I See You

CHAPTER 10 - Old Hobbies and New Traditions

"Put it that way," she said with a timid smile.

'I know this trail. It's two miles in to the north viewpoint and a half mile more to the south viewpoint. Then back. Four to five miles total. There's 2,000 feet in elevation gain, but you're in great shape. And I promise the views are worth it.'

"Two-thousand feet!" Emma protested. "I'm not a mountain climber."

Wyatt laughed and opened his door, letting in a blast of cold air. Emma promptly pulled the new beanie over her head and shoved her hands inside her trusty gloves. She wasn't about to sit in the car alone in the middle of nowhere, so she jumped out and found Wyatt digging in the back. He handed her a small backpack that she had never seen before and slung a larger one over his own shoulders before sliding a pair of black aviator sunglasses on. Now, his disguise was complete.

"Between winter and the great outdoors, I can almost pass for a real boy."

Emma shrieked, jumping a foot in the air at the shocking, computerized voice. "What the devil was that?"

"I found the text to voice setting. Now, it's like talking to you."

"So much for silence," she grumbled, too startled by the strange robotic voice to appreciate that the tablet gave Wyatt a way to actually talk.

"Ha, ha, ha," the speaker squawked.

"Nope. I draw the line there. No robot laughing."

If only she could hear the guffaws coming from the real Wyatt as he took in her overwhelming discomfort and unusual irritability. Seemed throwing his little bird into new situations brought out her attitude.

"Come on, grumpy. Let's go explore."

"Yippee," she muttered, falling into step behind him.

After twenty minutes or so, Emma started to relax, finding she actually enjoyed the rhythmic crunch of her shoes on rock and ice. Wyatt was wrong. It wasn't silent, but it was quiet. Sounds were everywhere, wind rustling through creaky treetops, things she didn't want to think about scuttling in the brush, the occasional bird song. It was a peaceful symphony made even better by the magical surroundings. Her fear dissipated with every step as she fell in love with the forest around her.

"There's water in your pack if you get thirsty," the odd A.I. voice informed her some time later.

"Thanks." Emma flipped the backpack around and undid the zipper. Inside, she was shocked to find all kinds of stuff. Sunscreen, a headlamp, matches, a multi-tool that appeared to have a decent sized knife, a couple protein bars, a small first aid kit. "Dear God, does that say bear spray? Wyatt? Wyatt!"

He stopped and turned to see Emma holding out the red spray can like it might grow teeth and bite her, and he did his best to keep his shoulders still as he laughed and typed a placating response.

"Worst case scenario, little bird. That pack is about precaution, not inevitability."

"And what's the probability?" she enunciated, trying to swallow back her panic.

"It's highly unlikely. Especially during the winter. If by some odd chance you see one, don't run, just slowly back away. Bears don't like noise, so making a lot of it will usually deter them."

"Right," she drawled. "See a bear and don't run. Got it. Maybe we should make a lot of noise now?"

"Not necessary. But next time, we can put a bell on your pack. That is usually sufficient enough to keep them away."

"You're telling me a bear is afraid of a bell? Are we talking Liberty Bell here?"

There was no more controlling his laughter as he typed another response. Her face was comedic gold right now, and he longed to hug those nerves right out of her.