeling the same way.

He pressed his chubby face against the window glass and stared out at the red hills rolling by in the distance.

Are you okay, Mike? I asked.

Yeah. Sure, Billy, he replied quickly without turning around.

I thought about my mom and dad. Back at the bus station, they had seemed so serious. I guess they were nervous, too, about me going off to camp for the first time.

Well write every day, Dad said.

Do your best, Mom said, hugging me harder than usual.

What a weird thing to say. Why didnt she say, Have a good time? Why did she say, Do your best?

As you can tell, Im a bit of a worrier.

The only other boys Id met so far were the two in the seat in front of us. One was named Colin. He had long brown hair down to his collar, and he wore silver sunglasses so you couldnt see his eyes. He acted kind of tough, and he wore a red bandanna on his forehead. He kept tying and untying the bandanna.

Sitting next to him in the seat on the aisle was a big, loud kid named Jay. Jay talked a lot about sports and kept bragging about what a good athlete he was. He liked showing off his big, muscular arms, especially when one of the girls turned around to check us out.

Jay teased Colin a lot and kept wrestling with him, gripping Colins head in a headlock and messing up Colins bandanna. You know. Just kidding around.

Jay had wild, bushy red hair that looked as if it had never been brushed. He had big blue eyes. He never stopped grinning and horsing around. He spent the whole trip telling gross jokes and shouting things at the girls.

Heywhats your name? Jay called to a blond-haired girl who sat at the front by the window.

She ignored him for a long time. But the fourth time Jay called out the question, she turned around, her green eyes flashing. Dawn, she replied. Then she pointed to the red-haired girl next to her. And this is my friend Dori.

Heythats amazing! My name is Dawn, too! Jay joked.

A lot of the guys laughed, but Dawn didnt crack a smile. Nice to meet you, Dawn, she called back to him. Then she turned around to the front.

The bus bounced over a hole in the road, and we all bounced with it.

Hey, look, Billy, Mike said suddenly, pointing out the window.

Mike hadnt said anything for a long time. I leaned toward the window, trying to see what he was pointing at.

I think I saw a prairie cat, he said, still staring hard.

Huh? Really? I saw a clump of low white trees and a lot of jagged red rocks. But I couldnt see any prairie cats.

It went behind those rocks, Mike said, still pointing. Then he turned toward me. Have you seen any towns or anything?

I shook my head. Just desert.

But isnt the camp supposed to be near a town? Mike looked worried.

I dont think so, I told him. My dad told me that Camp Nightmoon is past the desert, way out in the woods.

Mike thought about this for a while, frowning. Well, what if we want to call home or something? he asked.

They probably have phones at the camp, I told him.

I glanced up in time to see Jay toss something up toward the girls at the front. It looked like a green ball. It hit Dawn on the back of the head and stuck in her blond hair.

Hey! Dawn cried out angrily. She pulled the sticky green ball from her hair. What is this? She turned to glare at Jay.

Jay giggled his high-pitched giggle. I dont know. I found it stuck under the seat! he called to her.

Dawn scowled at him and heaved the green ball back. It missed Jay and hit the rear window, where it stuck with a loud plop.

Everyone laughed. Dawn and her friend Dori made faces at Jay.

Colin fiddled with his red bandanna. Jay slumped down low and raised his knees against the seat in front of him.

A few rows ahead of me, two grinning boys were singing a song we all knew but with really gross words replacing the original words.

A few other kids began to sing along.

Suddenly, without warning, the bus squealed to a stop, the tires skidding loudly over the road.

We all cried out in surprise. I bounced off my seat, and my chest hit the seat in front of me.

Ugh! That hurt.

As I slid back in the seat, my heart still pounding, the bus driver stood up and turned to us, leaning heavily into the aisle.

Ohh! Several loud gasps filled the bus as we saw the drivers face.

His head was enormous and pink, topped with a mop of wild bright blue hair that stood straight up. He had long, pointed ears. His huge red eyeballs bulged out from their dark sockets, bouncing in front of his snoutlike nose. Sharp white fangs drooped from his gaping mouth. A green liquid oozed over his heavy black lips.

As we goggled in silent horror, the driver tilted back his monstrous head and uttered an animal roar.