30
Lily
Lily slung the light backpack she kept in her trunk off her shoulders. It was one of her favorite resting points on the gentle mountain. She sniffed at the air.
A campfire? At Northgate?
That wasn’t right. The only legal fire areas were down at the barbeque pits, but there was no denying the smell. She focused on steady breathing and climbed up onto the old fallen log that offered the best, but dangerous, view of the surroundings. Lily clung to a sturdy branch and leaned out over the precipice. Below her, flames and black smoke climbed skyward.
“Oh my God,” she said under her breath.
Shit, how could I not notice that? Am I really so all up in my own head that I don’t notice a freaking fire?
She reached for her phone, though she knew it was pointless. There was no service, an
