On the first day of Camp Pinewood, buses brought kids and teens eager to start their summer adventure. Upon arrival, everyone—campers and Counselors in Training (C.I.T.s)—lined up at the registration desk to find out which cabins they'd stay in and who their bunkmates would be. The younger children were campers, while the teenagers served as C.I.T.s and learned from experienced counselors.
Judy, a new arrival, approached the registration desk where Hazel, the head counselor, checked her in. She then carried her bags to Cabin 9, where she met her counselor, Meg. "Welcome. I'm Meg, and you must be Judy, my new C.I.T.," Meg greeted her. Judy confirmed, "Yes. Yes, I am." Meg jumped right into training, asking about Judy's camp experience. Judy admitted, "None." When Meg asked if Judy liked kids, she replied, "I don't know. I've never worked with any before." Meg wondered why Judy wanted to become a counselor, and Judy explained, "I don't. Nature's not really my thing, but my parents wanted me to get some fresh air, so here I am—they signed me up because they think I spend too much time at the computer." Meg reassured her, "Don't worry, you'll have fun." Judy half-joked, "Maybe I should make a run for it while I still can."
Meanwhile, Ricky proceeded to Cabin 13, accompanied by his dog, Jake. Upon arrival, he found his counselor, Kris, organizing belongings inside the cabin. Ricky greeted him, introducing himself and his dog. Kris identified himself as the counselor for Cabin 13 and addressed Ricky as the new Counselor-in-Training, noting that training would commence the following day. When Ricky asked about the cabin rules, Kris said he preferred a relaxed environment, emphasizing camper enjoyment over strict regulations.
As night descended, the lake exhibited unusual bubbling, culminating in the brief appearance of an aquatic creature. Observing the group gathered around the campfire, the beast soon retreated beneath the surface. Campers, counselors-in-training (C.I.T.s), and counselors continued to enjoy the campfire activities, during which Cabin 18's counselor, Bobby, performed music on his guitar. The audience applauded his performance. Participants socialized, had marshmallows and s'mores, and listened to Bobby's music.
Later, Meg and Judy exited their cabin and joined the group outdoors. Upon arrival, Judy noticed Bobby's C.I.T., Brad, who reciprocally noticed her. The two approached each other, exchanged greetings, and decided to sit together for the remainder of the evening.
As everyone gathered around the fire, Gladys, who owned the camp, shared a spooky story about the Lake Monster of Camp Pinewood. Gladys raised her flashlight to her face and began, "Long ago, when they first built the camp, Sarah Broadworth and Jed Harington hid a treasure somewhere here." After tossing it into the lake, a green monster emerged, tried to destroy them, and now haunts the camp, waiting for anyone brave enough to enter the water." Cassidy commented that the story was entertaining but not very scary. Judy exclaimed, "I believe something is haunting the camp!" But Meg reassured everyone, "There are no monsters here at all." Hazel agreed, saying monsters are just things little kids worry about.
When Gladys finished her tale, Bobby grabbed his guitar and played a new song, singing about the camp and its joys. The entire group joined in, singing about all the fun and adventure at Camp Pinewood. As they sang, someone—or something—with a green hand, sharp claws, and a menacing growl watched them from the shadows. After the campfire, campers, counselors-in-training, and staff relaxed by playing pool and foosball in the mess hall.
When bedtime arrived, Judy lay on her bed and heard a knock at her window. Curious, she looked out and saw Brad standing outside. "Want to come out and play?" Brad asked. Judy opened the window and replied, "Are we ready to head into the woods?" Brad held up his flashlight and camera. "I've got a flashlight so we can see and a camera to snap anything cool. Plus, it's safer to have someone with you out there—and you seem bored." Judy glanced over her campers, who were all fast asleep, and decided to join him. "Works for me," she said. She grabbed her own flashlight and camera, quietly slipped out of the cabin, and headed into the woods alongside Brad.
During their hike, Judy playfully tapped Brad, making him jump. Brad glanced at her, and she teased, "You're not scared. Right?" Brad replied, "Actually, I'd rather be out here than stuck in my cabin. While you were probably bored, I had to comfort my campers until they finally fell asleep." Judy grinned and asked, "So, do you think we'll find the monster out here?" Brad responded, "Probably not, but if we don't see it, that just proves Gladys' story is nothing more than an urban legend or a made-up myth."
As Brad and Judy continued hiking, they noticed what sounded like their own footsteps echoing. When they stopped, though, the footsteps persisted. Turning around and shining their flashlights into the dark, they discovered two other C.I.T.s trailing them. Brad called out, "Who are you two?" Cassidy introduced herself, "I'm Cassidy, C.I.T. of Cabin 15, and this is my friend Ricky from Cabin 13." Ricky introduced his dog, saying, "And this is my dog, Jake." Brad responded, "I'm Brad, C.I.T. of Cabin 18, and this is my friend Judy from Cabin 9." Judy suggested, "Why don't we all stick together?" and Cassidy agreed, "Works for me."
Brad, Judy, Cassidy, Ricky, and Jake trekked together through the woods when Judy spotted some strange footprints on the ground. "Hey, guys, look," she called out, bringing everyone over to examine the marks that seemed to belong to something unusual. Brad observed, "Those don't look like animal prints." Cassidy wondered aloud, "So what could've left them?" Pulling out her camera, Judy snapped a quick photo of the prints, then shone her flashlight down the path where more tracks led toward the lake.
"Come on," Judy urged, and the group followed the trail deeper into the woods until they stumbled upon patches of glowing green slime. Curiously, Cassidy knelt and ran her hand through the goo before inspecting the sticky substance on her palm. "What is that stuff?" Ricky asked. "Some kind of goo," Cassidy replied, getting up and following the footprints all the way to the end of the dock.
Judy remarked, "Whatever made these tracks must have gone into the water." Cassidy added, "Well, since it's just us here, we should probably check out this goo and see what it really is."
Cassidy pulled a slide from her backpack and put a small amount of goo on it. Brad asked, "Do you always have slides with you?" In response, Cassidy produced her microscope and replied, "A microscope isn't much use without a slide." She peered through the lens to examine the goo. As she did, the water nearby turned green and started bubbling, and suddenly a monster burst out, roaring. Startled, Brad, Judy, Cassidy, Ricky, and Jake sprinted away from the dock as the beast gave chase. They quickly took shelter in the camp's barn, each finding a separate hiding spot. The creature stormed inside but couldn't find any trace of the kids or their dog, so it eventually left. Once the coast was clear, the group crept out of hiding and managed to return to bed before anyone else woke up.
The next day, Brad, Judy, and Cassidy met up. They discussed last night's mystery but worried about getting caught if they investigated. Brad suggested they involve Ricky, who agreed as long as Jake joined too. The plan was simple: look for clues during the day and sneak out at night to investigate further.
Brad led his campers on a zip-lining adventure; Judy took her group canoeing; Cassidy's campers practiced archery; and Ricky hiked with his campers and Jake in the woods. After all of Brad's campers reached the ground safely, he went down the zip line too. While Judy was out on the lake with her campers, her canoe hit something beneath the water. She checked her paddle and discovered razor-sharp teeth marks where something had bitten it. Suddenly, a lake monster emerged, frightening Judy and her campers. They quickly tried to paddle back to shore, but the creature pursued them, leaping from the water. Meg struck the monster with her paddle, causing it to fall back into the lake. Once the threat was gone, the campers beached their canoes and ran for safety. "That was close," Judy remarked. She and Meg then guided their campers away from the lake.
Cassidy fired an arrow at the target and hit the bullseye. Afterward, her campers each took a turn; some hit the mark, others didn't, but none hit the bullseye. While Cassidy and her fellow counselor, Susan, were teaching archery, Ricky and Jake led their campers on a hike through the woods. During the walk, Ricky noticed footprints on the ground and pointed them out to the group. One camper asked, "Tracks?" Ricky replied, "Looks like they're from a hiking boot. Let's follow them and see where they lead." Kris, Ricky, Jake, and the campers traced the footprints back to camp, which led them to Hazel's cabin. Once the hike concluded, Kris escorted his campers back to their cabin, but Ricky lingered behind. As Kris left with the kids, Ricky turned around and saw the lake monster standing behind him. The creature roared at Ricky and Jake, prompting Ricky to try fending it off with a stick. The beast grabbed the stick, snapped it in two, and attacked Ricky. Suddenly, arrows flew at the monster. Looking over, Ricky saw Susan, Cassidy, and their troop shooting arrows to defend him. Their barrage drove the beast away as they continued firing until it retreated.
The monster reached the zip-lining area as Brad and his group descended. After they landed, it cut the line, causing Bobby, Brad, and their group to fall before they could attack. Bobby led the campers back to the cabin, while Brad tried to restrain the monster, but it escaped and chased him.
After nightfall, Brad, Judy, Cassidy, Ricky, and Jake gathered. Judy explained to Brad what had occurred, mentioning, "The monster didn't just target you—it attacked all of us." Brad replied, "Maybe it wants us gone." Ricky shared the discovery he and Jake had made with the group. Brad asked quietly, "Is that really where your hike finished?" Ricky responded softly, "Absolutely. I think we've found a suspect." Cassidy, also whispering, urged, "Let's go and take a look."
Brad, Judy, Cassidy, Ricky, and Jake made their way to Hazel's cabin, discussing who should enter. Brad quietly said, "Jake can't go in; he'll wake everyone. Judy, Cassidy, and I will go inside. Ricky, you stay out with Jake and make sure he keeps quiet. If anyone approaches, knock softly on the door to warn us." With that, Brad gently turned the knob, and the three slipped into Cabin 21, doing their best not to disturb Hazel, her campers, or Lydia, the C.I.T. Inside, Brad whispered instructions: "Spread out. I'll check the bathroom. Judy, look under the beds and try not to wake anyone. Cassidy, search the closet."
Brad conducted a thorough search of the bathroom but found no clues. Judy examined the area beneath Hazel's bed, finding various items, though only a few appeared relevant. Cassidy inspected the closet and reviewed its contents. Subsequently, Judy searched under Lydia's bed and discovered a box. She quietly informed the others, and together they illuminated the box with their flashlights. Upon opening it, Judy identified its contents as a makeup set, suggesting that Lydia might have used it to create the monster mask. Cassidy proposed an alternative explanation, noting that Lydia may have had another use for the makeup. Brad concluded that this was their first significant clue. After returning the makeup kit to its original location, the group discreetly exited the cabin to avoid detection.
The group of five met in Judy's cabin, pondering over the case as rain fell outside. Cassidy examined the slime sample using her portable chemistry set, testing its chemical makeup to identify it. "This isn't slime," she announced. "It's not?" Judy asked. Cassidy explained to Brad, Judy, and Ricky that true slime contains water and sodium borate, but her results showed their sample was actually a mix of spores and phosphorus paint. "So, what does that mean for us?" Brad questioned. Cassidy replied, "I'm not sure yet. We'll need to keep investigating. What other clues do we have?"
Brad remarked, "There are two trails of footprints."
Judy observed, "There's a makeup set hidden under Lydia's bed."
Cassidy added, "And this fake goo right here."
Ricky questioned, "So, what does it all mean?"
Cassidy replied, "Nothing—it doesn't add up to anything yet."
Judy wondered, "Maybe we're overlooking something."
Ricky suggested, "How about we review our list of suspects?"
Judy said, "Hazel and Lydia are our main suspects. The footprints you found head straight to their cabin, and we've discovered a makeup kit beneath Lydia's bed. That points to Lydia as the culprit."
The following day, Brad, Judy, Cassidy, Ricky, and Jake set out onto the lake with a motorboat and some advanced equipment. They steered toward the deepest part, while their counselors took the rest of the campers canoeing for fun. At the deepest point, the group anchored their boat, donned scuba gear, and dove beneath the surface.
Once underwater, they swam down to the lake bed. It was there that the monster discovered them, suddenly appearing and sending them fleeing. The creature pursued the group toward an underwater cave. Brad, Judy, Cassidy, Ricky, and Jake slipped inside, but the beast got stuck at the entrance, unable to fit through. Safely inside, the five swam back to the surface and removed their scuba masks.
"That was close," Brad remarked. Suddenly, Judy pointed and exclaimed, "Look, there's a cave with light coming from it." Curious, Brad suggested, "Let's check it out."
They climbed out of the water, shed their scuba gear, and followed the illuminated passage until it ended. At the cave's dead end, lanterns lit up the space, and crates were stacked everywhere. Judy opened one to find it overflowing with cash.
"Hey, look! Money—tons of it," she said. Ricky asked, "But where did it come from?" Cassidy offered, "I think I know. Can I see one of those bills?" After examining a $20 bill closely, Cassidy explained, "Sorry, but this is counterfeit money." Curious, Judy asked, "What makes you say that?" Cassidy replied, "Check the serial number on another bill and read it aloud." Judy picked up a $5 bill and read, "A0123456." Cassidy concluded, "So whoever printed this money must have had a reason."
Judy opened another crate and remarked, "Maybe they wanted to hide these." She reached inside and revealed its contents. Brad observed, "Diamonds and jewelry." Judy confirmed, "And they're genuine. I can always spot real gems, and these jewels and diamonds are definitely authentic. I'd estimate their value at around ten million dollars." Cassidy noted, "That matches the amount of counterfeit money they tried to produce." Ricky said, "We need to notify the police." Cassidy asked, "But how do we get out of here?" Brad replied, "Exactly how we came in."
Brad, Judy, Cassidy, Ricky, and Jake donned their scuba gear again, swam out through the cave, and made their way back to their boat. Once aboard, they drove away from the water and returned to their cabins before it got dark. That evening, everyone gathered around a campfire; campers roasted s'mores as counselors and C.I.T.s spun scary tales. When stories ended, everyone called it a night.
The next day, all the counselors and C.I.T.s led their campers to the petting zoo. Brad took the opportunity to tell his counselor, Bobby, about everything that happened the previous night. Bobby reassured him, "I'm sure whatever chased you into the woods wasn't some monster. My guess is Gladys." Brad replied, "Gladys—the camp owner?" Bobby nodded, "That's right. She really doesn't like this place or her job. I wouldn't be surprised if she wanted to shut down the camp, make us all miserable, and build something she'd actually enjoy here." Brad protested, "She can't just do that." Bobby explained, "Actually, she has a lot of authority as the owner."
Suspicious, Brad considered investigating Gladys further. But he accidentally backed into a bug zapper, got shocked, and cried out in panic, "Help! The lake monster's got me!" Moving forward, he freed himself from the jolt and collapsed. Bobby helped him up and pointed out, "Brad, that's just a bug zapper—not some monster." Both found the moment funny and laughed together before Bobby checked on the kids, who were interacting with the bunnies, goats, and other animals.
Judy told her campers they'd go on a hike and reviewed plants to avoid. During the lesson, Mike placed a spider on Lucy's shoulder, but she was unfazed and surprised him with a snake, which made him scream and amused the group.
The next day at the lake, Judy's campers encountered what looked like a shark's fin, but Lucy discovered it was just Mike in disguise.
That night, a bear appeared at their campsite, but Lucy revealed it was Mike in a costume. After bedtime, the counselors searched Cabin 21 for answers, as the monster always seemed to return there.
Brad searched under Hazel's bed, Judy checked under Lydia's, Cassidy inspected the bathroom, while Ricky and Jake looked beneath the campers' beds. "Any clues?" Brad asked. "Nope," replied Judy. "Nothing in here," added Cassidy. But then Brad announced, "Hey, I found something." He brought it over and showed it to everyone. "A diving suit? Why is that here?" questioned Cassidy. Judy responded, "I think I know, and I believe I've solved this mystery. Now all we need to do is trap the monster."
While the camp was sleeping, Brad and Judy set up a net at the end of the lake. Cassidy attached a lasso to one side of a motorboat and tossed the loop into the water. Ricky built a ramp on the lakeshore and attached a parachute to the boat. Once their trap was ready, they slipped back to the campout and got some sleep before anyone noticed they were gone.
The next day, they needed to pick someone to help Jake lure the monster into their trap. Brad held out four straws for the group. Each person chose one and compared it to the others. Brad, Judy, and Ricky drew the longer straws, leaving Cassidy with the shortest. "Sorry, Cassidy, you're the bait," Brad said.
Cassidy and Jake set out to track down the monster. When they finally found it, the creature let out a roar, prompting Cassidy to scream. Both she and Jake quickly ran away with the monster hot on their heels. They managed to hide under the docks near where they had set their trap. As the beast arrived, Cassidy and Jake evaded him, but he soon spotted Ricky in a motorboat. Taunting the monster, Ricky shouted, "Catch me if you can," before speeding his boat onto the lake. The monster leaped into the water and swam after Ricky. Once Ricky saw the beast pursuing him, he whipped the ship around and snared the monster's ankle with a lasso attached to the boat. Making another sharp turn, Ricky headed toward the lakeshore. With the beast now tethered underwater, Ricky drove up a ramp, jumped from the boat, and safely landed using the parachute stashed inside. From the shore, he watched as both the boat and the monster got caught in their net. Brad and Judy pulled the ropes to close the net, then released them so the monster would drop to the ground. "We got him," Judy declared.
After they caught the monster, all the campers, C.I.T.s, and counselors gathered around to see who the beast was. Judy said, "Time to find out who this lake monster is." Judy removed the monster's mask, and they all saw who the beast was. Everyone at the camp said at the same time, "Hazel!" Judy stated, "And I feel she's not alone." Cassidy said, "You're right; someone else is also behind this." Cassidy pointed at Lydia and her campers and announced, "Them." Lydia and her campers ran for their lives, but Ricky shot them with a gun. After he did, Lydia and her campers got woozy and fell to the ground. Hazel was shocked when she saw what Ricky had done. Hazel said, "How could you?" Ricky held his gun up and stated, "Relax. They're not dead; they're unconscious." Ricky took what he shot at Lydia and her campers out of Lydia's butt and showed it to Hazel. Hazel said, "A tranquilizer dart." Ricky stated, "Powerful stuff. They'll be out for hours, maybe days."
The doctors and police put Lydia and her campers in an ambulance and handcuffed Hazel. Meg said, "How'd you guys know?" Cassidy stated, "Let's review. Our first clue was the monster itself. It didn't show up until we did, so I knew it had to be someone at camp." Judy said, "What about the monster attack on the first day of camp? Those footprints weren't human. And how'd she make the water and that slime glow?" Cassidy said, "As I mentioned, that stuff got made up of spores and phosphorous paint. In other words, it was moss painted with glow-in-the-dark colors. She put the same phosphorous paint on her costume, so whenever she came up to the surface, the water would glow, and everyone would see her and get scared. She used the monster suit to scare away anyone in the lake while her campers stacked up all those jewels we found, Zeke Pinewood's treasure." Brad said, "Oh, now I get it. They found the treasure and were afraid someone else would find it too, so they made the counterfeit money in the cave and would replace it with the real treasure." Hazel said, "And we would have gotten away with it if it wasn't for you meddling kids and your dog." Then, the police took Hazel to jail while the doctors waited for her troop to wake up so they could go to jail, too. To reward them, Gladys gave them four all-terrain cycles to keep.
The next day, the campers enjoyed a swim in the lake, relieved to find no monster lurking beneath the surface. Meanwhile, the group watched as police retrieved both the treasure and the fake money from the shore. "This is unbelievable—we actually cracked a real mystery," Brad remarked. Judy commented, "Have to admit, it's much more exciting solving mysteries than simply reading about them." When Ricky asked, "So, what's next?" the four friends fell silent, uncertain about their next steps now that the case was closed.
Brad suggested, "Guess we'll see each other around camp?" Everyone agreed—Judy replied, "Yeah," and Cassidy echoed, "Around camp." They split up and returned to their respective troops along with Jake. Suddenly, Cassidy called out, "Wait," bringing everyone back together. She shared, "I've heard some strange things are going on in town. Want to check it out?" The group exchanged enthusiastic grins. "Absolutely. Sounds like another mystery," Brad responded.
Coming together, Brad placed his hand in the center; Judy layered hers over his, followed by Cassidy and then Ricky. "Awesome," Brad said. Judy added, "Before we head off, I have an idea. What if we start our own group?" Cassidy was on board: "Yeah, we could be a mystery club." Ricky chimed in, "But we'll need a name." Judy proposed, "How about The Clue Crackers?" The rest quickly agreed. Even Jake barked his approval, prompting Ricky to add, "Looks like Jake wants in, too." With excitement, Brad rallied them: "Let's go, gang!"
While their campers swam at the lake, all four individuals mounted the all-terrain cycles provided by Gladys, donned appropriate helmets, and rode into town. Upon arrival, they parked their vehicles outside the hardware store. Each person then selected and purchased their preferred paint color to personalize their all-terrain cycles: Brad chose blue, Judy opted for purple, Cassidy selected red, and Ricky painted both his and Jake's cycles green. Subsequently, they inscribed their group's name in yellow on both sides of each vehicle and added an orange magnifying-glass motif. Upon completing the painting, they returned to camp, parked their cycles near their cabins, and rejoined their respective troops.
The End