Tales from the Cave
The Shadow of Ranger Devore, Part 2
Sarah watched Ranger Devore disappear past the bleary yellow-washed light of the austere motel. There was a swagger to his walk, even in the pouring rain.
The pulling on the driver’s side door handle startled her.
“Sarah, unlock the door!” Josh called through the window, his breath leaving fog marks on the glass. He was drenched.
“I can’t believe this rain.” He said, sliding back into the passenger seat when Sarah unlocked the door. “Why’d you have the door locked?”
“I–” She started, then shook her head. “Nothing. The ranger just startled me.”
Josh laughed, wiping off his face. Water dripped down his nose. “You gotta let that go. We are obviously safe here if there are rangers around this late. Can we get in and get settled? I need to get out of these clothes.”
Grabbing only the essentials, Josh and Sarah locked up the SUV and hurried to the overhang where room eleven awaited.
After a shower and sharing the last bit of crumbs from the sleeve of cookies they brought from home, they climbed into bed, exhausted from the stress of the drive. There would be no cuddling tonight, it was too late. They would concentrate on each other when they got to the cabin and could finally relax.
Sarah switched off the light on the chunky log nightstand next to her side of the bed. Plugging her phone in, she sank down into the crisp sheets. They smelled of bleach and must. She glanced at Josh, who was already snoring. She rolled her eyes, wishing sleep came that easy for her.
Slipping the sheets up to her chest, she swiped through her TikTok feed with methodical disinterest. It was the same stuff, same trends… why did she even have this app?
Outside, the deluge continued, making her wonder if they would be swimming to the cabin instead of hiking. Her thoughts shifted to a myriad of things–did she bring the right shoes? What about the food? It was in plastic bags, but would it get wet if they had to hike in the rain? Was the motel door locked?
As she drifted off, she remembered the ranger’s warning about keeping food safe from bears. Should they be bringing bear spray too? There was so much to remember. But the droning of the rain eventually lulled her to sleep. The last thoughts to pass through her mind were bits and pieces from the podcast about Carole Sund…
Sarah stuffed the last of the supplies into her pack. One of them was a secret item she had smuggled into their food stash for the cabin–Cheez Whiz. It was Josh’s favorite. They didn’t have crackers, but for some reason it didn’t matter to Josh. He ate it on everything. Hot dogs, bread sticks, even pickles.
Sarah didn’t care for it, but it was special to Josh. She wanted to make sure he knew she had thought about him.
The toilet flushed, and the sink ran. Josh emerged from the bathroom, a smile on his face.
“Ready to hit the trail?”
The truth was, she was ready. They hadn’t done something like this for quite awhile. It would be good to do something adventurous, just the two of them.
Cramming the top of the Cheez Whiz down into her pack, she zipped it up.
“I’m ready.” She said, slinging the overstuffed pack onto her back. It was heavy, much more heavy than she remembered on their trips to Alaska.
In the past, Josh’s parents ran a guide service out of Montana into the bush of Alaska, and employed Josh as a guide on several hunts. Sarah had gone the last five times before they shut the service down.
But life had sent them in a new direction, and that was California. Sarah missed those adventures with her husband, but embraced the new life they had as well. As long as they were together, she was happy.
They loaded up the SUV and drove to the trailhead. They parked, taking a moment to eat an energy bar and a banana before cinching up packs and locking the SUV.
Sarah stowed the keys in her pack, and the two of them set out.
It was a beautiful sunny day, and there was a welcome briskness in the air. Sarah breathed in the fresh mountain air, enjoying the subtle smells of pine after a fresh rain. There were a few puddles here and there as they walked but nothing that couldn’t be circumvented.
It was a steep hike, but the vistas were incredible. Rugged canyons and granite peaks surrounded them as they passed through fields of orange poppies and Beardtongue. An occasional Snow Plant poked its way up through the soil; an unruly remnant of an especially cold Spring.
A mountain stream meandered near, marked with infrequent stretches of rapids where frenzied water carved chutes and miniature gorges through the more malleable rock.
After a steep climb through a patch of distinguished pines, the metal roof of a small log structure came into view.
They topped the rise, pausing for a breather. Glancing behind her, Sarah immediately could see why the spot was chosen for the cabin.
A striking view of the valley lay behind them. Mountain peaks and swirling spans of forests filled the panorama in phases of greens and browns. The cabin was perched between outcroppings overlooking the valley, a large picture window taking up much of its front facing side.
“Josh, look.” Sarah said breathlessly, tapping her husband’s shoulder.
He turned around, letting the map he held fall to his sides. “Wow,” He said. “I heard it was beautiful, but this is–“
“Yeah.” Sarah finished his sentence.
After several minutes in reverence, they walked the last few hundred feet to the cabin, and setting down their packs on the porch, entered the cabin expectantly.
Inside the single-room cabin was a small kitchen with the essentials, a sturdy dining table with a live-edge top and two log chairs, and a wide bunk in the corner. A stone fireplace filled one entire wall of the interior.
Josh flopped into one of the chairs, removing the bandana from his forehead and wiping the sweat from his face. It was much cooler at this altitude, but the exertion they had spent reaching the top had left them overheated. He reached for his water bottle.
“I’m going to need a shower after that.” He said, lifting up his armpit and sniffing.
Sarah smoothed the wisps that had gathered in her hair. “I saw a small stream out back. I think that’s all you’re going to get. Probably going to be pretty cold, though.”
“Cold water is good for the soul.” He said, ripping off his shirt.
Sarah laughed playfully. “You go ahead. I think I’ll warm up some water and wash up.”
“Suit yourself.” He said, heading out the door.
That evening, with two packets of instant noodles in their bellies, Sarah pulled out the Bananagrams. She lit a candle, pulled out a bag of chips, and the Cheez Whiz. Josh brightened as he saw the can. Sarah handed it over with a smile on her face.
“You do love me.” Josh said, popping open the lid and squeezing a big glob in his mouth.
“Yep. You can be a big dumb turd sometimes, but there’s a reason I married you.”
He winked at her. “That might just earn you some extra neck rubs tonight.”
She unzipped the Bananagrams and let them fall onto the table. They began turning the pieces over. Suddenly, there was a soft thump from somewhere outside.
“Was that on the porch?” Josh stopped suddenly, his face troubled.
Sarah’s heart skipped a beat. She hadn’t heard it, but from Josh’s expression, she was instantly concerned.
“Was what on the porch?”
“That sound,” Josh drew his voice to a whisper. “You didn’t hear it?”
“No.”
He breathed in deeply, going back to the game. “It was nothing. Let’s play.”
Sarah couldn’t let it go that easily. “Josh. What did you hear?”
There was another thump. It was quieter, but this time, Sarah heard it.
“Did you lock the door?” She hissed, eyes wild.
Attempting to show calm, Josh glanced toward the door.
“Locked,” He said finally. “Give me–“
He stopped, something catching his eye out of the window behind Sarah. His face went white. A lump made its way up into Sarah’s throat.
Something was wrong. Josh was always the calm one, but now…
“Sarah,” He whispered, voice wavering. “There’s someone outside.”
