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their campers, drove by seeing him sitting there in such a state. But it didn’t really matter to Joe anymore. His own life meant nothing. All he had left was this park. And like everything else in his life, the park was burning down to cinders.

8
    S tew was the first to pull up, driving the jeep he’d been given for his sixteenth birthday. He’d had some good times behind the wheel of his “Muff Monster” as he called it. He and the Monster drove up and down the Oregon coast, picking up women with little effort. It had been his ride to the prom, his transportation to Yellowstone, and now his little party wagon around the park. Being one of the few employees at the park with a vehicle made him a valuable commodity. Someone the ladies wanted to have around. Most of the other employees were either bused in or driven by family members. And, as always, Stew was the life of the party. He looked at Sonia in the passenger seat and gave her a wink.
    “Thanks for giving me a ride,” Doug said from behind Stew.
    “Stew doesn’t mind.” Marco gave Doug a hard slap on the back. “Sorry your piece of shit car died in the parking lot.”
    “You’re telling me. Now I have to get it fixed.”
    “I think you should just roll it into the canyon.” Sonia laughed.
    “That would be cool and all, except the car belongs to my father. If it comes back with even a ding, he’s going to kill me.”
    Stew looked up into the rearview and looked Doug right in the eyes. He shook his head, wondering how they’d ended up befriending such a loser. But being around a total marshmallow like Doug made him look all the sweeter. Stew pulled up to the site and killed the engine, hopping out of the jeep with a loud yell of enjoyment. He came around the back of the jeep and unloaded the sleeping bags.
    “This is most of your shit you know,” Stew told them, tossing the gear on the ground. “Janice is here.”
    Doug got out of the car and watched Rowena pull up, parking behind them. He didn’t want to stare too long, but it was hard to look away. She stepped out of the truck wearing jean shorts and a small shirt that showed off her tight stomach. Doug hurried around to the back of the jeep and unloaded his contribution to the little campout; three twelve packs of beer thought to be Rowena’s favorite. He figured if his personality wasn’t charming enough for her to be swayed, he’d try again after she’d had a good share of booze. A cheap tactic, but he’d take whatever he could get. He was competing against guys with washboard stomachs, like Stew.
    “The party has arrived,” Janice yelled as she jumped out of the truck, holding a bottle of vodka up over her head.
    “Hell yeah it has,” Marco muttered, looking her up and down. “Hey girl, let’s pop the cap and have a drink before we hit the pots.”
    Marco walked to the back of Rowena’s truck and grabbed their gear, two sleeping bags and an overnight bag. Tents weren’t necessary when the weather was so nice, not to mention the awesome star gazing. Marco set the gear down with strategy, placing Janice’s sleeping bag next to his and Rowena’s next to Doug’s. He knew the fat bastard didn’t have a chance in hell of scoring, but he figured he could throw the chubby bitch a bone. Marco opened his own bag and took out three joints, lighting one for himself, while passing off the other two to Stew.
    “Love it. Marco brought the party favors.” Stew slipped one into his mouth and the other into his pocket. “Let’s get this show on the road.”
    Armed with towels, the group of six made its way through the woods, following the trail that had been made by the numerous employees that had walked it before them. They left their sleeping bags and cars behind, knowing full well no one would mess with them. There was a certain level of respect in the park, a creed campers followed when they came across another person’s site. Not that they really had anything worth stealing.
    It was a