Chapter 3 At The Edge Of The Woods

• Chapter 3
• Markous clapped his hands together to get everyone’s attention. The group continued to speak, ignoring that he was trying to get their attention.
• Pierre hands Camile a bag and boots. “Listen up!” He bellows, getting everyone’s attention. “Get your gear and saddle up, I don’t know how long we will have to walk to encounter our campsite.”
• Camile looks at the bag in her arms and asks Pierre, “what is this?” She directs her question to Pierre.
• Pierre glared at Camile, “There is always one in the group.” He smiled at her.
• Camile dropped the boots and bag to the ground and placed her hands on her hips, “Umm, that was kind of rude!”
• Pierre sized her up and down, “you’re the one in the group!”
• Camile huffed, “don’t judge me!”
• Pierre pivoted so that he was able to go back to the truck. “I already did!” His boots hit the pavement with a thud, “Princess you have a choice, stay in what you are in and ruin your fancy garments or switch into more suitable clothing … I don’t care, but I am leaving in four minutes.”
• Camile still had her hands on her hip, “you said five!”
• Pierre started to laugh, “that was a minute ago!”
• Merna waited for Pierre and her to be out of hearing range, “you were being kind of a dick don’t you think?”
• Pierre snorted out the air from his lungs, “I can’t stand spoiled little brats! I gave Steve a list of everything that they will need. He informed me that everyone that was coming was given the list and understood what they would need. The princess over there apparently is nonliterate.” His dislike of Camile was an outward display of his temper.
• Merna laughed, “You say this every time and each time you still take on the rich man as a client. When will you stick to your words?” She spoke just above a whisper.
• Pierre chuckled, “I charge them double the rate.” He smiled widely.
• Merna patted Pierre on the shoulder before he got on his gear. “You’re getting smarter … not by much though.” She glances at the woods, “with this extra money, do you think you could buy a new attitude?”
• Pierre walked past Merna, “Never! What do you sense?”
• Merna glared into the woods, then closed her eyes for a brief moment. “To tell you the truth, I think this is a very bad idea. There is something here that I have never been introduced to … I think this land has been claimed by something that is very territorial and super strong.”
• Pierre and Merna head to the tree line; Bronks is behind Merna. Bronks would begin to whine a few times as they got closer to the trees.
• Pierre rubs behind Bronks’s ear, “he senses something just like you Merna.”
• Emma tromps to where Pierre and Merna are, “what’s wrong?”
• Merna was the first to answer, “Bronks is uneasy with going into the woods, and frankly so am I!”
• Emma looks around, “it is just spooky looking, once Markous has the permit to clear the area, it will look a lot better. With all of the dead trees, it just gives off a bad vibe.”
• Merna takes a deep breath, “no there is more than just the first impression, there is something here that isn’t kind to intruders!”
• Emma snorts in humour, “are you a psychic or something?”
• Merna takes the time to evaluate Emma, “psychic is a term that is overused, plus has a bad reputation. I am a sensitive that can pick up on energies that others do not. Like canines and felines and other animals, they can pick up on things that many humans have forced themselves not to see.”
• Emma didn’t seem fazed by what Merna had to say, “that seems interesting!”
• A tree that was located a couple of feet in front of the group caught Pierre’s attention. “Merna what do you think?”
• Markous grunted out loud, “Steve I thought you said you hired the best survivalist?” He frowns at Pierre with aversion, “for the amount of money you charged me, you better know what you are doing.” He then brought his attention to Merna as she wandered to Pierre, “taking advice from a female!” Markous started to laugh, “this is ludicrous!”
• Merna disregarded Markous’s comment, “this is a bear's marking, it is a forewarning to anyone that goes further into the area. My gut is telling me we need to leave.” she whispered the next part. “It was not made by a bear Pierre!”
• Steve motioned toward Pierre, “I recognize those to be bear markings,” He confirmed what Merna had said. “And judging by the bark growth, it has been here for a long time. So I think any threat of a bear attack is slim to nothing.”
• Markous raises his voice, “Look here …”
• Emma places a hand on Markous’s arm, “maybe we should listen to Merna, she is a psychic medium!”
• Markous glared down at Emma and her hand on his arm. Emma quickly removed her hand. “I didn’t pay for a fraud, I paid for a survivalist,” he narrows his eyes to Pierre, “And you will do your job!”
• Pierre studied Markous, then Merna, “go back to the truck and take Bronks with you.”
• Merna straightens her back, “we are a team, besides who is going to keep you alive? I hardly doubt they will be able to keep you safe!”
• Pierre nodded his head twice, “did you pack your things?”
• Merna smiles sweetly, “I never go camping without them!”
• Markous pulls out a map of the location, “We are going to …”
• Pierre looks over at Merna, “do you have the map?”
• Merna pulls out the map and hands it to Pierre, “I made a couple ... for you and one for me!”
• Pierre motions toward the thicket of the trees, “Let’s go!” He yells at the group, leaving Markous with his mouth wide open.
• Steve yells, “Pierre, should we bring the food?”
• Pierre stops walking and turns to see Steve, “we will find the campsite first. Then, we can leave your sister with the rest of the ladies to set up the site. Then you and I will get the food from the trucks.”
• Markous bellows, “Excuse me!”
• Merna snickered, “oh this weekend is going to be long but I have a feeling we will be having a little bit of fun with this one!” she whispered.
• Pierre smiled, “I thought you could always find the good in everyone?”
• Merna shrugged, “I am still hunting for the good in Markous.”
• “No such luck?” Pierre chuckled
• Merna bounced her shoulders, “not yet! I never thought I would cross paths with someone that I could not find any good in them!”
• Markous rushed over to Pierre, pointing his finger at him, “I paid you way too much for your attitude.”
• Pierre smirks, “Do I look like I work for Mcdonald’s? My attitude is for free, a smile on my face will cost you another grand.” Pierre motioned his eyes to Markous’s finger, “you might want to move your finger rate now!”
• Steve started to bellow with laughter, “Markous you finally might the person that wont put up with your shit! Pierre, I knew you were going to be the best guide!”