Captivated

Jerod stood at the horseshoe scenic overview on Wolf Creek Pass. The air was crisp that morning, with nearly ten thousand feet elevation. As he turned snapping photos of every angle he took a deep breath at the majestic beauty. He took pictures of the waterfall off to the right at the beginning of the climb towards the summit. The water rushed loudly as it came off the top of the mountain. He had never seen the trees along the pass, tall ones, small ones, and leaves in red, orange, and every shade of green.

Jerod walked across the horseshoe and onto the mountainside, he needed to be closer. His palms sweat as he walks carefully and slowly, balancing his backpack and camera while watching for loose rocks that could cause him to slip and fall.

He was a foreigner as his home state was Kansas. Jerod, born and raised in the flatlands, subscribed to every outdoor magazine he could get his hands on. At thirteen years of age, he knew he was born to live in Colorado, he saved his money and relocated at twenty-one to Pagosa Springs.

Jerod paused midway to the top and took in the majestic beauty that surrounded him, not a single photograph I’ve seen has captivated the scenery before me. He stood six feet and was physically fit and strong. He had black hair and green eyes, with an outgoing personality. Jerod’s love and passion were in photography. He took long walks and preferred nature, wildlife, and landscape over taking photos of people.

 Suddenly he heard something behind him. Slowly with his camera ready, he turned halfway around, and a large buck came up directly to his side. Together they locked eyes and the buck continued. Wow! That buck was huge! His hooves were steady, and he was graceful. I never considered wildlife to be that close to a human. His heart was racing, hands clammy as he had to suppress the desire to jump up and down in glee!

Jerod finally stood on top of the mountain; he snapped pictures of the panoramic view. The clouds fluffy and white appeared close enough to touch. He walked into a massive grove of trees, never paused or lost his momentum while his camera kept going. For the first time in his life, he saw a family of raccoons. Then he saw a red fox, too many squirrels to count, an astounding eagle perched on a tree branch, and a few possums.

 Hours flew by before he realized the sun would set soon, and he descended the mountain. He took his time as he smelled the fresh clean air. I need to find a way to get my parents out here, I know Dad will take the hike with me and Mom will oooh and ahhhh over the photos as she sees them. I live in the closest place to heaven, I think.

With butterflies in his stomach and a joy he never experienced before he drove home and immediately turned on his wall-length flat screen Television and sat on his loveseat to review the stunning landscape and wildlife. Jerod looked at each photo in detail, his setup was a home theater.

Every photo was different in the slightest way. In one of the photos, while deep within the grove of trees, he saw a white apparition, he stared at it in awe as the hair on the back of his neck stood up and a chill ran down his spine. Who are they? I didn’t see them while I was there. He stared at the silhouette and reviewed all his photos again.

They were only in one photograph. Long hair, soft faces, small bodies, and young. He dropped his cell phone as he frantically dialed Jessica’s number.

“Hello?”

“Jessica, it's Jerod.”

“Oh, hi. What are you doing?”

“Could you please come over? I took photos of Wolf Creek Pass today. Can you come by and see them?”

“Sure, I will be there in ten minutes.”

Jerod started his photography from the beginning. His breath was labored as his thoughts jumped over one another. Why didn’t I see them?

Together Jerod and Jessicca admired the surreal beauty. She favored the red fox and the family of raccoons the most. They laughed as she expressed her joy with each photo. Finally, the photo Jerod had waited for came up. Jessica inhaled sharply then whispered as she pointed to the screen “Do you see them?”

Jerod exclaimed “OH THANK GOD! Yes, I did before I called you. I had to make sure I had not lost my mind! When I arrived at this photo, I questioned what I was seeing. I stared for a few minutes then dialed your number with trembling fingers and shaky hands.”

Jessica laughed and said “To be honest with you I thought you sounded strange on the phone. I wasn’t sure what to expect and I came quickly.”

After they talked, together they researched previous fatalities on Wolf Creek Pass. There was more than anticipated. In 1907 on the old two-lane dirt pass a father and daughter were traveling to pick up her mother. Another vehicle came up the horseshoe too fast and went over the line, causing the car that carried the father and daughter to fall over the side and down the steep mountain. In 1907 calling an emergency took much longer for anyone to arrive than it does in our current day and age of technology.

The photograph Jerod took captured Emma who was ten years old that year and standing beside her was an angel identical to Emma! Jerod considered publicity and realized Emma and her angel’s appearance was a privilege exclusive to him.

Jerod took Jessica on the scenic drive and stopped in the same area.

 “I am filled with anticipation of what we will see today. I hope we see all the wildlife you saw when you came alone. Maybe we will get to see Emma and her angel too.”

“It is a beautiful cloudy day with fresh air, we will have to wait and see what happens.”