www.theorganicprepper.com
Haven Hill: Chapter 18
by the Author of The Widow in the Woods
Here’s where the story left off last time.
While Ariel read, Kate emptied both of their backpacks and sat cross-legged on the floor of the cave by the supplies she had cached away. When she had created the cache, it hadn’t been with Logan in mind. She had been thinking about the “golden horde” she had read about in prepper fiction – waves of desperate people looking for food and shelter after fleeing the cities. She’d set this up in case she and Ariel had ever needed to retreat from the cabin.
Whatever the reason she had built it for, she was glad she had her little cache. She had made it on a dime, since her budget was tight, and it was serving her well right now.
The sun was low in the sky, and evening was drawing near. Kate wanted to be ready to go once dusk fell.
She pulled out a couple of cans of ravioli and sporks for a quick meal before they set out. Then she pulled out her weapons stash. An extra gun, a smaller Glock 23, would fit in an ankle holster. She loaded it, then strapped it on above her hiking boot, pulling her sock up to pad her leg. She pulled out the promised taser and pepper spray containers for Ariel, then added one of each to her own arsenal.
Three bottles of water, two bags of peanut M&Ms, some sealed packs of dehydrated fruit, rain ponchos, extra socks, and a cozy sweater went into each bag. Lighters, waterproof matches, LED flashlights, headlamps, extra batteries, and a good multitool filled out the supplies. Personal first aid kits, went in, as well as a hat and a pair of gloves for each of them. Kate tested the weight of the bags – not bad.
She hooked some folding trekking poles to the outside of each bag to help them navigate the treacherous trail in the dark, then pulled out two canisters of bear spray to be clipped to their waists, a large knife for herself and a smaller one for Ariel, and all the magazines she had filled earlier.
She felt like she was forgetting something vital, but for the life of her, couldn’t think what it was. It was probably, she thought, her anxiety talking, giving her doubts.
She popped the top of a ravioli can for each of them and set Ariel’s can and a spork onto her sleeping bag, where she was still reading with her back turned.
“Yum,” she said when she saw the can. “A feast to be coveted!”
“It was made by a short, round chef who sought the finest ingredients and added his own magic to this humble vessel.”
Ariel giggled at the seriousness of her mother’s face as she described Chef Boy Ar Dee.
They ate their pasta cold and then munched on some dried fruit for dessert.
“So, here’s the plan,” Kate said, as their meal came to a close. “We aren’t going to take the regular trail to Mr. Slocum’s place. If Logan is smart, and unfortunately, he is, he’ll be staking it out.”
Ariel rolled her eyes at the concept of Logan being smart, but kept silent.
“We’re going to go down that trail by the waterfall and come out behind the cabin. There, we can hide for a bit and make sure Logan isn’t at Mr. Slocum’s. Then we can call the cops, and this will finally be over.”
“Sounds good to me,” agreed Ariel. “I’m glad you had sweatpants up here – the bugs are going to be after us at that time of night.”
“I know. It’s not ideal, but it’s the best plan I can think of.”
Ariel slung her arms around her mother’s neck. “It’s a great plan, Mom. We’ve got this.”
“Last time, Logan got hold of you behind my back. This time, I want you to walk in front of me, but not too far. We need to stay close to each other.” Kate added. “If he catches us – catches you – I want you to go limp. Just drop to the ground where he has to hold you up. It will distract him, and it will get you out of my line of fire.”
“You’re going to shoot him?” Ariel raised a naturally arched brow in question.
“If I have to,” Kate replied.
Ariel nodded, then offered her mother a comforting hand. Kate smiled, then glanced outside. “It’s time to go. Are you ready?”
“Ready as spaghetti.”
“Ready as a three-legged dog at a fire hydrant.”
“Ready as a one-legged man at a butt-kicking contest.”
“Ready as a one-eyed cat at a fish pond.”
“Ready as…. Darn it, you won again.”
They both giggled, tied up their boots, and grabbed their bags. It was time for the final leg of their escape.
They set off into a forest, draped in the dark cloak of the night.
…
The birds were silent but the cicadas screamed.
It was a strange, walking the trails at this time of day. Generally, Kate avoided being in the woods at dusk and dawn because those were the times of day when the local wildlife were most likely to be hunting for dinner. Today, it was a choice between the devil and the deep blue sea, and she was choosing the sea.
They hiked along the steep trail, using trekking poles to get over the more perilous areas. This trail wasn’t regularly used and was so faint it would be easy to miss in daylight, much less in the dark. But Ariel and Kate knew this mountain like they knew their own faces, and Kate was confident they wouldn’t get lost.
As the cloak of night fell heavier on the mountain, Kate could occasionally see gleaming eyes in the brush near them. She didn’t want to spook Ariel, so she kept it to herself. Just a fox or a raccoon, she told herself. Usually, she liked the feeling of not being alone on the mountain. Still, right now, she fervently wished that the local critters would go on a nice vacation somewhere else. Maybe somewhere tropical, she mused, then choked back a crazed giggle at the thought of bears and foxes on the beach in the Florida Keys.
They had been hiking silently for at least an hour when they heard it.
Logan was shouting for them in the distance, his voice broken and raw, like he’d been yelling their names all day. They both froze, and Ariel turned to face her mother, her eyes glinting under the moonlight.
Kate put her mouth right next to Ariel’s ear. “Sound travels in these woods. He may not actually be that close. We have to keep going, but do not make a peep.”
Ariel nodded that she understood, then stiffened her shoulders and proceeded down the path. They walked as silently as possible, hoping to avoid a confrontation with Logan.
They’d actually learned a method for moving through the forest silently in a course they had taken with a Native American instructor. He had called it “fox walking.” You landed on your toes, then carefully rolled your foot back until your heel was down, listening carefully for signs of something underfoot that would be noisy. You sought out each step ahead of you with your toes to determine if there was a stick to crack under their weight or a rock that would slide noisily underfoot. Knees stayed bent, ankles stayed flexed, and the steps you took were to be small.
It was like mother-daughter telepathy when they both began to move with stealth, as they were taught. It was much harder work to progress silently, and it was far slower than simply striding along. However, it was worth the extra effort to remain undetected.
As it grew darker in the forest, they used their trekking poles more to feel out the way ahead of them than for balance. Finally, Logan’s voice faded and Kate signalled Ariel to stop with a hand on her shoulder.
Gratefully, they both sat down right in the middle of the path. A water bottle and a pack of peanut M&Ms hit the spot while they took a break. Kate’s legs were throbbing from the effort, and Ariel’s must be too, as Kate watched her daughter aimlessly rubbing her thighs while snacking.
Kate whispered, “Either he’s not yelling anymore or we are too far away to hear him.”
Ariel said, “It was getting quieter as we walked. I think we’re too far away. I bet he’ll yell forever, he’ll be so mad.”
Kate nodded in agreement. “It’s hard to tell in the dark, but I think we should be coming up to the back of Mr. Slocum’s place in the next hour or so,” she told her daughter.
Ariel’s nod was barely perceptible in the dark. “It feels so strange to be out here without a flashlight.”
“It does,” her mother agreed.
“But I kind of like it,” Ariel continued. “It’s like we’re reclaiming our mountain from that jerk.”
Kate smiled. “I love you, Ari, and I’m so proud of how strong you are.”
“Aw, shucks,” Ariel whispered back, feigning a strong accent and looking down in a pretend-humble pose.
They both laughed softly, finished their snacks, and got up to continue their trek. Out of habit, Kate stuffed the wrapper from her candy into her front pocket to throw out later.
They pressed on, the forest around them a maze of shadows and soft creaks. The trail, barely visible in the dark, wound through thickets of rhododendron and pine. In this part of the forest, the air smelled strongly of damp earth and decaying leaves.
They walked in a more normal way now, Kate’s trekking pole probed the ground ahead and she stepped carefully, but she was no longer walking in a crouch. Ariel followed suit, stepping lightly over the trail littered with branches, decaying leaves, and pine cones. Kate’s heart still raced from Logan’s distant shouts, but the silence now was almost worse. It was like the mountain was holding its breath, waiting for something to happen.
They were close to Mr. Slocum’s property, maybe an hour away, though the dark made every step feel like a roll of the dice. Kate’s legs throbbed, but she pushed the pain aside, focusing on Ariel’s silhouette ahead of her. Her daughter’s resilience was incredible.
A sudden rustle broke the quiet, heavy and close, from the brush to their right. Fallen twigs cracked under the weight of something unseen.
Kate froze, her left hand shooting out to grip Ariel’s arm and her right hand aiming the gun she hadn’t even remembered drawing. Ariel stiffened, her breath hitching.
“Don’t move,” Kate whispered. “Don’t move at all.”
About Daisy
Daisy Luther is a coffee-swigging author and blogger who’s traded her air miles for a screen porch, having embraced a more homebody lifestyle after a serious injury. She’s the heart and mind behind The Organic Prepper, a top-tier website where she shares what she’s learned about preparedness, self-reliance, and the pursuit of liberty. With 17 books under her belt, Daisy’s insights on living frugally, surviving tough times, finding some happiness in the most difficult situations, and embracing independence have touched many lives. Her work doesn’t just stay on her site; it’s shared far and wide across alternative media, making her a familiar voice in the community.
Known for her adventurous spirit, she’s lived in five different countries and raised two wonderful daughters as a single mom. Now living in the beautiful state of North Carolina, Daisy has been spreading her knowledge through blogging for 15 years now.
She is the best-selling author of 5 traditionally published books, 12 self-published books, and runs a small digital publishing company with PDF guides, printables, and courses at SelfRelianceand Survival.com You can find her on Facebook, Pinterest, and X.
The post Haven Hill: Chapter 18 appeared first on The Organic Prepper.
New Posts (Home)
ChatBox
Popular Posts 
Game Zone
Top PodCasts
