The Last Summer Apart

Chapter Eleven

After everyone was caught up on some sleep and the hangovers were numbed to a dull pain with the help of migraine medication, we left the cabin. It was about 4:00, so we had a solid five hours before it got too dark to be out hiking. The last thing we needed was someone twisting an ankle, or worse, Mahira breaking a nail. The flatland and lake was in the back of the property, but we wanted to get as high up as we could.

"We could try and get to that mountain?" Ethan suggested, pointing north-east from the front door.

"No, we wouldn't be able to make it back in time." Roger explained. "That mountain is at least a 10km round trip."

"No way! I am not hiking 10km! I can barely make it up the stairs without tripping!" Mahira shouted. 

Lauren laughed, "Mahira is right. 10km in five hours? That's pushing it. Is there a smaller one around here?"

"There's that one," Roger said, pointing directly north. "Now that there, is my favorite. We can't make it all the way to the top without proper climbing gear, but halfway up is a ledge that hangs over the valley beneath it. What an amazing view!"

"How long do you think it will take us to get there?" Lauren asked. 

"Maybe an hour to get to the base, another to climb to the ledge, then the trip back. I'd say four hours at a good walking pace Mahira can keep up with?" Roger teased. 

Mahira slapped his arm as hard as she could. "Hey now!" She said as serious as she could be, but when they're together, she'd nothing but smiles. I wonder if anyone else notices this... I glanced at Lucas. He was looking at me with the same expression on his face, and I just knew he had the same thoughts as me. 

We made sure everyone had their water, flashlights, maps, compasses, cell phones and emergency kits, and we headed out. The first part of the walk was boring as hell. Flat, dirt roads with brown dust. The sun beat down on us. The dust caught in our throats and burned our eyes. Our sweat made us sticky. No amount of water could soothe the discomfort. We tried to keep ourselves occupied by talking amongst ourselves, debating random topics and singing miscellaneous songs. After what seemed like an age, Roger pointed out the path through the forested valley to get to the bottom of the mountain quicker. 

Turning onto that path felt like falling into another dimension. The trees were tall and full of leaves, shading our bodies from the intense sun. There were birds singing, and a cool breeze blowing through. "Where is the cold air coming from?" I asked Roger. 

"You'll have to wait and see!" He smiled mischeviously. 

What a delightful surprise it was. At the base of the mountain, the path ran next to a small stream, just big enough to be able to hear the wonderful sound of the water rushing over the rocks like a babbling brook. Two deer were drinking from the stream when we came up, but hurried away when we made too much noise. There were wildflowers everywhere; blue/yellow columbine, bluebells, ground plums, and of course, wild roses. We were in Alberta after all. 

We took this opportunity to cool down in the water, splashing it around like birds at a birdbath or ducks in a pond. It was a great photo opportunity, so Roger took some really great pictures of the entire group with his amazing camera. Candids, poses, and a few goofy ones. Then, I took his camea and took some with him in it. When he wasn't paying attention, I snuck one of him and Mahira looking at each other with the most loving eyes. I'll leave that for him to discover... 

Making it up to the ledge was pretty difficult, I'm not going to lie. It wasn't a straight vertical climb, but the small trail cleared was at around a fifty to sixty degree angle. Steep for me, very steep for Mahira. Luckily, Roger was by her side every step of the way, making sure she didn't sustain any injuries or give up before we reached our destination. 

Looking down from the ledge made us seem much higher up than we actually were. You couldn't see the stream, it was covered by the thick, deciduous tree tops. It didn't stretch out very far before the developed land connected to it. The brown dirt roads and cars driving by were immistakable. 

"Is this area protected by the Alberta government?" I asked Roger. 

"Unfortunately no. We're right outside of Waterton National Park, not in it. I wouldn't be surprised if this whole area was gone in a few years and turned into more cabins." Roger said, seeming crestfallen at the thought of losing this place. Shaking his head, he adressed the group, "Alright everybody, we've got two hours to make it back to the cabin. It should be easier since we're going downhill now, right Mahira?" 

She laughed loudly, "Yes, much easier!"

On the way down we were in good spirits. Lucas caught up to me at the front of the line, just behind Roger. "Hey, how are you doing?"

I looked at him puzzled. "I'm fine... Should I not be?"

"No, no! Of course not! I'm just checking on my girlfriend," He winked at the last part.

I looked around me. Roger was a good distance ahead, and the rest of the group was far enough behind to eb out of earshot. "Keep your voice down! Do you want them to hear?" 

Lucas sighed, "Audrey, this is really difficult you know! I am waitied so long to finally call you mine, and now that I can, I'm sworn to secrecy! I just want to spend all day showing you how much I love and care for you..." He slipped his hand in mine. 

How could I refuse him? He was genuinely struggling with keeping the secret! "Just 12 more hours Lucas and I promise, then there will be nothing holding you back!" 

He grinned widely. "I can't wait!" He pecked my forehead before rushing to catch up with Roger. 

I smiled at the ground. What a goof, but he's my goof. He would be so boring if it weren't for all his quirks. I continued walking, observing the bugs and birds flying above me, carefully walking down the slope. Too fast and you could tumble right over I thought. 

All of a sudden, my foot caught in a tree root! It twisted my ankle in the most impossible position and brought me down hard to the ground. I rolled down the slope, trying to stop myself, but gravity was too strong. I came to a stop when I slammed into a tree, knocking the wind out of me. 

The pain in my ankle was unbearable. My shoulders were severely bruised. My face was scraped, I felt a large slash on my left cheek. I tasted blood. I tried to move, but I slammed against the tree with so much force I could still barely breathe. Pain was flooding my brain and clouding my ability to think. I looked down at my ankle. It's not supposed to look like that, shit I thought. It was obvously twisted in a painful direction. I could see the bone. The skin must have scraped off on my way down.. I couldn't move it. I reached down. It stung. The blood was ice cold. I felt cold, but it was the beginning of July. This doesn't make any sense. My eyelids were heavy, like someone was pushing them closed. I was calling out for help. I could hear the group calling for me. I tried to call back. I tried. I tried. I was slipping. The darkness consumed me.