Secrets 2: Looking Through Different Eyes - 17. Chapter 17 S2

Chapter 17 – Summer Vacation Begins

After we discovered that we’d been invited to join the Fitzpatricks for a cookout, Devin stayed downstairs to call his dad to let him know he was planning to spend an extra day with us. He also confirmed that his parents were going to join us for the Fourth of July celebration, and once that had been taken care of, Devin came up to my room as I was getting ready to leave.

Since Devin’s swimsuit was packed with his other belongings in the SUV, I offered to let him use one of my old swimsuits instead. My mom had washed and folded them before she put them in the bottom drawer of my dresser, in case we needed them for company later. I believe she had my cousin Ben in mind when she suggested this, but one of those swimsuits will come in handy for Devin now.

After Devin tried on a couple of the swimsuits, he chose the one he preferred, and then I dug out my swimsuit and we each grabbed a towel to take with us. We were both excited about doing this and had no doubts that Rory and Jaxon were just as excited about this as we were. They both liked hanging out with us, since they each got a blowjob every time we were together, and they’ve even started to reciprocate and have given us fairly decent blowjobs as well. Due to this they weren’t the only ones to benefit from our visits, and for that reason the idea of a cookout looked very promising.

“I’m also excited about doing this,” my mom stated, “and it will work out very nicely for Brenda and me as well. Liam and your father will be doing the cooking on the grill, and since you boys always help with taking the other items outside, Brenda and I will be able to spend a little time just sitting back and relaxing for a change.”

“But don’t you two have to fix the other dishes for the cookout?” Devin asked.

“Yes, but I’ve already done that, seeing we’d be able to use those items whether we go to the cookout or not, and I’m certain Brenda prepared a few dishes in advance as well. I’m looking forward to having a couple of drinks and chatting with her while the men are manning the grill.”

When it was nearly time to leave, my dad asked Devin and me to grab the cooler, which he and my mom had packed with various items earlier, and we carried it out to the SUV. We had no trouble doing this for him and tossed our swimsuits and towels on top of the cooler as we took it outside.

Rory and Jaxon greeted us at the door and they seemed truly happy to see us again. I know Devin and I felt the same way about being with them, so after we set the cooler down we traded hugs, and then we picked up the cooler again and carried it to the kitchen. After that, we walked out to the patio so we could say hello to their parents and chat with them briefly.

“We’re glad you all could make it,” Liam said. “Our boys have been bugging me about getting the pool ready so we could invite you over again, and they even volunteered to help me with that chore as well. I must warn you, though, that the water might be a little chilly.”

“That’s ok, I’m sure we can stand it for a little while,” I replied.

“I’m so glad you could do this with us,” Jaxon enthused. “Me and Rory were a little worried when your dad told our dad that you were going to be really busy this summer and you had quite a few other plans.”

”Yes, we’ll be going with Devin’s grandfather during the month of June so we can learn about his business, but we should be back in time to celebrate the Fourth of July with our parents. After that we’ll be going with Devin’s parents out to their cabin for a couple of weeks, and when we return we’ll be going on vacation with my parents for two more weeks. And then shortly after we get back from doing that, we’ll be leaving for our junior year (third year) at CSU.”

“We’re glad you’re able to squeeze us into your busy schedule, since we always enjoy spending time with you guys,” Rory added.

“And we all know why,” Devin teased in a whisper after glancing over at our parents and realizing they were chatting with each other at the time and not listening to us.

“Yeah, that helps too,” Jaxon admitted in a hushed tone while also giving us a sly grin.

“Ok, let’s go get changed then,” I urged. “As you probably noticed, we brought our swimsuits and towels with us, but I’m sure you’re more focused on what will happen before we put them on.”

“Yeah, we’ve been waiting to do this ever since last summer,” Rory and Jaxon confirmed.

Devin and I took care of them before we headed out to the pool, and then we stayed in the water or sat on the edge of the pool and talked until we were called to eat. We merely dried off and went to join our parents for lunch, and after we finished eating, we helped to do the cleanup and put things away. After that, then we played Cornhole and Jarts against both sets of parents, and shortly after the last game ended, Rory, Jaxon, Devin, and I decided to go back in the pool again.

“We challenge you guys to a game of two-on-two basketball in the pool.”

“Ok, but how the hell can we dribble a basketball in the water?” Devin demanded. “And you guys will have a huge advantage since you’re taller than us.”

“First of all, you don’t dribble the basketball,” Rory answered. “It’s kind of like a cross between water polo and basketball in that regard. You can swim and push the ball forward while protecting it or you can pass the ball or shoot, and being in the pool will negate our height advantage so it will be fairer.”

“Ok, we’re game then,” I replied after getting a nod from Devin.

We then followed Rory and Jaxon out to their garage so we could retrieve two plastic kid’s basketball hoops and the small basketball that went with them. After Rory had placed the first hoop at one end of the pool, Jaxon placed the second hoop at the other end, and then we were ready to play.

It turned out to be a lot more fun than we first thought it might be and we had a blast. We did this until our parents called us to have supper with them, and this meal was slightly different than what we had for lunch. There were not only different meat choices, but there were different side dishes as well, and everything was just as good. As soon as we finished eating those items, we wound up by enjoying the strawberry shortcake their mom had prepared for dessert.

After we’d devoured our dessert, we went up to their rooms again, and this time Rory and Jaxon performed oral sex on Devin and me. I’m still amazed that neither set of parents ever wondered what took us so long when we were in the house, both before and after we’d spent time in the pool. Hopefully, they merely think we’re talking about different topics, such as how we’d done in our classes during the past year or our plans for the summer and the future.

When we returned to the patio, Devin and I said goodbye to their parents as we prepared to leave. Before that happened, however, Mr. Fitzpatrick asked a question.

“Would you boys like to do this again next weekend, before you go on your trip with Devin’s grandfather?”

“That will be kinda difficult, since Devin will be returning home tomorrow so he can spend some time with his parents. He’ll be with them until he drives back to pick me up so we can go on the trip.”

“Then maybe you can do it when Devin comes back to pick you up.”

“We’ll have to see how it works out, timewise that is, after he talks to his grandfather about exactly when we’ll be leaving.”

“Ok, then we’ll leave it an open invitation for you to do this with us again.”

Rory and Jaxon then walked us out to the car, while their parents stood in the doorway saying goodbye to my parents.

“I hope we’ll get to do this again,” Jaxon told us as he and Rory gave each of us a hug.

“We do too, but it will depend on when Devin’s grandfather wants to leave.”

They all waved at us as we were leaving, and shortly after we arrived back at the house, we all agreed to turn in for the night. It was a little earlier than we’d normally go to bed, but Devin and I were tired after the workout in the pool. My parents, on the other hand, wanted to be certain they got plenty of rest before the next day, because they had a few things planned to do with us in the morning. After that, they’d be getting their clothes and other things ready so they could return to work on Monday, as well as doing a few other chores that they had to take care of around the house.

After we had breakfast the next morning, my parents took us to play miniature golf. Devin and I challenged them to play against us, since they’d both done so well the previous time we’d played on this same course. Of course, at that time they’d been competing against Liam and Brenda Fitzpatrick, while Devin and I played against Rory and Jaxon, but we thought it would be fun. In a way, Devin and I kinda wished we’d invited the brothers to join us today, but if we had it would have been very hurried and we wouldn’t have had time to do anything else with them. That’s because Devin was going to head home almost immediately after we finished up at the go-kart track.

Playing miniature golf against my parents proved to be a very close match, but Devin and I ended up beating them when my mom missed a critical putt on the final hole. We all tried to make sure she didn’t feel badly about doing that, but we needn’t have worried. Thankfully, she didn’t take the challenge nearly as seriously as Devin and I had, and my dad was just looking at this outing as something fun to do. We were all glad he felt that way as well.

Now that we’d finished playing miniature golf, my parents took us out for lunch, and then we headed over to the go-kart track so Devin and I could race on the high performance karts again. My parents were giving us plenty of leeway, because they didn’t want to interfere with our private competition. And just as had happened the previous time that we’d done this, Devin and I were very evenly matched as we maneuvered around the track and the race was just too close to call in order to determine a winner. That was fine with us, though, and this time we didn’t argue about who’d beaten whom, which made my dad very happy.

When we returned to the house, Devin thanked my parents for the fun weekend, and then he loaded the items he’d used while he was with us into the SUV. Once he had put everything inside, we all said goodbye to him, but I walked out to the SUV with him so I could say a special goodbye. I wanted to give him a very passionate kiss and affectionate hug before he took off, and we ended up doing that for several minutes. When we finally felt that we’d done it long enough, Devin hopped into the driver’s seat and backed out of the driveway, and I waved at him until he’d driven out of sight.

Since my parents were busy doing chores around the house, such as the laundry, fixing meals, doing minor repairs, and yardwork, I spent some time unpacking the items I’d brought home with me. While doing that, I formed my own pile of clothes to wash, but I decided to do it tomorrow, so I wouldn’t interfere with what my mom was doing. As soon as I finished unpacking, I went outside and helped my dad by mowing the lawn, so he wouldn’t have to do it.

After dinner, I helped to clear the table and did the dishes, and then I watched a movie on TV with my parents until we all went up to bed.

Besides doing my laundry the next day, I spent time doing some research online and trying to see how much information there was on the Old Ozark Treasure Cave. I found quite a few articles about a treasure cave, although it didn’t actually refer to the same one I was looking for. This left me unsure if they were the same thing, so I had a lot of questions to ask Gramps and Pops when we joined them.

Doing my laundry and the research had taken up most of the day, and then I went out to the kitchen to see what I could use to prepare supper. I ended up making spaghetti and meatballs again, along with a salad, but there wasn’t any garlic bread in the freezer to go with it. However, I found a tube of Pillsbury dinner rolls in the refrigerator, so I put them on a cookie sheet and placed them in the oven, and they would have to do this time. I knew my dad wouldn’t be totally satisfied with this meal, since I couldn’t find anything I could use to prepare a dessert and I didn’t have a car so I could pick something up.

Of course, my mom smelled the food the minute she walked through the door and beamed in recognition of what I’d done. After giving them time to freshen up a bit, we sat down to eat.

“Dad, I’m afraid there isn’t any dessert tonight. That’s because there was nothing in the house that I could use and I didn’t have a car to go get something.”

“That’s ok, so don’t worry about it.”

“I’m glad you’re not upset, but can I borrow the SUV after supper so I can run to the grocery story and pick up a few items for the rest of the week? There isn’t a lot here that I know how to prepare for supper and I want to be able to fix supper for you and mom while I’m here.”

“Certainly, and I’ll even give you my credit card to pay for everything,” he added with a grin.

I made a trip to the store and picked up everything I’d need to make meals for the rest of the week, and when I returned home I put it all away until it was needed. Once that was taken care of, I went in to clear the table and do the dishes, but I realized my mom had already done those things, so I apologized for not doing them before I left.

“That’s ok, dear, you did enough before you left and it’s obvious that you intend on doing even more this week.”

Convinced she wasn’t upset with me, I went into the living room with my parents and watched TV with them until we went upstairs to go to sleep.

The rest of the week went about the same way, although during the day my research revolved around other topics. First, I looked to see what else I could find out about the Ozarks, because I thought any additional information I could discover might come in handy while we were searching for the cave. The next day I did research about which types of wolves and other animals lived in the Ozarks, to see what we might be up against and what I needed to be prepared for. And then the following day, my research was interrupted when Devin called.

“I just wanted to tell you when I’d be coming to pick you up and to let you know that we won’t be able to have another cookout with the Fitzpatricks before we leave.”

“Why not?”

“Because I’ll be coming to your place next Wednesday and then I’ll spend the night there. We’ll head to the cabin on Thursday, because Gramps and Pops want to leave first thing Friday morning. I’m sorry that we have to do it like this, but Gramps told me it’s the only day the flight crew will be available to fly us to our destination.”

“Flight crew?”

“Yes, the pilot, co-pilot, and a stewardess. He told me she’ll be there to tell us about the cabin of the jet and to make sure we’re buckled in and following all of the safety precautions.”

“Ok, I understand now, but I’m a little disappointed that we won’t be able to get together with Rory and Jaxon again. Even though I’m sad about that, I’m just as excited about going on this trip and hopeful that we’ll be able to find the cave and the treasure.”

“Yeah, me too.”

Over the weekend, my parents took me out to see a movie at the local cinema complex, and they also took me shopping. They felt we wouldn’t have much time to do that when I returned from the trip with Gramps and Pops, and spending two weeks at the cabin, as well as going on vacation with them.

I was thrilled when Devin returned to pick me up, and then he spent the night with us as well. We had dinner with my parents, and it was another meal that I prepared, but I’d made plenty since I knew Devin was going to be with us. After we ate, we spent time watching TV with my mom and dad, and during a commercial they asked if we wanted to get up early the next morning so they could take us out for breakfast before they went to work. We thanked them for the offer, but told them we wanted to sleep a little later than that and then we’d just stop and pick up something along the way. As soon as the show ended, we all went upstairs so we could go to bed.

When Devin and I awoke, I grabbed the duffle bag that I’d packed for the trip. I realized I wouldn’t need a great deal, because we’d be spending most of the time roaming the area as animals. However, I’d want clean clothes to wear on the way back, as well as if we decided to go anywhere else before then. I imagine they might want to do that if we finished up early or if the weather turned bad before then, because we had a set date and time for the jet to return to pick us up. .

Devin said we were going to spend the night at the cabin, and then Gramps and Pops would pick us up in the morning so we could catch our flight to Arkansas. That was fine with me, since I enjoyed being with his parents as well.

Ma and Pa were both at the cabin when we got there. They’d both taken the day off so they could spend a little time with us before we left and we spent time chatting with them before, during, and after supper. I ended up answering many of the same questions for them that my parents had asked me and Devin when we first arrived home. After that, we talked a little about what my parents had planned for the Fourth of July, and since I hadn’t asked my mom and dad about that, I couldn’t tell Ma and Pa very much. I merely told them it would probably be about the same as the other times we’d all spent the holiday together, and they seemed satisfied with my answer.

While Ma was fixing supper later, Devin and I got Pa alone so Devin could ask him for a favor. “While we’re away, would you be willing to take my SUV and have the rear and back windows tinted so they’re ‘one-way privacy windows’? That would allow me to transition in the back seat, instead of us constantly having to find someplace where I can do that.”

“Sure, and I know just the place to have it done. It will only take a couple of hours for the shop to do, it will only cost a couple hundred dollars, and it will be ‘cured’ before you boys get back.”

“That would be great. Thanks, Dad.”

“Yeah, thanks, Pa,” I added.

Devin and I went to bed early that night, because Pa told us that Gramps and Pops would be picking us up around sunrise so we could catch our flight. We said goodnight to them before we turned in, and then Devin and I made love before we fell asleep. We did this because we had no idea when we’d be able to do it again, since we’d be spending most of our time as animals.

We were surprised to see Ma and Pa up when we went downstairs after the alarm on my phone went off, and Ma made breakfast for us so we could eat before Gramps and Pops arrived.

“You didn’t have to do this,” we told Ma.

“I know, but Aaron and I want to eat with you and then see you off on your trip.”

We hadn’t quite finished yet when Gramps and Pops pulled up in front of the cabin, so they came inside to chat with Ma and Pa until Devin and I had finished our breakfast. They also allowed us time to brush our teeth and use the toilet, and then we grabbed our duffle bags and tossed them into the back of the SUV as we took our seats behind Gramps and Pops. As soon as we were all set, we took off for the airport.

During the ride, Devin and I asked Gramps and Pops a lot of questions, because there was a whole bunch of things we wanted to know.

“First of all, why are we flying this time instead of just driving there?” I asked.

“That’s a very good question and there ere are several reasons for doing it this way,” Pops replied. “First of all, we thought you boys would enjoy flying on a private jet and not having to spend all that time riding in Jacob’s SUV again. Another reason is that the drive to New Mexico was only about 450 miles (724 km) long, while a drive to Arkansas would be around 970 miles (1,561 km). Besides the length of the drive, when we went to New Mexico we knew we’d need the SUV in order to get around on the reservation while you were training with the shaman. However, that won’t be the case in Arkansas, since whatever vehicle we use will be parked most of the time we’re there, because we’ll be roaming the Ozarks as animals.”

“Ok, those are all good reasons and it explains your reasoning, but now I have another question. Are we really taking a private jet, or was that just something you had me tell my parents.”

“No, we’re really taking a private jet,” Pops confirmed. “It belongs to a company that Jacob and I do business with on occasion and the CEO lets us use the jet whenever we have to travel out of state, as long as his company doesn’t need it at the time.”

“Wow, it must cost him; I mean the company, a fortune to let you do that.”

“Yes, I imagine it does, but we make it up to him by not charging the company when he asks us to do a job.”

“Ok, then that works out for both of you, but I still have some other questions to ask as well, so I hope you don’t mind.”

“No, go right ahead.”

“Well, I was doing some research online while my parents were at work and I found some information about an Old Spanish Treasure Cave in the Ozarks. Is that the same place that we’re supposed to be looking for or is it something different?”

“The owners of that cave claim it’s the same thing, but they’ve never actually found much treasure in the cave. Most of the items they discovered there were some old helmets, pieces of armor, and an assortment of weapons that are consistent with what the Spanish conquistadors may have worn or used. The only treasure they found there were some old gold and silver coins, but those things aren’t consistent with the back story about the cave.”

“What do you mean?”

“What I’m getting at is that the story doesn’t coincide with the facts. If the Spanish actually stole the treasure from the Native Americans and the Native Americans were chasing them to get it back, then I doubt it would have included any coins. As far as I know, the Aztecs, Mayans, and other tribes didn’t use coins, so I’d imagine the treasure the Spanish hid would have consisted of gold and silver jewelry and golden ceremonial objects. However, none of those things were ever found in that cave, so it means one of two things. Either there was no treasure stolen or that particular cave wasn’t the correct one, and I’m hoping it’s the latter. If that wasn’t the correct cave, then it means we still have a chance of finding the right cave.”

“Does this mean you think there really is another cave where the Spanish hid those things?”

“Yes, because both the Spanish and the Native Americans have told very similar stories about that particular incident, so I’m sure there must be some truth to it. However, it doesn’t mean it was a large treasure and it may have only been a few sacred objects that the Native Americans wanted to get back. It’s just that I don’t want you to get your hopes up that what is still hidden is going to be worth a fortune, even a small fortune. Not only that, but if there is a treasure hidden somewhere else, then finding it is going to be as difficult as finding a needle in a haystack.”

“I take it you mean it will be very difficult to find, if not impossible.”

“Yes, and since I assume you’ve never seen a haystack before, let me explain a few things to you about them. Before farmers started baling the hay after it had been cut and raked, they used to pile the hay that had been cut into haystacks. Doing this allowed the hay to dry out and to avoid collecting any more moisture that would cause it to get moldy, because that could have made the animals eating it very sick. Just out of curiosity, have you ever seen a drawing of haystacks in a fairy tale, such as Little Boy Blue, Baa Baa Black Sheep, or even The Ugly Duckling?”

“Oh yeah, I have, so I know what you’re talking about.”

“Good, then you must realize that the hay was stacked about five or six feet high (152-183 cm), so think of how difficult it would have been to find a sewing needle that had been accidentally lost in one.”

“Yeah, that would have been really difficult, unless you got pricked by the needle when you were trying to find it or if you had a really strong magnet.”

“Well, you won’t get pricked by the treasure and I’m not sure there’s a magnet powerful enough to help us find the cave with the treasure in it, so it’s going to be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to locate.”

“I guess this means you’re warning me that we may not find what we’re looking for.”

“That’s correct, because there are many caves throughout the Ozarks. Some of them are large, while others are much smaller, so finding the correct cave will be a challenge and probably take a long time to locate, even if we have more than our share of luck in finding it. You have to realize there’s a great deal of land that we’ll have to cover as we look for the cave, and who knows, maybe someone else already discovered the treasure a long time ago. They could have even melted the objects down into smaller pieces so no one would ever know they’d found it.”

“Yeah, I guess you might be right about that, but there’s always a slight chance it’s still out there and we’ll still be able to find it, and that’s what makes this so exciting.”

“Yes, I suppose it does.”

“And Devin mentioned that you told him we’re going to transition into red wolves in order to look for the treasure. Is that what you’re still planning on doing, because I read something during my research that might change your mind?”

“It’s what I was originally thinking of doing; until I learned about the reason why there were no longer any red wolves in the Ozarks. A friend informed me that it’s because hunters often misidentified the red wolves as coyotes and then killed them. For that reason, I think it would be prudent for us to transition into gray wolves instead and search the area that way. I feel it will be safer, since gray wolves are considered an endangered species in Arkansas and they’re illegal to hunt. Unfortunately, it doesn’t mean there won’t still be a few hunters that will try to kill them anyway.”

“Are gray wolves considered an endangered species in Missouri as well, since we might be crossing the state line between Arkansas and Missouri?”

“Yes, gray wolves are considered a Federal Endangered Species south of Interstate 80, so we should be fine. The states where gray wolves are currently being hunted and killed are located north of that particular Interstate, but like I said, it doesn’t mean there won’t be some people hunting them illegally.”

“Yeah, ok. I guess we’ll just have to be very observant.”

“Yes, and you must utilize your other senses as well, such as the sense of smell and hearing as a wolf. It is imperative that you use more than just your eyes.”

“Ok, I will, but do we need to stay wolves the entire time?”

“No, at night we’ll find a safe place where we can transition into ourselves so we can discuss what we’d observed earlier in the day. There’s a chance that you boys might notice something that Jacob and I have missed, and we might want to check it out. It will also give us a chance to discuss our plans for the following day.”

“So, how soon are we going to transition into wolves?”

“Jacob will find a nice secluded spot to park, and then we’ll wait until dark before we undress. We’ll leave our clothes in the vehicle we’re using and Jacob will lock it up, and then he’ll hide the key before we transition. Don’t forget that I will be the Alpha wolf and Jacob will be the Beta, so keep an eye on us and watch for our signals as you follow our lead. Remember that we have to act as a pack, not as individuals.”

“Does that mean we’ll always stay together as a group?”

“We will stay together most of the time, but if Jacob and I think we might be able to speed up the process by splitting into pairs, then you’ll go with me and Devin will go with Jacob.”

“Yeah, I figured you wouldn’t let me and Devin work as a pair, since we’d probably get lost.”

“You don’t have to worry about that because you’ll always be with one of us.”

We ended our discussion when we arrived at the airport. I expected we’d be flying out of one of the major airports, but we were at a small local airport where the company kept its jet. The jet was impressive looking, although it was a lot smaller than anything I’d ever flown on before, and Devin and I followed Gramps and Pops to get on board. The pilot, co-pilot, and stewardess all greeted us when we arrived.

“Welcome aboard. I’m Captain Jack, your pilot, and this is my First Officer and co-pilot, Tony. The stewardess’ name is Jan, and we’re going to do everything we can to make sure you have an enjoyable flight.”

“Thank you,” I replied, “but what kind of jet is this?”

“It’s a Cessna Citation CJ3 and its equipped to accommodate 7 to 8 passengers, so you’ll have plenty of room, I believe you’ll also find the seats to be very comfortable, and once we’re in the air you’ll be able to remove your seatbelts and move around the cabin. If you have any questions, feel free to ask Jan and she’ll answer them for you. You may also pop your head into the cockpit to say hello to Tony and me and we’ll tell you whatever you want to know about flying this baby.”

The stewardess then gave us a quick tour of the cabin and explained the rules we’d have to follow. The interior was a lot nicer and more spacious than I expected, and the seats were nothing like any of the seats I’d ever sat in when I flew with my parents. They might be like the seats in First Class, so this was an amazing experience for Devin and me.

After we knew where everything was and understood the rules we were required to follow, the stewardess told us to choose our seats and buckle in so we could take off. Gramps, Pops, Devin, and I chose the four seats that were facing each other so we could talk, and I sat next to Devin with our backs to the cockpit, while Gramps and Pops sat side-by-side facing us.

As soon as we were allowed to move around the cabin, Devin and I went up to the cockpit to chat with the Captain Jack and Tony and they explained what we wanted to know about flying the jet. It was very interesting, but we’d never be able to take over, not even in an emergency, so we hoped nothing unexpected happened before we reached our destination.

The flight wasn’t very long and we landed at another small airport near our destination. There was an SUV waiting there for us to use, and after we tossed our gear inside, we took off.

“What are we going to do now?” Devin asked.

“We’re going to drive part way to our destination and then we’ll stop to eat. You might as well order whatever you want and enjoy the meal, because it will be the last food that you’re accustomed to for quite a while. What I mean is that we’ll be eating like wolves for the rest of the time we’re here.”

“Yeah, I guess I kind of figured that,” Devin replied, and I nodded in agreement.

“And I’m glad you’ll be with us,” I added, “otherwise we might starve. I’m not sure Devin and I will be very good hunters and able to take care of ourselves without you two around, since we’ve never had to do anything like this before.”

“I’m sure you’ll learn how to do it before we return home.”

After riding in the SUV for about an hour, Gramps and Pops treated us to an awesome meal, but I refused to refer to it as our last supper as humans until we returned from our treasure hunt. I didn’t want to say it that way because it sounded like a Biblical reference and I didn’t want to jinx our venture or place even the slightest shred of doubt in any of our minds.

We weren’t going to get a motel room for the night, because we were driving directly to our departure point so we could transition and begin our adventure. Even though Pops informed us that Gramps would be leaving the vehicle in a secluded spot, I don’t think I could have ever expected where we were going to end up. I’m sure there aren’t many places that were more remote and secluded than where we left the SUV, and I’d have chosen to describe the area as desolate, and not merely as secluded. After we got out of the SUV, we all undressed, and then we waited until after Gramps had hidden the key before we transitioned.

Devin and I followed Pops and Gramps brought up the rear. I think they did this to make sure that neither Devin nor I wandered off and got separated from the group. They didn’t have to worry, though, since I believe Devin and I were too afraid of getting lost to do anything like that.

We continued to follow Pops until it got dark, and then he found a location were we could transition and chat briefly. It was truly an auspicious start, so I hoped the rest of our time here would go just as well.