Chapter 1: The Last Quiet Night
The forest felt endless. Tall trees stretched high, branches weaving together like a ceiling. The air smelled of earth and leaves, and somewhere water trickled over rocks. Sarah stood at the edge of the campsite, arms folded, scanning the trees. “Relax,” Jesse called, dropping sticks by the fire. “Nothing out there but birds and bugs.” “That’s what you said an hour ago,” Sarah said. He sighed, smiling. Behind them, Billy struggled with a tent peg. Sam took the ham