48 hours ✔️

13| First Stop

The first thing we did as soon as we stepped outside was grab the bear and mosquito repellant. Those would sure be useful.

"So, where are we going?" Will asked.

"I think it has something to do with the lake. 'Go where there's water in blue and green', the doll said. But I'm sure whoever did this wouldn't make it that easy." Staci put her hand on her hip and shifted her weight, scanning the area as far as her flashlight would shine.

Then, I had an idea. "Do you think it could've had something to do with the waterfall?"

Staci gasped. "Of course! Why didn't I think of that! You remember the color of the water, don't you? It was that pretty aquamarine color, right?"

"Yeah." I agreed.

"Then that's where we're heading." She decided.

We trudged past the lake and then the campfire. I remembered that just a few nights ago, it was there where I had shared happy, memorable moments with Emma. I pictured her smile, how she laughed at the simplest of things. Tears began to dwell in my eyes, and I was suddenly snapped out of my thoughts when an owl hooted above us. Will noticed me jump and smiled. "What were you thinking about?" He asked me.

"Oh . . . Nothing." I said, and we continued our journey, now gradually heading uphill towards the waterfall-cave place that had taken our breath away when we'd first arrived.

Our flashlights lit the way pretty well, since Staci had just put fresh batteries in them, so that wouldn't be a problem. None of the animals seemed to pay any mind to us, so we were good on that (hopefully). All three of us had at least a couple occasions where we would trip and fall, but then we'd just get right back up again and carry on.

I didn't know how much time had past once we'd started panting and couldn't go any further.

"We should make camp, it's 12:21." Staci said, glancing at her light-up wristwatch.

"Yes please." Will said, taking a sip of his water.

We found a mostly evened-out area on the side of our path and decided to roll out our sleeping bags. I opened up mine and got right inside, using my backpack as a pillow. Just before I turned off my flashlight, I noticed the pattern of the sleeping bag: Dora the Explorer.

"Seriously?" I asked Staci.

"Wow, nice, Staci." Will chuckled.

"Hey, I was in a hurry. Besides, it's not mine.  Whatever Kyle's aunt kept that in the closet for." She laughed.

"Man, I had nothing to do with that! I swear!" I replied.

They both gave me weird looks, and I admitted. "Fine. My mom thought I was going to be a um . . . girl. So Aunt Ellie had gotten it for my mom to use it as my play mat for whenever I was old enough . . . But after I was born, she just stuffed it in the closet and left it be."

"Oh, that makes sense. I thought you were going to say you had a secret cousin or something." Staci said.

"Yeah, same. Let's go to sleep guys, I'm exhausted." Will whined.

"Alright, night guys. Keep the weapons close to you just in case a wolf decides to have their nightly meal a little early." Staci cautioned.

That worried me slightly. Remembering what Will had said before we left gave me jitters. Who knew what kind of wild, blood-thirsty creatures were out there?