the brave ones // h.s.

item eight - ii

*settle in, here's another long part :)*

recommended song: Pluto by Sleeping at Last

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Eden stays in the car, avoiding the curious stares of her new "friends", while Harry graciously sets up their borrowed tent and places their things in it for the night. The dim parking lot lights aid him, as well as the high beams on Will's truck left running so everyone can see around the clearing. Harry and Eden's tent is a bit away from the others', a move she knows was purposeful so she's less likely to feel smothered. The moon is high in the sky by the time she pulls herself together enough to leave the safety of her car.

Will is the first to notice her approach, arms curled in on herself as she shivers against the night air. Taylor and Cal are off attempting to kindle a fire while Holly is knelt halfway inside her tent, fumbling around for something. Safiya and Natalia seem to be arranging everyone's dinner, and Harry is finishing off assembling his and Eden's tent.

Will casts her a friendly smile and dips his hand into the cooler next to him. He fishes out a beer and pops off the cap, holding it out to her with a friendly smile.

"You look like you need it," he chuckles. She shakes her head in tired amusement but nonetheless takes the bottle. "You feeling alright?"

She goes to nod but stops herself, knowing that it's merely an automatic reaction and she's not actually feeling alright. She resorts to a half-hearted shrug and a sip of her beer. The cold washing over her tongue brings a renewed sense of clarity to her muddled thoughts but not enough to help her trust the woods surrounding their campsite.

Will nods his head at the trees that head away from the parking lot. "Can I show you around? That might help ease some of your tension."

Eden scoffs internally but allows herself to be led further into the woods. Harry watches her solemnly for a moment, an indecipherable look in his eyes, before returning to his work on the tent. Eden's hand curls tighter around the glass bottle, the biting cold doing wonders to help ground her emotionally as she and Will walk further away.

Will points in front of him into the nothingness. "Over here is a sand volleyball court that the park had installed a few years ago. There's also a grill and a few picnic benches around. This place gets pretty busy in the middle of summer but during early spring it tends to stay fairly quiet."

She listens to the crunching leaves underfoot before asking in a somber voice, "You didn't bring me all the way out here to murder me, right?"

Will snorts loudly, his broad shoulders shaking with mirth as he laughs aloud. Unable to resist, a reluctant smile appears on her lips; her comment was more tongue-in-cheek than serious and she's glad he realized.

"Not with that giraffe hovering ten feet away at all times," he simpers, shooting her a playful look. "He'd have my head."

Eden shakes her head to herself, feeling the ends of her curls tickle the bare skin on the nape of her neck, and laughs breathily. Harry wouldn't hurt a fly.

Will waves his hand dismissively, his laughter dying down as they approach the end of the tree line. The forest disperses into a sandy shore with tall, reedy grasses and a small pebble beach a few dozen feet away. Eden feels her breath catch in her throat, but this time from awe rather than fear. The water before them is a small lake, only a hundred or so feet across, but it's nestled underneath a massive sandy cliff that stretches a couple dozen feet high across the opposite edge of the pond. The rock is smooth, worn away by water and time to display hundreds of striated layers of rock. The sky above is clear and uninhibited by trees or clouds; high above her and draped against a purplish-blue background sit more stars than Eden could ever count, illuminating the beach with their soft, ethereal glow.