Trouble in the Forest

The Blue-Eyed Wolf: Chapter 3

Asper, Colorado was similar to Elmwood in the sense that they were both known for their stunning environment and hiking trails. Anastasia had chosen to drive ten minutes to a hiking trail in the mountains she had found online. There were smaller trails closer to her house, however, she had run on them before to clear her mind after a particularly stressful day of work. For a change of pace, she decided she would try out a new location. Once she arrived, she pulled into a dirt parking lot, the sound of rocks and gravel crunching underneath the tires. After parking, she stepped out of her car and Gizmo followed her. Then, the two made their way over to the directory map located at the entrance of the reservation park. Anastasia stopped to study the large map that showed the different trail options, their difficulty, and their path through the mountains. Next to the directory, was a small wooden stand that held smaller maps identical to the big one, and she stuffed one of those for safekeeping in the side pocket of her backpack. Returning her attention to the magnified version of the map, she noticed that the beginner trials were highlighted in green, intermediate trails were colored yellow, and the advanced trails were red.

                       
Thinking, Anastasia turned around to face Gizmo and asked him, "Which trail are you feeling up to buddy? I am thinking about the intermediate. It is a good in-between, not too easy and not too hard." Gizmo yipped with glee, wagging his tail vigorously. "Alright then, intermediate it is." With a set destination in mind, Anastasia started down a randomly selected intermediate trail.

                       
For a while, the walk was peaceful and as she walked she thought about hiking with her father and the wonderful memories that were attached to it.

                       
"Try this berry Anastasia,'' her dad would say, holding out a luscious deep-colored berry. She would eagerly pop the berry into her mouth and instantly sweet and sour juices would coat her taste buds, causing her mouth to pucker.

                       
"Good isn't it? These are wild berries Hunny. As their name suggests, they grow in the wild in various places throughout the world. Some are yummy and nutritious like the one I gave you, but others can be poisonous. Usually, the berries that are blue and black are the safe ones to eat whereas the white and yellow colored berries tend to be dangerous."

                       
It was at this moment that Anastasia noticed a bush in front of her as she was walking. The bush was filled to the brim with dark blueberries that yearned to be eaten. Smiling, she made her way over to the bush, plucked a berry from an extending branch, and popped it into her mouth, savoring the flavor of the berry. She then began to gather multiple berries into her hand and tucked them into the pocket of her jacket she had put on earlier, for enjoyment later.

                      
After gathering the wild berries, she continued to hike further into the mountains for another ten minutes when it suddenly began to snow. Cold snowflakes floated softly down from the sky down onto Anastasia's hat and a harsh wind began to rattle the trees surrounding the pathway. Once the cold started to seep through her gloves making her fingers numb, Anastasia realized it was time they called it quits and headed back to the car.

As she turned around, she said out indirectly to Gizmo, "Okay I think it is time to go bud. It is getting very cold very fast and I do not like how the skies are looking." Tilting his head, Gizmo looked back up at her and barked as if in agreement.

                       
Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw something small run past him to his left in the forest next to the path. Suddenly, interested in what he had spotted, Gizmo unexpectedly pulled Anastasia towards the movement. Caught off guard, Anastasia stumbled and her foot got caught in a small hole in the ground. She toppled over, yelping, and the leash fell from her hand. Just as she fell, the unknown animal moved again, further catching Gizmo's attention as it rustled through the brush. The dog darted into the woods and began to chase the animal that was now running away in fright. Anastasia quickly raised herself back to her feet and ran after Gizmo without second-guessing her decision.

                       
She barreled through the snowy trees, shielding her face from the snowfall and ducking to avoid sharp branches from catching in her hair as she went. Eventually, she caught up with Gizmo who had stopped dead in his tracks and was staring down at a tiny hole in the ground. Anastasia slowly slowed down, panting, and peered at the hole. A single acorn was sitting in front of the hole teetering near the edge precariously. By the looks of it, Gizmo had set his sights on a squirrel and the poor little guy lost his nut in the process of fleeing the danger. Sighing, she gently nudged the acorn into the hole with her toe, hoping the squirrel would find it later. Afterward, she noticed that in the process of chasing the squirrel, Gizmo had at one point managed to tear the leash in half. Anastasia turned to look at Gizmo and shook her finger at him.

                       
"Bad boy! As if what you did was not bad enough already, now your leash is broken and I don't have a leash for you anymore!" It wasn't until after she had chastised him that Anastasia noticed her surroundings. She was no longer on a carved dirt pathway but was in the middle of the wilderness with no path in sight. Meanwhile, the snow was only coming down harder as temperatures decreased. Shivering, she zipped up her jacket and pulled on her gloves trying to think logically about her next step. "Well, she thought, I could try to go the way I came and find the path we were on. The problem with that is my footprints are already fading and at the rate, it is snowing, I could end up getting even more lost. However, just standing here is not going to solve the problem. Plus I currently have no WiFi to contact anybody for help. My best bet is to attempt to trace back to the path I was on and attempt to somehow gain internet access along the way if possible." Out loud in a whispered hush, Anastasia said, "What could go wrong?!"