chilly mountain air filled your lungs as you awoke
laying in the morning sun, you basked in the moment
mom had worried too much about you striking it out on your own in such a place but the woods were your home
this was a little further north than you would like but the Appalachian wilderness greeted you all the same every morning
you'd wanted to get into a government job
fire watch was amazing to you
the solitude of the forest and the gorgeous view
after the war, the government was booming with everyone having time to sit on their hands now
sure there was always the next big scare around the corner
but as far as you considered it, civilization could pass your little place right by
your boss loved your attitude because you never asked for a relief since you started
some folks get squirrely out there by themselves
not you
you embraced it
had plenty to screw around with
you had taken up drawing I your off time
there was a little sketch book of half scribbles and landscapes next to the cot
a lack of music was a little annoying, the only real downside
a record player was out of the question due to power restraints and the radio was for emergencies only
you would just let the woods be your music
all in all there was a joy in the responsibility
the woods needed a caretaker and that was you
every morning you felt like you were on top of the world
but these woods had a fun way of reminding you it wasn't yours
you were just a guest
never once did you forget that
ever since you were little your dad had instilled that in every hunting trip
man made civilization to get out of these woods
the rifle in the corner of the room was a testament to that civilization
dad had instilled a healthy respect for the forest in you
you remembered that
he'd always try to get you to man up
didn't completely take
but respecting nature, that stuck
you'd seen what a pissed off boar could do after shrugging off a shot to the head
adrenaline pumping through it as it cleared a damn fence
it gored your brother
so you'd learned that nature was something to be careful around
however, it was a gift as well
your brother lost his leg that day and never wanted to go hunting afterwards
as brutally stubborn as your dad could be, he didn't push that
you'd learned a valuable lesson about the mountains and streams
the breeze cut through your jacket as you climbed down
it was a 60 foot climb down, the metal cold in your grip
finest steel the government could produce
on your back was a knapsack full of breakfast and your rifle
day old coffee and canned beans and hotdogs
the wood stove in your tower was small enough for the room and did allow you to cook if you wanted
this morning you wanted to go for a little hike to stretch your legs
with most of your shift being observation you wanted a chance to get up close and personal with nature
that and you could stockpile decent fuel for the the stove
your boss gave you bags of wood chips for the thing but you wanted some longer burning wood
it would be snowy soon and a stockpile seemed smart
this was your usual shift up here
spend a little time on the ground, then the tower
you'd have nothing to report for hours, then back down
occasionally you would have a campfire at the forest floor but you didn't like being down in the woods at night
part of respecting the great outdoors was knowing your limits
it would only be such a gracious host for so long
the fire and the rifle were your security
the climb up in the dark was the worst
you felt vulnerable the whole time
reminded you of being a little kid and turning the light off in the basement right in front of the stairs
you wondered if dad would be proud of you if he saw you out here striking out for yourself
sure the job paid and you weren't exactly stranded with no supplies but it really was like all those hunting trips
same curfew too
but right now, you had nature's bounty all to yourself
you'd have to collect some water from the rain catchers to boil up later
to an outside observer you'd look nuts going through a checklist to yourself but the routine helped
other men might hate the solitude but you were happy for the opportunity
it allowed you time with yourself
you looked over towards the mountains
you could get lost up here
maybe never come back down
but then mom would be sad
you didn't need that on your conscience
the urge to just become a hermit was strong though
school really hadn't done you favors, city life looked like hell
you didn't have a ton of options you actually liked
despite dad's insistence you hadn't exactly gotten more manly
your family didn't know
you at least prayed they didn't
you just had these thoughts you shouldn't be having
you'd heard rumors about guys like that
even got told they burned in hell
held in the same contempt as a fifth columnist
someone undermining the moral bedrock
it was the 50s and you just didn't do that sort of thing
you didn't even know where you could even do it
but you didn't want to settle down with some girl you didn't care about
get stuck in a marriage you didn't care about
running up into the woods at least gave you a good excuse to avoid it
you didn't really know what you wanted but you knew out here you didn't have to worry about it
the woods gave you time for self reflection without the pressure of the outside world
here it was simple
with winter around the corner you'd have to be prepared for boredom
not exactly like a common time for fires
that and you'd lose the sight of the canopy before you
you were ready for the weather, sure
multiple hunts had you trudging through snow enough as a kid
as rare as that got further south
you would treat the environment with the same caution you did now
only difference would be plenty more days of just sitting in the tower with a cup of coffee
if the weather permitted you'd have the free time to walk miles into Thurmond
as much as you appreciated the solitude, a diner burger wasn't exactly something you'd scoff at after nothing but canned food for months
you already had your boss show you around down there when you first came up here
the place was in rough shape as a train stop but still stuck around as a quiet little town
they had a post office you could have your boss send family correspondence through and a general store in addition to the tiny diner
they'd finally gotten roads to the town about thirty odd years ago from what the boss said
definitely not like the stories you'd heard of New York
but that suited you just fine
if you were going to live anywhere you'd prefer somewhere where you could be secluded
the hustle and bustle annoyed you
and it was close enough to civilization you could appreciate a decent burger
that future prospect dangled in front of you, giving you something to look forward to
mom and dad raised a hobo fantasizing about a meal and having peculiar thoughts about guys
it was enough to make you laugh to yourself
the little supply run was about two hours according to your watch
you'd seen the sights, relieved yourself at the privy away from the tower, and gotten cleaned up with a shower from the rain collected
it was easy to gather up wood and make sure the area was tidy after all that
this was the life
you'd have to climb the tower in a bit to observe again
at least you didn't have to worry about privacy out here
boss probably didn't need to know you saw the tower as boxers optional sometimes
after piling up more logs under the tower and throwing a tarp over them you felt accomplished
a bird flying overhead pulled you away from your thoughts
the birdwatching up here had been great
you knew some of them back home but up here there was some animals you were completely new to
the deer were about the same and you'd heard people talk about cougars up in these mountains
hadn't seen one
did hear one one night
sounded like it had gotten mauled out somewhere
probably a black bear
only thing that could tangle with a mountain lion, realistically
one last scan of your surroundings and you were content to climb back up home
might put some coffee on now for good measure
today was going to be a long one
you whistled as you climbed
some tune stuck in your head from years ago
helped make the climb a little less tedious
you probably shouldn't
your dad said you shouldn't do that in the woods
but that always seemed silly
you climbed up no problem
weren't looking forward to ice on that ladder come winter
might have to figure out a fix for that
be a neat project to take your mind off things
you fired up the stove and put the coffee on
through your binoculars you saw the same expanse as usual
no signs of anything unusual
perhaps you'd pick up a couple novels in town
you were always musing about little future plans with all the free time here
it felt good to just be with your thoughts
after a half hour of making sure the woods weren't on fire you laid back on the bed
your room really had it all
the crackle of the stove filled the room as easily as its heat
the shelf of canned goods was stocked
that spam stuff really was great
dad had been right about that at least
he'd picked that up from the war and loved that stuff
from the bed you could peak and see the mountains through the huge glass windows
maybe you'd sketch the view today
it would be something to do
you'd kick your feet up and do just that
you lost track of time as you focused on your horizons
sipping coffee and watching the skies
you'd sketched this side of the forest before
the curvature of the mountains
placement of the trees
movement caught your eye
you saw violent rustling
couldn't be confused for the wind
only one tree in particular swayed
then one next to it
and slowly they both returned to the usual stillness
had to be a bear
it was a rarity but it was the only thing big enough to cause a commotion like that
though, the second tree moving was peculiar
not like they were known for leaping from tree to tree
things were damn scary enough
maybe a big enough cougar
just more proof you needed to be on your toes out here
had to keep your rifle close
possibly set up some alarms with some empty cans around the tower perimeter as a little make work project
but after musing on that for a moment, you went back to sketching and thought nothing more of it
you'd get lunch ready and go back to observing before heading back down
another lazy day on the government dime worked for you
you figured this was like a cop job
better to have a boring day than ask for any excitement
another trip down the ladder
you scoured the route towards that shaking tree
careful not to go too deep into the bush
but you were a little curious
and your rifle was comforting
you wouldn't venture too far
you promised yourself that
despite an attempt at stealth, you couldn't help the occasional snapping twig
it was fall and the floor was littered with leaves and sticks already
the tree swaying had to be a mile away from your best guess
you weren't stranding yourself that far into the woods
your hike felt uneventful
birds and squirrels overhead made you on edge but you could instantly tell from experience what they were
it had been a long time since you'd stalked through woods like you were going to shoot something
caution eventually won out when you realized you'd been gone for an hour
if it had been a bear this would have been stupid anyways
despite the curiosity, you weren't that curious
you beat a slow retreat back to the tower
the sun wasn't quite setting but the last thing you needed was trying to get back before dusk and panic
you reached the clearing and home sweet home
and not a moment too soon
dark clouds were starting to roll in from the east
the rain catchers would be full tonight
you checked the barrels and made sure they were ready and in good condition again
listening to the rain patter on the roof would put you to sleep for sure
you made sure everything was good before the climb
tonight would be a good night
might fry up some spam for dinner when it gets dark out
your last observation of the day was the same as it ever was
but with the bonus of watching the storm clouds slowly roll in
it was enough to make you pick up the sketchbook again
it was nice to see your work improve over time out here
”what job could you get with that skillset?”
dad never understood it was a hobby first
never got it
the second you'd talk about expressing yourself you were treading dangerous waters
so you'd silently sketch and never show anyone
out here you could really enjoy it
no one over your shoulder
granted, no one to really appreciate it either
but you weren't in it for someone else's attention
you liked doodling and having the freedom for it was liberating
you ate a light dinner of meat and decided to call it a night
the stove had been put out and the tower was bathed in the dark by the time the rain started up
you closed your eyes and focused on the rain on the roof and windows
letting the noise lull you to rest
you were at the rhythm's beckoning
another quiet night
you were jolted away from promised blissful sleep by hearing something below the tower
sounded like a racket
you hopped out of bed and flung the trapdoor in the center of the floor open
you saw a shape sprinting away from the base of the tower and realized the woodpile had been knocked over
you hissed out a curse when you saw the covering over it was gone
but damn if you didn't want to go down there now
had to be some curious bear drawn to the smell of your cooking
for tonight you'd use the padlock on the trapdoor
might be hard for the thing to climb up here if it returns but you'd sleep a lot better if you knew it was secure
you sat in bed uneasy for a while before you finally found yourself resting
sure enough when you peeked down the ladder in the morning, you saw something had knocked over the woodpile
you climbed down cautiously
if you didn't know better you'd have sworn the pile had been raided
some of it was knocked over
hence the noise last night
not like you took a headcount of your logs
you were a little pissed at some of it getting wet but it was all extra fuel
you might attempt to use it in the fire pit at the foot of the tower
make some sort of use of it
wasn't going to burn right either way
you investigated the area
hooves
a lot of hooves in the mud
so it wasn't a bear
but that still didn't answer what had happened
why would the deer want your wood?
the tarp was intact and you put the wet wood on the edges of it as better weights
might as well make something of the situation
you'd go through your day puzzled and a little on edge
to ease your fears you decided on that primitive alarm system
a pile of cans was easy to come by
twine was essential out here too
you strung the twine with the cans between several trees
low enough in the brush to hopefully hide them
you wouldn't put them across the entire perimeter for your own sake
you didn't need to trip in the morning or dusk trying to rush around
just enough set up to give you a sense of control here
the rattling would hopefully spook them away
worst case you could have enough warning to have your rifle ready
it took enough time you decided to set up a fire and fry something up for breakfast at the fire pit
damn deer
starting the fire with some of the rained on wood wasn't easy but you were stubborn enough to make it happen
you would be sleeping with the door locked for a while but otherwise nothing had changed all that much
strangest thing though
wildlife didn't really stick around the tower because they knew a human hung around there
the birds were the exception
maybe a stray opossum
you had found those tracks before
no deer though
usually much too skittish
but maybe one got brave or dumb or even sick
that last idea worried you
you sat by the fire for a few hours with your thoughts before carrying out observation
with the rain water the urge to live a little with another shower was strong
you kept the rifle by the stall as you scrubbed down
with winter you couldn't do this much
it was one of the few luxuries you'd miss during those hard months
standing out here was already chilly as it was
you'd have to store water I containers in the tower to keep a steady supply around without it freezing
just thinking in the shower
which was interrupted at the worst time
soap was in your eyes when you heard cans clang behind you
panic had you wiping it away so you could make a grab for your rifle
you spun on the noise and saw the shrubs swaying
the noise had scared off whatever it was
you shouldn't have followed but you went as far as the treeline
standing buck naked holding a gun
not your proudest moment
the breeze made you shiver and you decided it wasn't worth following up on right now
you got completely cleaned up and dressed
once more into the brush
you couldn't spend much time scouting
but you found paydirt
very uncomfortable news
out in the mud
human footprints
bare human footprints heading away from the tower
you were in disbelief
they couldn't be old ones you left because you didn't leave the tower clearing without your boots
you were on full alert as you rose up from the tracks
you didn't seen anyone
you were even less inclined to follow a stranger into the woods
you'd heard stories of hillbillies and folks just going feral
there was an internal debate as you thought about it
should you tell the boss?
well, you'd retreat to the safety of the tower to think about this
why should you worry?
you had a gun and it was looking like just some creep
all you'd have to do is lock the trapdoor every night
yeah, that's all
it was annoying someone intruded on your solitude but you were able to defend yourself out here
you weren't some lost little kid
after last night this incident was just making you more jumpy
the rifle never left your side as you carefully did your errands
all the while, keeping watch towards the woods
nothing was going to sneak up on you and thankfully, the rest of the excursion was quiet
dinner, observation, sleep
you wanted to return to the mundane after that and hoped it would just go away
the following week or so was quiet
you were on edge the entire time of course
when your boss popped in for a status report and resupply you kept the incident to yourself
they might think you were going stircrazy
take you off this shift
you wanted your extended paid camping trip to last a while
Dave seemed to buy it
handed you extra food to boot
was really pleased with how you ran the place
then off he went to put your pay into your account at the local bank
paper checks and cash meant jackshit for you in the woods
a savings account meant it was at least working for you
he didn't have to do that but thankfully there were still some kind folks out there
once he'd left you relaxed a little
he wasn't a hardass like your dad but it was still your boss
not like you could go out for beers with the guy
or other stuff
you were alone with your thoughts once more
the leaves were falling now
you watched some slowly drift to the ground before you went about your business again
you started to feel comfortable again with time
occasionally, you'd come across deer prints
they'd be here and there around the treeline but that was normal
they'd be active trying to fatten up for winter
so of course you'd see them running around
well, that was also the peculiar thing
you never actually saw deer
after a another week or so you found a mystery
the human footprints further out
but they were among the hooves
it didn't startle you as much as it did originally
maybe just some mountain hermit
maybe
but you weren't as vulnerable as you were last time you saw prints like this
you made a note of the direction they seemed to come from
if you were feeling more adventurous you might have followed them then and there
but it seemed reckless
you'd need to prepare
plus the sun would be setting soon
you decided to mark it down as a task for a later day
procrastination, sure
but it wasn't exactly part of your job
after a couple days you had mentally prepared for it
you would do this
but you'd be ready for it instead of some impromptu trip
there was enough food and water in your pack
the forest was quiet that morning aside from the occasional birdsong
the plan was to set off far enough in the direction of those second set of human tracks
at least far enough until sundown was close
if you didn't have any new evidence you'd just write it off
hopefully this would be the end of it
after observation, you set off with your rifle in hand
it wasn't a rough hike up towards the mountains
there wasn't a trail but the brush was thin and when it became rough you'd clear it with a blade
you were just supposed to walk in as close to a straight line as possible
just A to B
that was the plan
then you'd be home in time for dinner
the birdsong eventually stopped accompanying you
that silence was a little unsettling
but you still pressed forward
you'd never been this deep into the woods up here
to calm yourself you whistled a little, sometimes switching to humming
something to fill the void
rustling to your right made you freeze
your eyes were focused on the brush
it was so thick you got only glimpses of brown fur through it
it had to be a deer
you backed up quietly
slowly
you wanted distance between you and any wild animal
the rustling continued
unfortunately you were so focused in front of you that you didn't see the approach from behind
the blow came suddenly and silently
you were out as you hit the forest floor
the brush rustled all around you