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	The cheerful August sun sat low in the sky, beaming down upon the lonely white sedan that bumped along the dirt roads running parallel to Pic River. The northern shore of Lake Superior was in full bloom. The lush green pines intermingled with the standing elms and proud oaks shrouding the mountains in a blanket of forest green. Wild flowers populated the fields and valleys, while tiny pebbles washed back and forth on the lake’s gentle shoreline. The car seemed so out of place in this world of natural beauty, bouncing and jolting across the uneven path. Eventually it scrunched to a halt, its old breaks squeaking ever so slightly before the engine spluttered and died, casting the woodlands once more into peaceful silence. The vehicle’s doors popped open a moment later and two figures stepped clear. The first was a young boy by the name of Samuel. He was a sandy haired youth of fifteen years and he possessed an excited air, and beamed brighter than the sun above as he rushed about to the rear of the car, popping the trunk. He was followed by a large chocolate lab named Jake, who which barked happily, rushing off to sniff the trees. The third was clearly the boy's mother, a middle-aged women of similar hair and complexion, but unlike her son’s khaki shorts, sandals, and good cheer, her own dress and high heels and anxious expression betrayed her clear discomfort in their current environment.

	Joining her Samuel around the back of the car she tried to help by grabbing ahold of a yellow plastic bin, with a tape label sealed to the top, with the words: [b][i]’Tent/Fishing/Cooking’[/i][/b] inscribed upon it. She gave a valiant effort but soon surrendered, moving out of the way so Sam could lift the crate clear, setting it down with a thump on the grass beside two others.
	
	“There’s not a lot of people here.” She said at long last, as Sam finished taking the last of his camping gear from the trunk. He grinned back at her, his arms full of disassembled fishing lines.

	“I know right, isn’t it great?” He bundled the poles down next to the crates, making a show of staring up and down the abandoned beach. “People are scared of bears for some reason, so it’ll pretty much just be us and the park rangers out here all week. I saw a few tents on the way up, but it looks like the direct shoreline is completely clear.”

	“I suppose, it’s just, your friends aren’t here.” She worried. It was true, Samuel’s five friends had yet to arrive, and by her watch they were starting to be a little late. Their scenic surroundings contrasted poorly with her worried attitude. Where Sam saw a picture perfect camping spot, she saw danger and lonesome hills for miles around. “Maybe I should stay, just for a little while, so we can be sure they know the right spot. I wouldn’t want you out here on your own for six days…”

	“They know where to go, besides, I've got Jake.” Sam reassured her, glancing up the road as if he expected a line of cars to just appear around the bend at any moment. “We went over it like a hundred times. They're just late, it’s a long drive after all, we can’t exactly account for that. Which reminds me, [i]you[/i] don’t want to be late for your flight.” The implication was enough to convince her to start leaving, but she fretted for a few moments more anyways. Grasping at straws and excuses to remain a couple moments more. At last she grasped Sam by the shoulders and planted a kiss on his cheek, ruffling his sandy hair. Sam dodged away from her, embarrassedly wiping away her kiss and smoothing out his hair. He was used to these sorts of affectionate displays from her, but she somehow always managed to catch him off guard. At least his friends weren’t around to witness it like usual.

	“Stay safe, and if you have any problems at all find a park employee and call Mr. and Mrs. Wynn, they’ll be closest. And don’t you dare touch one of that boy's cigarettes, or anything else you would be embarrassed to tell me about. Don’t give me that look, I’ve seen Duncan with a packet in his pocket before, I'm not blind. I’ll be back here Monday to pick you up. So be ready. And-”

	“Alright, I’ll remember. Bye now mom, see you next week.” Sam waved her farewell, cutting off her instructions which were liable to go on for several minutes. He ushered her into the car, closing the door for her and everything in a series of not so subtle hints, requesting her absence. “I’ll be fine, I promise. What could go wrong?”

	His final words to her struck at her heart as she brought the car’s engine roaring into life. She drove away, watching him wave and disappear in her rearview mirror. She could think of so many things that could go wrong, oh so many things.
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