The Invisible Trail by Roy Klipping Chapter 14

 

Chapter 14 

Everything went dark and I couldn't breathe. I wasn't sure what was happening though it so was dark.  I stepped forward again and when I did, I was relieved to see trees and the sky. The sun was shining, and I could feel warmth. It was if summer had come.  I stood there looking all around me and as I looked back to where I had just come from the same blurriness was there.  I reached out my hand to feel the area.  I wanted to see if whatever it was, acted in the same way. Was my hand going to disappear again or what?  As my hand was about to touch the area, my eyes caught something on my finger. I pulled my hand back and looked closer. It was a ring placed on my left ring finger. With disbelief as to what I was seeing, I started to try and take it off, but it wasn't budging. I noticed under the ring I had a tan line. What the heck was going on here?  That's when I noticed something else, my hand didn't look the same.  It seemed thicker and more older looking.  I shook my head and then looked closer at both my hands. They were the same. As I was looking at my hands, something else caught my eye. My clothes were not the same! Neither were my boots! Slightly panicky, well more than slightly, I started to examine everything. My pants, the shirt, everything.  I wasn't sure what was happening here.  I reached up and felt my face.  I could feel what felt like a beard. Good God I thought, what has happened.  Did I walk through some kind of time hole or something? I looked down at my clothes again and noticed I was wearing a knife tied on to my waist with a leather looking cord.  I could see something in my pocket, so I reached in and pulled it out. As I did, I was taken back even more.  It was the compass or at least it looked like the same one I had dug out of the satchel.  I checked the other pocket and felt something in there as well. It felt strange to me as my hand touched it. My mind went to a place that made me feel so at ease, and as I pulled it out of my pocket, my motions slowed and again I felt like I knew where it came from. It was the locket of hair that was also in the satchel. 

The Invisible Trail by Roy Klipping Chapter 13

 

Chapter 13

I wasn't sure what to do next.  If I could guess I would say it is about eleven p.m., but for that to be that time of day I must have laid there knocked out for twelve or thirteen hours.  I was so lost right now but I knew I had to calm myself down because I didn't want to drive myself crazy and do something without thinking it through entirely. Guess I should have thought about that before I climbed the tree.  The fire was dwindling down so I got back up and looked around for some bigger branches.  After I gathered up a few and tossed them on the fire I started to feel my body settling down, finally getting warm again. The fire lit up the area good, so I took a good look around. I walked up to the lakes edge where the trails split. I looked to the right down the trail then looked to the left down that trail. As I did, I noticed that same kind of blurriness like before, kind of like when you look across a fire and see the heat waves. I looked back to the other trail and it was clear. I thought to myself what now? Am I seeing the same thing as I saw last night? or whenever that was because to be honest, I didn't even really know what time it was or what day it was anymore.  I squinted my eyes and focused on the trail and without thought, which I said I wasn't going to do, and stepped down the trail toward the blurry part. I could almost hear something, like a quiet humming sound and curious I went closer until I felt I was right by it.  I stood there a little while then turned back and looked over at the fire. Nothing seemed weird there, so I turned back, then like before I slowly reached my hand toward the blurry area.  As soon as my hand touched it my hand disappeared again. I jumped back and looked down at my hand and then back up at the blurry area. I was scared but I wanted to see what it was.  I slowly reached out my hand again and as it disappeared this time I didn't jump back. Nothing felt wrong so I stepped forward into the haze, and as I did…….

The Invisible Trail by Roy Klipping Chapter 12

 

Chapter 12 

Thinking I would be able to see some kind of sign that someone was around, I slowly looked along the edge of the water but there just wasn't anything that I could see that stuck out. I wrapped my leg around the tree then dug out the map and opened it up. I looked at the shape of the lake on the map, then looked at the lake or pond in front of me and from up here I could really see that this wasn't at all the lake on the map.  I started to fold the map up and put it in my pocket when the branch I was standing on snapped. The next thing I knew I was waking up next to the base of the big pine tree. As my eyes opened I wasn't sure what was happening or what had happened.  I tried to focus but I couldn't see.  I sat up and leaned against the tree.  I felt my legs and body to see if I had anything wrong but everything seemed fine. As I looked up it was totally dark outside.  I must have knocked myself out when I fell out of the tree.  I sat there for a few minutes trying to go through things in my head then I stood up.  I felt a little dizzy but other than that I think I was okay. Thank God I didn't break my leg or arm.  I squinted my eyes to try and see where my backpack was. I remembered I had just placed it by the edge of the lake on the trail, which was only twenty feet away from the big pine I had climbed.  I walked about eight steps and could see the dark silhouette of my pack. Relieved I grabbed it and then just stood there not really knowing what to do. My body shivered and I felt the cool air of the night all around me.  I couldn't stop shaking and I thought the last thing I want is to get hyperthermia so I figured I better make a fire quick.  I set my pack down and felt around inside for matches.  I always have them in a small Mason jar, but then I remembered I had left then in my glove box in my truck.  Frustrated at myself I knew I had to get a fire going, and soon. While I was digging in my pack I felt the stones.  I hated to but I need to get a fire going so I reached back in my pack and found the stones. It was dark but not black dark now. I guess my eyes must have adjusted some since I had come to.  I grabbed my shovel and cleared a spot down to the dirt, dug a hole, then felt around for some grass and twigs. I placed the flint on the ground just under the grass and took the smaller stone and hit the flint.  The entire area lit up with the same bluish color and then there was a wave of such force that I felt it push against my body almost sending me flying again like the last time.  This time I didn't care because I was so cold I needed to get a fire going and thankfully it worked again. There was a small flame so I blew on it for a few minutes until there was a good fire going, then dug around and found some bigger branches and broke them up and placed them on the fire.  I looked up and the sky and area around me was flashing those same colors.  I sat back against my back pack and just watched it for a few minutes while the fire started to warm my body, then got up and pulled my tent out and set it up. I looked down at my wrist.  I wanted to check the time because I hadn't had a clue as to what time of day it was but my watch was gone.  I reached over with my right hand and grabbed my wrist checking to see if there was a rub mark or something, maybe when I fell out of the tree it hooked a branch and got ripped off my wrist. I looked around the area I was standing with no luck, then I looked over at the big pine.  I could see it with the reflection of the fire so I grabbed a burning limb and made my way over by the tree.  I looked for what seemed like twenty minutes with no luck. Frustrated I went back to the tent and knelt down next to the fire.

The Invisible Trail by Roy Klipping Chapter 11

 Chapter 11 

I stood up and looked at my surroundings.  I could hear the river off to the side of me, but I couldn't see it. Maybe if I walked over and tried to match up what it looked like to what it was on the map, I could figure out exactly where I was. I grabbed my backpack and then turned toward the sound of the river.  I went a few hundred feet and could start seeing glimpses of it through the trees. I kept looking back because I didn't want to lose where the trail was.  I stopped and set my pack down and grabbed a t-shirt, then walked back about halfway to the trail and tied it around a branch, then went back to my pack and grabbed another one and tied it to another branch. I shook my head thinking that it was a good thing I thought of this so at least I had something to see when I went back to the trail. I grabbed my pack and after a few more feet I was at the river’s edge.  It was a smaller river, maybe twenty feet across it and only a few feet deep.  This part was slow and made its way ahead with a large curve that went just about at a ninety-degree angle. I held up the map and followed along with my finger until I found a spot that seemed similar to what I was seeing ahead of me. Looking over to the remainder of the trail I could see I was close to where it would dump into the lake.  Feeling pretty good about where I thought I was made me feel a little better.  I turned back into the woods and headed toward the first flag or tee shirt I put in the tree.   I got to the first one, but my eyes were fixed on where my other tee-shirt was hanging. For a second, I started to get a lump in my throat because I didn't see it right away but thank God my eyes caught it hanging about a hundred feet away.  Quickly I made my way there and untied it and then stuffed them both back into my backpack.  I knew the trail was just ahead maybe another hundred feet or so and although not knowing what else to do other than get to the trail and start following it until I got to the lake, I figured for sure someone would be there and hopefully tell me or show me how to get back on the trail again so I could get back to my truck.  I chuckled inside thinking poor Helen is probably missing me by now. 

I finally found the trail. I looked around and then it dawned on me. The trail, for some reason seemed smaller. I could clearly see a trail ahead but at my feet and behind me there was no trail, nothing at all.  It was as if the trail started right where I stood.  I was starting to really get shook up now but knew I needed to get going so I could get to the lake hoping and praying someone would be there, maybe fishing or camping. I started to hike faster now almost a brisk walk or run. After another few miles or so I could see the trees open and then I could see the lake.  I was so relieved I made it to a point on the map that I knew where I was. I stood there and panned the edge of the lake for anyone possibly fishing but I couldn't see anyone.  It was actually a trail that split. One went west and the other east.  I took off my pack and grabbed the map again, but as I looked at it there were no trails at all on it now.  I just about dropped it in disbelief. What the heck was going on? Why were the hiking trails vanishing, or better yet, how the heck could they vanish off a map I bought at a gas station? I never got it wet so it's not like the ink could have ran or smeared. I held it up and looked at the lake on it, then I looked at the lake in front of me. Something seemed different. The lake on the map was clearly a large lake but the one in front of me seemed more like a big pond or real small lake. I noticed off to the west of me a very large white pine tree and made my way over to it.  I put my pack down then folded up the map and put it in my pocket. I wanted to climb the tree and see if I could see anything from up there.  As I made my way up as high as I could go I looked out and I was so……..

The Invisible Trail by Roy Klipping Chapter 10

 Chapter 10 

It seemed like hours had passed. I finally closed my eyes and fell asleep. I'm not sure how long I slept, but as I opened my eyes, I could see from the light through the tent that it was morning.  I laid there for a few minutes thinking about what had happened the night before, then I unzipped my tent and made my way outside. I glanced all around the area, then looked down at the fire.  There were only a few coals left. I didn't want to put anymore wood on them because I wanted to head up the trail and find the lake, then head back down so I could still get up to the Beaver bay trail by the afternoon. As I started packing everything up, I couldn't help thinking again of the weird things that had happened last night.  I shook my head and tried to play it off as just me over thinking things. Well, it wasn't long, and I had everything packed up. I took my shovel and buried the fire pit and made sure all the coals were put out, then tied my shovel back on my pack and threw it on my shoulders.  I started to head back to the trail. I was happy everything seemed to be better this morning. The fog or haze that was near the trail was gone and it looked to be a good start to my day. I had made it several miles when I started noticing footprints in the trail.  They almost looked like someone had been wearing socks or maybe sandals. I stopped and bent down to look closer, puzzled as to why someone would be hiking a trail in sandals or whatever that smooth print was.  Strange… As I stood back up, for some reason I looked back at the trail behind me. Just a quick glance, then turned back and started heading up the trail again. I didn't make it two steps when it dawned on me something was off.  I turned back around and looked at the trail again, but this time I really looked. I wasn't sure what I was looking at. It was as if there wasn't a trail further than fifty feet behind me.  I turned and walked back down the trail thinking maybe this part of the trail and how the morning light made it look like it was grown over made it look that way, but the further I got the more overgrown the trail seem to be. Bewildered at what I was seeing, I turned back and looked at the trail and that seemed fine. Again, I looked back and then walked another fifty feet or so. I stopped and looked down at the ground to look for tracks, but there was none. No trail at all. It looked as if the trail wasn't even there.  Again, I looked back at the trail ahead and I could clearly see it was there, so I quickly ran back up to it and then just stood there.  I kept looking back and then forward again. Had I somehow gotten off onto another trail without knowing? I mean maybe I wasn't paying attention because I was thinking of what happened last night. I thought for a minute then I remembered the map I had bought at the station on the drive over here, I took off my pack and set it on the ground, then opened it up and dug out the trail map.  I wanted to see if maybe there was another trail running next to the other one. I knelt and opened the map. I looked closely but something was strange.  I couldn't find where the trail started. The river was on the map and I followed it from where I thought I had started. As I followed it, I noticed the trail was marked again.  I studied it and I started to realize that on the map where the trail is marked it is close to where I am now, and the trail leads further up, then shows it ends at the Lakes edge, but everything behind has disappeared.

The Invisible Trail by Roy Klipping Chapter 9

 

Chapter 9

Then from the light of the fire I could see what looked like two people. Relieved it wasn't a bear I hollered out, “Hello there!”, but they just kept walking. I stood up and walked closer in the direction they were and again called out, “Hello there!”. Again, they didn't respond or even slow down.  Puzzled I stepped closer, trying to maybe catch their eye but they didn't seem to even look my way. I thought it was strange they wouldn't have come over especially with me having a fire. I walked over closer to the trails edge and as I watched them walking away, I noticed something strange. They looked blurry to me kind of like when you look at something over an open flame, that kind of wavy look. It seemed like it was right in front of me as if I could touch it. Again, I was puzzled not knowing what to think. Maybe I got smoke in my eyes earlier but dismissed the thought because I had just been reading the maps and papers and they weren't blurry.  I looked back toward the fire and everything looked fine. Then I looked back toward the trail and it was blurry. I was thinking maybe it was fog from the temperature dropping but it still was weird. I was right at the edge of the trail and this had me really feeling uneasy. First the whole flash of bluish light and the explosion or whatever that was, then the two people that totally ignored me, and now this blurriness that seemed to be right in front of me. I reached out my hand and slowly tried to feel if it was a foggy mist. When I put my hand forward, I totally freaked myself out.  My hand seemed to disappear in front of me.  I quickly pulled my hand back and jumped back, then half stumbled over to my tent and fire. I just kept looking in that direction trying to tell myself it was only a thick fog, but then I started to really think about what I had just seen. If it were fog, then how could I see the trail and the two people walking past.  I stood there for a few minutes then sat down on the log, my eyes fixated on the trails edge and whatever that blurry stuff was.  I wanted to crawl in my tent and try to go to sleep. Maybe by morning everything would settle down and it was just me jumping to conclusions.  I looked all around me then I noticed the stones.  I reached down and slowly touched one. They weren't hot or anything, so I grabbed them both and placed them in the satchel along with the papers, then tied it shut and placed it next to my tent. I must have sat there for another couple hours when I decided everything would be okay once morning came. I took one more look around and then threw on a few more pieces of wood on the fire, climbed into my tent and zipped it shut. I was sure this was going to be the longest night of my life,

The Invisible Trail by Roy Klipping Chapter 8

 

Chapter 8

I sat back on the log, still half dazed, and bewildered as to what had just happened.  I tried to gather my thoughts as to what to make of it.  I replayed what happened in my mind wondering what caused such an explosion or wave of energy. Why did the sky and the whole area turn a bluish color? I thought for a few minutes then looked down at the stones not knowing if I should pick them up or just leave them there. As I was looking around my surroundings my eyes fixed on the papers that I just realized I hadn't even looked at.  I reached down and picked them up, then laid them on my lap and unfolded them. The first thing I noticed was what looked like some sort of handmade drawing. The closer I looked, the more I could absolutely tell it was a map. It had some writing on the very top of the page, but it was getting darker by the minutes so I couldn't quite tell what it said. I crept closer to the fire almost putting my back to it so the light of the fire would give me as much light as possible. It said (carry me well and travel safe, I will be here when you find your way). And that was it.  Puzzled, I guess I just thought someone wrote that for whoever had the map. I noticed there were many scribblings all throughout the page. One part said (first stop), and another said (4 days in). There was also what looked like possibly a river drawn in, because it made its way the length of the page. At the top it looked like there was a lake or pond where the line stopped at. Then I noticed another smaller line that ran along the bigger line and there were several places where there were a slash running through it. Anyway, as I placed this paper down between the other pieces of paper, I saw something.  I picked it up and looked closer. I believe it was a lock of hair. In the light of the fire, it was hard to tell, but it looked the color of Amber. It was about six inches long and maybe there were thirty strands tied together with a small black thread, or maybe it was yard. As I examined it I started to imagine who it belonged to. I carefully laid it down on the paper that I think is a map and then looked down at the one the lock of hair was on. It was just a blank paper thicker than what I have ever seen. It had a tinge of yellow for color.  I looked through the next couple papers and it looked like it was just some scribbling and some numbers here and there.  The next paper though was something else. This one I could see was a handwritten letter in a woman's handwriting. Excited to see what it said, I laid all the other papers down and knelt next to the fire. As I was about to read it, I heard footsteps.  I laid the letter down on my lap and looked up and over to where I heard them.  They were getting closer.  At this point I wasn't sure what it was, maybe a bear or deer.  I stayed quiet and kept listening,