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[at-l] *Fiction, Part7*
I wanted her to be from anyplace on the planet, but Paris. I looked at my
Lipton meal for a good long while, chewing occasionally. She seemed to be
going about her business, so I tried to finish eating. I had to choke
down the last few bites, as my stomach was again having a fit. I did my
dishes and got my side of the shelter cleaned up for the night.
The sky was clear now. I sat on the picnic table out front and watched
the orange sky behind the shelter. Two young deer ran across the meadow
in front of the shelter. Things seemed calm, but my head was rattled. In
less than 24 hours my proposed 3 week hike was essentially ruined. The
most upsetting part was that I couldn't figure out what was going on. I
was getting to the point that I expected the next thing to happen to be
more bizarre than the previous.
As the Sun hid behind the Earth, the air became much cooler. I decided to
use the last of the twilight to get water for the next day. I got my
water bottles and purifier together and told my humming shelter-mate I'd
be right back. I followed the trail down to the water, thinking about my
options for the next day, and the weeks to come. I was greeted at the
spring by the white-wave of the deer's tails as the sprinted back across
the meadow, snorting with every step. Nothing quite like nature to settle
ones nerves.
I gathered up my three water bottles and filter, wondering if the water
was any better because of it. I dropped, as I always do, one of the
bottles and kicked it into the briars. You can always find a reason to
cuss, if you want to. It was pretty close to dark when I got back to the
shelter. As I came around the corner, I was again surprised by what I
saw. The shelter was empty.
Now, I don't just mean that she was gone. I mean her gear was gone. Very
unfortunately, I also mean MY gear was gone. I walked around the outside
of the shelter to see if I could see any sign of her, or anyone, or
anything. It was dark in the shelter, so I climbed in to feel around and
make sure. I again kicked one of my water bottles. In the same corner
that had earlier housed my stove, I found a tightly-rolled bundle of
something. I knew it wasn't mine. I went back to the edge of the shelter
floor.
I sat down and let my tired legs swing. The cold temps were causing my
muscles to tighten, and the aches and pains became more noticeable. I
cupped my face in my hands and put my elbows on my thighs. My face began
throbbing, reminding me of the wound I'd received earlier in the day. I
looked across the now black meadow and wondered what my next move will
be. I was completely stunned.
I had no light, no food, no cloths, and no gear. I knew that there was
supposed to be a bed and breakfast in the area, but I didn't know the
area. There was no way I was going to go looking for something in the
dark, with no flashlight. The only positives I could find was that I had
water and a bundle of something. I decided that she had left the bundle
for a reason. I climbed to the back of the shelter to see what was going
to keep me company for the night.
--
Felix
It ain't much, but try http://members.tripod.com/~Felixhikes/index.html
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