Page 4 of Once Upon a Fable
Stone was clinical, cold, and didn’t care if you conquered it. Because if you didn’t, then it conquered you by throwing you into the dirt—broken bones and all.
I’m going.
Standing, I closed my laptop, stuffed it into its travel case, and packed the solar chargers for my phone, camera, and other tech stuff I’d take with me. Triple checking that my backpack still held enough supplies, I grabbed my personal locator beacon from the side table by the window and strode out the front door with swift steps.
After tossing my gear into the back of the Jeep, I pulled up my brother’s number.
My life might consist of taking off on whims and chasing granite playgrounds, but it didn’t mean I was stupid. If I ever got seriously injured and needed to be airlifted out, I had a location beacon. I had a GPS tracker on my car if it ever got stolen while I was up a cliff somewhere. And I religiously texted my brother where my next spontaneous adventure led me.
Me:Hey, Josh. I’m leaving. Going to Mammoth Cave National Park. I’ll have my GPS and locator. Probably won’t have reception on my phone. It’s a seven-hour drive, so I’m guessing it’ll be a few days by the time I find it, climb it, and get back to civilization. The boulder I’m hunting for is onClimbers Anon. Use my log-in to get more info if you need to. Don’t start panicking unless I go missing for five days, okay? Five days then put Operation Find Stupid Sister into play. Hope you have a great week!
He replied almost instantly.
Joshua:First, it’s midnight. Perhaps sleep first, then go driving cross-country? Second, only you would willingly go get lost in some national park and call it fun.
Me:You know I’m a night owl. If I leave now, I can be there for dawn and get some amazing light shots. There’ll be park rangers there. They’ll look after me if I need help.
Joshua:They’ll most likely shoot you if you’re covered in bracken anddirt, crawling monkey-style down a mountain. They’ll claim they finally caught Bigfoot.
Me:Ha-ha.
Joshua:Be safe! Give me access to your phone location so I can track you.
Me:I’ll turn the mode on, but I doubt reception will be reliable enough to show where I am.
Joshua:For Christmas, I’m gonna get you that portable Wi-Fi docking station for hikers. Least then you can have your own satellite internet, and you won’t be able to use ‘off-grid’ as an excuse not to call me.
Me:Go back to bed and stop nagging me.
Joshua:Stop climbing rocks and messaging me at bedtime.
Me:Love you.
Joshua:You too.
With a smile on my face and excitement bubbling in my heart, I tossed my phone onto the passenger seat, inserted my key, and cranked the Wrangler’s grouchy engine. My trusty Jeep yawned and growled, lurching out of my driveway, used to me waking it up in the middle of the night to go on some boulder hunt.
Switching gears, I glanced back at my house. My own slice of suburbia in the middle of Michigan.
I sighed with contentment.
God, I was so unbelievably lucky.
I wasn’t clever with gardens, so the flower beds were wild, and the lawn needed a trim, but the façade was freshly painted with lavender cheer, and I’d had the roof redone in a dark charcoal.
The privacy offered by the three-bedroom place made up for all the lonely nights I might have endured. I loved it. I loved that it was mortgage-free and waiting for me to return. I loved that it wasn’t just a house but my confidant who sheltered and protected me.
See you in a few days, house!
If only I’d known I’d lied that night.
It wouldn’t be a few days before I saw it again.
It would be never.
CHAPTER TWO
––––––––
