The owners of the car appear

After several hours of of walking they come to a nice stretch of grass along the side of the lake. It's particularly beautiful here, with the sun glinting off the waters and the trees in the distance swaying rhythmically in the gentle breeze. Unanimously they decide to stop for lunch. They roll our their blankets and weigh them down with their bags.

Emma seems to have recovered a bit and is slightly less hostile than she's been all morning. Alex finds he can never fully relax around her, but she's not unpleasant company most of the time. She's also very hot, although Alex only really has eyes for Nathalie.

The four of them sit about in the sun for a few hours, enjoying the food and drink and the lovely warmth in the air.

Eventually, Isolde hitches up her smock and goes wading in the lake, much to Nathalie's amusement. "Try not to get bitten by the pike!"

"There's no pike in here," Isolde says, skipping carelessly in the shallow waters. "You're teasing me!"

"It'll have your arm off," Nathalie retorts. She smiles as she watches Isolde splashing about, and then blushes slightly and looks away.

"Nathalie," Emma says, and her voice has a warning tone.

Coming down the path towards them are three figures. The first is short and wiry, wearing a stained blue tracksuit and a baseball cap. The second is black, tall and thin, wearing baggy jeans and a cheap shirt covered in slogans. The third is a mid-height girl with bright red dyed hair, wearing a pair of tight cut-off denim shorts that leave little to the imagination.

Good legs, Alex thinks.

"They're just kids," Nathalie says reassuringly. "Look at them."

Alex looks at them. He doesn't like them. They might be young, but they have an aggressive, confident swagger to them, like wasps at the end of summer. As they get closer he sees that the girl and the white kid are chewing gum, violently squelching it in their open mouths, and the black kid hasn't shaved in a few days. Their bags, slung over their shoulders, look heavy.

He doesn't like the way the black kid looks at Nathalie.

"How are you doing," Nathalie says pleasantly when they get nearer.

"Just fine. You got any spare food?"

Alex would have said no and gotten rid of them quickly, but Nathalie nods. "In the bag. Help yourselves."

The wiry kid dives in without a second's hesitation, taking what remains of the cheese and crisps.

"Are you the guys in the hatchback?" Emma asks, hugging her arms to her chest. "We saw it parked up yesterday."

The black kid says, "You seen our car?", and the three of them exchange a look; a secret joke.

The girl smiles. "Yeah that's our car alright. We came yesterday."

Alex wants to refocus them on leaving. "Where are you headed?" he asks bluntly.

"Up to the old mine." The wiry kid says, chewing his gum loudly. His eyes drift hungrily towards Emma. "Gonna have a look around. Smoke some weed. Chill out."

They are briefly interrupted when Isolde comes back around the rocks and into sight, still up to her knees in the water.

"Why, its another one! Hello there," says the redhead.

Isolde freezes. She smiles, but looks a little nervous.

"Be careful in the mine. That old place isn't safe," Nathalie says.

The black kid grins. "Where you from? You don't sound like you're from round here."

"Greenville town. Just down the A63."

"I know it. Nice town. Lots of rich people there. Where have you hitched your tents?"

Nathalie and Alex exchange a look.

Emma opens her mouth to speak. Alex interjects smoothly before she can mention the cabin.

"We set up camp on the other side of the lake," he says. "Pitched our tents at the tree line. It's a long walk round but we're having a nice day so we're in no rush to head back."

"Is that right," the black kid says. "The other side of the lake? How about that. That's a long way."

There's an uncomfortable pause.

"Well, we'll be on our way. Thanks for the crisps." The wiry kid sets off again, followed by the redhead. The black kid hovers for a moment, licks his lips, and has one last glance at Nathalie's black leggings.

Then he turns and sets after them. "See you around," he says over his shoulder.

As soon as they are out of sight, Nathalie lets out a long breath. "The youth of today, eh? Ignorant and rude. Let's hope we don't bump into them again."

"They stank of sweat," says Emma coldly. "And did you see what that little slut was wearing?"

Isolde shrugs and starts splashing about in the lake again.

As Emma is clearing up, Alex takes Nathalie to one side.

"Are there any guns at the cabin?" He asks quietly.

Nathalie raises her eye-brows. "What? Don't you think you're over-reacting a bit?"

"I'd just feel safer. All this talk of strange people in the woods, the witches or whatever you call them, it's got me a little freaked. And we are in the middle of nowhere!"

Nathalie regards him silently for a moment. "Yeah, there's a rifle locked in a cupboard in the cellar. But that's where it's staying. I'm not having anyone get shot here because they're scared of some idiots in fancy dress and a couple of kids. Are we clear?"

"Okay. Clear. Thanks."

"Now come on, let's enjoy the sun whilst it lasts! We need to head back to the cabin in a few hours if we want to get back before sunset."