Marcus

FireLookout

Leaves crunch under our feet as we head to the familiar lookout tower.
We've been here a hundred times, but it still has an air of wonder to it.

It's quite high but there's some regular maintenance done on it. Mostly by me. The beams and rods have been wrapped by logs from trees I grew to become structure for the tower.

The stairs wrap around the legs of the tower creaking with each step. We go up carefully, being careful not to slip. The wood here has been replaced with newer wood to keep it up to safety standards but it's still not in the best condition.

The view never gets old, the more we go up. Eventually, I can see over the trees.

"You're so lucky you get to live here Marcus."

"Hm?"
"It's so pretty right?", Hailey says as she looks over the railing.

"Yeah, but your house is way bigger than mine!"

"Even so, you've got all this land to explore!"

I think.

"I guess so."

The stuff in the tower is still the normal stuff that would be in a lookout tower of this class. Except we added some stuff. Yes, the firefinder is still here. Instead of rations, we just have a fridge and some snacks. There's more lumber piled up in the corner. I make sure to keep it stocked. Gas too. There's a computer on the desk, and some fairy lights strung up along the ceiling. 

We added a plush comforter to the bed.

It's nice up here, except for the occasional bee. Though I don't really have to worry about bugs, I can just whack them away easily with plant magic.

I've spent the night here before, it isn't half bad.

Sleeping out on the deck in sleeping bags is fun. We stay up telling scary stories. One time we all almost peed our pants since we heard an afflicted howl in the distance as we were telling ghost stories. Spending time here with my friends has made some of my best memories.

Normally people get scared but with plant magic I don't really get scared. That drone did end up coming down to the base of the tower and letting out a horrible scream. Geez I still remember its face. It just stood down there. Watching us. It looked almost like a dog but.. wrong somehow.

Thankfully I flung a tree at it and we got the drone control to come. Hailey seemed calm and collected though at the time.

I look around for something to do. I then spotted a radio Leo was fiddling with. He's been modifying radios for a while now. It's been his thing. We found an afflicted hiding out in the woods once. Not one of the far-gone ones. He was still normal. He'd been listening to our radio conversation and it gave us the creeps. Ever since then, Leo has had this radio tuned into the network around the forest. Anytime a radio that isn't familiar to it starts listening to our conversation, it sends a loud beep across the channel. It has another use though. We can hear private cell phone calls.

I look at Hailey. She looks at me. We both giggle mischievously knowing what to do next. We switch the dial to the setting with a crude label. "Not stalking."

After a bit of static, some voices come into focus.

Voice 1: "Yeah yeah Sheila I got you the super duper ultra delux butt anti-crusting cream you wanted."

Voice 2: "Nah you bloke you were supposed to get the ultra delux supreme version."

We look puzzled. They sound like they're using a very very badly faked Australian accent.

We push the button next to the dial and it jumps to another call.

Voice 3: "Uhhh Millie there's some eye carved into the forest tree."

Voice 4: "Oh... do you recognize it?"

Voice 3: "No, it's nothing I've ever seen before."

Voice 4: "OK, I'll report it to Slippers when he gets back to the Wabell Station."

"Marcus, isn't this Wabell forest?"

"Oh it is, isn't it?"

We stay there listening to a few more conversations between people.

We look out using the firefinder and like most days, we find nothing. 

We go out onto the railing looking for birds. 

After a bit, I head into the tower again. It's gotten late. We can see the glow of the moon through the clouds.

I set up a small fire and grab a branch. I widdle it a bit using a knife and hand it to her kicking back in a chair. She starts roasting a marshmallow while I mess with a balloon.

I grab a cap we have hanging in the tower and put it on, covering my face from the light trying to doze off. I stop trying because I can't seem to fall asleep. Instead, I just listen to the sounds of nature playing around us. I hear the gentle breeze and the trees rustling. I breathe in filling my chest with air and letting it out. I feel so much better out here. A tenseness I'd felt for days.