Ghost Stories : Never Before

The sun was just setting as they came into the campsite, the sky aglow with rich pastels, gradually fading into the incoming darkness. They made better time than previously expected, reaching down, she could feel that Syg was a bit warm, deservingly so since they had just ridden up half of a mountain. He had been sweating earlier but a stop at a stream and some water splashed on him certainly helped. Swinging down, she immediately turned to start removing things from her pack. Just as she set the first two back down, she looked around the clearing. The town was fairly small, mostly ranchers, hunters, and trappers. Occasionally some random visitors blew through but they were a community where you knew your neighbors, you called them by name and knew their families. She was certain almost everyone had heard of the stories of these mountains, and just as surely so, they had to have heard the local rumors of the growing noise. Perhaps though, people had settled in different camps or taken different routes. She wasn't quite sure, but as she straightened back up she pushed those thoughts to the back of her mind. Obviously, it couldn't be too big of a deal, she was out here several days after she heard the talk about the noise, it was easy to believe she was simply a straggler, a late starter and that those who were determined to discover the source of the sound were much further ahead of her. Easily rationalizing away what she noticed, she turned back to Syg. Stripping him of the gear she'd brought and pulling the saddle from his back, switching him over to a halter.

Before even thinking about getting her own camp set up she went ahead and grabbed the tie string from her bags, finding a few trees to loop it around as she built a two string little mini-corral for Syg for the night. It was a decently grassy patch and she was sure he'd prefer to just lay down instead of attempt to free himself. The entire ride up, even as it started getting dark the gelding was living up to her new expectation of him to be relaxed. He seemed so unbothered by the world around them as they mozied their way up the trail. Giving him one last pat and sneaking him the rest of her apple, she was thankful she'd managed to convince her father to keep him. He knew work ethic and with his brain, he was simply outstanding. There were already people looking to breed to him on the simple grounds of how pretty he was yet, it nice to know he was actually a good horse. Her little trail rides and rides on the farm had taught both of them quite a bit but now she was really seeing the full range of what a gentlemen he could be. Grabbing the canvas from one of the larger bags she got some more rope and set to work suspending it up between some trees near Syg's pen. She wasn't sure she'd really need the cover for tonight, it was truly beautiful, not a cloud in the sky, the moon was full and ample, easily it would provide perfect light. Through the watercolored sky, just where the darkness was beginning to come overhead she could start to make out a faint star. If nothing else, this night would be a lovely night for camping.

Sitting by the fire a little while later, she was planning her route for tomorrow, wanting to know the best way up to where the sound was said to have come from. She wanted, shortest, effective, and safe. Even if a trail wasn't the shortest, if it was the safest bet, she wanted to go ahead and take it. Out of nowhere, as her finger traced the route of a trail came the blood-curdling cry. She jumped, emitting a high pitched yelp, her head could only spin to watch as Syg jumped as well, turning in a circle, ears rotating about as even he struggled to locate the source. It echoed away from them, deep into the valley. Jumping up she walked over to Syg, "Easy handsome man, Syg, easy." She spoke calmly though her voice shook just a bit. Slipping between the ropes she approached him with a stretched out hand, watching him as he warily watched her with twitching ears and the whites of his eye showing. "I know buddy, it scared me too. But it could be miles from here, I'm sure of it. Look, this trail is really well ridden. I'm sure nothing big or scary would stay around here." She tried talking down the big animal as if it actually understood what she was saying. She just hoped her continue to ramble on in a calm manner would not only calm him but herself.

Seemingly, it took much longer than expected to get him to calm down, actually having to take him out and walk him about the campsite before he returned to his placid self. Never in her life had she heard that noise before, absolutely terrifying, she began to wonder if she was in over her head. Then it occurred to her once more, she had yet to see anyone else on her way up here. Perhaps there were signs of life that she just missed? Or perhaps they heard exactly what she just did and decided to tuck tail and run. Grabbing a stick from the fire and adjusting her headlamp she began to poke around the campsite some more. There were certainly people here recently, there were places where the earth was still newly disturbed and with a fresh pile of ash sitting in another one of the firepits she was slightly relieved to know that someone had been through here lately. Though, she did not try to ignore the fact that a sudden rush of humans up the mountain could easily be pushing this beast about the woods. Someone coming through here yesterday meant that the animal could have been pushed closer to this campsite today. That would mean it was afraid of humans, right? If it was moving around trying to avoid being near them. It sounded like good sense, but at the same time, she knew there was only a split hair difference between fearful and fatal. A terrified animal could easily decide it was a better time to defend itself out of that fear then keep trying to run. Biting her lip, she adjusted her tent, propping it up so that one side was completely lifted like and L with the long leg being the one which extended to the ground, the short one opening up fully to Syg who looked as if he might contemplate laying down though, still too nervous from the sound to do so. In one final attempt to keep her mind at ease, she dug through the day bag to find the revolver and the knife. Tucking them both close to her bedroll in the tent, at first they were meant only as a precaution, now, they were intended to help her feel safe.