Into the mountains

Chapter 3

Morning arrived slowly, the sunlight weak and scattered through a thick, damp fog that clung to the forest like a veil. Alex rubbed his eyes as he crawled out of his tent, shivering as the chill hit him. The campsite, barely visible in the mist, felt eerily quiet, as if the fog had swallowed all sound.

Spencer was already up, crouched near the small fire he'd managed to build. His breath fogged in the cold air as he warmed his hands.

He looked up when he noticed Alex approaching.

"Morning," Spencer greeted softly.

"Hey." Alex dropped down next to him, feeling the warmth of the fire seep into his fingers. "It's freezing."

"Mountain mornings usually are," Spencer replied. He passed Alex a small tin cup of instant coffee, his eyes reflecting a rare warmth as he added, "Thought you might need this."

"Thanks," Alex muttered.

They sat in a comfortable silence, sipping their coffee as the fog hung thick around them. It felt almost surreal, like they were the only two people in the world, wrapped in a strange kind of solitude.

After a while, Alex broke the silence. "So, what's the plan for today? More hiking?"

Spencer glanced around, his gaze turning thoughtful. "Yeah, but we'll have to be careful. Fog like this can make it easy to get turned around. Stay close, okay?"

Alex huffed out a laugh. "I'm not a rookie. I can handle it."

But Spencer's expression remained serious. "The mountains aren't the same as a soccer field, Alex. You'd be surprised how quickly things can get unpredictable out here."

Alex rolled his eyes but nodded, sensing Spencer's concern wasn't something to shrug off. They packed up their tents, stashed their gear, and set off along the barely visible trail. The fog only seemed to thicken as they walked, muffling their footsteps and transforming the trees around them into shadowy, indistinct shapes.

Alex kept his focus on the back of Spencer's head as they moved, not wanting to lose sight of him in the haze. But as they continued hiking, he found his mind drifting, distracted by the surrealness of their surroundings and the strange comfort he felt in Spencer's presence. It was unnerving to realize how little he actually minded this solitude—and how much he appreciated the quiet moments they shared.

After what felt like hours of trekking, the trail ahead seemed to disappear into the mist.

"Wait." Spencer squinted into the fog. "This isn't right."

Alex frowned, peering around. Everything looked the same—a maze of trees and fog, with no clear trail in sight. His stomach twisted. "Are you saying we're... lost?"

Spencer hesitated, glancing around as he tried to get his bearings. "We might've veered off the main path. The fog messes with directions, and without clear landmarks, it's easy to drift off course."

A spark of panic flared in Alex's chest, but he forced it down. "So, what do we do?"

Spencer took a deep breath, scanning the trees. "We'll backtrack a bit, see if we can pick up the trail again. Just stay close."

They turned around, retracing their steps as best as they could. But the fog was relentless, swallowing up any familiar markers they might've used to find their way. After a while, even Spencer seemed uncertain, his eyes darting between trees as his brow furrowed with worry.

Hours passed, and they were still walking with no sense of direction. The cold was beginning to settle into Alex's bones, and his legs ached from the constant uphill and downhill. Frustration and anxiety gnawed at him, and he couldn't help but lash out.

"This is insane," he muttered. "How are we supposed to find anything in this mess? We should've just stayed put!"

Spencer stopped, turning to face him. His calm expression had shifted to something harder, more guarded. "Staying put might seem safer, but if we're off the main path, no one will know where to look for us. Moving is our best chance of finding the trail again."

Alex huffed, crossing his arms. "Well, it's not working, is it?"

Spencer's gaze hardened. "Look, I get that this isn't how you pictured spending the trip, but freaking out won't help us. Either trust me to get us back, or go your own way."

The words stung, but Alex clenched his jaw, biting back a retort. Part of him wanted to argue, to deflect the fear bubbling up inside him by taking it out on Spencer. But deep down, he knew Spencer was right.

After a tense pause, Alex sighed. "Fine. Let's keep going."

They walked in silence for a while, tension lingering between them. The fog showed no signs of clearing, and every tree looked the same. Alex tried to keep his breathing steady, but the quiet was suffocating, amplifying every doubt and insecurity he'd tried to ignore.

Finally, Spencer stopped, letting out a sigh as he turned to Alex. "Maybe we should rest for a bit. Gather our thoughts."

Alex nodded reluctantly, sinking down on a mossy log as Spencer set his backpack down. The silence stretched, thick and heavy, until Spencer finally spoke.

"You know, you don't have to keep up this act with me."

Alex looked up, caught off guard. "What act?"

"The one where you pretend like nothing bothers you. Like you're too tough to feel anything." Spencer's voice was quiet, almost gentle. "We're both stuck out here. It's okay to be scared."

Alex felt a wave of anger and embarrassment rise up, but Spencer's calm gaze softened the edges of his frustration. No one had ever seen through him like this before—certainly not with the same quiet understanding.

He swallowed, looking down. "Maybe... maybe I am scared. A little."

Spencer's expression softened, and he sat down on the log next to Alex. They didn't speak, but the silence between them felt different this time—less like a weight, and more like a blanket of understanding.

"Thanks for saying that," Spencer finally said, his voice barely above a whisper. "It's hard, feeling like you have to be someone you're not."

Alex didn't reply, but he found himself glancing at Spencer, watching the way he looked into the fog with a quiet intensity, his expression thoughtful. He could feel a strange warmth building in his chest, a sense of connection he hadn't felt in a long time.

After a moment, Alex found the courage to ask, "Do you ever feel like that?"

Spencer looked at him, surprised, and then nodded slowly. "Yeah. More often than I'd like."

They held each other's gaze for a moment, the silence stretching between them in a way that felt oddly comforting. It was as if, in this endless fog, they'd stumbled upon something real—a truth neither of them had dared to admit.

Just then, the fog seemed to lift slightly, revealing a narrow path leading down the mountain. Spencer's eyes lit up as he noticed it, and he pointed. "Look. A trail."

Relief flooded through Alex, and he scrambled to his feet. They set off down the path together, side by side, the earlier tension forgotten as they moved with a renewed sense of purpose. The fog still lingered around them, but it felt less oppressive now, like they'd found a way through it—not just physically, but emotionally as well.