A light breeze came from out of nowhere and blew past me. It inadvertently ruffled my hair, making it even messier than it already was.

The early summer heat was scorching hot, but it did feel a tad bit cooler underneath the shade of the Sycamore trees. That’s what they were, I finally remembered. Still, that did not stop my face from feeling just as hot as before. The scene from earlier kept replaying in the back of my mind. My body shivered, almost as if it was recoiling from the sheer memory of the incident.

Truth be told, it wasn’t like this was some sort of unique experience for me. On the contrary, conversing with the opposite gender always left me feeling restless and jittery. It was just the sort of typical outcome that you’d expect from someone of my caliber. Still, for some reason, today’s incident seemed just a little bit more… special.

Was it because of Amanda? No, that shouldn’t be the case. She was one of the rare few that actually talked to me at school. Of course, those ‘conversations’ never went further than a one or two word greeting, but that’s beside the point. Her gentle smile was certainly a sight for sore eyes but it wasn’t as if it was my first time ever seeing it. In fact, it was that same smile that originally lured me into this mess in the first place.

Then, was it because of Miss L and her harsh words? Probably, right? I mean, such blatant disdain was a first, even for me.

It honestly caught me off guard.

I subconsciously furrowed my brow. “Did I do something to her?”

No, I didn’t. At least, I think I didn’t. No matter how hard I thought about it, my mind drew a blank. As far as I could recall, I’ve never actually interacted with that girl before.

Then, that begs the question, what the hell was up with her?

Randomly calling other people gross certainly wasn’t normal behavior. What was her motive for all that?

Maybe… maybe that’s how she’s always felt about me? Did Miss L secretly despise me? Were my loner tendencies really that annoying? Or was it because of my face? Does she hate handsome faces like mine?

The more I thought about it, the more certain I felt about the subject.

Miss L secretly harbored a grudge. That grudge festered and grew all throughout high-school and now that graduation had come and gone, that girl wisely took this opportunity to express her ‘true feelings’ for me.

That was it, right? It was like some sort of twisted, reverse confession.

I breathed out a long sigh. Regardless of how accurate my assumptions were, just the thought of it alone was enough to take the wind off my sails.

“Well, it could always be worse.”

After some reconsideration, things weren’t as bad as they first seemed. Even though she left a bad impression, it’s not like it was the end of the world. After all, the enemy of love was not hate, but rather, indifference. Likewise, it was relatively easy to transform disdain into affection. In fact, the whole process was kind of like flipping your hand.

Or at least, that’s what I read about online.

Unfortunately, turning theory into practice was a bit difficult to do.

“Well, it doesn’t even matter anymore.” I shook my head. In order to change a person’s feelings, interaction was important. I ran away with my tail tucked between my legs. How was I supposed to interact with her when I don’t even have the courage to talk back?

I realized it quite well. This cowardice of mine was seriously detrimental. It would be great if I could magically fix it but unfortunately, just because I identified the problem, doesn’t mean that I can immediately remedy it. Humans weren’t such convenient creatures.

Another bitter sigh leaked out from my lips. “Coming here really was pointless.”

This whole trip was a grade-A disaster. I got nothing out of it except for some burnt barbeque and a strange insult. If I could go back in time and change things, then I’d make sure that the stupid me of the past declines Amanda’s invitation.

“This is why it’s always better to be alone. People are just unreliable…. No, wait, I’m not alone…”

As I quietly mumbled to myself, my gaze naturally fell to my feet.

It was a well-trodden dirt trail that led all the way back to Ashlea’s Visitor’s Center. The path before me was laden with dead leaves and loose pebbles. The terrain was a bit uneven, but the alluring presence of the Sycamore trees more than made up for it.

In short, it was a place suitable for hiking.

As I walked deeper down the trail, I suddenly noticed something peculiar. On more than one occasion, I caught sight of dead animals scattered along the trail. They consisted mostly of small things, like birds or rodents. It was a rather gruesome scene that left me feeling even stranger.

If I had to guess, then I’d put my money on other wildlife. Something from the forest came out and killed these things. The claw marks were more than enough proof of that. The only thing I couldn’t figure out was why the predator didn’t take their spoils with them.

Well, let’s just hope it’s not a bear or something… although it would be pretty cool to see one…

The trail continued on for a little bit longer. Judging by my earlier experience, it would take approximately ten more minutes in order to reach the Visitor’s Center. It was a time frame that could neither be considered too long nor too short.

As I ventured further and further away from the campsite, the noise gradually receded. Soon, silence took hold. No, that wasn’t quite right. It wasn’t exactly pure silence. There was sound, yes, just not the type that I was used to.

The chirping birds and crying cicadas acted as the main chorus, while the rustling leaves made for a fine enough accompaniment. Like a grand orchestra, they marched in tune to the beat of my footsteps. It was a distinct song that only mother nature could create. For a homebody like me, it certainly was a unique experience.

My wandering eyes surveyed the surroundings with mild interest. As expected of a national park, my vision was completely flooded with green. Of course, there were spots of brown here and there, but it was all mostly just green. Even the tree trunks were a shade of dark olive, thanks in part to the moss that grew on top of them.

No unnecessary noises and no unnecessary people. To my surprise, this place was strangely… calming. For the first time, I could understand why so many people were captivated by the mundane activity known as hiking. Even I felt like a believer…. Then again, the mosquitos were a pretty big detriment, so maybe not.

I wonder, is this what being alone feels like?

It certainly didn’t quite fit with my pre-established rules for loneliness, but even if it was just a little bit, being out here like this, it felt… close.

The walk back to the Visitor’s Center would only take a few more minutes but, for some reason, I did not want to return so soon.

After all, I drove an hour just to get here. Going home now would be a waste of all my time and effort. At the very least, I wanted to get my money’s worth. Besides, I also needed some time in order to digest the food in my stomach.

With such self-hypnotizing words, I veered off the path and entered ‘uncharted territory’.

Maybe it was just my head playing tricks with me, but the noise seemed to grow even quieter. With each step forward, it felt as if a layer of my ‘humanity’ was slowly being stripped away from me. In its place was a raw and unfiltered form of nature.

I’ve heard plenty of stories about people getting lost out here, but that wasn’t really much of a concern for me. In the first place, I did not plan to go too far into the forest. At most, I’d walk around for five minutes then head back. I certainly wasn’t planning to go out on a full-day excursion.

Also, there was the matter of wildlife.

Ashlea National Park was a pretty big place. It was situated right along the Marshall Mountain range, which acted as a sort of natural border between Oregon and California. Bears and mountain lions should naturally be something to expect, right?

Seeing one would be nice, but getting attacked by one certainly wouldn’t.

Then again, this place was kind of close to human civilization. In fact, the interstate was probably less than twenty minutes away from this place. The chances of an actual sighting definitely weren’t high.

“No, with my luck, won’t I definitely get attacked by one?” A bitter frown twisted my lips.

Now that we were on the topic, I couldn’t help but wonder, could I survive a bear attack?

… Probably, right? I mean, I’ve watched plenty of nature documentaries and survival shows. Bears might look big and scary, but they’re usually pretty easy to fend off. Just hold your ground, puff out your chest, and scream like a man on drugs. Nine times out of ten, the bear will turn tail and run. If that doesn’t work, then just aim for the snout.

This was that, wasn’t it? Unnecessary confidence from a layman with zero experience.

As such thoughts floated to my mind, I continued walking.

Naturally, I lost track of time.

After a while, I abruptly stopped in place. A small frown twisted my lips. How long had it been since I first started this whole thing?

I looked up and briefly surveyed my surroundings.

Tree, tree, tree, a bush, tree, tree, and even more trees.

Yup, it’s confirmed. I was completely lost. Rather, I did not recognize anything within my immediate vicinity. The trees in this damn forest looked near identical. Even the bushes that occasionally popped up were the same.

I quickly pulled out my phone and checked the current time. 1:45 PM. To my mild surprise, it’s only been twenty minutes since I first veered off the path.

“No, rather than only, it’s already been twenty minutes, huh?”

I habitually scratched the back of my head. A mild trace of annoyance wedged itself into my heart. Twenty minutes wasn’t a whole lot of time, but the fact that I got this distracted was somewhat inconvenient. By the time I get back to the trail, a full forty minutes would have passed. That’s plenty of time for those guys to finish their little party. If that were to happen, won’t I run into that girl again? Seeing her again would definitely be awkward, for both her and for me.

It was the sort of problem that only a socially inept individual could conceive, much less worry about.

With such thoughts in mind, I resolved to return as fast as possible. Fortunately, I only walked in a straight line, so making it back shouldn’t be an issue.

Just as I was about to turn around, my body suddenly froze.

I saw something.

It stood beside a large Sycamore tree. With its back slightly hunched over, it gave off a vaguely intimidating sensation. I think it may have been a quadruped, but it was somewhat difficult to tell from this distance. Rather, it would be seriously scary if that thing wasn’t a quadruped.

Looking closely, I could just barely make out the mangy fur that covered almost every inch of its body.

After a couple seconds of silence passed, I breathed out a shaky sigh. My shoulders gradually relaxed.

“What the hell, it’s just a dog.”

The unknown creature was a big dog. Its fur was a bit unkempt, but its canine body structure was almost impossible to hide. At first, I originally thought that it might be a wolf but the ears were wrong. Wolves usually had triangular ears. This thing had slightly floppy, circular ears. Judging by its size, the thing was probably a Saint Bernard or maybe a Tibetan Mastiff.

I tilted my head to the side as I carefully observed the mysterious dog. The thing did not show any signs of movements. Instead, it just kept staring at me. It was a bit creepy, but I chalked it up to my inherent dislike for large pets.

I couldn’t help but wonder, what was a dog doing out in the middle of the forest? Did someone lose it? Was it a feral dog?

Considering how it did not show any fear towards me, it should probably be a lost dog. Maybe a family took their dog out for a walk one day, but accidentally loosened their grip on its leash or something. Judging by how unkept its fur looked, if that did happen, then it probably happened a few months back… Although it was a bit weird how there was no collar around its neck.

“If I bring that thing back, will they give me a reward?” As such a thought flashed through my mind, I took another look at the creature. “No, I probably shouldn’t…”

That thing looked seriously dangerous. Just its size alone was enough to intimidate. Only a madman would even think about approaching it. Besides, I don’t even like dogs in the first place.

I quickly decided to leave. The longer I stared at that thing, the more creeped out I got. After a moment’s hesitation, I took a tentative step backward.

To my surprise, the dog immediately reacted. Its body tensed up. The muscles underneath its fur wriggled like writhing centipedes. It parted its jaws, revealing a set of razor-like canines. A low growl reverberated through the air.

I subconsciously jumped back, my heart practically leaping from out of my throat.

As the dog continued to glare at me with its beady yellow eyes, I suddenly felt it. Something was wrong.

It took a slow step forward.

What the hell?! Why is it so damn loud?

We were more than a hundred feet away from each other. It was a considerable distance, but for some reason, the growl was unmistakably clear. It was almost as if the creature was standing right next to me.

Why the hell is it so loud?

It took another step forward.

No, something’s definitely wrong. This dog, this thing, it’s not someone’s lost dog.

I understood that. Now, I understood that. It wasn’t lost, it wasn’t a pet, it was something else. It was wild, feral and dangerous.

The creature continued its slow approach.

My heart began pumping. Why was it coming closer? Why was it looking at me like that? Why the hell wasn’t it stopping?!

Instinctively, I wanted to run.

I knew that you weren’t supposed to run from wild animals. In fact, it was probably the last thing you wanted to do. Running would only encourage them to chase after you. I knew that, even though I knew that… my back couldn’t stop shivering. An instinctual, primal urge overwhelmed my rational mind.

In that moment, I understood something; if I don’t run now, I’ll die.

The fear overwhelmed my logic and instinct suddenly took control.

Without hesitation, I turned around and broke off into a dead sprint.