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“What the hell is that?” he exclaims when he spots the tent city.
“Yeah, what are the odds we would camp so close to so many people and don’t even notice?”
Ade scratches his stubble. He looks so sexy with it. I don’t think he should groom it today.
“We should move on as soon as Claudette is awake,” he says.
“Did I just hear my name?” she asks from inside.
Not a minute later, she appears in the door. Unlike us, she spots the spectacle right away.
“Oh my gosh. Is that one of those hidden festivals I’ve read about? They set them up in the middle of nowhere, so authorities don’t catch on.”
She looks excited. That can’t be good for our plans to get back on the road.
“Why are they hidden?” I ask, suspicious of what’s going on there.
“Because they don’t get approved. Health and safety concerns or something ridiculous like that.” She rubs her hands together. “I’ll check it out.”
“Claudette, we need to keep moving,” I interject, wanting to get away from this crowd. There must be a good reason these gatherings aren’t permitted.
“No way! These festivals sound like fun. Plus, they’re a gold mine for a psychic. I can make a bag of money in no time. You guys have some breakfast. I’ll be back in an hour.”
Before Aiden or I can stop her, she marches toward the tent city with determined strides.
We both look at each other and burst out laughing.
Ahh, Claudette.
Two hours pass and still no sign of Claudette.
I’m restless, pacing in front of the RV while Aiden makes sure we’re ready to leave as soon as our wayward travel companion returns.
“This is getting ridiculous. Let’s go find her,” I suggest, tightening the scarf around my neck. It’s chilly today.
“She’s probably just lost track of time. But I agree, we should move on.”
Ade locks up the RV, and we stroll through the crisp autumn air, a slight chill tingling my skin.
There’s no direct path, and Aiden forges a way through the thick shrubbery.
“Let’s hope we don’t come across a bear,” I mutter as I move branches out of my way.
“If we do, just remember to make yourself look bigger, shout, and hope it’s more scared than us.”
I chuckle, glancing around with mock paranoia. “Your bear-fighting techniques are highly questionable. What bear would shake in its furry boots, seeing us flailing our arms and shouting at the top of our lungs?”
Ade bursts into laughter. It’s so carefree and jovial… I want to hear it all the time.
“Don’t underestimate us, Sunshine. We’ll be the terror of this wilderness.”
Our laughter echoes around us, but all along we remain mindful of our surroundings.
It’s crazy how safe I feel with Aiden. If this was Rhia walking ahead of me, I wouldn’t be so calm.
I follow Aiden, trusting he’s finding the way. He’s trained for this after all.
We lost sight of the tents as soon as we left the elevated position where we parked our motor home. But the closer we get, the noisier it becomes, assuring us it’s not far now.
