Fantasy Search and Rescue

[SkyChild]

"Well, we signed up for this. Wish for the best, expect the worst, and you can never go wrong. I'd like to hope we find Marine in one peace and we safely lead her out, but I'm prepared to be wrong."

"Yeah, i think the same way. I really don't want to discover a dead body on my first day already." He let out a sigh and watched the circle of light from his flashlight on the ground moving slightly to the left and right as he walked between Hazel and Max.


They had one mile to hike. It's not much, but the difficult part was yet to come. Finding Marine wasn't going to be easy, so he might as well enjoy the calmness while it lasts. Well, at least he tried to. He still had a bad feeling.


"Still, this is an awesome introduction to the job so far, not gonna lie." He said addressing both Max and Hazel, distracting himself from the eerie atmosphere. Hopefully they'll find her soon. Preferably unharmed.

 

[Vespertide]

By the looks of everyone else in the car, Hazel was the only one actually excited to be going on this rescue. Nate, sitting besides her, smiled and told her:

"Geez, "I'm so excited!" is written on your forehead!"

Hazel just bobbed her head. "I really love hiking. The trees will be beautiful this time of year, and I bet we will find that girl safe and sound, too!"


Though, it was a bit strange that a 20 year old would run off by herself. A four year old? Sure. But Hazel assumed that she must have been hit on the head, confused. Oh well. It was their job to find her, and they were going to do it. There was no question of that in Hazel's mind.


The truck stopped, and Nate got out first. All the rookies piled out, and Hazel walked ahead of everyone. Cole said that they had a mile to hike, and Hazel was glad for the exercise. Nate caught up to her, and Hazel was happy that she had made a friend.


Make that two friends, Hazel thought as Max walked besides Nate. The three of them walked together, enjoying the scenery. Max and Nate chatted a bit, but Hazel wasn't really listening.

"Still, this is an awesome introduction to the job so far, not gonna lie."

Hazel looked at him, brushing some brown curls out of her face. "I agree. Learning on the job was definitely a great way to start out. So why did you guys become rangers? The money?" Hazel joked.


Off to her side she caught a flash of something dark, but by the time she looked at the area of the forest that had moved, it was gone. She could've sworn she saw something...


Hazel shook her head, and turned back to the guys, listening to their responses.

 

[Assailant]

Once again, the routine Max had practiced time and time again flashed to the forefront of his mind. "Too many people have been hurt before. I want to stop it," he said, flashing a smile her way. He wasn't technically lying, he just wasn't telling the whole truth.

 

[Vespertide]

"Too many people have been hurt before. I want to stop it," he said, flashing a smile her way.

Hazel smiled back, but his answer bothered her. "Then why not a doctor, or a foreign aid worker? It's not exactly our job to save people's lives every day. Is it?"


Hazel asked in a sarcastic tone, but she was actually curious. Sure, she realized that becoming a ranger meant that they would rescue people from time to time, but it had to be a little more than that, right? Like watch wild life, care for wounded animals.


She turned to Nate. "What about you, Nate? Why did you become a Forest Ranger?"

 

[SkyChild]

"What about you, Nate? Why did you become a Forest Ranger?"

"The money? Well, of course it's part of the reason i joined." He paused, thinking about how to put his history behind joining the Forest Rangers into a short summary. "Welp, my love dumped me, i was depressed, moved all the way down here from Florida to get some distance from that place, realised i need a job, and found this. Figured this helps my soul a little. So me being a little wimp, i thought that i could distract myself by helping other people. Their smile makes me smile. Sounds cheesy, but it's true." He chuckled a little, pulling the collar of his jacket up. "So why did you join the Forest Rangers, Hazel?"

 

[Assailant]

Max chuckled. "Well, at least you're honest. Everyone joins any job in part for money... well, except me." Max nods. "To be honest I couldn't truly care less about the money."

 

[SkyChild]

"To be honest I couldn't truly care less about the money."

Nathan raised an eyebrow. "Really? I mean, helping people in distress is probably the main reason for all of us to participate here, but not caring about payment? You have to subsist on something, too." Max was a mysterious individual. If that was his opinion; fine, but he seemed to be very secretive. Well, that was alright. He doesn't have to tell them anything. They knew each other for... 2 hours, maybe?


Still, Hazel and Max were very sympathetic to Nathan. New friends? Possibly. Maybe he should invite them to have a coffee someday, or whatever they'd like to drink.

 

[Assailant]

Nathan raised an eyebrow. "Really? I mean, helping people in distress is probably the main reason for all of us to participate here, but not caring about payment? You have to subsist on something, too." Max was a mysterious individual. If that was his opinion; fine, but he seemed to be very secretive. Well, that was alright. He doesn't have to tell them anything. They knew each other for... 2 hours, maybe?
Still, Hazel and Max were very sympathetic to Nathan. New friends? Possibly. Maybe he should invite them to have a coffee someday, or whatever they'd like to drink.

"I care about the money like the average person cares about food," he said with a thoughtful face. "I need it, but as long as I have enough to get by I don't care. I don't need more." He thought a bit more about if it was a proper analogy, then nodded in acceptance.

 

[Vespertide]

Hazel listened to Nate's short story, and tried to smile in sympathy, but honestly she couldn't. Not after what she had been through. But Nate seemed like a nice guy, so maybe the girl was a jerk. Either way, it wasn't her business.

"So why did you join the Forest Rangers, Hazel?"

Hazel laughed. "Well, funny story actually. I have a two-year-old at home, and he found a US Forest Rangers billboard. He pointed to the thing and shouted, "Look Mommy, a bear! Graaah!" And I decided to check it out, for him. Turns out, they had job openings, so I applied and, well, here I am."

"I care about the money like the average person cares about food. I need it, but as long as I have enough to get by I don't care. I don't need more."

Hazel nodded in agreement. Though she was surprised at first how much children cost. She loved Danny to bits and pieces, but boy oh boy was he expensive. She definitely needed this job. The pay was great, compared to the fast food place she had been working at before, where the wages were a joke and she wasn't treated well, expecially when she became pregnant...


Those first four months...


Hazel blinked, stopping in her footfalls. She pretended like she was staring at a flowering plant growing on a tree. But she was actually worried; it wasn't like her to have this many flashes in one day... Maybe it was just the stress of a new job, new environment. Yeah. That probably was it.


She smiled at the guys, and pointed to the flower. "It's so beautiful up here!"

 

[Assailant]

"You're right, it is..." His mind immediately flashed through any mythological creatures he knew of that attracted someone before harming them. He didn't know exactly what this forest held, but he DID know it was beyond explanation. "Every rose has its thorns..." he said to himself before realizing he spoke out loud. He coughed a bit. "I mean... it may be beautiful, but this place is dangerous. That's the reason this is a job."

 

[Vespertide]

"Every rose has its thorns..." he said to himself before realizing he spoke out loud. He coughed a bit. "I mean... it may be beautiful, but this place is dangerous. That's the reason this is a job."

Hazel shrugged, continuing to hike with them. "Yeah, I guess. But that doesn't mean we can't enjoy the scenery a bit! Sure roses have thorns. I'm just glad thorns have roses."


In the corner of her eye she saw another brown flash through the woods. This time it was more distinct, definitely something large, too fast for a bear. Hazel whipped around, staring into the surrounding woods. But whatever had moved out there, it was gone now. She turned back to the guys.


"Uh, did you guys see that?"

 

[SkyChild]

"Yeah, I guess. But that doesn't mean we can't enjoy the scenery a bit! Sure roses have thorns. I'm just glad thorns have roses."

Nathan grinned. Hazel seemed to be a very happy person. She made the best out of her life. You don't see people like her very often.


Suddenly, her facial expression changed very quickly. First she was smiling, and a second later she looked like she just saw a ghost.

"Uh, did you guys see that?"

Nathan frowned and looked around, unsure what she meant. "See what?" He asked, not in a disbelieving, but in a curious way.


Come to mention it, the strange feeling he had grew stronger the deeper they walked into the forest.


Still, that wasn't going to keep him from doing his new job.


"It probably was a squirrel or something."

 

[Vespertide]

((Waiting for @ayezombie ))