It wasn't perfect, but it would do.
As I drove through the campground, I noted every spot that was occupied. Just because we were farther away from everyone didn't mean there couldn't be trouble. People did stupid stuff all the time.
When we reached our designated spot, I pulled into the small parking spot and turned off the engine. I smiled as I glanced into the backseat. "You ready for camping?"
"Yeah," Sy replied with a big toothy grin.
I climbed out and then went to release Sy from his car seat before going to the back of the vehicle to get out the camping gear. I was really hoping this ten came with instructions because I had never set one up in my life.
We might be sleeping on the ground.
The pictures that came with the instruction were a lot more informative than the actual directions. It took me a little while, but I got the tent up and placed everything we'd need for the night inside.
There was a fire pit. I appreciated the fact that it was actually a metal container buried halfway in the ground. There was even a stack of firewood next to it.
"Do you want to go for a hike in the woods?" I asked Sy. "See what's around us?"
Sy's bangs fell away from his face as he peeked up at me. "Fur?"
I shook my head. "Not yet, maybe later."
I'd love to tell Sy that he could shift and run through the woods, but I needed to get the lay of the land first. I couldn't do anything that might put my little brother in danger.
I grabbed a backpack with a few essentials like water, snacks, and a first aid kit and then I made sure everything was locked up.
I smiled as I held my hand out to Sy. "Ready?"
He nodded as he took my hand.
We headed off into the woods directly behind our camping site. We followed a well-worn dirt trail for awhile, which told me here was not a good place to shift. Too much chance of running into humans.
I couldn't risk it.
Sy and I walked around for awhile, stopping to play at the edge of the river we found, and then exploring more of the forest. We started to head back to camp when the sun began to set behind the mountains off in the distance.
When we reached camp, I pulled out the food we'd bought. I was pretty sure Sy was starving by now. I had to find a couple of twigs and cut them down a bit so we would have something to roast the hot togs on.
The glee in Sy's eyes as I handed him one with a hot dog on the end made everything worth it. I chuckled as I watched him hold it over the open flames. This was the childhood Sy was supposed to have. Not running from place to place every day just so we could stay alive.
I wanted to give him this.
I just wasn't sure how to go about it. It wasn't like I had the money to buy a place where we could settle down. I didn't even have a job. I had no way to pay for a place for us to live.
I had to figure something out, however. Eventually the money Rad had given me would run out. Even if we stuck to our furry forms and lived in the woods, we'd need money. There were just some things a person needed even if they were a shifter.
Sy was three right now. At some point, he'd need to go to school. I wasn't sure how all of that would be done when he was a young shifter. I'd been part of a pack when I was a child. I'd gone to a shifter school.
By the time I cleaned Sy up and tucked him into his sleeping bag, I was ready for some alone time. I sat on the ground in front of the fading fire and leaned back against one of the logs placed around the fire pit for sitting.
I absently stared at the glowing embers, my mind racing more than I would have liked. I tried to take stock of oursituation. Currently, we were safe, or safe-ish. We had a car, supplies, and money.
We were still being hunted, but I suspected that wouldn't end until we were dead or the people chasing us were dead. This was a constant in my life that I had actually grown used to.
How sad was that?
My brow flickered as I dug the cell phone Rad had given me out of my pocket and powered it on. I knew this was stupid, but I couldn't exactly talk to Sy about all of this. He was a kid and I needed an adult.
I refused to think about why calling Rad was my first inclination.
