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Chapter 2: Starting the Adventure
We started our hike four days ago in Tennessee and decided to do a variety of trails, camping each night and planning to complete them all in four days. Sam had picked the route and we approved them only by his descriptions; but I was more than a little excited about leaving. My boss had been generous with the schedule and allowed me work seven straight days and then make up some more hours by taking extra shifts when I returned. My grandmother had been terrible. I didn’t tell her I was leaving until the day before and she was ticked. There was nothing she could really do anyway, so I just let her yell for a little bit until she had a coughing fit and had to settle down. She’d be alright and I really didn’t care anymore. I still needed her for a place to stay until I could leave for good. If she kicked me out over this, I didn’t really have anywhere to go and I should’ve been more sensitive to her threats; but I really wanted to go on this trip.
My mind drifted through a variety of subjects as we drove over the mountains to Pigeon Forge. We tanked up on pancakes and bacon before meeting an old friend of Sam’s named Dana that lived in the area and who took us to the first trail head, promising to return to the end of our last trail in four days to pick us up and take us back into town. I noticed Dana staring at Sam several times but he never showed any sign of interest in her and I couldn’t grasp what underlying emotional current was flowing between them; but I was fairly certain that they had a somewhat complicated history. She was pretty and fit and someone that I would definitely have wanted to see more of if I were in town. Knowing Sam, he had probably made use of her when it was convenient and tossed her aside as easily as an old pair of shoes. I’d seen him do that more than once.
“So what trails are you guys hiking?” Dana pretended not to care that Sam was aloof but I could sense she was struggling with her composure.
Jake piped up to try to answer the question, failing miserably. “I think we’re going to do Newfound Brush or something like that.”
“You mean Newfound Gap?” Dana’s eyes sparkled as she stifled a laugh.
“Yeah yeah. That’s it. Newfound Gap.”
“Are you heading up to LeConte?”
Mt. LeConte is the third highest mountain peak in the Smokies at 6593 ft high and is the sixth highest peak on the entire Appalachian Trail.
“We are taking the Boulevard over to there and maybe doing Rainbow and Brushy Mountain and as much other stuff as we can fit in.”
I tried to sound as if I knew what it all meant; but I had only glanced at the map, something I would regret later.
“Well, that’s a lot of ground to cover and some beautiful scenery. I hope you have good weather. Brushy Mountain is one of my favorites.” She glanced at Sam and then continued, “Looks like maybe some rain a couple of days from now but only scattered showers.” Dana watched Sam again, but he just continued to work on his pack as if it needed his undying attention.
“Cool,” I answered and immediately regretted it.
Stupid. What a stupid thing to say. Who says ‘cool’ anymore?
Dana looked at me and flashed a smile. Her dark brown eyes seemed to draw me in and I tried unsuccessfully to keep myself together, as I stumbled over my pack and barely kept my footing. She seemed amused at my demeanor while I struggled to seem nonchalant.
“Well, I’ll see you boys in four days at 5:00 PM sharp at the Rainbow Falls trailhead entrance.”
Sam finally turned toward her and gave her a sideways hug as if she were contagious. “Thanks, Dana. See you soon.” He gave his half-hearted fake smile and rolled his eyes at us as he turned away.
Watching her drive away was both exciting and weirdly sad. I still had high hopes and a long list of thoughts to sort out on the trail. There was no way to know at that time that I’d spend most of the next few days thinking how stupid these other two guys could be and the days after that just trying to survive.
My old backpack was not as sleek as theirs and was somewhat bulky in comparison; but I had worked hard to organize the items I’d deemed necessary to take. After tugging on some straps, I was able to get it to sit well and stay put. Jake and Sam were arguing over something and I stood and walked around with my pack, continuing to adjust it until I was satisfied. The parking lot had a few scattered cars and I wondered about the people on the trails and where they were all from. There were several different states represented and it reminded me of a game we used to play when we came here in the good years — the ones before my parents changed. I remember my mom carrying a notepad and she would keep track of all the license plates from all the different states we saw while we were here. On the last trip I remember, we had 38 states, including one car from Alaska. That was 10 years ago now and so much had changed, including my mom and dad.
An old man moved out of the woods and headed right toward where we stood at the trail head. Jake and Sam were busy finishing their last preparations as the old man drew closer. His gait was steady as he glided down the trail with the expertise of one who had been hiking his whole life. In each hand, he carried a pole and I smiled as I thought about how stupid I used to think poles were until I began to carry one myself. My pole was nothing more than a collapsable stick I’d purchased back home before the trip and was my only new purchase. In my younger days when my family used to come here, I had learned the importance of a pole during one of our longer hikes.
“Did you hear about those hikers that’re missing?” The old man said as he drew closer. He wore long pants and a long sleeve shirt and spoke with authority as if he was permanently stationed on the trail.
Sam took the lead and answered, “No, where were they hiking?”
The man eyed each one of us carefully as he spoke, “Right out there,” he said and pointed a crooked finger toward the mountains as he swept his arm across to indicate the entire area. A thin smile crossed his lips as he continued, “They said it was a group of four teenagers that came out here to hike and camp for a few days. No one’s seen or heard from them in days.” His eyes moved from me to the other two.
“Strange.” Sam looked back at us and widened his eyes to indicate he thought the man was off his rocker.
“Does that happen a lot around here,” Jake asked, trying to hide the nervousness in his voice.
The man’s eyes bore into Jake as he answered, “Only if people don’t stay where they belong. There’re things out there you don’t wanna ever run into if you wanna live.”
Jake looked away, visibly uncomfortable and I finally spoke, “Like what? Bears?”
I wasn’t scared of a bear but I knew not to confront one either. My mind quickly reviewed some old stories of visitors coming here and trying to pet or feed them and receiving a swat across the face or head, which translates into a serious injury or death in most cases. My grandmother used to scoff every time one of those stories aired on the news. She would say something like “stupid tourists”. I didn’t often agree with her; but on this point, she was dead on right. Someone who approaches a wild animal should almost expect an injury.
This time, the old man’s face changed. He looked like he’d seen a ghost and I wasn’t really sure what that meant. When he spoke, his voice was soft and low, “I wish it was only that simple…” His voice trailed off but he quickly cleared his throat and continued, “Anyway, where are you boys headed?”
Sam rattled off the names of the trails we hoped to hit and a few of the campsites. The old man nodded and listened intently like he understood our route but I couldn’t help feeling uneasy about his persona. Something about him wasn’t exactly right. He looked like a mountaineer at first glance but my gut told me there was something wrong. His accent was different than the hard southern slant of most locals. It was more than the accent, though, it was his eyes … something in them was entirely wrong.
The old man spoke again, “Well, be careful out there. Those mountains are as dangerous as they are beautiful.”
We all nodded and he turned and moved away from us down a small walkway to the restrooms by the parking lot. I wanted to stay and see where he went when he came out of the bathroom; but Sam was already walking up the trail. Jake scurried behind him like a lost puppy and I turned on my heel to follow.
By the time we were huffing up the first trail, the sun was already burning off the morning clouds and I was glad we were at an elevation where the temperatures should stay pleasant and not too hot.
“That old guy was creepy.” Jake puffed as he tried to keep pace with Sam.
“He’s harmless. I’ll bet he goes into town every day and laughs with his buddies about how he scares the hikers up here.”
I wasn’t so sure. “Maybe he’s telling the truth.”
Sam stopped and turned to face us. “Seriously? We haven’t even walked a quarter of a mile and you guys are already scared?”
“No, not scared. Just trying to be smart.” My voice sounded strong but my mind was less convinced.
Sam laughed and started walking again. “Geez, Ben, you sound like an old man yourself.”
Jake laughed and stayed close to Sam. I stayed back a few steps and took my time, knowing we had a long day ahead of us.
We made it up a long trail that had a stopping point at one of the shelters along the Appalachian Trail. The structure was made of stones walls on three sides with an open front. A large tarp had been strung across the opening to give some protection from the elements. The floors were wooden and there was a built in bunk area. Inside we found a notebook with entries from hikers that had passed through here. I sat and read a few while Sam and Jake ate a snack and laid back on the bunks to rest.
“We should just stay here. This would be awesome,” Jake said, obviously still thinking about what the old man had told us.
Sam kept his eyes closed as he spoke, “We have a long way to go before we stop for the day.” Without warning he sat up and said, “We need to get going.”
“Just a second,” I grabbed the small pencil that was attached by string to the notebook. “What should we call ourselves?”
“What do you mean?” Jake asked.
“Every hiker in here has a nickname. It’s kind of a tradition on the trail.”
“Sam paused a minute and simply said, “The Survivors.”
Jake nodded and smiled.
“Sounds good to me.” I wrote a simple note inside on the last open page: ‘The Survivors were here.’
Sam grabbed the notebook and pencil and quickly sketched a fist beside the entry.
“I didn’t know you could draw! That’s awesome.” I looked at his drawing, which had seemed effortless.”
Sam seemed uncomfortable and brushed past me to the outside. “Well, it doesn’t matter.”
I followed outside and decided to let it rest. We hiked for a few more hours, stopping to eat and take in the scenery along the way. A few places were worth some extra time for pictures as well and we each took our time loading our phones with them. Within a few stops, though, our picture taking waned a bit and we settled into a more rhythmic pace.
That first night was quiet, as we camped alongside the trail. Several times, I thought I heard animals moving around us; but I didn’t say anything. Our packs were hung securely in the trees to discourage the bears and we were all snug in our tents. The words of the old man rumbled through my thoughts until I drifted off to sleep. Thirty yards away, something was watching; but we had no idea we weren’t alone.
We started our hike four days ago in Tennessee and decided to do a variety of trails, camping each night and planning to complete them all in four days. Sam had picked the route and we approved them only by his descriptions; but I was more than a little excited about leaving. My boss had been generous with the schedule and allowed me work seven straight days and then make up some more hours by taking extra shifts when I returned. My grandmother had been terrible. I didn’t tell her I was leaving until the day before and she was ticked. There was nothing she could really do anyway, so I just let her yell for a little bit until she had a coughing fit and had to settle down. She’d be alright and I really didn’t care anymore. I still needed her for a place to stay until I could leave for good. If she kicked me out over this, I didn’t really have anywhere to go and I should’ve been more sensitive to her threats; but I really wanted to go on this trip.
My mind drifted through a variety of subjects as we drove over the mountains to Pigeon Forge. We tanked up on pancakes and bacon before meeting an old friend of Sam’s named Dana that lived in the area and who took us to the first trail head, promising to return to the end of our last trail in four days to pick us up and take us back into town. I noticed Dana staring at Sam several times but he never showed any sign of interest in her and I couldn’t grasp what underlying emotional current was flowing between them; but I was fairly certain that they had a somewhat complicated history. She was pretty and fit and someone that I would definitely have wanted to see more of if I were in town. Knowing Sam, he had probably made use of her when it was convenient and tossed her aside as easily as an old pair of shoes. I’d seen him do that more than once.
“So what trails are you guys hiking?” Dana pretended not to care that Sam was aloof but I could sense she was struggling with her composure.
Jake piped up to try to answer the question, failing miserably. “I think we’re going to do Newfound Brush or something like that.”
“You mean Newfound Gap?” Dana’s eyes sparkled as she stifled a laugh.
“Yeah yeah. That’s it. Newfound Gap.”
“Are you heading up to LeConte?”
Mt. LeConte is the third highest mountain peak in the Smokies at 6593 ft high and is the sixth highest peak on the entire Appalachian Trail.
“We are taking the Boulevard over to there and maybe doing Rainbow and Brushy Mountain and as much other stuff as we can fit in.”
I tried to sound as if I knew what it all meant; but I had only glanced at the map, something I would regret later.
“Well, that’s a lot of ground to cover and some beautiful scenery. I hope you have good weather. Brushy Mountain is one of my favorites.” She glanced at Sam and then continued, “Looks like maybe some rain a couple of days from now but only scattered showers.” Dana watched Sam again, but he just continued to work on his pack as if it needed his undying attention.
“Cool,” I answered and immediately regretted it.
Stupid. What a stupid thing to say. Who says ‘cool’ anymore?
Dana looked at me and flashed a smile. Her dark brown eyes seemed to draw me in and I tried unsuccessfully to keep myself together, as I stumbled over my pack and barely kept my footing. She seemed amused at my demeanor while I struggled to seem nonchalant.
“Well, I’ll see you boys in four days at 5:00 PM sharp at the Rainbow Falls trailhead entrance.”
Sam finally turned toward her and gave her a sideways hug as if she were contagious. “Thanks, Dana. See you soon.” He gave his half-hearted fake smile and rolled his eyes at us as he turned away.
Watching her drive away was both exciting and weirdly sad. I still had high hopes and a long list of thoughts to sort out on the trail. There was no way to know at that time that I’d spend most of the next few days thinking how stupid these other two guys could be and the days after that just trying to survive.
My old backpack was not as sleek as theirs and was somewhat bulky in comparison; but I had worked hard to organize the items I’d deemed necessary to take. After tugging on some straps, I was able to get it to sit well and stay put. Jake and Sam were arguing over something and I stood and walked around with my pack, continuing to adjust it until I was satisfied. The parking lot had a few scattered cars and I wondered about the people on the trails and where they were all from. There were several different states represented and it reminded me of a game we used to play when we came here in the good years — the ones before my parents changed. I remember my mom carrying a notepad and she would keep track of all the license plates from all the different states we saw while we were here. On the last trip I remember, we had 38 states, including one car from Alaska. That was 10 years ago now and so much had changed, including my mom and dad.
An old man moved out of the woods and headed right toward where we stood at the trail head. Jake and Sam were busy finishing their last preparations as the old man drew closer. His gait was steady as he glided down the trail with the expertise of one who had been hiking his whole life. In each hand, he carried a pole and I smiled as I thought about how stupid I used to think poles were until I began to carry one myself. My pole was nothing more than a collapsable stick I’d purchased back home before the trip and was my only new purchase. In my younger days when my family used to come here, I had learned the importance of a pole during one of our longer hikes.
“Did you hear about those hikers that’re missing?” The old man said as he drew closer. He wore long pants and a long sleeve shirt and spoke with authority as if he was permanently stationed on the trail.
Sam took the lead and answered, “No, where were they hiking?”
The man eyed each one of us carefully as he spoke, “Right out there,” he said and pointed a crooked finger toward the mountains as he swept his arm across to indicate the entire area. A thin smile crossed his lips as he continued, “They said it was a group of four teenagers that came out here to hike and camp for a few days. No one’s seen or heard from them in days.” His eyes moved from me to the other two.
“Strange.” Sam looked back at us and widened his eyes to indicate he thought the man was off his rocker.
“Does that happen a lot around here,” Jake asked, trying to hide the nervousness in his voice.
The man’s eyes bore into Jake as he answered, “Only if people don’t stay where they belong. There’re things out there you don’t wanna ever run into if you wanna live.”
Jake looked away, visibly uncomfortable and I finally spoke, “Like what? Bears?”
I wasn’t scared of a bear but I knew not to confront one either. My mind quickly reviewed some old stories of visitors coming here and trying to pet or feed them and receiving a swat across the face or head, which translates into a serious injury or death in most cases. My grandmother used to scoff every time one of those stories aired on the news. She would say something like “stupid tourists”. I didn’t often agree with her; but on this point, she was dead on right. Someone who approaches a wild animal should almost expect an injury.
This time, the old man’s face changed. He looked like he’d seen a ghost and I wasn’t really sure what that meant. When he spoke, his voice was soft and low, “I wish it was only that simple…” His voice trailed off but he quickly cleared his throat and continued, “Anyway, where are you boys headed?”
Sam rattled off the names of the trails we hoped to hit and a few of the campsites. The old man nodded and listened intently like he understood our route but I couldn’t help feeling uneasy about his persona. Something about him wasn’t exactly right. He looked like a mountaineer at first glance but my gut told me there was something wrong. His accent was different than the hard southern slant of most locals. It was more than the accent, though, it was his eyes … something in them was entirely wrong.
The old man spoke again, “Well, be careful out there. Those mountains are as dangerous as they are beautiful.”
We all nodded and he turned and moved away from us down a small walkway to the restrooms by the parking lot. I wanted to stay and see where he went when he came out of the bathroom; but Sam was already walking up the trail. Jake scurried behind him like a lost puppy and I turned on my heel to follow.
By the time we were huffing up the first trail, the sun was already burning off the morning clouds and I was glad we were at an elevation where the temperatures should stay pleasant and not too hot.
“That old guy was creepy.” Jake puffed as he tried to keep pace with Sam.
“He’s harmless. I’ll bet he goes into town every day and laughs with his buddies about how he scares the hikers up here.”
I wasn’t so sure. “Maybe he’s telling the truth.”
Sam stopped and turned to face us. “Seriously? We haven’t even walked a quarter of a mile and you guys are already scared?”
“No, not scared. Just trying to be smart.” My voice sounded strong but my mind was less convinced.
Sam laughed and started walking again. “Geez, Ben, you sound like an old man yourself.”
Jake laughed and stayed close to Sam. I stayed back a few steps and took my time, knowing we had a long day ahead of us.
We made it up a long trail that had a stopping point at one of the shelters along the Appalachian Trail. The structure was made of stones walls on three sides with an open front. A large tarp had been strung across the opening to give some protection from the elements. The floors were wooden and there was a built in bunk area. Inside we found a notebook with entries from hikers that had passed through here. I sat and read a few while Sam and Jake ate a snack and laid back on the bunks to rest.
“We should just stay here. This would be awesome,” Jake said, obviously still thinking about what the old man had told us.
Sam kept his eyes closed as he spoke, “We have a long way to go before we stop for the day.” Without warning he sat up and said, “We need to get going.”
“Just a second,” I grabbed the small pencil that was attached by string to the notebook. “What should we call ourselves?”
“What do you mean?” Jake asked.
“Every hiker in here has a nickname. It’s kind of a tradition on the trail.”
“Sam paused a minute and simply said, “The Survivors.”
Jake nodded and smiled.
“Sounds good to me.” I wrote a simple note inside on the last open page: ‘The Survivors were here.’
Sam grabbed the notebook and pencil and quickly sketched a fist beside the entry.
“I didn’t know you could draw! That’s awesome.” I looked at his drawing, which had seemed effortless.”
Sam seemed uncomfortable and brushed past me to the outside. “Well, it doesn’t matter.”
I followed outside and decided to let it rest. We hiked for a few more hours, stopping to eat and take in the scenery along the way. A few places were worth some extra time for pictures as well and we each took our time loading our phones with them. Within a few stops, though, our picture taking waned a bit and we settled into a more rhythmic pace.
That first night was quiet, as we camped alongside the trail. Several times, I thought I heard animals moving around us; but I didn’t say anything. Our packs were hung securely in the trees to discourage the bears and we were all snug in our tents. The words of the old man rumbled through my thoughts until I drifted off to sleep. Thirty yards away, something was watching; but we had no idea we weren’t alone.
Chapter 4
A Tight Spot
The overhang wasn’t much and both of us had trouble keeping our bodies back inside the shadows and out of sight. The sun was sinking quickly and we tried to stay still and listen to the sounds of the forest, particularly the sound of something continuing to move methodically below us.
“What is it, Ben?” Jake whispered.
“I’m not sure. It’s pretty far below us and doesn't seem to be getting closer.”
“What’re we gonna do?”
I held up my hand to signal for Jake to be quiet.
“Stay here,” I whispered and I eased forward to try to catch a glimpse of the creature. The last rays of the sun were bleeding through the leaves, casting long shadows over the already dense foliage below. As I inched carefully to the edge of the ridge and slowly peered below, the darkness was already overtaking the woods making it difficult to see. Squinting, my eyes slowly adjusted to the low light. The woods was eerily still and I scanned the trees and the ground below for any sign of movement. Now that the sound had stopped, I was even more nervous. Hearing the movements of the creature had been frightening but at least we knew where it was. I quickly decided that the silence was much worse.
A strange low growl began to rumble through the air and I could see some leaves begin to move in the brush directly to the right and below where I was. My heart thumped so loudly that at first, I thought it was a drumbeat. The light was fading fast and I froze in place, listening to the sounds of the creature. Leaning further forward the dirt beneath me began to slide, sending a few rocks cascading down the side of the mountain. The creature stopped moving again and I pulled back and plastered my body on the ground and waited. After several seconds, I lifted my head and strained to see what was below once again, praying that we would be okay. The woods was completely still and several minutes passed as I laid there on the ridge without flinching. Finally, I could hear the creature began to move again, this time heading away from where we were hiding. I slid back beside Jake, who was curled in a ball and trembling.
“What happened?”
“I’m not sure,” I said as the full effect of our predicament began to bathe me in fear. I didn’t want to admit it to Jake, but I was more than a little bit scared.
“Well, what did you see?”
“Not much. But there was something moving through the brush — probably a bear.” I tried to sound as nonchalant as possible. Jake was too easily upset as it was. He didn’t need to see me exhibit any fear.
“That was no bear making all that noise! We’ve got to get out of here!”
“Shhh. Keep your voice down. It moved back down the mountain so we should be okay. There’s no way we can find our way out of here tonight. We just need to stay here and keep quiet.”
Jake shook his head and began to rock back and forth. “I don’t wanna die out here, man.”
“We’re not gonna die! Keep it together. Let’s just get some rest and we’ll start moving again at first light.”
Jake nodded. I was only able to see Jake’s outline in the growing darkness. “I’ll stay up for a few hours and you rest, and then we can switch.”
“Like in the movies.” Jake sighed and curled up on his side.
Moving toward the opening of the overhang, I silently prayed that that thing was tired and headed home. “Yeah, I guess.”
Leaning back against the rock, I stared out into the darkness. My mind wandered back to a few days earlier when we had started on this hike. Why had this trip been so important to Sam, who wouldn’t take no for an answer? I loved hiking; but I had had to trade days off in order to get here, causing a lot of trouble for me there and at home. Sam had made it sound urgent — like the trip was something we had to do as if it were life or death. And now it really was.
What happened to Sam? Was he back in that cave too?
There was nothing we could do for him until we could find some help. For now, we were still in danger as well.
Two hours passed and I was starting to get tired. Jake had rolled to his back and had begun to snore and make strange noises, so I pushed him back onto his side. The night was clear and cool with no signs or sounds that the creature was back. The tops of the trees swayed gently as I thought through the last 24 hours. Last night we were just friends heading to bed after a great day of hiking and anticipating being in the next and final town by today. Eating a large meal and getting a clean shower had dominated our thoughts all day on their last hike. Now, I was stuck on a ridge with Jake and our friend Sam was missing. My mind rummaged through anything I had learned about survival in the woods from the short years with my father.
How long has it been since I’ve eaten anything?
I wasn’t even sure. All of our supplies were gone, including cell phones, which were dead anyway and had only sketchy service out here when they did work. Water was the main problem. I knew that we needed water by tomorrow or we would be in trouble.
I need to make it another hour and then I can wake Jake for his turn.
My stomach growled again and I tried to remember any of the plants my father had mentioned that were edible in the woods but nothing came to mind.
Why didn’t I pay more attention to my dad back then?
Deep down, I knew why. My father had been hard on me and I had deeply resented it. The hiking was fun and it was really the only time that we agreed on anything, but taking my father’s advice was too hard back then.
Stupid! I should’ve listened.
Even so, my dad and mom had made their choices and now it was all over. For now, I knew we needed to get to the creek in the morning and get some water. Even though we’d be risking getting sick, without the water we wouldn’t live much longer anyway — creature or no creature. The creek bed would be an easy way to find the trail since it ran close to the creek most of the last few miles. My thinking was that we could backtrack to the last town and call for help.
I woke Jake for his turn to keep watch and then moved to the back of the overhang to get some sleep.
“Make sure you stay awake. I just need a couple of hours — three if you can make it that long.”
“I got it,” Jake said and he moved to where I had been sitting and leaned back on the rock.
I watched Jake for a few minutes to make sure he was fully awake and then drifted off to sleep. In what seemed like only a few minutes, Jake was shaking me violently.
“There’s something out there! It’s moving up the mountain!”
The sounds of something moving were clear even inside the makeshift shelter so I slid forward and turned back to Jake, “Follow me and stay as quiet as you can,”
We moved quickly out onto the ridge and along the edge. The sun was just coming up but there wasn’t enough light to see anything clearly. The strange sounds of the creature moving through the woods echoed up to us, indicating it was getting closer. When we reached the edge of the ridge, I could easily see that it dropped off at least 100 feet. As the creature came up the mountain, I looked around for somewhere for us to hide. A thick cluster of wild azaleas stood against one side of the ridge and we both ran and crouched behind them, each of us grabbing a few loose rocks on the way. Within seconds, we could hear the creature move onto the ridge. It seemed to be tracking where we had been and we could hear it move into the overhang. Jake was trembling but I was beyond fear and had entered some kind of warrior stage where it was either us or the creature. For some reason, this gave me peace. I kept my eyes glued on the edge of the rock where not long ago we had taken turns keeping watch during the night. There was nowhere to go now. If the creature came around to the ledge, we would have to fight for their lives or jump to our deaths. I had already decided what I would choose and hoped Jake had done the same.
The overhang wasn’t much and both of us had trouble keeping our bodies back inside the shadows and out of sight. The sun was sinking quickly and we tried to stay still and listen to the sounds of the forest, particularly the sound of something continuing to move methodically below us.
“What is it, Ben?” Jake whispered.
“I’m not sure. It’s pretty far below us and doesn't seem to be getting closer.”
“What’re we gonna do?”
I held up my hand to signal for Jake to be quiet.
“Stay here,” I whispered and I eased forward to try to catch a glimpse of the creature. The last rays of the sun were bleeding through the leaves, casting long shadows over the already dense foliage below. As I inched carefully to the edge of the ridge and slowly peered below, the darkness was already overtaking the woods making it difficult to see. Squinting, my eyes slowly adjusted to the low light. The woods was eerily still and I scanned the trees and the ground below for any sign of movement. Now that the sound had stopped, I was even more nervous. Hearing the movements of the creature had been frightening but at least we knew where it was. I quickly decided that the silence was much worse.
A strange low growl began to rumble through the air and I could see some leaves begin to move in the brush directly to the right and below where I was. My heart thumped so loudly that at first, I thought it was a drumbeat. The light was fading fast and I froze in place, listening to the sounds of the creature. Leaning further forward the dirt beneath me began to slide, sending a few rocks cascading down the side of the mountain. The creature stopped moving again and I pulled back and plastered my body on the ground and waited. After several seconds, I lifted my head and strained to see what was below once again, praying that we would be okay. The woods was completely still and several minutes passed as I laid there on the ridge without flinching. Finally, I could hear the creature began to move again, this time heading away from where we were hiding. I slid back beside Jake, who was curled in a ball and trembling.
“What happened?”
“I’m not sure,” I said as the full effect of our predicament began to bathe me in fear. I didn’t want to admit it to Jake, but I was more than a little bit scared.
“Well, what did you see?”
“Not much. But there was something moving through the brush — probably a bear.” I tried to sound as nonchalant as possible. Jake was too easily upset as it was. He didn’t need to see me exhibit any fear.
“That was no bear making all that noise! We’ve got to get out of here!”
“Shhh. Keep your voice down. It moved back down the mountain so we should be okay. There’s no way we can find our way out of here tonight. We just need to stay here and keep quiet.”
Jake shook his head and began to rock back and forth. “I don’t wanna die out here, man.”
“We’re not gonna die! Keep it together. Let’s just get some rest and we’ll start moving again at first light.”
Jake nodded. I was only able to see Jake’s outline in the growing darkness. “I’ll stay up for a few hours and you rest, and then we can switch.”
“Like in the movies.” Jake sighed and curled up on his side.
Moving toward the opening of the overhang, I silently prayed that that thing was tired and headed home. “Yeah, I guess.”
Leaning back against the rock, I stared out into the darkness. My mind wandered back to a few days earlier when we had started on this hike. Why had this trip been so important to Sam, who wouldn’t take no for an answer? I loved hiking; but I had had to trade days off in order to get here, causing a lot of trouble for me there and at home. Sam had made it sound urgent — like the trip was something we had to do as if it were life or death. And now it really was.
What happened to Sam? Was he back in that cave too?
There was nothing we could do for him until we could find some help. For now, we were still in danger as well.
Two hours passed and I was starting to get tired. Jake had rolled to his back and had begun to snore and make strange noises, so I pushed him back onto his side. The night was clear and cool with no signs or sounds that the creature was back. The tops of the trees swayed gently as I thought through the last 24 hours. Last night we were just friends heading to bed after a great day of hiking and anticipating being in the next and final town by today. Eating a large meal and getting a clean shower had dominated our thoughts all day on their last hike. Now, I was stuck on a ridge with Jake and our friend Sam was missing. My mind rummaged through anything I had learned about survival in the woods from the short years with my father.
How long has it been since I’ve eaten anything?
I wasn’t even sure. All of our supplies were gone, including cell phones, which were dead anyway and had only sketchy service out here when they did work. Water was the main problem. I knew that we needed water by tomorrow or we would be in trouble.
I need to make it another hour and then I can wake Jake for his turn.
My stomach growled again and I tried to remember any of the plants my father had mentioned that were edible in the woods but nothing came to mind.
Why didn’t I pay more attention to my dad back then?
Deep down, I knew why. My father had been hard on me and I had deeply resented it. The hiking was fun and it was really the only time that we agreed on anything, but taking my father’s advice was too hard back then.
Stupid! I should’ve listened.
Even so, my dad and mom had made their choices and now it was all over. For now, I knew we needed to get to the creek in the morning and get some water. Even though we’d be risking getting sick, without the water we wouldn’t live much longer anyway — creature or no creature. The creek bed would be an easy way to find the trail since it ran close to the creek most of the last few miles. My thinking was that we could backtrack to the last town and call for help.
I woke Jake for his turn to keep watch and then moved to the back of the overhang to get some sleep.
“Make sure you stay awake. I just need a couple of hours — three if you can make it that long.”
“I got it,” Jake said and he moved to where I had been sitting and leaned back on the rock.
I watched Jake for a few minutes to make sure he was fully awake and then drifted off to sleep. In what seemed like only a few minutes, Jake was shaking me violently.
“There’s something out there! It’s moving up the mountain!”
The sounds of something moving were clear even inside the makeshift shelter so I slid forward and turned back to Jake, “Follow me and stay as quiet as you can,”
We moved quickly out onto the ridge and along the edge. The sun was just coming up but there wasn’t enough light to see anything clearly. The strange sounds of the creature moving through the woods echoed up to us, indicating it was getting closer. When we reached the edge of the ridge, I could easily see that it dropped off at least 100 feet. As the creature came up the mountain, I looked around for somewhere for us to hide. A thick cluster of wild azaleas stood against one side of the ridge and we both ran and crouched behind them, each of us grabbing a few loose rocks on the way. Within seconds, we could hear the creature move onto the ridge. It seemed to be tracking where we had been and we could hear it move into the overhang. Jake was trembling but I was beyond fear and had entered some kind of warrior stage where it was either us or the creature. For some reason, this gave me peace. I kept my eyes glued on the edge of the rock where not long ago we had taken turns keeping watch during the night. There was nowhere to go now. If the creature came around to the ledge, we would have to fight for their lives or jump to our deaths. I had already decided what I would choose and hoped Jake had done the same.
