Grey

Chapter 6

A week had gone by with little communication with either Riel or Grey. Makenna had been doing better, partying like usual and bringing home random Zac Efrons or Channing Tatums. Jack and Allison were all lovey-dovey, still in the honeymoon phase of their relationship. They did everything together, and once again, Jack was in our dorm nearly every day after school. I was hardly ever alone anymore. I had most of my classes with Makenna, and the others I had with either Allison or Jack. My introverted self was getting quite anxious.

And the best relief for my restless soul?

Hiking.

Back in Colorado, my dad and I used to climb mountains all the time. We were addicted to hiking and would spend all summer doing it. We still did that whenever I went back to our little mountain town in the summers. But in rainy northern Washington, hiking required more than just a backpack and hiking boots. So, I had grabbed a lightweight raincoat and headed out into the dense forest that surrounded the campus. It'd been a while since I'd been on the trail, but thanks to my heavy workout regime, I wasn't breathing as hard as I'd expected myself to.

The rain was pattering on the leaves above me, the sound soothing my anxiety. At last, I was alone. I could only handle people for so long before I needed a break. I would lose my sanity if I didn't get some alone time. This was doing just the trick.

The trees around me were huge, bigger than some of the buildings in Seattle. And the color, oh the color. It was such an unearthly shade of green, it made you wonder how they remained so bright. Trees weren't naturally this green,, at least not in Colorado. There, they were all pine or aspen trees. The pine trees forever remained the pastel dark green, while the aspens would change color too quickly to be appreciated. These trees seemed a good mix, forever a beautiful, vibrant green.

The trail, also unlike the ones in Colorado, was soggy and composed of mainly what appeared to be wood chips and dirt. The ones in Colorado were dusty and grey. Here, even the ground seemed alive. This trail was softer underneath my feet, while the Colorado trails were rocks and stones, easy to roll your ankle. This trail, I felt like you could probably sleep on. Not that I would- but if I had to, I mean, I could.

Totally absorbed in my own thoughts, I hadn't really realized when I'd reached my destination- a little outcropping by the sea. A small rock beach in the shape of a half-moon suddenly appeared between the massive tree trunks. There was no one else here. Refreshing. It was a dewy 50 degrees outside, and I could feel a slight breeze coming off the cool ocean waves as they splashed up onto the rocks. The pebbles crunched beneath my feet, each a shade of dark grey and about the size of a quarter. Driftwood logs collected on either side of the bay, waves pushing them up against the large boulders that created this little lagoon. It was so calm, so quiet, I could only hear my breath against the crashing of the waves. There was a faint cry of a seagull and I looked up. I didn't see one, but I did notice the darkening sky above me. Unfortunately, this would mean I likely had to turn around. I didn't want to, though. I had finally found peace and quiet. I had finally found some solitude.

Five more minutes wouldn't hurt.

I sat down on one of the boulders, leaning back on my hands and breathing in the cool sea air. It was fresh and rejuvenating, like a cup of coffee. I remained like this for a few minutes, until I heard the pitter-patter of larger raindrops falling against the pebbles on the beach. With a heaving sigh, I pulled myself up off of the boulder and brushed my hands on my hiking pants. I hopped down from the boulder and onto the beach with ease, the pebbles again crunching under my feet as I made my way back up to the path.

The trees did a pretty good job at shielding me from the downpour, being that the foliage above me was so dense. I got a few raindrops here and there, but nothing my hood couldn't handle. The smell of rain wafting off of the earth was so fragrant and sweet, it was intoxicating. Leave it to me to become addicted to the smell of a forest during a rainstorm.