It was a late Sunday afternoon on Labor Day weekend when Mason and Olivia returned home from their movie date. As they arrived, they saw Mackenzie gathered around a fire with several friends. 

"Hey, everyone!" Mason called out. "We're back!"

"Hey, Mason! Hey, Olivia! How was the movie?" Mackenzie asked.

"It was great!" Olivia replied. 

"We should head inside," Mason said, glancing up at the darkening sky. "It looks like rain is on the way." Just as he had predicted, raindrops began to fall, prompting everyone to retreat indoors.

"What should we do now?" Olivia inquired as they settled inside.

Moments later, a storm erupted, plunging the room into darkness as the power went out.

"I guess watching a movie or TV is out of the question," Mason remarked.

"How about a game?" Olivia suggested.

"Sounds good to me," Mackenzie replied. "I have the perfect one called The Story Wheel. The idea is to spin the wheel, and whoever it lands on has to share a story about themselves."

"I'm fine with that," Mason said, "as long as I don’t have to recount my embarrassing petting zoo incident again."

Olivia giggled at Mason's comment as Mackenzie retrieved the wheel. 

"What happened at the petting zoo?" Tommy inquired, curiosity piqued.

"It's not a topic Mason enjoys discussing," Mackenzie replied with a knowing smile. "Anyway, who wants to go first?"

"I will!" Olivia volunteered.

"Go ahead, Olivia," Mackenzie encouraged. 

With a flourish, Olivia spun the wheel, and it came to a stop on Mackenzie. 

"Hmm, what story should I share?" she mused.

"How about the time we solved our first case?" Mason suggested. "I'm sure our friends would love to hear about that."

"Yeah!" Christopher chimed in. "You've never told us how you two became detectives."

"Now that's an intriguing story," Mackenzie remarked. "You see, it all began about three years ago when our parents took us to summer camp. Mason was brimming with excitement, while I, on the other hand, was less than thrilled, as it was our first experience being away from home on our own.

'Are you two excited about being away from home for the first time?' their dad inquired.

'I am!' Mason replied enthusiastically. 'What about you, Mackenzie?'

'Do we have to do this?' she asked hesitantly.

'Look,' their mom said, 'I understand that change can be challenging, but it can also be beneficial. Think of it as an adventure.'

Mackenzie paused for a moment, reflecting. "You see, making friends wasn't my strong suit back then. To be honest, Mason adapted much more easily to new experiences than I did. However, little did I know that I was about to have the time of my life.

Once we arrived at the campground, we headed straight to the office to check in with the camp counselor and receive our cabin assignments.

'Here you go,' said the counselor. 'You'll be in Cabin No. 3. Soon, you’ll get to meet your bunkmates. Over there, you can sign up for camp activities.'

As we made our way towards the activities desk, Mackenzie continued, "I overheard one of the other campers mentioning rumors about the camp being haunted. I didn't believe in ghosts, so I dismissed it as mere gossip meant to frighten others. Mason, on the other hand, was horrified at the thought of a haunted camp.

'I wasn't scared!' Mason interjected.

"Regardless," Mackenzie continued, "we approached the activities desk, and I truly wasn’t in the mood. I ended up throwing a tantrum, insisting that our parents take me home. Naturally, they were not pleased and issued me an ultimatum: I could either stay at camp or come home and be stuck inside all summer, grounded with nothing to do. So, reluctantly, I agreed to stay.

"They also warned me that if they had to come get me for any reason, it would result in punishment," Mackenzie added.

"So wait a minute," their friend Molly chimed in, "any reason for them to come get you would’ve resulted in punishment? What if you got sick or injured?"

"Well, okay," Mackenzie clarified, "aside from those instances, pretty much any other reason to come get us would lead to trouble."

"Now, where was I? Oh right," she continued. "As much as I didn’t want to sign up for anything, I glanced at the activity sheet to see if anything piqued my interest. While I struggled to make a decision, Mason signed up for everything.

'Hey, I couldn't choose, so I just went with everything,' Mason said, defending his choices.

'So what activities did you end up selecting?' Olivia asked.

Mackenzie pondered for a moment. "I believe I chose birdwatching, stargazing, canoeing, hiking, and rock climbing. After finalizing our activity selections, we headed to our assigned cabin. I was in Cabin No. 3, while Mason was in Cabin No. 4, right next door. 

Our parents accompanied us to our cabins to ensure we settled in well. Mom came with me, and Dad went with Mason. Let's just say that Mason adjusted with much greater ease than I did," Mackenzie continued. 

"Hey, you’re going to be fine," Mrs. Barnes reassured me. "I think you’ll have more fun than you realize. Now, are you sure you have everything?"

"Yes, Mom," Mackenzie replied, hugging her tightly. Tears began to flow, but Mom remained supportive, understanding how difficult this was for her. 

"It’s okay, sweetheart. Just let it all out. Everything will be fine. You’ll see. You’re going to have the time of your life, just wait," she said.

"Thanks, Mom," Mackenzie replied, her voice shaking. 

"I’m so proud of you, dear. I love you, and I’ll see you in a couple of weeks, alright? And if you need anything, your brother is right next door, okay? Bye, sweetie. Try to have at least some fun, alright?"

Meanwhile, I was in cabin number 4 with Dad, following a similar routine, though without the tears. Mason took over the conversation, saying, “Do you have everything?” Mr. Barnes asked. “Yes, Dad,” Mason replied. “And please, try not to give your sister too hard of a time. You know how difficult this is for her,” Mr. Barnes continued. Mason interjected, “I don’t think you helped by threatening to punish her if she didn’t stay.” Mr. Barnes conceded, “You’re probably right. I may have overreacted a bit. Anyway, I love you both. Have a great time, and remember, your sister is right next door if you need anything.” With that, Mason handed the story back to me. 

After our parents left, it was time for lunch, and we had the chance to chat with some of the other campers. Being shy, I wasn’t thrilled about socializing, and making friends didn’t come as effortlessly to me as it did for Mason. That changed when a boy approached our table. “Hi, I’m Jose. May I sit with you?” he asked. “Of course! I’m Mason, and this is my sister, Mackenzie. I apologize for my sister; she’s not the best at making friends.” 

“It’s okay,” Jose replied. “I had trouble adjusting during my first time at camp as well.” 

Mason, with a hint of disdain, said, “Couldn’t you at least try to be a little more polite? I understand this is new for you, but it doesn’t mean you should ruin the experience for the rest of us.” 

“You’re right,” I admitted. “I’m sorry. I’ll try to do better.” 

“Hey, Jose,” I said, “I want to apologize for my earlier rudeness. I’m not great at making friends. Could you tell us about that abandoned cabin over there?” 

Jose responded, “They call that Cabin 0 because no one ever stays there, supposedly because it’s haunted, but I’ve never believed in that. It’s off-limits to campers due to events that occurred when the camp first opened.” 

“What happened when the camp first opened?” Mason asked, but before Jose could respond, the counselors arrived to explain the camp rules. “Good afternoon, campers. My name is Richard, and this is Monica. We will be your counselors for the next two weeks. I’m sure you’re all excited to start having fun, but first, we need to cover some important rules.”

**Rule No. 1:** There will be no violence of any kind while you are here. If you have a problem, talk it out or come to one of us, and we will handle it.

**Rule No. 2:** No one is allowed out of their cabins after 10:00 PM, which is our official curfew. All cabin lights must be off by that time as well.

**Rule No. 3:** Cheating during any activities is not permitted. You must play fair or not at all.

**Rule No. 4:** Treat your counselors and fellow campers with respect and kindness. Rudeness will not be tolerated.

**Rule No. 5:** Stay out of areas that are off-limits to campers, including the maintenance area and especially Cabin 0.

**Rule No. 6:** Swimming is only allowed with adult supervision, and swimsuits must be worn at all times, including appropriate footwear.

**Rule No. 7:** Do not eat anything that isn’t prepared by our camp staff, as you won’t know if it’s safe.

**Rule No. 8:** It can get very hot here, so it’s crucial to stay hydrated at all times. You’ll find coolers filled with water next to your cabin.

**Rule No. 9:** Dispose of any trash in the trash cans located around the camp. It does NOT belong on the ground.

**Rule No. 10:** Please remember to clean up after yourself and do not leave belongings lying around. Any lost items will be taken to the lost and found, and if not claimed by the end of your stay, they will be discarded.

If any of these rules are violated, you will first receive a warning. If the behavior persists, you will lose your activity privileges. After a third offense, you will be sent to the office where we will contact your parents to pick you up. With that out of the way, we hope you have fun and enjoy your stay at Camp Hawthorn.

By the time the counselor finished explaining the rules, it was already 2:00 PM. We all returned to our cabins to meet our bunkmates. In Cabin 4, Jose was with Mason. During my time in my cabin, I decided to make an effort to socialize, so I introduced myself to everyone, including a girl named Alicia.

“Wait a minute,” Olivia interrupted. “Is this the same Alicia who is currently in jail?”

“That’s the one,” Mackenzie replied. “This is where we met and became friends.”

“Did you ever find out what happened with that abandoned cabin?” Christopher asked.

“I’ll get to that in a moment,” Mackenzie answered. “I know you’re all eager to hear the good part.”

So, anyway, while I was introducing myself to everyone in my cabin, I met this girl named Alicia.

“Hi, I’m Mackenzie. What’s your name?”

“My name is Alicia,” she said. “Sorry if this meeting is a bit awkward. I’m not the greatest at making friends.”

“That’s okay,” Alicia assured her. “This isn’t awkward at all.”

“Hey, what can you tell me about that abandoned cabin?” Mackenzie inquired.

“Honestly, I don’t know much,” Alicia confessed. “Just that something terrible happened a long time ago, and now it’s all boarded up. Even the staff members avoid it. You might find out more from some of the other campers, but be cautious about mentioning it to the counselors—they usually don’t like to discuss it.”

Meanwhile, in Cabin 4, I was busy getting to know my bunkmates. Just then, Mason took over the story as he heard a knock on the door.

“Mackenzie, is everything okay?” Mason asked.

“I wanted to get to the bottom of this abandoned cabin because I suspect there’s something suspicious about it, and I was hoping you would join me.”

“What?!” Mason exclaimed. “You heard the counselors. We’re not allowed to go near there! Do you want to get us in trouble?”

“I understand if you’re scared,” Mackenzie said.

“I’m not scared,” Mason replied. “I just don’t want to get thrown out of here because you can’t stay out of trouble. But if it’ll prove to you that there’s nothing going on, then fine, let’s go.”

So, Mason and I, along with a few other campers, decided to sneak out at night to check out the abandoned cabin.

“There has to be a way to get in,” said Mackenzie.

“Jose, do you know where they keep the keys to the cabins?” 

“All the keys are kept at the front desk in the office, which is normally locked at night,” Jose explained. “There’s no way to get in without one of the counselors.”

“Well, we tried. Time for bed,” Mason said with a sigh.

But before we could return to our cabins, we were caught by one of the counselors.

“So, where did you say the bathroom was again?” Mackenzie asked innocently.

“You know the rules. No one is allowed out of their cabin after 10:00 PM,” said the counselor. “This is your one and only warning. If I catch you out here again after curfew, I will revoke your activity privileges. Now, back to bed, all of you.”

“But sir, I—” Mackenzie started to explain.

“No excuses, Missy. Back to bed.”

Reluctantly, we returned to our cabins and went to sleep as instructed, but that wouldn’t stop me from uncovering the truth somehow.

The following day, I asked around to see if anyone knew anything about what happened in Cabin 0, but oddly enough, no one had any information. It felt like searching for a phantom. Still, I was sure that something significant had occurred there; the counselors’ reluctance to speak about it was telling. They were hiding something, and I was determined to find out what it was.

I returned to Mason during lunch to share my plan, and it was clear he wasn't exactly thrilled about my intentions. "Mason," I said, "something happened in that cabin that led to its closure, and I’m determined to uncover the truth behind it. I’m going to solve this mystery."

"Wait, what mystery?" Mason replied incredulously. "There’s nothing to unravel here, Mackenzie. Why can’t you just relax and have fun? Or is all of this just a complicated excuse to get yourself sent home because you don’t want to be here?"

"This isn’t about me, Mason. It’s about what happened inside that cabin. Aren’t you even a little curious to know the truth?"

"Okay, maybe a little; but we’re not detectives, and you need to stop acting like one. Mom and Dad sent you here to help you make friends, remember?"

"Actually, I did make a friend," I said. "Her name is Alicia. So, are you going to help me or not?"

"Ugh, fine," he sighed. "If it’ll make you drop all of this and actually have some fun, then so be it. Where do we start?"

"I believe there's a stargazing activity tonight. We can use that as an opportunity for a stakeout."

That evening, while everyone was engrossed in stargazing, we discreetly turned the telescope towards the cabin to search for anything suspicious.

"Mason, look! Someone is approaching the cabin. Let’s follow them," I whispered.

We quietly trailed the figure heading towards the cabin, careful to remain unseen. As soon as they disappeared from view, we crept a little closer to see what was happening.

"Is that one of the counselors?" I asked, squinting to get a better look.

"Who are they talking to?" Mason inquired, peering through the telescope.

"Not sure," I replied, still watching.

"Something strange is definitely going on here," Mason said, his voice low.

"So, are you ready to admit I was right?" I asked, a hint of triumph in my voice.

"We shouldn't jump to conclusions," Mason cautioned. "There could be many explanations for what we witnessed. Let’s head back to our cabins before we get into even more trouble."

But it was too late; we were caught…again. This time, the consequences were far more severe.

"You two are in big trouble. Don’t you realize that spying on people is rude? You can forget about your activity privileges tomorrow. I’m taking you to the office to call your parents," said the counselor sternly.

"Sir, please! This was all my idea. My brother had nothing to do with it. He only went along because I practically forced him to. If anyone deserves punishment, it’s me, not him."

"I appreciate your honesty and admire your bravery for taking the blame, but I’m afraid it's too late now. Back to bed, both of you."

"What now, Mackenzie?" Mason asked, looking defeated.

"I don’t know," I admitted. "You were right, Mason. I shouldn’t have gotten involved in all of this. I became so consumed with finding the truth that I forgot to enjoy myself, and now I’ve dragged you into trouble, which was never my intention. I’m really sorry for getting you into this. You’re right—we’re not detectives, and I don’t know why I thought we could be. I’m going to bed now, and I think you should too."

"Wait," Olivia interjected. "Were you really about to give up?"

"I almost did, yes," I confessed.

"But you clearly didn’t give up," Olivia pointed out.

"Yeah, and I probably wouldn’t have if it wasn’t for Mason," I said, glancing at him.

While I sulked, Mason took the lead in the story again. "I decided to head back over to Cabin 0 for another look since it was still open."

"What are all these boxes doing here? Is the camp involved in some kind of charity?" he wondered aloud.

Eventually, he heard a noise and turned to find Jose right behind him.

"Don’t sneak up on me like that!" Mason exclaimed, nearly startled out of his wits. "Is that a police badge? Who are you?"

"I am who I say I am, but I’m not really a camper here. I’m a junior secret agent with the FBI, working undercover to uncover what’s really happening at this camp," Jose explained.

"Wait," Mason said, piecing it together. "Were you the one we saw here talking to one of the counselors a few minutes ago?"

"Yes. Richard is an informant; he works for me and has also been trying to uncover the truth around here," Jose said.

"I suppose I owe my sister an apology," Mason admitted reluctantly.

"Save that for later. Right now, we need to see what’s in these boxes," Jose urged.

"These are all donation boxes," Mason observed.

"Jose, do you know if the camp is affiliated with any charity?" Mason inquired.

"No, not as far as I know," Jose replied.

"Let’s find out what’s inside."

Jose produced a knife, and we opened one of the boxes to discover over a million dollars in counterfeit money.

"What is a summer camp doing with this much counterfeit money?" Mason asked incredulously.

"Good question," Jose replied. "I bet my bosses at headquarters would love to hear about this."

"Ronald, the owner, will have some explaining to do tomorrow. But first, I need to have a talk with my sister," Mason concluded.

After I left the cabin, I decided to find a way to lift my sister's spirits. “Mackenzie, are you awake?” Mason called softly. 

“Leave me alone,” Mackenzie replied, her voice muffled. 

“Mackenzie, can you just turn around and talk to me, please? There’s something you need to see,” Mason insisted gently. “I know you’re upset, and I don’t blame you, but you need to hear this. You were right; something strange is happening here, and I’m sorry I didn’t believe you at first. So what if we’re not detectives? That doesn’t mean we can’t act like one.”

“No, Mason, you were right about me—and about everything,” Mackenzie said, her frustration evident. 

“No, I was wrong about everything,” Mason countered. “I’m sorry we got in trouble and that we’re about to be thrown out of here, but are you really going to let that stop you from finishing what you started?”

“What’s the point?” Mackenzie sat up, her disillusionment clear. “As you said, all I did by trying to investigate was get us both into trouble and ultimately get us kicked out of here. It was all for nothing.”

“No, it wasn’t,” Mason asserted. “That cabin you were investigating is filled with millions of dollars’ worth of counterfeit money, Mackenzie. You were right all along, and I should have trusted you. I’m sorry I didn’t.”

“So what do we do now?” Mackenzie asked, her curiosity piqued.

“We have until tomorrow afternoon when our parents arrive to figure it out, but for now, I think it’s time we got some rest,” Mason suggested.

After managing to give my sister an encouraging pep talk, I returned to my cabin to get some sleep. 

“Mason?” Mackenzie called softly. 

“Thank you for not giving up on me—or letting me give up on myself,” she added.

I smiled at her and then made my way back to my cabin. The next morning, we faced another significant day as we were brought to the office to have our parents called in.

“So, you two, do you have anything to say for yourselves?” the camp owner asked.

“That’s amusing,” Mackenzie replied. “We could ask you the same thing. Care to explain those donation boxes filled with counterfeit money? And don’t try to feed us the charity line, because we checked, and Camp Hawthorn isn’t affiliated with any charity. I’m sure the parents of the campers would love to know where their money is going, because clearly, it’s not being used for the camp itself. I suspect this entire operation is merely a front for a money laundering scheme, with any legitimate funds going straight into your pockets.”

“You're out of line, young lady. I’m calling your parents,” the camp owner retorted.

“Oh, you don’t need to worry about that. They’re already on their way. Now, are you ready to come clean and admit that the tragedy in cabin 0 was merely a ruse to cover up your illegal schemes? There’s a reason no one recalls what happened in there: nothing actually happened. The real reason that cabin is off-limits is that you want to keep your illicit activities hidden.”

“You have no proof of any wrongdoing on my part. You can’t even prove those boxes belong to me. Everything you’ve claimed is purely circumstantial,” the owner shot back.

“Oh, we have all the proof we need, thanks to a couple of new friends we made here, and they’re ready to call the FBI to have this place shut down if you don’t start talking,” Mason countered.

“Fine, fine,” the owner relented, clearly cornered. “The camp has been struggling financially and was in danger of shutting down. I needed a quick influx of cash, and one of the counselors suggested we print fake money and trade it for real. Believe me, I was just as opposed to breaking the law as you are. But I felt desperate and decided to go along with it. I never intended for it to get this out of hand, but I love this camp and the kids, and I genuinely want it to survive, even if it means I must step aside. I’m sorry for everything I’ve put you through.”

“Did you get all that, Jose?” Mackenzie asked.

“Every word,” Jose confirmed.

“Ronald Samuels, you’re under arrest,” he said firmly. 

“What about the camp?” Mason interjected. “Isn’t there anything we can do to prevent it from shutting down, Jose?”

“While this may fall outside of the FBI’s usual jurisdiction, I’ll make a few calls to see what can be done,” Jose replied, thoughtful.

Jose made inquiries with his contacts at headquarters, and fortunately, one of his colleagues was involved with a children’s charity that could potentially provide financial support for the camp.

"Did you guys still get thrown out?" Tommy asked.

"Actually, no," Mason replied. "We did break the rules, but they decided to let it slide on a technicality. Though honestly, I think the real reason we weren’t kicked out was that they didn’t want to look bad after we uncovered that whole scandal."

"Anyway," Mackenzie continued, "after the camp owner was arrested, Jose approached us and asked if we had ever considered becoming detectives. He said, 'Hey, that was great detective work you two pulled off. Have you thought about making a hobby out of this?'"

"Thanks," Mackenzie said, "but we’re not detectives, and the last case I tried to solve nearly got us both kicked out."

"You may not be detectives now," Jose said, "but you could be. At least consider it."

"He’s right," Mason chimed in. "The two of us make a good team, and it was actually fun solving a mystery together."

"Together?!" exclaimed Mackenzie. "You didn’t even want to get involved at first! I did most of the detective work, but I have to admit, I would’ve given up completely if you hadn’t talked some sense into me. So, thank you. If we’re going to do this full time, we definitely need a name for ourselves. Do you have any ideas?"

Mason pondered for a moment. "What do you think of 'The Mystery Twins'?" he suggested.

"I like that!" said Mackenzie. "Now, what do you say we go have some fun?"

"I’m in," Mason agreed.

Once our two weeks at camp had come to an end, our parents arrived to pick us up and take us home. We thought it best not to mention that we almost got kicked out or anything about the money laundering scheme unfolding around us. 

"Hey, kids, how was it?" their mom asked.

"Actually, it turned out better than I thought it would be," Mackenzie replied.

"See," their mom said, "I knew you would end up having a good time. Did you make any new friends while you were there?" their dad asked.

"Yes, we made a couple of friends," Mackenzie said.

"That's great to hear," their mom replied. "You kids ready to head home?" their dad asked.

"In a minute," Mackenzie said. "There’s someone we need to talk to first."

Before leaving for home, we went over to Jose to accept his offer and say goodbye. "Jose, wait up," Mackenzie called. "First, I want to apologize for how I acted when we first met and for my behavior over the last two weeks. Second, Mason and I want to take you up on your offer to become detectives. We even came up with a name for ourselves: The Mystery Twins."

"You don’t need to apologize for anything," Jose reassured her. "I get it—change is hard, and making friends can be challenging. And regarding the detective thing, it wasn’t really an offer; it was more of a suggestion. Still, I’m happy to help if you need it. Just call me. And I love the name—it’s catchy!"

With our first mystery solved, we headed home, eager for many more to come. Although our parents never found out about our near expulsion from camp, the money laundering scandal inevitably made the news, despite Jose’s best efforts to keep it under wraps. 

As for Jose, he continued to help us out from time to time and even provided us with some equipment. So, it turned out that going to camp wasn’t so bad after all.

"Anyway," Mackenzie said, "that’s the story of how we got started as detectives, though I’d argue it was really me who wanted to be a detective, and Mason just got dragged into it."

"Yeah, pretty much," Mason agreed. "But that doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy it."

By the time the twins completed their story, the rain had stopped, and the power had returned. "Oh, hey, it looks like the rain is over," said Olivia. "I should probably head home before my dad starts to worry."

"Yeah, I should probably head out too," Tommy added. Soon, everyone had left, and the twins went upstairs to get ready for bed, just as their parents returned home.

"Hey, kids, how was your day?" their dad asked.

"Great," Mackenzie said. "We sat outside for a while until it started pouring, then we came inside. After that, we did The Story Wheel, and everyone wanted to hear about how we solved our first mystery."

"Oh, so you told the summer camp story?" their dad replied. "Did you mention how you almost got kicked out?" 

"Wait, you know about that?" Mason asked, surprised.

"Honey, we’re your parents; we know everything. But don’t worry, you’re not in trouble," their mom assured them. "By the way, Mason, how was your date with Olivia?" 

"It was great! I think we might go out again sometime," he said.

"That’s wonderful, honey," she replied. "We should probably start heading to bed now," Mackenzie suggested.

"Goodnight, Mom. Goodnight, Dad," they both said.

"Goodnight, kids," their parents responded. 

As the day came to a close and the story of their first mystery unfolded, the twins climbed into bed, ready for many more adventures to come.