The Camper

The sun ducked into its secret hiding place, drawing a cloak of darkness over the jagged mountains. Ziad was aiming to be at the campsite way before sunset. The short cut he took turned out to be a path that drew him deeper inside the mountains. A dull thud made him switch on his high beam. The path strewn with rocks came alive with shadows. Despite the ground clearance of his 4x4, Ziad was getting a bit nervous. He had made the cardinal mistake of going off-roading all by himself. He mentally cursed himself. But it’s becoming increasingly hard to find people to head out on impromptu trips. And he had just gone through a rough week. A long-term relationship finally sputtered to an end. Layla had drawn a sad smiley on a Post-It, stuck it on her set of keys, and left it on the dining table. Both of them knew it was over a long time ago. But the heart, more often than not, doesn’t heed the advice of the head. His new MD then decided to make an example of him at their mid-week sales meeting. He was given an ultimatum over his languishing sales figures. To further lend credence to the fact that bad things happen in threes, the week ended with him losing a key client to their archrival. Yes, a rough week is the right description. And the last thing he needed was some company on a road trip to the mountains. When he was much younger and full of optimism, a night under the stars was the perfect time to shape future dreams. Now, it serves as a healing aid.

Ziad realized he was completely lost when the road became rougher and then discarded all pretensions of being one. As he maneuvered around a rock, a flickering campfire came into sight. A wave of relief washed over him. And despite his earlier reluctance for company of any sort, he was glad at the prospect of meeting somebody. As he parked his Jeep, he could make out a couple huddled around the fire. Ziad switched off the ignition, and soaked in the stillness of the surroundings. He grabbed his backpack and walked towards them. Suddenly feeling very hungry, he hoped the couple had something to eat. Lunch was a hurried, and light affair, at a gas station. He had packed one sandwich. But seeing the fire, he was suddenly in the mood for something freshly grilled. He hoped the couple had some water. All he had was one small bottle of water. Ziad grinned to himself. Known among his friends as a camper extraordinaire, he seemed to be making one rookie mistake after another. As he walked towards the couple, he mentally tossed around the anecdotes that have always served him well while breaking the ice with strangers. He switched on his best salesman smile, full of friendly intentions. Within a few strides, he reached the campfire to a perplexing sight. Instead of the place where the couple should be, there was only a log of wood. Before he could register anything, the fire hissed and went out.

Suddenly it was pitch dark. It was when he heard something whisper softly next to his ears that he started screaming. Thing about being lost deep inside the mountains is that there's nobody to hear your screams.