Uphill. Again. Kay was not sure how long it had been and how far his group had gone, but with the help of Michael—finally lifting the bag from behind him like it was the lightest thing in the world—he was able to walk uphill with less difficulty. His knee and palms stung a bit, but they were bearable. He was just relieved that he wasn’t carrying the backpack on his own, he didn’t get lost, and that Michael was with him.
They had been walking up the trail for more than ten minutes, when they suddenly overheard footsteps and voices by a curb. Kay panicked at first, thinking they were angels, but then he saw flashlights and heard them calling out his name. He knew who one of them was before they even came in sight. He would recognize that voice anywhere.
“Looks like there’s a search party
