After some deliberation, Evan realizes he is starving. He gets up and walks towards the campfire, which is now brightly burning during the dark evening. He reaches the area and faces turn and greet him in energetic and cheerful tones. Marco pats an empty area next to him. Evan picks up a can of beans and a fork and begins eating. He sits down gently next to Marco.
"Er... Which ones are Bill & Max?" Evan nervously asked. Marco has his mouth full as he is talking. He points his fork to two old men sitting on a log.
"Those 2 over there," answered Marco.
Bill is fast asleep and snoring very loudly whilst Max is very slowly dribbling food out of his mouth.
"Oh..." Evan's voice trails off. Evan stares with an uneasy look at the elderly pair. Marco, unaware of Evan's behavior, finishes up his dinner and stands up.
"Well, I don't know about you guys, but I'm beat... We will be up nice and early tomorrow for another dig out in the open. So, don't spend too long staying awake! Rest well, campers. See you bright and early in the morning." Marco announces.
Evan looks around to see if anyone else is also leaving, as it is still somewhat early. Suddenly, the jet lag kicks in and Evan realizes how tired he truly is. Marco then departs to the mess hall with a small wave. Finally, Evan decides to take a look around at his fellow campers. He catches Max's attention, and he smiles at Evan with his mouth full of food. Evan returns the gesture, staring at the pile of food below Max's body.
Ultimately, the entire group returns, much more subdued than when they had entered the camp. In the tent, Bill & Max are heavily snoring. Evan has covered his head with his pillow, trying to avoid this incessant noise. He groans. It's unclear how long it's been, but it seems like hours. He restlessly tosses and turns, then remembers the headphones from earlier that day at the airport.
Evan blindly reaches for them and puts them on. He fixes his pillow and closes his eyes. Finally ready for sleep, he relaxes. A few seconds later Bill lets out one big snore which startles Evan and makes him open up one eye. The headphones are sadly not strong enough to block out the snoring.
Mexico, Cancun, Forest Near Camp, Midnight
Meanwhile. Silence. Then, over the horizon, a convoy of jeeps can be seen tearing across the ground. The deafening sound of engines fills the space as wildlife scatters. In one vehicle is Liz, her lab equipment jostling around in the back. Another holds Sergeant Ryan Stone, arms folded as always. Other cars carry many, many soldiers, all on full alert.
Mexico, Cancun, Camp Yucatán, 7:30 AM
Morning comes around much too soon, and Evan sleepily trudges out of the bathroom. A portion of people have already left for the campsite, including Marco. Everyone else seems to be in high spirits, and the old lady who greeted Evan comes up. Evan gives her a confused look before she smiles and says to him,
"Remember, not everything is going to be a treasure in the conventional sense. We're here to enjoy the history of objects and the thrill of finding something on our own. I'm sure you'll do fine!" She pats his back before leaving. Evan, perplexed, follows the remaining group to the dig site. He is equipped with a shovel, a metal detector, his camera, and a water bottle. He also wears a new camp uniform, red, green, and white, courtesy of the receptionist.
The dig site is filled with holes from previous days. Most of the campers are digging and some are using metal detectors. The rest are chatting amongst themselves whilst Marco supervises everything.
"There he is, sleepyhead. All rested and ready to dig?" A fellow camper asked from a distance. Evan looks very excited as he has been waiting to find buried ancient treasure for years.
YOU ARE READING
Kindred Connection
AdventureA tragic history of an unknown tribe is almost entirely wiped out of extinction 100,000 years ago from our present-day by a devastating creature within the Earth's core known as Calamity. This magnificent tribe who were known as the Novalites contai...
