"You sure you wanna keep going?" Jordan asked when seeing the California sign.
"Only if you tell me where we're going," Megan replied.
"The first place you run for is the border," Jordan stated.
"Then why did you stop for snacks!" Megan scolded.
"Calm the fuck down. He took the camping gear for a reason, and there are only a few suitable spots marked on the GPS." Jordan handed Megan his phone.
Megan examined two areas off the current highway that were designated rest stops.
"You know how reliant he is on tech. Do you really see him going far from the trail?" Jordan asked.
'He has a point.'
"So your not totally useless." Megan scoffed.
While the others were catching up on the road Cameron was setting up camp. The weather didn't bother him, but sleeping in a car wasn't very comfortable. After finding an open spot in the woods close enough to the car he settled in. He was sitting outside the tent trying to comprehend everything.
'No matter how much I strain nothing happens.' Cameron glanced at his hands.
Cameron laid back on the snow looking up at the stars. On the way here he had a good look at the effects of the weather. He closed his eyes trying to replay the events.
'When it happened I was bleeding, and desperate. The night before I was hurt as well, and my leg healed overnight. Maybe it's related to pain.'
While pondering the cause, and effects a weird sensation struck Cameron. He quickly opened his eyes examining the area. Given the weather, Cameron was the only person in the wilderness, and he spent several minutes double-checking.
Cameron went into his bag retrieving a ka-bar, and a flashlight. He already adjusted to the dark, and simply grabbed the light to spook a pest if needed. Cameron listened closely but heard nothing in the area.
'I felt something...'
His curiosity got the better of him, and Cameron began wandering from the camp. It was the first time he ever felt like this. His body felt drawn to the eerie light peering over the mountain.
From the corner of his eye something dashed by. He glanced over to see a bright orb moving erratically across the desert before disappearing behind a hill. There wasn't much sleeping involved last night, but he knew his eyes weren't deceiving him.
'What was that?' Cameron looked around for something creating lights.
'Who would bring a projector out here anyway.' Cameron continued towards the mountain.
Cameron was ascending the mountain when Jordan pulled into a neighboring campground. They have already checked four, and haven't found any signs of Cameron. Megan was convinced they were looking in the wrong area, but Jordan was ignoring her taunts.
'I should've left her at the gas station.' Jodan sighed.
Up to this point, Jordan was putting with Megan in the hopes she could help find Cameron. It didn't hurt that she had gas money, but it was still a drag. He was reaching for a joint when Megan attempted to yank it from his mouth.
"I've put up with you all day allow me this one thing." Jordan stopped the car.
"We're supposed to be looking for someone!" Megan retorted.
"This will help me stay awake. We still have a few camps left to go, and if he's not there the next spot is an hour away. If you drive I can hold off on smoking." Jordan offered.
"I've never driven on ice." Megan crossed her arms.
"Then I guess we're taking five." Jordan exited the car to be courteous.
'I hope he's okay.' Megan cranked the heater to adjust for the door being opened.
Jordan sat upon the hood to keep himself warm and continued with his break. After a few puffs, he began examining the area. It was hard to believe Cameron was the cause of it all, but he trusted his friend.
'You went for the border right?' Jordan began to doubt his decisions.
Jordan was blowing smoke in the air when he caught something in his peripheral vision. He turned around seeing an odd light at a distance. Jordan quickly hopped off the hood, and almost busted his ass in doing so. He rushed into the car and began driving straight for it.
"I thought you were smoking outside." Megan rolled the window down.
"You see that right?" Jordan pointed in the distance.
The others were driving straight for the lights when Cameron reached the summit and glanced over the ravine. He saw the canyon lit up as if it were day, but no source in the vicinity. Cameron closed his eyes and focused on his hearing. He could hear an odd grinding and ringing resonating below them.
'What is that?' Cameron opened his eyes.
The light faded from the canyon, but an odd sensation remained. Hair on the back of his neck began to rise, and the moment Cameron stood up there was an odd roar in the distance. It was coming from the same trail he was trekking earlier.
Cameron and Jordan have spent many nights getting baked and watching nature documentaries. They would often camp in the desert at night for a refreshing feeling to Cameron. It was nothing like his old home, but being in nature comforted him.
Having an interest in these things Cameron was used to hearing wildlife. That was the first time he ever heard a call like that. Given the uneasy sensation accompanied by the roar, he contemplated staying atop the mountain. Seeing a pair of headlights in the distance he was forced to reconsider.
'It's probably the tribal police. If they find my car they will likely investigate. I should get my gear before running.' Cameron descended down the mountain.
Seeing Cameron's car Megan jumped out and rushed to the window. Realizing he wasn't there was a letdown, but Jordan knew to look for a tent. They narrowly missed Cameron's camp and were moving towards the mountain.
"What's that smell?" Megan asked.
They heard an odd squelching sound nearby, and when walking out from the treeline they witnessed something odd. There was a small greyish figure hunkered over a mountain lion. Jordan noticed it first extending his hand in front of Megan.