probably thought that
he wouldn’t make it back from this trip. Maybe they’d brought him here to die.
Wasn’t that what Will had suggested? Some kids never returned. He’d been asking
to go camping every summer for years and years and they’d never taken him. Now
suddenly, they’d jumped at the chance when he had asked. Who’d have thought
that the trip would suck so badly?
I don’t want to die.
He wouldn’t. He’d get better. They’d fix him when he got
back, and he’d show them that he was worth it. His parents would make
everything better. That’s what parents did.
Josh stopped. He heard something over the whining from his
head. A strange steady growl disturbed the wilderness, and was growing steadily
louder. It took a second for him to recognize it; he hadn’t heard a vehicle
engine for days. It was them, it had to be. They’d returned! The first thing he
planned to do was ask them what the heck they’d been thinking, trusting a kid
to camp all alone. He’d tell them about the monster too, but he knew they
didn’t believe in things like that.
But the lime green truck that came around the corner didn’t
belong to his parents. The driver saw him and pulled over and a man in uniform
peered out the window. He had a short brown beard, and wore a ball cap with the
forest service logo on it, which matched the logo on the side of the truck’s
door.
“Well you look a sight,” the man said, “Need a lift back to
camp?”
9
“So where’s your parents?” the ranger asked, “You look a
little young to be up here by yourself.”
Josh pulled the worn brown blanket tightly about himself. It
smelled like stale dust, like the attic when his parents would grab the
Christmas decorations. “I don’t know where they are. They disappeared. I’ve
been waiting for them for days now.”
“What’s your name?”
“Josh. Josh Norton.”
“Well, Josh Norton, let’s get you back to your family. Where
are you camping?”
“We were up this mountain, but we can’t go back there.”
The ranger flashed him a patronizing smile and said, “Sure
we can. There’s a campsite just down the road. We’ll be there in a minute.”
“They’re not there,” Josh replied futilely.
“Is everything all right? What’s that noise you’re making?”
“It’s nothing,” he said, “I just need to get home.”
The ranger shrugged and turned back to the road. It did only
take a few minutes to reach the camp, making Josh’s stomach sink. He’d hardly
walked far at all, it seemed as though he’d been walking for hours. From the
truck the place looked in horrible disarray. He’d left the tent collapsed and
the storm had filled it with water. He hadn’t bothered to remove his sleeping
bag either.
The ranger shook his head in disgust. “How long have your
parents been gone?”
“Three or four days. Maybe a week, I don’t know.”
“I’m going to take a quick look around.” The ranger opened
his door but Josh grabbed his arm.
“Wait, you don’t have to go out there. Can’t you just call
my parents?”
“In a bit. I’ll be back.” He pulled away from Josh, grabbed
his wide-brimmed hat off the dashboard and slid out. Josh hadn’t picked up
anything around the campsite, and he’d discarded his own garbage on the ground.
He slumped in his seat, watching the man, feeling like he was going to get in
trouble for the mess. It wasn’t his fault! It was his parents’. He wouldn’t
have made this mess if he weren’t so worried about them. He was just a kid,
anyway.
The man walked off into the trees and out of sight. Josh
wondered belatedly if he should’ve warned him about the monster. It was still
daytime so he was probably safe. If the monster got the ranger, he would lock
the truck.
A few minutes later the ranger returned and Josh sighed in relief.
But he didn’t get right back in. He went to the back and pulled out a large
duffel bag and a pair of leather gloves, and disappeared back out
he wouldn’t make it back from this trip. Maybe they’d brought him here to die.
Wasn’t that what Will had suggested? Some kids never returned. He’d been asking
to go camping every summer for years and years and they’d never taken him. Now
suddenly, they’d jumped at the chance when he had asked. Who’d have thought
that the trip would suck so badly?
I don’t want to die.
He wouldn’t. He’d get better. They’d fix him when he got
back, and he’d show them that he was worth it. His parents would make
everything better. That’s what parents did.
Josh stopped. He heard something over the whining from his
head. A strange steady growl disturbed the wilderness, and was growing steadily
louder. It took a second for him to recognize it; he hadn’t heard a vehicle
engine for days. It was them, it had to be. They’d returned! The first thing he
planned to do was ask them what the heck they’d been thinking, trusting a kid
to camp all alone. He’d tell them about the monster too, but he knew they
didn’t believe in things like that.
But the lime green truck that came around the corner didn’t
belong to his parents. The driver saw him and pulled over and a man in uniform
peered out the window. He had a short brown beard, and wore a ball cap with the
forest service logo on it, which matched the logo on the side of the truck’s
door.
“Well you look a sight,” the man said, “Need a lift back to
camp?”
9
“So where’s your parents?” the ranger asked, “You look a
little young to be up here by yourself.”
Josh pulled the worn brown blanket tightly about himself. It
smelled like stale dust, like the attic when his parents would grab the
Christmas decorations. “I don’t know where they are. They disappeared. I’ve
been waiting for them for days now.”
“What’s your name?”
“Josh. Josh Norton.”
“Well, Josh Norton, let’s get you back to your family. Where
are you camping?”
“We were up this mountain, but we can’t go back there.”
The ranger flashed him a patronizing smile and said, “Sure
we can. There’s a campsite just down the road. We’ll be there in a minute.”
“They’re not there,” Josh replied futilely.
“Is everything all right? What’s that noise you’re making?”
“It’s nothing,” he said, “I just need to get home.”
The ranger shrugged and turned back to the road. It did only
take a few minutes to reach the camp, making Josh’s stomach sink. He’d hardly
walked far at all, it seemed as though he’d been walking for hours. From the
truck the place looked in horrible disarray. He’d left the tent collapsed and
the storm had filled it with water. He hadn’t bothered to remove his sleeping
bag either.
The ranger shook his head in disgust. “How long have your
parents been gone?”
“Three or four days. Maybe a week, I don’t know.”
“I’m going to take a quick look around.” The ranger opened
his door but Josh grabbed his arm.
“Wait, you don’t have to go out there. Can’t you just call
my parents?”
“In a bit. I’ll be back.” He pulled away from Josh, grabbed
his wide-brimmed hat off the dashboard and slid out. Josh hadn’t picked up
anything around the campsite, and he’d discarded his own garbage on the ground.
He slumped in his seat, watching the man, feeling like he was going to get in
trouble for the mess. It wasn’t his fault! It was his parents’. He wouldn’t
have made this mess if he weren’t so worried about them. He was just a kid,
anyway.
The man walked off into the trees and out of sight. Josh
wondered belatedly if he should’ve warned him about the monster. It was still
daytime so he was probably safe. If the monster got the ranger, he would lock
the truck.
A few minutes later the ranger returned and Josh sighed in relief.
But he didn’t get right back in. He went to the back and pulled out a large
duffel bag and a pair of leather gloves, and disappeared back out
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