Nighttime Basecamp

Heading back toward the entrance as night fell, my legs gave me a clear signal: duty could pause for the evening. Underneath the slatted wooden park bench, half-tucked behind a curved iron leg, sat a discarded cardboard tea box, completely dry and resting on the gravel. I crouched down, ducked under the bent lid flap, and pulled it shut from inside. The scent of dried peppermint filled the snug cardboard cavern, and peering through a dime-sized tear in the corner showed the lantern light stretching across the empty path. Bunker secured, and this time, bedtime came with a leafy roof.