The lunch bell rings loudly, interupting the campers from their decoration making. It has been a long bus ride, and everybody is excited to get something to eat. 

The mess hall is a wide and squat stone building with wood paneling. The four tables are arranged in a circle, laden with food. 

"Sit wherever!" the Camp Manager tells the campers. "Five to a table!"

The first table is occupied by Somebody, St. Owl, Feather, Volcano, and Dev. Hotairballoon plops down at the next table. Spyro takes one look and heads across the cafeteria to the farthest seat possible from his sane counterpart. The rest of Hotairballoon's table is utilized by Squeak, Danie, Shifting, and Jarvis. Puck, Sydeny, and Joan jump on the nearest empty table and are soon joined by Shadow and Silvery. Cautiously, Air and Cayke take the rest of Spyro's table, watching the angry looking dragon nervously.

"Well?" the Camp Manager asks. "What are you waiting for? Go ahead and eat!"

Everybody digs into the meal that was identically spread on each table. Puck stuffs an ice cube from the water down Sydeny's shirt, who whips around and glares at Silvery, who is sitting on her other side. 

Hmm, Spyro contemplates, grilled cheese or salad. Too bad there aren't any donuts. Hey, that bagel looks like a donut! He grabs it, and all the others.

"Hey!" Air says. "I wanted one of those!"

"Tough," Spyro mutters through a mouthful of bagel. They're not sweet enough to be donuts. Spyro sighs. 

Air sighs too and grabs a sandwich instead, and a bowl of fruit. When everybody has finished noshing, the Manager announces the next activities.

"Ahem: Cabins B-1 and G-3 are going swimming and Cabins G-1 and G-2—"

"OUR CABINS HAVE NAMES!" Dev calls.

"Oh yes, the Veggie Unicorn Donut Mice"—St. Owl mutters to Somebody, "I told you Dev would like something like that..." — "and the Mischeivious Monarchs are going swimming."

The manager continues. "The Chatterbox Queens and the Killer Campfires are heading to the archery range. After that you will switch, then dinner, and campfire. Now shoo!"  

Meanwhile, at the archery range, it is Air's turn to shoot. Aiming the rubber tipped arrow at the bright red bulls-eye, she lets fly... and... 

THUNK. It sticks into the edge of the target. "This is hard." Air says, handing the bow over to Somebody. "This is fun!" she replies, shooting and missing the target comepletly.

"Ahh!" Feather dives out of the way, and the arrow zooms through Shifting. Being non-corpeal, she is unhurt, but annoyed. 

"Let me try!" Cayke says. Soon all the girls have had a go, and the ground is littered with arrows. No body has hit the bullseye. 

"Okay." Danie suggests. "Whoever hits it gets... everybody else's share of dessert tonight."

"Deal!" They all agree, looking grimly at one another. The competition is on.

PLOP! Feather's arrow veers off to the left and hits a tree.

TING! Silvery's shot bounces of the metal edge of the target. 

THWAP! Jarvis shoots one into the target, but it is off by about six inches.

"Wow." Shadow says after her try which misses it so utterly and zooms into the forest. "We are really bad at this." 

"Let me try!" Shifting grabs the bow, grinning. She aims. Volcano is worried at her confidence. She shouldn't  have been, however. It goes off to the side and lands on the ground.

Muttering bitterly, Shifting leans down to grab it. "Wha-"

It's gone.

"I could have sworn I saw it land there..." St. Owl says. The girls shift through the leaves, but the arrow is nowhere to be found. 

"Oh!" Air cries. "I think I've found something!" She reaches down and pulls out... a ring.

"Wow, that looks expensive!" Volcano reaches for it. 

"No  you don't!" Feather snatches it away. "I think it's a diamond!"

"If you blow on diamonds, real ones don't fog up but fake ones do." Danie said helpfully.

Feather blows gently on it. No mist apppears.

"It's real!" Jarvis exclaims. "But who would lose a diamond ring at a CAMP?"

"Maybe it wasn't always a camp..." Shifting says faintly.  

Wait, Admins, what happened to my other post about the swimming? I submitted before the archery one, where did it go? Did you not get it? Or was a guy getting killed by a brussels sprout pie too heavy? 

I don't remember seeing anything about swimming. I love swimming and would have noticed it. I've been the only Admin posting since Friday evening. Send it again.

Admin

"I can't swim," Dev says nervously, gazing at the blue watered pool. Puck creeps up behind him. Heheh. Tiptoe. Tiptoe. This will be good.

Dev is not expecting to get in the water at that moment. He certainly isn't expecting to feel his feet skidding on the edge of the pool, then the sensation of being lifted into the air and SPLASH! 

"Ack! Gack! Save me!" Dev coughs, splashing. "I CAN'T BREATHE!"

"Uh..." Sydeny paddles up to him and stands up. "The water is up to my WAIST."

"Oh." Dev says. Then he spots Puck standing on the pool's edge, laughing so hard she looks like she is having a seizure.

"HEY!!"

"That was AMAZING. Oh wow, that was soooo good, BEST PRANK EVER!" Puck gasps between giggles.

"EAT PIE!" Dev shouts in fury, whipping out his veggie blaster. Where that came from is something that you should probably know, because I don't. A flaming brussels sprout pie flew at light speed but Puck dives frantically into the pool, and next thing anybody knows, a lifeguard screams... a thump... a flaming wetsuit... 

And the lifeguard will never guard the pool again... 

The two groups of campers passed each other on the way to the second rotation. 

"You'll never believe—"

"—what we found—"

"—what Dev did—"

No one got a very accurate picture of what happend to the other group. Feather was under the impression that Puck had been hit by a brussels sprout pie as Dev pushed a lifeguard into the pool. Sydney wasn't sure, but it seemed as if that the other girls had found a diamond arrow that hit Shifting's ring.

All in all, the only thing everyone was sure of was that it was very strange. 

"Do you still have it?" Somebody whispered to Danie.

"Of course!" Danie said, unfurling her hands to show the glimmering ring nestled in her palms.

"I still think I should be holding it," Shifting commented. "It was my arrow that got lost, after all." 

"Oh, shut up," Somebody rebuked her companion sharply. "We know we can't trust you."

"Oh?" Shifting said, rasing her eyebrows. "Then I suppose I won't tell you what I know about what that ring is, and why you shouldn't tap it with anything."

"Why?" Danie asked, tapping her finger to it. There was whoosh of air, a sucking noise, and Danie was gone. The diamond was also a lot bigger. 

"Yep," Shifing said, not sorrily at all. "Now I'm not telling you anything."

"YOU CAN HAVE IT," the girls all said at once, looking in horror at the stone that they had all thought so amazing a moment before.

Shifting picked it up. "It's a Taking Ring," she said slowly, slipping it onto her  left ring finger. 

"Aaaand?" Cayke asked.

"And," Shifting said, maddenly, obviously relishing the power she now held. "So, if anything taps it, it takes it."

"Where?" Air asked. "Where the heck is Danie?"

"Somewhere inside," Shifting said airly, gesturing to the ring. The girls crowded around and peered at the gemstone. Indeed, a miniature of their fellow Chatterboxer was pacing angrily in the enclosed space. Shifting's arrow lay next to her feet. As they watched, she stepped on it and saw her hopping around in pain.

"DANIE!" Feather yelled to the stone. "CAN YOU HEAR US?"

Danie's mouth moved, but the girl's couldn't hear a thing. "NOD IF SO!" Feather added. Danie nodded. Quickly, Silvery briefed her on the Ring's abilities. Danie yelled something angrily, and ran up to the side of the ring and kicked it. BOOM. The ring shook, but nothing happened.

"Diamond," Feather said. "A 10 on the Mohs' hardness scale." 

"What do we do now?" St. Owl asked. "Please, Shifing, do you know anything else?"

"Maybe," Shifting said. "But not now. You need to change into your swimsuits." With a snap of her fingers, she was wearing her own. "Ha."

---------------------------------------------------------------

Dev was nervous. Would he be kicked of of Camp for killing a lifeguard? He sure hoped not. He would much rather be kicked out for killing the person he intended to kill in the first place. Speaking of which...

Puck was chattering with Sydney and Shadow up ahead. He sneaked very quietly behind her and tried to pull her hair. He crunched a stick under his shoe and Puck whipped around. Dev shouted a few words I am not inclined to repeat, and when he began walking, he tripped. Puck had somehow managed to tie his shoelaces together as he paused.

It was on. Dev patted his veggie blaster, tucked in his backpack. Just would Puck wait.

Squeak, meanwhile, flinched. Being Danie's twin, he sometimes felt what she did. He had the sensation of growing smaller, then pain, then voices, and a glassy enclosure. Just as suddenly, he was back right where he was. Huh, probably nothing. He jogged to keep up with the group and crashed into Dev for the second time that day. Fortunately, the irritable AE didn't notice. He simply stared at Puck's back and smiled. Hungrily.  

Wow. Note to self: never touch strange rings.  

Hey guys. I'm still here. I haven't forgotten about this story, if anyone is still reading it. It just might go slowly. Do you guys really want me to keep writing though? I want your encouragement. Maybe it was a bad idea to combine summer camp, fantasy, brussels sprout pies, and donuts... Also, if you don't see me around CB all that, I'm not leaving. (Though you might not notice if so.) It's just my life is a bit crazy right now. Final note! I know you're bored. The story will be in past tense now, because that's just the way I naturally write. Plus, this is no longer a murder mystery. I don't like killing off people. Don't worry, Danie. (If you are reading this) You're still safe! And you might get company... heh heh...

Anyway, back to magical rings and prank wars...

---------------------------------------------------------------

That night at dinner, as the campers eagerly watched the steaming hot plates of spaghetti and meatballs as it was brought out and set in front of each of them. The servers then picked up bottles of honey and poured it over the noodles, all except Jarvis'. 

"Ew, this is disgusting!"  Air muttered, poking at her food. "Honey? With meatballs?" 

"AHEM!" The Camp Manager announced, standing up and clapping her hands. "Before we begin our... delicious... dinner, I have a few announcements." 

"First, let us have a moment of silence for our lifeguard, Fred Bob, who is no longer with us. We are very sure it was an accident, but if his family decides to press charges, I've heard it costs a lot to bail somebody out of jail."

Everybody was quiet, but a few feet shuffled.

"Oh, great!" Look how much Dev has cost us again!" Feather whispered to St. Owl. "And we just spent all that money fixing the Automatic Voice Message System Inc. that he smashed..." 

The Manager glared at the two girls.  

The campers had all been briefed on Dev's sad mishap, though the archery group were keeping the ring buisness very hush-hush. Danie was tucked in Somebody's pocket. Very. Very. Very carefully. 

"The moment of silence is over. You may eat."

"I need to use the bathroom." Puck told Joan and Sydney, who nodded and resumed trying to extract all the noodles with honey on them from their plate. Most of the room was doing the same thing, including the Manager, who was irritably wondering under her breath whose bright idea this one was. 

Dev watched Puck get up and walk to the door, "accidentially" flick Cayke's plate up onto her face, and spill Hotairballoon's water all over Spyro's noodles, who roared and smashed them onto Hotairballoon's unfortunate lap. Dev had to admire how quickly Puck made this huge amount of trouble—Spyro and Hotairballoon were fighting, Spyro wet and Hotairballoon pasta-honey-y*. Cayke, who assumed Shadow had noodle-ified her face (the two were sitting next to each other), was yelling at her angrily, waving her plate. Squeak, who was sittling next to Spyro, fell of the bench when Hotairballoon shoved the dragon into his seat partner. Squeak then slipped on the water on the ground, fell, and was tripped over by Jarvis as she got a salad, sending lettuce flying.

Meanwhile, Puck managed to exit the room without enquiring any smidge of the blame that the counselors piled heavily on all concerned. As the counselors and the Manager got things sorted out (with a bit of a screaming lecture in the process) Dev took advantage of the commotion to slide over to Puck's table. He reached into his pocket, pulled something out, and mixed it among the pasta. Joan, who was sitting to Puck's left, didn't notice. She was too busy watching two counselors hold Hotairballoon and Spyro apart; two more grabbed Shadow and Cayke, respectively.

Not to mention, it was pretty attention grabbing to see Squeak lying wet, upset, and squashed on the cafeteria floor. He began yelling that Danie should turn the OTHERS into unicorns and not HIM, because it was obvious that they were much more troublemaking and annoying and mean and they would be much better as fluffy pink horsies. Danie heard this and tried to see her poor brother, but of course, she was in Somebody's pocket and this was difficult. She tried to roll to the edge and peek out, and the tip of the ring lightly tapped onto the pocket of Somebody's pants. A sucking sound and... 

"Told you that would happen at some point!" Shifting crowed as Somebody dashed out of the mess hall, more embarassed than any human would think possible. The ring rolled softly onto the floor, thankfully not being tapped by anything, which Shifting scooped up and put gently on her ring finger. Danie picked up the pair of pants. Hmm. They were lovely jeans, soft and fading with a slight fashionable fray at the end. She felt awful for Somebody, but at least she had a change of clothes now. She folded them and set them on the edge of the ring. Nice. Now she could better see what was going on, too. 

There was not one person who wasn't yelling. Squeak was bellowing where in the world his sister was, Volcano was laughing so hard she slipped on the ground and smashed into Jarvis, who was getting a second plate of salad to replace her first. "COME ON!" Jarvis moaned. Various others were screaming to know what was going on, to wonder whose stupid idea it was to put a very dangerous ring in a pants pocket, and some were just screaming because it was fun. 

Correction. One person wasn't making noise, and that was Dev. He was watching the door as Puck, the sly, single-handed cause of all this chaos, crept back to her seat. Very clever. He thought to himself. No one would know she did it. Then again, what fun is mischief when you don't even get to take credit for the fun?

Puck smiled smugly and stared at him, as if saying, "This is best as trouble gets." Dev tried to look defeated, and it probably worked, because Puck narrowed her eyes and beamed a message to Dev: "I win!" She sat down, picked up her fork, scooped up some spaghetti and popped it in her mouth without a further thought. 

Then she shrieked. So loudly it drowned out all the other cries and talk. Everyone quieted suddenly, staring at Puck. Dev took in the sound. It was music. High, loud, earsplitting. Beautiful, pure terror.

"THERE ARE WORMS IN MY SPAGHETTI! I ATE A WORM!" Then she fainted, collapsing forward, her face landing squelchly in the pasta.

The room broke out in screams again.