The Twilight

A hiker is faced with a simple choice. Left or right. Neither feel right. A short story

The twilight fell on the forest quickly. Moving slowly through the trees, I took my time taking in the surroundings. In the distance to my right, the lake was visible but only barely. The steady slope of the hills started at the shoreline and extended to where I was still walking. The trees were unkempt and twisted: branches played Twister with their neighbors. The branches long stripped of their leaves from the wind and cool temperatures were covered in a thin dusting of light snow.  Snow so light it reflected what little light was left in the twilight.

I continued to walk and look around. The forest was devoid of movement, save for the occasional creaking of branches as the wind picked up and then died down. Silence surrounded me, but I did not mind for silence was always a comforting feeling.

The wind followed me as I made my way up a slight hill into a small clearing lit only by moonlight.

Up to this point I had been following the footprints of the previous hikers who had made this journey earlier, but now I discovered that there were no more footprints to follow.

Scared I turned around, not entirely sure how the footsteps could of disappeared and started to retrace my steps. However after a few minutes I got my courage back and traipsed back to the moonlit clearing.

Upon closer inspection, I noticed that there were two paths leading out of the clearing. From where I was standing, they made a fork in the path.

Both the right and left paths seemed identical on first glance they both led off to a place unknown to me.

I pulled out my map. I knew where I was, and checked the map for this fork. I had no memory of this fork. I wanted to make sure that I knew where I was heading off before making a choice. Looking at the location I was supposed to be: South of the lake on the bluffs but still in sight of the lake, showed that there was no fork in the road. I turned on my flashlight to check again to make sure I was not missing anything in the twilight. I put the map down only after I was certain that there was no fork in the road labeled. On the map, the path continued in a straight line around the West side of the lake and back around to the other side of the lake.

The map had proven to be useless, and not knowing where I was I decided to sit down and think it over.

I took a few minutes to find a suitable sized wood log, cleared it of snow and used it as a seat. Once sitting my curiosity spiked. Why was this fork not marked on the map? Had I bought an older version of the map? Where did both paths lead?

 

I sat on that log for long enough to lose feeling in my bottom for a while so I stood up and went back to the fork in the road.

Knowing that I was the last hiker to leave the station this afternoon meant that there was no one coming behind me. I was on my own out here. It was starting to get dark now and I wanted to make sure I had camp setup before I could no longer see.

I set up my tent just to the side of the clearing, which housed the two paths. My fire was crackling in minutes and I could feel the warmth returning to my body from the day’s long hike. Feeling my stomach grumbling, and realizing that a protein bar did not sound appetizing or filling, I reached and unsnapped my axe from my pack.

Standing at the fork I made an executive decision and started down the left path. Why not? They’re just paths after all.

As I started walking I could see the moonlight reflecting off of the snow. The trees, mainly birch were covered with a light dusting of show, making their branches out to be long white sticks. I could see well ahead of me due to the moonlight, and there off to the right of the path, 20 feet in front of me was what I was looking for.

The rabbit herself was minding its own business. Hopping along, woken by the rattling of the wind on her den. Looking at this point of the year for extra food to survive the winter. Hopping over to a small nut of some sort, she sniffed at it intently and was in the process biting into the nut when the whole world went from red to black followed by nothing.

I walked over to the dead rabbit, axe lodge into the skull and felt a twinge of remorse. It was only trying to find something to eat I thought. Like me I thought. Walking off the moonlit path I approached my dinner and removed my axe.

The minute I picked up the rabbit the path went dark. No longer was it illuminated by the moonlight. No longer were the branches lined with snow. In an instant, the world had gone darker than I had ever imagined possible. Turning around I noticed the trees were devoid of snow, devoid of leaves and devoid of any life.

Before I had taken it all in, I was already running: something felt wrong. There was something off about this place, something meant to suck you in and make you feel at ease. I was already running when I heard a guttural growl from behind me. Too afraid to turn and face the unknown, I ran back into the moonlit fork-in-the-road clearing before turning around: axe at the ready.

There was nothing there. Looking down the path to the left, I could still see the snow dusted, moonlit branches. Far away down the left path I saw a shadow move through the moonlight. Not a shape, not a figure but a shadow. Just the wind I thought and went back to have dinner. I was still calming down and thinking rationally was the only way to calm myself.

Looking around my campsite I found an overturned log which I moved and used as a stool and a couple of smaller sticks which I used to cook the rabbit. After half an hour of fire, the rabbit was ready to eat.

The warm taste of meat settled my stomach. While cooking the rabbit I had also boiled water and made tea. The combination of caffeine and food in my stomach kept me awake and allowed me to relax slightly given the days events.

What had happened on that path? Surely I had been imaging it all. But something strange had happened when I picked up the dead rabbit. Stop the crazy thinking I told myself. There’s no reason for it.

I picked myself up; made sure my fire would keep going until the morning and grabbed my axe.

I willed myself to climb into my tent, curl up in my sleeping bag and lay my head down but not before making sure my axe was close to me. Something about the path to the left was still bugging me.

I awoke with a jolt. Something was outside. Darkness surrounded me, my tent and my fire. I could see the flickering light of my fire and rested my head slowly. I listened for movement, for anything but was met with silence. It was all alright and so I drifted back to sleep.

I jolted up right again and looked out the front of my tent. My fire was a very small glimmer of coals. The flickering fire I had seen was coming from the other side of my tent it couldn’t be mine! Grabbing my axe and putting on my coat and boots, hat and gloves I got out of the tent. Good timing I thought to myself, I have to relieve myself.  

There’s no way I’m getting back to sleep I thought to myself. I put some wood on the fire and started to boil water for tea.

After I had finished my business and returned to the fire, I scanned the moonlit clearing. While the rest of the forest was pitch black I could still see clearly down the path on the left. It looked the same as when I had traveled it briefly earlier. Not spotting the source of the flicking flames I turned to my left, scanning the forest around me.

I saw nothing. I could not see anything past 10-15 feet into the forest it was a wall of darkness. Continuing my scan my eyes rest on the right hand path.

Unlike the left hand path, which was still lit by moonlight, this path was dark. As dark as the surrounding forest, not allowing me to see much further than 10-15 feet but something here was different. In the distance near what seemed to be the end of the path was a small flickering campfire.  

Immediately I set down the right hand path, hoping to see whoever had made the campfire and determine which way was the right way to go. In my mind I was sure that the right path was the correct path to take because someone else had been down there. As I walked down towards the path I crossed in front of my tent and in front of my fire. At that moment I noticed the fire in the distance, down the right path blocked by a small figure. Another human I thought to myself! And set off down the right path, axe in hand.

This path was much different from the left path. Surrounded not by birch trees but by towering walls of pine trees, I now understand why I couldn’t see very far down it. While the path started out wide enough to reach our and not touch the sides, by the time I was nearing the end, or what I thought was the end, I was getting a slight claustrophobic feeling. It seems as if the trees were getting closer together, or the path was getting smaller. Probably a combination of both I told myself and pressed on.

As the path continued, I felt as if I was getting no closer. I have been on this path for hours I thought to myself, hardly noticing that to my watch said I was gone for less than 5 minutes.

As the light, and the campfire drew closer I started calling out in a way to give the other person a little bit of warning that I was coming.

Hello! I yelled.

No response

Hello! I yelled again.

No response. The clearing was now within sight; I could almost step into the moonlit clearing and reach the man in the camp. I was running now. Wanting to see someone else in this wilderness, someone to talk to, and someone to follow. They’d know the way out: I just knew they would.

Running into the clearing I tripped over a stump and fell to the ground.

Minutes past before I got up. I looked around and ran quickly to the tent of the man in the darkness.

Hello! I yelled

Can you help me? I asked while unzipping the tent.

Shock overtook me.

This is my tent.. I said aloud, even though no one would hear me

My sleeping bag, my food how could this be possible?

I walked slowly over to the fire and put my finger into the water I had started to boil earlier. It was close to boiling.

How could this be I had just run in a circle somehow. But I felt like I was running straight. Who was that man in the distance down the path?

Scared, cold and tired I sat down in front of the fire and steeped my tea unsure of what to think.

 

I don’t remember falling asleep, but I woke up in the now sunlit clearing with a shock. Taking in my surroundings there was now only one path ahead of me. The two paths had all but vanished.

Looking to the left I could still see the snow dusted Birch branches: to the right the thick alley of pine trees but no path like the night before.

 

I packed up my tent, extinguished my fire after making another cup of tea and buried the remains of the rabbit I had killed the night before. With my backpack on my back, my axe strapped to my backpack and my will to continue replenished I set off down the path in front of me.

 

Time to go home. I thought to myself. Time to go home.

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE- ALGONQUIN NATIONAL PARK �"

Earlier today authorities were directed to the location of an unknown hiker who was found dead early Tuesday morning. Authorities say that the cause of death is still unknown. If anyone has any information regarding this incident please contact Det. Frank Haiger at 705-555-6575. January 21, 1986

 

 

 

Author's Note

Short writing, apologize in advanced about lack of paragraph spacing.

Reviews

[Curiouser]

I liked the pacing of this story and how detailed the description is. It reminded me of a game actually where not much happens and there is strong focus on the setting and simply being in the moment.

Nice job ^^