Saving Andrew

Chapter 8

Chapter 8 

Into the void; Leaping into the unknown

                          Camping... The hell I knew about that... Nothing! Just that there are a bunch of bugs and I hate bugs; nowhere to go pee, have a decent shower, or have a nice double cheeseburger with fries and I wanted to say no, but my adventurous side betrayed me and without even hesitating, I said yes. So for the next few days, we got ready. With my savings, I bought a used red Jeep for the trip. We packed it up, stopped to buy food for us and Hunter, water, and some other amenities, and hit the road to Utah. He wanted to show me a place in the mountains he used to go to with his dad and his brothers.

I wasn't sure how he would roll his chair on rocky land but once there, my man surprised me. His chair was part of his life and he embraced it with the strength of the wolf he was. I helped him set up our tent, and that night, we lay on the ground in our sleeping bags looking at the sky. Millions and millions of stars were dancing up there, and I could see the Milky Way for the first time. It was there right in front of my eyes as beautiful and fascinating as in the pictures or movies. We got inside the tent because the weather dropped suddenly and fell asleep after making love. We were the only ones there, so... Nobody heard us.

The next day, we dedicated ourselves to explore the place. Andrew knew the hiking trails very well so we had a great time and the view was amazing, the only thing that worried me was the deep abyss a few steps from us, but the rest was just amazing. He spoke to me about his father and his brothers with incredible nostalgia while we watched the most beautiful sunset I've ever seen, his dog by our side. It was pure joy and I enjoyed camping more than I thought I would.

"How was your father like?" I asked.

"Ah, my old man," Andrew said, his gaze drifting to the horizon. "He was a rock, you know? Steadfast and unyielding, yet soft when it mattered. He had this way of making everyone feel at ease like everything was going to be alright, even when it wasn't."

"He sounds like an incredible man," I replied, sensing the depth of Andrew's emotions.

"He was," Andrew said softly, a hint of nostalgia in his voice. "He taught me the value of hard work, the importance of integrity, and above all, the power of love. Losing him was the hardest thing I've ever faced."

"I'm sorry," I said, reaching out to touch his hand in comfort.

"Thanks," Andrew murmured looking at me with a sweet smile, the gentle breeze brushing his hair. "But you know, I carry his spirit with me every day. He may be gone, but his wisdom and love live on in me."

A sweet silence between us as we looked into each other's eyes as we got closed to kiss, ending an amazing day of adventure, with the sun almost gone.

Later that night, Hunter woke me up by licking my face and when I reacted he barked at me loudly. Andrew was no longer by my side and I thought the worst. I walked out of the tent with a flashlight but I couldn't find him near. Hunter rushed to a dark silhouette at the edge of that cliff and I screamed in terror. Andrew was having one of his flashbacks and he didn't realize he was about to fall to his death. Hunter grabbed his hoodie with his snout pulling him back and I got there in time to help the dog take Andrew to a safe place. I hugged him trying to make him come back to reality, and as he returned to me, I prayed for his nightmare to stop.

"Andrew!" I said in tears, shaking him. He reacted.

"Make it stop!" He said crying like a lost kid.

"Is ok love, you're here now. I'm here," I whispered calming him down as I looked into that dark void that almost took his life. "Is over, you are safe"