The Path to Truth

*This is the first story I have finished in quite a while, so please feel free to leave constructive feedback or any tips and advice after reading! *

“I cannot believe you got us lost in the woods” Olivia said looking on the paper map sprawled out on the ground in front of her”

“I just wanted to clear my head. It is not my fault that they decided to build this retreat in the middle of the impossible to solve woods” Veronica huffed quickly, turning to see if there was suddenly a magical yellow brick road to follow back to their cabin. A few weeks earlier Veronica had seen a video talking about the Hollow Creek Wilderness Retreat that promised you would walk away with a new connection to your future self. 

“Clear your head” Oliva paused looking up at her little sister. “And you couldn’t have done that by following one of the MANY paths that are on the map. The paths that actually lead back to camp?” Olivia went back to looking at the map trying to figure out where they were and more importantly how they could get back. All she wanted to do was get back to the small, cramped one person cabin, pack her bags, and go home. She hadn’t even wanted to go on the “Retreat” in the first place, but after she heard Oliva talking about going to spend a week in the deep wilderness, she knew she would have to go with and make sure nothing bad happened. For as long as she could remember Oliva was in charge of making sure her little sister stayed out of trouble and didn’t do anything too stupid. Most of the time by her parents' request.  Not wanting to upset Veronica, she would often make up excuses for why she would go with to different things. Including the sudden “sibling bonding” she wanted to do when Olivia booked her week at the retreat.  And although at times she hated it, she loved her little sister and would do anything to keep her safe. Even if that meant following her and getting lost in the woods.

“Well, I don’t have the map, you have the map.” Veronica says still looking out into the out reaching tree lines.

“I offered to go and get you a map and you said you didn’t need one. Something about your future self-guiding you to where you needed to be.” Olivia responded as she was tracing the map with finger. Hearing Veronica digging her newly bought boots into the ground behind her.

“Well, you're all-knowing majesty, have you found a way back yet?” She said leaning down trying to look at the map.

“Actually, I think I did” Oliva picks up the map and starts walking. Veronica follows behind, still trying to see the map in order to figure out her sister's survival plan. They walk for another 20 minutes in silence with only the occasional “What is that?” or “Are you sure you know where you’re going?”. Their pace slows and the daylight gets dimmer as night falls over the already confusing woods Olivia stops.

“UGH” She grips the map in her hands hard as she looks quickly around. “This isn’t working! I swear We have been at this tree before”

“How can you tell they all look the same?” Veronica says sitting down on a fallen tree. She is tired and still slightly annoyed, but as she looks over at her sister, she can see the frustration and anger in her face. She takes a breath “Let me look at the map, maybe I can find a way back?”

“Go for it, it’s impossible” Olivia says handing the map over to her. She can feel the anger coming out of Olivia as she stands against one of the nearby trees closing her eyes and crossing her arms taking long deep breaths. As Veronica looks at the maps, she can see the big circle over their cabin and all of the different colored trails and lookouts highlighted. She stares down desperate for some kind of navigation miracle, but nothing comes. She might as well me looking at a page of squiggly lines. A few minutes pass and she looks up at Olivia who is now pacing and looking at the ground avoiding any eye contact. Knowing that neither of them are going to be able to find a way-out Veronica tries to lighten the extremely tight tension between her sister and her.

“Some great sibling bonding huh?” Veronica says faking a laugh

“What are you talking about?” Olivia replies, still passing and still avoiding eye contact.

“Sibling bonding, remember, that’s why you came out here with me.” 

“Oh” there is a slight hesitation in her voice “right” She pushes out a strained chuckle trying to cover up her pause.

“What was that?” Veronica said, catching on to her sister’s sudden nervous shift.

“What do you mean?” Olivia looked up meeting eyes with Veronica.

“I mean when you hesitated after I brought up the whole sibling bonding thing.”

“I didn’t hesitate; I’m just tired okay. We should be trying to find our way back” Olivia reaches for the map when Veronica pulls it away. “Veronica gives me the map, it’s getting dark,”

“No, why did you hesitate?”

“I said I was tired, now give me the map”

“Being tired does not mean that you start pausing between 2 worded sentences!” Veronica holds the map behind her back keeping it out of reach.

“This is ridiculous.” Oliva stands looking at her little sister. “I’m sorry, okay? So, give me the map so that we can get back to the cabin before it gets dark.”

“No.” Veronica says quickly back

“Ronnie, give me the map!” Olivia yells, grabbing Veronica's arm to try and grab the map back.

“Not until you tell me why you really came with me on my trip.” Veronica says quickly getting out of her grasp.

“Are your serious right now?” Olivia lets out an annoyed huff.

“Why did you come with me?” A silence falls between them. They look at each other, both knowing the answer. “What. You don’t trust me to even be on my own?”

“Well, Ronnie we are lost in the middle of nowhere, aren’t we?” Oliva says seeing the anger fill Veronica’s eyes as she turns to walk away.

“I may have brought us into the woods, but you are the reason we’re lost.” Veronica stops after only a couple of steps and stands still waiting to see what is to come.

“You cannot possibly be blaming me for getting lost in the woods, after you were the one who left to clear your head.” Oliva says back using her hands to add quotations.

“Liv, why do you think I needed to go and clear my head?” She pauses “Because of you.” Veronica stops, seeing Olivia start to fume. Another dead silence suddenly bursts when Olivia starts yelling back. Her words are fast but sharp.

“Are you kidding me!  You had to clear YOUR head, Veronica. I am constantly protecting you from yourself. Do you know how many times you have decided to suddenly do something with no consideration for other people? It’s like I have to follow you around and fix all the stuff you break. It is exhausting. I mean do you really think I wanted to come to the middle of absolute nowhere and “bond” NO! I had to come out here because mom called me after you announced at dinner that you were going to go and find your future self, and she begged me to come with you and make sure you get yourself killed!” Olivia stops catching her breath when she sees the change in her little sister's face. Without a word she saw the hurt and pain come over Veronica and she stood, her face pale and eyes tracing her feet. Olivia didn’t know what to do, if she should comfort her sister and apologize or leave the words as they were. Even if she didn’t want to admit it, by uncontrollably spewing all of the thoughts angrily running around her head Olivia had felt a weight lifted off of her shoulders.

“I should’ve known that’s why you came with me. I’m sorry Liv I didn’t know how much pressure you felt to constantly watch over me. I hope you know that I don’t mean to mess up so much.” Veronica’s voice was quiet and weak, unlike Olivia had ever heard it before.

“Ronnie I’m sor-” She tries to respond, but was quickly cut off

“No, you’re right I do mess things up all the time, and you’re always there. Even when I don’t know it, you are always right there to help when I would do something without thinking. I guess I never realized until now.” Her voice is still quiet, but she looks up towards her but isn’t able to meet her eyes.

“Well, I’m your big sister Ronnie. It’s my job to keep you safe. I didn’t mean to start yelling at you, I’m sure you didn’t mean to get us lost.” Olivia stops and waits to see what kind of reaction she is going to get. She has never been able to predict what Veronica is going to do, and that is part of the reason she was constantly playing bodyguard.

“I don’t want you following me around anymore Liv.” Veronica replies strongly. Olivia is taken back by what she was told. She is convinced that by suddenly erupting with all the feelings and thoughts she had been holding in for years she had just cost herself the friendship she had with her sister. She reaches out to hug her little sister, for the first time not knowing what to do. She has no words to fix what has happened but moving closer Veronica knows she has more to say. Avoiding a hug and instead reaching out to grab her sister's hand Veronica continues. “You have to let me make mistakes and get into trouble Liv. I know I do make rash decisions, like thinking it’s a good idea to sign up for a retreat in the middle of nowhere, or not using a map, and not following a trail. And even buying brand new hiking boots that have been absolutely killing my feet since the day we got here because I didn’t think to wear them. And so many other things, but I also know that it is not your job to spend every day protecting me. You are my big sister, and I love you. That is why I want you to stop worrying about me and start doing the things that make you happy. Please.” 

Veronica pulls her sister into a hug and for a moment they both forget that they had ever gotten lost, but their moment of relief is short lived as they separate looking around and are reminded of their current situation. Veronica hands Olivia the map and as they both stare down the picture they had seen so many times before a light appears between the trees. Veronica, seeing the light not sure what to think, taps her sister pointing out to the trees. They see the light come closer and both start shouting at the now clear outline of a person walking towards them. As they get closer, they can see an older woman wearing a flat hat and a ranger badge.

“How did you ladies get all the way out here?” The ranger says, holding out her flashlight and looking at both girls with a confused face.

“How did you find us?” Olivia says in disbelief

“How did you even know to look for us?” Veronica asks, still holding tightly onto her sister.

“Well, some of the other people at the retreat said they saw two women wandering off of a path and were worried that you may have gotten lost. We’ve been looking for about an hour now and found you when we heard yelling.” The ranger says, still looking at both girls and quickly mumbling into the radio strapped to her shoulder. “Are you both alright?”

“Yeah actually, better than ever” Veronica quickly replies in a joking tone looking over at her big sister smiling back.

“Well lucky for you, you only wandered about a mile and a half away from the retreat so we can get back pretty quick if you just follow me.” She says turning to walk. They start to head back to the retreat as Veronica turns to her big sister.

“Ya know it’s almost like our future selves wanted us to get lost, just so-” Olivia cuts her off.

“No, just no” Both of the girls laugh as they find their way out of the once impossible woods having found a new truth and trust within each other.