The Great Outdoors Ch. 02

As Artie stopped the engine, he and Liz gazed out in impressed wonder at the view before them. Already they felt a sense of calm wash over them, looking at the glorious example of nature at its height.

A sudden knocking on Liz's door window woke them up from their daze and they saw Inga, grinning wildly with that slight hint of mischief in her smile, waving frantically.

"Where have you guys been?" she asked as Liz got out of the car. "We've been waiting ages for you two! Look at this place; isn't it awesome?"

Liz embraced her friend with a tight hug. "We're so sorry," she apologised. "Artie's work called him with a sudden crisis."

"Not going to spoil the holiday, is it?"

Liz shook her head. "Not in the slightest. Dad made Artie leave his cell at home."

"If anyone calls, I can bet your father will know exactly what to say," said Artie with wry amusement. "Hey there, Inga."

"Arthur," nodded Inga, winking at Liz. They both knew how much Artie hated being called by his full name; he thought it sounded incredibly pretentious.

"Where's Paul?" Artie asked, trying to change the subject as he opened the back of the car.

"In the welcome centre, talking to his boss. He says we're going to be incredibly lucky for the nest few days."

"With the weather?"

"Not just that, Arthur," Inga grinned. "Apparently, because it's right in the middle of the school exams time, they hardly expect the numbers they usually get on a weekend like this, particularly in the area that we have been based in."

"Sounds wonderful," sighed Liz, stretching her arms behind her body and gazing up at the tall trees in front of her. "The last thing I could do with right now is a lot of company."

"Oh?" said Inga, raising an eyebrow. "Well, Paul and I will just go then, leave you and Husband Dearest alone."

Liz laughed. "You know what I mean. Look, here comes Paul."

Paul and Artie shook hands warmly, asking each other how their journeys were, and Paul and Liz kissed on the cheeks.

"How are the studies going?" asked Liz.

"Stressful, but I think I'm actually gonna pull it off."

"That's great, man," said Artie. "Always knew you'd do well here."

"Thanks. Right, the Ranger just wants to have a quick word with us before we set off, so I reckon we should unpack everything now and take it into the centre with us."

"Good idea, babes," said Inga, kissing him on the mouth. Liz watched this with an awkward feeling hit her belly, Inga's words from their conversation yesterday coming back to her. She tried to shake it off and helped Artie unload the car of all her parents' camping equipment and their own essential supplies.

The Welcome Centre was a plush, modern looking building that had just recently been refurbished with new state of the art information desks and lots of rooms for school visits and various other groups.

The Head Ranger welcomed them all in a smart green uniform. He was about fifty-five with long thick glasses over his brown eyes and a wealth of experience in his weathered face.

"Welcome to Pleasant Peaks," he said, shaking each of them by the hand. "Paul's told me a lot about you all already, so I know immediately I can trust you all to stay safe and sensible."

The three others knew he spoke with good intentions, but it still didn't make them feel any less like they were back in school being taught by a strict teacher.

"Now the area you guys have for the next few days is one of our most sought after spots; it's a perfect little circle because it's about thirty minutes walk from nearly everything you'll want to see, including the Waterfall Walk around Peak One. It's secluded and not along any major paths, so hopefully you won't be disturbed by anything except the wildlife. There are of course quite a few safety measures I need to make you guys all ware of, but it shouldn't take longer than five minutes. And don't worry; you've got Paul with you and he's proving to be a very capable man in this field. I doubt anything will go seriously wrong with your trip."

*****

Five miles from the Welcome Centre, in a secluded, shaded area of forest, a small squirrel sat on a large log, sniffing the air for any trace of food. Its nostrils and whiskers quivered as it did so, its bushy tail moving occasionally from side to side.

Suddenly it stood right up, face and body frozen, ears listening intently. It leapt off the log and hopped in great bounds towards the safety of the nearest tree, which it scrabbled frantically up.

There was a moment's silence, then a crackling of twigs underfoot and the source of the squirrel's agitation revealed herself through the rays of sunlight that burst through the leaves above her. She was walking briskly, dressed in a short light blue t-shirt and hiking shorts over her petite body, with large hiking boots that looked worn and well-used. Her long ebony black hair hung loose down her back; occasionally she would brush a strand of it from out of her beautiful face as she walked.

She stopped by the tree log and placed a foot on it, hands on her hips, looking around her surroundings before grabbing a water bottle from one of the side pockets of the large backpack on her shoulders. She glanced briefly at the contents before taking a quick swig from it. There was half left in this one, plus the full bottle in the other pocket. She should be fine as long as she was careful and conserved as much as possible.

The progress she was making was good, but not great; she knew she could do better. If she picked up the pace she could get to her and Freddie's special place just before nightfall. She'd rest there and spend tomorrow doing what needed to be done. If she was up early enough and had no problems, there was always the chance she wouldn't need to stay any longer in the park.

She had wasted time; she needed to make a move now. She felt reinvigorated already, the adrenaline rushing through her blood and small, gorgeous body. She replaced the bottle in its pocket, stretched her legs quickly and set off further into the trees.

The noise of her footsteps died away, and the forest became still again. After a while the squirrel tentatively hopped down from its perch and back onto the log, sniffing the air and catching the scent of a mixture of sweat and orange perfume.