2. A Short Hike
A SHORT HIKE
JO
The Appalachian mountains are old. They cover the longest cave system in the world and have inspired uncountable stories of ghosts, hauntings, and mysterious goings on.
I’ve always been curious about what secrets the dense forests are covering and even as a little girl, standing in my backyard and watching the clouds pass over its mysterious peaks, I knew I wanted to find out.
So I went to college, I majored in forestry and environmental science, and then I moved around the country until I finally found myself back here, in my hometown. Taking care of my mother in her final years.
All of those stories follow me on the trail when I hike, making it feel like anything could happen. I love going alone. There’s just something about being in nature alone.
All of my friends have gotten married, most have kids. And me, I just have the mountains to keep me company.
I never really feel alone while in the mountains though.
My favorite trail runs all the way to the top of Mount Mitchell. Sometimes I even spend my weekends there, camping rough out in the woods, breathing in the fresh air and relaxing. It feels like no one else exists. No one can see me. No one can touch me. Just me and Mitchell.
And that’s exactly what I need now that the world is coming to an end.
I shut my car door and tighten the laces on my hiking boots. It’s a beautiful day and there’s nothing I’d rather be doing than heading out into the mountains.
My thirties hit me faster than I expected. Part of me always thought there’d be time for the spouse and kids later. I always thought there would be a later.
And then the meteor came.
When the scientists first announced an asteroid there was a 1 in 32 of it striking the planet. Then the odds became 1 in 8, and then it became a definite hit.
Not big enough to destroy everything, but big enough the ensuing dust cloud would trigger an ice age that would wipe out life as we know it, is headed straight for Earth.
There’s less than six hours left before impact. And then boom. No more anything. Humans will go the way of the dinosaurs.
There’s no point running, no point trying to hide. Some rich people have disappeared into what’s probably an underground bunker. But what can the rest of us do?
There’s people completing their bucket lists.
Fucking, drinking, partying, getting high.
Some are spending their remaining hours with their loved ones.
Some are stocking up with doomsday supplies.
And still others have their heads in the sand.
Continuing life like everything is the same, like they expect to wake up in the morning.
Me? I’m climbing a mountain so I can lose myself in the splendor of nature before it’s gone forever.
“I guess it’s just you and me now, Mitchell.” I tell the mountain. Normally I’d feel weird anthropomorphizing a natural occurring formation, but I always talk to my favorite mountain.
There’s no time left for being self-conscious.
I swear I feel the ground rumble beneath my feet. Was that the impact? There’s supposed to be a few more hours. I planned to be at the summit by then, looking out over the skyline while I watch the world burn down. Scanning the sky there’s no sign of anything.
I turn a bend in the path and find a clearing I don’t remember.
Strange. I know these trails well. I’ve walked them dozens of times—marked many of them myself—I’d remember if there was an adorable clearing with a tall waterfall and pristine little pond.
“Absolutely, gorgeous.” I can’t help remarking.
Did I walk down the wrong path by accident? Did my distracted, wandering mind take me off the trail entirely?
I grimace as I set down my pack. Does it really matter? The world is ending.
“It’s so pretty here. Can’t believe I’ve never seen this before. Guess it’s good we can still surprise each other, huh, Mitchell?” I tell him. “A good relationship relies on spontaneity, and you are the closest thing I have to a real relationship.”
I may have arrived here by mistake, but the view is beautiful. There’s probably time for a little swim? As long as the water is nice?
I bend down to test the temperature, dipping my fingers into the water. It’s perfect. Shockingly warm for this time of year. As I run my fingers through the silt at the pond floor I swear the ground shivers again.
I guess I’d better hurry. The end could be any moment now. No time to worry that I didn’t bring a swimsuit. I can’t let this final opportunity go to waste.