Maroon

I woke up without opening my eyes, listening to the sounds of the birds that sang every morning like clockwork. Some days it annoyed me, today I was grateful for the sound of them waking me up, reminding me that I needed to get up and catch a new meal for the day. For 5 days I have been stuck in the thick vast woods of Alaska, in the snow, with only the gear I brought with me when I left home, when I last seen my wife Sheena. She had warned me a storm was coming, I reassured her I would be back the next day, that the storm would miss me and I'd be back before dinner. This was not a first time thing with me, camping was my hobby and I camped in all kinds of weather, it was one of the reasons had fallen in love with me. I loved sitting across from her looking into her pretty brown face and buying her drink after drink, but she had to compromise by coming a long with me various camping trips. At first she was hesitant, but after a few months of tent sex and sunsets she was convinced it was as peaceful as I made it seem. This time she stayed back, she hadn't been feeling well and was lying on the couch when I left, knee deep yarn, knitting her seventh blanket of the year. I was scolded to be back in one piece, so that we could see the new horror movie that came out right before the holidays. I remember how warm she felt when I kissed her forehead, how my thoughts wandered to lustful places when I noticed her long brown legs from under her robe.

I shot my eyes open at the sound of something coming towards my tent, it could be a hare which meant something to eat. Yesterday I ran out of food completely, Spring was approaching and things were warming up which was good because the storm had covered everything in an endless blanket of white that prevented me from finding my way home. While I wasn't a novice when it came to camping, we had only been in Alaska for a few weeks, and this was only my second time camping in these woods, hopefully it wasn't the last. The paper map I had got wet in the storm, so I was stuck here until... I figured it out I guess. I peaked through the clear window of my tent and the sound confirmed my suspicion, a lone hare sat on top of the thick snow, ears up in alert for any sudden sounds. I had no idea how I would unzip this tent without scaring it away, but who know's when I'll see another one, and ice fishing in the lake nearby hasn't been the most successful. I decided on unzipping the small window instead, taking my time to lead the zipper up quietly while trying to ignore my hunger. I got the window open without alerting the hare, and grabbed my rifle, positioning it directly at the animal, hoping to make a clean shot, sweat forming under the layers I've been wearing to sleep to keep me warm.

CRACK

A dead tree branch breaks from the weight of the snow on it's branches and the hare scurries away at top speed, taking any hopes of breakfast with it. I closed my eyes in frustration, I had grown angry here lost in these woods, a setting that once brought me solace had now imprisoned me in it's vast trees. I was beginning to feel helpless, nothing looked familiar and I was hesitant to start walking in the wrong direction. I had trekked a good while up here, a downloaded audiobook in my ears entertaining me as I climbed further and further away from my car, leaving checkpoints that would have lead me back, checkpoints that would be completely covered in the snow storm leaving me stranded. I know my wife was worried sick, a few times I was woken up by helicopters in the area, knowing that they were searching for me but would not hear or see me through the thick trees. I had no choice but to wait it out and hope that my skills allowed me to live long enough to be found, or for the snow to melt. I scooped up some snow like I had done everyday, melted it in the pile of firewood I built, and let the liquid go warmly down into my stomach to ease the growing hunger pains. I would try again later, for now chopping more firewood sounded like the right thing to do in case something else crossed my path.

2 DAYS LATER

Another dead tree branch fell, this time it landed on my tent while I was checking the fish line, it ripped a hole in my tent and I had no more repair patches, I had only packed one since I was supposed to be home a week ago. Today I finally broke down when I brought up that empty fishing line, I had never felt hunger like this in my life. What a luxury I took for granted being able to walk downstairs to my fridge and grab something to eat, oh how I missed Sheena's home cooked meals, I promised I wouldn't complain about her overuse of sea salt when I got back, if I ever made it back. I wiped my eyes and the snot from my nose huddling closer to the fire imagining all of things I could cook in it, waiting for my second pot of water to boil, sometimes I drank it warm to pretend it was tea. All I could do was sleep, wait, or gather some firewood while I waited, this felt like torture which turned me say silent prayers for the hungry people across the world, that were not in situations like these by choice. I will never camp again if I get out of this. I say to myself as I pour the last bit of water into my tumbler, and sat it in the snow to cool. It was a harsh thought because I loved camping, so I decided I just wouldn't camp again for awhile as I geared up for another nap to fight the hunger, hoping that when I woke up again I could have enough energy to find my way back home, or come across another hare.

The sound of a loud bullhorn jarred me out of my slumber. Hunger pains and sleepiness disgruntled my movements toward my rifle in an attempt to defend myself from the bullhorn sound. I quickly came to when I realized that sound meant humans, and humans meant help and help meant food! I unzipped the tent quickly and ran into the snow, some if it getting into my boots because I hadn't put them on properly.

"MAROOOOONNN" A familiar voice yelled from behind me followed by the another sound of the bullhorn. I turned my body quickly so quickly the water sloshed around in my stomach. I yelled back weakly.

"I'M HERE! I'M OVER HERE!" I began to run toward the sound of her voice until she was revealed, behind one of the trees not too far from where I made camp. I rushed toward her nearly knocking her over, hugging her and crying tears of relief from not only being saved, but to from seeing her brown face under all her gear. I wailed out like a boy who's mother had claimed him from the lost and found, I removed her ski mask to kiss her face and her lips which were cold, probably from searching for me for however long.

"Sheena baby how did you get here? How did you know where to look?" I asked her through tears, gripping the side of her arms.

"I'm pregnant Maroon, that's why I'm sick." Sheena said softly. My eyes were wide in astonishment and my heart leap for joy and I squeezed Sheena hard kissing the top of her head. Sheena stepped back from my grasp to pull something out of her coat pocket, a brown paper bag with a fast food label on it. She handed it to me without saying another word and I devoured the burger, moaning in satisfaction. When I finished I turned to Sheena to tell her to show me the trail back and she pointed down the hill which was now melting and showing a trail.

"Let me grab my stuff." I yelled back to her as I headed toward my tent, it was weirdly zipped up despite me opening it to get out initially. When I finally got the zipper own, I gasped at the sight of a man sleeping in the tent I just got out of, and when I took a closer look I realized that it was me I was looking at.