Once they ran far enough to be out of the ranger's earshot, they sat on the grass behind a storage shed. Kai brought out the map from his backpack and laid it open on the ground. 

    “Looks like the pathway goes north, near that dirt trail. It’s the only path that leads to a bridge, so it must be it.” Asher dragged his finger along the map before pointing to an uphill trail.

    They all talked about it a bit more before agreeing to head up the trail. The air was foggy and musty, and the leaves and sticks they stepped on crunched as they walked. Kai was at the front, leading the group forward, confidence in his stride. Asher stayed in the middle, continuously glancing in all directions, gripping onto Kai’s backpack for support. Rowan followed at the back, holding the map in his hands. He studied it as they followed the path. 

    “There's the bridge!” Kai called out a little too loudly.

    Rowan stopped in his tracks. Something about the bridge made him uneasy. He convinced himself it was the dark, foggy atmosphere, but the feeling wouldn't shake. He felt a sort of déjà vu as he looked down at the flowing lake below the bridge. 

    “Who’s there?” A voice yelled from behind them.

    “It’s a ranger! Run!” Kai exclaimed, dragging both Asher and Rowan by the wrists. 

    They ran into the trees to their left, hoping to lose the ranger, but he was close behind them. The ranger's keys rattled against his thigh as he ran, the flashlight's beam shaking up and down. Rowan and Asher sprinted forward and leaped into an old wooden outhouse, avoiding the guard, but they were missing Kai.

    “Stop there! What are you doing out past curfew? Do you know how dangerous this is?” They heard from outside the shed. 

    Asher quietly gasped, “Kai must’ve gotten caught! What do we do?”