The Ascent To Love

Chapter 2

"Grief does not change you, Hazel. It reveals you.” —The Fault In Our Stars, now in theatres!

Chapter 2

“Is it safe to be out here?” Alexis asked, nervously looking up. The sky was rapidly becoming darker as the sun hid from view. Ominous clouds hovered in the background, ready to attack at a moment’s notice.

“Afternoon storms are fairly common,” Graham said. “We should be fine.”

His words did little to soothe her nerves. She was already on edge from lack of sleep. Last night, the memories of her father haunted her dreams. She tossed and turned, unable to quiet her mind. Finally, she gave up trying and tiptoed out of the tent. Wrapped in her sleeping bag, she sat at the edge of the clearing and watched as the world came alive with the first light of daybreak.

“We may get lucky,” he added. His eyes turned shrewd as they stared at the grey skies. “It might veer to the left and miss us.”

She looked up again. The dark clouds had converged together to create one giant mass. The sheer size of it was staggering. Her neck strained back as her eyes followed it upward. It was like looking at a city skyscraper that just kept going and going. She knew there was always a possibility of bad weather. However, knowing it and experiencing it were two different things.

As time passed, the air turned heavy and humid. Moisture clung to her body, seeping into every pore. It mixed with the dirt and sweat caked on her skin, making an uncomfortable cocktail. Her shirt and pants stuck to the moisture, chafing her skin. She tried not to think about it, but every step was a constant reminder.

“Did I ever tell you about the first time I got caught in a storm?” Graham asked. 

“No,” she mumbled, wiping the sweat off her forehead with a dirty bandana.

“I was backpacking in the Appalachian Mountains with my two older brothers. I was excited because it was the first time they allowed me on one of their trips.”

“How old were you?”

“Fifteen. They were both in college at the time. Usually they treated me like a pesky little brother so I was surprised when they invited me. I remember feeling like such a man.” He chuckled. “One night, we’re bored so Peter challenges me to an eating contest. Whoever eats one of the bagged meals the fastest wins.”

She grimaced. The bagged meals were pouches of dehydrated food that you added hot water to. They weren’t bad, but they weren’t exactly gourmet either. Trying to scarf one down sounded horrid. 

“I was a growing boy back then so I inhaled it in minutes and beat Peter. The next day, my stomach felt a little funny, but I didn’t think much of it. I was too busy bragging about my win. I kept expecting my brothers to get annoyed, but instead they looked smug.” He paused and looked back at her. “Turns out, the bag of food they handed me had thirty-five grams of fiber in it.”

“Oh no,” she snickered. That was a lot for any adult, much less a teenager.

“By mid afternoon I’m clutching my stomach, desperately needing to go to the bathroom. Then, the worst imaginable thing happens. We get caught in a storm and start getting bombarded by hail.”

“What did you do?” she asked. 

“Well, I tried to hold it as best I could, but finally I had to go. So, while my brothers were huddled under a tarp, I was out getting pelted by golf ball sized ice chunks.”

Alexis chuckled. “That’s hilarious.”

“For you maybe,” he muttered, sending her a mock glare, “but those ice chunks were big. I had a bruise on my ass to prove it.”