Chapter Text
Fall in the Catskills is always a refreshing and vibrant time of year. The colors of autumn paint trees in a cascade of orange and red hues and the crisp fall air provides relief from the hot and humid days of the preceding summer season. I would not use the term “magical”, simply to avoid sounding like the pretentious leaf peepers that invade from the City on an annual basis, but if you have been out in the woods during that time of year then you know it is an experience unlike anything else.
It was on one of those perfect fall days that I met… her. Our connection was purely by chance, some insane cosmic coincidence; it could have been literally anyone else hiking on that part of the mountain that day being in the right spot at the right time. And yet it was I who came across the strange young woman perched on the rocky overlook, crying as she peered out into the distance and looking for answers. It would be from a coffee cup of all things that I learned this woman’s name was Loona, and she was far different than any woman I or anyone else on this Earth has ever met.
On nice days after work, I often enjoy hiking up one of the smaller local mountains. It is out of the way enough so that mostly only locals know about it, yet close enough that it didn’t take long to drive there. The trailhead offered plentiful parking off a paved road and the trail itself was regularly well-maintained. Not having to pay for a gym membership or deal with people at the gym was the major selling point, providing me a pleasant way to stay in shape and enjoy the scenery in the nicer weather.
It was a Friday during late October, and I had just pulled into the trailhead parking area with my small SUV. As I exited my vehicle I took a deep inhale of the autumn air. A pleasant mix of cool, crisp, and almost smokey air graced my senses, along with a hint of mulch and dead leaves. The heat of summer was totally gone by now, with most mornings seeing frost on the ground, and during dawn and dusk you could just start to make out your breath in the air in front of you.
I walked around to the back door of my car and grabbed my small hiking pack. It was not meant for a lengthy journey and only held a couple of bottles of water, tick spray, and some granola bars in the event I got snacky during my trek. Closing the rear door and hitting the lock button on my key fob, I hooked my keys to my belt loop. While not exactly as wild as the Adirondacks to the north, the Catskills still had plenty of wildlife and the jingle of the keys was a good way to alert not only other hikers to your presence but to keep bears and potential predatory creatures at bay.
Looking up at the trail from the parking area, I took a moment to scan the woods and the scenery before being enveloped by it. Most of the leaves were either starting to drop or had already shed, and you could hear squirrels and other animals skittering across the dead foliage on the forest floor. I frowned for a moment at the thought of the gray “blahs” of winter being not far away, then proceeded to make my way onto the trail.
The hike became more and more quiet the further along I went. There were no other cars in the lot, and even the wildlife became eerily still aside from the occasional chipmunk running into a tree and bird chirping overhead. There was a slight breeze blowing through the remaining leaves in the trees, they themselves quietly creaking and swaying gently in the wind.
After an hour, I reached the overlook at the summit and sat down on a taller rock to catch my breath and survey the world around me. The sun was just starting to set, taking with it the blue sky and scattered white clouds as day transitioned into dusk. Basking in the golden glow of the receding sunlight, I pulled out a bottle of water and took a sip. By now the water was room temperature, but I didn’t mind; up here in peace, the only thing to remind me of civilization was the low drone of a prop plane passing nearby.
‘Surprising,’ I thought, ‘that no one else would be up here on such a pleasant evening.’
I took another swig of my water and screwed the cap back down before starting the return hike. It was going to get dark soon if I wasn’t mindful of my timing, and I did not want to hike down the steeper parts of the trail with only the flashlight of a cellphone to guide me. As I began my journey back down the mountain, something strange caught my ear…