Soulmates

27

"Are we ready to go to the caves?" Sam asked as we all grabbed our stuff again. "Yep!" I said as Ki snorted. "Do you have any other irrational fears? Like caves?" She teased as I rolled my eyes.

"Nope. Just fish and people named Ki." I said and stuck my tongue out at her as she rolled her eyes playfully.

"I probably deserved that one." She said as we went down the trail again. "You definitely did." I said and nudged her with my shoulder.

"Uhh...are there snakes here?" Kat asked nervously as she clung onto Sam. "Yeah, so just watch where you're walking." I said as we walked towards the entrance of the caves.

"Woahhh." Ki said as we slowly ventured in. "These are so much cooler than any other cave we've had been to." Colby said and looked up.

"Don't pick up any rocks or anything. That's where snakes hide." I mumbled as I brushed my hand along the cave walls.

"Vi." Colby said causing me to turn towards him. I noticed she was taking pictures of the cave and of me. I smiled at him, keeping my back slightly to him while he took a picture. "Perfect." He said as chuckled and looked forwards again.

"Which way?" Sam asked as we reached a fork in the path. "Right!" Kat said and pointed. "Good enough." Sam said then led the way. "Do you think it's safe to be in here?" Ki asked as I shrugged. "Well, we haven't died yet so I think it's all good." I said then looked at Justin.

"So how did you get roped into the shenanigans that is Sam and Colby?" I asked as he changed the battery for the camera.

"A friend of a friend. I'm really glad they're letting me tag along. This has been the best year of my life." He said with a grin. "I bet, you guys have done so many things. How many things has it been? Nineteen?" I asked, recalling how many videos I've watched.

"This will be twenty, yeah." He said with a nod. "Which was your favorite?" I asked and ran my hand along the rocks again.

"I think scuba diving. That one was so fun to do but it was also challenging." He said as Colby and Ki came over. "Look what I found!" Ki said and held out a tiny rock.

"Wait, let me see?" I asked and held my hand out. When she handed me I spit on it, then rubbed the dirt that was caking it.

When I wiped it away it revealed a clear white crystal. "Holy shit! What is that!" Ki said as I handed it back. "I think it's clear quartz." I said as she gasped and held it up to the camera.

"Heh, I'm a better treasure hunter than Sam and Colby." She said as Sam and Kat screamed.

"What happened?!" Colby asked as he instinctively grabbed my hand, pulling me behind him. "Bats!" Sam yelled as he and Kat ran past us.

My eyes widened as a flock of bats came emerging out of the cave ahead of us. "Run!" Colby yelled then ran, pulling me along with him. "Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit!!" Ki yelled as she and Justin followed quickly.

We all ran until we were art the entrance of the main cage again.

"That....was....terrifying.." Kat huffed out between her deep breaths. "There were....like a hundred....of them." Sam said as he panted. "I found....a crystal." Ki said as I breathed a laugh, bending over at the waist trying to catch my breath.

We stood there for a while, before we went back into the cave and went to the left when we got to the fork. We spent the next hour exploring the cave before we reached an opening at the end.

"Woah..." I breathed out as I walked to the edge so I could see the clearing in front of us. It honestly looked like we were in a movie. You could see the river below us and the sky looked as if it was going on forever.

"This is beautiful." Colby mumbled next to me. "Yeah. I feel like this isn't even real life." I said quietly. "We should take pictures." Kat said as she and Sam came over.

"Oh for sure." Ki said as Justin recorded some b-roll with the drone. "I got you guys." Ki said then took Kat's phone so she could take pictures for Sam and Kat.

"I wish I could live up here... with this view." I said quietly and rested my head on Colby's shoulder. "You've always been a nature girl, huh?" He asked as I hummed.

"It's just so effortlessly beautiful. Nobody is around to fuck it up." I said and leaned up to look at him. "You're really special, V." He said and turned me to face him. "And why's that?" I asked and smirked at him.

"Because you can find beauty in anything. You don't feel the need to take pictures of everything, you just live in the moment." He said as I smiled. "I really should start taking pictures though...I never want to forget any of this." I said and looked down.

I felt my heart sink at the thought of my grandma. I knew she was the same way I was when she was my age. My mom would tell me stories about how she was a rebellious teen who would sneak out of the house and go on adventures with her friends.

She was so full of life.

Until she forgot everything.

"Hey, you're okay." Colby whispered and wiped a tear off my cheek. "Sorry, yeah. I'm okay." I said with a reassuring smile as he cupped my cheek and kissed me.

"Aw!! That ones so cute!" Kat chirped causing Colby and I took look over where Ki was taking our picture. "You took a picture of us?" I asked with a small laugh as she turned the phone for me to see it.

Colby and I were silhouettes as we kissed, the sun setting behind us creating the perfect portrait.

"It's beautiful." I said as Colby kissed my cheek. "Thanks, Ki." He said with a smirk as Justin finished filming what he needed to.

"We should probably get back before the sun fully sets." Sam said as I nodded. "Yeah, as much as I'd love to fight another mountain lion..." I said as everyone laughed.

"Can we put the tents closer together? I don't like having you guys be so far away." Kat said as we made our way back to the campsite. "Yeah, we can also split up in different ways." Sam said as Ki linked her arm through mine.

"I call bunking with Violet!" She said as I laughed. "No fair!" Kat yelled as I laughed. "I've never had people argue over me before." I said with a laugh and laced my fingers through Colby's.

"Yeah yeah, she's mine though guys." Colby said causing me to laugh. "Sorry guys." I said with a shrug. "You guys are disgusting." Ki said as we got to the campsite. "Yep. Get used to it." I said and stuck my tongue out at her.

When we got to the site we set up a fire and started cooking dinner.

"We may need to go back to civilization tomorrow to get more food. That's not cheating right?" Sam ask as Colby shrugged. "No, we are still camping and stuff we just can't die from starvation." He said as I sat in his lap.

"Can we get stuff to make tonka pies?" Ki asked as I scrunched my brow. "What in the Midwest is that?" I asked with a laugh. "Their like...pizza sandwiches but you make them in the fire. You can make them sweet or savory. My parents would always make them with my sisters and I when we went camping." She explained.

"Sounds like fun!" Kat said as Sam cooked the hot dogs. Once they were ready we ate dinner then sat around for a while.

I wanted to look at the stars but it has been overcast two nights in a row. I looked up at the sky and sighed, feeling disappointed.

"Sorry you can't see them." Colby said quietly. "It's no biggie...maybe tomorrow." I said with a smile then put my hand on his cheek. "I'm tired anyways." I said then turned towards the tent.

We decided that Colby, Ki, and I were going in one tent. Justin, Sam, and Kat would sleep in the other one. We moved the tents so they would be right next to eachother in case something happened.

"Alright. No fucking unless I can be included." Ki said as I laughed. "Goodnight Ki." I said then cuddled into Colby as he wrapped his arm around me.

"Night! Love you guys!" Ki said then turned off the lantern.

As I drifted off I thought about how lucky I was to be here and how happy I was that I decided to join them.

I couldn't wait to see what other adventures we were going to get into.