So for the past two weeks, she’d been around a bunch of strangers, who happened to be wealthy men and women, who were looking for a good time. Trying to pretend their wealth meant nothing to them, when the truth was, they’d never had to go a day without anything in their lives.
There was no way she was bonding with people who didn’t understand what real struggle meant. They were spoiled and arrogant, and made her feel worse about herself.
Why was she alone right now? Well, she’d been able to afford the hiking, and soul-searching part, just not the scenic plane ride. While the rest of the group left to go and have that life-altering experience, she’d been told to wait, and a pickup would be along shortly to collect her. That had been two days ago, and now she was trapped in the wilderness, where everything looked exactly the same.
“I won’t cry. I will not cry. This is the whole process. Being at one with nature, and learning to thrive in an environment I’m not used to. Everything is going to be okay. I’m fine. I’m not going to die a miserable death because no one cares if I’m here or not.” She breathed in deep, drank another sip of her water, and tapped the tree. “You look exactly the same as all your brothers and sisters. Got to keep moving, and talking to myself, because that is totally fun, right?”
When did she become the kind of woman who talked to herself?
“Only twenty-two, and already going loopy. What was I thinking? Sure, Opal Clark, find yourself in the wilderness, it’ll totally make sense. I should have just phoned one of those stupid lines that offers to hel-ahhhhhh…” She screamed as she suddenly tripped over a root of a tree, and rolled down the hill, coming to a stop right next to a rock, hitting her head. She pressed a hand to her suddenly aching head, and came away with some blood. “Ouch.” Rolling over, she went to stand up, and squealed as pain rushed through her ankle, making her collapse in a heap. Staring down at her boot, she couldn’t make out any damage, but she had heard trying to take your boot off was dangerous. She leaned against the large rock that she just hit her head on, and winced. Taking several deep breaths, she paced herself, and finally tried to lift up but nothing was happening.
Dropping back on the ground, she glanced around and saw nothing that could help her.
Reaching into her bag, she found her cell phone, and it was indeed dead as well. No miracles tonight. And only one jerky left.
She rested her head on the rock as panic tried to take over. “Don’t panic. Don’t worry. Everything is going to be fine. You waited an entire day in that spot they told you to stay at, and now you’re in the middle of nowhere with a really bad ankle, and a throbbing head. It could get worse.”
As if someone was determined to mark her words, she heard the thunder, followed by a sudden flash, and rain began to fall.
“Seriously! Right now? You’re going to rain? Like I don’t have enough on my plate without you mocking me at every damn turn.” She slammed her hand on the ground and growled. “Give me a damn break.”
The rain didn’t let up, and as she couldn’t move, she grew wetter. She wrapped her arms around herself, feeling the chill seep into her clothes. Tears filled her eyes as the true extent of her circumstances settled in.
She was alone.
No one knew where she was.
She didn’t have a working cell phone.
Her ankle was either sprained or broken.
No one was coming for her.
The hours passed, and she watched the sun go down until it disappeared with the last of her hope. The rain still fell but more in a light drizzle. When she heard the howl of a wolf, that was it. She let out a scream, hoping that somewhere, someone was as crazy as her, and wanted to spend time in the wild.
****
“What is it, Bear?” Damon asked, watching his St. Bernard’s tail wag as he looked off toward the forest.
“He’s getting old. He probably heard a rabbit or something,” Caleb said, standing in the doorway.
Bear patted his foot then rushed toward the edge of the forest, and came back to him.
“I don’t think it’s a rabbit,” Damon said.
He’d been the one to train Bear after they’d saved him from a rescue center five years ago. He was a huge dog, and being out in the middle of nowhere was the perfect place for him.
“It’s dark.”
“Yeah, and I don’t care. I don’t like the way he’s acting. What if someone’s hurt?”
“Ugh! Fine. Let’s go and see what’s wrong with your damn dog.” Caleb grabbed two flashlights and handed one to him. They’d explored the forest surrounding them so many times that they knew all the dangerous spots where bears liked to hunt.
He had no intention of being eaten by bears or by wolves.
Caleb had also grabbed one of their shotguns as well.
“Come on, boy, go on, go find it.” Damon followed Bear’s trail. The dog sniffed at the ground.
“You know if he brings home a rabbit, I’m not eating it,” Caleb said.
Damon laughed. His brother didn’t like killing and eating rabbits, but then, neither did he. Maybe he was lame, but he’d rather have a big pot of vegetable soup than have to kill a fucking rabbit. Their father never killed a rabbit, and they actually kept them to eat the scraps. They had yet to purchase some, and were using the scraps to help make compost.
They’d been out in the forest for a good twenty minutes when Damon was tempted to head back.
Caleb was moaning, which was what he liked to do. He figured Caleb was lonely, just like him. They’d gotten the life they always wanted, the only problem was, they didn’t have the woman, and they both wanted one.
They wanted to start a family, keep their family name alive.
The right woman would have to live away from society and share her life with the two of them. It was more of a dream than an expectation. It would be a miracle for that to ever happen. What worthwhile woman would want to live out in the middle of nowhere with two very demanding men?
None came to mind.
He was just about to tell Caleb they should head back when he heard the moan. A feminine, pain-filled moan.
Bear whined, and as Damon shined his torch toward his dog, he saw him standing next to a large rock, and leaning up against it was a woman.
“Holy shit,” Caleb said.
They both rushed toward her.
Damon tried not to shine the light in her eyes, but she moaned, and her teeth chattered from the cold. Removing his coat, he wrapped it around her shoulders, and immediately began to check her over.
“What’s your name, sweetheart?” Caleb asked.
“It’s Opal. I was … part … of the … thing.”
“The thing?” Damon asked.
“The camping trip thing.”
Caleb asked her questions, and Damon held her hand as they discovered something was wrong with her ankle, and also, she’d banged her head pretty good against the rock. “We’ve got to move you, baby. You’re in good hands now. Nothing bad is going to happen to you.”
The moment Caleb lifted her up, she gave out a cry and then passed out in his arms. His brother gave a little grunt as he moved her into a more comfortable position.
“Damn, I didn’t expect her to slump down like that.”
“Do you have her?” Damon asked.