*Hazel's POV*
The first crack of thunder made the RV shudder like a living thing. I jumped, nearly dropping the bowl of mac and cheese I was preparing for the kids' dinner.
"Just a storm," I said, more to reassure myself than the children scattered around the small space.
Leo looked up from the book he was reading to Milo. "Doesn't feel like just a storm."
He was right. There was something unnatural about the sudden darkness, the way the clouds had rolled in black and thick within minutes. The air felt heavy, charged with something beyond ordinary electricity.
"Maybe we should call Sera," I suggested, glancing out the window at the swirling darkness.
Pip, the toddler, whimpered from her seat at the tiny dining table. Her little hands clutched her stuffed rabbit tighter, eyes wide with fear.
"It's okay, sweetie," I said, setting down the bowl to stroke her curly hair. "We're safe in here."
