Rescue From The abyss

Chapter 6

By the time I reached the trailhead, everyone is  already there. Alex leaning against the car, his arms crossed, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "You’re late," he says playfully, though I can tell he isnn’t annoyed.

"Fashionably late," I correct him, giving him a mock bow. “And to be honest,I’m never late. You’re just always early."

I turn to Ken and Zane, both busy with their own gear. Ken had a knack for organizing things, and his enthusiasm for the outdoors is contagious. Zane, ever the artist, has his camera slung around his neck, ready to capture every moment.

Ken, already fiddling with his map, shot us both a grin. "We were just about to leave you behind."

Zane is busy adjusting his camera, ready to document everything. "Would’ve made a great photo—Jane running after us, backpack swinging wildly."

"Very funny," I say, playfully swatting at Zane as he snapped a candid shot of me.

"You all set,?" he asked, fiddling with the lens of his camera.

"Yeah, all packed and ready," I replied, trying to hide my lingering nervousness. I am not going to let the weirdness from the past few days ruin this.

I smile at the group, a sense of warmth filling me. This isn’t just a casual hike; it is time together, with people I trusted more than anyone. My eyes caught Alex’s for a second, and I couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at the corners of my mouth.

After some final adjustments, we piled into the car, our laughter filling the space as the city melted away into the open road. The trees on either side of the road thicken, growing taller, their branches arching overhead to form a tunnel of green. The drive isn't long, but the closer we get, the more I am able to feel the tension leave my shoulders. 

The place I choose is the tourist point, And of course I done my research before, making sure there were no reports of strange happenings, no hidden dangers. After the unsettling encounter in the other forest—the one by the lake where she had seen something…someone…staring at them—it had been crucial to find a location that was known and trusted. I didn’t want any more surprises.

“I picked this place for a reason,” I say, half to myself, half to Alex, who is sitting beside her. “No rumors, no strange stories. It’s just us and the mountains.”

He glance at me, his hand briefly brushing mine in a reassuring gesture. “I trust you,” he say softly, his voice calm, soothing. It is always like this with Alex. He know how to quiet the noise in my mind.The car came to a halt at the trailhead, we  hopped out, stretching our legs and grabbing our gear. The air is fresh, carrying with it the scent of pine and earth, the kind of air that made you feel alive, connected to something bigger.

We set off, the sound of our footsteps blending with the rustle of leaves and the distant call of birds. The air is crispy, sky shining above with brilliant shade of blue, the kind of day that make everything seem possible. As we climbed higher, the world seemed to open up beneath us. The trees stretched tall, their branches swaying softly in the breeze, and I can see the distant peaks ahead.Ken was leading the way, with Alex close behind. I walk next to Zane, who kept pausing to take pictures of anything he find interesting—a cluster of wildflowers, a bird perched on a rock, the sunlight filtering through the trees. "You’re always capturing beauty," I say to him. He chuckled, "That’s because I’m surrounded by it."

We walked for hours, chatting and laughing. The path isn’t easy, but none of us complained. It feet good to challenge myself, to push through the exhaustion. 

At one point, Ken turned to us with a mischievous look. "I know something you guys don't," he say, his voice teasing. "There's a hidden waterfall not far from here. No one comes here often, but it’s worth the extra trek."