The Fall(s)

   It was a beautiful 78 degree sunny day in June. It would be a perfect day for a trek to Trinity Falls. The trail to the falls had been closed recently, but I knew that wouldn’t stop Troy. He’d always lived life on his own terms, whatever served him best. Currently, he was up in his office/music studio; the one outfitted with the expensive soundproofing foam that Tina had paid for). She knew better than to disturb him; best to let sleeping dogs lie. Eventually he’d take a break from surfing his online dating profiles or his live porn chats. He didn’t know Tina knew about them, because according to him, she was a “stupid fucking idiot”. She felt weak and powerless, but she wasn’t stupid. It served her purposes to let him believe that, however.

Troy and Tina had met online five years ago (where else?). She was living in her own apartment then, after a series of failed relationships. Tina was only looking for something casual, but he was so kind and flattering he was hard to resist. He cooked her dinner and told her a girl so beautiful would never have paid attention to him back in high school. Within a few days he’d told Tina he was falling in love with her, and a month later she moved in. 

Within a few weeks, Tina started to see a different side of Troy. It first started with his admission he was several thousand dollars in debt. Well, she figured, I could be the responsible one. I would pay the bills, hold the credit cards, and pay down the debt. Then about a month after she moved in, they were rearranging the furniture. He dropped the end of the TV stand on his foot. Before Tina could blink, he was screaming with rage, punching the TV stand into a pile of boards. One of them came flying in her direction. Initially, Tina froze, but as he continued to scream, she turned and ran. They were living in the house on the mountain then at the end of a long drive, and she didn’t have my keys. Where would I go she wondered? She went into the woods, but that was no good option. Eventually she settled herself on the side porch and waited a long time. After a while, out came a cheerful Troy with a pitcher of Kool-Aid, smiling and chatting as if nothing had happened. He must have seen the look on her face, because soon he asked, “I scared you, didn’t I?” Tina nodded. He apologized and explained he’d gone to therapy in the past for impulse control problems but every now and then he “forgot” to use his coping mechanisms. He promised he’d do better for me, he would change. Then he offered me some of his Kool-Aid. She drank it. Boy, did she drink it.

She wished she could say that was the end, but it was just the beginning. Every time he was so apologetic and like that kind, gentle guy she once knew. I kept believing, or wanted to believe, things would change. I married him, soaking up all of his lies. The outbursts came more frequently over time, and then were directed at our German Shepherd, Sarge (one time, Sarge ran out of the yard after a bird; when he came back, Troy punched him in the head several times), and me. I grew accustomed to walking on eggshells, to his outbursts, and insults. The debt grew. I know what you’re thinking – she should have left. Why didn’t she just leave? Maybe she wanted to be a buffer between Troy and Sarge. Maybe she felt like she didn't deserve any better. Maybe she felt trapped, or any combination of the above. For whatever reason, she stayed. For five years.

Which brings us back to present day – 78 degrees, sunny, warm – perfect for a hike. Troy finally came out of his office. “Hey.” Tina  said casually. “It’s such a nice day – what do you think about taking a hike up to Trinity Falls? I know you’ve always wanted to do that”. “And break through the barrier? I’m surprised Miss Vanilla wants to do something so dangerous!” Troy chortled. “I know it’s a tough hike, but I just thought it would be nice for us to do something together, like we used to”, Tina replied meekly, my eyes downcast. “Yeah, ok – I guess your out of shape ass could use a little exercise!” he said. I sighed and gathered up our necessities for the hike – backpack, water bottles, snack. Tina got changed into her hiking boots and gear and was ready to go. “Wow, you’re really on the ball today. Keep it up!” he exclaimed. Tina beamed with pride, yet felt disgusted with herself at the same time for being happy about his backhanded compliment. They got in the car and took the short drive to the trailhead parking lot. 

Trinity Falls was a popular destination for hikers. The trail begins peacefully, winding along a creek that ascends up the mountainside. However, the hike becomes increasingly difficult as one progresses up the steep slope. It is necessary to climb over rocks, some of which may be wet and slippery. There are often wet leaves and deadfalls in the path, which sometimes comes perilously close to the edge of the cliff. There was a warning sign placed at the head of the trail, letting hikers know they are proceeding at their own risk, as sections of the trail are treacherous. Potential hikers are warned that hikers have been seriously injured and killed as a result of accidental falls from the trail and scenic overlooks, and are urged to wear proper footwear and use caution. Unfortunately due to the rate of rescues and recoveries over the years, the upper portion of the trail to Trinity Falls was recently closed by the Game Commission. Not only were hikers getting injured at an alarming rate, but first responders were placing their lives in jeopardy each time they needed to perform a rescue or recovery over the steep and slippery terrain. The closure hadn’t stopped hikers from progressing (trespassing) beyond the low barricade, and every now and then you would read online about a hiker who was fined for being on the forbidden part of the trail. For the most part, though, they were unmanned and there were no cameras, so hikers did as they pleased.

There were a few other cars in the parking area when Troy and Tina arrived. “Are you sure you’re up for this?” he asked her. “I think I can manage, Troy. If not, I’ll just stop and rest and let you continue on”. They loaded up their backpacks and started along the trail, close to the creek. The sun warmed Tina’s shoulders, yet the day was temperate enough to keep her from feeling overexerted. They hiked on; Tina admired the rhododendrons in full bloom, daylilies, and black eyed susans. She inhaled the scent of the piney conifers and enjoyed the varying shade of the oaks and maples. On this part of the trail, dry twigs and leaves leftover from fall shedding snapped and crackled beneath her feet. Soon she and Troy came to a shadier part of the trail. The ground become spongier, soggier as they ascended. Troy had to pull her up over boulders in the path, to get to higher ground. Finally they reached the steepest part of the path. One final sign warning them of the danger in addition to the “No Trespassing” signs recently placed next to it. A small gate and chain had been erected in the path, but this was easily skirted. “I think”, Tina said breathily, “I need to stop here. I don’t think I can make it all the way”. Troy smirked. “I knew it”, he said. “Well, I’m going up. Catch you later”. Tina watched his back and he left, never once glancing back.

Tina waited for 5 minutes, a fraction of the time she knew it would take an inexperienced hiker to make it to the top of Trinity Falls.  It took 25 minutes on a good day. She left her phone by the rock, tucked in a nook at the back. She began her climb slowly but surely, as she’d done so many times before. She made sure to leave the front pocket of her backpack open, so the contents could easily escape. She made sure to stay as quiet as possible in the event Troy heard her. Finally she was among the pines; just through their opening was the view from the top of the falls. 

Tina peeked through the boughs and saw Troy admiring the view. Now was her moment. She burst through the pines. “Surprise!” she exclaimed. “What the…what are you doing here? I thought you were too tired to keep going, “ he said guardedly. “I just felt like I didn’t want you to see them alone. I got a burst of energy, so…here I am!” Tina moved close to Troy, but not nearly as close to the edge of the falls. “I should take a picture of you up here!”, she said. Tina swung her backpack around front over one shoulder and reached for her phone in the front pocket. “Shit!” she exclaimed. “It was here, but maybe it slipped out on the way up. I’m sure we’ll find it on the way down. Can I borrow yours?” “Uh, yeah, ok. Here”, said Troy and handed it over. He crept closer to the edge, lined with large boulders. “Troy, I think you’re too close. You should probably back up”. He smirked and placed one foot on a moss covered boulder. “Troy, no, that looks slippery! Please come back, people have slipped and fallen here!” Troy, ever the narcissist, scoffed at Tina and stepped up with his other foot on to the top of the boulder. Tina aimed the camera and took the perfect, Instagram-worthy shot of Troy; capturing the moment just before he lost his footing and fell to his death 50 feet below. She deleted it from recent photos and recently deleted photos immediately. After waiting a moment, she tossed the phone over the falls as well. 

Tina glanced around and then quickly made her way back to the rock at the head of the last part of the trail. It didn’t take her long; after all, she had traversed this way many times before. She fished her phone out of the nook in the rock and scrolled through her photos. Tina waited an appropriate amount of time before phoning 911 and asking for help to find her husband. After more than an hour, rescue crews arrived to a distraught Tina.  She informed them her husband had gone the final leg of the trail, despite the No Trespassing signs and warnings and that he had been gone too long. The rescue crew made their way up the path; no Troy. They found his backpack discarded off to the side. Another day; another recovery. They made their way back down the trail and informed Tina that it appeared her husband got too close to the edge and accidentally fell. A crew was dispatched to the bottom of the falls, but it did not look good. Rescue divers spend an hour before they came up with Troy’s lifeless body. They never did recover his phone.

Tina played the appropriate grieving wife. After all, she learned how to act from the best. All the while she thought about what she knew. Troy thought she was stupid, but of course, he never did give her enough credit. When he left for work, she searched his browser’s history, and that’s how she knew about his dating profiles and live chats. She read his emails, every single one. The one that made her stomach turn the most was the one from his ex-girlfriend from high school, that he saw “one time to help her out”. It turns out that they met up one night and decided to embark on a discrete relationship, unbeknownst to either of their spouses.  During one of these encounters, they decided to go out drinking. The excuses to the spouses would come later. The email Tina read referenced this night – “I thought we agreed to not have sex, but it appears as though we did. I am 99% I told you no. Wtf?!?” Troy’s response, “Hey you started it all, rubbing all over me when we were at the bar. So what if you weren’t that awake to remember? You know you wanted it”. Every time she thought about breaking down, she remembered the truth.

Two months later

An envelope addressed to “Mrs. Troy Johnson” arrived in the mail. Tina opened it; it was a fine from the state for the “transgression of one Mr. Troy Johnson on prohibited state park land”. She could pay the fine, or argue in court. Tina grabbed her checkbook and scrawled out a check. She smiled as she sealed the envelope. $300 was a small price to pay for freedom.