.jpg)
The outing was based partly on a
dare and partly on a birthday wish. Wendy, not her real name, wanted to camp in
the National Forest for her birthday.
Her friends, The Lost Boys, promised to keep her safe in the big forest. The group included, Mark, Jim, Sally, and Robert.
It was the wrong time of year for camping really. But they were young and enthusiastic. They borrowed two tents, and brought a lot of food and drink. It is possible that no actual sleep was intended. Maybe they would stay up all night sitting around the fire, after the dare part of the occasion. That part of the occasion was a hike into the dark, rainy forest.
They were completely green, had never camped or spent any time away from streets and buildings. Hard to believe, but true.
Robert was the driver. It was an old Chevy van. It was packed with supplies and people. Wendy sat in the seat of honor, her birthday, 18 today. Robert was 20 years old, so he was supposed to know something. He looked as if he knew something. He was wiry, brown eyed, ponytail guy, tall and bossy.
He parked in their designated area. It was afternoon and already looking like early evening. They were the only campers present.
“If we’re going to have time to hike in the woods, we better get started,” said Robert. “Soon it will be too dark..”
While the Lost Boys and Wendy were climbing out of the van and getting prepared for a damp hike, the camp host came around to greet them. The camp host turned out to be a young woman, approximately their same age. She said her name was Marge and that if they needed help with anything to ask her. She said she was not busy right now and that she lived in the small mobile right over there.
“Could you suggest a trail for a short hike?” said Wendy.
Marge pulled a Forest Service brochure with a map printed in it out of her inside jacket pocket.
“This one is only a couple of miles and loops back here. It should be just about right. Take lights in case it gets dark before you get back,” said Marge. She didn’t know what to think of this group, but figured they were young and strong and even if it got dark and cold, they’d be alright. Robert brought the map along.
“Thanks, Marge,” Robert said, and rallied his group around himself.
“Let’s stay together, now. Last guy in a group is the one the bears eat, you know!” he said. “Guy on 411 says that.”
They entered the forest. The trees were impossibly tall, water dripped from all surfaces, the light was dim. It was actually a little spooky. But they kept going. It was a nicely maintained trail and made them feel confident and safe.
Somehow Wendy ended up at the back of the line. She kept up though.
Then things got weird. It went something like this.
Robert was first in line. Then Sally, the blond, Mark was next, then Jim, then Wendy.
Something huge and black was in the trail ahead. Robert stopped to look.
“What’s that?” he said.
“I don’t see anything,” said Sally. “But I sure smell something! What’s that smell?”
“It’s making my eyes run,” said Jim, blinking and rubbing his eyes.
“Something must be dead up here,” said Mark. He retched.
The big black thing developed red glowing eyes. There they were, about nine feet up in the dim air of the forest trail, right ahead, maybe 50 feet up the trail.
That was enough. When the thing started giggling, that was too much already.
Robert, Sally, the blond, Jim, the chubby kid, and Mark, the wisearse, all split. They demonstrated to their best ability the concept of gone. Back down the trail, forgetting Wendy. They ran right past her, the birthday girl.
She watched them go. Then she looked up the trail at the glowing eyes and all of that.
“Hey,” said Wendy.
“Hey,” said Ralph. “Where’d everybody go?”
“I guess you scared them,” she said. “They’re probably clear back to camp by now.”
“My name is Delores. They call me Wendy. It’s a silly joke. Who are you?” asked Delores.
“I’ve been called Ralph for a long time now, my birth name is too hard for you humans to say,” said Ralph. “Why are you guys camping at this time of year? Most humans like a sunny day.”
“Oh, it was a birthday wish of mine, to camp in the forest,” said Delores.
“It’s your birthday?” said Ralph with a little laugh. “Tell you what, Delores, if you’re not scared that is, why don’t you come home with me, meet the family and have a little birthday treat with us? What do you say?” said Ralph, who had knocked off the glowing eyes bit, because it was actually not very comfortable to do that thing for long.
“Yeah, OK, yeah, Ralph. I’d like to meet your family. Those guys can just wonder where I am. They ran right past me and left me!” said Delores.
So then, Delores and Ralph walked together to the Home Clearing. She met Ramona, who was delighted to meet her. Twigg was home for dinner, so she met him and Cherry too. She also met Blue and the puma brothers.
Maeve appeared and was informed that today was Delores’ birthday.
“Evermore! Everyday is your birthday! Happy day!” said Maeve.
Ramona fried trout, and boiled up a pot of cowboy coffee.
Cherry demonstrated her flight skills. Twigg told her about the B’s. The cats smiled their secret cat smiles and Ralph beamed over the whole proceeding.
When it seemed like it had been long enough, Twigg walked Delores back to the campground. When he saw that her so-called friends were still there, he continued to the camp host’s place to visit for a moment with Marge.
“Where were you?” demanded Robert.
“We were about to call the ranger and get a search and rescue started,” yelled Sally, the blond.
“We haven’t even had dinner,” said Jim.
“Did you meet someone out there?” demanded Mark.
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you,” said Wendy. But eventually she did tell them, and they didn’t believe her, but had no other explanation, so they had to kind of go with it.
And since they were there, after all, and young and full of beans, they went ahead and made dinner. Sally brought out a cake she had baked the day before and hidden in Tupperware. They had a little beer, and sat up all night talking and joking around the fire.
Then in the morning, Robert took everyone to their various homes. They slept all day which was OK because it was a Sunday.
Her friends, The Lost Boys, promised to keep her safe in the big forest. The group included, Mark, Jim, Sally, and Robert.
It was the wrong time of year for camping really. But they were young and enthusiastic. They borrowed two tents, and brought a lot of food and drink. It is possible that no actual sleep was intended. Maybe they would stay up all night sitting around the fire, after the dare part of the occasion. That part of the occasion was a hike into the dark, rainy forest.
They were completely green, had never camped or spent any time away from streets and buildings. Hard to believe, but true.
Robert was the driver. It was an old Chevy van. It was packed with supplies and people. Wendy sat in the seat of honor, her birthday, 18 today. Robert was 20 years old, so he was supposed to know something. He looked as if he knew something. He was wiry, brown eyed, ponytail guy, tall and bossy.
He parked in their designated area. It was afternoon and already looking like early evening. They were the only campers present.
“If we’re going to have time to hike in the woods, we better get started,” said Robert. “Soon it will be too dark..”
While the Lost Boys and Wendy were climbing out of the van and getting prepared for a damp hike, the camp host came around to greet them. The camp host turned out to be a young woman, approximately their same age. She said her name was Marge and that if they needed help with anything to ask her. She said she was not busy right now and that she lived in the small mobile right over there.
“Could you suggest a trail for a short hike?” said Wendy.
Marge pulled a Forest Service brochure with a map printed in it out of her inside jacket pocket.
“This one is only a couple of miles and loops back here. It should be just about right. Take lights in case it gets dark before you get back,” said Marge. She didn’t know what to think of this group, but figured they were young and strong and even if it got dark and cold, they’d be alright. Robert brought the map along.
“Thanks, Marge,” Robert said, and rallied his group around himself.
“Let’s stay together, now. Last guy in a group is the one the bears eat, you know!” he said. “Guy on 411 says that.”
They entered the forest. The trees were impossibly tall, water dripped from all surfaces, the light was dim. It was actually a little spooky. But they kept going. It was a nicely maintained trail and made them feel confident and safe.
Somehow Wendy ended up at the back of the line. She kept up though.
Then things got weird. It went something like this.
Robert was first in line. Then Sally, the blond, Mark was next, then Jim, then Wendy.
Something huge and black was in the trail ahead. Robert stopped to look.
“What’s that?” he said.
“I don’t see anything,” said Sally. “But I sure smell something! What’s that smell?”
“It’s making my eyes run,” said Jim, blinking and rubbing his eyes.
“Something must be dead up here,” said Mark. He retched.
The big black thing developed red glowing eyes. There they were, about nine feet up in the dim air of the forest trail, right ahead, maybe 50 feet up the trail.
That was enough. When the thing started giggling, that was too much already.
Robert, Sally, the blond, Jim, the chubby kid, and Mark, the wisearse, all split. They demonstrated to their best ability the concept of gone. Back down the trail, forgetting Wendy. They ran right past her, the birthday girl.
She watched them go. Then she looked up the trail at the glowing eyes and all of that.
“Hey,” said Wendy.
“Hey,” said Ralph. “Where’d everybody go?”
“I guess you scared them,” she said. “They’re probably clear back to camp by now.”
“My name is Delores. They call me Wendy. It’s a silly joke. Who are you?” asked Delores.
“I’ve been called Ralph for a long time now, my birth name is too hard for you humans to say,” said Ralph. “Why are you guys camping at this time of year? Most humans like a sunny day.”
“Oh, it was a birthday wish of mine, to camp in the forest,” said Delores.
“It’s your birthday?” said Ralph with a little laugh. “Tell you what, Delores, if you’re not scared that is, why don’t you come home with me, meet the family and have a little birthday treat with us? What do you say?” said Ralph, who had knocked off the glowing eyes bit, because it was actually not very comfortable to do that thing for long.
“Yeah, OK, yeah, Ralph. I’d like to meet your family. Those guys can just wonder where I am. They ran right past me and left me!” said Delores.
So then, Delores and Ralph walked together to the Home Clearing. She met Ramona, who was delighted to meet her. Twigg was home for dinner, so she met him and Cherry too. She also met Blue and the puma brothers.
Maeve appeared and was informed that today was Delores’ birthday.
“Evermore! Everyday is your birthday! Happy day!” said Maeve.
Ramona fried trout, and boiled up a pot of cowboy coffee.
Cherry demonstrated her flight skills. Twigg told her about the B’s. The cats smiled their secret cat smiles and Ralph beamed over the whole proceeding.
When it seemed like it had been long enough, Twigg walked Delores back to the campground. When he saw that her so-called friends were still there, he continued to the camp host’s place to visit for a moment with Marge.
“Where were you?” demanded Robert.
“We were about to call the ranger and get a search and rescue started,” yelled Sally, the blond.
“We haven’t even had dinner,” said Jim.
“Did you meet someone out there?” demanded Mark.
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you,” said Wendy. But eventually she did tell them, and they didn’t believe her, but had no other explanation, so they had to kind of go with it.
And since they were there, after all, and young and full of beans, they went ahead and made dinner. Sally brought out a cake she had baked the day before and hidden in Tupperware. They had a little beer, and sat up all night talking and joking around the fire.
Then in the morning, Robert took everyone to their various homes. They slept all day which was OK because it was a Sunday.
🎂
%20(1).jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
No comments:
Post a Comment