Camp Oriole Journal

by Packel

Rating: teen
Tags: Slice of Life, Mystery
Length: 1419

All about Scootaloo's summer field trip!

This journal was discovered by a search party at the Camp Oriole Nature Preserve in Ottera National Forest. It is known to have belonged to Scootaloo, a filly who was staying the area.

By request of Scootaloo's acting guardian, the journal's pages have been scanned and made into public copies.

A missing foal report was filed on August 30, 1006.
Additional details are included inside.

If you have any information, please contact Ponyville County Police @ 555-314-1137
[size=0.5em]Distributed by the Ponyville Golden Oaks Memorial Library. PIC #: K766444422 Case #: MPC00471 08-30-06[/size]

Published 1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Last updated 2016-09-30 01:21:28 UTC

NOTICE: About This Publication

INFORMATION

This publication contains scanned and printed copies of a journal kept by Scootaloo, a 14-year-old filly who was reported to be missing since August 27, 1006. All contents are written by Scootaloo unless specified otherwise. Additional notes may be appended if necessary.

This booklet was published by the Ponyville Golden Oaks Memorial Library at the behest of Scootaloo’s acting guardian, who wishes to remain anonymous herein. Said guardian also wishes to include the following message:

“Please, we need your help. She means the world to me. We’re doing everything in our power to get this information out there. Take this home and read it. Tell everypony you know.

“If you can make any sense about what happened at Camp Oriole, what happened to Scootaloo, I’m begging you, please contact us. We’re working with the school and the police. She is still out there and she needs to come home. Please help us find her.”

**Ponyville County Sheriff’s Office

Missing Ponies Unit

(555-314-1137)

1024 Morningstar Road**

Ponyville, EQ

Owner

This little journal belongs to

TOP SECRET PROPERTY OF:

_______☆_SCOOTALOO_♡♡__________

(No colts allowed)

           (THAT MEANS YOU RUMBLE)

(AND SHADY DAZE)

Entry #1

Day 1

8/19/06

Hi, journal! And also hi to anypony who is reading it! (Unless you are a colt or Diamond Tiara or Silver Spoon, in which case GET OUT NOW)

Princess Twilight Sparkle gave me this book as a present for my 14th b-day, which was like a whole half a year ago… but I never actually used it ‘til now. Honestly, when I first got it, I thought it was really lame. (Don’t tell Twilight I said that)

Turns out, it’s actually useful, ‘cause guess what? I’m going on a WEEK-LONG SUMMER CAMP FIELD TRIP! And Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle are coming too! So yeah, I can write all about it in here. It even has a lock and a key, so nopony can creep on me. Cool, huh?

A few days ago, Miss Cheerilee sent out a bunch of letters saying she had a surprise for the last week of summer break. She planned for the whole class to go on a field trip to a nature camp. Which sounds sweet! But Ottera is really far up north, so most ponies’ parents didn’t let them go. But Rainbow Dash said I could! Applejack and Rarity also gave the OK for AB and SB.

Anyway, I go tomorrow. The train doesn’t leave ‘til 3:30 PM, so I can sleep in. It’s 3:50 3:51 in the morning now, but I’m too excited to sleep.

I’ve been camping before, a few years ago. Even if it didn’t really turn out so well… I’m excited to try again. I can’t wait to show this journal to RD when I get back!

Entry #2

Day 2

8/20/06

Good morning, journal! Also, whoops. I must’ve fallen asleep in the middle of writing, ‘cause I had to go back and finish the last sentence. Plus, I’d never ever end an entry without saying goodnight first.

Right now I’m writing this at my desk at school. Miss Cheerilee had everypony (who was going) gather in the classroom. There’s me, Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Cotton Cloudy, Rumble, and Shady Daze.

It’s so weird being in the classroom when it’s not a school day. The only school staff here is Miss Cheerilee, so the hallways are totally silent. Like a ghost town. Spooky!

I’m glad Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara aren’t coming. Silver’s trying to be more friendly after we helped out DT, but she can still be a total █████ be mean. She’d just call me a huge nerd for having this journal, like she did at my birthday party. She said she was joking, but it didn’t feel like it.

Maybe I am a

Miss Cheerilee just walked in. I think we’re going now.

4:14 P.M.

Been awhile since I last wrote, so I guess I’ll put the time down. (Thanks Rarity for the pocketwatch! Even if I don’t have a pocket. At least I can put it in my backpack.)

Anyway, I’m on the train now! I’ve been on a train before, but they’re just so cool. This one even has a car for food and stuff! I got in trouble for trying to run the whole length of the train, though. They made me stay in the one cabin with everypony else. But it’s still fun to watch the scenery fly by.

I’m not EVEN going to write about how I tried to smuggle my scooter onboard.

Right now I’m sitting with Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle, playing stuff like “Hangmare” and “I Spy”. We’re already bored. I totally screwed up by forgetting to bring my Daring Do book, but at least I have this journal.

Rumble and Shady Daze are laughing and snorting two seats away. Probably talking about something gross. Colts.

Cotton Cloudy is sitting all alone in the row of seats across from us. She looks bored and kinda sad, staring out the window. I heard her dad is sick, and she’s been absent a lot lately. Doesn’t she have any friends?

Miss Cheerilee muttered something about “getting some at the bar car”, so she’s off doing whatever. I think she might just be flirting with the employees. Again. I guess it doesn’t stop her that most of the crew looks ten years younger than her. YUCK. Lemme say it again: Y-U-C-K.

(Note to self: Never let her look in here.)

I’m super bored now… I think I’m gonna go talk to Cotton Cloudy. I’ll let you know how it goes, journal.

5:54 P.M. *

Welp, I tried. Cotton’s shut like a steel trap. I can’t get more than a squeak out of her. (Yes Sweetie Belle I was polite to her, JEEZ)

We passed the county line into Ottera a while ago. It’s really pretty here. Mountains and lakes and wide open skies.

Ate the lunch I packed. Hopefully camp will have better food than PB&J.

I’m kind of

Cotton is

Feeling tired. Might take a nap while I can.

7:36 P.M.

Finally here at Camp Oriole!

This place is way bigger than I expected. All the buildings are built around this huge lake. It must take like two hours to walk all the way around.

It’s already late, so Miss Cheerilee and the guide are saying we’ll wait until tomorrow to start the activities. That kinda sucks, but I am pretty tired still.

We’ll be sleeping in cabins, which I like way better than tents. Apple Bloom says that sleeping in a tent makes you easy prey for a monster or an escaped serial killer. Not that I’m worried about anything like that. Obviously. I just like cabins a lot more. They look weird, though… They’re actually shaped like giant tents. Cheerilee says they’re “A-Frames”, and that they remind her of some houses from when she was a filly. She calls them “futuristic”. Like… wow. How old is she again? 70?

Still, it’s better that sleeping outside. Plus, the CMC get a cabin all to their own! It’s not a secret clubhouse, but it’ll do. Cotton, Rumble, and Shady are sharing another cabin, and Cheerilee has her own.

It feels so nice to lay in a bed again. I’ve been tired almost all day, so I think I’m gonna go to bed a lot earlier than last night. Gotta be wide awake for tomorrow!

Goodnight, journal.

11:41 P.M.

I know I said I wouldn’t stay up.

My mind’s been on Cotton since I tried to talk to her. Actually, I don’t think I’ve ever seen her talk to anypony. Ever. Except maybe the teachers, but I dunno.

I wonder if Cotton would want to stay in our cabin instead. I doubt she’s friends with those two colts. Blegh.

I’ll get the girls together tomorrow and see if we can’t get to know her.

Goodnight again, journal.

NOTES

* 5:54 P.M.

Taped on the page near this entry was the following photograph of South Painter Lake in Ottera National Forest. It is believed to have been taken by Scootaloo while aboard the train mentioned in this entry. (CV10307, NSEQ RAILWAYS)