Chapter Nine

Stepping off of the charter bus inside the park entrance, I'm greeted by a fresh autumn breeze mingled with scents of fallen leaves, earth, evergreen and damp foliage. The colorful woodland scenery surrounding me is magnificent. Nearly every tree is ablaze in crimson reds, bright oranges, rich golds and deep evergreens.

Approaching the dark brown log cabin style visitor center, I took a trail map off of a brochure rack mounted on the wall next to the building's front door. Removing my iPhone from my front vest pocket to message Kyra that I'd arrived, I cursed under my breath, discovering I was receiving zero phone signal out here. Great. Absolutely wonderful...

Opening the map, I locate and mark the trails I'm interested in hiking today. Acadia National Park is filled with spectacular views, craggy shorelines, deep white pine forest, and overlooks. I definitely want to hike up to Sergeants Peak, which is a bit more of a challenging hike. From there, I can either continue heading north or eastward on a variety of trails that will pass by waterfalls, stone bridges, breathtaking rocky shorelines, and all sorts of natural formations. Before embarking on today's adventure, though, I will be taking a quick break to utilize indoor plumbing and privacy.

Adjusting the chest and torso straps on my backpack to balance out the weight distribution on my shoulders and back, I head in the direction of the trail head that will take me to Sergeants Peak, with a height of 1362 ft. It's a challenging trail with portions of steep rocky inclines, winding granite steps, heart-palpitating drop-offs, and uneven, rocky trails that will require a moderate amount of climbing. Sounds right up my alley.

From that point I will descend south away from the peak to Jordon Pond House, a large visitor center and scenic overlook which also has a bus stop. IF I arrive back on time today, I will take the bus back home. Otherwise, I will set up camp a little way off the hiking trail overnight and make my way there first thing in the morning. Hopefully, at some point, I can get a cell signal to text Kyra, so she doesn't lose her ever loving mind worrying about me.

I love that girl to death, but during these last two years it feels like our relationship dynamic has shifted towards her behaving as more of a motherly figure than my own mother at times. I know she means well though, and I try not to make too much of a fuss over it.

Making my way past the start of the trail head, a cute elderly couple comes into view walking towards me on their way off of the trail head holding hands. In their free hands they both hold onto hand-carved wood walking sticks. They are both a little out of breath and smiling adorably at one another, immersed in a quiet conversation.

Tipping my head in their direction, I wished them a friendly good morning as we passed.

"Good morning. The trails are stunning today." The elderly man said to me in passing.

"A perfect day for an Autumn hike." The elderly woman added with a polite smile.

"I'm really looking forward to the views. Enjoy the rest of your day." I smiled at them with a small wave.

The smile remains on my face climbing further up the trail. I can only hope to be that energetic and enjoying life the way they both clearly are at their age. To be so obviously in love with each other after decades of marriage. Of course, I am assuming they've been married for decades. For all I know, they are maybe dating or just recently met. But with the way they behaved towards one another, I highly doubt that's the case. The depth of endearment in the elderly man's eyes while he was speaking with his wife was undeniable.

Kicking a decent sized rock off the packed dirt trail with a snort, a stabbing pain pierces my chest from my current thoughts. That could have been Randy and me forty years from now if things had gone differently.

The smile on my face slips away into a frown. When will I stop missing and thinking about him constantly? It's been just over two years since we broke up and almost a year since we last spoke. I've been out on a few dates with other guys over the past several months, but none of those resulted in me desiring to take things any further with them.

The guys I had gone out with were nice enough and treated me wonderfully on our dates. Taking me out for a nice dinner and catching a movie afterward or going on an evening stroll together along the shoreline and numerous docks of the island. One guy even took me up to a lighthouse on a moonless clear night for stargazing. The stars were breathtaking that night, and he was utterly romantic. But there was no spark, heat, or attraction that happened afterward between us. Well, at least any that I felt. The same feelings occurred with him as they had with the couple of other guys I went out with. I felt nothing.

Reaching a point along the trail that requires more of my attention and physical abilities, I decided it was a good time to take a break for a quick lunch. Planting my behind on a rock large enough to double as a stool just off of the trail, I unclipped the straps from my chest and waist and swung the large backpack to the ground between my feet. Taking a glance at my watch to check the time, I was surprised to see it was already after two in the afternoon. I should be well past the half-way point on the trail that leads to the top of the peak.

Taking a generous bite out of the Mesquite deli sliced turkey, lettuce, tomato and cheddar cheese sandwich I had packed this morning, a little groan of satisfaction escaped as the different flavors and textures mingled together in my mouth. Guess I didn't realize how hungry I was.

At this current point along the trail, the towering pine-rich woods surrounding me are dense, creating a canopy that deeply shades this particular location. A large drop of something wet splatters on my nose. Glancing up cautiously, I was expecting to see a bird on a branch somewhere above my head, blissfully unaware that it had just crapped on my face. I don't see a single bird or creature on any of the visible branches of the surrounding trees. I do, however, notice, the sky doesn't appear as bright and clear as it did earlier.

Wiping my nose off, I examine my fingers and find them wet with what looks and smells thankfully to only be water. Huh... Another large drop lands on top of my bent knee, leaving behind a darkened circle after the water absorbs into my jeans. Then another and another large drop of water splattered on top of my head.

I heard and smelled the incoming torrent of rain crashing down on the dense wooded mountainside before I saw it. It wasn't supposed to rain at all today! Shit, shitty, shit!

Jumping to my feet, I dig down into the backpack, desperately searching for the waterproof rain poncho before I'm completely drenched. Why didn't I think of packing it near the top? Right as my fingers come into contact with the waterproof fabric, buckets of cruelly cold rain shower down from above. The dense evergreen canopy overhead does nothing to slow down the torrents of rain. The opposite happens, in fact, as the heavy downpour batters through the trees, sending broken branches and twigs plummeting down on top of and all around me. The roar of the intense rainfall drowns out any other sounds and becomes disorienting.

Yanking the poncho out of the bag, I threw it over my now soaking-wet head and clothes. Pulling the rain guard over the top of the backpack, now sitting on the same rock I was previously resting on, I take in the surrounding situation before deciding whether to stay put and wait this out or to keep moving forward and attempt to take my time through the onslaught of rain.

The decision is instantly made for me as I caught sight of the muddy, debris-filled, and churning swell of water rushing down the steep slope, heading directly for me. Throwing the backpack on my back, I turned around and book it as fast as I could pump my legs down the rough terrain of the tree-filled mountainside. I can't see the trail any more through the heavy downpour, let alone more than a few feet ahead of me in any direction.

Wiping the water from my eyes, I misjudged the space between two large trees, slamming my shoulder into the side of a tree trunk with a jagged broken branch sticking straight out from the side of it. The dagger-shaped branch rips through the poncho and shirt sleeve underneath, tearing a gash through my upper arm. I cried out, gripping my shoulder in response to the white-hot pain shooting through it.

Warm blood seeps between my fingers, mixing with the cold rain pummeling down on top of me. Glancing quickly over my shoulder, the horrifying scene behind me propels my legs of their own accord to pound impossibly faster than they already are.

The hillside behind is washing away and breaking apart in large clumps, threatening to become a full-blown landslide at any second. I almost think it wise to climb up a tree as a way to escape the muddy rapids of death raging for me, but second guess that decision after witnessing how easily the ground washed away. When I hear the thunderous crash of trees falling behind me, I'm glad I trusted my instincts and didn't climb a tree. My heart hammers in my chest at the grave reality that this situation has quickly become deadly.

Randy would have known what to do… He was always so quick on his feet and brave in dangerous situations. Like that one time, I almost plummeted to my death a few years ago in an abandoned asylum we were checking out as a potential video location.