My Say

3

"How much longer", Nell asks? It's a question we have all been wondering for a while now. The sun is beginning to set telling us all we've been moving for several hours. I was trained for this. I knew if I was having problems then the rest of the guys were in agony.

Greg stops us and we all fall to the ground gasping. "I don't know", he says softly and apologetically.

These three words set off a firestorm. Nan is the one to strike, "You want to repeat that". Yelling, cussing, and mouthing off she can be scary but this quiet, precise, calm is terrifying.

"Look it was years ago that we were up here partying and I was rarely sober so..."

"You mean to tell me..." Nan's volume was ratcheting up as was our stupefaction and anger. The rest of the guys were ratcheting up, even Monica was pissed.

"Enough", I say, taking off my pack and getting out my water. "Here pass this around. Nan, we don't know what Craig saw or if there is something tracking us or just out here. So please refrain from loud outbursts." Her look should have killed me but I was built of stronger stuff. "Greg, is there anything that stands out in your mind about the road, a boulder or body of water?" Everyone got a good bit but it drained my entire bottle, pushing it back inside I handed out energy bars.

"Huh yeah, there was a bridge we had to cross. It was wooden and the gorge was deep, kinda like a canyon. Why?"

"Because with those clues I have a good idea of where we are supposed to be. And for the record you're not as far off as you think you are but if you had stopped sooner and said something we'd probably be home by now." I informed him, everyone's stress level visibly dropped.

"You mean we all ran around for this long because Greg can't stop and ask for directions?" Andrew smarts off, "Damn man you need to get with the 22nd Century today we stop and ask. Turn in your man card." The group begins to rass Greg as we head off. Everyone hopes that I'm right and our salvation is right around the bend.

It wasn't right around the bend but the sun had not set yet when we found ourselves at the gorge. Greg had been right there was a wooden bridge there, though I wouldn't care to drive across it and I wasn't too comfortable with walking it either.

"All it takes is a little girl power to get us home", Nell cries as she and Nan high five.

"We're not home yet", Greg reminds them.

"Yeah, we still need to find Craig". Mark says collapsing onto a boulder. He takes off one of his boots and it's sock, dropping the boot and shaking out the sock. As he reaches for his boot a tale-tale rattle is heard.

"No one move. Mark freeze." Everyone's eyes are glued on Mark as he begins to shake.

"I don't wanna die", he murmurs as I creep around the boulder. There coiled in the leaf litter is an old man, 8 feet at least and pissed off ready to strike.

"Listen to me. Mark, stretch your arm out to Greg, Slowly. Greg, take his hand and on the count of three snatch him off that rock, don't hesitate just do it on three." The "yeahs" are all I hear. Picking up a stick I slowly move it between the rattler and Mark. "1,2, ready THREE!"

Mark explodes off the boulder, the snake strikes, and I lift the branch catching the snake in mid strike flinging and branch into the gorge. Dropping to my knees I struggle to catch my breath. "Can we NOT do that again", Nell asks? She and Nan are holding each other crying.

"Yes, Please", Andrew says staring at Mark, Monica, and Greg.

"Hey, Andrew is using his manner. Guess that snake was good for something." Nan whisper shouts, we all burst out laughing. So much for staying quiet.

"I don't know about you but I could do with a shower." Monica says as we all catch our breath.

"I'm with ya sista, onward and hopefully homeward." Nan says, we all nod in agreement.

Moving off toward the bridge Mark catches me, "Thanks for..."

"Forget it. Anyone of us would have..." I trail off embarrassed by his need to thank me.

"Well no one else did. I owe ya one." He tells me bumping my shoulder before running up to catch up to Greg.

"That was some fine flinging Tex." Monica says, giving me a side hug.

"Take me home country road." I sing softly.

"Well crap", Nan snaps at me. "You've got that fucking song stuck in my head." She stomps off toward the front where Greg is checking out the bridge.

I giggle as Monica, Nell, and I begin to softly sing.

The bridge was everything I feared it would be. It appeared that no one had been up this way in years. Though the ruts indicated that a heavily used road had once been there, now it was studded with well established oaks, pines, and other flora. Those didn't worry me as much at crossing that bridge. Darkness had fallen and I had no idea what may be coming for us, all I knew is we needed to be across that bridge before we bedded down.

The men had been huddled up discussing the crossing, should we do it tonight or camp here and do it in the light. They had yet to ask us girls, guess bridge crossing was a penis decision.

"Where are you going", Greg says as we head toward the bridge.

"We're going home", Monica says following me onward.

"Isn't that what y'all are doing", Nan is so sarcastic. She had a hold of Nell's hand.

"Uh, wait up. I'm with you", Mark rushes up making sure he is close to Monica.

"We need a plan", Greg begins.

"Listen, somewhere on the other side of this bridge is our ride home. All we have to do is find it." I looked at Greg, I knew that the rest of the men would follow whatever he said. "It will be easier tonight. We just need to stay close and keep moving." Looking around everyone nods. "Who has a flashlight?" Greg pulls out a pen light but he's the only one. "I have my lantern and my tiny light. I don't want you guys to use your phone unless it's an emergency." No one disagrees. "I'll go first stay in a single file and unless it's an emergency stay in line and keep moving." With an entire stadium full of butterflies rocking out to Queen in my tummy, off we go.

"I will never look at bridges the same way", Nan says as we finally reach the other side. It probably took 10 minutes for us to all cross. But the way it swayed and moaned I would have swore it had taken more than an hour.

"Well, it's behind us and all downhill from here", Greg says as if the hard part is behind us.

"Greg's right", Andrew chimes in. "Lead on good sir".

I rolled my eyes so hard I thought one might stick, even Monica had to stand for a moment and gasp at their crap.

"Sure, why not, just please don't get lost again." Nell was channeling her inner Nan.

Nan turned and lifted her arm, "OOO, give me some skin. Hell's yeah".

Without waiting on any of them I began to follow the rutted road down the incline and hopefully to a hot shower and cold drink.