DrTrollinski
Don't let the name scare you.
(1x1 RP)
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Around Every Corner
- Thread starter DrTrollinski
- Start date
DrTrollinski
Don't let the name scare you.
Just outside of Millinocket, Maine.
November 6th, Friday.
3:45PM
"Okay, boys. I hope you're ready for when we get there." Greg smiled as he leaned back in the seat of his car. Being a skilled surgeon was enough to make him some decent money, of which he used to buy his current car. He drove a Range Rover Vogue SE - It was a monster of a vehicle, but up here, he thought that maybe it was needed. He wanted to take the boys camping more often - He wanted to go out through the snow and rain, too, so when he was on his way to work, he didn't exactly want to hit some ice and just... Well... Crash. So he bought this - I mean, Greg was a decent guy, and his money preservation was actually quite efficient. He had a nice amount banked up, but he had a bit on him here, too - He knew the kids would want to visit the little souvenir store up at the campsite. The campsite was perhaps five or so minutes into the forest itself, seeing as the last thing they needed was the fear of getting eaten by wolves or something like that.
"Of course we're ready. We've been waiting all week for this, dad." Clayton grinned as he looked into the rear view mirror from the back seat - Greg looked up at it and saw Clay's beaming face in the reflection, his shaggy dark brown hair casually hanging at the sides of his head. Clay had recently started middle school, so the stress had been getting to him quite a bit. Greg knew that Clay needed this little camping trip just as much as anyone else did. Jackson, the youngest, he'd just started Third Grade, so he was under a bit of stress, too, but he settled in far faster than his brother did. Ah, well, what could you do, right? Kids will be kids, and sometimes, kids didn't do so great, especially when it came to school.
"Just checking. Neither of you forget anything?"
"Nope." They both replied in unison, both in a rather cheery tone.
"Good, good." He said. "We'll be there soon - Remember the rules, boys... Don't walk off of the campgrounds at night, don't annoy others - You can stay up late, but for the love of god, don't wake me up." He grinned. "You've got your own tent and everything, so you should be just fine. I'll be there taking in the scenery while you're off having fun, but we could always do some stuff together while we're there." He smiled at them both in the rear-view mirror and continued driving on. They'd be there in ten minutes or so, seeing as they'd been driving for a short while now. He'd made sure they both used the bathroom before they left, because honestly, he didn't need to be stopping halfway there because one of them suddenly needed to pee. It could have been worse than that, but thankfully it wasn't, and they were going to arrive there on time and he'd get to have his mind taken off of the boys for a while. He planned to walk around himself and take in some of the scenery, maybe meet a few people.
When they arrived there, of course, the first thing that he did was get the tents out. Clayton carried the two-man tent bag that the boys were sharing, and Greg carried his own. Apparently the boys didn't want them in the same tent as him, so he had a two-man tent to himself, too. Crazy, right? Ah, well, he didn't mind, and he was sure there were going to be plenty of people around that he could talk to at night once all the kids had gone to sleep. He had a few books with him, and that was it. He knew the boys would most likely be off doing their own thing, but hey, he was sure he'd find other people to spend his time with while they were doing that.
This was going to end up being a... Different kind of camping trip, though.
November 6th, Friday.
3:45PM
"Okay, boys. I hope you're ready for when we get there." Greg smiled as he leaned back in the seat of his car. Being a skilled surgeon was enough to make him some decent money, of which he used to buy his current car. He drove a Range Rover Vogue SE - It was a monster of a vehicle, but up here, he thought that maybe it was needed. He wanted to take the boys camping more often - He wanted to go out through the snow and rain, too, so when he was on his way to work, he didn't exactly want to hit some ice and just... Well... Crash. So he bought this - I mean, Greg was a decent guy, and his money preservation was actually quite efficient. He had a nice amount banked up, but he had a bit on him here, too - He knew the kids would want to visit the little souvenir store up at the campsite. The campsite was perhaps five or so minutes into the forest itself, seeing as the last thing they needed was the fear of getting eaten by wolves or something like that.
"Of course we're ready. We've been waiting all week for this, dad." Clayton grinned as he looked into the rear view mirror from the back seat - Greg looked up at it and saw Clay's beaming face in the reflection, his shaggy dark brown hair casually hanging at the sides of his head. Clay had recently started middle school, so the stress had been getting to him quite a bit. Greg knew that Clay needed this little camping trip just as much as anyone else did. Jackson, the youngest, he'd just started Third Grade, so he was under a bit of stress, too, but he settled in far faster than his brother did. Ah, well, what could you do, right? Kids will be kids, and sometimes, kids didn't do so great, especially when it came to school.
"Just checking. Neither of you forget anything?"
"Nope." They both replied in unison, both in a rather cheery tone.
"Good, good." He said. "We'll be there soon - Remember the rules, boys... Don't walk off of the campgrounds at night, don't annoy others - You can stay up late, but for the love of god, don't wake me up." He grinned. "You've got your own tent and everything, so you should be just fine. I'll be there taking in the scenery while you're off having fun, but we could always do some stuff together while we're there." He smiled at them both in the rear-view mirror and continued driving on. They'd be there in ten minutes or so, seeing as they'd been driving for a short while now. He'd made sure they both used the bathroom before they left, because honestly, he didn't need to be stopping halfway there because one of them suddenly needed to pee. It could have been worse than that, but thankfully it wasn't, and they were going to arrive there on time and he'd get to have his mind taken off of the boys for a while. He planned to walk around himself and take in some of the scenery, maybe meet a few people.
When they arrived there, of course, the first thing that he did was get the tents out. Clayton carried the two-man tent bag that the boys were sharing, and Greg carried his own. Apparently the boys didn't want them in the same tent as him, so he had a two-man tent to himself, too. Crazy, right? Ah, well, he didn't mind, and he was sure there were going to be plenty of people around that he could talk to at night once all the kids had gone to sleep. He had a few books with him, and that was it. He knew the boys would most likely be off doing their own thing, but hey, he was sure he'd find other people to spend his time with while they were doing that.
This was going to end up being a... Different kind of camping trip, though.
FaithWynters
The Cuppycakecreep
1408 Grindstone Road
3:15PM
“Are you sure you’re going to be all right, honey?” The quiet squeak of the screen door as it closed announced the exit of someone from the small house. There was a heavy and hollow sound of boots on wood as the dark haired woman walked across the porch.
“Yes, Mom, I’ll be fine.” She was carrying a large pack on her back, and in her arms she held maps a compass. She had been planning this trip for ages. She would go out in the middle of the forest and enjoy to simple serenity of the world around her. When she returned, she would have the beautiful photographs and writing to really kick start her career again. This is what she had needed. A change. The beauty of the world would be at her disposal and she could take all the pictures she liked.
“It’s just you’re not twenty anymore, honey, and your father and I are too old to go with you…” The soft voice was filled with concern. Martha actually believed that her daughter was taking on too much at once—which was an uncommon thought for the two. Astrid shot her mother a look as she loaded her pack into the passenger side of an old pickup truck. It had everything that she might need to live off the land for a week—maybe even more if she watched how much she ate.
“Just have fun, Astrid!” The deeper voice called the two women away from their stare down with one another. Her elder stood silently on the porch, his hands pressed were pressed nonchalantly into his sides as he looked over the two women. His hair was greyed and his face was marked with the lines of years. He was highly respected and loved by the two women that now looked on at him silently. They both smiled. At least, for once, she would be able to go without the worry of her mother. In all their years, her father had mastered the art of soothing her mother away from the fears she held with his confidence and love. While the worried look was still spread across Martha’s face now, the fears would be calmed as the day wore on—her father would be sure of that.
“I will, Papa” She grinned as she opened up a small case that sat silently in the floorboard. It held cameras, lamps, batteries, memory cards, and anything else she needed. Astrid was sure that she had everything to ensure a successful trip. She had done it before, in other parks across the country, and Astrid had faith that she could do the same here. She had decided upon some older trails that were unmarked on anything but the most detailed of maps. They weren’t cut out as others would be—those were used for the tourists. This trek would be all navigated by herself with only a map, compass, and the landmasses to guide her. These were farther into the woods though, she would have to take a short drive before she could start her walk.
The gravel beneath her boot made quiet little grinding sounds as she walked back around the truck and took her mother into her arms. A dueling sound—the sound of her father—continued until she felt another set of arms around her. They had been discussing this trip for almost a week, and it was only now that she realized that it was finally happening—she could finally let go.
Island Falls
3:50PM
Really, after two years of being so dedicated, she hadn’t expected it. The deep feeling of dread that had overcome her these past few days was something she wasn’t sure she could take anymore. Soft sighs escaped her lips regularly, and she could only smile when it was to a customer. She had just finished a piece of artwork on a young man, and she smiled proudly as he looked on happily in the mirror.
“I told you the blue would work better with your skin tone.” She nodded to a part of the beautiful woman that graced his arm. There had been points where she wasn’t sure they would make it—the nerves in his arms were sensitive and the intrusion to his body would cause his muscles to tense and relax in jerks at times.
“You were right; she’s perfect” He got up silently to leave, and before she knew it—without so much as a thanks—the man was gone. As soon as he was gone, the smile faded away. Usually the lack of gratitude would have been something she could have handled. She would have shrugged, counted the hundreds of dollars he had paid her, and been happy with her work.
“You’re welcome…” This time, she wasn’t as patient, and she leaned back in her seat as she watched the other men around her work. None of them had customers, but they were all cleaning their equipment or the room itself; there was always something to do.
“I’m telling you, Regan, you need to just forget about her.” Dark eyes were cast in her direction as a Samuel, a man with dark skin and simple values, spoke.
“That’s kind of hard when you’ve got to live with them until the lease it out.” Regan quietly began cleaning her equipment so that it would be ready for another customer to come in. “I mean, was it that hard to just tell me?” Her jaw tightened at the memory and she pushed her fiery mane to one side. She wanted to push the thoughts out of her mind—that had been her bed too, ya know.
“You need to take a break.” She looked up again to Samuel. He owned the shop and taught her everything; she really did owe him a lot. “Look, it’s supposed to be a nice weekend. Why don’t you take off early and go pack. There’s a camp ground I know of, I’ll give you directions. It’s got anything you might need and the nightly fee is cheap. Just bring a tent—or maybe sleeping under the stars will be good for you.” Regan tried not to say anything. She just wanted to keep her calm infront of her boss and go home at five when her shift was up.
“I’ll be fine.” She shook her head and began cleaning around her station. She really didn’t feel like facing her problems with people—she didn’t even want to face them herself.
“No. Go Regan.” His voice was stern and she looked up. “Get out of my shop and don’t come back until you’ve figured everything out.”
The Campground
4:00PM
“Daddy would have taken us into the woods without a campsite.” Lucy’s arms were folded over one another and her hip was cocked out to the side. The plot that her grandfather had rented was no up to the standards she desired.
“I’m sorry Lucy, but I’m too old to rough it like your father.” Hammond was currently laying out the tarp so that he could set up their tents. When he had finished with the tarp, he picked up the pink bag and began putting together the Hello Kitty tent for Lucy—for some reason, the girl had grown attached to the character. Hammond didn’t understand it.
“Come on, Luca.” Her voice was soft as she pulled on the German Shepard’s harness. It followed obediently by her side, its thick fur pressed against her leg. It was cool outside, and Luca did all he could to keep Lucy warm as they walked away.
“Don’t go too far, Lucy!” Hammond looked up from where he had been crouched to watch her walk quietly down the trail that led to a small lake. It was quiet and beautiful, but with the temperatures, swimming wasn’t an option. “And stay out of the water!” He knew that she hadn’t heard him. As she walked she pulled a pair of pink Hello Kitty headphones over her ears. Honestly, they looked like crockpots with cat faces on them to Hammond, and every time he looked at them, it made him laugh.
“This’ll be fun.” He mumbled quietly to himself as he finished setting up the small child’s tent and began working on his own. The sun would soon start to fall below the horizon, and he knew that he would need a fire going to keep the two of them warm.
3:15PM
“Are you sure you’re going to be all right, honey?” The quiet squeak of the screen door as it closed announced the exit of someone from the small house. There was a heavy and hollow sound of boots on wood as the dark haired woman walked across the porch.
“Yes, Mom, I’ll be fine.” She was carrying a large pack on her back, and in her arms she held maps a compass. She had been planning this trip for ages. She would go out in the middle of the forest and enjoy to simple serenity of the world around her. When she returned, she would have the beautiful photographs and writing to really kick start her career again. This is what she had needed. A change. The beauty of the world would be at her disposal and she could take all the pictures she liked.
“It’s just you’re not twenty anymore, honey, and your father and I are too old to go with you…” The soft voice was filled with concern. Martha actually believed that her daughter was taking on too much at once—which was an uncommon thought for the two. Astrid shot her mother a look as she loaded her pack into the passenger side of an old pickup truck. It had everything that she might need to live off the land for a week—maybe even more if she watched how much she ate.
“Just have fun, Astrid!” The deeper voice called the two women away from their stare down with one another. Her elder stood silently on the porch, his hands pressed were pressed nonchalantly into his sides as he looked over the two women. His hair was greyed and his face was marked with the lines of years. He was highly respected and loved by the two women that now looked on at him silently. They both smiled. At least, for once, she would be able to go without the worry of her mother. In all their years, her father had mastered the art of soothing her mother away from the fears she held with his confidence and love. While the worried look was still spread across Martha’s face now, the fears would be calmed as the day wore on—her father would be sure of that.
“I will, Papa” She grinned as she opened up a small case that sat silently in the floorboard. It held cameras, lamps, batteries, memory cards, and anything else she needed. Astrid was sure that she had everything to ensure a successful trip. She had done it before, in other parks across the country, and Astrid had faith that she could do the same here. She had decided upon some older trails that were unmarked on anything but the most detailed of maps. They weren’t cut out as others would be—those were used for the tourists. This trek would be all navigated by herself with only a map, compass, and the landmasses to guide her. These were farther into the woods though, she would have to take a short drive before she could start her walk.
The gravel beneath her boot made quiet little grinding sounds as she walked back around the truck and took her mother into her arms. A dueling sound—the sound of her father—continued until she felt another set of arms around her. They had been discussing this trip for almost a week, and it was only now that she realized that it was finally happening—she could finally let go.
Island Falls
3:50PM
Really, after two years of being so dedicated, she hadn’t expected it. The deep feeling of dread that had overcome her these past few days was something she wasn’t sure she could take anymore. Soft sighs escaped her lips regularly, and she could only smile when it was to a customer. She had just finished a piece of artwork on a young man, and she smiled proudly as he looked on happily in the mirror.
“I told you the blue would work better with your skin tone.” She nodded to a part of the beautiful woman that graced his arm. There had been points where she wasn’t sure they would make it—the nerves in his arms were sensitive and the intrusion to his body would cause his muscles to tense and relax in jerks at times.
“You were right; she’s perfect” He got up silently to leave, and before she knew it—without so much as a thanks—the man was gone. As soon as he was gone, the smile faded away. Usually the lack of gratitude would have been something she could have handled. She would have shrugged, counted the hundreds of dollars he had paid her, and been happy with her work.
“You’re welcome…” This time, she wasn’t as patient, and she leaned back in her seat as she watched the other men around her work. None of them had customers, but they were all cleaning their equipment or the room itself; there was always something to do.
“I’m telling you, Regan, you need to just forget about her.” Dark eyes were cast in her direction as a Samuel, a man with dark skin and simple values, spoke.
“That’s kind of hard when you’ve got to live with them until the lease it out.” Regan quietly began cleaning her equipment so that it would be ready for another customer to come in. “I mean, was it that hard to just tell me?” Her jaw tightened at the memory and she pushed her fiery mane to one side. She wanted to push the thoughts out of her mind—that had been her bed too, ya know.
“You need to take a break.” She looked up again to Samuel. He owned the shop and taught her everything; she really did owe him a lot. “Look, it’s supposed to be a nice weekend. Why don’t you take off early and go pack. There’s a camp ground I know of, I’ll give you directions. It’s got anything you might need and the nightly fee is cheap. Just bring a tent—or maybe sleeping under the stars will be good for you.” Regan tried not to say anything. She just wanted to keep her calm infront of her boss and go home at five when her shift was up.
“I’ll be fine.” She shook her head and began cleaning around her station. She really didn’t feel like facing her problems with people—she didn’t even want to face them herself.
“No. Go Regan.” His voice was stern and she looked up. “Get out of my shop and don’t come back until you’ve figured everything out.”
The Campground
4:00PM
“Daddy would have taken us into the woods without a campsite.” Lucy’s arms were folded over one another and her hip was cocked out to the side. The plot that her grandfather had rented was no up to the standards she desired.
“I’m sorry Lucy, but I’m too old to rough it like your father.” Hammond was currently laying out the tarp so that he could set up their tents. When he had finished with the tarp, he picked up the pink bag and began putting together the Hello Kitty tent for Lucy—for some reason, the girl had grown attached to the character. Hammond didn’t understand it.
“Come on, Luca.” Her voice was soft as she pulled on the German Shepard’s harness. It followed obediently by her side, its thick fur pressed against her leg. It was cool outside, and Luca did all he could to keep Lucy warm as they walked away.
“Don’t go too far, Lucy!” Hammond looked up from where he had been crouched to watch her walk quietly down the trail that led to a small lake. It was quiet and beautiful, but with the temperatures, swimming wasn’t an option. “And stay out of the water!” He knew that she hadn’t heard him. As she walked she pulled a pair of pink Hello Kitty headphones over her ears. Honestly, they looked like crockpots with cat faces on them to Hammond, and every time he looked at them, it made him laugh.
“This’ll be fun.” He mumbled quietly to himself as he finished setting up the small child’s tent and began working on his own. The sun would soon start to fall below the horizon, and he knew that he would need a fire going to keep the two of them warm.
DrTrollinski
Don't let the name scare you.
On the campsite itself...
"Christ!" Greg shouted as he ripped his hand away from the tent peg that had pinched his skin between its metal self and the ground. It was only the side of his hand that had taken the damage, but he was sure he could feel the blood rushing to the area under the skin, alongside the quick forming of a bruise. It was horrible, really. He was a man, though - Clayton would have probably got a little bit high-pitched and sulky until the pain went away, Jackson would have just started crying immediately, but Greg? Greg could take a pinch here and there, god knows he had it enough when these two were little. They were the kind of kids that were into hair-pulling and scratching when they were babies - That meant that Greg was ready for any kind of pain that the world could throw at him, because after raising two boys from birth...
He'd been ganged up on, beaten, hit over the head with things, had things thrown at him, had hot drinks poured onto him (accidentally, of course), had his hair pulled, his face scratched, his arms pinched, his stomach and chest jumped on, and better yet... He'd been hit in the balls more times than he could count. He needed way more than ten fingers and ten toes to count how many times that had happened, believe me. Ah, well - They'd grown into good kids, and that was all he cared about.
"Dad, I gotta' go pee real quick." Jackson said, turning to look towards the bathrooms. Yeah, there were some little buildings that had been put up - They were maintained and cleaned daily (as they'd need to be in this place) that were open, public, and all you had to do was walk through the open doorways and follow along the side of the little privacy wall that had been build there (of which was an L-shape that lead into the bathroom) and then you'd be good to go. It wasn't bad, but it had one flickering light in the men's room - On the upside... The toilet paper - or paper towels - were kept in one of the things mounted to the toilet stall wall. It was a snazzy one, too, one that didn't let moisture in.
Damp toilet paper sucks, so it was sort of a good thing that that was there.
This was made a popular destination for school trips because of some of the stuff they had. The bathrooms were for the younger kids, really, but everyone used them, they were just primarily put there in thought of the kids that came to this place who might not have been so fond of doing their business in a great outdoors, which was fine, I suppose. Hell, having the bathroom there was nice, wasn't it?
"Me too, dad. Can you put the tent up for us?" Clay asked.
"Sure I can. I've been sitting here for fifteen minutes already, ain't I?"
"True." He said, grinning, but then before Greg could fit another word in, the boys were busy walking off to use the bathroom. Greg just sighed. He thought that he was going to be able to have a peaceful Winter break with these guys, even if it was only for two days before they went back to school. Ah, well, he still had to put his own tent up, so that was going to be fun. He took a look around the campground and saw an old man over by a pink tent, a Hello Kitty one, that must have been the (what he assumed to be) grandfather of the young girl that was busy walking down a little pathway to a lake of some kind. Heh, he got roped into this, too? Or was he doing it off of his own accord? Greg wasn't really sure, but hey, you never know, do you? He was wondering why so many people came here in the Winter, though.
It was quite relaxing, really.
And thankfully... Very isolated.
"Christ!" Greg shouted as he ripped his hand away from the tent peg that had pinched his skin between its metal self and the ground. It was only the side of his hand that had taken the damage, but he was sure he could feel the blood rushing to the area under the skin, alongside the quick forming of a bruise. It was horrible, really. He was a man, though - Clayton would have probably got a little bit high-pitched and sulky until the pain went away, Jackson would have just started crying immediately, but Greg? Greg could take a pinch here and there, god knows he had it enough when these two were little. They were the kind of kids that were into hair-pulling and scratching when they were babies - That meant that Greg was ready for any kind of pain that the world could throw at him, because after raising two boys from birth...
He'd been ganged up on, beaten, hit over the head with things, had things thrown at him, had hot drinks poured onto him (accidentally, of course), had his hair pulled, his face scratched, his arms pinched, his stomach and chest jumped on, and better yet... He'd been hit in the balls more times than he could count. He needed way more than ten fingers and ten toes to count how many times that had happened, believe me. Ah, well - They'd grown into good kids, and that was all he cared about.
"Dad, I gotta' go pee real quick." Jackson said, turning to look towards the bathrooms. Yeah, there were some little buildings that had been put up - They were maintained and cleaned daily (as they'd need to be in this place) that were open, public, and all you had to do was walk through the open doorways and follow along the side of the little privacy wall that had been build there (of which was an L-shape that lead into the bathroom) and then you'd be good to go. It wasn't bad, but it had one flickering light in the men's room - On the upside... The toilet paper - or paper towels - were kept in one of the things mounted to the toilet stall wall. It was a snazzy one, too, one that didn't let moisture in.
Damp toilet paper sucks, so it was sort of a good thing that that was there.
This was made a popular destination for school trips because of some of the stuff they had. The bathrooms were for the younger kids, really, but everyone used them, they were just primarily put there in thought of the kids that came to this place who might not have been so fond of doing their business in a great outdoors, which was fine, I suppose. Hell, having the bathroom there was nice, wasn't it?
"Me too, dad. Can you put the tent up for us?" Clay asked.
"Sure I can. I've been sitting here for fifteen minutes already, ain't I?"
"True." He said, grinning, but then before Greg could fit another word in, the boys were busy walking off to use the bathroom. Greg just sighed. He thought that he was going to be able to have a peaceful Winter break with these guys, even if it was only for two days before they went back to school. Ah, well, he still had to put his own tent up, so that was going to be fun. He took a look around the campground and saw an old man over by a pink tent, a Hello Kitty one, that must have been the (what he assumed to be) grandfather of the young girl that was busy walking down a little pathway to a lake of some kind. Heh, he got roped into this, too? Or was he doing it off of his own accord? Greg wasn't really sure, but hey, you never know, do you? He was wondering why so many people came here in the Winter, though.
It was quite relaxing, really.
And thankfully... Very isolated.
FaithWynters
The Cuppycakecreep
Quiet grunts escaped out into the quiet of the evening. Hammond had put this thing up a million times before, but now, as he tried to push in one of the plastic support rods, it wanted to be difficult. The cool air that pushed past his face and danced inside his lungs didn’t help him from sweating. A small line of the clear salty liquid had formed across his brow, and he stopped a moment to wipe it away. It took him another few minutes before he could finally say that the tent was up and secure.
There it was, that pink and white little monster that stared happily at any of those passing by. It’s horrible little cat face forcing everyone to see the bright side of everything—forcing everyone to enjoy the unnatural color of florescent pink while they were supposed to be outdoors.
Hammond didn’t really care so much for that. He had already fought so hard to get Lucy just to come with him on this trip, and he was not going to let a stupid Asian cat ruin it for him. Telling her no on something so simple wasn’t progress—especially since she already had it stored away and he hadn’t had to go out and buy the damn thing. He wasn’t sure he would have been willing to buy this thing if they had come across it in a store.
He stood back for a moment, watching those beady little cat eyes as it watched him for a moment. Hammond still had to put up his own tent, so he moved over slightly on the tent tarp, and began putting up his own.
His was much more simple to maneuver, as his wasn’t two feet tall. While he still had to bend over to beat the spikes into the soft ground, he wouldn’t have to really bend over to be able to put the thing up and walk around in the tent when he was finished. That’s what he was aiming for. He didn’t need anything setting him back. The cold was already getting to him—even though winter had no yet set in yet. He could feel it, mainly in his lower back and his shoulders, as the cool creeped in, how hard this winter would be on him.
He couldn’t deny that he was getting older, and with every passing year he worried about leaving Lucy alone. She was devastated about her father, and ever since he had been trying to take care of her, provide for her, and heal her in all the same steps. That caused some conflict between the two. Hammond tried so hard to be patient with her, but she did not return the kindness. She thought he was trying to “swoop in and be her father”, which wasn’t the case at all. There always seemed to be a backwards force there.
Sometimes though, he had to admit that the little girl surprised him. Today, besides the little comments when they first arrived, had been a good day for the two of them. They were allowed one of those at least once a week—two if Hammond was lucky. They could smile and laugh and enjoy one another’s company. She was a bright little girl with a great personality when she wanted to be—just like her father—with all the unwanted qualities that her mother had left her with. Sometimes it was painful to think about the situation, but Hammond loved Lucy with every part of himself. He couldn’t think of not wanting to take her in when her life collapsed within on itself.
Another quiet grunt escaped his lips as he straightened himself out once again. The tent was up and this one had taken him a considerably shorter length of time. He looked around the campsite once more to see the few that had come out on what was promised to be a beautiful weekend. One man seemed to be putting up two tents by himself. Hammond had seen them arrive earlier. He had two boys with him. Something inside Hammond cringed. Hopefully they would stay in their campsite and all would be fine. Lucy wasn’t really that pleasant to people her age. She could be—she could be the sweetest little girl in the world, but she was very quick to judge people’s intelligence. Good lord…that girl had some fire.
“Papa!” Hammond had turned away and was just about to start walking towards the thick trees to find would to start a fire. The word surprised him—it had been a long time since he had heard such an endearing title. He turned toward the path he had seen Lucy and Luca run down. The loud and excited bark of the dog made him smile. The two could get along so well at times.
Then he saw her. Lucy, running back towards the camp. Her face was flushed pink from exertion, and she was smiling. Her arms were folded tightly around a large stack of sticks and wood. Her headphones were pulled securely around her neck, and as she picked up more speed, her backpack bounced and flailed helplessly behind her. And the damn dog. He couldn’t help but to laugh at poor Luca. Lucy had somehow found something within the forest to use to tie more wood on the dog’s back. These pieces were thicker pieces that would be used later to fuel the fire. As Luca kept at a quick trot to keep up with Lucy and her short legs, the wood bounced back and forth on her back like a see-saw—threatening to slip from their confines at any moment.
“I brought back wood for the fire.” When she came near, she dumped her arms out onto the ground next to the metal circle that would be their fire pit. Hammond was still smiling as he watched her turn and start untying Luca from his confines.
“Great. I was about to go get some.” He knelt down and began placing sticks down so that he could start themselves a fire. Once the sun went down, the coolness of the night would kick in and they both would need the fire—they had to cook too. “Thanks for helping, Lucy, I really appreciate it.” He shot the girl a smile as she dumped what was on Luca’s back onto the ground, one by one, with the rest. Her hand scratched his head lovingly and they both panted quietly.
“Will you show me how to start the fire?” Her large eyes shifted from looking at Luca to looking at Hammond, and he glanced up from the piles of sticks that he had been making. Hammond couldn’t help but smile at Lucy—he was really proud of her.
“Well usually I just use a flint and steel,” He smiled lightly at her—that was in his pack, “but I guess I can show you another way—in case you don’t have the flint.” Other tools he needed were spread out around them on the ground. He pulled the knife he had clipped to his belt out and walked toward the edge of their area to grab a flat piece of wood. “You’ll need whatever that was you used to tie up Luca too.” He came walking back, a smile on his lips.
“Okay!” Lucy stood there, her cheeks a faded pink color, a grin on her lips. She really enjoyed this—the outdoors and the escape. Hammond was just happy to see her smiling.
There it was, that pink and white little monster that stared happily at any of those passing by. It’s horrible little cat face forcing everyone to see the bright side of everything—forcing everyone to enjoy the unnatural color of florescent pink while they were supposed to be outdoors.
Hammond didn’t really care so much for that. He had already fought so hard to get Lucy just to come with him on this trip, and he was not going to let a stupid Asian cat ruin it for him. Telling her no on something so simple wasn’t progress—especially since she already had it stored away and he hadn’t had to go out and buy the damn thing. He wasn’t sure he would have been willing to buy this thing if they had come across it in a store.
He stood back for a moment, watching those beady little cat eyes as it watched him for a moment. Hammond still had to put up his own tent, so he moved over slightly on the tent tarp, and began putting up his own.
His was much more simple to maneuver, as his wasn’t two feet tall. While he still had to bend over to beat the spikes into the soft ground, he wouldn’t have to really bend over to be able to put the thing up and walk around in the tent when he was finished. That’s what he was aiming for. He didn’t need anything setting him back. The cold was already getting to him—even though winter had no yet set in yet. He could feel it, mainly in his lower back and his shoulders, as the cool creeped in, how hard this winter would be on him.
He couldn’t deny that he was getting older, and with every passing year he worried about leaving Lucy alone. She was devastated about her father, and ever since he had been trying to take care of her, provide for her, and heal her in all the same steps. That caused some conflict between the two. Hammond tried so hard to be patient with her, but she did not return the kindness. She thought he was trying to “swoop in and be her father”, which wasn’t the case at all. There always seemed to be a backwards force there.
Sometimes though, he had to admit that the little girl surprised him. Today, besides the little comments when they first arrived, had been a good day for the two of them. They were allowed one of those at least once a week—two if Hammond was lucky. They could smile and laugh and enjoy one another’s company. She was a bright little girl with a great personality when she wanted to be—just like her father—with all the unwanted qualities that her mother had left her with. Sometimes it was painful to think about the situation, but Hammond loved Lucy with every part of himself. He couldn’t think of not wanting to take her in when her life collapsed within on itself.
Another quiet grunt escaped his lips as he straightened himself out once again. The tent was up and this one had taken him a considerably shorter length of time. He looked around the campsite once more to see the few that had come out on what was promised to be a beautiful weekend. One man seemed to be putting up two tents by himself. Hammond had seen them arrive earlier. He had two boys with him. Something inside Hammond cringed. Hopefully they would stay in their campsite and all would be fine. Lucy wasn’t really that pleasant to people her age. She could be—she could be the sweetest little girl in the world, but she was very quick to judge people’s intelligence. Good lord…that girl had some fire.
“Papa!” Hammond had turned away and was just about to start walking towards the thick trees to find would to start a fire. The word surprised him—it had been a long time since he had heard such an endearing title. He turned toward the path he had seen Lucy and Luca run down. The loud and excited bark of the dog made him smile. The two could get along so well at times.
Then he saw her. Lucy, running back towards the camp. Her face was flushed pink from exertion, and she was smiling. Her arms were folded tightly around a large stack of sticks and wood. Her headphones were pulled securely around her neck, and as she picked up more speed, her backpack bounced and flailed helplessly behind her. And the damn dog. He couldn’t help but to laugh at poor Luca. Lucy had somehow found something within the forest to use to tie more wood on the dog’s back. These pieces were thicker pieces that would be used later to fuel the fire. As Luca kept at a quick trot to keep up with Lucy and her short legs, the wood bounced back and forth on her back like a see-saw—threatening to slip from their confines at any moment.
“I brought back wood for the fire.” When she came near, she dumped her arms out onto the ground next to the metal circle that would be their fire pit. Hammond was still smiling as he watched her turn and start untying Luca from his confines.
“Great. I was about to go get some.” He knelt down and began placing sticks down so that he could start themselves a fire. Once the sun went down, the coolness of the night would kick in and they both would need the fire—they had to cook too. “Thanks for helping, Lucy, I really appreciate it.” He shot the girl a smile as she dumped what was on Luca’s back onto the ground, one by one, with the rest. Her hand scratched his head lovingly and they both panted quietly.
“Will you show me how to start the fire?” Her large eyes shifted from looking at Luca to looking at Hammond, and he glanced up from the piles of sticks that he had been making. Hammond couldn’t help but smile at Lucy—he was really proud of her.
“Well usually I just use a flint and steel,” He smiled lightly at her—that was in his pack, “but I guess I can show you another way—in case you don’t have the flint.” Other tools he needed were spread out around them on the ground. He pulled the knife he had clipped to his belt out and walked toward the edge of their area to grab a flat piece of wood. “You’ll need whatever that was you used to tie up Luca too.” He came walking back, a smile on his lips.
“Okay!” Lucy stood there, her cheeks a faded pink color, a grin on her lips. She really enjoyed this—the outdoors and the escape. Hammond was just happy to see her smiling.
DrTrollinski
Don't let the name scare you.
"Dad?" Jackson called out, sitting down on his lap. By now, Greg was more than happy with just reading a book, but what happened? This handsome little guy had just came over and sat down on him, therefore interrupting his reading session. Now what did he want? The life of a surgeon was difficult and sometimes it was nice to relax - this camping trip was for him just as much as it was for the boys. Still, though, he was happy with what he had here, what he had in general - A nice house, a beautiful wife, a great job, two smart kids (one of which was bright and hyperactive), a nice car, and all the rest of it. Typical suburban shit, really, that's all there was to it.He looked at Jackson as he dropped onto his lap and sighed.
"Yes, son?" He asked.
"Can we build a fire?" He asked, his arms coiling around his body and his head resting against his chest. Greg smirked, sighed, then placed his book down on top of his backpack. He had everything in there that he was going to need, he was sure. He brought flint and steel, just because he knew that the boys would want to build a fire soon enough. He looked around for a moment and sighed. Clay was busy unpacking all of his stuff from his bag and setting it all out in the tent, as well as the beans they'd brought along with them that Greg had promised the boys they could cook by themselves.
"We can. Go get your brother, and go get some sticks and stones gathered up." He said, Jackson gladly sprung up and ran to Clay to explain the situation to him, pulling him out of the tent and dragging him into the woodland area so that they could get everything that was needed. Sticks, stones, that sort of thing. Clay knew what had to be in a fire, and so did Jackson, but there was no way that Greg was going to trust either of them with lighting it themselves. Clay noticed the Hello Kitty tent as they walked off into the treeline. Jesus Christ - He felt sorry for whatever parent or carer had the kid with them that wanted that hideous thing brought along. It stood out like a lit match in a fireworks factory. Clay wasn't going to stare or anything like that, because he wasn't that rude, but that didn't mean he liked it, god no.
They spent a little while, maybe fifteen or twenty minutes or so, just gathering up sticks and stones like I'd said already. They got stones of all sizes, but they were somewhat big, which is what Clay carried because he knew his younger brother wouldn't be able to carry that himself without dropping all of them, and Jackson himself joyfully carried the sticks back to camp. Teamwork was one of the smarter tactics that could be used around here, because if one person was trying to carry everything, that meant that they'd end up losing most of it before they got back to the camp.
A bundle of sticks and two armfuls of rocks. Not bad, right? They took all of that back to their dad and dropped it on the floor in front of him, then sat down with their legs crossed, watching him with anticipation. "Come on, dad. Build the fire!" Jackson chirped happily, and Greg arched one eyebrow and stared at him for a moment. Right.
"I'm not doing all the work myself." He laughed. "You boys make a start - Put the stones out in a circle, that'll give us a base to build the wood on, right? Then you'll want to stack the sticks around those and to the center of the fire, but almost in like a... Like a tepee shape, you know what I mean?" He asked. Jackson and Clay both nodded along and got to work while they had the chance. The sun would set soon, so they were going to need to wrap up and get the fire going so that they could cook their beans. They could buy food in the souvenir store if they wanted to, but it'd cost an arm and a leg so it was best to bring your own. Greg had brought some bacon along, too, as well as some bread - He'd make them some bacon sandwiches in the morning. He had a cooler box with him, so all food that had the fear of going rotten (even though it was theoretically impossible in this cold weather) would be all good by morning.
"I need to use the bathroom, fellas. Don't wander off, okay? I'll be back in two minutes." He said, quickly hopping up and making his way down to the men's public restroom of that little building. He was quite glad about not having to wander off into the forest so he could pee, to be honest. It was too cold out there to be doing that, and he didn't want to leave the boys on their own for too long.
"Yes, son?" He asked.
"Can we build a fire?" He asked, his arms coiling around his body and his head resting against his chest. Greg smirked, sighed, then placed his book down on top of his backpack. He had everything in there that he was going to need, he was sure. He brought flint and steel, just because he knew that the boys would want to build a fire soon enough. He looked around for a moment and sighed. Clay was busy unpacking all of his stuff from his bag and setting it all out in the tent, as well as the beans they'd brought along with them that Greg had promised the boys they could cook by themselves.
"We can. Go get your brother, and go get some sticks and stones gathered up." He said, Jackson gladly sprung up and ran to Clay to explain the situation to him, pulling him out of the tent and dragging him into the woodland area so that they could get everything that was needed. Sticks, stones, that sort of thing. Clay knew what had to be in a fire, and so did Jackson, but there was no way that Greg was going to trust either of them with lighting it themselves. Clay noticed the Hello Kitty tent as they walked off into the treeline. Jesus Christ - He felt sorry for whatever parent or carer had the kid with them that wanted that hideous thing brought along. It stood out like a lit match in a fireworks factory. Clay wasn't going to stare or anything like that, because he wasn't that rude, but that didn't mean he liked it, god no.
They spent a little while, maybe fifteen or twenty minutes or so, just gathering up sticks and stones like I'd said already. They got stones of all sizes, but they were somewhat big, which is what Clay carried because he knew his younger brother wouldn't be able to carry that himself without dropping all of them, and Jackson himself joyfully carried the sticks back to camp. Teamwork was one of the smarter tactics that could be used around here, because if one person was trying to carry everything, that meant that they'd end up losing most of it before they got back to the camp.
A bundle of sticks and two armfuls of rocks. Not bad, right? They took all of that back to their dad and dropped it on the floor in front of him, then sat down with their legs crossed, watching him with anticipation. "Come on, dad. Build the fire!" Jackson chirped happily, and Greg arched one eyebrow and stared at him for a moment. Right.
"I'm not doing all the work myself." He laughed. "You boys make a start - Put the stones out in a circle, that'll give us a base to build the wood on, right? Then you'll want to stack the sticks around those and to the center of the fire, but almost in like a... Like a tepee shape, you know what I mean?" He asked. Jackson and Clay both nodded along and got to work while they had the chance. The sun would set soon, so they were going to need to wrap up and get the fire going so that they could cook their beans. They could buy food in the souvenir store if they wanted to, but it'd cost an arm and a leg so it was best to bring your own. Greg had brought some bacon along, too, as well as some bread - He'd make them some bacon sandwiches in the morning. He had a cooler box with him, so all food that had the fear of going rotten (even though it was theoretically impossible in this cold weather) would be all good by morning.
"I need to use the bathroom, fellas. Don't wander off, okay? I'll be back in two minutes." He said, quickly hopping up and making his way down to the men's public restroom of that little building. He was quite glad about not having to wander off into the forest so he could pee, to be honest. It was too cold out there to be doing that, and he didn't want to leave the boys on their own for too long.
FaithWynters
The Cuppycakecreep
“There you go, Lucy!” The small light that had been created flickered lightly. The breeze threatened to blow it out with every passing flutter. “Now, gently blow on it. You need to feed the flame.” After about ten minutes of rubbing a stick on a piece of wood with the bow contraption they had made, Lucy finally got the results the two were looking for. She let out a quiet grunt. She was excited, but fully enveloped in her work. The success was soaking in and making her strive to complete the task. Soon, as she blew gently on the flame and fed it small pieces of sticks, it grew to a size that was good for cooking and warmth, and the two could scoot back and enjoy it without worrying about the flame dying out.
“Did you see that?” Lucy’s face glowed in the warm light. She grinned and started walking toward their pile of equipment. She pulled out two bundles, wrapping their straps around her body. Luca curled up close to the fire and enjoyed the heat warming her fur. “I made that.” She was so proud, and Hammond couldn’t stop the chuckle that escaped from his lips.
“You did a great job, Lucy.” He took one of the two bundles from her and began pulling the clasp open at the top. The black foldable chair was set up in front of the fire. A smaller blue seat mirrored his. Lucy sat down with a huff. She had been running around and playing all day—she was tired and hungry. Her stomach grumbled to show it.
“I should start dinner before it gets dark, eh?” Hammond, who had sat down in his seat for only a moment picked himself up and walked toward the Yeti ice chests that were sitting off to the side. He had brought all of the food and supplies they would need to have an amazing food experience while they were here.
“What are we having? Can I help?” The soft words came from right behind him, and Hammond glanced back to see that Lucy had gotten up and walked behind him. She was so quiet—he hadn’t even heard her.
“We’re having something I had when I used to go camping with my father.” He pulled out a few ingredients. “It’s called Squaw Corn. It’s an old Native American food.” Eggs, Bacon (that had been cooked by Hammond the day before), and a can of corn come from the placed they had been stored.
“Looks like it might be yummy.” Lucy walked across the small area toward the box that had all of the cooking supplies inside.
“We’ll need that metal bowl, the whisk, and the nonstick pan.” Hammond knew that Lucy waited for instruction, so he told her what they needed and she came back carrying everything. Luca eyed them curiously, his tail flicking back and forth excitedly every once and a while.
“Alright.” Hammond had placed a metal grate over their flame so he had a flat surface. “So what you want to do is take your eggs—however many you want.” He pulled out four—which was probably too much for the two of them, but it was better to be safe than sorry. “Crack them in the bowl.” He began cracking eggs and Lucy followed—they each cracked two apiece. “Now, you want to whisk the eggs up while I crumble the bacon.” Lucy happily took the bowl from Hammond and began beating the eggs quietly. After it looked like everything had been combined, he added the bacon, drained the corn, and added it to their bowl as well.
“Now you just make it like regular scrambled eggs.” He nodded, put the pan on the fire, and poured the eggs inside. They would heat up and fill the campground with the yummy smell of bacon very soon.
“Did you see that?” Lucy’s face glowed in the warm light. She grinned and started walking toward their pile of equipment. She pulled out two bundles, wrapping their straps around her body. Luca curled up close to the fire and enjoyed the heat warming her fur. “I made that.” She was so proud, and Hammond couldn’t stop the chuckle that escaped from his lips.
“You did a great job, Lucy.” He took one of the two bundles from her and began pulling the clasp open at the top. The black foldable chair was set up in front of the fire. A smaller blue seat mirrored his. Lucy sat down with a huff. She had been running around and playing all day—she was tired and hungry. Her stomach grumbled to show it.
“I should start dinner before it gets dark, eh?” Hammond, who had sat down in his seat for only a moment picked himself up and walked toward the Yeti ice chests that were sitting off to the side. He had brought all of the food and supplies they would need to have an amazing food experience while they were here.
“What are we having? Can I help?” The soft words came from right behind him, and Hammond glanced back to see that Lucy had gotten up and walked behind him. She was so quiet—he hadn’t even heard her.
“We’re having something I had when I used to go camping with my father.” He pulled out a few ingredients. “It’s called Squaw Corn. It’s an old Native American food.” Eggs, Bacon (that had been cooked by Hammond the day before), and a can of corn come from the placed they had been stored.
“Looks like it might be yummy.” Lucy walked across the small area toward the box that had all of the cooking supplies inside.
“We’ll need that metal bowl, the whisk, and the nonstick pan.” Hammond knew that Lucy waited for instruction, so he told her what they needed and she came back carrying everything. Luca eyed them curiously, his tail flicking back and forth excitedly every once and a while.
“Alright.” Hammond had placed a metal grate over their flame so he had a flat surface. “So what you want to do is take your eggs—however many you want.” He pulled out four—which was probably too much for the two of them, but it was better to be safe than sorry. “Crack them in the bowl.” He began cracking eggs and Lucy followed—they each cracked two apiece. “Now, you want to whisk the eggs up while I crumble the bacon.” Lucy happily took the bowl from Hammond and began beating the eggs quietly. After it looked like everything had been combined, he added the bacon, drained the corn, and added it to their bowl as well.
“Now you just make it like regular scrambled eggs.” He nodded, put the pan on the fire, and poured the eggs inside. They would heat up and fill the campground with the yummy smell of bacon very soon.
DrTrollinski
Don't let the name scare you.
And the flames went up. Ah, there we go. Greg looked up to see the smiling little faces of the two boys - Clay had his arm around Jackson, which was rather sweet to see to be honest. It was nice to see the affection between the two of them, definitely, and it was something he was always happy with about the boys. They didn't fight as much as some brothers did - Sure, they could be a little bit dickish to each other sometimes, and sometimes it did get to the point where one of them ended up crying because the other one had hurt them or annoyed them so much that it brought them to tears. Seeing as Jackson was so hyperactive, that was one of the things that always happened with him - He always seemed to annoy his brother deliberately when he felt like it, but generally, he was a nice boy and was good to his brother, just like Clay was good to him.
"Can we cook something, dad? I'm starving." Clay asked.
"We can. I've got some bacon and some beans we could cook for tonight, if you wanted to." He chuckled, and Clayton and Jackson gladly nodded away. Ah, great, more stuff to cook. He'd brought a couple of small frying pans and general saucepans that they could use to cook in - He also brought a small grill, which is what he'd cook the bacon on for tonight. "You need to blow on the fire, though, make sure it gets to all the sticks, and then you can add some more sticks to it - We need it to be hot enough so that it's safe to cook the bacon, okay?" He said, and the boys both nodded again and started to blow onto the fire.
Once the fire was hot enough, Greg began to cook. He slapped the grill down onto one side of the fire, and the metal saucepan on the edge of the other, and then started to cook the food he'd brought. He put six slices of bacon down on the grill which immediately began to sizzle as the flames and heat tickled each strip from underneath, and, well, the beans in the pan didn't really do much, but they eventually started bubbling as the heat got to them. Greg smiled at them both - They looked so relaxed and happy, and he almost forgot that they were kids. They felt like they were so much more than that when they got home from school, you know, during the weekdays and stuff. They didn't seem like kids.
But now they did - An arm around each other's body, taking in fresh air, smiling, finding things to be excited about. The two dark-haired boys were the people that Greg held dear to his heart. He'd do anything for them, because he loved them more than life itself, and if that 'anything' was simply taking them camping and cooking some bacon and beans with them, then he'd do it, because that's what parents and carers do - I suppose it's a little way of expression their affection. The boys remembered it, though, all kids do. They don't remember what you teach them - they remember who you are. And they always remembered who Greg was - He was the man that had showed them a limitless amount of love and care, and had clearly demonstrated that he'd throw himself in the way of danger if it meant protecting them.
Greg swore he'd die for them if he had to, but there was no way he'd want to die. He wanted to be with them - He didn't want them to have to go on without a father. The most he could hope for would be his wife meeting someone else that could serve as their father figure, but at the same time, he didn't want that to happen. He wanted to be with them all the time and watch them grow up, and he wanted to meet their children, and maybe even their children's children.
Anyway. Back to the camping. He had Jackson get out some of the paper plates he'd brought along, alongside the plastic forks. This was going to be a simple but tasty dinner, he was sure.
"Can we cook something, dad? I'm starving." Clay asked.
"We can. I've got some bacon and some beans we could cook for tonight, if you wanted to." He chuckled, and Clayton and Jackson gladly nodded away. Ah, great, more stuff to cook. He'd brought a couple of small frying pans and general saucepans that they could use to cook in - He also brought a small grill, which is what he'd cook the bacon on for tonight. "You need to blow on the fire, though, make sure it gets to all the sticks, and then you can add some more sticks to it - We need it to be hot enough so that it's safe to cook the bacon, okay?" He said, and the boys both nodded again and started to blow onto the fire.
Once the fire was hot enough, Greg began to cook. He slapped the grill down onto one side of the fire, and the metal saucepan on the edge of the other, and then started to cook the food he'd brought. He put six slices of bacon down on the grill which immediately began to sizzle as the flames and heat tickled each strip from underneath, and, well, the beans in the pan didn't really do much, but they eventually started bubbling as the heat got to them. Greg smiled at them both - They looked so relaxed and happy, and he almost forgot that they were kids. They felt like they were so much more than that when they got home from school, you know, during the weekdays and stuff. They didn't seem like kids.
But now they did - An arm around each other's body, taking in fresh air, smiling, finding things to be excited about. The two dark-haired boys were the people that Greg held dear to his heart. He'd do anything for them, because he loved them more than life itself, and if that 'anything' was simply taking them camping and cooking some bacon and beans with them, then he'd do it, because that's what parents and carers do - I suppose it's a little way of expression their affection. The boys remembered it, though, all kids do. They don't remember what you teach them - they remember who you are. And they always remembered who Greg was - He was the man that had showed them a limitless amount of love and care, and had clearly demonstrated that he'd throw himself in the way of danger if it meant protecting them.
Greg swore he'd die for them if he had to, but there was no way he'd want to die. He wanted to be with them - He didn't want them to have to go on without a father. The most he could hope for would be his wife meeting someone else that could serve as their father figure, but at the same time, he didn't want that to happen. He wanted to be with them all the time and watch them grow up, and he wanted to meet their children, and maybe even their children's children.
Anyway. Back to the camping. He had Jackson get out some of the paper plates he'd brought along, alongside the plastic forks. This was going to be a simple but tasty dinner, he was sure.
FaithWynters
The Cuppycakecreep
“Okay.” There was a slight pause between the two as the last bit of cooked bacon was thrown into the pan with the cooked eggs. The corn had been mixed in and the pan was nor taken off the fire. “They used to make this a long time ago.” Hammond was smiling again. The fire brightened his face and cut deep crevices into his skin with shadow. The sun was beginning to set without interruption by the people that worked to start fires, put up tents, and enjoy the weekend.
“Here are the plates!” A soft giggle escaped into the air and Lucy walked quietly up to Hammond with the plates. He already had a scoop of the eggs in the spoon. As she arrived, he dumped a pile on and she hummed quietly. It would be enough to feed the both of them. Then, they could go to the small bathrooms and clean all of their equipment. It was a simpler way to camp than what Lucy was used to, but it seemed—at least to Hammond—that she was enjoying herself.
Luca barked excitedly and broke the silence of the surrounding area. His tail wagged quickly back and forth and a large shadow was cast across the ground. While the dog had sat obediently by the fire as the dinner was cooked, Luca now looked at them expectantly. He wanted some of their delicious food too! It was theirs to share with him. Lucy smiled quietly and held out a third plate. This time, Hammond dumped a spoonful onto it for Luca. At least it would quiet the dog and give it a full stomach. They had brought dry food for him, but it seemed that this would be an enjoyable vacation for him too if Lucy kept feeding him like it seemed that she intended.
“Okay. Let’s eat.” He walked across the camp and pulled two bottles of water from an ice chest. He then walked back to his larger lawn chair and had a sit. Lucy was already sitting, shoveling the eggs into her mouth. They were either incredibly good or she was incredibly hungry. It was probably a mixture of both. She only broke away from her feast to offer a plastic fork to Hammond. He nodded in gratitude and took it from her, beginning to eat.
He crossed his leg over the other and enjoyed the heat that the fire gave off. They sat pretty close, but with the incoming chill of winter it was needed. Luca sat quietly again, eating slowly next to the fire. It was an odd thing to watch. Of all the animals Hammond had ever had, he had never seen an animal not completely scarf down a meal in the fastest time possible. Luca, on the other hand, ate quietly, slowly, and seemed to enjoy the sight of a full plate. They had really trained him well.
“He’s really great. I love him.” Lucy smiled softly and Hammond looked over. It was something that she hardly said, but as she saw Hammond admiring the dog—her dog and protector—she thought it might be the time to say it. Luca was the only thing left of her father, and she was determined to keep the memory close to her heart. She wouldn’t forget him—Luca was the insurance that she wouldn't.
“Here are the plates!” A soft giggle escaped into the air and Lucy walked quietly up to Hammond with the plates. He already had a scoop of the eggs in the spoon. As she arrived, he dumped a pile on and she hummed quietly. It would be enough to feed the both of them. Then, they could go to the small bathrooms and clean all of their equipment. It was a simpler way to camp than what Lucy was used to, but it seemed—at least to Hammond—that she was enjoying herself.
Luca barked excitedly and broke the silence of the surrounding area. His tail wagged quickly back and forth and a large shadow was cast across the ground. While the dog had sat obediently by the fire as the dinner was cooked, Luca now looked at them expectantly. He wanted some of their delicious food too! It was theirs to share with him. Lucy smiled quietly and held out a third plate. This time, Hammond dumped a spoonful onto it for Luca. At least it would quiet the dog and give it a full stomach. They had brought dry food for him, but it seemed that this would be an enjoyable vacation for him too if Lucy kept feeding him like it seemed that she intended.
“Okay. Let’s eat.” He walked across the camp and pulled two bottles of water from an ice chest. He then walked back to his larger lawn chair and had a sit. Lucy was already sitting, shoveling the eggs into her mouth. They were either incredibly good or she was incredibly hungry. It was probably a mixture of both. She only broke away from her feast to offer a plastic fork to Hammond. He nodded in gratitude and took it from her, beginning to eat.
He crossed his leg over the other and enjoyed the heat that the fire gave off. They sat pretty close, but with the incoming chill of winter it was needed. Luca sat quietly again, eating slowly next to the fire. It was an odd thing to watch. Of all the animals Hammond had ever had, he had never seen an animal not completely scarf down a meal in the fastest time possible. Luca, on the other hand, ate quietly, slowly, and seemed to enjoy the sight of a full plate. They had really trained him well.
“He’s really great. I love him.” Lucy smiled softly and Hammond looked over. It was something that she hardly said, but as she saw Hammond admiring the dog—her dog and protector—she thought it might be the time to say it. Luca was the only thing left of her father, and she was determined to keep the memory close to her heart. She wouldn’t forget him—Luca was the insurance that she wouldn't.
DrTrollinski
Don't let the name scare you.
Bacon and beans. It honestly wasn't that bad and the boys quite enjoyed sitting on a waterproof mat by the fire, eating while looking out over some of the stars that were beginning to fade into visibility. Jackson's eye had been caught by the dog with the old man and the little girl around his age - He always wanted a puppy, actually, but their mother was allergic so they had a boring cat instead. He didn't like cats - They weren't nearly as energetic enough, nor did they like playing games. Their claws were super-sharp, too, as Jackson had sadly found out a few times while he was growing up. Ah, well, life goes on, doesn't it? Jackson was never really a kid you'd catch complaining. He'd accept that something went wrong and then he'd move on when applicable, you know what I mean?
"Dad?" Jackson called out, staring up at the stars as he shoved a piece of bacon into his mouth and smiled a little. "Do you know any of those weird star sign things?" He asked.
"Constellations?" He asked, sitting up from his lying position in his tent and moving over beside Jackson, putting an arm around his shoulders as he looked up at the sky at the quickly-brightening stars. Ah, this was rather nice, don't you think? Greg looked at them for a moment and chuckled. "Weird star sign things... Constellations, son. Constellations." He chuckled and bowed his head to the left to kiss the top of the boy's head, whom of which smiled and ate some more bacon with some beans, simply nodded along to what his father said. "Well... I know a few, I guess." He shrugged once. "You see that one up there?" He asked, pointing up into the sky and slightly to the right.
"There's a lotta' stars, dad." He said, almost in a sarcastic manner. Greg looked at him for a moment and playfully smacked him up the back of the head, but pulled him into a half-hug again thereafter.
"Smart devil, ain't ya'? It's that one there, the most famous Winter star." He smiled. "Orion. You see the line of stars there, one after the other?" He asked. Jackson nodded. "That's Orion. You see the three bright stars just down and to the left of that?" He asked.
"Uh-huh." Jackson nodded again.
"Join all lines up, and you get the Hunter, Orion. Pretty cool?"
"Yeah, it is." He grinned, looking over towards the entrance of the little camp. People were still arriving, it seemed. When were they going to stop showing up? It was getting late and he was curious, but then again, he was a kid. It's not like he cared all that much, it was just something that was tickling at his mind just a little bit.
"Dad?" Jackson called out, staring up at the stars as he shoved a piece of bacon into his mouth and smiled a little. "Do you know any of those weird star sign things?" He asked.
"Constellations?" He asked, sitting up from his lying position in his tent and moving over beside Jackson, putting an arm around his shoulders as he looked up at the sky at the quickly-brightening stars. Ah, this was rather nice, don't you think? Greg looked at them for a moment and chuckled. "Weird star sign things... Constellations, son. Constellations." He chuckled and bowed his head to the left to kiss the top of the boy's head, whom of which smiled and ate some more bacon with some beans, simply nodded along to what his father said. "Well... I know a few, I guess." He shrugged once. "You see that one up there?" He asked, pointing up into the sky and slightly to the right.
"There's a lotta' stars, dad." He said, almost in a sarcastic manner. Greg looked at him for a moment and playfully smacked him up the back of the head, but pulled him into a half-hug again thereafter.
"Smart devil, ain't ya'? It's that one there, the most famous Winter star." He smiled. "Orion. You see the line of stars there, one after the other?" He asked. Jackson nodded. "That's Orion. You see the three bright stars just down and to the left of that?" He asked.
"Uh-huh." Jackson nodded again.
"Join all lines up, and you get the Hunter, Orion. Pretty cool?"
"Yeah, it is." He grinned, looking over towards the entrance of the little camp. People were still arriving, it seemed. When were they going to stop showing up? It was getting late and he was curious, but then again, he was a kid. It's not like he cared all that much, it was just something that was tickling at his mind just a little bit.
FaithWynters
The Cuppycakecreep
Finally at the Campground
6:00 P.M.
The sunlight had lessened to the point where shadows were cast not by the bright ball of gas in the sky, but by the moon. Where things might be warm in the glow of the evening sun, they were now pale and ghost-like in the stillness of nature.
The ride had taken her much longer than she had anticipated. Between here and Grindstone, a thick fog had slowly traipsed its way across the highway and had reduced speeds. It was the time for deer, and there was an increased risk of them unknowingly running in front of a car attempting to get from one section of forest to another. It was crazy how many animals one could see when just driving. The deer had made her take her time further and not rush things. She really didn’t want to total her parent’s car on her way to the trip her mother had already been so hesitant to let her go on. Yes, she was a thirty-five year old woman. Yes, she did make her own decisions, but she had been picked up from the airport—had she brought her own car this wouldn’t have been her parent’s decision at all. She was just glad that they respected the fact that she was an adult, even if they could have told her no.
So, as Astrid pulled into the parking spot outside of the camping ground, she realized that her plan of hiking a few miles in and stopping to set up camp had been ruined—that was partly because her lack of planning had caused her to leave late and partly because of the fog and deer. She wasn’t worried about it. If she came back late a day or two her parents wouldn’t even mind. She would have to make sure and call though, so that they wouldn’t worry she had been eaten by a bear or something.
So, as she sat in the cooling truck, looking out across the trees, she pulled out her phone and called. They shouldn’t be asleep yet, but if she left a voicemail or they answered would be a completely different thing. So she waited quietly with the phone up to her ear.
“Hello?” The voice was her father’s and she sighed with relief. That meant she wouldn’t have her mother worrying. At least she got to speak to someone and didn’t have to leave a message.
“Hey, Dad, its Astrid” She smiled softly and relaxed into the worn-out seat of the truck.
“I know who it is. I thought you would be ten miles in by now—what’s wrong?” She rolled her eyes. They always assumed that something was wrong if she called.
“There was fog, so it slowed me down a bit. I just got to the start of the trail. I won’t be able to hike and make camp this first night—because I’m not breaking a leg in the dark—so I’m going to rent one of these little sites they have here, roll out my sleeping bag, and just stay here for the night.”
There was a grunt on the other line. He didn’t say anything for a moment, as if he were thinking through the map of the land.
“That’ll put you a good fifteen hours back.” It was a simple statement. She couldn’t tell the voice or emotion behind it, but she was fine with that—she didn’t want to feel like his wants should dictate this trip—he probably understood anyway.
“So tell mom I’ll be a day late and I’ve not been eaten by something out here in the woods.” She pushed open the truck’s door and hopped out. There was a quiet chuckle on the other end of the line.
“Alright. I’ll be sure to tell her. Be safe and have fun, Astrid.” There was a slight pause before she stopped. She hadn’t quit smiling since he answered the phone.
“I will, Pops.” She waited a moment. “I love you.” Another moment she waited, for him to return the gesture, and then she hung up the phone.
Now, it was time to get all of her equipment and lock up the truck. She walked quietly around the truck, and opened the other door. She had packed in a way where everything could be easily carried on her body. It added an extra twenty to twenty-five pounds, but it was the way to hike—especially if you were going alone and didn’t have another back to carry things. So, she pulled the heavy backpack on her back and buckled it securely in place. She didn’t want to be losing this thing any time soon or she would be helpless in the forest.
Astrid could see the light of the fire as it billowed on the other side of the trees. It was only a short walk to the place she would be staying tonight. She clipped the fanny pack around her waist and grabbed the camera bag, looping it over one shoulder and across her body. That was everything. She could feel the weight tugging down on her body. It had been a long time since she had been out long enough to pack a week and a half worth of supplies. Even for one person that was a lot.
She hummed softly to herself as she locked the doors to the truck with the key, and started across the asphalt parking lot and down the path. This place was made for the tourist and the handicapped—she could tell by the little shack for water and restrooms as she came across the clearing—that was fine. If they wanted to enjoy nature then she wouldn’t be the one patronizing them. To each their own.
She counted the numbers of the tents quietly to find the open spot that was her own. It wasn’t a problem seeing as it was one of the only places left that didn’t have someone set up. It was the smallest of most—which was probably why it hadn’t been taken up yet—and there was no room for a family. It was enough for one or two people and seemed to have been an afterthought of the workers to squeeze in this little place that was covered in pea gravel and had a small fire pit. She smiled. Minimal. Astrid would enjoy this.
As Astrid moved to take off her packs, she noticed the two families housed on either side of her. In one camp site, there was a man, about her age, and two young boys. They seemed to be looking up at the endless expansion of the sky and its stars. Every once and a while a hand would go up to point out a constellation or two and it would then retreat back to the relaxed position it had found.
On the other side, it was a little different. The first thing that caught her eye was the god awful fluorescent pink tent. There seemed to be the picture of a cat’s face on the front. She smirked quietly. There was definitely a little girl on this place. At first, Astrid saw only the laziness of a dog, curled up next to the fire. It seemed to be sleeping as she watched it. The two must have gone off to do something before the darkness set in fully—she wasn’t sure. She didn’t worry about it much. She needed to worry more about laying out her tarp so that she could unroll the sleeping bag. Then she could enjoy people watching.
6:00 P.M.
The sunlight had lessened to the point where shadows were cast not by the bright ball of gas in the sky, but by the moon. Where things might be warm in the glow of the evening sun, they were now pale and ghost-like in the stillness of nature.
The ride had taken her much longer than she had anticipated. Between here and Grindstone, a thick fog had slowly traipsed its way across the highway and had reduced speeds. It was the time for deer, and there was an increased risk of them unknowingly running in front of a car attempting to get from one section of forest to another. It was crazy how many animals one could see when just driving. The deer had made her take her time further and not rush things. She really didn’t want to total her parent’s car on her way to the trip her mother had already been so hesitant to let her go on. Yes, she was a thirty-five year old woman. Yes, she did make her own decisions, but she had been picked up from the airport—had she brought her own car this wouldn’t have been her parent’s decision at all. She was just glad that they respected the fact that she was an adult, even if they could have told her no.
So, as Astrid pulled into the parking spot outside of the camping ground, she realized that her plan of hiking a few miles in and stopping to set up camp had been ruined—that was partly because her lack of planning had caused her to leave late and partly because of the fog and deer. She wasn’t worried about it. If she came back late a day or two her parents wouldn’t even mind. She would have to make sure and call though, so that they wouldn’t worry she had been eaten by a bear or something.
So, as she sat in the cooling truck, looking out across the trees, she pulled out her phone and called. They shouldn’t be asleep yet, but if she left a voicemail or they answered would be a completely different thing. So she waited quietly with the phone up to her ear.
“Hello?” The voice was her father’s and she sighed with relief. That meant she wouldn’t have her mother worrying. At least she got to speak to someone and didn’t have to leave a message.
“Hey, Dad, its Astrid” She smiled softly and relaxed into the worn-out seat of the truck.
“I know who it is. I thought you would be ten miles in by now—what’s wrong?” She rolled her eyes. They always assumed that something was wrong if she called.
“There was fog, so it slowed me down a bit. I just got to the start of the trail. I won’t be able to hike and make camp this first night—because I’m not breaking a leg in the dark—so I’m going to rent one of these little sites they have here, roll out my sleeping bag, and just stay here for the night.”
There was a grunt on the other line. He didn’t say anything for a moment, as if he were thinking through the map of the land.
“That’ll put you a good fifteen hours back.” It was a simple statement. She couldn’t tell the voice or emotion behind it, but she was fine with that—she didn’t want to feel like his wants should dictate this trip—he probably understood anyway.
“So tell mom I’ll be a day late and I’ve not been eaten by something out here in the woods.” She pushed open the truck’s door and hopped out. There was a quiet chuckle on the other end of the line.
“Alright. I’ll be sure to tell her. Be safe and have fun, Astrid.” There was a slight pause before she stopped. She hadn’t quit smiling since he answered the phone.
“I will, Pops.” She waited a moment. “I love you.” Another moment she waited, for him to return the gesture, and then she hung up the phone.
Now, it was time to get all of her equipment and lock up the truck. She walked quietly around the truck, and opened the other door. She had packed in a way where everything could be easily carried on her body. It added an extra twenty to twenty-five pounds, but it was the way to hike—especially if you were going alone and didn’t have another back to carry things. So, she pulled the heavy backpack on her back and buckled it securely in place. She didn’t want to be losing this thing any time soon or she would be helpless in the forest.
Astrid could see the light of the fire as it billowed on the other side of the trees. It was only a short walk to the place she would be staying tonight. She clipped the fanny pack around her waist and grabbed the camera bag, looping it over one shoulder and across her body. That was everything. She could feel the weight tugging down on her body. It had been a long time since she had been out long enough to pack a week and a half worth of supplies. Even for one person that was a lot.
She hummed softly to herself as she locked the doors to the truck with the key, and started across the asphalt parking lot and down the path. This place was made for the tourist and the handicapped—she could tell by the little shack for water and restrooms as she came across the clearing—that was fine. If they wanted to enjoy nature then she wouldn’t be the one patronizing them. To each their own.
She counted the numbers of the tents quietly to find the open spot that was her own. It wasn’t a problem seeing as it was one of the only places left that didn’t have someone set up. It was the smallest of most—which was probably why it hadn’t been taken up yet—and there was no room for a family. It was enough for one or two people and seemed to have been an afterthought of the workers to squeeze in this little place that was covered in pea gravel and had a small fire pit. She smiled. Minimal. Astrid would enjoy this.
As Astrid moved to take off her packs, she noticed the two families housed on either side of her. In one camp site, there was a man, about her age, and two young boys. They seemed to be looking up at the endless expansion of the sky and its stars. Every once and a while a hand would go up to point out a constellation or two and it would then retreat back to the relaxed position it had found.
On the other side, it was a little different. The first thing that caught her eye was the god awful fluorescent pink tent. There seemed to be the picture of a cat’s face on the front. She smirked quietly. There was definitely a little girl on this place. At first, Astrid saw only the laziness of a dog, curled up next to the fire. It seemed to be sleeping as she watched it. The two must have gone off to do something before the darkness set in fully—she wasn’t sure. She didn’t worry about it much. She needed to worry more about laying out her tarp so that she could unroll the sleeping bag. Then she could enjoy people watching.
DrTrollinski
Don't let the name scare you.
6:05PM
"What are stars?" Jackson asked.
"Stars... Well, they're suns, just like our sun during the day, but instead, they're millions of miles away, light-years away, even." Greg explained with a little chuckle and shoved a piece of bacon into his mouth again. Mhm, the camping lifestyle had definitely grown on him, that was for sure. He looked down at the young boy at his side who seemed quite baffled by what he'd told him. He was staring up at the stars from there, but had his head rested against his dad's side and his arms around him. He kept staring up at the sky, though, rather intrigued by the luminosity and general positioning of them. He had a lot of questions that he never bothered to ask his teachers, for some reason. He had so many that he knew only his dad could answer. Kids were like that - their parents knew everything when they were young, but as they grew to be teenagers, you know what happened? All of a sudden, their parents didn't know anything.
And as they got older even more, their parents knew a lot more than they may have realized. Greg was dreading that day. He didn't want to lose his boys, but hey, that was a part of life. He knew they'd be his sons forever, and that was what was important. He couldn't let them slip away, and he just had to get in all the time he could while he had the chance, because wasted time is time you can't get back. Today was the oldest the boys had ever been, but the youngest they'll ever be. He didn't want to sacrifice any of that time that he had to spend with them. He had a flashlight in the bag, but he couldn't leave either one of them. He needed to have a talk with Clay, so maybe in the morning he'd leave Jackson by himself to look around the souvenir store, then take Clay on a walk into the forest? Yeah, that could work.
"Does that mean that other people live out there, dad? And all of those suns are for their planets and stuff?"
"We don't know, son." Greg replied, ruffling his hair. "We don't know if we're alone out here in the universe, or if there's someone else out there." He explained, looking down at him with a smile.
"There must be someone else out there. The universe goes on forever, right?" He asked.
"We don't know. It's not possible for us to travel that far or that fast. We'll never know if there's life on other planets - Maybe in your lifetime they will, but not in mine. I don't think they'll find anything while I'm still alive. Heck, for all I know, when I'm an old man, my little boy might be one of those big and mighty astronauts that discovers aliens, right?" He asked, chuckling as he gently tickled Jackson's side, whom of which kicked and squirmed and giggled. Clay was sitting there reading a book, but paying some attention to his brother and his father interacting. He thought it was pretty cute, to be quite honest. He still had his little moments with his dad like that, but nowhere near as much as he did when he was younger.
"What are stars?" Jackson asked.
"Stars... Well, they're suns, just like our sun during the day, but instead, they're millions of miles away, light-years away, even." Greg explained with a little chuckle and shoved a piece of bacon into his mouth again. Mhm, the camping lifestyle had definitely grown on him, that was for sure. He looked down at the young boy at his side who seemed quite baffled by what he'd told him. He was staring up at the stars from there, but had his head rested against his dad's side and his arms around him. He kept staring up at the sky, though, rather intrigued by the luminosity and general positioning of them. He had a lot of questions that he never bothered to ask his teachers, for some reason. He had so many that he knew only his dad could answer. Kids were like that - their parents knew everything when they were young, but as they grew to be teenagers, you know what happened? All of a sudden, their parents didn't know anything.
And as they got older even more, their parents knew a lot more than they may have realized. Greg was dreading that day. He didn't want to lose his boys, but hey, that was a part of life. He knew they'd be his sons forever, and that was what was important. He couldn't let them slip away, and he just had to get in all the time he could while he had the chance, because wasted time is time you can't get back. Today was the oldest the boys had ever been, but the youngest they'll ever be. He didn't want to sacrifice any of that time that he had to spend with them. He had a flashlight in the bag, but he couldn't leave either one of them. He needed to have a talk with Clay, so maybe in the morning he'd leave Jackson by himself to look around the souvenir store, then take Clay on a walk into the forest? Yeah, that could work.
"Does that mean that other people live out there, dad? And all of those suns are for their planets and stuff?"
"We don't know, son." Greg replied, ruffling his hair. "We don't know if we're alone out here in the universe, or if there's someone else out there." He explained, looking down at him with a smile.
"There must be someone else out there. The universe goes on forever, right?" He asked.
"We don't know. It's not possible for us to travel that far or that fast. We'll never know if there's life on other planets - Maybe in your lifetime they will, but not in mine. I don't think they'll find anything while I'm still alive. Heck, for all I know, when I'm an old man, my little boy might be one of those big and mighty astronauts that discovers aliens, right?" He asked, chuckling as he gently tickled Jackson's side, whom of which kicked and squirmed and giggled. Clay was sitting there reading a book, but paying some attention to his brother and his father interacting. He thought it was pretty cute, to be quite honest. He still had his little moments with his dad like that, but nowhere near as much as he did when he was younger.
FaithWynters
The Cuppycakecreep
6:10 PM
Quiet grunts signaled the return of the two campers that Astrid had not seen. Hammond walked with the large pan in his arms and Lucy walked with the bowls, plates, and silverware. They had walked down to the small building at the bottom of the hill to wash their items. Hammond knew they would be too tired to really want to get up and wash dishes, so before Lucy got too tired, he had her help him with the rest of the work. He was getting too old—he couldn’t be doing everything alone anymore.
As they made their way closer and closer to the fire and to Luca, the dog’s tail wagged quickly in excitement. It began slowly at first, just the slow push back and forth in the dirt. One movement could be followed by three or four and soon the dog didn’t stop. Its tail continued to wag happily in the dirt as they grew closer. Just in his posture and the quiet little excited whines that escaped from within him, he was able to tell them how much they were missed. Lucy smiled when she saw him.
“Who’s a good boy!” She cooed to him as she fought with the bowls in her hand. Of course he hadn’t moved from his position when she told him to stay—he was a military-trained dog. She still felt it necessary to give Luca the proper urging and praise when appropriate. She loved making him happy.
Hammond let out another grunt as he set the heavy cast iron pan down on the plastic tub they had brought along. He wasn’t sure how he had managed carrying the whole thing over here. He wondered if it was the chill that swept over the campground as the sun fell below the horizon. If it was seeping viciously into his bones and making him stiff. If he wasn’t careful, the stiffness would turn to soreness by morning—he simply hoped the damage hadn’t been done yet.
He sat down silently in his lawn chair and watched the flames as they whipped up around the dwindling wood. It was but a small flicker as he watched it. If he knew what he was doing, he could keep the coals in the center alive throughout the night so it wouldn’t be so hard to start a fire in the morning for breakfast, but he wasn’t that good at this whole survival thing yet. He hoped to learn, if only for Lucy’s sake. She had also settled sleepily into her chair. It was nowhere near time to go to bed, but the two were able to settle into the silence and simply enjoy the sounds of others around them instead of their own.
. . .
The loud clanking had drawn Astrid’s attention. Her tarp had been lain out and she now rolled out the sleeping bag as the two campers walked past her camp sight and toward their own. She was almost certain she had caught the young girl’s eyes. She smiled, but the girl continued walking and she assumed that her smile had not been seen. That was fine with her. Instead, she simply watched as the two fought with their equipment and the excitement of the dog.
Without thinking, she fished her camera out of its bag. This was the best time of night to take pictures. The flame would give the best lighting and would illuminate the scene. It would look alive. It would look as if someone could step into the photograph. Without thinking, she quietly snapped a few pictures. First of the dog and the girl, and then of the old rough—looking man, and then of them all sitting happily lazy around the fire. It was a sight to see.
Quiet grunts signaled the return of the two campers that Astrid had not seen. Hammond walked with the large pan in his arms and Lucy walked with the bowls, plates, and silverware. They had walked down to the small building at the bottom of the hill to wash their items. Hammond knew they would be too tired to really want to get up and wash dishes, so before Lucy got too tired, he had her help him with the rest of the work. He was getting too old—he couldn’t be doing everything alone anymore.
As they made their way closer and closer to the fire and to Luca, the dog’s tail wagged quickly in excitement. It began slowly at first, just the slow push back and forth in the dirt. One movement could be followed by three or four and soon the dog didn’t stop. Its tail continued to wag happily in the dirt as they grew closer. Just in his posture and the quiet little excited whines that escaped from within him, he was able to tell them how much they were missed. Lucy smiled when she saw him.
“Who’s a good boy!” She cooed to him as she fought with the bowls in her hand. Of course he hadn’t moved from his position when she told him to stay—he was a military-trained dog. She still felt it necessary to give Luca the proper urging and praise when appropriate. She loved making him happy.
Hammond let out another grunt as he set the heavy cast iron pan down on the plastic tub they had brought along. He wasn’t sure how he had managed carrying the whole thing over here. He wondered if it was the chill that swept over the campground as the sun fell below the horizon. If it was seeping viciously into his bones and making him stiff. If he wasn’t careful, the stiffness would turn to soreness by morning—he simply hoped the damage hadn’t been done yet.
He sat down silently in his lawn chair and watched the flames as they whipped up around the dwindling wood. It was but a small flicker as he watched it. If he knew what he was doing, he could keep the coals in the center alive throughout the night so it wouldn’t be so hard to start a fire in the morning for breakfast, but he wasn’t that good at this whole survival thing yet. He hoped to learn, if only for Lucy’s sake. She had also settled sleepily into her chair. It was nowhere near time to go to bed, but the two were able to settle into the silence and simply enjoy the sounds of others around them instead of their own.
. . .
The loud clanking had drawn Astrid’s attention. Her tarp had been lain out and she now rolled out the sleeping bag as the two campers walked past her camp sight and toward their own. She was almost certain she had caught the young girl’s eyes. She smiled, but the girl continued walking and she assumed that her smile had not been seen. That was fine with her. Instead, she simply watched as the two fought with their equipment and the excitement of the dog.
Without thinking, she fished her camera out of its bag. This was the best time of night to take pictures. The flame would give the best lighting and would illuminate the scene. It would look alive. It would look as if someone could step into the photograph. Without thinking, she quietly snapped a few pictures. First of the dog and the girl, and then of the old rough—looking man, and then of them all sitting happily lazy around the fire. It was a sight to see.
DrTrollinski
Don't let the name scare you.
6:30PM
Clay stood up and began to slowly meander away from his father and brother, but Greg did indeed reach out and take hold of his arm to stop him. He wanted to know where he was going, of course - He didn't want to follow him and make sure he'd be okay, but like most parents would, they'd at least like to know where their children are going before they let them take off, just to be sure. He didn't want him at any risk, and he didn't want him running off into the forest on his own - If he got lost, there was a high chance that he wouldn't come back. Hundreds of people get lost in this forest, and the last person to get lost deep into it and then come back was back in the sixties. A thirteen-year-old boy, so around Clay's age, got separated from his family up there, and then a week later, he walked out of there alone. No search parties found him like they would now. He got back by himself, alone, and he was alive. Crazy, right?
"Where are you going?"
"Bathroom. Something wrong?" He asked.
Greg looked at him and smiled, tugging at his arm to make him sit down beside him. "Nothing's wrong, not at all." He said, keeping his arm draped around the two boys as he stared around the campsite for a while. He saw a woman with a camera. Was she a photographer out here on some sort of retreat, or a tourist? He didn't know, and he wasn't planning to go up and ask because he knew he'd just sound rude. If he got into a conversation with her, maybe he'd ask her about her hobbies and her profession and all that, but for now, all he had to do was sit here and spend time with the boys like he'd been promising to do for a while now. He knew that Jackson was probably a little bit restless seeing as his mother wasn't here. He was close to his mother, yes, but he didn't always need her there. He just liked to say goodnight to her and get a hug and a kiss on the cheek before he was tucked in.
Ah, well, he could put up with it, right? He had to, really. He was staying clung to his dad's side for now, though, because he really didn't want to leave his side unless he was told to. Greg looked back to Clay and smiled again, patting his back. "You enjoying yourself out here, pal?" He asked, and Clay smiled and nodded.
"Of course, dad. It's really nice to get away from everything - It's cold, but sitting out here and reading a book alone is really quite relaxing and... Well, I always thought this forest was pretty cool." He chuckled. "Dad. Bathroom. Really need to go now." He said, and Greg just laughed and ruffled his hair again, nodding a couple of times.
"Sorry, son. Go ahead." He said, and with that, Clayton hopped up and wandered off to the Men's restroom buidling down at the bottom of the camp. There was no one in here, but even if there was, he wouldn't care too much. Flickering lights and everything, now nice. It was the classic horror-movie bathroom, but Clay could put up with it for five minutes. He went over and locked himself in the stall furthest away. Well, there was one thing that was sort of like home - Peace and quiet in the bathroom. If he could do what he needed to do without someone coming in and flaring up the hand-dryer, that'd be great, but hey, even if it didn't, he could dream, couldn't he?
--
"Looks like the fire's starting to go out, Jacks." He ruffled the boy's hair and smiled down at him when he peered up. "Why don't you go look for some more wood?" He asked.
"Alone?"
"Yes, alone. Go on, go find some. You only need to walk along the treeline and you'll find plenty of sticks and stuff." He said, Jackson looked around - He didn't want too much interaction with people here. He was an outgoing kid, but it was a new environment so he was a little anxious about all of it. He was going to avoid who he could, at least for a while. He could avoid going by the man, girl, and the dog quite easily - Even though he thought dogs were awesome - and could instead go in the opposite direction, pass by the woman with the camera, and gather some sticks just along from there.
"Okay..." He said, then reluctantly stood up and looked around for a moment. He zipped up his coat and started to walk off across the icy forest ground - like I said, past the woman with the camera, go away from her by about ten or fifteen feet or so, hit the treeline, and start gathering. That's all he had to do, and he was off to a flying start, because he didn't really like being alone at all, especially in a darkening forest.
Jesus, dad, couldn't you have given the poor boy a flashlight?
Clay stood up and began to slowly meander away from his father and brother, but Greg did indeed reach out and take hold of his arm to stop him. He wanted to know where he was going, of course - He didn't want to follow him and make sure he'd be okay, but like most parents would, they'd at least like to know where their children are going before they let them take off, just to be sure. He didn't want him at any risk, and he didn't want him running off into the forest on his own - If he got lost, there was a high chance that he wouldn't come back. Hundreds of people get lost in this forest, and the last person to get lost deep into it and then come back was back in the sixties. A thirteen-year-old boy, so around Clay's age, got separated from his family up there, and then a week later, he walked out of there alone. No search parties found him like they would now. He got back by himself, alone, and he was alive. Crazy, right?
"Where are you going?"
"Bathroom. Something wrong?" He asked.
Greg looked at him and smiled, tugging at his arm to make him sit down beside him. "Nothing's wrong, not at all." He said, keeping his arm draped around the two boys as he stared around the campsite for a while. He saw a woman with a camera. Was she a photographer out here on some sort of retreat, or a tourist? He didn't know, and he wasn't planning to go up and ask because he knew he'd just sound rude. If he got into a conversation with her, maybe he'd ask her about her hobbies and her profession and all that, but for now, all he had to do was sit here and spend time with the boys like he'd been promising to do for a while now. He knew that Jackson was probably a little bit restless seeing as his mother wasn't here. He was close to his mother, yes, but he didn't always need her there. He just liked to say goodnight to her and get a hug and a kiss on the cheek before he was tucked in.
Ah, well, he could put up with it, right? He had to, really. He was staying clung to his dad's side for now, though, because he really didn't want to leave his side unless he was told to. Greg looked back to Clay and smiled again, patting his back. "You enjoying yourself out here, pal?" He asked, and Clay smiled and nodded.
"Of course, dad. It's really nice to get away from everything - It's cold, but sitting out here and reading a book alone is really quite relaxing and... Well, I always thought this forest was pretty cool." He chuckled. "Dad. Bathroom. Really need to go now." He said, and Greg just laughed and ruffled his hair again, nodding a couple of times.
"Sorry, son. Go ahead." He said, and with that, Clayton hopped up and wandered off to the Men's restroom buidling down at the bottom of the camp. There was no one in here, but even if there was, he wouldn't care too much. Flickering lights and everything, now nice. It was the classic horror-movie bathroom, but Clay could put up with it for five minutes. He went over and locked himself in the stall furthest away. Well, there was one thing that was sort of like home - Peace and quiet in the bathroom. If he could do what he needed to do without someone coming in and flaring up the hand-dryer, that'd be great, but hey, even if it didn't, he could dream, couldn't he?
--
"Looks like the fire's starting to go out, Jacks." He ruffled the boy's hair and smiled down at him when he peered up. "Why don't you go look for some more wood?" He asked.
"Alone?"
"Yes, alone. Go on, go find some. You only need to walk along the treeline and you'll find plenty of sticks and stuff." He said, Jackson looked around - He didn't want too much interaction with people here. He was an outgoing kid, but it was a new environment so he was a little anxious about all of it. He was going to avoid who he could, at least for a while. He could avoid going by the man, girl, and the dog quite easily - Even though he thought dogs were awesome - and could instead go in the opposite direction, pass by the woman with the camera, and gather some sticks just along from there.
"Okay..." He said, then reluctantly stood up and looked around for a moment. He zipped up his coat and started to walk off across the icy forest ground - like I said, past the woman with the camera, go away from her by about ten or fifteen feet or so, hit the treeline, and start gathering. That's all he had to do, and he was off to a flying start, because he didn't really like being alone at all, especially in a darkening forest.
Jesus, dad, couldn't you have given the poor boy a flashlight?
FaithWynters
The Cuppycakecreep
7:00 PM
The sun was gone. That darkness had seeped into the trees and would not release it until morning. Astrid would have to wait until then to take any more pictures. The fire withhold man, little girl, and dog, had died down to the point where there were only small sparks of the coals left. The two were very still in the chairs, and she wondered for a moment how they could have fallen asleep in such uncomfortable positions. She watched them only for a moment before striking her fire starter and bringing her own small flame to life. It wasn’t much, and it would only last long enough to keep the raccoons away. Then, as dawn approached, the flame would go out, she would pack up the few things that she had unpacked, and she could continue on into the forest as the first break of daylight. It was a good plan, and she intended on continuing with such a plan as long as time allowed. She would snack on something small before she left, and then she would leave.
She had to admit that it was very early to be sleeping. The darkness had set in to give the day a feeling of being much more gone. She knew that five o'clock would come early though and her inability to fall directly to sleep would keep her from really sleeping ten or eleven hours. She would get up many times throughout the night to make sure that no raccoon had gotten into her provisions, and that there were no bears that sometimes liked to wander into the campground for food that had been left out. If she fell asleep now, she would get enough rest, no matter how many distractions may follow throughout the night, So, as the flame flickered to life, Astrid rolled over, curled up in her sleeping bag, and tried to go to sleep.
7:45 PM
“Give me a break…” Lucy’s quiet groan escaped into the quiet of the area. The sound of bugs in the trees filled her ears, yes, but something else kept her from sleeping quietly in the chair. Papaw. With his head tilted backwards without a rest, his snores escaped his throat with a ferocity that she did not know. She could almost feel it shaking the world around her. She would get almost asleep before another loud snore would pull her from her dreams. Luca exhaled a quick burst of air that threw up a small cloud of dust—she could see it even in the darkness.
Another snore escaped his lips. She couldn’t stand it anymore. She picked her small body out of her pink chair, grabbed the bright orange flashlight sitting nearby, walked around the outer edge of the campground and started walking silently down the dirt path that led toward the bathrooms. If he still snored when she returned and was still sitting lazily in his chair, she would awaken him and send him to bed.
“Come on, Luca!” She shot out the quiet words to her companion, and before she knew it, his warmth was press up against her leg, almost knocking her over. She let out a quiet giggle, and flicked on the light. As she walked past the once-empty campground, she curiously peered into the depths of their neighbor. It was only a single person, curled up in their sleeping bag, with a single small flame flickering in the center. They didn’t even have a tent. Lucy shook her head. The woman had been taking pictures before—it was odd, but Lucy liked getting her photo taken so she didn’t complain.
She continued quietly down the walkway they had taken hours ago to find wood. It was a light walk down a pea gravel path that was blocked in by trees on either side. The landscape opened up to a beautiful lake. That’s where Lucy was headed. She wasn’t sure why she wanted to go there, but as her shoes crunched happily down the walkway, she knew why—peace and quiet.
The sun was gone. That darkness had seeped into the trees and would not release it until morning. Astrid would have to wait until then to take any more pictures. The fire withhold man, little girl, and dog, had died down to the point where there were only small sparks of the coals left. The two were very still in the chairs, and she wondered for a moment how they could have fallen asleep in such uncomfortable positions. She watched them only for a moment before striking her fire starter and bringing her own small flame to life. It wasn’t much, and it would only last long enough to keep the raccoons away. Then, as dawn approached, the flame would go out, she would pack up the few things that she had unpacked, and she could continue on into the forest as the first break of daylight. It was a good plan, and she intended on continuing with such a plan as long as time allowed. She would snack on something small before she left, and then she would leave.
She had to admit that it was very early to be sleeping. The darkness had set in to give the day a feeling of being much more gone. She knew that five o'clock would come early though and her inability to fall directly to sleep would keep her from really sleeping ten or eleven hours. She would get up many times throughout the night to make sure that no raccoon had gotten into her provisions, and that there were no bears that sometimes liked to wander into the campground for food that had been left out. If she fell asleep now, she would get enough rest, no matter how many distractions may follow throughout the night, So, as the flame flickered to life, Astrid rolled over, curled up in her sleeping bag, and tried to go to sleep.
7:45 PM
“Give me a break…” Lucy’s quiet groan escaped into the quiet of the area. The sound of bugs in the trees filled her ears, yes, but something else kept her from sleeping quietly in the chair. Papaw. With his head tilted backwards without a rest, his snores escaped his throat with a ferocity that she did not know. She could almost feel it shaking the world around her. She would get almost asleep before another loud snore would pull her from her dreams. Luca exhaled a quick burst of air that threw up a small cloud of dust—she could see it even in the darkness.
Another snore escaped his lips. She couldn’t stand it anymore. She picked her small body out of her pink chair, grabbed the bright orange flashlight sitting nearby, walked around the outer edge of the campground and started walking silently down the dirt path that led toward the bathrooms. If he still snored when she returned and was still sitting lazily in his chair, she would awaken him and send him to bed.
“Come on, Luca!” She shot out the quiet words to her companion, and before she knew it, his warmth was press up against her leg, almost knocking her over. She let out a quiet giggle, and flicked on the light. As she walked past the once-empty campground, she curiously peered into the depths of their neighbor. It was only a single person, curled up in their sleeping bag, with a single small flame flickering in the center. They didn’t even have a tent. Lucy shook her head. The woman had been taking pictures before—it was odd, but Lucy liked getting her photo taken so she didn’t complain.
She continued quietly down the walkway they had taken hours ago to find wood. It was a light walk down a pea gravel path that was blocked in by trees on either side. The landscape opened up to a beautiful lake. That’s where Lucy was headed. She wasn’t sure why she wanted to go there, but as her shoes crunched happily down the walkway, she knew why—peace and quiet.
DrTrollinski
Don't let the name scare you.
Believe it or not, but Clay's trip to the bathroom had actually been quite peaceful tonight. Not a single person had come in while he was in there, thank god, and although the bathroom was dirty and not particularly pleasant to use, he put up with it. There was nothing that some toilet paper lining the seat of a toilet couldn't fix. He didn't always do that in public, but here, it felt necessary. This was a place where people wouldn't shower for sometimes days on end, so if anyone had expected him to sit on a toilet when that was the sort of thing going on around hear, knowing that someone who hadn't washed for maybe a week may have sat on the same one, they had another thing coming. He'd never do that. He wasn't a hygiene freak or anything like that, and deep down, he knew that the chance of him getting any major disease or anything was pretty low. Still, though. He wouldn't do something like that at school or at restaurants, but here... Like I said, different situation.
He went back to camp once he was done, and he joined his father and watched his brother travel around the campground perimeter, picking up sticks and stacking them up in his arms. Of course, Greg had brought something nice with them - Marshmallows, chocolate, and graham crackers. They could make s'mores, the most common American and Canadian campfire snack. Once Jackson had returned, of course, they started to make those, and the boys loved them. A piece of chocolate, marshmallows, both baked between two pieces of the Graham Crackers. Held over the fire, of course, which resulted in gooey marshmallows and melted chocolate. Delicious.
You wouldn't have thought that a boy could go to sleep so early after eating marshmallows and chocolate, but Jackson was fast asleep at his brother's side, whom of which was leaned against his dad's side. They were all huddled up around the fire, of which was still roaring nicely. Clayton kept his arm around his little brother and smiled, but then looked at Greg, whom of which was making two more s'mores. "Hey, dad...?" He asked.
"Yep?"
"How do you think the world's gonna' end?" He asked.
"Uhm... What?" He laughed, looking up at him as he held one of the s'mores over the fire, grinning. Clay laughed a little and looked down at the ground, but shrugged and spoke once again.
"I don't know, like, all my friends at school were talking about how they thought the world was gonna' end. Or at least humanity." He said.
"Well, the world is gonna' end how it's supposed to. When the sun sort of... Goes out, in five billion years." He snickered. "As for humanity... I don't know, a few things. War, most likely. One day we'll have something so bad that it'll just wipe out the human race, but not in your time, no way." He said. "At most, we'd have a nuclear war in your time, but we don't know that. Plus, nuclear wars damage the earth, but it's not impossible to survive them. That much was proven." He smiled. "Other than that, I think disease. One day, because people don't finish their courses of antibiotics, I think diseases are going to become so strong that they'll just wipe us all out. That's more likely than a war, if you ask me." He shrugged once, then looked at Jackson, but just smiled as he handed Clay a s'more on a paper plate.
He went back to camp once he was done, and he joined his father and watched his brother travel around the campground perimeter, picking up sticks and stacking them up in his arms. Of course, Greg had brought something nice with them - Marshmallows, chocolate, and graham crackers. They could make s'mores, the most common American and Canadian campfire snack. Once Jackson had returned, of course, they started to make those, and the boys loved them. A piece of chocolate, marshmallows, both baked between two pieces of the Graham Crackers. Held over the fire, of course, which resulted in gooey marshmallows and melted chocolate. Delicious.
You wouldn't have thought that a boy could go to sleep so early after eating marshmallows and chocolate, but Jackson was fast asleep at his brother's side, whom of which was leaned against his dad's side. They were all huddled up around the fire, of which was still roaring nicely. Clayton kept his arm around his little brother and smiled, but then looked at Greg, whom of which was making two more s'mores. "Hey, dad...?" He asked.
"Yep?"
"How do you think the world's gonna' end?" He asked.
"Uhm... What?" He laughed, looking up at him as he held one of the s'mores over the fire, grinning. Clay laughed a little and looked down at the ground, but shrugged and spoke once again.
"I don't know, like, all my friends at school were talking about how they thought the world was gonna' end. Or at least humanity." He said.
"Well, the world is gonna' end how it's supposed to. When the sun sort of... Goes out, in five billion years." He snickered. "As for humanity... I don't know, a few things. War, most likely. One day we'll have something so bad that it'll just wipe out the human race, but not in your time, no way." He said. "At most, we'd have a nuclear war in your time, but we don't know that. Plus, nuclear wars damage the earth, but it's not impossible to survive them. That much was proven." He smiled. "Other than that, I think disease. One day, because people don't finish their courses of antibiotics, I think diseases are going to become so strong that they'll just wipe us all out. That's more likely than a war, if you ask me." He shrugged once, then looked at Jackson, but just smiled as he handed Clay a s'more on a paper plate.
FaithWynters
The Cuppycakecreep
“Oh! That was a good one, Luca!” Plip, plip, plip…”Oh, I can do better than that!” Plip, plip, plip, plip, plop.” Yeah! Five skips! Did you see that, Luca?” A quiet giggles escaped into the silence. The scene was calming for Lucy as she looked out over the water. It was calm, and reflected the moon as if it were a mirror. The sky was clear and stars dotted the blackness of the water. She picked up another stone that she found to be of her liking, and tossed it silently. Plip, plop, plop, plip, plip, plip. Lucy smiled happily to herself. It was a small thing to be proud of, but for a small child like she was, she found her happiness in the littlest of things. It was a very important part in a child’s life to learn courage and confidence. Even if it was something as little skipping rocks, Lucy was growing—even if she didn’t know it.
“I bet I can get this one even farther.” She glanced over to Luca who sat in the dirt of the shore, looking out across the water. His head turned slightly to look at Lucy as she spoke, his tongue flopping lazily out of his mouth and his pants quick and silent. She could tell that he breathed only by the constant rising and falling of his flank. She was very aware that the dog didn’t understand what she said, but she still enjoyed the companionship and the thought that someone was listening to her talk. Her grandfather was asleep and all her friends were back at home. Luca was the only friend that Lucy had out here, and she was determined to keep that friendship.
“Okay. One more and we’ll go back” Her soft words broke the silence again. The sounds of bugs in the trees had quieted only a little bit, and the world was still around them. Luca laid his head down in response and Lucy turned around to go get another rock. Her eyes scanned the dirt for larger rocks. Most had been broken down to the point where they were only small pebbles. There were only a few that were large enough to fit in her hand that she could skip well. She had to walk about ten feet towards the forest to finally find one, and once she finally found one, she turned around and walked back to the water. In the distance, she could see a small group of birds flying in their direction. Now there was movement, but only a little.
“Watch this one” She smirked, and tossed the rock. She let out a quiet shriek when she counted the skips as ten. She clapped her hands together and turned back toward Luca. “See. I told you I could do bet—“ She stopped when she noticed the dog intently staring behind her. A low growl emitted from Luca’s chest.
Splash! The noise made Lucy jump a quiet squeal escaping from her lips. When she turned, Luca had run towards the water’s edge. The smooth water was now broken by something that now floated, still, on the water.
“Luca, No!” Before she could grab her companion’s collar, another loud splash broke the silence. The dog had made it only a few feet before the command was made and the dog stopped where it still waded in the water. “Luca, come.” Lucy folded her arms as she watched the shape. She looked up over her shoulder and to the sky. What could that have been?
Back on shore, Luca shook hard to get the water out of his thick fur. He barked a few times, and the happy demeanor seemed to have returned. Lucy watched the shape curiously as it floated with the slight breeze and the small wake that had been created towards the shore that was to the left of them.
She walked quickly across the dirt. What had fallen out of the sky and into the lake? It was a mystery that she wanted to solve—it was almost like a game to her. It was a game that she could win. So, silently, she walked to the edge of the water. She leaned forward, peering at the object as it floated by. It seemed to have intent of floating farther up the bank, but she had no intention or want to follow it.
“It’s just a bird, Luca! You silly dog.” She could see it now. Black and brown feathers. Most of them lay flat on the skill body, but some stuck up and out in odd positions. It’s body was face down, so she could not see it’s face or its eyes.. She could only tell by the tail feathers that stuck up from the stillness like a flag on an abandoned ship.
“Come on, Luca, it’s just a bird.” Lucy shook her head as she turned and started back up the dirt path. It was nothing interesting like an asteroid or an alien or something. It was just a stupid bird that no longer gained anyone’s interest besides the dog’s.
“I bet I can get this one even farther.” She glanced over to Luca who sat in the dirt of the shore, looking out across the water. His head turned slightly to look at Lucy as she spoke, his tongue flopping lazily out of his mouth and his pants quick and silent. She could tell that he breathed only by the constant rising and falling of his flank. She was very aware that the dog didn’t understand what she said, but she still enjoyed the companionship and the thought that someone was listening to her talk. Her grandfather was asleep and all her friends were back at home. Luca was the only friend that Lucy had out here, and she was determined to keep that friendship.
“Okay. One more and we’ll go back” Her soft words broke the silence again. The sounds of bugs in the trees had quieted only a little bit, and the world was still around them. Luca laid his head down in response and Lucy turned around to go get another rock. Her eyes scanned the dirt for larger rocks. Most had been broken down to the point where they were only small pebbles. There were only a few that were large enough to fit in her hand that she could skip well. She had to walk about ten feet towards the forest to finally find one, and once she finally found one, she turned around and walked back to the water. In the distance, she could see a small group of birds flying in their direction. Now there was movement, but only a little.
“Watch this one” She smirked, and tossed the rock. She let out a quiet shriek when she counted the skips as ten. She clapped her hands together and turned back toward Luca. “See. I told you I could do bet—“ She stopped when she noticed the dog intently staring behind her. A low growl emitted from Luca’s chest.
Splash! The noise made Lucy jump a quiet squeal escaping from her lips. When she turned, Luca had run towards the water’s edge. The smooth water was now broken by something that now floated, still, on the water.
“Luca, No!” Before she could grab her companion’s collar, another loud splash broke the silence. The dog had made it only a few feet before the command was made and the dog stopped where it still waded in the water. “Luca, come.” Lucy folded her arms as she watched the shape. She looked up over her shoulder and to the sky. What could that have been?
Back on shore, Luca shook hard to get the water out of his thick fur. He barked a few times, and the happy demeanor seemed to have returned. Lucy watched the shape curiously as it floated with the slight breeze and the small wake that had been created towards the shore that was to the left of them.
She walked quickly across the dirt. What had fallen out of the sky and into the lake? It was a mystery that she wanted to solve—it was almost like a game to her. It was a game that she could win. So, silently, she walked to the edge of the water. She leaned forward, peering at the object as it floated by. It seemed to have intent of floating farther up the bank, but she had no intention or want to follow it.
“It’s just a bird, Luca! You silly dog.” She could see it now. Black and brown feathers. Most of them lay flat on the skill body, but some stuck up and out in odd positions. It’s body was face down, so she could not see it’s face or its eyes.. She could only tell by the tail feathers that stuck up from the stillness like a flag on an abandoned ship.
“Come on, Luca, it’s just a bird.” Lucy shook her head as she turned and started back up the dirt path. It was nothing interesting like an asteroid or an alien or something. It was just a stupid bird that no longer gained anyone’s interest besides the dog’s.
DrTrollinski
Don't let the name scare you.
The night was as peaceful as you'd expect right now, and Greg could very vaguely hear a dog barking all of a sudden. Wolves, maybe? He certainly hoped not, to be quite honest. He looked up, as did Clay, but saw the girl and her dog walking over the horizon. Ah, okay, that was fine. He was worried, though - He was really surprised they'd even let a dog onto the campground. If a dog marks its territory in a woodland that contains wolves, the wolves get, well, extremely pissed off. To the extent where they sort of try and track down whatever did that on their territory so that they can tear them all to pieces, you know what I mean? He hoped that wouldn't happen, especially seeing as his boys were here with him. As long as they were here, he didn't want any dog to be getting them mauled by wolves. If a wolf came anywhere near them, he was almost certain that he'd have the power within him to run over and hack that dog to pieces, just for endangering his family.
Anyway.
"Everything okay?" Clay asked, and Greg just nodded and bit into his s'more.
"Everything's fine, son." He said while chewing. "Just some stupid dog trying to wake everyone up." He chuckled softly and looked down at Jackson again, smiling. "You know..." He shoved the rest of the s'more into his mouth and chewed on it quickly, followed by leaning over and slowly picking the boy up from Clay's side and sitting him on his own lap instead. "I think I'll put the little guy here to bed. He's been more and more tired every night since he started Third Grade." He said, simply, then smiled at Clay who just nodded, but Greg wasn't done speaking just yet. "Have you noticed that? How tired he's been? Every night, he's literally been crashing out at eight-thirty, maybe nine o'clock." He said. "In fact, it's got me a little bit worried." He said.
"Worried?" Clay cocked a brow and looked at him. "Why would that worry you? I used to go to bed that time most nights when I was his age, didn't I?" He asked, and Greg just laughed and shook his head.
"Nooooooo." He said. "We'd be lucky to have you in bed before ten. The only time you ever went to bed early was when you were four and five, after that, you turned into the devil child." He reached over and ruffled his hair, grinning at him and then sighing. He picked up Jackson and slowly walked over to his tent, setting him gently inside his sleeping bag and making sure he was nice and tucked in with the teddy bear that they'd brought along with them. Once that was done, he backed up out of the tent and zipped it up to ensure that he didn't get too cold, then went back over to Clay and put an arm around him with a smile.
He could sit here for a couple more hours with his eldest son, he was sure. It couldn't hurt, could it? Of course not.
Anyway.
"Everything okay?" Clay asked, and Greg just nodded and bit into his s'more.
"Everything's fine, son." He said while chewing. "Just some stupid dog trying to wake everyone up." He chuckled softly and looked down at Jackson again, smiling. "You know..." He shoved the rest of the s'more into his mouth and chewed on it quickly, followed by leaning over and slowly picking the boy up from Clay's side and sitting him on his own lap instead. "I think I'll put the little guy here to bed. He's been more and more tired every night since he started Third Grade." He said, simply, then smiled at Clay who just nodded, but Greg wasn't done speaking just yet. "Have you noticed that? How tired he's been? Every night, he's literally been crashing out at eight-thirty, maybe nine o'clock." He said. "In fact, it's got me a little bit worried." He said.
"Worried?" Clay cocked a brow and looked at him. "Why would that worry you? I used to go to bed that time most nights when I was his age, didn't I?" He asked, and Greg just laughed and shook his head.
"Nooooooo." He said. "We'd be lucky to have you in bed before ten. The only time you ever went to bed early was when you were four and five, after that, you turned into the devil child." He reached over and ruffled his hair, grinning at him and then sighing. He picked up Jackson and slowly walked over to his tent, setting him gently inside his sleeping bag and making sure he was nice and tucked in with the teddy bear that they'd brought along with them. Once that was done, he backed up out of the tent and zipped it up to ensure that he didn't get too cold, then went back over to Clay and put an arm around him with a smile.
He could sit here for a couple more hours with his eldest son, he was sure. It couldn't hurt, could it? Of course not.
FaithWynters
The Cuppycakecreep
9:00 PM
The softest pitter-patter of feet spread through the silence of the small room. It was safe to assume that the children—who could hardly walk on their own—had somehow made their way out of their rooms and now snuck around outside. What were they doing on such a dark night? The home—with all that was unknown to it—had to be a nightmare for two small children. The darkness would take them in; jackets hanging on hooks would become monsters, chairs would become mountains to climb, and toddler walls would become impassible obstacles on their road to discovery.
A pair of eyes looked through the darkness and toward the ceiling. Should she get up and take them to their bed, or should she let them wander until their little bodies had no more energy left? It wa a strange place she found herself in. Usually, she would have naturally picked herself up and walked into the other rooms of the house to find them, but today, the conflict raged within her. They needed to learn for themselves. They had been smart enough to get out of the cribs, but now what would happen? A peng of fear shot through her as she wondered if they would get past the gate at the top of the stairs. Then she remembered, there were no stairs. Her mind danced around her body, and for a moment, she could see herself lying in the bed; the darkness surrounded her like a black hole that she had begun to submit to.
Then, she looked back up at the ceiling, back in her own body. A simple sigh and the lack of noise from the two beautiful toddler boys made her forget, and she rolled over in the empty bed and closed her eyes. From the darkness behind her eyelids, she first heard the sound. It sounded like a bark from a dog. It did not seem threatening to her, but defensive. The barks were a warning to something, but to what? At first, she thought nothing of it. She enjoyed the beautiful feeling of soft sheets on her skin and darkness in her mind. Then, the barking grew louder, and with the noise came a sudden fear. She remembered the two boys—they were her boys. What if they were in trouble? Fear. It was a striking feeling that sent herself out of the bed.
The floor was cold like ice, and she ran. She had no idea where she was running to, but out of the door and into the darkness of the hallway. The animal could only be in so many rooms, and her children were in danger. She had to protect them.
As she ran, the sounds of the barking a growling got louder and louder, but when she finally opened the door she was sure held the dog and the now-crying children, she was struck. Noise was nonexistent now. The only thing left of the dog and the two boys, was a thick black streak of blood.
Astrid’s eyes flashed open and the darkness surrounded her was a reminder of where she was. The barking was gone, and the only thing left was the steady pounding of her heart in her chest. She heard movement and the sound of feet grinding gravel further into the ground. She lay, her body in a cold sweat, looking up at the stars for a moment. It was still very much night, and she knew that sleep wouldn’t be an option for a while.
Why had she had such an odd dream? It was something she had never experienced before. Who were these two toddlers that she had been so worried and frantic about? She had no children and there had only been a few times that she thought she wanted children. She had never wanted to settle down so it never happened. Still, what was this feeling? It was odd. Like most dreams, she didn’t understand this one, and spent quite a long while just looking up at the stars and trying to calm herself. The uncomfortable feeling she got every time she closed her eyes told her that her mind wouldn’t be shutting off for a while.
9:15 PM
Lucy had taken her time walking silently back to the camp. The only thing that made noise was the gravel beneath their feet. Luca no longer barked, and the sound of the birds that flew overhead were gone. No more crowing and no more barking. That was probably a pleasant thing for the people in the campground.
When the duo finally made their way back to the camp, the found that Hammond no longer sat in the lawn chair. The snoring that came from the tent told Lucy where he had gone. It was nowhere near as loud as it had been as he sat; she was thankful for that. Instead, he was just the softest of rumbles through the darkness.
A yawn spread across her face and shook through her body. It was getting late, and the longer she kept herself awake, the worse tomorrow would be for the two of them. So, Lucy decided that she would curl up in her Hello Kitty tent and enjoy a good night’s rest.
When she unzipped the tent, she found a pallet of blankets awaiting her. Beneath was a sleeping bag, but the rest was full of fluffy blankets and pillows for her comfort. It wasn’t something her father would do, but because she knew Hammond didn’t know that, she was taking advantage of the opportunity to be extra comfy while she slept. There was still enough room for the two of them to fit—both her and Luca. She got in first and sat so that her feet hung out of the tent. When she finally untied and picked off her shoes, she twisted her body and curled up inside. A quiet giggle escaped her lips and she patted the area beside her for Luca. His tail wagged and he came inside of the tent.
It wasn’t fifteen minutes later that the two were comfortable and Lucy was asleep. Luca, while resting a bit, lay with his ears towards the outside. He would keep Lucy safe. The bird incident had unnerved the dog, and he knew something wasn't right.
The softest pitter-patter of feet spread through the silence of the small room. It was safe to assume that the children—who could hardly walk on their own—had somehow made their way out of their rooms and now snuck around outside. What were they doing on such a dark night? The home—with all that was unknown to it—had to be a nightmare for two small children. The darkness would take them in; jackets hanging on hooks would become monsters, chairs would become mountains to climb, and toddler walls would become impassible obstacles on their road to discovery.
A pair of eyes looked through the darkness and toward the ceiling. Should she get up and take them to their bed, or should she let them wander until their little bodies had no more energy left? It wa a strange place she found herself in. Usually, she would have naturally picked herself up and walked into the other rooms of the house to find them, but today, the conflict raged within her. They needed to learn for themselves. They had been smart enough to get out of the cribs, but now what would happen? A peng of fear shot through her as she wondered if they would get past the gate at the top of the stairs. Then she remembered, there were no stairs. Her mind danced around her body, and for a moment, she could see herself lying in the bed; the darkness surrounded her like a black hole that she had begun to submit to.
Then, she looked back up at the ceiling, back in her own body. A simple sigh and the lack of noise from the two beautiful toddler boys made her forget, and she rolled over in the empty bed and closed her eyes. From the darkness behind her eyelids, she first heard the sound. It sounded like a bark from a dog. It did not seem threatening to her, but defensive. The barks were a warning to something, but to what? At first, she thought nothing of it. She enjoyed the beautiful feeling of soft sheets on her skin and darkness in her mind. Then, the barking grew louder, and with the noise came a sudden fear. She remembered the two boys—they were her boys. What if they were in trouble? Fear. It was a striking feeling that sent herself out of the bed.
The floor was cold like ice, and she ran. She had no idea where she was running to, but out of the door and into the darkness of the hallway. The animal could only be in so many rooms, and her children were in danger. She had to protect them.
As she ran, the sounds of the barking a growling got louder and louder, but when she finally opened the door she was sure held the dog and the now-crying children, she was struck. Noise was nonexistent now. The only thing left of the dog and the two boys, was a thick black streak of blood.
Astrid’s eyes flashed open and the darkness surrounded her was a reminder of where she was. The barking was gone, and the only thing left was the steady pounding of her heart in her chest. She heard movement and the sound of feet grinding gravel further into the ground. She lay, her body in a cold sweat, looking up at the stars for a moment. It was still very much night, and she knew that sleep wouldn’t be an option for a while.
Why had she had such an odd dream? It was something she had never experienced before. Who were these two toddlers that she had been so worried and frantic about? She had no children and there had only been a few times that she thought she wanted children. She had never wanted to settle down so it never happened. Still, what was this feeling? It was odd. Like most dreams, she didn’t understand this one, and spent quite a long while just looking up at the stars and trying to calm herself. The uncomfortable feeling she got every time she closed her eyes told her that her mind wouldn’t be shutting off for a while.
9:15 PM
Lucy had taken her time walking silently back to the camp. The only thing that made noise was the gravel beneath their feet. Luca no longer barked, and the sound of the birds that flew overhead were gone. No more crowing and no more barking. That was probably a pleasant thing for the people in the campground.
When the duo finally made their way back to the camp, the found that Hammond no longer sat in the lawn chair. The snoring that came from the tent told Lucy where he had gone. It was nowhere near as loud as it had been as he sat; she was thankful for that. Instead, he was just the softest of rumbles through the darkness.
A yawn spread across her face and shook through her body. It was getting late, and the longer she kept herself awake, the worse tomorrow would be for the two of them. So, Lucy decided that she would curl up in her Hello Kitty tent and enjoy a good night’s rest.
When she unzipped the tent, she found a pallet of blankets awaiting her. Beneath was a sleeping bag, but the rest was full of fluffy blankets and pillows for her comfort. It wasn’t something her father would do, but because she knew Hammond didn’t know that, she was taking advantage of the opportunity to be extra comfy while she slept. There was still enough room for the two of them to fit—both her and Luca. She got in first and sat so that her feet hung out of the tent. When she finally untied and picked off her shoes, she twisted her body and curled up inside. A quiet giggle escaped her lips and she patted the area beside her for Luca. His tail wagged and he came inside of the tent.
It wasn’t fifteen minutes later that the two were comfortable and Lucy was asleep. Luca, while resting a bit, lay with his ears towards the outside. He would keep Lucy safe. The bird incident had unnerved the dog, and he knew something wasn't right.
DrTrollinski
Don't let the name scare you.
0:00AM
Under the starry night sky, pretty much everyone on the campground was asleep and things were going okay. Clay had turned in not too long ago, so Greg had followed and also gone back to his own tent. They were all asleep, but at midnight, something else happened. Honestly, Jackson should have used the bathroom before he went to sleep, like, right before, just like he did at home, but he didn't. That caused him to wake up round about now, desperately needing to go. Never a good thing on a campground at midnight, and this time, yes, this time things were going to be different compared to Jackson's usual trips to a bathroom, because something was going to happen that he probably wasn't going to forget for quite some time, but you'll see.
As he slowly crawled out of the tent he took a long look around at the dimming campfires and such, and he sighed. He didn't want to go alone, but his father and brother were fast asleep, and I guess that the bathroom wasn't that far away, right? It didn't look it, so he started to walk. hugging himself as he went along. He was still half asleep on the way over there, so obviously he wasn't thinking about any possibilities. He should have taken his father with him, he really should have, and he was going to learn that the hard way pretty soon, which was really going to suck, wasn't it? Still, there was nothing that could put him off of it right now, so he kept on walking down to the restroom until he reached it - the lights in there were still on, even if one of them was flickering just a little bit.
He quickly went in and did his business, then walked over to the sinks to wash his hands. This wasn't so bad. Given, he was rather scared of coming here on his own, but it was pretty much the only place on the camp that had a real form of light right now, so that was rather comforting. He couldn't help but notice that it smelt bad in here, but that could be expected of a public restroom in a place like this - Especially seeing as this place had no showers. That was a development that was in the works. There was indeed a building that had showers (don't worry, there was a male and female side on the building itself) but it wasn't open to the public yet, which was a shame. Apparently they had to wait for safety tests and all that to happen, which, as we probably know, can sometimes take a while when waiting for the relevant departments to do it.
While he was washing his hands, something else hit his nose... It was the smell of... Wet dog? He knew the smell, and he'd seen a dog up by the camp, so he was rather confused to what it was. The dog wouldn't be here, would it? He slowly turned to take a look, and he saw something that... Gave him a severe fright.
A wolf.
He literally jumped away from the sink with a yelp and started walking backwards towards the exit - It was an open exit. There was no such thing as a door. The wolf had came in through the other entrance, and Jackson was scared. He didn't know what to do, but the moment the wolf let out a quiet howl, one that only him and people that were ten or fifteen feet away could hear. As soon as Jackson heard that, he made a run for it. He just shot out of the restroom without even thinking about it - Tears were pouring down his face, and he was sobbing and crying the whole way there. The wolf wasn't pursuing, no, just merely staying in the bathroom.
And just like that. It dropped dead, blood pouring from its mouth and seeping from its eyes.
Let's just say that Jackson stayed in a tent with his father that night, and after hearing what happened, Greg also got Clay in there. He let the two of them sleep, but he sat up. He didn't want to risk it.
That fucking dog brought it here he thought to himself.
Whoever walked into the restroom in the morning was in for a nasty surprise.
Under the starry night sky, pretty much everyone on the campground was asleep and things were going okay. Clay had turned in not too long ago, so Greg had followed and also gone back to his own tent. They were all asleep, but at midnight, something else happened. Honestly, Jackson should have used the bathroom before he went to sleep, like, right before, just like he did at home, but he didn't. That caused him to wake up round about now, desperately needing to go. Never a good thing on a campground at midnight, and this time, yes, this time things were going to be different compared to Jackson's usual trips to a bathroom, because something was going to happen that he probably wasn't going to forget for quite some time, but you'll see.
As he slowly crawled out of the tent he took a long look around at the dimming campfires and such, and he sighed. He didn't want to go alone, but his father and brother were fast asleep, and I guess that the bathroom wasn't that far away, right? It didn't look it, so he started to walk. hugging himself as he went along. He was still half asleep on the way over there, so obviously he wasn't thinking about any possibilities. He should have taken his father with him, he really should have, and he was going to learn that the hard way pretty soon, which was really going to suck, wasn't it? Still, there was nothing that could put him off of it right now, so he kept on walking down to the restroom until he reached it - the lights in there were still on, even if one of them was flickering just a little bit.
He quickly went in and did his business, then walked over to the sinks to wash his hands. This wasn't so bad. Given, he was rather scared of coming here on his own, but it was pretty much the only place on the camp that had a real form of light right now, so that was rather comforting. He couldn't help but notice that it smelt bad in here, but that could be expected of a public restroom in a place like this - Especially seeing as this place had no showers. That was a development that was in the works. There was indeed a building that had showers (don't worry, there was a male and female side on the building itself) but it wasn't open to the public yet, which was a shame. Apparently they had to wait for safety tests and all that to happen, which, as we probably know, can sometimes take a while when waiting for the relevant departments to do it.
While he was washing his hands, something else hit his nose... It was the smell of... Wet dog? He knew the smell, and he'd seen a dog up by the camp, so he was rather confused to what it was. The dog wouldn't be here, would it? He slowly turned to take a look, and he saw something that... Gave him a severe fright.
A wolf.
He literally jumped away from the sink with a yelp and started walking backwards towards the exit - It was an open exit. There was no such thing as a door. The wolf had came in through the other entrance, and Jackson was scared. He didn't know what to do, but the moment the wolf let out a quiet howl, one that only him and people that were ten or fifteen feet away could hear. As soon as Jackson heard that, he made a run for it. He just shot out of the restroom without even thinking about it - Tears were pouring down his face, and he was sobbing and crying the whole way there. The wolf wasn't pursuing, no, just merely staying in the bathroom.
And just like that. It dropped dead, blood pouring from its mouth and seeping from its eyes.
Let's just say that Jackson stayed in a tent with his father that night, and after hearing what happened, Greg also got Clay in there. He let the two of them sleep, but he sat up. He didn't want to risk it.
That fucking dog brought it here he thought to himself.
Whoever walked into the restroom in the morning was in for a nasty surprise.
FaithWynters
The Cuppycakecreep
0:15 AM
Deep throated growls seemed to vibrate the tent. It was a very odd feeling to wake up to, but as Lucy’s eyes opened slightly, she realized that the sounds of Luca were not in her dreams. No—the dog had taken up position facing the tent’s sealed flap and now growled warningly towards something outside of the tent. Still, at such a time, she could still hear Hammond’s vibrating snore a few feet away.
Now very awake and aware, Lucy shifted her body so that she could possibly see what Luca had worried himself over. There was a small area—a flap that mimicked one of the cat’s eyes—that could be unclipped to uncover a small netted area. She peered out into the darkness, but saw nothing—not even a raccoon. She paused there for a moment, looking at the beautiful embers and the darkness that threatened to overtake the small area. Still, nothing moved.
With a single movement of her hand, Lucy closed the small patch off again to keep the cool air from coming inside. A quiet groan escaped Lucy’s lips, and she let her body fall back onto the comfortable cloud of blankets.
“Luca, you dodo head. There’s nothing out there.” Her hand came to rest on the dog’s fir and she petted Luca until they were both calmed back into dreams.
4:34 AM
She could still remember the words that stung like a sunburn on a hot day in June. The thickness that hung on her heart seemed to settle there, but as she listened to the quiet music the bounced out of the speakers and around the car, she could almost forget what had happened.
“You stupid bitch. You’re going to get yourself killed out there. Come on, just stay here with me for the night. We can watch movies and smoke a bl—“
“You really think that’s what I want from you right now? I want everything to go back to the way it was?” There was a pause, and it was long enough that Regan thought she may have left the room. She continued shoving clothes into a suitcase and stacking up the little bit of camping gear she had in a pile.
“Come on baby…You know I didn’t mean it like that…” The comfortable feeling of hand on her hips made Regan clench her teeth together. All she wanted to do was turn around and pretend—at least for one more night—that this wasn’t the way things had to end. She knew that wasn’t the case, and instead, she turned and pushed her, as hard as she could.
“You stupid slut!” The words had never come from her lips before—the acceptance of what had happened was not a new thing. Once again, she flipped the fiery red mane over her shoulder as she finished zipping up the bag. “I’m here until the lease runs out and then I’m gone.” The words were decidedly simple, and each breath she took seemed to burn hot with perseverance.
“I’ll throw your shit out on the curb, Regan.” The words were fierce, but the girl ignored them, walking past the heap of succubus that still lay on the ground like an injured kitten.
“You just remember who has their name on the lease.” She was already out of the doorway with most of her things. She reappeared silently. “Princess.”
Since she had left home about eight hours ago, she had made it to the store to buy all the things she thought she might need. Regan could not deny that she had spent a pretty penny in startup costs just to make it out to the campground. When she had finally made it, the darkness made unpacking anything difficult so she opted for simply rolling out a tarp, unfolding her sleeping bag, and leaving the rest in her car for the morning.
Rest came quickly for her, and she was unaware of the others that surrounded her. The whole camp was sleeping—besides a few which had gone out about an hour ago to go fishing at the lake—and the calmness that settled over the campground. Regan did think she smelt the slightest scent of blood before she finally slipped into sleep, but she never saw the corpse of the dead bird that had bled out a few meters into the woods.
5:58 AM
“I’ve never seen someone so interested in taking pictures of an old man” Hammond chuckled quietly as he stirred the contents of the pan on the fire. There was a comfortable chill to the air, and—for once—he had not awoken to back pains. He had awoken to the curious form of the young woman with a camera, taking pictures of a snake that had seemed to have died on the trail. It sent a slight chill through him. Snakes shouldn’t have been out and around this time of the year. Not only that, but it seemed that it had bled from its mouth and eyes as it died. It was a little too close for comfort, and made Hammond a little worried about wildlife coming into the camp.
“Well you’ve never met a photographer quite like me then have ya?” Her voice was still soft as she adjusted her body and moved around to take pictures of him stirring the eggs and pressing the coffee. The conversation had begun as he questioned her about the snake, and then offered her over for a cup of coffee. It seemed to him that she had no type of supplies out. Astrid had eagerly agreed at the temptation of strong coffee and a chance to photograph the interesting man, his granddaughter, and the dog.
“I just hope that Lucy wakes up soon—she loves being the center of attention.” The two laughed in unison and Hammond flipped some bacon that was cooking on the fire. Almost on cue, the quiet whines of Luca told Hammond that Lucy was awake, but not yet out of bed. He picked himself up and walked quietly to the tent. He assumed that Luca would need to use the bathroom, so he unzipped the front of tent to find the two still warmly cuddling together. He shook his head, and at the sight of freedom, Luca got up and walked out of the pink confinement. Almost immediately he began sniffing and snorting at the ground. It wasn’t uncommon for raccoons or squirrels to come through the camp in search of food, so Hammond thought nothing of it.
“What’s his name?” Luca had made his way up to Astrid, sniffing her pleasantly to try and decipher her scent. She was smiling and rubbed his head lightly.
“That’s Luca. That one’s a war veteran from Afghanistan.” Luca looked up at the sound of Lucy crawling from the Hello Kitty tent. She made the softest of noises and she looked up and saw the newest addition to their campground.
“Lucy, this is Astrid. She’s taking up the camping space beside us.” Lucy looked from Hammond and back to Astrid. She wasn’t a morning person in the slightest. One single nod from a sleepy headed child was all Astrid got and she smiled in return.
“I’m going to take Luca to use the bathroom.” The two had talked about the dangers of bringing Luca. It had been decided that he would only use the bathroom away from the camp. Usually, he would go somewhere around the lake. Slipping her shoes on, she gave a quiet whistle to Luca and the two set off toward the lake.
Deep throated growls seemed to vibrate the tent. It was a very odd feeling to wake up to, but as Lucy’s eyes opened slightly, she realized that the sounds of Luca were not in her dreams. No—the dog had taken up position facing the tent’s sealed flap and now growled warningly towards something outside of the tent. Still, at such a time, she could still hear Hammond’s vibrating snore a few feet away.
Now very awake and aware, Lucy shifted her body so that she could possibly see what Luca had worried himself over. There was a small area—a flap that mimicked one of the cat’s eyes—that could be unclipped to uncover a small netted area. She peered out into the darkness, but saw nothing—not even a raccoon. She paused there for a moment, looking at the beautiful embers and the darkness that threatened to overtake the small area. Still, nothing moved.
With a single movement of her hand, Lucy closed the small patch off again to keep the cool air from coming inside. A quiet groan escaped Lucy’s lips, and she let her body fall back onto the comfortable cloud of blankets.
“Luca, you dodo head. There’s nothing out there.” Her hand came to rest on the dog’s fir and she petted Luca until they were both calmed back into dreams.
4:34 AM
She could still remember the words that stung like a sunburn on a hot day in June. The thickness that hung on her heart seemed to settle there, but as she listened to the quiet music the bounced out of the speakers and around the car, she could almost forget what had happened.
“You stupid bitch. You’re going to get yourself killed out there. Come on, just stay here with me for the night. We can watch movies and smoke a bl—“
“You really think that’s what I want from you right now? I want everything to go back to the way it was?” There was a pause, and it was long enough that Regan thought she may have left the room. She continued shoving clothes into a suitcase and stacking up the little bit of camping gear she had in a pile.
“Come on baby…You know I didn’t mean it like that…” The comfortable feeling of hand on her hips made Regan clench her teeth together. All she wanted to do was turn around and pretend—at least for one more night—that this wasn’t the way things had to end. She knew that wasn’t the case, and instead, she turned and pushed her, as hard as she could.
“You stupid slut!” The words had never come from her lips before—the acceptance of what had happened was not a new thing. Once again, she flipped the fiery red mane over her shoulder as she finished zipping up the bag. “I’m here until the lease runs out and then I’m gone.” The words were decidedly simple, and each breath she took seemed to burn hot with perseverance.
“I’ll throw your shit out on the curb, Regan.” The words were fierce, but the girl ignored them, walking past the heap of succubus that still lay on the ground like an injured kitten.
“You just remember who has their name on the lease.” She was already out of the doorway with most of her things. She reappeared silently. “Princess.”
Since she had left home about eight hours ago, she had made it to the store to buy all the things she thought she might need. Regan could not deny that she had spent a pretty penny in startup costs just to make it out to the campground. When she had finally made it, the darkness made unpacking anything difficult so she opted for simply rolling out a tarp, unfolding her sleeping bag, and leaving the rest in her car for the morning.
Rest came quickly for her, and she was unaware of the others that surrounded her. The whole camp was sleeping—besides a few which had gone out about an hour ago to go fishing at the lake—and the calmness that settled over the campground. Regan did think she smelt the slightest scent of blood before she finally slipped into sleep, but she never saw the corpse of the dead bird that had bled out a few meters into the woods.
5:58 AM
“I’ve never seen someone so interested in taking pictures of an old man” Hammond chuckled quietly as he stirred the contents of the pan on the fire. There was a comfortable chill to the air, and—for once—he had not awoken to back pains. He had awoken to the curious form of the young woman with a camera, taking pictures of a snake that had seemed to have died on the trail. It sent a slight chill through him. Snakes shouldn’t have been out and around this time of the year. Not only that, but it seemed that it had bled from its mouth and eyes as it died. It was a little too close for comfort, and made Hammond a little worried about wildlife coming into the camp.
“Well you’ve never met a photographer quite like me then have ya?” Her voice was still soft as she adjusted her body and moved around to take pictures of him stirring the eggs and pressing the coffee. The conversation had begun as he questioned her about the snake, and then offered her over for a cup of coffee. It seemed to him that she had no type of supplies out. Astrid had eagerly agreed at the temptation of strong coffee and a chance to photograph the interesting man, his granddaughter, and the dog.
“I just hope that Lucy wakes up soon—she loves being the center of attention.” The two laughed in unison and Hammond flipped some bacon that was cooking on the fire. Almost on cue, the quiet whines of Luca told Hammond that Lucy was awake, but not yet out of bed. He picked himself up and walked quietly to the tent. He assumed that Luca would need to use the bathroom, so he unzipped the front of tent to find the two still warmly cuddling together. He shook his head, and at the sight of freedom, Luca got up and walked out of the pink confinement. Almost immediately he began sniffing and snorting at the ground. It wasn’t uncommon for raccoons or squirrels to come through the camp in search of food, so Hammond thought nothing of it.
“What’s his name?” Luca had made his way up to Astrid, sniffing her pleasantly to try and decipher her scent. She was smiling and rubbed his head lightly.
“That’s Luca. That one’s a war veteran from Afghanistan.” Luca looked up at the sound of Lucy crawling from the Hello Kitty tent. She made the softest of noises and she looked up and saw the newest addition to their campground.
“Lucy, this is Astrid. She’s taking up the camping space beside us.” Lucy looked from Hammond and back to Astrid. She wasn’t a morning person in the slightest. One single nod from a sleepy headed child was all Astrid got and she smiled in return.
“I’m going to take Luca to use the bathroom.” The two had talked about the dangers of bringing Luca. It had been decided that he would only use the bathroom away from the camp. Usually, he would go somewhere around the lake. Slipping her shoes on, she gave a quiet whistle to Luca and the two set off toward the lake.
DrTrollinski
Don't let the name scare you.
The morning after trying to comfort Jackson's fears had been a long one seeing as he'd sat up all night. A fucking dog. Who the fuck brought a fucking dog onto the campsite? That shouldn't have been allowed. Why would you do that in a forest that adds up to around 10,000,000 acres of land? The wolves, the animals alone, generally it was a bad idea. Given the fact that an eight-year-old was now terrified of using a public bathroom, Greg was insanely pissed off. Hadn't he been through enough tonight? They didn't know that things were about to go to shit here, and the loyalties were gonna' lie somewhere when they were left in a place where they had nothing to do, nowhere to go, no way of fighting their way out of a bad situation other than some cars and things like that, you know? Even then... They were in a forest. The weather was getting worse and worse. Generally, it was awful.
Greg woke up early and then made his way over to the bathrooms, and he took a peek inside, only to see that the wolf was indeed real. Blood from the mouth and eyes, a whole pool of it, dark, unnatural. It was fucking horrible, but it was real. It was as real as Greg himself, and now he was pissed off. Even more pissed off than before. Jackson had came face to face with this thing. He could have died. He could have been torn to fucking pieces. But instead, the wolf was lying there, dead as can be. It was still only early, so, that left them in the spot where they had to find out what the hell happened to it.
Looking at it, though, Greg really didn't want to know.
It's smoke-grey coat was mangled and had patches of fur missing from it. The thing was just a mess as a whole, and it clearly wasn't doing very well right now. Greg wasn't quite sure how he was meant to manage this. He just hoped that some sort of... I don't know, park ranger would come by and get rid of the thing, but all of this shit was strange. The birdhad fallen out of the sky, there were snakes dying in the middle of winter... Now wolves?
He knew the wolf had gotten here somewhere. Without a pack, though? How long was it going to be before the pack came here and started to slaughter people? Greg needed to do something, and that was quite simply file a nice complaint to the old man. When he left the bathroom, he saw that the opportunity was indeed present as he saw the young girl walking off with the dog. He was looking at an old man, though. Had it been some redneck with his careless and rude children and the family pet gladly running riot in the camp, then Greg would have been a little less nice about it.
He was going to be stern, but he wasn't going to be screaming in the old man's face.
So, quite simply, he walked up to the place where the old man was sat talking to a young woman, a photographer, right? Greg couldn't tell, anyway, he hated to interrupt on their conversation, but he walked up on there and spoke out clearly once he got close. "Excuse me!" He said, not in a particularly aggressive tone, but one that showed he was serious in his words. He wasn't here to joke around - he looked down on the old man and crossed his arms over his chest, sighing.
"Look, buddy, I ain't here to sugar the pill or anything. I'm not sure how much you know about nature, or things like that, but bringin' that dog here nearly got someone killed last night." He said. "When my little boy decided to go and use the restroom last night, he had a wolf walk in there - I just went and looked, and for some reason, the thing is lying in a pool of its own blood right now." He said. "Now, I didn't come here to start an argument - I'm lookin' out for both my son who is now traumatized after last night, and I'm lookin' out for you and the little girl that you've got with you. In this forest, it isn't a good idea to have that dog roaming around. I ain't saying anythin' else will happen, but that wolf was alone. If it had a pack, they won't be far behind." He said.
"I came up here for a relaxing trip, as I'm sure you did, too. I don't want anyone to get torn to pieces up here - I hate to be blunt, but I've seen that little girl and the dog walking up to that lake at night. Seeing as that's a water source wolves might drink from... Y'know what I mean? Just a word of advice. I'm just happy my boy's alive right now, so I'm trying my best not to get angry at the whole thing, given the fact that it could have been, and still could be, a lot worse than it was." He explained.
Like I said, stern, but not being an asshole.
Greg woke up early and then made his way over to the bathrooms, and he took a peek inside, only to see that the wolf was indeed real. Blood from the mouth and eyes, a whole pool of it, dark, unnatural. It was fucking horrible, but it was real. It was as real as Greg himself, and now he was pissed off. Even more pissed off than before. Jackson had came face to face with this thing. He could have died. He could have been torn to fucking pieces. But instead, the wolf was lying there, dead as can be. It was still only early, so, that left them in the spot where they had to find out what the hell happened to it.
Looking at it, though, Greg really didn't want to know.
It's smoke-grey coat was mangled and had patches of fur missing from it. The thing was just a mess as a whole, and it clearly wasn't doing very well right now. Greg wasn't quite sure how he was meant to manage this. He just hoped that some sort of... I don't know, park ranger would come by and get rid of the thing, but all of this shit was strange. The birdhad fallen out of the sky, there were snakes dying in the middle of winter... Now wolves?
He knew the wolf had gotten here somewhere. Without a pack, though? How long was it going to be before the pack came here and started to slaughter people? Greg needed to do something, and that was quite simply file a nice complaint to the old man. When he left the bathroom, he saw that the opportunity was indeed present as he saw the young girl walking off with the dog. He was looking at an old man, though. Had it been some redneck with his careless and rude children and the family pet gladly running riot in the camp, then Greg would have been a little less nice about it.
He was going to be stern, but he wasn't going to be screaming in the old man's face.
So, quite simply, he walked up to the place where the old man was sat talking to a young woman, a photographer, right? Greg couldn't tell, anyway, he hated to interrupt on their conversation, but he walked up on there and spoke out clearly once he got close. "Excuse me!" He said, not in a particularly aggressive tone, but one that showed he was serious in his words. He wasn't here to joke around - he looked down on the old man and crossed his arms over his chest, sighing.
"Look, buddy, I ain't here to sugar the pill or anything. I'm not sure how much you know about nature, or things like that, but bringin' that dog here nearly got someone killed last night." He said. "When my little boy decided to go and use the restroom last night, he had a wolf walk in there - I just went and looked, and for some reason, the thing is lying in a pool of its own blood right now." He said. "Now, I didn't come here to start an argument - I'm lookin' out for both my son who is now traumatized after last night, and I'm lookin' out for you and the little girl that you've got with you. In this forest, it isn't a good idea to have that dog roaming around. I ain't saying anythin' else will happen, but that wolf was alone. If it had a pack, they won't be far behind." He said.
"I came up here for a relaxing trip, as I'm sure you did, too. I don't want anyone to get torn to pieces up here - I hate to be blunt, but I've seen that little girl and the dog walking up to that lake at night. Seeing as that's a water source wolves might drink from... Y'know what I mean? Just a word of advice. I'm just happy my boy's alive right now, so I'm trying my best not to get angry at the whole thing, given the fact that it could have been, and still could be, a lot worse than it was." He explained.
Like I said, stern, but not being an asshole.
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