It is just a fact that everything is difficult when you have children. Like bathing a cat, or holding on to a lively puppy, children manage to wiggle away and run in the least convenient direction. This trip was different, however. Either the kids were all genuinely excited about going camping or the stars were magically aligned to get them out of the house when they needed to go. Even the morning ritual of getting them all ready for the hike went smooth.

“We’re all going to need this if the heat keeps increasing.” Robert hands the sun block to his oldest daughter, Cora, while squinting at the sun in the sky.

“If you let me have my tablet, I can look at the weather forecast.” The pleading tone in her statement makes him smile and shake his head.

“No internet until tonight. Please help the others put the sun block on, I’m going to make your mom some breakfast.”

“Is she coming with us?” Elizabeth asks excitedly.

“Of course she is. You don’t think I can handle all of you on my own, do you?”

The kids all jump up and down cheering their mom’s inclusion into this hiking trip. The soft sounds of nature in the morning have all vanished into the din of exuberant noise the five children produce.

When Tanya emerges from her tent, she is bombarded by the rushed hugs of her kids all wanting to be the first to say good morning. She struggles to wade through the flood of children pressed around her in order to make it to the picnic table where Robert is making the eggs and smiling at her.

“Dad told us we had to let you sleep!” one of them states accusingly of their father with a round of agreement coming from the others.

“And I’m glad you listened to him.” She groans a bit while picking up their youngest, Gabriel. “I was up late finishing an assignment.”

Tanya is taking online classes for a masters in nursing administration.

“Now I know why you grabbed the sunblock from the tent, it’s already baking out here.”

“Dad won’t let me look at the weather forecast!” Cora complains

While Tanya eats, the kids explore the campsite they didn’t get to see last night during their arrival. Robert keeps an eye on the kids over Tanya’s shoulder as they sit across from each other at the table and enjoy being out of the city for a while.

“How did you get them ready so quickly?”

“They’ve been up for a while, but honestly, it wasn’t all me. I didn’t have to struggle with them to get dressed and ready. I’m as surprised as you are that they are ready to go. Cora has been helping out a lot also.”

“How are you feeling? You were up as late as me, and I’m sure you woke up when they did.”

“I’m all right. It felt a bit strange waking up with the sun this morning, but the newness of the area is keeping me fresh. I’ll sleep like a log tonight, but right now, I’m ready to get on the trails.”

“I don’t know how you do it.”

“Denial. I keep my mind and body in complete denial on the amount of sleep they actually need.”

*

Hiking feels great. The family is following a series of well-made trails through the mountain terrain, but it still feels like each of them are getting lost in the wilderness. At least they are losing the regimentation of living in the city. The feeling of solitude is amplified by the fact that the trails are largely empty today. In the ninety minutes they have been hiking, only three other groups passed them on the trails, two couples and a family with a teenage boy. On normal hiking outings, they are passed on regular intervals by other hikers that aren’t slowed down by five children the way Robert and Tanya are.

Cora stops on the trail and kneels down ahead of everyone. “Mom, Dad, I don’t feel so good. I think I’m starting to see things.”

Gazing around at the sky, the trees and flowers along the trail, everyone is bewildered. “It’s not just you, Cora, I see it too, everything has a blue tint to it.”

“Robert, listen.”

“I know. Something’s wrong.”

The world falls into silence with the arrival of the blue tint. The birds, the insects, even the wind seem to have vanished from the planet and the dead silence filling their ears causes the hair on their necks to stand on end.

This silence, like all horrific periods of calm, is broken by a piercing scream in the distance.