Part of the Pack (Book 1 in the 'part of' series)

Chapter 1 to the woods

Thank you so much for clicking on Part of the Pack!

I really hope that you enjoy reading the story of Aiden and -well that would be giving the story away :D  

I should note that there are a...few spelling and grammatical errors- so apologies. 

Please feel free to comment! I adore each and every comment <3

-Nadine

Chapter 1

Aiden's POV

I don't know why on earth I decided it would be a great idea to do this. I wasn't usually the kind of person who would go camping, never mind go camping by myself. I was used to the busy life of living in the city, the security of knowing that at three AM there would be at least one person in my apartment building awake incase of an intruder.

I was like any other twenty-one year old student in my city, living off microwaved dinners and struggling through my studies. Coffee was my life source and I avoided social interaction whenever I could. This meant that I had nobody to go camping with.

I was tired.

I had failed my last assessment drastically, I had gotten fired from my part time job and I found out that my partner of six months had been cheating on me. I would usually go back home to my parents but they had enough stress on their shoulders looking after my little brother. I loved my family but I was older now, I felt like I shouldn't really be bugging them with things like this. I'm sure my mother would say differently when I told her all that happened over the phone but I couldn't really think about that at the moment.

The reason for this trip was so that I could get some fresh air. It was working. My lungs burnt as I continued to walk through the woods. I wasn't unhealthy, I did some sports now and again but I wanted to get as far away as I could from the noise. I hoped that I could see the stars tonight.

Once I got far away from the place I know so well I sat down. I sat and I listened to the silence. There was no such thing as silence in my mind. I could hear the leaves rustling and I could hear the birds tweeting to each other as the sun started to set. I couldn't believe what time it was. I had left the apartment when the sun was high in the sky and I could feel it's warm rays on my face. Now the sun was hiding behind some clouds, low in the sky.

I sat down on the floor, making sure that there was nothing already stationed there beforehand and I sighed. It was nice to have the weight off my back and off my shoulders. I wasn't so sure where I was and I hoped I would be able to make it home. I brought a compass but I wasn't sure how exactly to use it, I know where I came from and I had a pretty good sense of direction. I hope that's enough to get me to where i'm supposed to be.

I took my tent from the top of the bag and looked at it in disgust. Why couldn't these things just inflate themselves? I had one of those tents as a child. I guess it wasn't the best kind of tent. It flew away more than once and it got me in quite a bit of trouble. I cried for quite a while when we found it with a rip in its side. It didn't stop me from using it in the back garden though. I stopped doing that when a wasp took the slash as an opportunity to get some shade. I haven't really liked wasps at all since that day.

I sighed and stood up, knowing that I wouldn't be able to rest until this tent was up. I wasn't familiar with the place, I don't think a lot of people come camping here. I saw some rubbish on the floor a little while off but that could've been picked up by the wind at any point. The tent was stubborn and it just didn't want to be put up right. I ended up with a few spare parts which I prayed were not necessary to my safety and the structure of the tent.

Once it was up I managed to put my bag in the tent. I had brought quite a few power banks with me. I know that I'm trying to get away from the stress and mess of everyday life and I know that my phone and laptop could be like having stress on speed dial. Life goes on whether you're in the middle of the woods with no company or not.

It was also a rather big comfort for me. I was quite the paranoid person, I tend to avoid ladders and I would to walk on three drains in a row. I would do a game of hopscotch if it was necessary. I suppose that's more superstitious than anything else. Though I still preferred to know I had a way to contact anyone in case anything went wrong.

I know I was being unrealistic, if i were to contact anyone because I was being attacked I know i wouldn't be able to type anything out or call anyone quick enough to save my life or at least my limbs. It was the little comforts though, wasn't it? Like having a teddy bear protecting your money or locking the bathroom door when you live alone. It was just the little actions which kept us a little bit more safe.

I stayed in the tent for a little bit, I was dreading leaving the tent if i was honest. I knew that I had to go and collect some wood for a fire. I know that leaving it late would be a little bit more risky, for both my eyes and the creatures which go bump in the night. My stomach was rumbling a little bit and nothing sounded better than food right now.

I battled with the idea of using my flameless ration heater instead of a fire, with the idea that I would get firewood a little later. I sighed once again, knowing that I would have to get up and get to it sooner or later. It wasn't something that I could avoid really was it? I could sacrifice my happiness for a few moments so that I could have some warmth tonight.

I wished that somebody had come with me, someone who would be able to look after my stuff whilst I was gone. There was nobody. I didn't really tell anyone that I was leaving and going camping. I didn't invite anyone, I didn't really have anyone to invite. As I said earlier, I don't socialise much. I do have some friends from high school but none of them go to my university. Most of them moved away to go to their decided universities and I only got to see them at the holidays.

I was very careful where I stepped as I searched for wood. I could hear some more rustling then I had heard previously, it was getting louder and louder. I tried to tell myself that it was just the wind and that I should just ignore it. I wasn't very convinced but it got me through finding enough wood for the evening. I would have to venture out again in the morning but at least then it would be lighter out.

That evening I had some delicious MRE food, meaning it wasn't that tasty but i was starving so it tasted like the best thing I had ever had in my life. I had watched people eat this stuff online and it didn't look at all appealing but now I understood the appeal. It was convenient and it was warm. I had grabbed the last few which was on the shelves in the camping store I hurriedly went to before coming out here. Overall I was happy with my decision.

That night the clouds covered the sk, it was a little disappointing for me to look up and see nothing but darkness. It made me regret my decisions lightly. No matter where I went I would be followed with the large black cloud which I see everyday. With the slightly warm cup of tea and the amount of exercise I had done that day, I ended up falling asleep rather quickly.