After they dropped Toby off at Maggie's house, April drove herself and Michael to the Plentywood public campground.
She parked her truck on the border of the grounds, by the river, opposite to the forest that bordered the campsite on two sides.
Michael grabbed their bags from the backseat after they got out of the vehicle and gave April her backpack once she'd locked the doors.
As he slid his arms through his backpack's straps, Michael glanced around at the grounds, which were free of tents and people besides him and April. "Nothing like murder to clear out a campground at its busiest time of year."
"Here maybe," April said. "I wouldn't be surprised if there were college kids out there. Many of them come to the forest to party downstream, away from prying eyes."
"And a few police reports aren't going to deter them from having a good time," Michael sighed.
April nodded. "We'll have to track down anyone who's in the woods before the orc does, or whatever the creature is. Follow me."
"You know the way?" Michael inquired, cocking an eyebrow.
"A friend of mine in high school brought me out here our senior year," April explained. "She was dating a college guy and he'd invited us both to go to the site."
Michael frowned. "That's not suspicious at all."
"It wasn't like that," April assured him as she began walking into the forest. "There were twenty other people involved in said party and three times that in cans of beer. First time and only time I've ever gotten drunk. Learned my lesson in the morning."
"Did you ever go back there?" Michael asked as he followed her.
"No," April replied. "Laurie broke up with her boyfriend not long after. She realized he wasn't interested in staying with her long term. But I remember the way. We just have to stick close to the river."
They fell into a comfortable silence.
As they trudged along, weaving through the trees on a lightly worn down trail, Michael glanced around, taking in the sight of the coniferous trees and the sound of the rushing white rapids that was just out of sight, blocked by a few trees and bushes that lined the riverbank.
"Why would they bother walking this far?" Michael quizzed after they'd walked for over an hour.
"They come here from the other side of the river and cross it where the water is calmer and only up to the ankles. That's what Laurie and I did anyways. Much shorter. We have probably a half hour left. I would have taken the other route but I wanted to see the campgrounds first. Plus, can't hurt to walk. Need to look for unusual markings on the trees and footprints on the ground."
"If an orc was careless enough to walk on the ground barefoot, you will see big footprints," Michael informed her.
April grinned. "So the Bigfoot stories are kinda true."
"There's always a pinch of truth to mythology and mainstream cryptozoology," Michael said. "People can't imagine things out of thin air. Something has to spark the imagination."
They continued on for another twenty minutes before reaching a clearing. A fire pit was placed in the middle of it.
April approached the pit. "It hasn't been used in a while."
"Do you think nobody is out here?" Michael questioned.
"Maybe," April answered. "More likely, the police found it and the kids moved some place else."
"Across the river?" Michael asked, staring out at the now slow moving body of water.
April shook her head. "I don't know...What I do know is I'm starving. Why don't we sit here and eat our lunch before we go looking?"
Michael agreed and they both shrugged off their backpacks before sitting down together beneath a western white pine tree.
April pulled two squished peanut butter sandwiches from her pack and passed one to Michael, who laughed at their sorry shapes before opening the baggie holding his and taking a bite. April did the same with hers.
When they were done eating, April rested her head against the tree. She closed her eyes hard several times.
"Are you alright?" Michael inquired.
"Yeah," April said. "I am. I'm just a little tired. Must be all the walking, not used to it."
Michael frowned. April never got this tired this soon in the day. It wasn't even three o' clock yet.
"Do you want to rest here longer?"
"We should go on," April murmured.
"We have time," Michael told her. "Sun won't go down until 9pm, and then we'll be up all night. Better we rest now."
April nodded. "Okay."
Michael wrapped his right arm around her and April's eyelids fell instantaneously. She rested her head on his shoulder, and it wasn't long before April was out.
Michael smiled at this, but also felt concern. Something was going on with April. What it was, he wasn't sure of yet.
A/N: Sorry it took so long to update. Life.