A trip to remember

An adventure waited for 3 friends. A planned a 3-day camping trip in snowy filled mountains of the Great Smoky Mountains was finally here.  They had hiked up to the picture-perfect spot and set camp up.  Nothing like a long weekend with great friends we all thought. With a small campfire going and our food on the grill things could not be more perfect.  We all caught up on things friends seem to miss out on with time apart.  After a physically grinding hike up the mountain and now a filled belly of campfire cuisine, we were all ready to bed down.  I loved the feel of my comfortable sleeping bag. Sweet dreams I said to my friends and in no time, I was sound asleep.   

I wake up with the sun hitting me in my face.  I look around in bewilderment not knowing exactly what was going on.  Where is the camp? Did I sleepwalk away from camp?  I am a known sleepwalker. Where is the others? Do they even know I am not in my sleeping bag in camp?  I slowly stand and take in my surroundings, not recognizing anything.  In a distant I think I can hear talk, so I start off in that course.  I did not have my heavy coat on, although I do not feel that cold.  The sun bearing down on me, I think, must be really keeping me warm.  I continue on my trek looking for the camp.  I look around for my tracks that would have brought me here last night and find none.  Did it snow and cover my tracks from last night? Looking around it does not seem as if the snow is any heavier than it was on the way up the mountain.  My head is going so many different direction’s right now. Fearful, perplexed, and having no idea of what is happening to me right now.  Something moving in the distant catches my eye. I squint to see but still cannot make out what or who it is.  I have the impulsive fear of animals in the woods.  I think to myself that the bears should not be roaming around in this type of weather.  Not sure of what other animals I could encounter.  I had also read stories about people who reside way up in the mountains, live off the land. They are possessive of the land and don’t like trespassers. I have too many thoughts going on at one time, I can’t even think straight right now. Finding a log and feeling it is a safe spot to sit and assemble my thoughts and make a strategy as to what I should do.  Again, a noise in the distant catches my eye and still I cannot pinpoint what or who it is.  I hear that sound of people again.  Indistinctly I hear my name.  Oh Yes, they are looking for me.  Although afraid to call back aout because of I still don’t know exactly what it is I am seeing in the woods.  If it be an animal, I could invite it by calling out. If it be someone that feels as if I am trespassing on their territory, could just as dangerous as an animal hungry for something to eat. I slowly continue on with my instincts and with the sound of the voices calling my name.  I hear the voice again, but as crazy as it is I thought the voice was that of my brother.  I lost my brother a few years back and I know it is not him I am hearing. I feel as if I am starting to panic and that I am not thinking straight. Even with the voice I know is not my brother I continue on in the direction I am going. A loud snap in the woods, made me suddenly whip around, causing me to lose my balance. As I lay quietly laying in the snow, I am stricken with fright powerless to move.  I see 3 men coming up the mountain. Now my heart is racing, and I know I have disturbed the land of the ‘mountain people’. I scuffle to get to my feet and get to the edge of the woods so I can somewhat hide form the men.  I know they will kill me if they catch me, we had been cautioned to stay away from certain areas of the woods, I think I must have walked right into their area in my sleep. How stupid could I be, even in sleep walking how could I have done this.  I quietly stay on the edge of the woods where I feel I can hide behind trees if I need to. Keeping my pace up looking for the girls and camp I felt I was holding up pretty good.  Not becoming tired, not growing hungry or thirsty.  This is crazy that I can keep going at this pace and not need to stop I think to myself.  Keeping an eye over my shoulder to watch the improvement of the men behind me.  I just can’t get an adequate look at them to see a face of any of them.  After a somewhat lengthy morning trying my best to get back to camp, I come to what might be called a fork in the road.  The woods are dividing off in the direction I don’t need to be going.  I know at this point I have to cross over the valley to the other side to again get to the edge of the woods.  I plan my path cautiously, being that I know I am still being followed.  I occasionally continue to hear a voice calling for me.  That is what is keeping me on the path I am on.  The men following me, must have had the sun hitting them in their face distorting their vision, since none of them seem to see me crossing the valley.  I just knew this would be the point I would be spotted. But they continue on the path they are on scattering out as if they are looking for indications as to where I am.  As I start to top the smaller hill, I start to see smoke mixing in with the clouds.  OH YES camp. I have found camp!  I hear the voice calling for me again, and again it sounds as if it is my brother, which is irrational there are no men camping in our camp. Unless the girls contacted one of the other campers to help look for me. As I top the hill there it is the camp. Waving my arms and screaming I am here; they act as if they cannot hear me.  I look back as the men are getting close to me, and they act as if they heard nothing. My steps grow faster and faster as I work my way toward the camp, losing my balance in the snow a few times.  I know at this point that the men following have to be seeing my tracks in the snow.  I somewhat thought no worries about them – they don’t seem to be good trackers at all, I think with a smirk on my lips. I am close enough now to clearly see camp. They are sitting down acting as if something is wrong. There is someone there I do not know.  What is going on?  Did the mountain people come to our camp and do something, why is everyone acting so bizarre?  Hey guys it’s me, here I am. No one turns around to look at me, what is going on I continue to run through my head. I look back to see how close the other men are behind me, and I see they are closer than I thought. The girls and the man at camp waves to them screaming over here, over here. What is wrong they are not answering me. As I turn back again to look at them, I notice another weird thing that chills me to the bone.  Where are my tracks?  Where are my footprints? What is going on?  Someone help me, someone help me.  As I walk closer to the camp, I see another man standing behind the tent. He waves at me as if he is old friend.  Finally, someone is acknowledging me.  As I walk up the ridge at the campsite, no one greets, no one even greets me.  The men behind me have caught up and even they are acting as if I am not even here.  I look up to the man behind the tent and for a brief moment I think he looks just like my brother.  Tears start to stream down my face, not knowing what is happening here.  No one seems to be seeing me, I have no foot prints, is this just a bad dream?  The men that were following me up the mountain are wearing Red Hearts on their sleeve.  EMT’s are they EMT’s? Wake me up please someone wake me up! I feel the warmth of a hand touching mine as I am hanging my head in pure puzzlement.  As I turn, I see, the unbelievable.  Rod is that you? How can you be here you died? What is happening?  My friends are crying uncontrollably, with no letting up. The men that are going in and out of my tent.  What has happened? Rod’s gentle touch is so comforting and strange.  He takes my arm and guides me to the tent. As he opens the flap of the tent, I see someone in there in my bag.  I still have no understanding of what is happening right in front of me. Then the moment of actuality I see, it is me! It is me! It is me there in my sleeping bag, what happened? Rod gently whispers in my ear it is time to go home sister. As I turn toward him, I see an overwhelming brilliant light, I have no apprehension, I have no questions. For some reason I feel no need to ask questions anymore. I feel as if, for some extraordinary reason everything feels right.  

I now understand why no one saw me, why I left no tracks in the snow. I am full of warmth and happiness all of the sudden.  Strangely I have no questions about families and friends I know in my heart that everything will be alright over time. No uncertainties, no looking back.  Hand in hand Rod and I walk off into the brilliant light, for a new life in heaven, our eternal home.