The morning sun slowly crept through the windows of Ray and Kate's cabin, thin beams of light stretching across the wooden floor and climbing up the walls.
For the first time in the past two days, the cabin was quiet well into the morning.
Neither of them had woken up before dawn.
Neither of them had been dragged out of sleep in the middle of the night by noise, arguments, or chaos from the camp.
Everything felt unusually calm.
Ray was still lying on his bed, half wrapped in his blanket, the sunlight now reaching the edge of his pillow.
Across the room, Kate was still asleep as well, the room filled only with the soft sounds of slow morning breathing and the distant noises of the camp beginning to wake up outside.
Kate was the first one to open her eyes.
The morning light hit her face almost immediately, making her squint slightly as she blinked a few times to adjust.
For a moment she just lay there quietly, still half wrapped in her blanket, trying to remember where she was.
Then the memories from the night before slowly started coming back.
She gently yawned, stretching slightly under the blanket as the last traces of sleep slowly faded away.
She turned her head and looked toward Ray's bed.
He was completely out.
His blanket was half tangled around him, his arm hanging lazily off the side of the mattress, and there wasn't the slightest sign that he was even close to waking up.
Kate watched him for a moment.
It would be sad though.
I want him to wake up.
As if someone had heard her thoughts, Ray shifted slightly on his bed.
His arm moved first, then he rolled a little onto his side.
After a few quiet moments, his eyes slowly opened.
Ray blinked a few times, still waking up, before his eyes drifted toward Kate's bed.
He noticed immediately that she was already awake and looking back at him.
A small grin appeared on his face.
"Not the worst view to wake up to," he said.
Kate quickly tried to hide the smile that was creeping onto her face, turning her head slightly away.
"Shut up," she muttered, though she didn't sound nearly as annoyed as usual.
Ray shifted slightly under the blanket, then pushed himself up from the bed.
"I'm gonna shower first," he said casually.
Kate looked at him as he stood up, watching him head toward the bathroom.
A moment later, the door closed and the sound of running water filled the cabin.
Kate lay back against her pillow, staring up at the ceiling.
Is he…?
She frowned slightly.
He must be… right?
A faint warmth spread through her body before she could stop it.
Why is it making me feel like this…?
She turned onto her side, pulling the blanket a little tighter around herself.
The sound of the shower continued steadily.
Kate closed her eyes for a moment, trying to push the thoughts away.
Get a grip…
But the feeling lingered.
Her breathing slowed again after a few moments, though the warmth didn't disappear completely.
She lay there quietly, listening to the water, letting the moment pass.
Eventually, the sound of the shower stopped.
A few seconds later, the bathroom door opened.
Ray stepped out, running a hand through his damp hair.
Kate shifted slightly on the bed, pretending she had just been resting.
"You okay?" he asked.
"Yeah," she said quickly. "Just tired."
Ray nodded and walked over to his side of the room, grabbing a T-shirt and pulling it on before sitting down on the edge of his bed.
Kate watched him for a moment before pushing herself up.
"My turn," she said, grabbing her clothes and heading toward the bathroom.
"Try not to flood the place," Ray said lazily.
Kate rolled her eyes but didn't respond as she stepped inside and closed the door.
The sound of water returned a moment later.
Inside the bathroom, Kate leaned lightly against the sink for a second before stepping into the shower.
The warm water ran over her shoulders, washing away the last bits of sleep.
She exhaled slowly, letting herself relax.
But her thoughts drifted again.
Why is he getting in my head like this…?
She shook her head slightly, letting the water run over her face.
"This is ridiculous," she muttered quietly.
She focused on the simple routine instead, rinsing her hair and washing off quickly, keeping her movements steady and controlled.
After a few minutes, she turned off the water and stepped out.
She dried herself, got dressed, and took a breath before opening the door.
Back in the room, Ray was sitting on his bed, scrolling lazily through his phone.
He glanced up when she walked out.
"Alive?" he asked.
"Barely," she replied.
Kate moved back to her bed, brushing her hair back over her shoulders.
For a moment, neither of them said anything.
The quiet from the morning still lingered between them.
Ray stretched slightly, then looked over at her.
"So," he said, "what's the plan today?"
Kate glanced at him, a small smirk forming on her face.
"No idea," she said. "But knowing this camp… something stupid is definitely going to happen."
Ray chuckled.
"Yeah," he said. "Sounds about right."
The sunlight had fully filled the cabin now, the calm of the morning slowly giving way to the energy of a new day.
And neither of them had any idea what was coming next.