The Curse of Introspection (Chapter 8)

Two and a half hours in Ansel’s extended cab passed in no time. Listening to some great music and a short intermission for Pearl to relieve herself, they made it to Acadia State Park by 11 AM. That’s even after weathering nearly gridlocked summer traffic from Ellsworth to Mount Desert Island.

When the truck was parked, the four of them bailed out of the cab. Ansel folded open the tonneau cover over the bed of the vehicle, grabbed his backpack, and then replaced the cover. He slung the pack over his shoulders, then fastened the clip across his chest followed by the clasp around his waist.

Elizabeth took note and thought “wow, how dorky.” She couldn't help but find it a little charming, though.

The women didn’t have backpacks. In fact, they didn’t have anything they’d need to survive a modest hike without getting a sunburn. As they made for the trailhead, Ansel was already spreading some high UV-rated sunblock over his arms, neck, and face. He offered the bottle to the women and they happily obliged.

“Could you help me cover my neck?” Brittany asked Elizabeth. She did.

“Could you help me with my neck, Ansel?” Elizabeth asked, not missing an opportunity for physical contact.

“Sure,” he said. His hands were rough. They were calloused. She had never felt hands like his before. Her mind wandered back to Griffin–who was a programmer. Besides his (what could generously be described as intermediate-level) guitar playing, his hands were soft.

And Rod was… well, Rod. He uses moisturizer for fuck’s sake, she thought to herself.

Ansel was applying sunblock just a little too indelicately and it snapped Elizabeth out of her head. Having Ansel touch the back of her neck suddenly imbued a nervousness in her belly; like a rollercoaster crossed with butterflies. It was yet another intimate moment she instinctively felt the need to remove herself from.

“Thank you,” she uttered hastily, handing him the bottle of sunscreen and taking an unusually large step out of his reach.

Elizabeth hadn’t examined the signage at the trailhead. She was just kind of along for a nice walk. But about an hour into their hike, her legs were getting sore. She looked at her watch and it said they’d climbed a mile already.

“Does this path lead somewhere?” She queried with a bit of a whine.

Ansel pointed through the tree canopy, “the summit.”

Elizabeth unconsciously let out an exasperated breath. Not only did it seem very high up, it also still seemed very far away to her.

“It’s Cadillac Mountain. It’s the tallest mountain on the Atlantic coast,” Ansel offered without losing confidence in his next step.

Elizabeth and Brittany exchanged a concerned look. Ansel noticed.

“I’m sorry! I thought you knew this was a long hike,” he said. Though his delivery said that he didn’t feel it was that long. “It’s only another two-ish miles to the top.”

Brittany was also starting to get sore. “I mean,” she started, looking at Elizabeth, “what do you think?”

It was clear that Ansel was undaunted by the rest of the journey. So, not wanting to disappoint him (and, not to mention, desperately wanting to impress him) Elizabeth half-heartedly replied “I can do another two miles.” She shrugged off her exhaustion and transparently feigned a brightness in her next step.

Brittany was unimpressed.

Ansel read their faces and gleaned they probably weren’t ready to hike the whole mountain. He looked at Pearl, “what do you think, girl?” He knelt down next to her running his hand down her spine. “You're lookin' tired, aren’cha?” he asked his pup. “Besides, if you’re tired now, we’d still have another three and a half miles hiking down the mountain.” Petting her rump, he stood—turning back the way they came.

Brittany shrugged, “I mean, if Pearl is tired…”

“…the last thing I want to do is have to carry her down the mountain,” Ansel joked, disguising his disappointment.

“Ansel! Brit! Wait!” Elizabeth wasn’t sure exactly what she wanted to say, but it just came out “I didn’t come all this way to turn back!”

Ansel and Brittany looked at each other. Ansel was impressed by Elizabeth’s determination. Brit redirected her gaze. Ansel said, “well, if Pearl gets tired, you’re gonna have to carry her.”

Two more hours of hiking passed until they reached the summit. The wind was furious at the top of the mountain and it was nearly deafening. There were few trees around to provide shade and, while the sun was intense, the wind was also incredibly . They were standing on bare rock.

Ansel removed a point-and-shoot digital camera from his pack and took a photo.

“It’s been ages since I’ve been up here,” he said. “Thanks for convincing me to come!” Pearl pushed her snout between his knees and sat in front of him. She seemed to be enjoying the view as her long, lazy ears flapped in the wind.

Elizabeth was exhausted and her knees were shaking. She was trying to put on a brave face and, hey, she had made it all this way. I’ve gotta take in the sights, she said to herself, trying to distract from how exhausted she was. Slowly, everything started sounding distant. The last thing she could make out was Ansel’s booming voice saying “...that’s Bar Harbor. It’s where we adopted ol’ Pearly when I was on leave…”

“Guys?” She asked as her vision went dark. She reached out and grabbed for Ansel as a wash of dizziness got the best of her.

Ansel caught her before she hit the ground. He flashed a concerned look at Brit before laying her down gently. “Ellie?” a concerned and urgent tone in his voice. “Ellie! Are you okay?” Her face was flush. He placed his thumb on her wrist to gauge her pulse. It seemed fast. He leaned down to listen for her breath. It seemed shallow. He noticed her body in a cold sweat, her hands were shaking, her body unsteady.

The first thing she saw as she regained consciousness was Ansel’s bright blue eyes and heavy brow.

Her gaze sharpened upon him, “what happened?” She asked, trying to sit up in an uncoordinated lurch.

Ansel placed his hand on her chest, holding her down. “I was going to ask you the same question!” By now, Brittany and Pearl were also by her side.

“The last thing I remember is being dizzy and my vision went dark,” she absently recalled.

“Here,” Brittany said handing her a water bottle. “Have you been drinking enough water?” A sense of relief in her tone seeing her friend awake.

“Yes. I’ve been drinking water,” she said, punctuating her reply with a sip.

“Has this happened before? Do you have a history of fainting?” Ansel interrogated, the concern still stitched in his forehead.

“I’ve fainted a few times. Mostly involving needles,” her voice regaining its strength.

He removed his rucksack and dug through it, producing a granola bar from the front pocket. “It’s likely low blood sugar,” he said, unwrapping and handing her the treat.

She bit into the bar and it instantly roused color in her face. Observing this, he sat down next to her and grabbed her hand to calm the shaking.

“Mmm…” she moaned. It was the best granola bar she’d ever had. As she regained her wits, she started feeling incredibly embarrassed. Elizabeth sat up enough to prop herself up with her elbows, still reclined to his satisfaction. “I fainted?” She asked, sheepishly.

“Seems like it, yeah,” Ansel replied, still clasping her hand with mild concern in his brow. “How are you feeling?”

“A lot better.”

“I’m just glad you’re okay,” Brittany added, touching her shoulder.

Elizabeth laid back, looking at the sky to avoid any potential judging looks from her companions. “Yeah. I definitely feel better.”

“Good,” Ansel said.

Pearl, who had been sitting on the other side of Ansel, stood and approached Elizabeth. She placed her head on Elizabeth’s stomach. Elizabeth wasn’t expecting this and let out a small flinch. She quickly realized what was happening, though, and relaxed as she placed a hand on Pearl’s head. “Hi, girl!”

This was the first time Pearl had really acknowledged Elizabeth and the moment was not lost on Ansel. He smiled and then laid down. Brittany did the same.

“It’s beautiful up here,” Elizabeth said staring up at a clear blue sky.

“Thanks for insisting we continued the hike,” Ansel said, gazing over at her.

“Yeah, even if I clearly wasn’t up for it!” Elizabeth added, poking fun at herself to ease the tension.

“Wow! I didn’t know you could be self-deprecating,” Brit teased, as the pure cerulean sky filled her field of view.

Elizabeth noticed Ansel’s gaze and turned to meet him. There was an electricity as their eyes met. This time it was clear they both felt it.

About The Author:

B.E. Waites

B.E. Waites is a New England-based author. They're also a gamer and an amateur photographer. When they're not writing, they work in the public health sector.