tortilla and handing it to me. “There was sausage, but you slept too late and I ate it all!” The other brother
chuckled.
“Thanks for saving me some.” Annoyance was clear, though I was surprised he had actually cooked anything
for me at all. I rolled up my burrito and moved to gather the things I needed to set up my tent. I saw Anna with a
sausage link skewered on a plastic fork chatting with her dad. This frustrated me a little, though I couldn’t tell
you why.
I carried my things away from the rest of the camp, maybe about one hundred yards, then began to prepare my
site. Having been camping for so many years, my dad had taught me his perfect way of setting up a tent. At
first I thought it was silly and too much work, but after a weekend spent sleeping on a very awkwardly shaped
rock digging into my back, I learned the merits of his preparation scheme. As I worked I got the distinct
impression that I was being watched—that feeling of the hairs on the back of your neck standing on end. I
never did see anyone.
Shortly after finishing, just enough time to get my stuff squared away and get changed into swimming trunks
and a tee shirt, I heard Mark and Anna approaching with conversation about setting up her tent. They stopped
about ten yards away behind a thick group of trees. He was telling her something about her being cold if she
sets her tent up this far from the fire. She just laughed at him. I wondered if they knew how close they were to
my tent. It seemed they hadn’t noticed me.
I crept forward, silently into the trees and watched them. They did nothing in the way of site preparation, just
threw the tent down on the ground once it was standing and staked it in place. Even from my poor vantage
point I could see she was going to be sleeping on some pretty brutal rocks. Poor girl.
I finished my stalker session ahead of them and walked back to camp with my fishing gear and book. I
informed my father that I was going fishing up the canyon a ways and I assured him that I would at least check
in around noon. I set off to my spot, a deep fishing hole about a half mile up the canyon. Before I got too far
from the camp I heard Mark calling my name. I considered ignoring him, pretend I didn’t hear him if it came up
later. Sighing, I turned towards his voice and called out to him. After a few back and forth calls I find him and
Anna walking up. Anna was in a plain white bikini that did well to accentuate her lithe, but unmistakably girlish,
figure with a see through white tee-shirt over top a few sizes too big. She carried a pink fishing pole and a
small pink tackle box. They both looked brand new, and I could even see a price tag hanging from the reel.
“Hey, do you think Anna can go fishing with you? We have to head back into town and get some supplies.”
Remember the ice chest and soda? Yeah my Dad just found out what they had brought and was having a
small fit about it. I think it’s a control thing personally. “I think she’d just be bored if she came with us and your
brothers have already taken off on their bikes.” My brothers had a pair of dirt bikes they spent all their time on