The singing echoed through the pines – haunting melodies that seemed to wrap around the campsite like fog. None of us moved, frozen in place as the voice grew closer.
"Who's there?" Andre called out, his grip on my hand tightening.
The singing stopped abruptly. A moment later, a woman emerged from the trees – older, with long gray hair braided with pine needles and wearing a dress made of woven leaves and fabric scraps. In her hands, she carried a basket filled with wild berries and herbs.
She wasn't the same man we'd seen earlier.
"Please... don't be afraid," she said, her voice soft but strong. "I'm Aling Marta. I live in a cabin just up the mountain."
Charmine hid behind Jeffrey, but he gently pulled her forward. The woman's presence felt different – not threatening, just... ancient.
"You're the ones who found the totems," she said, looking at each of us in turn. "My grandson put those there. He means no harm – he only wanted to warn you away."
"Your grandson?" El-John asked cautiously. "The man in the black hoodie?"
Aling Marta nodded, sitting down by the edge of our fire. "His name is Kiko. This land has been in our family for generations. We protect it from those who would destroy it... and from the things that live here when the moon is full."
Gian leaned forward, his artist's curiosity getting the better of him. "What things? The drums we heard earlier – was that you?"
"No, child," she said, handing around berries from her basket. "Those drums belong to the Mountain Guardians. They wake when the moon is full to walk the paths between worlds. If they find strangers here after dark..." She trailed off, shaking her head.
Alliyah moved closer to Gian as she took a berry. "Is that why no one camps here anymore?"
"Many have tried," Aling Marta replied. "Some left in the morning with no memory of what happened. Others... never left at all."
Benjamin paled, looking at Lisha and Mae who were holding each other tightly. "What can we do? Our vans are broken – we can't leave tonight."
The old woman studied our faces, then sighed deeply. "There is one way. You must perform the Ritual of the Pine to show you mean no harm. But it requires all of you to work together – no secrets, no lies. The Guardians can sense when someone is not being true."
As she spoke, Kiko emerged from the trees and stood beside her. He still didn't smile, but his eyes were softer now as he looked at us.
"I'll help," he said quietly. "I didn't mean to scare you earlier – I just wanted you to be safe."
Aling Marta explained the ritual: we'd need to collect specific stones from the river, weave crowns from pine branches, and speak our true intentions for coming here. Most importantly, we'd have to stand together in a circle around the fire as the moon rose.
"Let's do it," Jeffrey said firmly, taking Charmine's hand. She didn't pull away – instead, she laced their fingers together.
We split into groups to gather what we needed. Gian and Alliyah went to find the right stones, their hands occasionally brushing as they searched the riverbed. Alliyah laughed when Gian almost fell in, and he caught himself by steadying his hand on her shoulder – neither of them moved away for a long moment.
Jeffrey and Charmine worked together to weave the pine crowns. He showed her how to bend the branches without breaking them, and she taught him how to weave in small wildflowers she'd found. "My lola used to teach me this," she said softly. "She loved the mountains too."
Andre and I collected dry pine needles for the fire, while El-John, Lisha, and Mae cleared a space for our circle. Benjamin helped Kiko prepare the offerings – placing berries, herbs, and clean water in small wooden bowls.
As the sun disappeared completely and the full moon began to rise over the mountain, we gathered in our circle. Each of us wore a pine crown and held a stone from the river.
"I came here to celebrate our friendship," I said first, my voice clear in the quiet night.
"To make memories we'll keep forever," Andre added, looking at me with warmth in his eyes.
One by one, we spoke our truths. Gian admitted he'd come to find inspiration for his art – and that he'd already found more than he'd hoped for, glancing at Alliyah as he spoke. She blushed but smiled back.
Jeffrey said he'd come to face his fears of being alone – then squeezed Charmine's hand, making her smile through her tears.
When everyone had spoken, Aling Marta and Kiko stood at the edge of our circle as the drums began again – but this time, they sounded welcoming, not threatening. The moon rose higher, casting silver light over our circle, and we could see shapes moving in the distance – tall figures wrapped in shadows, but they didn't come closer.
"They've accepted you," Aling Marta whispered. "You're safe tonight."
We let out a collective breath we didn't know we'd been holding. As we sat back down by the fire, Kiko finally smiled – a small, genuine curve of his lips.
"But we still have work to do," he said. "Your vans won't fix themselves, and dawn will bring new challenges."
Alliyah leaned her head on Gian's shoulder as he wrapped a blanket around both of them. Charmine rested her head on Jeffrey's chest while he stroked her hair. Even in the face of uncertainty, our group had grown closer – bound not just by fear, but by trust and something more.