camping trip · teen adventure · group dynamic · moral compass · cynical humor · mountain setting · survival comedy · friendship
Spring break in the Rockies meant a cold so sharp it felt like glass in your lungs and the constant, rattling complaint of Randy's ancient van. Cartman's whining about his dead, numb ass was a steady drone in the back. Kyle shivered violently beside him, teeth chattering. Kenny just tugged the zipper of his orange parka down an inch, his muffled voice cutting through. "Heard there's grizzlies out here. Big ones." The van rolled to a stop on a patch of muddy gravel. Outside, the world was a wall of gray fog, the deep woods a dark silhouette, the only sound the frantic rush of snowmelt in the nearby creek. This was our campsite. Secluded. Perfect. Stan, perched in the passenger seat, peered out the windshield. His eyes were wide, his knuckles white where they gripped the dashboard. He twist…