Welcome Home

The early morning mountain air was cool against my skin as I cut through the trees lining the path. The trail was still covered with a light dew from the night before, but my well-worn hiking boots made easy work of the rough terrain. Growing up in the town at the foot of these mountains, I was basically raised on these trails. In the beginning, I loved the feeling of adventure that coursed through me every time I spent hours exploring. The feeling of being in the wilderness, untouched by humans always filled me with wander. But as the years passed, and visitors became more frequent, I longed for a new challenge. As the saying goes, you can find anything on the internet. So, after some searching, I found a local online group that created geocaching challenges in my mountains. At first, I was disappointed by how easy the posted challenges were. The geocaches were always located somewhere by the most popular trails. However, a subgroup formed of those who were wanting to take it to the next level. We would try to outdo each other in finding harder locations to hide the geocache, going further and further into the wilderness. One of the members, “MountainMan82,” and I quickly became fierce competitors, always trying to be the first to complete the latest challenge. This competition soon developed into a sense of kindred spirits and we shifted our focus into challenging each other.

Yesterday, MountainMan82 sent me a private message inviting me to test my skill with a new challenge. My excitement growing, I set off this morning determined to rock it. I stopped to readjust my pack and check my compass. According to the clues he left me, this was going to take me well off of the marked trails. I began cutting my own path, carefully watching my foot placement so I didn’t misstep. As time passed, I continued to wind my way through the trees, the brush growing thicker and thicker as I ascended further up the side of the mountain. Some spots had rocky outshoots that required me to climb up them on all fours. The coordinates ended in what looked like a little cave nestled on the side of the mountain. Walking as carefully as possible, I entered the cave and began to explore. I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw a metal box with “Sloane” written on top.

While I felt a sort of camaraderie with my fellow geocachers, I never gave any personal information online. Everyone knows how dangerous that could be. I only went by my screen name in chats and was careful not to reveal any details that could identify me in real life. So seeing my first name written on the box knocked the wind out of me. How could he know my name? I approached the box as though it were a rattlesnake and would strike me at any moment. That was silly, of course. It was just a box. MountainMan82 probably figured out my name through some online sleuthing and put it on the box as a joke. That thought gave me a bit of comfort and, sitting on a flat rock, I relaxed as I lifted the lid. Inside laid a little black notebook. Turning the cover, I gasped when I saw photos of myself taped inside. Page after page of colorful images of me going about my life. Entering the building I work in, eating lunch at a local diner, even hiking in these mountains, when I thought I was completely alone. By far the most disturbing picture though showed me sound asleep in my bed. It was clear by the angle of the picture that the photographer was standing directly over me. Fear paralyzed me as a chill raced down my spine. The last page of the notebook did not contain any more pictures, but a note:

My Dearest Sloane,

Congratulations on finding my geocache, but that is only half of this special challenge that I created for you. The second part is simple; all you have to do is make it back to your car before I find you. Do that, and the $20,000 in the box is yours. However, if I get to you first, you’re mine.

Forever yours, Alex (MountainMan82)

Stumbling to my feet, the metal box crashed to the ground with a loud clang and a bundle of money fell out. I winced at the noise, who knows where he was. I half expected him to jump out from the shadows and grab me then and there. Taking a deep breath, I tried to calm my nerves and gather my wits. Regardless if he was serious or this was some kind of sick joke, I had to get out of here. There was something clearly wrong with him and I sure as hell didn’t want to meet him face to face.

I threw the notebook and money in my pack, and headed out of the cave. There was no way I was keeping the money, but it, along with the notebook would be evidence I could take to the police. They would hopefully be able to identify him and I could get a restraining order, possibly even get him locked up. Retracing my footsteps as quickly as I could, I began winding my way back, hoping I could reach the main trails faster than it took me to get to the cave. After a few minutes though, I came to an abrupt stop. He had been watching me for weeks. He had followed me hiking before. What if he was counting on me taking the same way back so he could ambush me? A part of me still hoped this was some kind of joke, but deep in my gut I knew it wasn’t. I had to be smart. Pulling out my compass and my map of the mountains, I figured out a new path that would allow me to go directly to the main road that led to the trailhead. I had a good sense of direction, and this would take me away from my original route and put me in the path of other people. I picked up my pace; I wanted to go faster still, but couldn’t risk a fall. The path I had chosen was even more sloped than the one I had taken in; I was basically going down the back of the mountain to the road. Sweat gathered on my forehead as I stepped over fallen logs and skirted around roots that snaked out of the ground. Usually, I was comforted by the tranquil noises of the forest, but today, each one set my nerves on edge. Every snapping twig or rustling leaf had me nearly jumping out of my skin. Twice, an animal scurrying through the woods made a soft scream escape through my lips.

After trudging along for what felt like hours, I stopped and pulled out my phone. Reception was spotty at best from the parking lots by the trailheads and practically nonexistent on the trails, but I had to at least see if I had a signal. Unfortunately, my phone still showed no bars. To make sure I was still on course, I once again checked my map and compass; I estimated I was only three quarters of a mile away from the road. Moving faster now, I hoped I would come across a car as soon as I got to the road. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw something moving through the trees. My step faltered and I grabbed a low hanging branch before I plummeted to the ground. “Sloane! Where are you sweetheart???” A booming voice sang out, echoing through the quiet. Ice cold fear raced through my veins. I crouched down behind a tree, trying to pinpoint where his voice came from. I swallowed down the panic that tried to consume me, this was no time to lose my head. Slowly, I craned my neck around the tree and looked out. The forest was once again quiet, a gentle breeze catching the leaves of the trees as the sun glistened off dust motes in the air. There were no sounds of footsteps, no rustling of clothes. I turned and stood in one motion, ready to take off again when I almost ran headfirst into him. He was huge, at least six and a half feet tall. His appearance lived up to his screen name, his dark wavy hair falling just shy of his shoulders, his beard just as dark and wild. He wore a black Henley shirt pushed up to his elbows, the corded muscles of his forearms exposed. His eyes were locked on mine and his lips curled in a possessive smile. “Sloane. It’s time to go.” He took one step towards me, extending his hand.

I instinctively took a few steps back, until I was up against the tree behind me, the bark cutting into the bare skin of my arms. “Who are you? Why are you doing this?” I choked out.

“You know who I am. And I am the only one who knows who you are. Who you truly are. Ever since I watched you complete the first challenge I sent you, I knew you were special. I knew you were made to be mine. This, you being here, tells me we belong together. I’m what you want. Now let’s go.”

I didn't bother trying to reason with his madness. I slid down the trunk of the tree, whimpering. I wanted him to think I was scared, that I wouldn't fight. I brought one hand to my face to wipe nonexistent tears as he slowly stepped closer. I continued to cower and whimper as my other hand crept towards a broken limb on the ground beside me. As he leaned down towards me, I grabbed the limb and swung it with all my might, catching him right across the face. He stumbled backward and fell as I leapt to my feet and sprinted for all I was worth. I heard him roar with anger, cursing as he crashed through the woods behind me. Branches scratched my face and tore at my clothes as I ran, but I didn’t slow down. The slope was starting to level out and I could see the road. In the distance, a car was headed towards me. I started screaming and waving my arms to get its attention. I didn’t know what I would do if this car didn’t stop. As I continued to desperately try to signal the driver, I tripped and rolled towards the road, hitting my head on a rock jutting out of the ground. The last thing I heard before blacking out was tires screeching to a stop.

My head was pounding and there was a faint ringing in my ears. The light felt like it was boring through my eyelids, causing me to squeeze my eyes closed tighter. I rolled over, burying my face in the pillows. Slowly, the memories of the day’s events flashed across my mind and I jerked into a sitting position. The bedroom was unfamiliar, but cozy. I lifted my hand and felt the bandage on my head, wincing when I touched a tender spot. I noticed other small bandages covering my arms; someone had clearly tended to my wounds. I moved to get out of the bed, hoping my rescuer had a phone I could use to call for help. However, I felt something pull at my foot. Throwing back the covers, I saw a metal shackle firmly locked around my ankle, the other end tethered to the bed post. Before I could comprehend what I was seeing and what it meant, the bedroom door was flung open and Alex walked in, carrying a tray laid out with food. ‘Welcome home,” he said with a grin.