Chocolate Cosmos

Chapter 9

They say that your body can sense things even in your sleep. It has its own thoughts and person and I have reasons to believe that my body was extra aware than others.

I guess it's due to the fact that I'm a scaredy cat who always sleeps with a half eye opened, awaiting any coming dangers and sleeping out in the open had that half eye opened full while the other slept.

My ears twitched from nearby rustling and my brain was slowly waking me up.

The rustling and the sound of dried leaves crunching dug deep into my ears making my eyebrow furrow.

My mind was still have conscious and for a second I forgot that we were in the middle of nowhere. My lungs sucked in a handful of air as the rustling got closer, louder and I opened my eyes with a start.

What I thought was a dream, turned to sour reality and the rustling and cracking got louder and more frequent. I was immediately fully awake.

Looking beside me, I saw Karl deep in sleep, unaware of anything around him. After our night talk yesterday, tiredness took over the two of us and we ended up sleeping out, completely abandoning our tents.

"Karl." I called onto him softly, afraid to notify whatever it was in those bushes about our place.

"Karl." I called again with more urgency but the thick headed male beside me wouldn't budge.

I shook him vigorously in an attempt to kick the sleep out of him.

"Karl wake up!" I urged but he just stirred in annoyance.

My heart beats started pumping crazy blood into my system as the sound from the greenery got closer.

I had no other options left for me to wake the log sleeping next to me except with something my mom had tried on my siblings and I several times before.

I felt for one of the water bottles next to me and splashed its contents onto Karl's face.

He woke up with a loud gasp, his wide eyes looking around still half conscious. His gaze finally settled on me, and boy was he pissed.

"What the hell Cha-" He began to yell but I shut him up by placing my hand over his mouth.

"Shhh... Be quite." I looked towards the rusting. "Listen."

Karl turned his head to where I was looking, his eyes widening as the sound reached his ears.

"See, I told you it wasn't safe." I hissed an 'I told you so' face.

Karl pulled my hand away from his mouth with a frown. "Don't be silly. It's probably nothing."

"Where are you going?" I whisper screeched at him when he got up from his place and made a march towards the rustling.

He didn't make it further between the trees before he came face to face with a rifle looking straight at him.

Karl's arms where immediately raised on either side of his head, his palms leveled with his face.

I gasped in terror at the site, instantly shooting up and running to stand next to Karl. I knew I wasn't superwoman who'd be protecting him from the bullet, yet I had no doubt in my mind that I wouldn't be the one running away. Karl immediately pulled me behind him. He wouldn't be running either.

The rifle went down, showing the man behind the weapon. He was a young looking fella, around his late twenties or early thirties. He was wearing dusty khaki shorts, it's pockets bulging out from whatever contents he had inside. He topped it with a plain white shirt that had mud and grass stains all over it. The fedora hat he had on his head formed a shadow along the side of his face, giving him a stern, mysterious look.

"What are you two doing here? Are you a part of the school expedition?" He asked, his voice deeper than Morgan Freeman's....in a sexy way. He had a plus over Karl on that one.

"Erm...no, we.....uh....we're actually lost." Karl replied, trying to regain composure. He cleared his throat, his initial shock now completely gone. "We were searching for a camp site, supposedly around here but it looks like the location on their site was incorrect. It got us to nowhere and we decided to just camp here for the night."

The man looked at us in silence as he studied our faces. It took him a complete minute to utter his next words.

With a head titled to the side and suspicious eyes he said; "I knew I saw smoke last night."

Karl and I shared looks, not sure what to say.

The mysterious man continued. "You're actually a couple of miles away from Camp Serene, assuming it's the one you're looking for."

Karl and I looked at each other again. "It actually is." I admitted to the man.

"Come on, let me take you. I'm Dan by the way. Daniel Raw." He stretched an arm for us to shake.

Karl went in first. "Karl Hawke."

Dan turned to me for a handshake. "Charis Cardone."

"Oh, you're that author right? The one who writes mystery-thrillers."

For a second, I expected the word murderer to surface but it didn't. Like he knows nothing about Nila's death.

My cheeks flamed up. "Yeah..."

"What are the odds." Dan laughed. "I read all of your books! I loved every bit of them."

My smile widened in my face. "Thank you."

My mind raced about whether or not he knew about what happened. His attitude would be different if he knew right?

But it was good though. For a change. It felt like years since I last met a genuine fan who didn't hate at me.

"Come on. Let me take you to camp. You're probably bet up from sleeping out here all night." Dan's attention was turned towards me fully. "A beautiful lady like you shouldn't be spending the night here." His tone was flirty in a friendly way that it didn't bother me.

"Thanks but we should really get back." Karl interrupted. He grabbed my hand and turned towards our tents, pulling me along with him.

"Karl wait!"I stopped him mid way." We don't even know where the car is. Maybe Dan could help."

"Daniel wouldn't know where the car is if we ourselves don't know it's whereabouts. We already camped last night so that's an item of the list. We should try and find the car and get back home." Karl rambled on. Unexplained irritation dripped through with every word.

What's so bad about letting Dan help us?

"I know this place like I know my name Mr. Hawke. I know every inch of it, every tree and every root. Finding your car will be a piece of cake." Dan said from his place behind us.

"We'll probably find a phone there that we can use to call someone as well Karl, we're out of gas remember. And we can get something to eat. I'm starving." I urged him. We've been living on the couple of sandwiches we packed which were nowhere near enough. A small part of me wanted to go just to spend more time with Dan, someone who's still my fan but I would never admit it.

Karl let out a long sigh. "Whatever." He turned towards the tents and started dissembeling them.

I offered Dan a small smile before helping Karl pack. Dan took it as an intiative to come help us collect our things, despite Karl's dismay.

"We could do it alone just fine." He grumbled but it fell on deaf ears as Dan folded one of the blankets and handed it to me.

"I really can't believe I'm packing things with Charis Cardone. I thought I'd never be able to see you in my life. Never crossed my mind!" Dan said in sheer excitement that made me giggle. I forgot what it's like to hear things like this from fans and it felt greatly uplifting. A year ago, all these things were my normal, daily background music. I got so used to them that they never affected me. But now I'm all giddy again.

"You could've come to one of my book signings you know." I replied with a smile.

"Yeah...wel, that's the thing..." Dan's face reddened as he scratched the back of his head nervously. "My parents owned Camp Serene for as long as I was alive so most of my life was spent here. I went to the city only a countable number of times and after their death, it was my responsibility to take over the business."

"So you never actually left this place?" I gaped out with raised eyebrows.

"Yeah, not really. I was home schooled and never been to college. My whole life spent with the people who come here to camp." Dan shrugged.

"I'm so sorry." I felt the need to apologise. It must've been really hard being stuck here.

"What are you saying? This is great! Living out here in nature, away from the noisy city and polluted air is the best. I made a million friends and counting. I love it here and the money is great!" Dan inched closer like he wanted to tell me a secret and I found myself inching my head towards him. "You might not believe this but I make millions yearly." He whispered like it should stay as a well kept secret. Dan was trying to impress me with his money.

I turned to look at a brick red Karl. Dan should've known that money was never something impressive to me. Karl had double Dan's wealth over.

"We don't really connect with the city life as we also limit internet and TV to almost none at all." Dan went on proudly. "Always providing a nature-filled, peaceful and healthy environment."

"That's...amazing."

Dan shrugged nonchalantly. "I've been told so." He then grinned widely at me. "I can take you on a full tour once we arrive there and you were fully fed and rested. I'll even show you our makeshift outdoor shower."

I grinned back in excitement. "An outdoor shower?"

"Yeah we-" Dan started but was stopped abruptly by Karl.

"Packing is done." He growled. "Move and let's get this over with so we can get back home soon."

He had both the tents in their bags along with our sleeping bags as he stomped towards the trees.

I picked up the food container and Dan helped me with the blankets.

"Don't mind his attitude, he's probably just a little grumpy from yesterday. We're not really used to this." I tried to excuse Karl's behavior that I myself didn't understand. I assumed that it really was due to the uncomfortable sleep we had last night and our hungry stomachs.

"That's okay. I've dealt with worse." Dan smiled kindly at me.

"Plus, its a given. Any guy dating Charis Cardone would be jealous of anyone else coming near here. Territorial even." Dan smirked.

"What?" I gasped. "Oh my God no. Karl and I aren't dating, we're just friends."

My eyes turned towards the man walking a couple of feet ahead of us, hoping to God that he didn't hear anything Dan said. He'd be laughing his head off at the mere thought of it. But Karl made no response and I sighed in relief that he heard nothing. All Karl showed were his hands clenching the bags tightly. His veins on the verge of popping out.

"Oh. So you're just friends who decided to camp out here together?" Dan asked with a single eyebrow raised suspiciously.

I nodded my head. "Yes, we just thought it would be fun you know. A change of routine." I shrugged. I wasn't about to tell Dan about our suicide plan or the bucket list, especially that he wouldn't know why.

"I see." Dan trailed out.

"So...erm, Dan.." I started, wanting to change the subject and wanting to also make sure that he really knows nothing about my current status. "You don't look like a guy who uses technology much."

"Oh no. I only use it when necessary, otherwise I prefer getting as far as possible from them. Camp Serene is known for its all nature experience. Mobile phones and laptops aren't allowed since we want our guests to enjoy a more carefree vacation. And that goes on the staff as well. We try our best to limit our screen time and only use it for work purposes."

Him confirming his lack of technology use made me more at ease. Being around someone who doesn't know about Nila's death and still thinks of me as Charis the author makes me feel more carefree and for a little while I can finally be myself.

"That's great Dan. It really is."

"I'm sure you'll love it there."

I turned my head back towards the trail we're walking and my eyes traveled to Karl's stuff back. I was bothered for him for some reason. This wasn't how any of us imagined how our camp trip would be but there was nothing me or him could've done more.

I sighed. It might not have been the best camp trip but it still accounts to something we've never done before. And that was the whole purpose of the bucket list right?

"You're so bothered from him. He doesn't look like the perfect camping buddy." Dan spoke, drawing my attention back to him.

"Not from him but for him. It was supposed to be fun. And Karl's not a bad guy you know, he's actually very sweet once you get to know him." I found myself saying. "He came to me when I most needed someone you know."

I would've been lying in cold ground now if it wasn't for him.

Karl suddenly stopped walking, both Dan and I looking at him in confusion.

I hurried towards him in big steps.

"Hey, everything okay?" I asked as I emerged from his side and stood in front of him.

"I'm fine. I just think I lost my phone." His tone was lost mirroring the look in his eyes. It was distant.

"Oh, I have it right here." I fetched for it from my cross bag. "You gave it to me when the signal was lost remember. You asked me to keep it."

Karl's eyes stared down at mine silently. I'm an author, I'm supposed to be good with reading humans. I'm supposed to understand expressions and read eyes. But I came out blank with Karl. I couldn't pinpoint exactly what his eyes conveyed or what his face said.

"Good."

He moved past me, continuing on his way while I stood there staring at his distancing figure.

My thoughts were blank as well. I didn't know what to think and definitely didn't know what the hell was wrong with Karl.

Camping was a bad idea.