Beth Green's Blog

It's here...one of the most important days in my religion. I hope that you all will take some time to reflect on the cross and what it means. Remember, it is now empty, along with the tomb.

Our Redeemer lives!

So many emotions flooded her young mind as she laid quietly in the dark. Her body was changing, and soon she would no longer be able to hide the secret that was swelling within her. Telling everyone and telling no one. Both seemed best and yet she was unsure. Her tears fell both from joy and fear, but she felt the strength to endure whatever would come her way. She was certain she would be safe even when the traditions of her culture might dictate otherwise.
Days went by, and she traveled to visit her cousin to talk to her about her predicament. This visit confirmed what she had been told, so she returned home knowing that she needed to speak to the man that was to become her husband. Telling him her secret would be both scary and dangerous as he would then have the power to condemn her. She approached him carefully, and as she spoke, the words spilled out in waves that tumbled and churned before him. She was asking him to believe things that didn’t make any sense, and he was sure that she was telling him a lie. He left. Within a short time, though, he returned. An angel had now visited him too. Joseph was now ready to face the criticism alongside his bride-to-be, and he was determined to do the will of God.
When it was time to travel to Bethlehem, Mary was very uncomfortable and tired. They moved slowly and carefully, hoping nothing would happen before they could get to the town. Finally, they arrived. They must have felt an incredible relief at the sight of buildings and people, especially with Mary so far along in her pregnancy and needing a place to rest. After being told no over and over again, a stable might have seemed a blessing. In these harsh and dirty conditions, our Savior was born into this world. No video cameras were catching the first moments, no nurses were there to wash him and wrap him up, no doctors arrived to inspect him or to assist in the birth, no relatives were in the waiting room. There were no pictures, no fanfare, nothing but a mother and a step-father who loved him. As they endured the labor and delivery after such a long journey, Mary and Joseph must have felt at peace for a moment as they stared at their newborn son. His tiny hands would grow and someday work with wood alongside his step-father. Later they would heal the sick and do many miracles that would show the power of God. Finally, those hands would be nailed to a cross and help support his weight as he slowly endured a painful and horrible death. I wonder if Mary looked in his face and considered how this small helpless child would become the Savior of the world.
In this season, we often rush around town to a variety of stores. Maybe we prefer to sit at home and let our fingers fly over keyboards to grab the gifts for family and friends we are sure will bring happiness and joy. We worry over the decorations and stress over Christmas productions and concern ourselves with a multitude of details that only matter to us. Maybe for you, the stress comes over getting the perfect picture for the Christmas card. For others, it might be the fuss over decorating the tree or the home. I think many might even feel stress over traveling to see relatives—plucking your small ones away from their presents for a long journey with uncertain rewards ahead like the family drama that is sure to come as everyone gathers. Whatever stress you may be feeling as you move through December, I hope you will take a moment to remember love…and sacrifice…and redemption. I hope you will consider that all of this is because a child was born. A Savior. The Messiah. The good news is that nothing else matters.

Recently, I listened to a short sermon about the importance of allowing God to close a door in your life so that He can lead you somewhere else. I’ve heard this preached my whole life, but on this particular day, it spoke to me in a new way. I knew the premise of the message was to let God have control, but my mind immediately recalled a problem that we had faced on a daily basis for several years and how frustrating doors can be.

We recently sold our home and downsized. In our former house, there was a bathroom closet door that was behind the entry door to the room. To get anything out of that closet, we had to close the entry door slightly to make enough room open the closet door. It was frustrating at times, and sometimes the two door handles would become entwined creating a 10-minute ordeal to fix them both. At times, I would be in a hurry and need something out of that closet while my husband might need to pass through the door. We learned how to coordinate this process, but it was somewhat aggravating at times.

As I listened to the message about God’s hand on our lives and how He wants to guide us if we let Him, I began to think about those doors. If one was open, the other had to be closed. There was just no other way. Is that how it is some of the time when we are trying to go through a “door” in our lives? I wonder how many times we are stubbornly trying to open a door while God is trying to close it, never knowing the reason. There have been times in my past that I have held on to that door handle with everything that I had trying to make it work while God is gently blocking the door from opening any further. While I fought to keep the one door open, I never realized that it was blocking a new door that God wanted to open for me. Later, when fatigue and despair would overcome my strength, my fingers would slip a little, and I would lose my grip, allowing the door to close. Feelings of disappointed would overwhelm me and my anger would sometimes swell. Thoughts would race through my mind:

Why didn’t God let that happen? It was perfect for me!

Not getting what I wanted was bad enough but sometimes the sense of despair over not knowing where to go next would also creep into my thoughts. Soon, though, God would open a new door and show me blessings that I never imagined possible—many times giving me substantially more than I even knew to ask for in the first place. I’ve seen Him open doors that were “blocked” by the one I had clung to in the past.

During my dating years, I had a few heartbreaks like most people. I remember thinking that I might not be able to endure it ever again and maybe I would never marry. The young men that I dated never seemed to work well with me, and no matter how hard I tried, each relationship would crumble and end in pain. When God brought my husband into my life, it was so evident that I had been wrong to ever worry about any of this part of my life. Tim was and still is so much more than I ever expected in a husband, and I was almost mad at myself for not trusting that God would lead me to such a perfect man for me. If I had only known what He had waiting for me, I might never have dated another boy.

Are you holding on to the handle of a door? Are you pulling against a force that is trying to close a door for you? Are you tired, frustrated, exhausted from the struggle? Trust in Him. Let go of that doorknob and relax. He is closing that passage to keep you safe and He has great plans for you. He cannot wait to lead you on a better course. Trust the One who has your best interest at heart. There’s a new door somewhere close. It may be hidden behind the one you are fighting to keep open. Maybe it’s time to surrender to the One who has never left you or forsaken you. He loves you and wants the best for you. Relax, release, and rely on Him.

While my husband helps coach, I take pictures of the football team. It’s just something that I do with my nervous energy—something I can give back to the families so that they can sit and enjoy the games.

This week, our team lost a tough game. It was difficult to watch, but the guys played hard. As has been every game this season, rain poured down almost the entire game, and so I was decked out in my rain boots and rain gear, carrying an umbrella as I snapped away along the sidelines.

We live next to the school now, so I walk to and from the games. Even in bad weather, it’s a beautiful walk and I enjoy it every time. As I began my walk home after the game this week, the rain was pouring down on my umbrella and I was thankful for my gear that kept me warm and dry the whole night. On the sidelines, my rain boots had become caked with mud and grass, so as I walked home, I tried to stomp off some of the debris.

As I walked along the road home, I encountered many puddles, which I avoided to stay as dry as possible. Before long, though, I started seeking the puddles and rinsing my boots to remove all the gunk. I began enjoying splashing in the puddles so much that I found myself splashing more than necessary, and by the time I was almost home, I was actually seeking out every puddle that I could find.

I’m sure anyone watching would have instantly thought that I was insane and maybe you do, too, as you read this. I highly recommend that you try it sometime soon. Slip on some waterproof boots and grab an umbrella and don’t worry about what the neighbors think. Even in the midst of a rainy cold night after a devastating loss, those puddles were refreshing and almost invigorating. I submit that you will enjoy this little pleasure, even if you have to do it in the dark when no one is looking.

I’m certain that the small things in life are more important than we think and the big things that take our time probably won’t matter to us much in our last days. I want to lay on my death bed and smile thinking about that rainy night when I didn’t care at all what others saw. I splashed in every puddle that I could find.

Perfect: The Building of a Championship Culture

A true story...

Three years before, they lost every single game. They were small and unnoticed and not one player seemed to garner any attention in the preseason rumblings. The predictions about this season were grim at best and most believed that this would be a "rebuilding year," but there was something unusual brewing in the hearts of these young men as they stepped onto the field for the 1998 season for the Darlington Tigers. No one gave them a chance to do much of anything, and so other teams and players in the area were highlighted and heralded. The Tigers began their first game largely ignored and forgotten, having "no respect," as one of their coaches repeatedly told them. Even as the wins began to stack up, these young men were called “lucky," and still few people saw what was growing inside them all.

It would be a year of surprises with explosions of speed and an uncompromised will that would produce a new definition for the word "TEAM," creating a powerful "beast mode" that would not yield to anyone or any circumstance. The 1998 season would end after the 15th game in a town several hours away in front of a crowd of over 6,000 people. When it was over, not one of their opponents would be able to understand how they had been defeated, but they would always remember the night that they faced the young men from the 1998 Darlington Tiger football team. Imprinted in everyone's minds would be the effect of their overwhelming desire to win at all costs and with their egos checked at the door. Amazingly, not one single senior would be a Division I prospect and the success on the gridiron was due to an uncrushable spirit more than talent alone.

Is this you? Don’t give up...He will comfort you.

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”

Psalm 34:18

When I wrote A Rose for Jonathan, I wanted to demonstrate how the Angels and Demons work around us. One of the things that is illustrated by the angels in this book is how they minister and comfort us when we are hurting.

Remember, we don’t become angels when we die.

Angels are a creation of God. They were created for many purposes and one of them is to comfort us when we are in need. This is just one way that God helps us when we are down. He created us… And he will never leave us… nor for sake us… According to his word.

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Deuteronomy 31:6

Easter. Egg hunts, bunnies, new outfits, Easter baskets, chocolate…the list is long.

So many activities are swirling around us all this holiday weekend. During all the festivities that you may attend, I hope you will take some time to quietly reflect on the true meaning behind it all.

I hope you have fun with your family and I hope you enjoy time worshipping and celebrating that He has risen.

He bled, He died, and He rose again. And He did it for you.

#HeIsRisen #LoveLikeNoOther #Easter2018

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.

Chapter 3: Now What?

Darkness was everywhere and my head hurt. When I tried to move, I could feel ropes digging into my wrists and ankles. My instinct was to struggle and scream; but instead, I laid still and listened to get as much information as I could. The last thing that I remember was following the trail to the creek and finding the battered sleeping bag. Jake and I were looking for Sam and then we heard something weird. Now I’m tied down on a bed in a dark room.

What’s going on? Where are Sam and Jake?

As if on cue, Jake began yelling. “Ben! Sam!”

“Shhh.” I whispered, “I’m here. Just stay quiet.”

“Is that you, Ben? What’s going on, man?”

“Yeah, it’s me. I don’t know, but stay quiet. Try to work your arms and legs loose, if you can.”

“Where’s Sam?”

“I have no idea. I almost have one hand loose. Keep quiet.”

After a few minutes of tugging, my right arm was finally free. Quickly, I untied my left arm and sat up to look around as I worked on my ankles. We were in some type of room and it was pitch black except for the small light that bled under a door about thirty yards to my left.

I fumbled in the darkness to my right where I had heard Jake’s voice and worked to untie him. We both looked around but couldn’t see anything except the lighted area near the door. As we reached the edge of the light, I held up my hand and grabbed Jake to stop him from going any further.

“Do you hear that?” I whispered and Jake nodded. It sounded almost like a growl and my heartbeat rapidly increased. I reached over and felt along the wall toward the door for a handle and noted that the wall was rough and slightly damp — like it was made of dirt. My mind raced and then the musty odor around us finally made sense. We were in some kind of cave. Before I could respond to my thoughts, something lashed out and both Jake and I were yanked backwards further into the darkness.

My head struck the ground after I flew through the air and Jake started screaming my name; but there was no way to help him. The floor of the room was hard packed dirt and bits of rock, which furthered my realization that the room was inside a cave. I scrambled along the floor and moved toward the light again and found a rock about the size of my fist. At this point, I wasn’t even sure what we were fighting; and I had no idea which way to strike or if I would hit Jake, but I just flung the rock as hard as I could toward the sounds on the other side of the room. There was a large thud followed by a horrible sound that was a mixture of some type of growl and a scream. There was no way to know what had happened so I clawed along the floor toward the light again and prayed I could get outside and find some help.

Something grabbed my leg and I pulled away as hard as I could and flung myself into the darkness of one corner to hide.

“Ben!” Jake whispered but I was afraid to answer, so I moved cautiously toward where the voice had come from and ran right into Jake, who was trembling and speechless.

Without saying a word, I tugged Jake’s arm and pulled him toward the door, while expecting to be attacked again at any moment. Something in the room was moving around and screeching and I knew that we might not have long before it attacked again. The door was easy to find again and I quietly turned the handle and was surprised that it opened easily. I half dragged and half yanked Jake until we were both out of the room and then shut the door behind us. The outer room had more light and I found a chair to tuck under the doorknob, hoping that would be enough to at least slow down whatever was in that room.

Jake was whimpering but stayed close as we eased through the next door into a large open area. I looked back as the door behind us closed and realized the rooms were all separated by doors had been built into the rock. I didn’t have time to really contemplate it all as we stood trying to determine which way to go. Three openings led from where we stood and I chose the one with more light, hoping it wouldn’t lead us to our captors but to the outside. Fortunately, I chose wisely and within twenty yards we encountered the opening to the outside, although it was covered in thick hedges.

I peaked through the thick brush and saw only the forrest and no signs of people or anything else, so we both quickly squeezed through without a word. The sudden light half-blinded us but I knew we needed to keep moving and get away from this place to be safe. There was a trail leading away in both directions and I just decided to go right for no reason in particular. My body ached slightly as I jogged down the trail with Jake following closely behind, both of us hoping to outrun whatever was in that cave. We ran for a long time until we reached a small creek along the edge of the path.

“That might be a feeder creek to the large one we camped near.” I walked across the rocks to the other side, leaving the path.

“What are you doing? Shouldn’t we stay on the path?” Jake looked around nervously.

“I don’t think so. That’s definitely not the trail we were on and I don’t want to be anywhere near whatever that was back in the cave. We need to walk in the creek bed for awhile and lose our scent in the water. Maybe this small creek will dump into our creek and we can find the trail we were on and get out of here.”

“Okay, that sounds good.” Jake had no idea what to do and I knew it.

“Stay close.” I said as I headed downstream. Inside I was furious that I hadn’t looked at the maps more closely.

I kept a close eye on the surrounding woods and moved quickly over the stones and through the shallow water. Thankfully, we were both wearing waterproof shoes and had little worry of the water rushing over our feet. I wanted to put as much distance between us and that cave as possible. After moving down the creek for about a half hour, Jake tripped and fell. I grabbed his hand and for the first time really looked at him. Across Jake’s forehead was a scratch and he was bleeding down the side of his cheek.

“What was that thing in the cave?” Jake said and he began to tremble as he spoke as tears sprouted under his eyes.

“I don’t know but we’ve got to keep moving!” I was getting annoyed. Didn’t he know how much danger we were still in? If there was one thing I did know it was to get far away from whatever was going on around here. The strange old man and his comments rolled through my mind and I had to brush them aside. Surviving was the only thought process that I could afford to have.

“Where are we? And where’s Sam?”

I kept moving. If Jake wanted to figure it all out now, he could do it alone. I wanted to get out of here and nothing more.

“I have no idea; but it’s late in the day. The sun is going to set soon and we have to get somewhere safe so it won’t find us again. We’ve got to keep moving.”

“It. What was that thing, man?”

I refused to speak and kept moving.

“Do you think it got Sam?”

My frustration was overtaking my fear. “Look, I don’t know, okay? I just know that I don’t wanna be next.”

“Okay.” Jake managed to say.

“Here, let me clean that wound.” Using the creek water, I washed the scratch on Jake’s face and then took off upstream again, this time at a more manageable pace. “We need to drink. I’m not sure when we can get water again.”

Both boys drank from cupped hands. Nearby was a ridge and that seemed like the obvious place to go at this point.

“We can try to get up there before dark to see if we can see the trail or something to head toward.” I pointed up and Jake’s eyes followed. The mountain was steep and rocky but not impassable. My other thought was that we could hopefully see anything coming to look for us as well. Higher ground was always an advantage.

“Okay, I can do that.” Jake nodded over and over and began to mumble.

“Get ahold of yourself, Jake! We don’t have time for crazy. Whatever that thing was might come to hunt us, do you understand?”

Jake nodded and let out a sigh. “I can do this.”

We started the climb to the top of the mountain with darkness following close behind and I silently wondered how we could survive a night out here with no supplies and with that creature looking for us. Neither of us said a word as we moved quickly toward the top of the ridge before us. Within in an hour, we reached the summit and moved along the edge and found a small flat area with an overhang that could serve as some cover for the night.

“What do we do now?” Jake asked in a small voice.

“We survive.” I answered with conviction. In the distance, we could hear something growling and moving through the forest. I closed my eyes and prayed for protection.

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.