The Trailhead

Part 3

The night seemed longer somehow...

No matter what I did and no matter how much I tried to pass the time, the arrival of the sheriff couldn't happen soon enough.

I had turned out all the lights in the cabin and the only thing that provided me any illumination whatsoever was the gentle white hue of the full moon. A handful of thick white clouds spread across the sky, temporarily blotting out the only light I had for around five to seven minutes at a time. Those minutes, however short, were terrifying.

I could sit no longer. I grabbed the cabin key from the table where I had left it, took an old, flip open lighter and a kerosene lamp from a nearby shelf and moved quickly for the door. I pushed the door open and stopped as the humid summer air hit me straight in the chest. A few moments later, I had lit the lantern and hung it on a nearby post with a short metal latch.

The orange glow from the lantern illuminated the entire area, walkway and all around the top cabin area of the watch tower. As a gentle breeze blew around my cabin, the burning kerosene lantern flickered, casting a hundred dancing shadows about the side of the outer walls. I shivered for a moment and then looked out over the ledge, trying to see anything that could hint the sheriff was nearby.

Nothing...

I gripped the railing hard and nodded my head slowly, smelling the night air. A sense of calm washed over me. I smiled.

Clunk!

The sound of metal or wood striking one of the four base legs of the tower shook away my sense of calm and made my heart jump. A shot of pure adrenaline surged up my back, tingling every inch of the way. I looked down and saw three, no four burning lanterns surrounding obscure humanoid figures. One of them held a stick or a pipe or a... I couldn't make It out.

Clunk!

What were they doing? Who were they? Was that an...axe?

'Hey!' Was all I could call out, hoping my voice would startle them. It did. I moved from the railing, grabbed my lantern and made my way down the staircase. The rush of adrenaline made me all but forget my sense of dread this high up. I moved faster and faster, grabbing the railing as I fast stepped down like I had so many times before at my mother and father's house on Christmas morning. But this, this was no Christmas morning. I came to the bottom with a loud bark of a shout and held out my lantern.

Nothing.

The still night air slowly choked out my confidence and as my bravado faded, I felt a sense of dread creeping over me. Had it even happened? Were they even real? I walked around the base of the tower and stopped when I saw three large chunks of wood missing from the side of one of the wooden beams. At the base of the tower, leaning against the same leg was a rusty but sturdy looking wood splitting axe. I picked it up and brought it back up the tower with me.

Nobody was stupid enough to try and chop down state property, were they? Irregardless and I do so love that word, I marched up the tower and brought the axe into the living space with me.

I moved quickly to the radio and once again called for help. 'Mayday mayday' I called out, my voice reverberating in the living area. 'I am being attacked by three or four or more unknown individuals. Send help immediately! My coordinates are...'

What happened next caused my stomach to sink and my entire body fell numb. The power to the cabin and subsequently to the main radio, went dead. I no longer heard any aerial static and I no longer felt any sense of safety in the cabin.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

I could hear multiple sets of footsteps hurrying their way up to the top of the watchtower. I moved with a renewed vigor, locking the door to the living quarters and quickly turning out any lights in the room. I made for the bed, grabbed a dark colored blanket and threw it over myself. I rushed into the farthest corner, the darkest corner of the room and sat down in the shadows, praying they wouldn't find me. I lowered my head and listened to the multiple sets of footsteps as they smattered their way up the skeletonized steel structure and found myself breathing heavier and heavier the louder they grew.

I knew, if they broke in now, they'd find me in an instant. I steadied myself, calmed my nerves and eventually convinced myself everything would be fine. Slowly I raised my head under the blanket and looked at the windows surrounding my the cabin. Nothing. I lowered my head once again and closed my eyes praying they'd never find me.

Clang! Clang! Clang!