What Begins May Never End

Grant’s chest heaved as he climbed up another few feet, the small ditch walls slick with rain water and wet foliage. His thighs and lungs were burning, head pounding behind his eyes from the rock he’d smacked his head against on the way down. He stopped, sinking down into a squat to catch his breath, which came out in small puffs of steam, visible in the setting sun.

It had been a fun little hike, thirty minutes max. Danny walked it yesterday with no problem! He’d even said it was easy, athletic prick. The path was supposed to be clear, a well worn trail through the woods that looped back around into the campsite parking lot. Forty Five minutes in, with no parking lot in sight, Grant had come to a stop. It took him a few seconds to realize he was completely and utterly lost. The path in front of him grew dense with flora, dizzying his senses. Which landed him ass up at the bottom of the shockingly steep ditch along the path.

Grant looked up at the edge of the ditch, still a couple meters up, and sighed. He willed himself to move, one step at a time, using plants like ropes to pull himself up.

“Grant?” An echo reached his ears, that subtle Irish drawl like honey in a bitter cup of tea.

“Danny!” Grant shouted, pushing himself to climb faster, even as his hands trembled and burned. He looked up again, blinking away the sweat that had begun to burn the corners of his eyes. It blurred his vision, but it didn’t matter. Danny stood at the edge of the ditch, looking down for him.

“There you are, what the hell happened?” Danny asked, reaching down and ushering for him to keep climbing.

“I got lost, fell- I smacked my head pretty good.” Grant panted, taking a moment to breathe as he felt the grade of the wall get just a bit steeper.

“I can see that. You’re almost there.” Danny encouraged him. “Keep going. Let me help you up.”

Grant groaned, pushing himself those last few feet until he collapsed over the edge of the ditch. Danny pulled him the rest of the way until he was lying flat on the muddy path. He raised a brow when Grant started to laugh, rubbing his dirty hands over his face.

“God…that was horrible. I thought my head was gonna explode..” Grant shook his head, smiling up at Danny.

“Do you think you’re concussed? What day is it? Who’s the president? Can I have your name? What's my name?” Danny gently moved Grant's head to the side to look at the small cut on his temple.

“I don’t think so? It's Saturday, and we went camping to ignore the president…My name is Grant Lee and you’re Danny Finn…I think we can rule out concussion.” He chuckled, shaking his head and swatting Danny's hand away.

“You can never be too sure!” Danny stood up, offering his hands out to the man on the ground. “Come on, we should head back before the others freak out.”

“Yeah, let’s go.” The man grabbed Danny's hands, hoisting himself up to his feet. He huffed, legs still shaking from all the exertion. Danny's hand landed on his back, guiding him along the path once more to head towards the campsite.

“I got a protein bar if you want it?” Danny asked, offering the peanut butter chocolate chip protein bar out to him.

“Sure.” He nodded, taking the bar and eating a few bites of it. As they walked along, the path became clear once again, cutting through the trees, the setting sun shining through the canopy onto the ground to light their way. They passed through patches of darkness, each cold and damp.

He looked up at Danny as he finished the bar, catching the way his eyes glinted in the dark, reflecting the little light back at him. It reminded him of the way his cat’s eyes reflected back at him at night, a greenish tint that bounced off the back of his eyes. His eyes widened slightly, a chill running down his spine. The hairs on his neck and arms prickled, raising on end. A deep gut feeling rippled through him, an abject terror rooted in instinct. He took a small step back, still walking along but his steps faltering.

“What..?” He murmured, stumbling over a root. He looked at the ground to catch his footing, quickly turning his attention back once he was steady again, only to find Danny gone. He came to a stop, blinking slowly and looking around. He was still in the forest, but he could see the edge of the parking lot and a group of hikers heading his way.

“Grant! Grant Lee!” They called, the group spreading out down the different trails. He approached the ranger coming closer, waving him down.

“Are you looking for someone?” He asked, stepping aside so the ranger could pass him.

“Yes, his name is Grant Lee, he went down this trail about six hours ago and hasn’t returned. Have you seen anyone or maybe any sight of an animal?” The ranger asked him, picking up his radio.

“Oh uh…no, I haven’t.” He shook his head.

“Are you alright, sir? Your temple is bleeding? Did you fall?” The ranger asked, tilting his head to look at the dried blood on his face.

“Oh! Yeah I- I feel in a ditch…uh…” He shifted his weight nervously.

“Okay sir, do you need medical attention? One of the medics is in the station still. What’s your name?” The ranger readied his radio, holding it up and waiting. He had an expectant look on his face, brows drawn up slightly.

“I’m…I…I don’t remember.” He staggered, his eyebrows furrowed as confusion set in, a shooting pain striking his temple. “I don’t-“

“Okay sir, how about you come with me. Let’s get you to the ranger station.” The ranger gently put an arm around his shoulders, allowing him to lean on him. “This is Barry, I have an injured civilian, possible memory loss. Heading your direction.”

“Copy that Barry.” The radio crackled to life. “Search and rescue keep looking until we get a positive ID.”

A tidal wave of ‘copy’ came through the radio as each team checked in. The ranger led him out to the parking lot, having him sit down while the Medic drove from the station to the lot.

He felt wrong, sitting just outside the forest. He felt his gaze drifting back to the trees which called to him like a sirens song. Even as the ranger asked him questions and took his wallet to check his ID. He wasn’t supposed to leave.

“Grant!” Danny’s voice snapped him out of his stupor, sending and ice cold feeling down his spine. He looked over at Danny, who seemed excited to see him, relived maybe.

“What did you do to me?” He snapped, rising to his feet despite the headache crackling behind his eyes. “Why can’t I remember my name? What are you?”

Danny skidded to a stop, shocking lancing through his features. He raised his hands in a placating way, like he was calming an animal.

“Woah- I didn’t do anything!”

“Yes, you did! You helped me out of the ditch- and now I can’t remember who I am- what are you?” He yelled back, storming up to his so called friend. He heard a laugh back in the forest, eerily familiar, a sirens call. He looked back at the dense trees, staring into the depths of the darkness.

“Grant wait! Where are you going?” Danny called out to him, but it didn’t matter. He was already moving, even as the ranger tried to stop him, the rescue team watching as he ran back into the forest, following that laugh.

Arms pulled him back from the edge of the ditch, keeping him from falling down into it once more. The ranger and Danny pulled him back even as he screamed and clawed at their arms.

“Give it back! Give it back!” He shouted, the laughter only growing louder. “Please! Give it back!”

The combined efforts of the ranger and Danny managed to bring him back to the edge of the forest, even as he thrashed and fought against them. Danny’s concerned face was like salt on the wound, looking down at him with pity.

He was so confused, so hurt by the betrayal of one of his oldest friends. As they packed him into an ambulance, Danny climbed in, trying to get some answers from him. But he was lost, still deep in the forest he left behind.