Shadow Falls

"Please Mark, I will take you home soon." She said in her calm normal tone. "But you need to tell me what happened."

I was afraid to say anything, but I was more afraid of the bad Carol. I decided I needed to tell her what had happened. All the events that led up to our fateful hiking trip that day to Shadow Falls.

I told her about meeting Ashley and how attracted I was to her. I told her about meeting up with her the weekend that she had been visiting her ill mother. I went on to tell her about continuing to see Ashley and that I had begun to have feelings for this young girl.

All the time I was talking Carol continued to stare at me, her kind face nodding in understanding encouragement as I told her of the betrayal of our marriage.

"And when you slipped that day, I guess I thought if you were gone I could have Ashley." I said with finality.

Carol, just stared at me slightly nodding as if she understood my logic.

"But Carol," I interjected. "I now know that was a mistake. I want you. I want us to be together. That's all that matters. I want to hold you. Is that possible?" I asked.

She smiled and nodded, "Yes." And she held out her arms to me.

I felt such happiness. Things were going to be back to normal. No more Ashley, no more strange things in our home, and no more lies. Just Carol and I together.

Painfully I stood up and moved to embrace my Carol. I moved slowly with my injuries, slowly toward her. With that kind smile on her face, facing me, she quietly moved backward. I kept moving closer to her, I couldn't wait to hold her in my arms and tell her how sorry I was.

We kept moving in the darkness of the forest, her facing me, slightly ahead of me moving backwards as I slowly limped toward her. That same kind look on her face. Her beckoning me. Around me in the forest I sensed the presence of others within the shadows, silhouetted dark like the trees. Occasionally I could hear what sounded like murmured voices within the shadowed forest edges. But whatever was there was of no importance. I will beg her forgiveness and we will be together again.

All I wanted to do was hold Carol, feel her warm embrace. I was solely focused on my Carol. I was going to make things right with her. It was all going to be good again. We will be together until the end of our lives. I just needed to wrap my arms around her and feel her familiar embrace.

At last There she was, right in front of me, a short step away. I took that step forward and finally embraced her. I felt her arms holding me.

In the pitch blackness of the forest at night suddenly I realized I had stepped into the air. There was no ground beneath me to hold me. I had crossed the cliff face trying to get to Carol, there was no ground to step upon.

I tried to swing my arms for balance but they were pinned to my sides by Carol's vice-like embrace.

I was falling.

I screamed and no one heard me as I plunged to my death. As we fell Carol and I were locked in a final embrace. The last image I had was of the different Carol, not my Carol. It was the image of that bad Carol looking at me, with that terrible smile, as we plunged to the forest floor.

And in the last few moments of my life, I heard her say, "Now we will be together forever just as it should be."

— — — — — — — — — —

The Portland Oregonian October 19th

Bizarre Accident in Columbia Gorge

The body of a man was discovered in the Tilchis Creek area of the Columbia Gorge. The Forest Service found the body of a man identified as Mark Merritt, age 33 of Portland. It appeared as if he slipped off a trail while hiking according to the Forest Service. The Forest Service warns of potential dangerous conditions for hikers in the Columbia Gorge.

In a remarkable and strange coincidence several weeks earlier Carol Merritt, wife of the deceased, had also accidentally fallen to her death in the same part of the Columbia Gorge. Both were considered experienced hikers. The authorities have ruled out any foul play in either incidents.

— — — — — — — — — —

Fall turned into Winter in the Columbia Gorge. A typical treacherous season for the area. A blast of cold air froze the normal precipitation in early January. There was a multiple car collision that closed the highway for six hours. In February a single car accident took the life of a father of three. Black ice was blamed.

Winter turned to Spring and recreationalists emerged from their seasonal hibernation and flocked to the natural beauty of the Columbia Gorge. At Shadow Falls more than the normal unexplainable images at the waterfall and now also near the cliffs were being reported.

The only comment from the Forest Service was, 'This can be a dangerous area. Please be careful when exploring the trails'.

Some choose to believe in these types of myths, legends and folktales associated with Shadow Falls, others dismiss the phenomenon. Perhaps there are logical explanations for what happens in the area . . . . . and perhaps not.

THE END

I started this several months ago. I thought it would be good for the season. I hope you liked it.