Beyond the Veil

Chapter 4

The day of the trip had finally arrived and Sera found herself waiting for the other students to show up.

She had arrived early to double check that everything was in order and to make sure that all of the preparations were in place. As the students began to arrive, Sera greeted them and made sure that everyone had enough items to last them overnight.

The students began to fill the corridor to the south exit of the campus, including Saul. He seemed to be the last of the group to file in, and Sera couldn't help but notice the way he avoided making eye contact with her. She wondered if he felt guilty about following her in the woods, which is the correct response, he should. She wasn't sure though, he said he was protecting her, and she really didn't feel any malice from him. It was all so confusing...

Once everyone had arrived, Sera gave a brief overview of the itinerary for the trip and went over the safety guidelines. She stressed the importance of staying together and staying on designated trails, as well as the importance of proper outdoor etiquette. The students listened attentively and seemed excited for the adventure ahead.

The group traveled by foot, as they set off into the woods. It wasn't going to be long, it was a 30 minute walk from the campus. Sera took the lead and made sure that everyone was following the correct path to arrive at the point she had marked on her map.

They finally entered the woods and the trees wrapped around them, it was as if in just a few moments that they had entered a different world. There were no sounds of cars passing by, no outside lighting, just the filtered beams of sunlight falling through the trees.

The woods were lush with tall trees and a variety of plants and flowers. The group was in awe of the natural beauty surrounding them. Sera made every effort to fully appreciate them and really take in the nature around her.

As they hiked deeper into the woods, the group encountered a small stream that they had to cross. The group seemed to hesitate, waiting to see what Sera or Quinn would do. If only they knew that Quinn had never been here before, and Sera only came for the first time last night. She pushed thoughts of last night away from her, unsure of how to feel about Saul following her. He didn't appear to have bad intentions, but you can never be too sure.

Quinn was the first to jump in the stream, with zero concern about the safety of her old weather-worn boots. Sera was pretty sure her dad gave her those, 3 sizes up, when she got out of middle school. The water was barely 6 inches above her ankles. She laughed joyously and looked back to the rest of the group, beckoning them to follow her as she made her way through the stream. Sera smiled a little bit to herself at how happy Quinn looked, then began to follow the group after safely holding her shoes in her hands.

They hiked for some time after that, Sera followed their trail with a sharpie on her map, it would be unideal if she let the group get lost. She could hear small talk conversations and light laughter between the members of her group. This made her feel deeply satisfied.

Looking back towards the group she could see them gathering in small cliques. There were some groups of two, and a group of girls gathered around Quinn, who was talking animatedly with her hands. She looked further back and saw Saul, trailing the back of the group, sauntering silently along, studying the surroundings deeply. The way he looked at everything around him with such quiet confidence made it appear as though he had been here many times.

The group entered the clearing that Sera had been in last night. They decided that this would be a good spot to have some snacks before they made a campfire. There were ducks floating peacefully in the lake, and everyone was more than happy to snap a few pictures. It seems that as the day went on, the group grew more and more comfortable with each other, they were all laughing and joking like old friends, sharing snacks and stories with one another.