|
Continued....
The big SUV arrived at the great Mount Charleston. Mike, being anxious to get out of the SUV after such a long drive, was impatiently searching for a place to park. He could have just parked at the recreation area but decided to drive further down the road as it was very crowded. “You should’ve just parked with everyone else.“ Katie said. “Did you see how many cars where there?“ Mike asked. “Instead of seeing the beautiful scenery the mountain has to offer, we’d be looking at the backs of people’s heads.“ Katie rolled her eyes as she did anytime Mike stubbornness shone through. “There we go, a perfect spot right there.” Mike said. There was a gravel turn off just off the main road. It looked to be an emergency pull off for vehicles in distress. Mike turned to Katie and said “Well, we’re finally here. Look at it, isn’t it beautiful?” “It’s something alright.” Katie said with a bit of sarcasm. Mike just looked at her and gave her half a smile. “Alright babe, let’s go” he said. He and Katie stepped out of the SUV. Mike walked around to the back to get Sweet Pea as Katie gathered the bags they had packed. “Do we have everything?“ Mike inquired of Katie. “Yep, I think so.“ She replied. They were ready to go. Mike, Katie and Sweet Pea headed toward the foot of the mountain. Mike had to hold Sweet Pea’s leash as her size and power were sometimes overwhelming for Katie. Sweet Pea would take off without notice, a sniff of something in the air got her riled up. They arrived at the foot of the mountain, looked up and Katie said with a smile “I don’t want to hear one complaint about walking, this was your idea after all.” Mike smiled back and shot Katie a wink as if to say “you know I’ll complain.” They began their hike.
Mike sat as still as possible. He feared even his breathing may be too loud so he concentrated on taking long, deep, slow breathes. This was very difficult as he was very out of breath. He thought every sound of the forest was a sign telling his predator where he was. A bird chirped in the tree above making Mike wince believing that was a dead give away as to where he was. The footsteps he once heard grow faint were now growing louder. He knew his outburst was heard. Louder and louder became the quickening footsteps. But, just as quickly as they became louder, they again began to grow faint. “He must’ve gone past me.” Mike thought to himself. All Mike could think of was what happened to his wife and dog. “What if we just parked with the others?” “What if Sweet Pea hadn’t gotten loose?” “What if I would’ve gotten to her before Katie?” were all questions running through Mike’s mind.
As the footsteps faded away, Mike thought he was safe for the moment. He let out a bit of a sigh of relief only to be overcome with the reality of what had happened. He placed his head in his hands and flashbacks of the day’s events were all he could see. “Oh God, all that blood”, he thought to himself. How could something like this have happened? Mike began to weep softly to himself, his blood stained shirt almost mocking him about what had happened. Mike began to pull himself together realizing he still had to get out of there. “OK, now which way did we come in?” Mike thought to himself. Mike took a quick look around and recognized the path to his right. He began to get up, being sure not to make a sound as he was unsure as to the exact whereabouts of his predator. When he finally made it to his feet, a strong sensation came over him. Mike froze. He felt eyes glued on him. Mike then turned around only to realize that his gut was right. There he was, the predator that had taken his wife and dog away from him. Mike looked into his eyes and knew what was coming. He froze, his limbs unable to move. He just closed his eyes and waited for the inevitable.
When Mike opened his eyes, he couldn’t believe what he saw. He was staring at his alarm clock next to his bed. 6:07 in the morning. “It was a dream?” He asked himself aloud. “But it seemed so real.” He could smell the coffee brewing and knew the horror he thought he experienced was just a terrible nightmare. “Wow, those sleeping pills the doctor gave me must be great!” “I got a full night sleep.” Putting the memory of the nightmare in the back of his head, he was ready to get out of bed to tell Katie the good news about sleeping through the night. As Mike made his way to the bathroom, as was his routine every morning, he called for Katie. “Babe” he called, in a tone he only had first thing in the morning. Mike relieved himself and still felt a bit fuzzy and hazy. “Must be a side effect of those pills” he thought to himself. Mike walked to the sink and splashed some water over his face. As the cold, refreshing water dripped off of his face, he was stunned as he looked into the mirror. He was wearing a shirt soaked with blood, just like the one in his dream. Mike gasped. He slowly walked backwards, mouth wide open. “No….no….no….no….it can’t be!”
|