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y/n arrived at ironbark state park a little after eight in the evening, the dusky twilight making it difficult to see clearly. she swerved her rv into a parking spot, the tires crunching on the gravel. with a weary sigh, she shut off the engine and climbed out, grabbing her bags from the ground. after locking her vehicle, she glanced around, taking in the thick forest that surrounded the lot while unbeknownst to her, silas and alaric had waited for this moment.
they remain hidden in the cramped bathroom, their legs burning for how long they had to stay upright but luckily for the two, they had overheard every noise y/n made. as soon as the coast was clear, they sprang into action. silas pushed open one of the small windows with a grunt, the old metal frame creaking loudly. alaric followed, his movements quieter but no less urgent. they both jumped out, landing on the gravel below with a thud.
y/n, who was nearly halfway to the building she assumed was the office, froze in her tracks. her heart skipped a beat, the sudden noise raising her suspicions. she turned around, her eyes straining to see through the encroaching darkness. "hello?" she called out, frowning. the gravel lot was empty save for her rv, but she couldn't see the two figures hiding underneath it, holding their breaths.
silence met her call, and she bit her lip, feeling a knot of unease tighten in her stomach. "o...okay then," she murmured, more to herself than to anyone else, trying to shake off the creeping anxiety. she reluctantly turned back toward the building, her pace quickening slightly as she clutched her bags tighter. it was just a deer. yeah, that must've been it. after all, they are such skittish creatures.
reaching the office, y/n noticed the lights were on inside. she peered through the window but saw no one. her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. weird. wasn't someone supposed to meet her? she set her bags down and knocked on the door, the sound echoing in the quiet night.
for a moment, nothing happened. the air was cool, and y/n rubbed her arms, shivering slightly. she was about to knock again when the door suddenly swung open. both the h/c-haired girl and the man inside jumped back, startled by each other's presence. "oh my god!" y/n exclaimed, practically screaming, her heart pounding.
"whoa there, sorry!" the man replied, holding up his hands in a gesture of peace. he was tall, with a rugged look and a park ranger's uniform. "didn't mean to scare ya." he added, a southern accent oozing out from his lips.
y/n laughed nervously, her hand over her chest. "it's okay..." she reassured him, albeit a bit sheepish. "i didn't expect anyone to be here, and then you just..." she trailed off, stopping herself from continuing when she realized that there was no point in trying to explain her perspective of things, both of them were there to experience the scare.
the ranger chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "yeah, sorry 'bout that. name's billy, i am the park ranger around these parts." after explaining this, the older man turned his back on y/n. he seemed a bit on edge, but She ended up attributing it to the lateness of the hour. she then watched as billy shuffled some papers on his desk, glancing at her with a curious expression. "you know," he started, breaking the silence, "when i first saw you, i thought you were one of 'em."
