Chapter Two
Present day- Astoria, Oregon
This was the last of their almond butter. Logan scraped at the bottom of the jar, consolidating all the hard, chunky almond spread that separates from the oils and never tastes quite right. He pressed the knife into a slice of whole wheat bread and attempted to spread it evenly. The clumpy almond butter tore at the bread, destroying it in superb fashion- like if someone used a sledgehammer to perform eye surgery. Logan, exasperated, tossed the bread, nut butter and jar in the trash. Then immediately thought better of it and reached into the trash to recycle the jar properly. Opening a kitchen drawer in defeat, he took out a Snickers and some ketchup packets and placed them in his backpack before zipping it up. “I’m ready to go when you are,” He shouted as he made his way to the front door.
Vanessa descended the stairs donning a backpack with a water bottle in the side pocket, a light yellow-colored rain jacket and a ball cap that read, “Birds get it. You Don’t”. She was holding a medium-sized box as she reached the bottom step and laid it at Logan’s feet near the front door. “I got you something! Open it open it open it open it open it open it”, she repeated as she jumped with excitement. Curious, Logan knelt and opened the box to find a pair of new hiking boots.
“These are the boots you’ve been wanting, right? I saw them at the store for half off and decided to get them. Try them on.”
“I said I thought they looked cool, I didn’t say I wanted them. I already have boots on and I’m ready to go, these aren’t even broken in and we have long hike today in the woods.”
Vanessa grew silent at the sight of her husband’s unwillingness to try on these perfect boots. Her brow furrowed as she crossed her arms and rested a balled-up fist beneath her chin. She played it over in her mind all morning, how ecstatic he’d be- his warm smile and appreciation for her filled her heart with affection. Now, she just stared at the open box filled with black and grey boots.
Letting out a soft breath after a moment of consideration, Logan relented and began undoing his laces.
It was a chilly Autumn morning in coastal Oregon. The air was heavy with a frigid humidity that one can’t see but feel in their bones. It made the body’s muscles work harder- to shut the front door, to check the mail, to pull on a seatbelt. Vanessa and Logan were venturing out in the hopes of finding mushrooms for tonight’s dinner with their friends. They packed light and brought energy bars, cell phones and some vegan hotdogs for lunch. Logan turned the ignition key of their small, tan-colored Camry. Fallen acorns from the neighbor’s oak tree popped beneath the tires as he backed down the driveway and began their journey to the trailhead at Thompson Knob Creek, just over the river.
“Did you bring the almond butter sandwiches? I’m hungry already.”
“No I gave up on those. But I brought ketchup for our lunch.”
The drive through the countryside was pretty- hillsides covered in dense forest of evergreens and gently flowing streams through glens of ferns and rhododendron. The chanterelles mushrooms would be easy picking today. After meandering the winding road along the river, Logan and Vanessa reached a small, gravel parking lot ensconced by thick trees near the trail head. They were one of only a half dozen other cars. Parking in line with the other vehicles, the couple grabbed their bags, got out and began to stretch. They eyeballed the trail before them, which wound its way up a steep climb of dirt and old roots before disappearing in the woods. Grey skies loomed but did nothing to diminish their excitement for a fun day getting lost in nature.
The walk from the parking lot to the trailhead passed a small, unfinished wooden shack before allowing adventures to begin their trek. A general store about the size of a one-bedroom home with a dilapidated veranda was managed by an old man who seemed to eke out an existence in the middle of nowhere by selling odd trinkets and trail food. The couple stepped inside to say hello, not to buy anything but propelled by a subconscious superstition that not visiting would be bad luck. They had always stopped to say hello.
“Good morning to you both! Oh welcome welcome, come in and make yourselves comfortable,” Said the shopkeeper.
“Hiya. We can’t stay long, we’re on our way up the trail but wanted to window shop for a few minutes. How’s business?” asked Vanessa.
“Oh, business is steady. I have trail mix and some homemade sandwiches if you care to take a look.” The shopkeeper approached Vanessa with a sandwich made with dark-colored bread and vegetables which looked enticing. She reeled in surprise and nausea however as he got closer, the stench of fish wafting in the air.
“Smoked cod and veggies. I caught this fish and smoked it myself. I just learned how too, watched a YouTube video about it. let it dry in the sun for days. You wanna take some with you for your hike?”
“Get that away from me before I throw up in your face,” Vanessa thought. All she could do was hold her stomach, speechless.
“I think we’re all good here. Next time though for sure!” Logan lied as he placed a hand on her back to help her out the front door.
“You betcha, more for me. Nomnomnomnom…” the shopkeeper trailed off as he turned to mind the store and sink back into his stool.
“I hate the smell of fish so much.”
“I know, but the guy doesn’t have anybody to talk to. He’s just being friendly. Gotta be lonely living up here by himself selling shit sandwiches no one wants to buy. Anyway, Old Herbert is a nice dude.” Logan and Vanessa stepped down from the store and walked the few yards to the start of the trail.
“His name is Herbert? I didn’t know that.”
“Uh, you told me his name was Herbert.,” Logan eyed his wife skeptically.
“What? No, this is the first I’m hearing his name.”
In this moment both decided their partner was either lying, had forgotten, or maybe dreamt a fictitious name. in any case they each silently thought it wasn’t worth pressing. Besides, Herbert seemed to fit well. Herbert the shopkeeper.
Logan grabbed a sign post with one hand to steady himself and quietly tamped the toes of his new boots into the soft ground, shifting his weight from side to side, hoping to push his toes to the front of the boots, for a better grip. Vanessa took the lead while shouldering her pack higher and the couple began their ascent.
As they hiked, Vanessa remarked on birds she saw fly through the air or perched on branches high above. She took pictures with her phone to hopefully post later. Logan who enjoyed birding too, would smile and be reminded of how much he loved seeing Vanessa in her element. Her sense of wonder in nature made him feel closer to his wife. He was suddenly very aware of a sense of gratitude for the thoughtfulness provided to him through his new footwear. His feet were a bit sore and cold but his heart warmed with every step.
Occasionally Vanessa would step off trail to look around a bush and Logan would look behind — both trying to spot mushrooms. Their pace slowed as their ascent rounded out to a level path that took them through miles of heavily wooded trails filled with the sound of frogs, crickets and birds chattering away. Every so often the two would stop to gulp down some water and engage in small talk. Logan would help brainstorm new projects and ideas for Vanessa who loved to sew. After her recent success with a pair of hot cargo shorts, she was itching for a new challenge. Vanessa asked Logan about his job at the beer factory and genuinely took an interest in the business. She felt a tremendous sense of pride for him when he talked shop- how vigorous his hand gestures became when he was speaking passionately about his work. Most people drank beer as a way to socialize, but Logan was in the business of beer. He knew the brewing process, sales, marketing, and the subtle nuances in taste from age, hops or seasoning. When they drank together, She always learned something.
Logan watched as Vanessa’s gait slowed and she ping-ponged from one side of the trail to the other. She began to increasingly inspect the woods meticulously, then stopped walking all together. Logan watched her stare ahead, relax her posture and stand resolute, as if she just decided on something.
“Im not seeing any mushrooms from the trail and it’s almost time to head back. Maybe we can try bushwacking for a bit? I think other people have probably picked what we can see clean so far.”
Logan nodded in approval with a look that said, “we can try it but cautiously, I don’t want to go too far from the trail.”
“Ok, you lead the way, I’m right behind you.”
Vanessa brushed some heavy Spruce branches from her face and made her way ducking and stooping through the woods with Logan in tow. Each step seemed in sync with the croak of a frog nearby. The couple walked through the forest, leaving the safety of the trail and embracing the adventure ahead- enticed by the promise of delicious mushrooms.
After trundling through the forest for a few hundred yards, Logan chimed in, “I don’t want to get lost, I think it’s time to turn back.” Vanessa turned and exhaled audibly to express her discontent. “Yeah ok. Today was a bust.” The two relented and turned around to make their way back home sans mushrooms.
Tree branches swayed in a light breeze as Logan and Vanessa hiked back the way they came. Minute after minute however, tension grew as the forest started to feel denser, darker. Logan carried a puzzled countenance and spoke hesitantly, “We should have arrived to the trail by now. What time do you have?”
Vanessa pulled out her phone. “Oh that’s weird, my phone is dead.” She looked at Logan expectantly. He then reached into his pant pocket and also pulled out his phone. “Mine is dead too.”
“My phone was at full charge in the car, that’s really weird,” voiced Vanessa.
Slightly baffled by this, Logan steeled himself and assessed the situation. He did a 360 degree turn and blinked to let his reality settle it in. “The trail can’t be too much further, let’s keep going.” Logan continued in the same direction and Vanessa followed. Both of them carrying a subtle panic in the back of their throats but neither ready to consciously acknowledge it was there.
“This trail has got be around here somewhere, we didn’t go that far,” Logan said to himself. He stepped forward to grab a branch and push it out of the way when suddenly the two found themselves entering a clearing. Dry, brown grass covered an unusual, large glade, half the size of a football field and perfectly circular. Small rocks and dead shrubs decorated the ground sporadically but what drew Logan and Vanessa’s attention, causing them to gasp lay just before them.
In the center of the glade stood a huge stone archway. 20 feet high with thick support columns on both sides and a large, flat stone laid on top. The archway looked old, covered in black lichen and a few withered vines. The couple, dumbfounded by the appearance of this unknown space, walked slowly through the glade and up to the face of the archway. They noticed worn writing covering one side of the lintel high above. It was too worn to read but didn’t look like any language they could recognize. They looked at each other in amazement.
“Where they hell are we?”
“”I don’t know. We couldn’t have come this way.”
Vanessa stared around in wonder and pondered the writing at the top. She considered pulling some vines down to get a better look then noticed something strange. “Logan, do you hear that?” Logan stopped, assessed, then looked at her, shaking his head. “Where did the birds and crickets go?”
The couple looked around, in all directions of the circular clearing and had to admit the truth. There were no animal sounds. Not even a leaf blew in the wind. That’s when Logan realized the sound of his own voice seemed away from him, more distant, as if all sound in this clearing was vacuumed sealed and packed up tight. It caused him to shutter.
Silence fell between the two as a loss for words deferred any thought on what to do next. Vanessa finally broke the motionlessness by walking closer to the archway. “I see mushrooms on the other side, sweet,” She said passively and before Logan could object she passed through to the archway to collect her long sought after treat. A brief yet chilling breeze swept over Logan, urging him after his wife. He passed underneath the archway too. He grabbed her by the arm to stop her from collecting any chanterelles and said “We need to get out of here. This place has bad vibes. Look over there, I can see Mt. Thompson. (pointing up and over the circular glade to a snow-capped peak.) We parked to the south of it, if we head away from the mountain we’ll hit the trail soon.” Vanessa noticed the worry in his eyes and realized he was right. There would be other days to gather mushrooms. She stood to leave.
Logan hurriedly left back through the archway with a newfound determination, and Vanessa moved forward to follow. As she left the stone archway to follow her husband out of the clearing, she risked one last look behind at this towering monolith in the middle of nowhere. Her eyes caught a glimpse of the mushrooms she wasn’t able to gather, and had to do a double take. Where before there was a small grouping of delicious chanterelles, now grew large, white mushrooms with a wide pileus. Vanessa knew her mushrooms well from her background in herbology, these were death caps. Fatal if ingested, death caps were hard to miss. “How did I not see that a moment ago, I was sure they were…” Vanessa drifted into deep thought as she continued walking. She considered the empty glen and the deafening quiet, imagining two ants pitter-pattering the inside of an empty glass bottle- what insects might think of a large, glass prison where sound can’t travel. Would ants know danger and avoid it? Or be completely oblivious? Vanessa wondered.
Immediately after leaving the open glen, dense mist formed and surrounded them. the perspiration on Logan’s forehead dripped into his eyes as he pressed forward through the brush. His thoughts were consumed by finding the trail and getting back to their car safely. The longer he stayed in the woods, the more frantic he became, like a tiger pacing in a cage. The mist closed in thicker with each passing second making it difficult to see even a few feet. Logan stepped over a felled log and as he did, a glimpse of the trail finally appeared through the misty trees. Relief overcame him. He turned to call to Vanessa and just then, his back foot caught a short limb from the log and he tumbled forward. The steep embankment in front of him allowed for his fall to continue, end over end downward, his arms and legs flailing wildly till he landed with a heavy thud at the bottom, right near the trail.
Dazed but uninjured, Logan tried to gain his footing. He pressed up to his knees and lifted his head to address his surroundings. The mist was omnipresent, unlike anything he’d seen before. Off to his left, down the trail, movement caught his eye. He strained to look closer, then suddenly panic gripped his chest at the sight before him. Standing obstructed in the mist were two figures, one of them looking directly at him. Logan froze at being so startled. He could not discern any features, only dark shadows. His breathing quickened as the figure closest to him turned to look to the sky, raise a fist in the air and open his mouth to scream. He was holding something in his other hand. Before the figure could make a sound, behind him Logan heard, “Hey where did you go! Logan!”
As Vanessa frantically called out for her husband, Logan blinked and the two shadowy figures disappeared. “I’m over here. Watch out there’s a steep hill here.”
Logan stood just as Vanessa bounded down the short embankment to join him. Who were those two? Did they see me?
“Are you ok?”
Still shaken from seeing two mysterious figures in the mist, Logan replied, “I… I’m ok, I tripped and fell but I don’t seem hurt. And hey look, here’s the trail.” They briefly shared a look of equal parts I love you and Let’s get the fuck out of here. The two scrambled over loose rocks to reach the trail and double time it back to the trail head.
Logan and Vanessa travelled back down the mountain they had climbed earlier that morning, through mist and feeling very tired. As they went, they walked mostly in silence, each trying to process the day’s events, but mostly just trying to finish the hike and get home. Time seemed to stretch longer and oddly night was setting in. Odd because they had only planned a 5 mile hike. They should have been home and cooking up dinner by now. Worried and perplexed as the couple were, they pressed on.
Finally, after a grueling descent, they reached the trail head, the parking lot and the general store- at that same time the mist dissipated leaving a solemn stillness over the forest. It was almost completely dark except for a light flickering in the window of the general store. The muscles in their legs ached and Logan’s shoulder was growing stiff and sore from his fall. He rubbed it and lifted his arm up and down to soothe the pain.
“I want to stop in to talk to Herbert to make sure he’s ok.”
“Fine by me, but let’s not dilly dally. I’m ready to get this day over with.” Logan searched for his car keys in his bag.
Vanessa approached the general store to discover the front door was wide open. The faint light from an oil lamp did not illuminate much, so she climbed the veranda, to investigate- her footsteps slowed to a crawl. When she arrived, Vanessa placed a hand on the doorframe to steady herself and peer into the small shop. “Hello,” she called quietly. The wooden floor boards creaked under her weight as she stepped in, Logan joined right behind her.
The two entered the general store to find it completely destroyed. Every shelf was empty with canned goods, broken glass and various shop items scattered across the floor. Much of the shelving was smashed to splinters and the walls were demolished in places with insulation hanging in tatters. They surveyed the damage before noticing a red smear across the front desk. In the dim light Logan and Vanessa looked in horror at the sight of two lacerated legs poking out from behind the counter. Without thinking, Vanessa leaped to help the shopkeeper, praying she could save him. In an instant shock and terror overtook the young couple as they rounded the counter to find Herbert the shopkeeper lying in a large pool of blood, and missing his head.
