Melissa called out again. She knew no one would be able to hear her, but she had no other options. She had been hiking for hours and had become lost. She had food and water, so she hadn't panicked. But while trying to climb up a steep slope, hoping to reach a location where her cell phone would work, she slipped.
It could be worse - she was scraped and bruised, but nothing seemed broken. But she knew she was in serious trouble. She was at the bottom of a ravine, with a twisted ankle that wouldn't support her weight. There was no way she could climb out. She wasn't sure how long she had been here, but it was getting darker - and colder - quickly. She felt like crying.
And then she heard it - a deep barking from above. She tried to call out, but she was almost hoarse from yelling. But when the barking changed to a howl, she knew the dog had heard her.
Then the howling stopped. "What is it, boy? Did you find something?" A man's voice, not too far away. And then she did begin to cry; tears of relief as her intense stress began to fade. "Helloooo!" he shouted. "Melissa! Are you there?"
"Here!" she managed.
"Are you okay?" He sounded relieved but concerned.
"I think so... but I can't get back up."
"Don't move... I'm coming down. You'll be fine now, just try and relax." The confidence returned to his voice, and her body obeyed, relaxing.
"Good boy! You did it! Now it's my turn... Stay!" His voice was deep and commanding. She could hear a loud metallic pinging. "'I'm going to run a rope down, just in case. It's pretty steep here." Within a minute, Melissa saw an orange rope dropping down about ten feet from her.
It was followed quickly by a tall man in a park ranger uniform:: a dark green shirt, khaki pants, and a khaki vest with more pockets than she could count. She couldn't see his face at first; it was shadowed by his ranger's hat and dark beard. He rappelled smoothly down the cliff, landing hard. He seemed to be in a hurry, but he spoke slowly and clearly when he turned to her.
"You're scraped up a bit. Anything broken?" He tried to sound casual, but she could tell by the way his penetrating eyes were scanning her that he was worried.
"I don't think so. Just a sprained ankle."
"Good. But I need to make sure - may I examine you?" he asked, but it wasn't really a question. She nodded. He didn't waste any time, kneeling beside her. "I'm Jack. I assume you're Melissa Conner?"
She nodded again. "Melissa is fine... umm... Nice to meet you, Jack."
He held a finger up. "Don't turn your head, but follow with your eyes," he told her, moving his hand from one side to the other, and back. "Good."
"Do you know what day it is?"
"Saturday, I hope," she laughed.
"Yes.. good. Sorry, I have to ask," he laughed too.
"Do you know how long you've been down here?" He wrapped a hand around her uninjured ankle, and gently squeezed as he moved it up past her knee. He continued to ask her more questions, distracting her as he continued to check for injuries. He checked her arms, and then her ribs, pressing gently. "No pain?"
She shook her head. "Just a little."
"This will hurt, but I need to check, in case you need a splint." He slowly moved her injured ankle. "Owww... " Melissa closed her eyes, grimacing.
"That's good - nothing is broken, as far as I can tell. You're pretty lucky... that's quite a fall. I brought a harness. But I think it will be quicker if I just use the rope to pull you back up. Does that sound okay?"
"Yes... I don't think I could climb, even with help."
He took off his small backpack, and pulled out a harness. He helped her roll over and then back. Reaching around her, he secured the harness across her chest, and between her legs. He moved quickly and deftly, but she still felt a tingling deep inside as his hands brushed against her.
"Sorry if it seems like I'm rushing," he told her, "but it's going to be dark soon, and there's a storm coming." As if on cue, a deep peal of thunder rumbled in the distance. He quickly adjusted the harness, making sure it fit snugly. Then he stood, put his pack back on, and helped her gently to her feet. He wove the orange rope through the carabiners on the harness.
"I'll climb back up, and then pull you to the top. Just relax, and you'll be out of here in no time." She smiled. He climbed quickly up the cliff, barely pausing to find a handhold, looking like he had done it many times.
"Ready?" he called down.
"Ready," she confirmed.
The rope tightened, and then she was lifted off the ground. Up.... pause... up... pause... two feet at a time. Halfway up, she could tell the wind had picked up; the sky was dark and gray. And then the rain began pouring down. It wasn't a light spring rain, but a hard autumn storm; she was drenched by the time she reached the top.
He secured the rope, and then reached over, taking the harness with both hands, and pulling her safely onto the edge. "There's a cabin not too far from here," he shouted over the storm. "We'll be safe there. Do you think you can walk a bit, with help?" She nodded.
He helped her to her feet, slipped the rope out, and began to remove the harness. She started to help, and then blushed as she realized the rain had soaked through her shirt, and her breasts were clearly visible. The cold wind tugging at her shirt had made her nipples hard.
He pretended not to notice, but when he repacked the harness, he pulled out a windbreaker and helped her put it on. "You're already soaked through, but this will help keep you warm."
"This fellow is 'King'," he said, reaching down to pet the big husky. "Woof!" the dog barked, wagging his tail, and then shaking the rain off his glossy fur. "King - cabin!" Jack ordered. The dog took off at once, bounding up the trail.
Jack put her arm over his shoulders, and then supported her with his arm. "I can support most of your weight, just take it slow. We'll follow King, he knows the way better than I do."
They gradually ascended the steep, rocky path. The storm and thick evergreen trees prevented them from seeing far, but they could hear King barking, always staying about thirty feet ahead of them.
Melissa wasn't sure how long the hike took, but it was pitch black when they finally reached the cabin, and she was exhausted. Jack had been chatting the whole way, encouraging her, but he was probably just trying to distract her from the pain.