It was dark. Moonlight was our guidance; the stars were our directions. The sound of laughter and chatter leaked from inside the house, but we didn’t mind. There were about four of us, and we had a mission. Not one we could define, but we knew we had one.

Scavenged through bushes, attempted to climb trees, hiked on rocks to reach further heights, and ran wildly. Imagination was the best thing for a group of eight-year-old cousins.

Occasionally, our names were called out loud from inside the house. We yelled back, giving them a heads up. Danger wasn’t an issue, for when you were in your own backyard, safety was surrounding you, literally.

Laughter sprung from us, and tiredness caught up to us. This was when we went inside, drank some soda, and ran back out the door for more adventures. Family gatherings are always the best.