Floxie and Moxie

Thanks to Surfing with the AlienRandy for the invite.

There is no sex in this story.

It was a cold and dreary day, but I just had to get out. I decided that I would endure the elements and make a visit to one of the nearby petroglyph/pictograph sites. Going outside on a miserable day like this is sort of masochistic, but I felt that I deserved it. The two-hour drive in itself was therapeutic.

I had been cooped up for the last six months drowning my sorrows. My nineteen-year marriage had fallen apart and I was having a hard time adapting to single life. I guess we married too young, but an unexpected pregnancy can cause that. The marriage didn't deteriorate, it was just cut short, suddenly ended, or blown apart.

I can't say that Tracey was the love of my life. She was just a casual friend who I had occasional sex with. I never considered her to be a soul mate or anything like that. We were compatible and got along well together, even though there was never any mad, unbridled passion. I resigned myself to my fate. It was comfortable and I grew to like it, and I also grew to like Tracey. I never considered myself to be in love with her, like in the romance novels, but she was a pleasant companion, and a good wife and mother.

After our daughter, Sarah, left for college, Tracey presented me with the dreaded manila folder containing divorce papers. It appears that she had found a replacement for me a few years earlier and was just waiting for the right time to let me know. I thought that I was a good husband. I was attentive and not demanding in any way. We went out regularly and I was generous with flowers and small appreciation gifts. What really hurt my feelings was the fact that she did not ask for anything from the divorce. The house was rented, but we did have a small savings account. Unfortunately, Sarah's college took almost everything else that we had. Tracey's new man was some type of professional and quite well-off. I thought that I made a good living as a bricklayer, but it appears that I was wrong.

The divorce went through quickly.

I needed a new hobby. I started walking; a lot of walking.

[]-----[]

The hike into the petroglyph area of the Reagan National Forrest, was a bit difficult so they required you to log in at the ranger's station. I also had to make a reservation ahead of time. I had my cell phone with me and also a handheld GPS unit. It was a bit of duplicity, but it made me feel comfortable. I got the obligatory safety lecture and a map. Because of the recent rainy weather, part of the High Ridge trail was closed. The workaround made it a bit longer, but it would still only be a one-day trip. There were not many hikers out because of the nasty weather.

[]-----[]

I had only been on the trail for about an hour when I heard it.

"Derrick! Over here!" Who the hell would be calling out my name in the middle of nowhere? I paused to make sure I had heard it and looked around.

A girl, wearing jeans and a denim jacket, was sitting on a large rock, about a hundred feet away, waving in my direction. She looked to be in her early twenties and quite attractive. I did not recognize her. Of course, I was curious, so I wandered over her way.

"It took you long enough. I thought that you would never get here." Now I was even more confused. As I got closer, she slid off the rock and started towards me.

"You have me at a disadvantage," I remembered hearing that line in a movie long ago, and I was always looking for a time and place to use it.

"Silly goose! You were supposed to be here an hour ago. What took you so long?"

To say the least, I was a bit confused. I decided to play along with her. "Sorry. I got a slow start this morning."

"Not to worry, but we will have to hustle a little, so we are not too late getting there. We can take the shortcut to make up some time." She turned and started up the trail, and then paused and looked over her shoulder. "My name is Floxie, by the way. We are going to be great friends, Derrick."

How the hell did she know my name and that I would even be here?

[]-----[]

Floxie seemed to know where she was going so I just followed like an obedient puppy. I didn't need the GPS or the phone map functions. I had trouble keeping up at times and she gave me a few digs about being out of shape. We walked for about two hours steady, and then she stopped and sat down. "Do you have any water?"

It was then I realized that she didn't have a pack or any other gear.

"Floxie, are you going to tell me what is going on?" I handed her a small bag of trail mix.

"Don't worry, Derrick. You'll figure it all out eventually."

"Well, how about answering a few quick questions?"

"Okay! Shoot. What do you want to know? This trail mix is really good. Did you make it?" She handed the water back but kept snacking.

"Why are you here alone? Why are you here period?"

"That's two questions. Anyhow, my sister, Moxie, was supposed to come with me, but she sprained her ankle, so I came alone."

"You have a sister named Moxie?"

"Yeah! She's my twin. Floxie and Moxie. We named ourselves. They are not our real names, but we do use them all the time. It's a play off of the Peter Cottontail books by Beatrix Potter. You know; Flopsy and Mopsy."

"Okay! And why are you here?"

"Well the last time I was here I didn't get to see the pics. I was hoping that today, I might be able to, but I am starting to doubt it."

"Why is that?" She turned the bag of trail mix upside down and shook it. Nothing came out.

"It's hard to explain, but sometimes things happen and we can't control them. My turn to ask a question." She didn't wait for a reply. "Why aren't you married anymore?"

"How did you know that I wasn't married?"

"That's not important, but I would like to know what happened to your marriage.

"You seem to know everything. You tell me."

"I don't know everything, just dibs, and dabs. I have to piece stuff together a lot. It would be a lot easier if you fill in the gaps."

"Okay! After nineteen years my wife decided that she would like to be with someone that could offer her a better standard of living. When our daughter left for college, my wife left to live with her new husband."

"Do you plan to remarry?"

"I would like to, but not many women are interested in a middle-aged, bricklayer with no money. I can't sing and I can't dance, but I am a good companion. Maybe some lonely woman will adopt me like a dog."

"You are a bit out of shape, Derrick. Maybe you should join a gym." Surprisingly, we both sort of chuckled at that statement.

"There is nothing wrong with you, except that you are a little bit too laid back and a little too casual. You have to show a bit more enthusiasm."

"And how would you know that, Miss Floxie?"

"I am the great Oz! I know everything." We both snickered a little.

"Enough Chit-Chat. Time is of the essence. Let's go."

[]-----[]

Two hours later we stopped for lunch. I was definitely out of shape as she said. She wasn't too excited about my carrot and celery sticks but scarfed up the second bag of trail mix.

"I think that you need to tell me a little bit about Floxie and what she is doing stomping through the woods on a dreary rainy day."

She laid her precious bag of trail mix on the rock aside of her. "I know this is hard to understand, but I have been waiting for you to show up. I need you to meet my sister, and I don't really know how to arrange it."

"What do you mean that you have been waiting for me?"

"Derrick, you have to quit interrupting with that question. I don't have the answers to those types of inquiries. I can't explain logical stuff. Just go with the flow, damn it! We don't have much time. Pay attention. Maybe Moxie will be able to clarify things."

"Well she is not here, is she?" That got me an exasperated sigh. We started to walk again. After a few steps, she stopped. "Promise me that you will talk to Moxie. Okay!"

"I promise."

[]-----[]

It was mid-afternoon when we arrived at the fork in the trail.

"Derrick, we have to take the High Ridge Trail if we want to make it in time to get back."

"The rangers said not to take that trail today. It is steep, and mostly shale and slate. On days like this, it is slippery as hell and dangerous. I think we should use the alternative route."

"You don't have any gear to stay overnight, Derrick, so we have to take the shorter route. I know what I am doing so don't argue with me about it."

This was one of those times when I was supposed to be more assertive. I wasn't. An hour later we were creeping along on the side of a shale mountain with a cold drizzle covering everything. I looked ahead and through the mist, I saw Floxie standing by a big rock waiting for me. It was hard to make her out, but I could see that she was smiling.

The last thing that I remember was her waving to me and yelling. 'Thank you, Derrick'. And then the ground gave away under my feet. There was nothing to grab onto and no way to get any traction on the slick rocks.

[]-----[]

It was one of those stupid cliches. Waking up in a mint green room with beeping machines and people being paged on the intercom system. I had to pee. I was in a hospital bed, but not hooked up to any kind of monitoring equipment. That was a bit odd. So I got up and took a leak.

Ten minutes later a nurse popped her head into the room and saw that I was up and around. The doctor immediately appeared.

"Hi, Mister Everett. I am Doctor Salmon. I hope that you had a good rest. It is good to see you back with the living."

"What does that mean?"

"Oh! Sorry. Poor choice of words. It is a hospital 'in joke'."

"Why am I here?"

"Good question. You are here only for observation. Oddly, we could find nothing wrong with you, other than the fact that you were unconscious for quite a while and had been exposed to the elements overnight. You have a few minor scratches and some bruises, but we couldn't find anything else. It appears that your unconsciousness was caused by a bump on the head, but there was no significant damage. Your reflexes are fine and all systems are 'go', however, we are going to keep you another day just to make sure."

"Is Floxie okay?"

"Who is Floxie?"

"The young girl that I was with up on the mountain."

"You were the only one brought in. No one else was mentioned. Maybe the rescue team will have more information. We already notified them of your recovery and they are on the way over here to get some information. In the meantime, would you be up to a little lunch?"

"Absolutely!" It was still hospital food, but it sure tasted good. What the hell happened to Floxie?

[]-----[]

"Good Afternoon, Mister Everett. I am glad to see that you are feeling better. You do know that your park pass was only good for one day, so we will probably have to charge you for the extra day." I gave her an odd look and she gave me a wink. Her name tag said 'S.Masson'. She was the same one that checked me in yesterday; cute, perky, and professional.

"Ranger Masson, you are going to have to help me out here. I am not sure what happened or how I got here, but I am willing to answer any questions that you have for me."

"That's fair. First of all, I'll explain how you got here. When you didn't return last evening we got concerned. Luckily, you still had your cell phone turned on, so we were able to pinpoint exactly where you were. That is why we asked for your number when you checked in. Unfortunately, because of the weather and darkness, we were unable to get to you until early this morning. You were unconscious when we picked you up but appeared okay otherwise. The terrain was rough, but they were still able to air evac you directly to the hospital. I'm sorry we couldn't have gotten there earlier."

"Under the circumstances, I am just happy that you got there at all. What about the girl that was with me? Is she all right?"

"What girl? We didn't see anyone else. No one else was registered into the park at that time."

"Her name was Floxie. She seemed to be familiar with the trails and we ended up sharing the hike together. She was also going to the petroglyphs. Unfortunately, she was the one that convinced me that we should take the High Ridge Trail, even though you recommended against it."

Before she was able to answer me, her phone rang. "Yes! I am at the hospital right now." pause "That was fast." pause "Are they absolutely sure?" pause "Other than that, you guys didn't see anyone else in the area did you?" pause "Was her sister notified?" pause pause "Let me ask him."

"Derrick, are you up to having a visitor later today?" I just shrugged my shoulders and nodded.

"He said it is okay. I'll try and explain the situation to him, but it will probably be a little confusing." pause " Maybe some of those old stories were true. Who knows." pause "Okay, bye." Ranger Masson plopped down in her chair and sighed.

"Are you going to tell me what is going on?"

"Are you going to believe me if I do?"

"What does that mean?"

When the rescue team found you, you were laying direct aside the body of another hiker. Between the critters and nature, there wasn't much left of it after fifteen years, but they were able to gather enough to make an identification. It was a very secluded area. The hiker's name was Florence Hawkins. Her sister is the one coming to see you later today."

"What are the odds?" Ranger Masson started typing on her I pad and held a picture up for me to look at."

"This must be some kind of joke. How old is that picture?"

"It was taken fifteen years ago. A week before she went missing here at the park."

"That's her. That is Floxie, the girl that I was hiking with yesterday. I don't understand."

"We don't either. We have had several people report seeing her over the last few years, but nothing ever came of it. It became a regular occurrence and after a while, we got used to it. There was even a few magazine articles about it."

"She said her sister's name was Moxie. Is that the one that is coming to see me?"

"Her name is actually Morgan. Morgan Hawkins, although her friends and family still call her Moxie."

"Just curious, but is it possible that Moxie was pretending to be Floxie? That would at least explain a few things."

"No! We had considered that at first, but it never worked out. Every time there was a Floxie sighting, Morgan had a good alibi if you want to call it that. For a couple of years, Morgan was two thousand miles away at college when the sightings were reported."

"I feel like I am in the twilight zone."

"Well Mister Everett, that is about all I need from you. There might be some follow-up questions concerning the rescue expenses, but we usually can keep them under control since there appears to be no negligence on your part. Here are your car keys. We brought it down from the trail head for you. As I understand it, you are going to be released soon."

"You didn't ask me anything."

She leaned over close to me. "I know, but I thought that you might want to know a little bit more about Floxie." She winked at me as she walked out the door. I don't know why."

[]-----[]

Morgan Hawkins looked exactly like a thirty-three-year-old Floxie would look. I was glad that I decided to get out of the hospital gown before she arrived. I always was a bit awkward about meeting women. She seemed to sense my anxiety. I sat on my hospital bed and she took the only chair in the room. Neither of us said anything.

"Thank you for finding my sister. The family and I appreciate it so that we can have some type of closure."

"I didn't do anything. I just happen to fall in a hole and there she was."

"We both know that it was more than that, don't we?"

"Maybe so. I will admit it was quite unusual." The silence between us was uncomfortable. I was trying to figure out how to get a dialog flowing, but I kept drawing a blank.

"You look exactly like your sister, er, only about twenty years older."

"Is that good or bad?"

"Good actually. I am thirty-eight myself." I have no idea why I offered that bit of information. I felt like a high school kid trying to get a date with a cheerleader.

"I know. I googled you before I came over here. I also ran a credit check and did a police profile. You need to finish eighteen more credit hours to get your degree. Sorry about your divorce. It seemed a little cold to me. How are you and your daughter doing since the divorce?"

I didn't respond indicating my shock at what she had said. Not a bad shock, I was just caught a little bit off guard. It wasn't expected.

"I am sorry if I was a bit nosy. I just wanted to be a bit prepared when I came to meet you. I felt it was important to be ready."

"Ready for what?"

"I am not sure. I don't socialize well. Floxie was always the bubbly sister and I just sort of tagged around after her. Let's say, I was sort of her wingman. I should have been with her the day she had her accident."

"You shouldn't feel bad about that. It wasn't your fault that you sprained your ankle."

"How did you know that?"

"What?"

"How did you know that I wasn't there because I had sprained my ankle?"

I felt trapped. When I commented on her appearance earlier, I assume she thought I meant from a photo that I had seen. Up until now, she had no reason to think otherwise. I put my hands on my knees and looked down at the floor.

"Floxie told me." Everything was quiet. I couldn't even hear the hospital noises. It was just Morgan and me. After what seemed like a long time, but was probably only a few seconds she opened up again.

"Derrick, you are going to get released today. I need your keys so that I can get your car while you process out. I am going to drive you to your place and after we get you settled in you can explain everything to me. All the paperwork is ready. All you have to do is sign a few forms. Get all your stuff together, and I'll meet you at the front door in fifteen minutes." She held out her hand for the car keys. "Any questions?"

I handed her the keys and didn't say anything. She smiled, "I didn't think so." She turned to leave and then stopped, and turned. "I forgot to give you this." She handed me a bag of trail mix.

[]-----[]

One thing led to another and before you know it, two months had passed. Morgan ended up moving into the house. I was back at work laying brick and Morgan spent her days writing short romance novels. She had over thirty books listed on Amazon and a nice-sized following on YouTube. She insisted that we get a new bed before she was ready to share it with me. If I remember correctly, it was not even my idea. I did not seduce her in any fashion and still don't understand what exactly happened.

I felt a little bit like Joseph Cotton in the movie 'Portrait of Jenny'. I could also hear that eerie music from the movie playing in the background in my head. I was being used and I was being manipulated and I was loving it. So far I couldn't see the downside.

We never talked about Floxie. We never talked about the time I spend with her or what happened. It was like we just picked up our lives at that specific time and moved forward. A bit odd.

[]-----[]

Six months later, I came home from work and found my daughter Sarah and Morgan chatting casually in the front room. I had not seen or had contact with Sarah for almost a year. They seemed to be getting along quite well and I didn't want to do anything to disrupt the harmony.

"I guess I don't need to introduce you two, but anyhow; Sarah this is Morgan, and Morgan this is my daughter Sarah." They appreciated my weak attempt at being humorous.

"Sarah, it is nice to see you. Is there any reason for the visit or were you just in the neighborhood?"