Campfire Tales
September 5th, 2020
Starring: Rookie (20’s), Vet (40’s)
A makeshift campsite on a long long hiking trail, night. This is rookie’s first big thru-hike attempt, and is about 6 weeks in. This is Vet’s fourth time on the trail, only hiking a section this time, about a week in. The two of them sit by a small fire, their tents set up behind them:
ROOKIE
So maybe two weeks in I was finishing up my day. And I’d just resupplied earlier, so things were heavy and my back was feeling it, and I was trying to push a little farther. But the sun was going down fast, so I only had a matter of time. I set up camp maybe a mile, mile and a half outside the little township thing. And where I decided to set up was this open grove area, but on one side of it was this dense thicket. But by the time the tent was up it was dark and I was so wiped I had two protein bars for dinner and called it a night by like 7, because I wanted to be up and out by 5, 6. So I conk out fast. And then sometime around 9, I wake up to this moaning. It was pretty soft, but loud enough where I could hear it coming from the thicket. And my first thought was wounded animal, birdcall I hadn’t heard yet, whatever. So I kind of stay put, and the sound goes away. Comes back about five minutes later, but this time it’s on the other side, not in the thicket, and much closer. And that’s when I started to get worried, because there’s no way a wounded animal could’ve dragged itself from one side of the site to the other in time. And it sounded more human to me, now that it was closer. Or human-like. So I tried to let it play out again, but it didn’t really go away. It was just this consistent moaning in the same spot for a half hour. That’s when I grabbed the bear spray. And I put my headlamp on red light and I just went for it. Popped out, really to spray...and about 15 feet from me, looking at me dead in face was a—
VET
Drug addict?
ROOKIE
Uh
Yeah, actually.
This young guy was just staring at me, tweaked out on something.
VET
Yeah dude, something similar happened to me on a different section. Near these tiny towns, some of the addicts come out on the trail to use or trip. Noone really preps you for that.
ROOKIE
Yeah.
...
Did you want me to finish the story?
VET
Oh sure man, go ahead.
ROOKIE
So...this guy was just staring me down, but I could tell his eyes were dead. He was looking at me, but he was seeing something totally different.
VET
That’s what happens.
ROOKIE
What?
VET
On hard drugs that’s what happens.
ROOKIE
Oh, yeah.
So then we were kind of in a deadlock, and I didn’t want to do anything unless he made a move, but he didn’t. And eventually, I tried to speak, like ask him if he was ok, and he went full on deer in headlights and just bolted.
VET
And that was it?
ROOKIE
Yeah. Never came back.
VET
Someone I met once said one of these tweaker kids tried attacking them. Like tried to slash the tent with a knife and everything.
ROOKIE
No way...
VET
For real. So you’re lucky.
ROOKIE
I am.
It’s just uh
It’s not the memorable moment I was expecting to have doing this.
Haha
VET
Haha
All kinds of wild out here.
...
I will say though, having done both, hard drugs are a much more efficient way to have a life changing experience than marathon hikes.
ROOKIE
Oh.
Yeah, I guess I should’ve gotten some black tar instead, haha.
VET
Nah, don’t do heroin. There’s better stuff.
ROOKIE
...you’ve actually done—
VET
Many times.
It’s not good, but you have to respect it. What it can do to a person is insane.
ROOKIE
No kidding.
VET
Nope.
…
I’m glad we met, man.
ROOKIE
Oh yeah, me too, man.
VET
Loneliness kills more people on this trail than anyone.
ROOKIE
Yeah?
VET
Oh yeah.
…
You hitting the hay?
ROOKIE
I’m pretty wiped, yeah.
VET
Well I’ll be up a little longer.
I got some meth.
ROOKIE
Hm?
VET
I got some meth.
…
...
Kidding.
Only an adrenaline junky now, haha.
ROOKIE
Oh
Haha.
Goodnight.
VET
Night.
Rookie goes into the tent and zips up. Vet stares up at the stars, then deeply into the fire.