Chapter 1
I opened my eyes and immediately panicked. It was dark and I was inside a tent. But with the dim light of the moon that filtered through the mesh screen, I could tell it wasn’t my tent. Someone snored to my right; I slowly turned my head and looked upon the sleeping form of a stranger.
I struggled from the sleeping bag, which wasn’t mine, sitting up and holding my pounding head. Where in the hell was I?
There were two other people sleeping in the tent, and again, I didn’t recognize either of them. What have I gotten myself into?
My hurting head dropped into my hands, I struggled to remember what had happened. Calm down, Rachel, there might be a perfectly sensible explanation for this! I remembered my name. Score one for me! Oh yes, I’d been drinking too much last night, not that I actually knew what had happened, but I could tell by the horrible feelings of hangover.
When I tried to get up, my arms hurt like hell. “Ouch”. Why do my arms hurt? And my neck and shoulders, heck even my legs were stiff. Had I been in an accident? I rolled my shoulders and rotated my neck several times, easing the stiffness there, but the muscles in my arms felt like they had been taxed.
The stranger next to me stirred and opened her eyes. ”Hey, are you feeling better?”
“Uhm…I guess so. I don’t mean to sound ungrateful, but who are you and where am I?”
The girl laughed, “You don’t normally drink, do you?”
“No, I don’t usually drink…” It all came rushing back to me. I’m a stupid idiot!
***
Yesterday morning….
I arrived back at the apartment after taking my roommate and best friend Karen to the airport to find Michael sitting in his car. “Hey, what are you doing here?”
“Nothing much. Where’s Karen?”
“I just got back from dropping her off at the airport. She’s going to see her parents.”
“Darn it. I forgot about that. I thought she was going next week.”
“Why, what’s up?” I kinda liked Michael, he was always fun when he came over. He was Karen’s buddy and lived over in Oakland so we didn’t see him very often.
“I hoped to convince her to go to Yosemite Valley with me.” Michael looked dejected that Karen wasn’t around.
“What’s up in Yosemite?”
“I was heading up to spend a couple of days. Karen’s and I have wanted to go climbing there for ages. It just never fit into the schedule. You know, stressful semester, long hours of studying and such.”
I could relate. That was exactly how I felt. Worn out and happy to have a few weeks of after the finals.
“Climbing?” I had started a climbing course at the college and loved it. So far I’d practiced only indoors, but that would change now. “Oh yes, Karen mentioned that you two had that plan.”
“Yeah. I don’t really like going out by myself though. Too many things can happen.”
I nodded, wondering how I could convince Michael to take me instead. I definitely needed some down time and had nothing going for the next week. “Would you consider letting me tag along?”
“You?”
“I just started a climbing class. I’m not very good yet, but…”
“You’re taking a course here at the college?” Michael asked, intrigued. “Are you free for the next several days?”
“I am. I just finished my last exams yesterday. I don’t have anything planned for the next week.”
Michael considered it for all of two seconds and I caught a hopeful glimmer in his eyes. “Sure. Why not? Do you have your own gear and stuff?”
I shook my head, “Sorry, no. Like I said, I just started. I do have my own sleeping bag and tent though.”
“Okay, I’ve probably got plenty of gear for what we’ll be doing. I’ve already got the food and other things we might need. How about I go gas up the truck while you gather your stuff? I’ll be back in fifteen.”
“That’ll work. See ya in a few.” I hurried inside the apartment, gathering items as I went and throwing them into a
I opened my eyes and immediately panicked. It was dark and I was inside a tent. But with the dim light of the moon that filtered through the mesh screen, I could tell it wasn’t my tent. Someone snored to my right; I slowly turned my head and looked upon the sleeping form of a stranger.
I struggled from the sleeping bag, which wasn’t mine, sitting up and holding my pounding head. Where in the hell was I?
There were two other people sleeping in the tent, and again, I didn’t recognize either of them. What have I gotten myself into?
My hurting head dropped into my hands, I struggled to remember what had happened. Calm down, Rachel, there might be a perfectly sensible explanation for this! I remembered my name. Score one for me! Oh yes, I’d been drinking too much last night, not that I actually knew what had happened, but I could tell by the horrible feelings of hangover.
When I tried to get up, my arms hurt like hell. “Ouch”. Why do my arms hurt? And my neck and shoulders, heck even my legs were stiff. Had I been in an accident? I rolled my shoulders and rotated my neck several times, easing the stiffness there, but the muscles in my arms felt like they had been taxed.
The stranger next to me stirred and opened her eyes. ”Hey, are you feeling better?”
“Uhm…I guess so. I don’t mean to sound ungrateful, but who are you and where am I?”
The girl laughed, “You don’t normally drink, do you?”
“No, I don’t usually drink…” It all came rushing back to me. I’m a stupid idiot!
***
Yesterday morning….
I arrived back at the apartment after taking my roommate and best friend Karen to the airport to find Michael sitting in his car. “Hey, what are you doing here?”
“Nothing much. Where’s Karen?”
“I just got back from dropping her off at the airport. She’s going to see her parents.”
“Darn it. I forgot about that. I thought she was going next week.”
“Why, what’s up?” I kinda liked Michael, he was always fun when he came over. He was Karen’s buddy and lived over in Oakland so we didn’t see him very often.
“I hoped to convince her to go to Yosemite Valley with me.” Michael looked dejected that Karen wasn’t around.
“What’s up in Yosemite?”
“I was heading up to spend a couple of days. Karen’s and I have wanted to go climbing there for ages. It just never fit into the schedule. You know, stressful semester, long hours of studying and such.”
I could relate. That was exactly how I felt. Worn out and happy to have a few weeks of after the finals.
“Climbing?” I had started a climbing course at the college and loved it. So far I’d practiced only indoors, but that would change now. “Oh yes, Karen mentioned that you two had that plan.”
“Yeah. I don’t really like going out by myself though. Too many things can happen.”
I nodded, wondering how I could convince Michael to take me instead. I definitely needed some down time and had nothing going for the next week. “Would you consider letting me tag along?”
“You?”
“I just started a climbing class. I’m not very good yet, but…”
“You’re taking a course here at the college?” Michael asked, intrigued. “Are you free for the next several days?”
“I am. I just finished my last exams yesterday. I don’t have anything planned for the next week.”
Michael considered it for all of two seconds and I caught a hopeful glimmer in his eyes. “Sure. Why not? Do you have your own gear and stuff?”
I shook my head, “Sorry, no. Like I said, I just started. I do have my own sleeping bag and tent though.”
“Okay, I’ve probably got plenty of gear for what we’ll be doing. I’ve already got the food and other things we might need. How about I go gas up the truck while you gather your stuff? I’ll be back in fifteen.”
“That’ll work. See ya in a few.” I hurried inside the apartment, gathering items as I went and throwing them into a
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