Unspoken Currents

07

THE FRESH MORNING AIR filled my lungs as I unzipped the tent, stepping into the cold, crisp silence of the forest. The sky was a soft blend of pale blues and grays, the sun still hidden behind the trees, but the birds were already awake, chirping like they had a head start on the day. This was the part of camping I loved the most—early mornings, when the world felt untouched, like it was just waiting for you to notice its beauty.

I stretched out, feeling the stiffness in my back from sleeping on the ground. My muscles ached, but it was a good kind of ache, the kind that came from being out in the wilderness. I hadn’t done this in so long. The last time I went camping was with my dad, years ago. I used to wake up to him already sitting by the fire, coffee in hand, looking out at the woods with that quiet smile he had. This trip brought back memories of those times—simple, no pressure, just us against nature.

Layla was still asleep in the tent, curled up in her sleeping bag like she wasn’t planning on moving any time soon. She wasn’t a morning person, and after the long drive yesterday, I wasn’t going to push her. I figured I’d let her sleep in a little longer.

I glanced over at William’s tent. Since the start of the school year, we’d gotten closer. He was kind of like the younger brother I never had, and we’d found ourselves hanging out more often. I figured this trip would be a good chance to spend some more time with him, get him out of his head for a bit.

“William,” I called softly, crouching near the entrance of his tent. “You up?”

There was a pause, and then I saw his messy hair pop out, his face groggy with sleep. “Yeah... what’s up?”

“I’m heading out for a hike. You want to join me? It’s a perfect morning for it.”

He seemed to consider it for a moment before nodding. “Sure. Give me a minute.”

While William got ready, I wandered over to the edge of the campsite, looking out at the forest. This was what I missed the most. Being away from everything. No emails, no deadlines, no phone buzzing every five minutes. It was just me and the sound of nature. There was something therapeutic about it, like the world slowed down long enough for me to catch my breath.

I thought back to those trips with my dad, how we’d wake up early just like this, pack our bags, and head off into the woods. He taught me everything I knew—how to read the trail markers, how to find clean water, how to fish. Some of the best memories I had were with him on those hikes, just the two of us, no distractions.

I smiled at the thought as William came over, dressed and ready. He looked half asleep, but he gave me a nod. “Let’s go,” he mumbled.

We started down the trail in silence, the forest coming alive with the sound of leaves crunching beneath our boots. The sun was starting to rise now, casting long shadows on the ground. I glanced over at William a few times, trying to gauge his mood. He seemed... quieter than usual, more in his head. But maybe he was just tired.

“How’s senior year treating you?” I asked, figuring some small talk might help.

He shrugged. “It’s fine. Same old stuff.”

I nodded. “Yeah, high school can feel like that sometimes. But college is different. It takes some time to adjust, but it’s worth it. You’ll see when you get there.”

“Yeah, I’m looking forward to it,” he said, but he didn’t sound convinced.

We kept walking, the trail winding through the trees, getting steeper as we went. It felt good to be out here, away from everything, just focusing on the present. I glanced over at William again. He kept his eyes on the ground, his hands stuffed in his pockets. I was starting to think maybe he didn’t want to be out here, but I didn’t want to push him.

“You know,” I started, trying to lighten the mood, “this kind of reminds me of when my dad and I would come out here. We’d wake up at the crack of dawn, just like this, and hit the trails. He was a big outdoors guy—taught me everything I know about camping.”

William looked at me, his expression softening a bit. “You guys camped a lot?”

“Yeah, all the time,” I said, smiling at the memory. “Some of the best memories I have are from those trips. Just the two of us out here, no distractions. It was simple, but it was perfect, you know?”

He nodded, but didn’t say much else.

We reached a lookout point after a while, a clearing at the top of the trail that overlooked the valley below. The view was incredible—endless trees stretching out as far as the eye could see, the sun now casting a golden light over everything. I stood there for a moment, just taking it in. This was why I loved camping. Moments like this where the world felt so big, so endless.

“Beautiful, huh?” I said, glancing at William.

“Yeah,” he murmured, his voice quiet.

I noticed him fidgeting a little, playing with the strap of his backpack. He seemed... off. But I didn’t want to push him, not if he didn’t want to talk about whatever was on his mind.

I was about to ask him if he was alright when I suddenly lost my footing. One second, I was standing on solid ground, and the next, I was slipping, the loose rocks giving way beneath my feet. My heart leapt into my throat as I tipped backward, arms flailing for something to grab onto.

“Colton!” William’s voice was sharp with panic.

Before I could fall, I felt his hands grab me, pulling me back onto solid ground. For a second, everything was still, my pulse pounding in my ears as I tried to catch my breath.

“Thanks, man,” I said, my voice shaky. I gave him a grateful smile, trying to laugh it off. “That could’ve been bad.”

William’s face was flushed, and he quickly let go of my arm, taking a step back. “No problem,” he muttered, his voice tight.

I noticed how tense he seemed, how he wouldn’t meet my eyes. I figured he was just shaken up from the scare, but something about the way he looked at me felt... off.

“You okay?” I asked, still catching my breath.

He nodded quickly. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just... let’s get back.”

I raised an eyebrow but didn’t push it. He was probably just freaked out. “Alright. Let’s head back.”

The walk back to the campsite was quiet, William keeping a few steps ahead of me the whole time. I kept thinking about what had just happened—the way his face had looked when he pulled me back, like something else was going on beneath the surface. But maybe I was just reading too much into it.

By the time we got back to the campsite, the sun was fully up, and I could hear Layla moving around in the tent. I went over to the car to start unloading the rest of the gear, but my mind kept wandering back to the hike, to William’s strange mood, and to the way he looked at me when he grabbed my arm.

Something was off, but I couldn’t figure out what.

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