My eyes dart in every direction—woods here, lake there, nothing out of order. Except, I've listened to enough true crime to know this is the perfect situation for an assailant to surprise, abduct, assault—or worse! My heart rate spikes. The fear that I’ll never lay eyes on friends and family again consumes me as goosebumps pebble across my skin. I shake my hands out, opening and closing my fingers.
I will myself to calm down. I’m being slightly irrational, and also, incredibly aware that I’ve gone far enough down the path now to wonder if anyone would hear me scream. What did Holly at the desk say? Does this trail open to the public at some point? What’s stopping someone from wandering in and torturing an unsuspecting woman first thing in the morning? Sounds like a serial killer’s perfect start to the day!
The minutes pass with nothing concerning, maybe the occasional squirrel, but that’s about it. I’m ready to laugh at myself for being so absurd when I hear the faint crunching of gravel.
I can’t see it, but I can hear it. Someone is coming.
They’re coming closer with each passing second from some distance around the bend in the path.
What am I supposed to do? Do I jump into the woods? Should I turn and run? Does whoever it is know I am here, too? That’s silly. How could they? As quietly as I can, I unzip my pepper spray from my pocket and flip its lid off for quick and easy access, just in case.
My mind is racing, my heart is racing, and before I can even think straight, whoever is coming at me rounds the bend sooner than I expected. Screaming, I reachmy arm out, close my eyes, and begin spraying pepper spray everywhere and anywhere.
“Oh, shit!” a familiar male voice rings out.
I let go of the nozzle, opening my eyes to find Luke Huffman ducking off to the side of the trail, covering his face with his arms.
Oops.
“You tried to pepper-spray me!” he yells, uncovering his face.
“Oh my goodness! I’m so sorry! Did I get you?”
Luke pulls his headphones from his ears. “You nearly did! Scared the crap out of me too!” he fires back.
“Well, why are you coming up on women alone on a trail?” I yell. My heart won’t calm down.
“I waswalking to the house!It’s not my fault you were walking alone!”
Oh. “You don’t live at the house?” My mind wanders back to the night before and how he dropped us off. He didn’t park the truck to stay.
“My cottage is down the path that way. I live on the property, just not in the house.” He points behind him. The dirt road off the driveway that I noticed when we arrived yesterday flashes back to mind.Makes so much sense.
Luke pushes a breath through his teeth. “Why are you out here so early anyway?” he asks, wiping his forehead with his forearm. The muscles in his arms bunch and flex. “I thought vacation was for sleeping in.”
“I needed to burn off some energy and thought a walk would help.” My eyes dart to the side of the trail. He doesn’t need to know how I spend my downtime, consumed by spiraling negative thoughts.
“Vague.” His hands are on his hips as he assesses me.
“It’s not vague. It’s true.” I mirror his stance.
“Mmm… It’s kind of vague. Never questioned how true it was though.”
Sensing more information isn’t forthcoming, Luke nods. “Okay, I’m gonna head up to the house.”
I’m torn here—I don’t think I want him to go, but I can’t exactly ask him to walk with me because… why would I? I’m certainly not interested in him… like, at all. “Okay, I’ll see you later.” I slip past him and continue down the path.
I make it only a few yards before?—
“Actually, Trip. Maybe I should walk with you. Can’t have that trigger-happy finger pepper spraying a poor unsuspecting squirrel for living its best life.”
“Hilarious.” I try to ignore the way my stomach flutters with a pleasant coil of emotion as he slides up beside me.
“One can never be too safe, you know. It’s very dangerous out here. Pinecones can drop from the trees at any moment.” Luke ducks his head, looking around at the trees and the ground like he’s wary of all the dangers.
“Mountain lions,” I supply.
“Mountain lions? No, they haven’t been in this area since, like, the 1800s. The scariest thing out here is your good old-fashioned gray squirrel. Very dangerous. Have you seen their teeth? Those beady little eyes? Or those tiny furry pointed ears? Terrifying.”
