Page 53 of Finding His Fox

I decided not to press him any further. Cal seemed to be getting ready to reveal whatever it was he was planning, and I didn’t want to spoil anything.

After a few more minutes of walking, the sound of high-pitched laughter reached my ears.

Kids? I walked quickly, following Cal around the next corner. Finally, I could see where all the commotion was coming from.

There was a sign down the path that said ‘Wilderness Wanderers Camp’.

Beyond the sign were a few small cabins surrounding an open space. About ten, maybe fifteen kids were running around doing different group activities.

Some were seated on log benches around a fire pit. Someone, an adult, looked like they were teaching the kids how to start a fire.

Others were busy on a rock-climbing wall and a rope course. There were even kayaks docked on one side and a small archery range in the distance.

“Here we are,” Cal said, a big smile on his face. “Welcome to my wilderness safety camp for kids!” he announced, pride in his voice.

“Wow,” I said, my eyes widened, looking around with surprise.

Cal came to my side and held my hand. “I wanted to share this part of my life with you. What happened when we were kids, with Shawn… I didn’t want that to happen to anyone else.”

“This is amazing, Cal,” I said, looking around once more at the sight. I continued, “But, I don’t get it. What’s the favor? Where do I come in?”

My heart was pounding as I waited for Cal’s response. Would I have to interact with the kids?

Truth be told, kids and I didn’t mix well. Scratch that—it was mostly me. I wasn’t good with kids, or anything involving them.

The mere thought of talking with kids or being around them sent a shiver down my spine.

It wouldn’t be a stretch to say I was afraid of them. They just seemed so fragile, so impressionable.

Every time I found myself in a situation where I had to interact with a child, I felt like I was tiptoeing through one of those fancy glass stores.

The ones where each item displayed had a little card that read, ‘Fragile: Do Not Touch.’

So many factors could influence how a child would turn out as an adult.

I was afraid that if I said or did anything wrong, it would leave a negative impact on them. Forever.

Just look at how I turned out. An alcoholic father, his untimely passing, and everything in between had shaped me into someone who despised this town and grew cynical about love.

I wasn’t ready for Cal to know all of this, not just yet. So I put on a smile, determined to conceal any hint of worry from my face.

“Most of the kids here are pups, fellow fox shifters. But I want to expand, see whether other non-shifter parents in town are interested in the camp,” Cal replied. He continued, “I was thinking of making a website or some brochures to promote it. That’s where the pictures come in.”

I couldn’t help but feel impressed. “That’s a great idea!” I exclaimed. “Do you have any specific shots in mind?”

Cal paused for a moment, and said, “Not really, just candid shots of the kids doing the different activities here, you know, casual stuff,” he replied. “Anyway, I’ve got to go. Will you be okay? Feel free to explore and take some pictures. I trust your photographer’s eye.”

“Okay, sure,” I replied, hoping Cal didn’t notice how nervous I was.

I took a deep breath, pushing my fears of interacting with kids aside.

I wanted to do a good job with this and didn’t want to let Cal down. I needed to try to push myself out of my comfort zone.

Keeping my distance, I moved around the camp, taking pictures of kids doing various camp activities. Of Cal going around helping and teaching them.

Suddenly, I felt a gentle tug at the bottom of my shirt. Startled, I looked down to find a kid giving me a leaf.

“Can you hold this for me?” he asked. He had the word ‘Mitchell’ sewed on his vest.