Episode 5: Blackmail

Robert was the first to answer. "We ... eel... , I have an idea," said he, embarrassed, "we can always have them become castaways on Skinny-dipper Island."

"What's that?" asked Linda.

"Oh, that's right. This is your first year here. Skinny-dipper Island is a small island in the middle of the lake. The boys' camp has been using it as a site for three day outings for the older kids; there are two camp sites set up there, one for six kids and one for twelve. We call it Skinny-dipper Island because the guys used to strip and spend the entire outing naked; you know ... a kind of 'Getting back to Nature' type of thing. We could bring the girls over there in a canoe and have the canoe tip over as we get there, forcing them to take their wet clothes off so they can dry out."

"That's a great idea! What made you come up with it?"

"Hey, I'm a guy! Imagining ways to get girls to take their clothes off is a full-time job. Besides, I was just there with Pete, our counselor, looking the place over and to check for damage."

"What about the rest of you? Do you have any ideas?"

"..."

"Okay, if we do go for Robert's idea, we'd have to be fair about it; the rest of us should be naked, as well. Does anybody have a problem with that?"

"Not us" said Luke, "Suzan, Jake and I are always naked at home."

Ginger hesitated; "I've never done it but it can't be that bad, can it. What about you, Tommy?"

Thomas lowered his head, embarrassed. "Promise you won't tell Mom?"

"What," asked Ginger?

"Before camp started, Henry and I used to play 'Robinson Crusoe' in the woods by the stream; most of the time, we'd run around in the woods, naked, and explore."

"What about you, Tom? You haven't said anything and I remember that you weren't very comfortable about being naked."

"I ... I don't know. We're not going to do it tomorrow, are we? Can I think about it for a couple of days?"

"Of course. We would have to get everything organized anyway; get the food gathered, pack sleeping bags and everything."

"Oh, shit!" interrupted Samantha. "Speaking of getting organized, what about Lisa? Like, she's my older sister, and everything, but she's also a counselor; she could blow this thing wide open."

"Leave Lisa to me," replied Robert, with a smile. "I'm sure that I can get her full cooperation, even if I have to blackmail her."

Samantha looked at her brother, surprised. "How?"

"I've got a picture of her, streaking across the campus at college."

She burst out laughing. "Oh, wonderful! You've got to show it to me. I can still hear her this afternoon, putting down the rules." And, standing up to imitate her, she quoted; "Some of you habitually sleep in skimpy sleepwear, undies or even less. It is especially important this year that you use only sanitary block B when you need to go to the bathroom and that you be fully dressed when you go outside, even in the middle of the night."