“Justin, it’s getting late, do you think Chris got lost?” JC said, using the wood to light a fire.
“I hope not, I mean maybe he found some help or something?” Justin replied, swatting a mosquito on his arm.
“Yeah but it’s been a while since he left, and it’s almost getting dark, lightning bugs are already coming out.” JC told him, looking into the woods.
Justin was gonna say something when he heard rustling in the nearby bushes, and flashes of light bouncing around. “Do you hear that?” He whispered.
“What are those lights? Do you think there flashlights?” JC asked.
“I don’t know, its hard to see into the thick shrubs, Justin quickly got up from his spot on the tree and went to where JC was sitting, they stayed quiet for a moment and tried to listen, they heard whispers.
After what seemed like hours the flashlights flashed in JC and Justin’s faces, “Guys!” Chris shouted over the darkness of the forest.
“Chris?” Justin choked out.
“Sorry I took so long, guess who I found on the way back here.” Chris said grinning, flashing the lights over Joey and Lance’s goofy faces.
“Joey!” JC shouted.
“Lance!” Justin said.
Joey and Lance smiled and ran up to them giving them a hug.
“It’s so good to see you both.” Justin responded giving Joey a tight squeeze.
“You guys looked scared at first when Chris arrived.” Joey joked.
“Well, I thought it was someone else or something, you know search and rescue?” JC said with a nervous chuckle.
“I was just glad that we are together now.” Justin beamed.
“Yeah, and we brought food, Joey had it, he was in cave and everything, and look Lance found our bags as well, so we brought them all here.” Chris explained.
“Food?” Justin asked.
“We have to divide what we eat first you know.” JC told him.
“We know that Dad.” Justin scoffed.
He opened the cooler and took out a Little Debbie cupcake and took a bite out of it, “Oh I missed you.” Justin murmured happily.
“I brought some extra water.” Chris added, tossing them in the cooler.
The guys all sat around the glowing fire and ate what they can that was inside the cooler, careful not to eat the rest, and were each telling stories about how they each found eachother.
After a while, the guys unpacked their bags and picked out the items that they needed.
“I need a shower.” JC muttered.
“Dude, we all need a shower.” Joey added.
“Maybe we can all take a shower at the beach, we have soap.” Chris said getting a bar of soap from his bag.
“We’re lucky that Lance found our bags.” Justin said with a laugh.
“So who wants to go for a swim?” Chris joked.
“I’ll go first.” JC volunteered and grabbed the towel and a bar of soap from his bag.
“Try not to get sand in your pants.” Justin said with a laugh.
“Shut up Curly.” JC smirked.
“Don’t go too far either, be careful.” Lance called out.
“Tomorrow we should go find a body of water that contains fresh water instead of salt water.” JC called out.
“JC just get in the water and stop complaining.” Chris joked.
“Ok, ok.” JC put his toes in the water, it was surprisingly warm, he walked in until the water went up to his neck, it felt really weird swimming at the beach at night, and he could see the guys in the distance laughing about something. Grabbing the bar of soap and using its suds, he washed himself, and dipped his head into the dark waters; he felt something at the bottom of him.
“Was it jellyfish?” He thought and decided to get out of the water before anything worse happens, this time he felt a sharp pain on his ankle.
“Ouch!” JC cried.
He managed to get out of the water and reached up to where the guys were.
“Did you enjoy your shower?” Justin asked.
“Something pinched me.” JC said quietly looking at his ankle, a red bumpy rash appeared on his skin.
“Here, let me take a look.” Lance said.
All the guys huddled around JC’s ankle.
“Does anyone have some ointment?” JC told them.
“I got something in my bag, hydrocortisone something, that’s all.” Chris said.
“Guys, jellyfish are poisonous.” JC replied softly.
“Did you see the jellyfish though?” Joey asked.
“No, but it felt sharp and stringy, so that’s what I thought it was.”
JC saw that Chris was digging into the cooler, “Here, take this jar of milk, it’s still good.”
JC took the milk and drank from the jar, “Thank you.”
“Don’t worry Jace, I’m sure its nothing, maybe it was a seaweed or something, but drink the milk just in case.” Lance added.
JC nodded and finished up the rest of the milk.
“There’s no way I’m going for a swim in that water at night.” Justin frowned.
“Might as well wait until morning then.” Lance told them grabbing a sleeping bag.
After the guys finished up with their necessities and saying prayers, they each grabbed their sleeping bags and waited for the fire to die down, it was cool night, there was no moon, just and endless view of stars.
“It’s a beautiful night.” JC said softly.
“Yeah it is.” Justin said with a sigh.
“I wonder what time is it?” Joey said.
“According to my watch it’s a little after ten.” JC told him.
“Wow, I thought it was like seven or something.” Joey chuckled.
“Alright guys, you all have a good night, we’ll see eachother in the morning hopefully” Chris responded snuggling into the sleeping bag.
“Don’t let the bedbugs bite now.” Justin joked.
“Very funny.” JC added.
The other guys laughed.
“But they’re bedbugs out there you know.” Justin said in serious tone, “You all put on insect repellent?”
The guys said “yes” in unison. After a while the guys drifted off into a dreamless sleep and waited until morning.
