July 1st, 2024
8:44 PM
Not long after the encounter with the woman, I finally found a flat enough patch of ground next to the road and set up my tent just as night fell. It took me about 5 minutes to get it all up, with the sleeping bag laid diagonally inside. Everything fit within comfortably, to my relief.
Despite the fact that I’m exposed to whatever animal comes bounding through the woods, I feel like a bug in a rug. Drowsiness made it very easy for me to get to sleep, and I was just about to drift off but-
Pshhh…
I hear a sound. Like something between an opened soda can and a deflating tire. Could an animal be moving out there? The shuffling of leaves joins in, and a bad feeling begins to take root in my stomach. I don’t watch the news, but glancing a bit at the television back at the café I remember it saying that we wouldn’t be getting much of anything. No rain or nothing. The season is perfect for outdoor activity, so I find it strange there would suddenly be wind picking up outside, if that’s what that is.
Crack… Snap…
With what I’m sure are twigs breaking, I know there’s something out there now…. I make to move out of my sleeping bag, almost opening the zipper to peer outside, but I stop myself… For some reason, I feel like that would be a mistake. I see my hand hovering and find it shaking.
My cellphone’s dim light suddenly doesn’t feel like such a bright idea and I quickly turn it off. Waiting and holding my breath, I try to listen more carefully, but nothing else happens. Maybe it really was just the forest, but those sounds like branches breaking… It could have been a racoon or something stepping on a stick.
I’m being paranoid.
Getting inside the sleeping bag fully now, I decide the best thing to do is to just go to sleep… Not before taking my knife and holding it close, however.
***
July 2nd, 2024
7:23 AM
Birds chirping and singing are the first sounds I wake up to, then it’s the ambiance of the forest and its general music coming together in my ears. Last night had been kind of scary, but not enough to have any nightmares.
Getting the tent sorted along with the sleeping bag takes a little less than it took to put together, but I’m back to walking along the road in short order. I’ve still got who knows how many hours of walking and likely another night of sleep before I get there, but I’m hoping that’s not the case.
Looking at the map, I noticed there’s a particular part along the way where there’s a much more direct path skipping a good bit of road. I decide to make a point of switching terrain once I reach it to save myself precious time, but that could be asking for trouble…
Stomach growling, I take out some peanuts and start snacking away. Then it hits me across the face like a wet towel. I forgot to buy fuckin’ toilet paper. Now I have to take my chances on wiping with poison ivy. That should be fun…
Either way, there’s only one thing to do, and that’s to keep going. Most days back at the college I struggled to get up, but this morning I had no issues with that. I see it as a good thing.
After a while I reach the little diversion where the road takes a noticeable turn to the left, and I can tell this is where I’ve got to turn north-east and start moving through the woods if I want to save some time. The map tells me I’ve got much less space to move past this way than if I just kept following the road. The idea that I’ll see the lake in the afternoon has me excited.
With a determined expression, I get off the road and start moving towards the forest. The thing I hadn’t counted on was the verticality of it all. These woods aren’t flat. Not at all. I’m climbing up and using both hands at certain points just to get past inclines, and there are trees all over, blocking my way and making me weave and duck through branches. I need to take a break after a dozen minutes because my calves aren’t used to this kind of strain. I’m clearly trading energy for time, and I’m no athlete.
As if all of that wasn’t bad enough, I start hearing a little bit of water moving through a small ravine. Clambering up another hill, I see it. I’ll have to get my hiking boots wet and risk tripping if I want to get by or turn back and just bite the bullet which means several more hours on the road and likely having to camp out in the tent again.
… I genuinely consider the two options. I’m already sweaty and the strain from traversing the woods like this has already caught up with me. Taking a seat on the hill to catch my breath a bit, I decide wet pants and socks aren’t the worst thing in the world. I’ll hang them up a branch once I set up camp and take the time to appreciate the sight of the lake.
I’ve come this far. No sense in turning back now only to make my life all that much harder. After I feel rested enough, I slowly make my way down to the ravine. It’s about a six-meter trudge through the water, and although the rocks look like they might help me avoid getting wet, they have a sheen to them that makes me think I’ll slip and break something.
I’m carrying a bunch of stuff, and although I made sure I could carry it comfortably, taking it slow and easy feels like the prudent thing to do. The first steps already have me feeling water in my feet, and just a meter into the ravine I’m already drenched in it. Grimacing, I slowly keep moving forward and make it to the other side at last without slipping..
When I make it up the next hill and the sound of water gets more and more muffled, I know I’ve made progress. A dozen minutes more, and I see the road. I take out my map and sure enough, I’ve just avoided quite a sizable amount of walking and all I had to do was get my hiking boots wet, as well as parts of my pants, and exert a lot more physical effort than I would have, but the silver lining here is I did it in about half an hour, not six or seven.
As I keep hauling myself past the forest, I feel proud.
That’s not something I usually get to feel. I’d almost forgotten this feeling. As doubtful as it sounds, I am not shameless. There’s lots I regret and treating so many people around me raw, I end up hurting myself a little bit each time. I wish I could share this feeling with someone else, but I went out of my way to make sure I couldn’t. Why had I done that, again?
Hell, that tall lady who thought I was a child seemed nice enough, but I just couldn’t bring myself to trust her. Why? Sure, she’s a stranger, but if she was telling the truth, maybe this was a mistake?... I have no way of knowing.
Besides, only 12 people in half a year? Isn’t that, like, the average? Out of how many people go hiking in Washington that’s probably not even a fraction, I bet.
***
July 2nd, 2024
1:21 PM
Walking along the road for a while in soggy boots, I decide it’s time to get my bearings once more. From the map I can tell I’ve got maybe two hours tops before I see the lake. Sure enough, I catch a glimpse of it a few minutes before then. Out of all the things I’ve brought, the map and compass have been the most useful things I could have thought to bring. They have more than pulled their weight, despite being among the lightest things I’m carrying.
Lake Hancock is very wide and along the south edges I see a few parts have spaces specifically for setting up camp. As I come off the road and step towards the dirt, I notice there are truck tracks leading towards the east. I guess that’s where the giant is staying.
Part of me wants to go north just to avoid her, but there’s way more open sections for camping on the south-western perimeter near the road. I don’t see any open space to the north, just more thick woods and tall trees. What catches my eye is a cabin among trees just past a little balcony that extends above the lake a few meters.
Maybe there’s people over there, but I don’t want to bother anyone. I need to hurry up and set up my tent and start drying my hiking boots. In the end, I decide to circle around past that girl’s camp site and avoid her. It shouldn’t be too hard, right?
Walking along the sandy path on the lake’s shoreline I notice her big dark-red truck is parked several meters away from the shore, and there’s already something cooking on a fire from the smell of things. Getting a little closer, I notice there’s three long logs surrounding a little fire-pit with a metal table on four legs above the flames. I smell the bacon before I hear a slight sizzling.
Growl… Shut up! Now’s not the time, stomach…
It’s easier to just walk along the shoreline instead of dealing with the forest, so I just make my way past on the damp sand. Unfortunately, the big wide tent near the truck has an occupant, and she’s come out to check the noise my wet boots have been making.
I freeze as I notice she’s pointing something at me, held with both arms and stable to her shoulder. Before I know it, I’ve got a rifle aimed my way. She quirks an eyebrow before lowering her firearm. I blink a few times but continue on my way as if nothing happened. I’m about to piss my pants, and I don’t need her seeing it.
A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
“Hey! Wait!” she calls out to me. I don’t stop, why would I? She’s clearly a crazy whacko. Who points a gun at someone so casually? I need to get the fuck out of here. The sounds of her trudging catches up to me and she forcibly whirls me around to face her. I try to avoid her, my arms flailing in the air a bit before I end up falling on my ass on the wet sand.
There’s a beat before she speaks up again. “S-Sorry. I didn’t mean to do that,”
I make to get up and leave again, but she puts a hand on my shoulder firmly. “Would you just stop for a moment? It wouldn’t kill you,” she says with annoyance, but I cut her off. “What do you want? To kill somebody? Is that why you’re out here?” I ask her incredulously. The persistence of this bitch elicits déjà vu in me. She somewhat reminds me of Cordelia if she were on gear or some shit. I keep that thought to myself, however. I haven’t seen her angry, and I don’t think I want to.
“… Something like that.” she says seriously after a moment, but it’s none of my business. “Please just let me go. I just want to go. Please.” I plead with her, but she doesn’t budge. “I already asked you why you’re out here. If you tell me the real reason, I’ll consider it.”
Who does she think she is? This is beyond frustrating. “What’re you going to do if I don’t? Shoot me? Go ahead, then. Do it!”
For a moment, she’s taken aback by my dare. “What are you waiting for? Shoot me bitch!”
Finally my shoulder is free, and she shakes her head.
“There’s something wrong with you, kid.”
I snort. “What the fuck would you know?”
My whole body is shaking and I have a hard time standing, but I just need to get away from her as soon as possible. That’s not someone I want to get involved with. Walking for a good while away from her camp towards the east, I finally find a spot I’m comfortable with. With a long and tired exhalation, I lower my head as I try to calm the fuck down. It takes me a few moments.
Pulling out the tent, I place it near the water, but not too close. The fishing rod is going to come in useful since there’s a pretty big rock on the shore that’s just above the Lake and close enough to the deeper parts that I might have luck catching something. It takes about 10 minutes to have it all set up. I go looking for a big enough log to use as a seat and then find some rocks to put around my portable stove. I don’t really need to do that, but I like the look of it. Kind of like what she had going on at her camp site.
After I feel situated well enough, the adrenaline and anxiety has mostly washed over me, but there’s a bit of it still lingering. I feel… Vulnerable. It isn’t comfortable, and as much as I hate to admit it, she’s come prepared. I can only imagine how much useful shit she’s working with since she came with a heavy-duty truck. That rifle is likely not the only thing she’s packing, either.
The idea of just going deeper into the woods and looking for another lake comes to me, but then I’d really be looking for trouble. I can still walk back to North Bend on my own like this, but if I go any further, I can’t guarantee anything. I hate considering it, but there’s a good chance that’s not the last I see of that crazy bitch while I’m out here.
My neighbor is a troublesome person, it seems. That doesn’t matter, though. Right now I need to find a branch to dry my pants and boots. I’ve got a change of clothes with me, so I put on my casual shoes and other jeans to compensate for the state of my previous items.
It shouldn’t take more than a few hours to dry them, given the sun is doing nicely up there. Until I call it a day, I decide to finally focus on fishing so that I can have something nice to set on the fire before going to bed. I’ve got peanuts and a few packs of noodles to work with, but that won’t be very nutritious for the length of time I plan on spending out here.
I’ll need some protein.
***
July 2nd, 2024
7:12 PM
Five hours of fishing, and nothing. Not a single bite. The crazy thing is, I saw them swimming about under there, but nothing was interested in the bait I got. What gives? I guess it was pretty cheap… Groaning, I stop. I guess there’s always tomorrow.
Peanuts aren’t so bad, they’re actually one of my favorite foods. The lake water looks pretty clean, so I go and scoop some up in a tiny pan to boil on the stove. Noodles and Peanuts… Yay… I didn’t even bring any salt…
It’s not the end of the world, however. I had some ups and downs getting here, and although a few things went wrong I’d say the things that went right stick out to me more.
That’s unusual, which is a good thing. Still, my arms are very tired and my legs aren’t doing much better. I’ve been moving non-stop today. Even managed to fall on my butt thanks to a certain pesky neighbor.
That’s how I spend the brief twilight before nightfall. Eating a meal that leaves me feeling hungry. I’m about to make for my tent and turn in for the night when I hear something familiar.
Pssshhh…
It’s that sound again. The same one I heard last night by the road.
Crack…
… It’s very subtle. I can’t tell where the sound is coming from. It sounds near and far at the same time, if that makes sense… Either way, I don’t want to spend too much time out in the open, so I open the tent and make to get inside. Shuffling out of my running shoes, I slip into the sleeping bag only to get nice and snug, ready to call it a day. Not hearing much more out of the ordinary, I begin to imagine my favorite animal scampering into its burrow.
One prairie dog… Two prairie dogs… Th-
BANG!!!
I involuntarily jolt upwards to the sound of a gunshot. What the fuck is going on?
The first thing that comes to mind is my neighbor has finally lost her marbles. Waiting for something else to happen, nothing does. I’m wide awake now, though. My hopes of finding tranquility out in the woods seems to be going as well as my GPA.
I reluctantly get out of my tent and try to make out something in the dark night that has fallen over the lake, but I can’t see much of anything. My cellphone’s light guides me well enough a few feet at a time, but this is going to take a while.
A part of me is curious why it was just the one shot. Maybe she… You know.
I’m not thrilled to see it or anything, but I’d rather know if someone blew their brains out near me than try going to sleep wondering about it. I wouldn’t be able to catch a wink. Not that knowing would be any better, but I’ve already made it some ways towards her campsite by now.
I think her name was… Penelo Asswood or something like that. Probably not Asswood… A dim light is revealed as I keep making my way towards her campsite, and I notice there’s movement in the tent, then I hear a sigh.
“… Hello?” I call out from where I’m standing.
The figure stops moving for a beat before coming out and pointing a flashlight straight at me. I reflexively try to cover my eyes with an arm, but now I can’t see.
“Did that startle you?” a familiar voice asks me. I grunt before replying, “I thought you beat me to it for a second there. What’re you up to, anyway?”
She chuckles, but there’s no joy to it. “I thought I saw something… Could have been my imagination, though.”
I shake my head. What is she going on about? “Well… are you going to keep shooting your gun, or can I go back to sleep?” I ask flatly.
I’ve put my hand in just the right position to where I can see her, but the light doesn’t blind me. She seems to be in thought before saying, “Don’t be a dickhead. Bring your shit over to my campsite or I’ll do it for you.”
I narrow my eyes at her before rolling them. Turning back to my camp I hear her rough steps behind me and see the light from her flashlight getting closer. I get the urge to yell at her to fuck off, but she looks like she’s done trying the diplomatic approach. My complaint comes off as pleading more than anything else. “What’s your problem? Why won’t you let me just be on my own?”, but she just smiles weakly and keeps going.
To my dismay, she makes it to my campsite before me due to her long stride and purposeful gait. She’s taken my sleeping bag, rucksack, and portable stove. Carrying them over to her spot with both arms. I’m seething, but what am I supposed to do about it?
I stand in front of the tent with a frown before dismantling everything and taking it with me. The hiking boots and pants that got wet also come along. At least they’re dry now, but this isn’t fair. She’s going to have to answer some of my fucking questions if she doesn’t want me to pop her tires with my knife, which is still in my back pocket.
I can walk my ass back to North Bend in the morning if she’s not just planning to kidnap me or some shit.
Back at her camp, I put my tent next to hers, and she asks me, “What are you doing? Bring it inside. You see how big my tent is, yours isn’t going to take up much space.”
I scowl but do as she says. The inside is pretty big. I didn’t expect to find a desk off to one side, which seems to have a pretty detailed map and some circles crossed over it. There are ticks with red string connecting them, too.
What the fuck is she up to? Her address to me came suddenly.
“Alright, stranger. First things first.” she says, putting both her hands on her hips and looking me over.
“No going out at night. It’s dangerous.”
We literally just did that...
“No going off on your own. It’s dangerous.”
I’ve been on my own this entire time…
“And lastly, don’t be difficult. I get you’re angry at me, but I have a damn good reason for keeping you close. There’s been enough casualties, and I don’t want to count you among them.”
She thinks she’s protecting me? Seriously? From what? I’ve had more trouble with her than anything else. This woman’s definitely got a few screws loose.
“I don’t get what you want from me. I told you this was supposed to be my get-away from all the bullshit, and you’re pissing all over it!”
To her credit, she does look a little sorry. Not that it matters, she’s literally forcing me to stay here with her. This is practically abduction. If she thinks this is going to fly, she’s either stupidly stubborn, or just plain naïve.
“Okay, look. I’m sorry about all this, but just call me Penny. That’s what all my friends call me.”
I snort, but she keeps going. “And for the record, you’re in the middle of the most dangerous woods this side of the state. People have died, and nobody knows why. The only thing that has made it out of here in the last six months has been a corpse.”
She begins to dig into a red backpack off to the side next to the desk. Pulling out an article with some highlighted parts, she shoves it in my hands. Skeptically bringing it up to my face, I see a familiar name.
Montey Webber. Reported missing a month ago. There’s also a few photos vaguely depicting what looks like a man, only he’s got what look like wounds all over. It looks like a piece from the local news station.
Turning to look back up at her, I ask, “… So, you weren’t lying when you told me about–”
She looks at me like I’m stupid. “Why would I lie about that? What’s your hold up anyway? You really don’t trust anyone at all, do you? I’ve been trying to warn you, pointing you away from this place, and still you insisted on coming here. Why?” she asks me, genuinely curious and accentuating the last word.
I have no immediate answer to give. I keep thinking this is to get away from all the ugly in my life, or to deal with nasty feelings that keep pinning me down, but that’s not entirely true.
I think… The reason I came out here, why I kept going, was because I want to get lost. I used to have a star to lead my way, but the light has gone, and I haven’t felt like I belong anywhere since. I’m not about to tell her that, though.
“… I don’t know.”
She sighs and pats the top of my head. I want to slap her arm away, but I’m too tired.
“You’re a little weird, you know that?”
Whatever… I’ll be gone in the morning. This was as pointless as anything I ever did.
“Anyway,” she starts, chuckling. “Let’s get some rest. I’m a light sleeper, don’t worry.”
With all the confidence in the world, she just smiles at me, and I have to wonder. I’m the weird one? Really?