Ava and Eli exchanged a glance, their rivalry momentarily forgotten. They trudged back to camp, the stones clutched in Eli's hands, the desert sun dipping below the horizon.
After a while, the three came closer to the camp Malcolm and Rachel had set. Rachel's eyes lit up when she saw them, her face filled with emotion. "if not for me, my family would just be fine". Rachel's thoughts kicked in feeling guilty.
"Mom, we are back!" Ava said moving closer to Rachel.
Rachel gave a smile holding her daughter so tight, like it been decades she saw her. Thereafter, they all settled.
"Mom, Dad, I'll set the fire up." Ava said collecting the Stones from Eli.
"No ava", Malcolm said significant of what she was about to do. "Eli why don't you set the fire, you are becoming man now."
"Malcolm said looking at Eli with a (let me see you try) expression.
Eli could start the fire, but Ava is always the one to volunteer, hence, this time Malcolm was wanted to teach Eli to be responsible.
Eli looked at his sister, and noticed she was about to burst into laughter, "how could he make me lose to this little girl?" Eli muttered under is breath.
Eli hesitated before speaking, "But, but before I start the fire, we need a fireweed."
"Oh, that's true, I almost forgot, but where can we find one? " Malcolm said scanning their environment.
"I have an idea!" Before any other person could speak, Ava screamed.
Eli looked at her with an annoying face, not sure of the drama she is about to start.
"yes baby, tell us what you think we can do." Rachel said.
"Alright first, can we use a cloth, instead of a fireweed?" Ava asked calmly.
"yes baby, yes we can." Malcolm replied.
Ava's eye sparkled with mischief. "Why.. why don't we just use Eli's pants? They're always getting in the way anyway!"
Eli's face turned bright red with indignation. "No way! My pant are not firewood!"
Malcolm chuckled, a hint of amusement in his voice, "Well, Eli, It's either your pant or we spend the night in the cold."
Rachel intervened, her voice calm and soothing, "We could use a cloth now Eli, and your pant seems to the best replacement."
"I knew you all planned it all along, Eli seeing he was outnumbered gave a sneer. "Alright, you all win this time."
As Eli reluctantly handed over his pants, Ava snickered, "Don't worry, big brother, I'll make sure to burn them thoroughly."
Malcolm and Rachel exchanged an amused glance, happy to see their children's spirits lifting despite the challenging situation.
With the makeshift firewood, they managed to start a small fire. The flames danced, casting a warm glow on their faces, Rachel smiled, "Well done, kids. Now, let's get some rest. We have a long journey ahead."
As they settled in for the night, Eli whispered to Ava, "you owe me for this."
Ava grinned, "I'll owe you one, big brother... until next time."
The desert night swallowed their laughter, and the family drifted off to sleep, the fire crackling softly beside them.
Rachel's eyes fluttered closed, but her mind remained restless. She drifted into a dream, vivid and unsettling:
A dark figure loomed, it's presence suffocation. The Blackwood family was running, desperate to escape, Malcom's voice whispered in her ear, "We have to protect them, Rachel. The mark it's growing stronger."
Ava and Eli's faces flashed before her, their eyes wide with fear. The desert landscape stretched out, endless and unforgiving. A voice hissed, "You can't hide forever."
Rachel's dream shifted, fragmented images flashing like a warning: the mark on their hands, glowing with an eerie light; a shadowy figure stalking them; the desert, vast and treacherous.
She jolted awake, her heart racing. The fire had died down, casting the campsite in an eerie darkness. Malcom stirred beside her, "Rachel, what's wrong?"
She hesitated, unsure how much to reveal. "just a dream... about the past. The mark, I think it's trying to tell us something."
Malcolm's expression turned grave after hearing those words. "We need to be careful. We can't let our guard down."