Curled up on the sofa with a blanket up to her neck, Beth opened her eyes to see Carl standing by the fireplace, stoking the fire. The room felt warmer than the night before. Only two logs remained beside the hearth. She sat up to stretch her arms over her head, yawning and blinking.
“How long have you been up?” she asked as she wrapped the blanket up tighter around her legs. She hugged her arms and rubbed her hands up and down them as she gazed at her husband, who looked like he had not slept at all. “You look awful.”
“I’ve been up awhile. It’s daylight out. I want to get going soon. I made coffee but there are grounds on the bottom, so be careful how you pour it.” He made a gesture to the pot on the hearth.
“I’m not happy about you going out there. What am I supposed to do, just sit here and wait for you, or for something else to happen while you’re gone?”
“I guess that’s what you will be doing, because you’re not coming with me. If there’s anything out there to put us in danger, I don’t need you to get hurt. I can take care of myself.” He sat on the sofa to put on his boots. “This is something I have to do, Beth. We need help. I think I can make contact on the cell phone from a higher place.”
“What if you can’t?”
“I don’t know. We may have to find our way out of here somehow.” He went over to the hook by the door where his jacket hung and took it down. He turned to her. “I won’t be long. If I remember right, there is a ledge not far from here…that is, if it’s still there.”
She threw her arms around his neck. He held her tight as she spoke into his ear. “Be careful. Don’t take any chances—please.”
Once he had his jacket zipped up to his neck, he opened the door. The cool air rushed in at him. He looked back at her before closing it. “Don’t worry; just stay inside, no matter what.”
A thick frost had settled overnight, making it feel colder than it was. He figured it would only be a matter of time before the sun would dry up all the sparkling wet lying on everything in sight.
Streams of sunlight flowed down through the thick trees from the top edge of the mountain, announcing the start of a new day. The smell of burning leaves, maybe even wood, filled the air. He listened but heard nothing aside from a few birds. He trudged through the overgrown foliage making his way toward the foot of the mountain. In the near distance, a trail of smoke reached up to the sky, making him alert to a possibility of someone ahead. Carl moved along with caution.
The land rose as he ventured nearer to a higher place. Taking the cell phone from his pocket, he punched in some numbers and waited, but there was nothing. Totally dead. Not even a little static or a sound of any kind.
The rustling of the bushes ahead of him gave cause for alarm. He lowered himself to the ground and stayed very still. Twigs, some branches, cracked in the stillness of the forest as something, he didn’t know what, made its way through the thicket just ahead of him. He ducked behind a tree and stayed low as he leaned into the trunk of the tall evergreen. A white tail flashed like a streak of lightening as a large buck dashed away from something which frightened it. Then, out of nowhere, came a large mass of brown fur, hovering over the place where the deer had been, nose up as it sniffed the air for the deer’s scent or anything else of interest. Carl held his breath. His heart beat so fast, he could hardly keep from wondering if it might come right through his chest.
No way can I fight off a grizzly. Not with my bare hands. So much depended on the bear’s natural ability to smell things around him, especially human things. Carl not only crossed his fingers, but he said a silent prayer. He watched the huge brown body of fur search for something to eat at the water’s edge. Carl could almost hear his knees knocking. He crouched down behind the bush beside the tree and peered through its slightly bare branches, hoping he wouldn’t be spotted by this unexpected creature he’d come upon.
With luck on his side, the breeze blew away from him toward the bear. This guy had paws the size of basketballs with large long claws. Sunlight reflected off his long glistening white teeth as he held his mouth wide open in the air as he headed out in the opposite direction. A slow even sigh of relief expelled the air from Carl’s lungs as he stood up, heart still pumping fast and furious, adrenaline flowing.
He waited until the grizzly was far out of sight before he turned to head back to the shelter of the cottage. The cool breeze didn’t stop the sweat from rolling down his forehead as though it were from the heat of the hot summer now long past. His only thought was to get back to safety…beyond that he had no plans to return to this wilderness—an unbelievable presence he could not understand.
Beth hurried to the door the second she heard him come in. “What happened?” she asked.
“You’re not going to believe this, but I confronted a monster of a grizzly out there. I got lucky—he didn’t get a whiff of me. I would have been dead meat in minutes.” He took his jacket off, threw it on the chair then went to the sink for water. He drank like he’d been out in a hot desert for days.
“I didn’t think there were any bears left around here. Maybe further up by the mountain, but not in these settled areas.” He almost choked on his words.
Beth walked over to him. “I suppose it’s possible. After all, this is a place where they used to live.” She stood at his side looking into his pale drawn face. “You look just awful. Are you all right?”
“Do I look all right? I’ve never been so scared in all my life. That bear was out to get some kind of lunch, and I thought for a moment it might be me.”
“Go sit down. I’ll heat up the tea. I thought bears only ate berries, fish, and green things. I just put the last of the logs on the fire. I can heat the tea up in no time. It’ll settle you down.”
“I need something stronger than tea. Did we bring along some booze?”
“No, we didn’t. Remember, this was going to be a last quiet weekend here before the snow flies, and you had a list of things, including fishing. I don’t think we were planning on having a party, but there is some wine.”
“I know, but I didn’t think we were going to end up in some kind of time warp—time zone.”
“You keep calling it that. I’m not sure I understand exactly what it means.” With thick padded gloves, she took the pot from the hearth and set it on the burning logs. You need this tea right now… Later we can have wine. There’s a half bottle in the fridge.”
He sat down on the sofa to pull his boots off. “I wasn’t able to get the cell phone to work. I really don’t think that’s the answer anyway.” His expression was one of confusion, doubt, fear.
“What if this thing—whatever it is—lasts a long time? We will run out of things, like wood, food, candles… which reminds me, I think we should only burn one candle at a time and only when we need it.”
She took her cup to the fireplace to fill it with the hot water. A tagged string from the tea bag hung at the side of the cup. Carl said nothing. He remained on the sofa, deep in thought. The situation now required some serious thinking. This was not a dream; it was real. Somehow they were lost in a time dated far back from where they had been in the present, and he had no idea just how far back. With everything changed so much, it had to be several years before the campgrounds were put in place.
“I saw the mountain’s base with a lot more growth than what I remember. There’s more tall pines on the slopes, and bushes cluttering the ground like I’ve never seen before. What really has got me is there is no evidence of civilization anywhere.” He folded his arms and stared ahead, “This is not possible. I have to go back out there and inspect the area further, bears and wildlife or not.”
He sipped a small amount of the tea, then put his boots back on. He took to the kitchen to get his warm jacket, Beth right behind him. It was fantastic how inside the cottage everything was as it should be, but outside it was something else—something weird, impossible to understand or even believe.
A gust of cold wind came at him but he went out, closing the door behind him. The sounds of wildlife in the distance caused him alarm, so he took it slow as he ventured out into the thick brush ahead of him. Carefully he moved over twigs, branches, and tall grass, making his way without causing too much noticeable noise. His heartbeat hastened. Fear flowed within him, creating extreme anxiety. Overhead, a loud hawk circled the area looking for its morning meal. The smell of burning wood filled the air. Was it coming from the cottage or someplace further ahead of him? He wasn’t sure.
Two tall trees shedding their foliage overlooked the area like strong soldiers standing guard. Colorful leaves in flight streaked across his face as they made their way down to the earth below. The chill in the air went straight to his bones.
He came upon a clearing and, once again, he noticed it had been a place where something bedded down for the night, the same place he’d seen the deer. Carl looked around to scan for the ferocious bear, and then crouched down to touch the earth to search for the feeling of warmth to determine how long ago whatever it was had been there. Not only was it cold, but it was wet with overnight frost. Steam spilled from his mouth after taking in air and blowing it out slowly.
With not much to guide him, only the view of the mountains ahead, he went on, knowing as long as he kept them in front of him he could find his way. But to where? Thick with bush and foliage, a path went along as far as he could see, leading him toward those mountains. It was obvious someone or something traveled this way often. It made it a little easier to walk as long as he stayed on the flattened trail.
Moving along carefully, his only fear was coming up against the same or another large brown bear again. He might not be so lucky the next time. At least the sky looked clear and the morning sun brought promise of a warmer day. He moved on, hoping he could find answers to what was happening.
Suddenly the shock of a wild rabbit racing across the path in front of him had him ducking behind a large bush. His heart leaped up into his throat. He took a deep breath when he realized what it was. Reluctantly, he returned to his journey. The sound of flowing water distracted him, and he froze for a moment to listen, to distinguish where it came from. He looked to his right then proceeded. The narrow organically-formed path led in the direction of the sound. Everything had changed so much. He thought of the river where he went fishing. It must be the same one, he thought as he moved forward.
In his peripheral vision he saw sudden movement to his left and turned quickly. A long, black, slithering snake joggled past his boots and quickly disappeared in the brush on the other side. To swallow the lump in his throat seemed impossible. His mouth now dry, he couldn’t even try. Deep breaths of cold air only made his mouth feel worse. Overhead, the sun beat down through the parted dark clouds, threatening rain. It meant he would have to hurry along with his inspection.
The path took him right to the foot of the river where he looked out across the water at what used to be cottages, piers and fishing boats. Nothing but trees, brush and what appeared to be another path going deep into the forest which traveled out as far as he could see.
The open area of earth in front of him had evidence of something once placed there, like a small boat or maybe a canoe. The imprint on the ground was narrow but long. Alongside of it, foot prints of bare feet. Apparently the item had been dragged to the water. Carl was not aware of any canoeing done at the park but, then again, this was no longer the park, at least not the one he knew.
No point in staying any longer. He turned around to head back. It was still best to be careful and as quiet as he could be on his return journey. This search revealed nothing he had hoped it would.
Sprinkles of rain hit his head and face as he walked along the pathway, causing him to speed up his pace. Clouds in the sky had now covered the sun, and the rumble of thunder could be heard overhead becoming louder, signaling a storm about to happen. Out from a bush to his left ran a groundhog. It scurried off to another place further into the thick underbrush surrounding the area. The skies had darkened with only bright streaks of lightening, followed by more thunder that walked across the sky with loud rumbling.
The sudden downpour, cold, strong, and blinding, hit him as he ran to take cover in the cottage, still several yards away. He struggled to keep the fierce rain from soaking through the top of his jacket as he held it close to his chin, tightly around his neck. A vine wrapped around his ankle bringing him to his knees. He pulled himself back up after ripping the tough rope-like plant’s hold on him. A muddy stain on his pants soaked through to his skin, but he kept on until he finally came within a yard of the cottage. His step hastened, his heart beat faster, and he ran to the door, grabbed frantically at the knob and swung the door open.
Once inside, he yelled for Beth. She came running out from the bedroom. The rain dripped from his hair down to his eyes, his clothes were soaked, and his boots had mud climbing up the sides.
“You’re a mess.” Beth grabbed a towel from the counter to wrap around his head. “I didn’t know it was raining so hard out there. Are you all right?”
“Do I look all right?” He took the towel from her to wipe his head and eyes. “I just want to get out of these wet clothes. I’m freezing.” The cold and wild experience outside had Carl at his wit’s end. He started to take it out on Beth which was something he never did before. He needed to get it together and calm down.
“I made some tea; the water is still hot. I’ll fix you a cup. Go to the bedroom and put on something dry,” she told him as she reached for a cup from the shelf above the sink.
The fire in the fireplace was down to only two half-burned logs, but the room felt warm to him. He pulled the wet clothes off and laid them on the bedroom floor. The suitcase on the bed lay open with some of his things out on the bed. Without hesitation, he quickly put on clean, dry clothes and a heavy sweater. As he moved around the room looking for his watch, he suddenly realized he could not hear the thunder. Did the storm stop? he wondered. Could it have stopped so quickly?
Out in the living room he put a log he brought in with him on the fire, and then hurried to the kitchen. At the door he put his hand on the knob, paused a moment before he opened it. As he looked outside, lightening flashed across the sky followed by loud earth-shaking thunder. He closed the door, but inside he heard nothing. Beth stood by the table watching him with fear written all over her face. He could see she also heard and seen what he did.
“This is very strange. I don’t like it. I know you heard what’s out there—well, where the heck is it now?” He slammed his hand down on the table. “This place is not soundproof.”
Frightened by his outburst, she went to him. “There has to be some logical explanation for all of this. It just doesn’t happen.” She raised her hand to touch his head, but he pushed it away and went back to the door.
This time, when he opened it he stepped outside to look around. It was still raining, so he didn’t stay there long, just long enough to verify what he had experienced those few moments before. His face grew pale, his hands shook, but he wouldn’t let her near the door when she started to approach him. He held his fingers to his lips for her to be quiet and listen.
Tabitha meowed for something to eat as she sat by the kitchen counter, looking up at the can opener. Her cry for food was the only sound they heard.
“Why in the world can’t we hear the storm in here?” Carl bellowed.
“I don’t know, but I’m going to feed this cat before she drives us nuts.” The cat stood high, with her front paws stretched up to Beth’s thighs. Once the food was placed in her bowl, the furry feline pounced on it.
The worried couple moved to the living room where the heat from the fireplace could warm Carl and dry his hair. Chilled to the bone, he shivered as he sat on the sofa in front of the fire. Beth brought his cup of tea in. Handing it to him, she asked the big question, “What are we going to do?”
“I don’t know,” he answered as he reached up to take the cup from her. He sipped at the hot tea. “There has to be a way out of this, some kind of reason for what is happening.” He shook his head and set the cup down on the coffee table.
Beth circled the room as she clasped her hands together holding them down close to her waist.
The solemn look on her face let her thoughts be known. She came back around in front of him.
“We can’t just sit here and do nothing.”
“Sit down… Let me think.” He motioned to her to take a place in the chair across from him. She sat.
Carl leaned back on the sofa, his eyes closed, hands crossed on his lap. How to come up with something logical was more than he could put together, but he had to think of something—something logical, workable, but what? Never having faced anything like this, it became almost impossible to understand.
Beth fidgeted in the chair and looked at him with real anticipation, but she remained silent. When she finally couldn’t take it anymore she stood and shouted, “What are you doing?”
Her outburst brought him forward with anger in his eyes. “I’m trying to figure out what we should do. That is what you wanted from me, right?”
“I think we should go out there and find someone who can help us. There has to be a place where others are. They didn’t just all disappear.”
He thought a moment. “You might be right, but we have to be very careful. You don’t know how bad it is out there.” He went back into the kitchen toward the door. She followed him. When he opened it they saw the rain had stopped, but the skies were still cloudy. He closed the door and sat at the table. She pulled out a chair to join him.
“We will need to wait until tomorrow morning. It’s getting late in the day to go out there again.” The late fall days had gotten shorter, leaving less daylight. “Besides, it’s all wet from the downpour.” He reached for her hand. “I’m worried about you going with me. I don’t want anything to happen to you. It’s better to wait until I’m sure it’s clear out there and no more storms on the horizon.”
“Well, I’m not going to sit around here again waiting for you to come back. You know how scary that is?” She pulled her hand away from him. “I’m going with you.”
“All right, but for the rest of today, we will prepare for this. We need to stay calm while we do this. It’s all too weird but I don’t think either of us can afford to lose it. What I mean is…”
“I know what you mean, so stop talking about it.” She went to the cooler. “We need to eat, so I’m going to prepare something of a meal for us.”
The two separated. Carl went to the bedroom while Beth remained in the kitchen searching for ways to fix some kind of meal. She checked the dry foods first but discarded most as not good enough. Potato chips or pretzels might be good to take along with them and the bag of chocolate cookies or the granola bars she liked so well made a good pick-me-up snack if they needed it. Don’t forget a couple of bottles of water. For now, it had to be something filling, nourishing. She was sure it was past the noon hour and heading for late afternoon, but what the exact time was she didn’t know for sure. At least, while in the confines of the cottage, their watches were still working. But every time Carl went outside that door wearing his watch, it would stop.
“What time do you have?” he asked as he proceeded to reset his watch. “I can’t understand why I lose the time when I go out. Everything about this is becoming more bizarre by the minute.”
“What difference does it make, what time it is? Doesn’t look like we’re going anywhere.”
“I just like to know, that’s all.”
The fire in the fireplace would provide a means for her to cook something decent for them to eat. The large log Carl had brought in would last for hours. The cooler had steaks and other perishables that could be cooked over the fire, but how to do it was another problem. A large iron skillet had the best chance of making it through the extreme heat. She worried about how long any of the food would last without refrigeration, so it would be a good idea to cook up those steaks before they became questionable.
In the bedroom, Carl searched through the clothing they brought with them for items suitable to wear for their uncharted journey in the morning. The elements outside were such that they would need something warm. He could hear his wife out in the living room preparing their food on an open fire. His thoughts meandered back to the many cookouts on the grill and the succulent medium rare T-bones they often had, but eating a steak no matter how it was cooked stirred his appetite. They needed the strength from food to be able to go on with a search they were about to undertake. A journey out in the wild virgin grounds beyond their door had him deeply concerned. How far could they go before finding someone, something to give them an answer to what was happening?
The fire leaped upward to the open skillet resting on a long log stretched from one end of the fireplace to the other. Beth had it balanced with another log beside the burning one. The thick sirloin sizzled as it cooked. This might have been fun had it been done outside on an open fire with some nearby friends and a keg of beer, the kind of event so common there in the park when everyone came for the weekends. But that wasn’t the case this cool, wet, fall day in the mountains. There was no fun whatsoever about this kind of undertaking.
The buns they had for hamburgers had a place next to the almost well-done steak she put on their plates. Asking for a choice of rare, medium, or well was out of the question; you got what you got. The fire had no mercy on the meat, which looked very well done in just a short time. Carl came from the bedroom as she set the plates down on the coffee table. He sat on the sofa and prepared to eat.
His first bite into the meat gave him cause to chew hard and long. “Nothing like an over-cooked steak to give your mouth a good workout. This is like the cavemen of long ago who finally discovered fire.” He sat by the open flame, trying to devour the tough meat. “Surely they had better teeth than we have today.”
“I’m sure they did,” Beth managed to say with her mouth full.
A little piece of the steak for Tabitha thrown down on the floor proved how hard it was to chew when even the cat had trouble with it. Washing it down with the muddy-looking coffee, they managed to consume all of it.
Evening came upon them with still no power. Beth lit a candle in the living room, but that would be the only one she would spare, thinking they may need candles for some time and didn’t want to run out. The fire in the fireplace crackled and danced, sending an amber glow out into the room. It could have been a nice relaxing time had it not been for the circumstances. What might be waiting for them outside had them both deeply troubled, with apprehension rising every minute.
Carl went around inspecting the doors and windows before they settled down for the night. To peer outside from any one of the windows and only see total darkness had him on the verge of panic, but he kept his cool so as to not upset his worried and frightened wife. Instead, he held her in his arms while they lay in bed, hoping to get some needed sleep before they ventured out first thing in the morning.