Eyes Wired Shut

Hutch drove the car to a stop at the edge of the brush, the engine's rumble fading into the serene sounds of nature. He looked at the sign accompanying it on the left, the wooden marker weathered and partially covered in moss. He pointed, 'That's the trail to the cabin.' I leaned forward, using the front seats as leverage, 'Does that mean the challenge starts now?' The excitement in my voice was palpable. Wade, who was sitting in the passenger seat, turned and recorded me with his high-tech camera, its lens glinting in the dappled sunlight filtering through the trees. 'No, man. It starts when we make it up to the cabin.'

Jason, sitting in the backseat next to me, nodded in agreement. 'Yeah, guys. We can't fake this challenge. Five days, not four days and twenty-two hours.' Hutch sighed, leaning back into his seat. 'Fine by me, I'm used to surviving without electricity for months at a time.' His tone was casual, but there was a hint of pride in his voice. Wade pointed his camera at Hutch, capturing the moment. 'Oh, what a tough guy we got here. Anyways, I'm going to get a shot outside the truck, but first...' He looked at me with a grin. 'Aaron, sit back in the seat. I'm going to get a celebratory picture.' Corny, man, but I get it. Wade placed the camera down softly on the dashboard, then took out his phone. We all squeezed into the frame, smiling wide. He snapped a picture, the flash briefly illuminating our faces. This challenge can be fun, too.