Merin stared at the map, once more trying to make sense of the trails. She wasn’t good at reading the small, black lines that wound through the acres and acres of forest in Yellowstone. After years of hiking, she figured she should be, but Joseph had normally planned their excursions. Her eyes teared up thinking about him, but she brushed the thought off. Right now, her pack grew heavier by the second, and she needed to find a campsite soon, or she would collapse. Cheryl, her best friend, had agreed to meet her but hadn’t shown up yet. She had a feeling she’d been ditched for something more productive. Knowing Cheryl, some handsome stray had caught her attention and the thought of going camping had left her brain. I wouldn’t put it past her. After three years, you think she’d stop going after the hunky men when we have plans. This isn’t the first time she’s done this to me. Why do I let her talk me into her wacky schemes?

Entering a clearing, she paused to take in the view of the majestic mountains with emerald trees blanketing their slopes. Taking in a deep breath of the clean, fresh air, she decided it was worth venturing out even though her friend had ditched her. The open space and the sheer vastness of the natural wonder helped her appreciate the life she was living. A golden eagle soared above her. Its screech added to the serenity of the countryside. The setting sun glinted off its dark brown feathers while it hunted for its prey. For a single moment, she became one with the world, with nothing to rattle her.
The breeze caressed her face, bringing to her nose the aroma of pine and the musk of the animals that lurked around her. As the sun dipped below the mountains, she could better understand the allure of being outside. The splendor made her feel tiny in comparison to the universal puzzle she was a piece of. Merin closed her eyes and drank in the freedom. The cry of the eagle drew closer, probably perched in a tree not that far from her. The sinking sun warmed her face a little. Darkness approached, but she didn’t feel a threat in it. She’d always gotten along with the night. However, being in the middle of the woods and not having a campsite set her back a bit. Sighing, she opened her eyes and focused on the map. It was off-season, so she should have the park all to herself.

“Okay. I can do this.” She folded the map and shoved it inside her pocket. Beginning on her trek again, she got into the rhythm of her walk. A little way down the path, she stopped to take a photo of a deer wandering through the trees. Right when she set up the shot, someone bumped into her, making her drop her camera.

“Excuse you,” she muttered, bending down to get the camera. Merin glanced up and saw the swiftly walking form of a tall man dressed in a yellow coat darting between the foliage. He was gone before she could chase after him or see where he was going. What the hell was that about? I didn’t even hear him coming up behind me. Jerk. She dusted the pine needles off her camera, but the deer had bounded back into the brush.

Shaking her head, she continued on to the campsite. She was the only camper in the place. The golden hue of the sunset was slowly being extinguished by the oncoming twilight. With little time to erect her tent, she cleared a spot, threw up the tent, and pounded the stakes into the ground. Merin gathered some fallen sticks and wood to start a fire. Her map said it was fire season, so she should be careful and be sure to douse it when she was done. After she lit the fire, she watched the flames lick at the leaves she fed it. The dark smell of smoke filled the campsite and took the chill off the air. She ran her hands over her arms and thought of the many times she and Joseph had vacationed in the wilderness by camping out. They would drive for hours on end to some out-of-the-way destination just to go exploring. Sometimes, they would spend a week doing nothing more than camping under the stars. Merin gazed up at the twinkling pinpoints, envisioning the times she had lain under them with Joseph. Seeing the distant gems brought familiar tears. It hadn’t been a year yet since Joseph had been taken from her. For a long time, she wouldn’t go out into the forest even to photograph the richness around her. It was only in the past month or so that she had begun to venture out again because being cooped up in the house or the bookstore didn’t suit her. She missed the wild and the blissful nights under the vast expanse of the star-filled sky while she snuggled in Joseph’s arms.

Merin blinked the tears away and stared deep into the flames of the growing fire. Losing him had wrenched a piece of her soul away. She vowed never to love again. Cheryl had set her up on a few dates, but she weaseled her way out of them. How could she explain it to her friend that the wound left behind would never heal? It might close, but it would always seep. She tried not to replay the day in her mind when the police had come to her apartment to tell her that Joseph was dead. He’d been the victim of senseless violence in the urban jungle. They had plans. He had asked her to marry him and gave her a ring from a candy machine for a joke until he could afford something spectacular for her. The ring remained in its plastic wrapper on her dresser even now with its large, candy-sculpted diamond. They were going to get a small house in the country, somewhere they could work out in the open. She could take pictures, and he could sculpt, using his hands to earn a living, but the bullet pierced his heart and her soul.

I can’t do this anymore. I can’t keep being dragged under the current of my emotions. I’ve been burning long enough. Every day was another day in her personal hell. One day, she hoped the devil would give her a reprieve.
Her ring glinted in the firelight. She had found the ring in Joseph’s drawer. Once she saw it, she knew it was the engagement ring he had promised her. The band had graced her finger ever since. This trip is supposed to be a fresh start, not me dredging up the sorrow of him being gone.

Merin shook herself free of the burdens on her soul and pulled out her camera to focus on the undulating flames. While looking through the camera lens, the fire took on the form of a small horse galloping over the burning embers. When she blinked, the image vanished. Now I’m seeing things. The wood snapped, shooting sparks into the air. She jumped back and landed hard against her tent. Her hand flew to her chest to stop her heart from racing from the sudden scare. A small laugh escaped her lips. Get a hold of yourself. You’ve been on a camping trip by yourself before.

Taking a deep breath, she shook off the sorrow. Twigs snapped behind her. It’s just an animal. Something moved in the copse before her. Squinting, she thought she saw the dark silhouette of a man walking in the darkness.