The Book Of Life

Chapter Thirty- Four

The group marched into the camping grounds. This would be the last time we were close to civilisation and help for the next few days.

We began to hike. Traversing through the thick foliage, streams, creeks and valleys of he Great Dividing Range. Hiking up mountian after another mountain, crossing creaks and gentle ragging rivers and trekked through kilometres of the grassland planes.

"Katlyn, Tori! Are you excited to spend your first full moon out of the city up here?"

The rocks in this little valley stream were unstable so it took all of my focus not to fall in. The little river had to be about calf deep but if I lost my balance I was going to be drenched. Luckily there were rocks that we could hop across, although there was a bit further ahead were we would have to walk through.

"I will be once I get out of this river. Shut up, Arron! Otherwise I will give you a hug with my drenched clothes!"

"Chuck your bag over, Kat." Nikolai called once I reached the end of the rocks we were using to cross.

Arron was standing on the bank waiting for Tori and I beside Alyx. Tori threw her smaller backpack across first, Alyx caught it and sauntered over to the pile of other bags we'd throwing across. I chucked my smaller bag to Nik as Tori tossed her other bag over and Arron caught it. Once he turned to hand it to Alyx I got ready to catapult mine across. As Arron turned back to my I launched it across the creek, hitting Arron in the chest. He sputtered, winded from the force my bag had hit his chest.

"You did that on purpose!" He coughed.

"No. I did not." I lied as I took my shoes and socks off.

After an hour of hiking, Nik and Zoya had us stop on a mountain crest, topped with a grassy plain and a rocky outcrop. Most of us sat on the group of giant granite and limestone boulders as we ate lunch; the kids ran around where their parents could see them.

"WATCH OUT FOR SNAKES!" Kurt called out to Samatha and the other kids.

Sam and the other kids were mostly cousin's but some belonged to couples in the pack without any relation to Kurt and his family. Kurt is Larissa's husband.

Jasper and Leo adopted a daughter, which they waited till she was old enough to make her own descion if she wanted to be turned or not- she turned Sixteen last year and on her birthday they both turned her. Now she has a younger brother Ryan. The little nine year older has too much energy like Sam.

At last, just before sunset, we reached our camping spot. The rolling hills flattened out into a grassy plain and a valley with a river running through it. The tall hills and mountains encompassed the area from all sides but the lowest point- the way we had come from- where the mountains and giant hills turned into the rolling hills was behind up. The only available access to this place.

"WHOA!" Tori exclaimed, earning a little echo that bounced off the valley's walls.

"Does anyone else know about this spot?"

"Only those who determined to hike out here like we are. There are a select few. But it would take them longer than us, we have more energy compared to normal people, it takes a long time to hike here. Certainly not a one day trip for the Humans." Nikolai explained.

"Okay kids, that includes you Katlyn for now. I want you to help set up the camp and we'll collect firewood afterwards." Zoya stated, gathering up the younger kids.

As everyone set up the tents Zoya and the little kids fetched rocks big enough to form a giant circle around our fire pit and stop the fire from escaping. Arron and I worked on the poles for our tent while Alyx and Tori unravelled the tarp we were going to put it on, pegged it to the ground and helped us secure the tent.

With the camp completed just as the sun dipped below the horizon all of us cooked dinner at the fire and sleep claimed all of us the moment we stepped into our tents.

The second day we explored the area around the camp-site. Played a game of tag with the kids and I red a few pages of the book I brought. Tori slept as I read but Arron and Alyx ran off somewhere, chasing each other after Arron put mut on Alyx's fur.

The full moon wasn't for another few hours. But I couldn't help the restless feel that seemed to latch itself to my skin. Throughout the third day people seemed to be more agitated and restless.

Once the sun began to set people retreated to their tents and emerged as wolves. As I waited for Tori Sam came wondering over. At first her little hands grasped my fur roughly and an uncomfortable growl escaped my throat; she was much softer afterwards.

"Sam! You can't just wonder off like that. There are things out here that could hurt you. Or worse. Remember what happened to little Azaria Chamberlain?"

Sam froze, her little chubby fingers tensed in my fur.

'Relax. I won't hurt Sam.'

"I know you won't Katlyn. But she needs to learn. Azaria couldn't help her fate because she was a babby." Larissa stated.

"Sam, you see the big wolf, right?"

Sam nodded her little head.

"That's Katlyn. If your ever in trouble and she's around go to her. If she tells you to run you listen okay?"

"But mommy I wanna watch the stars with you and da-"

"Sam. You will be able to one day but not tonight. We're not at home, it's too dangerous for you to be out with us tonight. Now, why don't you scare daddy? I think he's making your bed. Who knows he might even steal Mr. Cuddles?"

With a winning squeal Samatha ran off to her tent where Kurt had entered a few minutes ago.

"Sorry. She can get a I bit overwhelmed when it comes to the full moon. Ever since she's goten older and closer to her teenage years the full moon has started to enact it's pull on her. You should see the nightmare it is to get her to go to sleep on nights like this. We can't leave her with a babysitter because, well......You know. All she does is somehow gain energy the moment it becomes her betimes on full moon nights."

'Sounds like a handful. And I though my cousin was enough.'

Tori emerged from the tent and shook out her ruffled fur.

She sneezed. 'Who knew there could be so much dust  in one tent.'

'Dude! Don't remind me of my allergies. I'm getting you and whoever else puts a soec of dust anywhere else near my shit to dust my stuff till it sparkles.'

"No wonder I was sneezing my arse off in there. I wondered why my eyes were playing up again and becoming itchy." Thinking of it now, I had been showing most of my symptoms for my allergy.

I awoke to my stiff and aching muscles complaining about the lack of sleep I gave them. Brusies had blossomed on my stomach and aides but they were now fading.

The whole night Arron, Alyx, Tori and I explored just about everything we could find. Frolicked in the fields. And I mean Arron and Alyx frolicked. All of us played multiple games of tag and hide and seek. Even some of the other pack members joined in too. Out here we could behave almost however we wanted. Be as rough as we wanted.

During the multiple rounds of tag almost everyone would badge into you to say they had tagged you. Hide and seek was no different. However, getting into harder hiding spots did earn some of us quite a few bruises. Sardines was even worse. I'm never letting Arron seek again during Saradines.

I still have a Blossoming purple, green and a sick looking yellowish bruise to thank him for when he landed on top of  me after jumping of that rock.