It had been
a long time since they had been out of the city. As they drove down the
two-lane highway, Arthur could only think of comparing the towering heights of
the pines to the city skyline. They seemed just as indomitable as those steel
and glass constructions. This was what the trip was about wasn’t it? Arthur
thought. Getting away and finding some perspective away from the grind of town?
A small hand
touched his and he took it. He leaned over and kissed his girlfriend, Jenna, on
the cheek. She smiled at him. “What do you think so far? My coworkers aren’t
driving you crazy yet?”
Arthur
twisted in his seat to look at the rest of the passengers. There were twelve of
them in total, six couples on this nature retreat. He and Jenna were behind the
driver’s seat in the 15-passenger van. Some of the others dozed, they’d all
been up before dawn to load their equipment and get on the road. He couldn’t
remember all of their names, but he was sure he would figure it out by the end
of the day when they were sitting around a fire making marshmallows. “The day
is still young.” he said.
She elbowed
him playfully and turned back to the conversation she’d been having with Cheryl
who sat beside her. Cheryl’s husband was snoring slightly just behind her. In
the driver’s seat sat Mark, his wife Beth beside him in the passenger seat. She
had a map spread over her lap at Mark’s behest, but was trying to use the GPS
function on her phone. Arthur checked his own. No service. Oh well.
The
outskirts of a small town came into view and Mark directed the vehicle into a
parking spot in the back of a small shopping center. “All right,” Mark said,
turning around, “We’re going to split up and get some last minute supplies.
People in the front we’re headed into the sporting goods store and the back
half is going into the grocery store. I have lists.” He passed one to Mark and
the other was handed back to... Dave, Arthur thought his name was. Everyone
filed out and entered their respective stores.
Jenna and
Cheryl seemed to have the list covered so he wandered the store. This tiny
family-owned place was so different than the shining stores back home that
hawked subzero sleeping bags and palatial tents. He was perusing the fishing
gear near the back of the store when he noticed an old man sorting through
flies. “You fish?”
“Not really.
This is the first time I’ve been camping since I was a little kid.”
“Where are
you headed?”
“Well, we’re
renting horses from Elk Ranch and headed up Jim’s Peak.” The old man was silent
and Arthur looked up from the expertly tied flies. The old man’s face had gone
pale, his gray eyes wide.
“You don’t
want to be doing that, son.” he said.
“People go
camping on Jim’s Peak and never return. There’s a monster up there. They say
it’s half-man and half-Grizzly.” The man said it with such serious that Arthur
couldn’t even bring himself to laugh at the absurd idea. Did the old man take
him for such a city slicker that he would believe a campfire tale like that?
“Uh, thanks
for the warning.” he said, turning to leave the odd old man.
“It’s not
worth the risk, boy!” The old man called after him as Arthur rounded up his
companions at the cash register and out of the store. Arthur climbed back into
his seat, half afraid that the crazy man from inside the store would pursue
them into the parking lot. He could see him now, standing just inside the glass
door. He watched them. Arthur looked away.
“What’s
wrong with you?” Jenna asked, laying a hand on his arm, “You look like you saw
a ghost or something.”
“It’s nothing.
There was just this really weird guy in the store. He kind of freaked out when
he heard where we were going.” Her brow furrowed, but before Arthur could tell
her anything the rest of the group climbed noisily into the van laden with bags
and the rest of the supplies from the grocery store.
“Hey,” said
Beth, “While we were inside we asked for a recommendation on a good place for
lunch. There’s a diner up the road a few miles. It’s on the way to the stables.
I figure we can all eat and then head up for our weekend of roughing it!”
Everyone agreed, followed by mutterings of how hungry they were and how tired
they were of being in the car. Jenna got pulled into a conversation with
Cheryl, the odd nature of Arthur’s statement apparently forgotten. Arthur
looked out the window and tried to forget the strange man and his absurd words.
There had been something though, a twitch in his face that told Arthur the man
believed the story. Rural people were strange.
They pulled
up outside of the little diner and walked in. They were the only customers
aside from a pair of burly men at a table on the other side of the restaurant.
They were dressed in hunting garb, their rifles propped next to their chairs.
“Do they
think they are going to get attacked by Bigfoot in the restaurant or
something?” Dave said to Arthur, tilting his head and rolling his eyes at the
hunters. Arthur shrugged. They sat down and the waitress appeared within
seconds. She was a middle-aged woman and she took their orders down without pen
or paper. Arthur really hoped she was able to remember the orders of fourteen
people.
The food was
moderately good, nothing spectacular, but hearty. Arthur was scraping his plate
of the last of his french fries when the pair of hunters stood up and headed
for the door. He was nearest to the cash register and heard the waitress
speaking to them. “You going after it?” she asked.
“Someone’s
got to take it down. We’re going up to the cabin to join the others, we haven’t
heard from them in a few days.”
“Well, be
safe.” she said. The look of worry stayed on her face as they went through the
front door, setting the little bell tinkling. She smoothed her apron with her
hands and came back to ask if anyone needed refills or more food. Arthur waved
her over, leaning away so Jenna wouldn’t overhear him.
“I couldn’t
help but see those gentlemen with their guns. A little late for deer season
isn’t it?”
“They ain’t
hunting deer. There’s a monster up there on Jim’s Peak.”
“A monster?”
It was too weird that he’d talked to two people in this town and they both insisted
there was something off.
“I don’t
want to say much.” she said, hurrying away and into the kitchens so he couldn’t
follow. A monster. A grizzly bear. Men who hadn’t been heard from in several
days.
Arthur was
getting a bad feeling about this trip.
