The forecast was for a fine weekend. Sunny and bright but not too hot. On both side of the mountains, as well. I'd been caught before where it had been sunny on one side and raining on the other. As I had the entire weekend free I decided that I was going to use one of the lesser used tracks up the side of Mount Fredricks, camp on the top, or use a hikers shed if one was free. The next day I'd come down via a different path. I was taking my camera with me, hoping for some nice wildlife shots.
I set off bright and early Saturday morning. The weather was proving the forecasters accurate and I was full of vim and vigour. I parked at the bottom of Mount Fredricks and was soon on my way. I wasn't racing madly along, just taking my time and enjoying the scenery. Going across one bridge I could see down into the valley and I spotted some deer near the water. With the use of a telescopic lens I might have been standing right next to them and I got a couple of good shots.
Feeling chuffed I continued on my way, smiling happily. At lunch time I stopped for a snack. I was a little surprised to find it was cooler than I'd expected but put this down to the elevation. Late afternoon and I figured another hour or so and I'd be at the top and could make camp. Half an hour later it became dark, fast.
Bewildered I looked up and saw big fat clouds tumbling around the mountain and moving onto my side. It appeared the fricking forecasters had no idea what they were talking about. I hurried up, keeping an eye out for somewhere to shelter as those clouds looked as though they were heavy with rain.
I finally saw a glimpse of light through the trees and a track leading in that direction. I hurried along it, wanting to beg for some shelter before the rains came. I nearly made it. There was a flash of lighting and a roll of thunder and the rain started. Not where I was just yet, but approaching. I was no longer hurrying -- I was flat out running, hearing that downpour getting closer with each moment that passed.
I sort of made it. The rain reached me just as I reached the cabin, darting under the overhanging roof. I also tripped over something and took a header right into the front door. The door was unlatched and spilled me into the cabin, lying flat on my face.
I was too stunned to say anything at first. I did notice that there was a very large man sitting at a table, looking towards me. Before I found my voice he found his.
"Please, there is no need to genuflect when you meet me, even if I am a magnificent specimen of a man. A simple bow from the waist would suffice."
I scrambled to my feet, spluttering. Genuflect indeed.
"I wasn't genuflecting," I protested. "I tripped on something and fell against the door. The door opened and dumped me on the floor."
"Doors make a habit of opening. You need to be careful around them. Ah, are you here for any reason apart from my door tossing you in?"
"Yes. I was hoping to seek shelter for the night. The forecast was for a sunny day. On both sides of the mountain, too. Ah, I'm Megan."
"And I'm Con. Well it appears as though the forecasters got it wrong. Again. Doesn't matter. You can spend the night here. Seeing that it's dinnertime why don't you make yourself some dinner. I assume you have supplies for it. Don't worry about me. I've just had mine."
"Thank you," I said, nodding politely.
"If you want coffee just turn on the kettle. Milk is in the fridge, coffee in that jar, sugar there. Mugs in that cupboard. If you want tea, bad luck."
"The coffee would be appreciated." He was apparently prepared to be helpful as long as it didn't involve him doing anything.
I turned on the kettle and shortly after I was enjoying my dinner with coffee, an unexpected bonus. At the same time I was looking over my host. My initial impression had been that he was a large man. I was now feeling that my initial impression was underrated. He was huge. Well over six foot and probably two fifty pounds or more. And it wasn't fat. Muscle all the way. His arms were thicker than my legs, for god's sake. If he ever wanted to move house he'd probably just pick it up and take it to where he wanted it.
I suspected that he'd also been looking me over but I knew what he'd see. A girl of about twenty, lucky to be a third his size. Quite shapely but not outstanding. Dark shoulder length hair and brown eyes. Just your average girl, I guess.
I finished my dinner and relaxed with my coffee. I was warm and dry in here while outside the rain had become increasingly heavy and at this altitude probably freezing as well. It was dark outside and I had no idea what time it was and I couldn't be bothered looking at my phone to check. I just sat back and did nothing.
"Finished?" came his growling voice and I nodded. I also took the time to look a little more thoroughly around the room. It was a spacious room with my current end set up as a kitchen while the other end was set up as a living room with couch, chairs and a big TV. There were also a couple of doors that led to a bathroom and bedroom, but I was only guessing at that.
"You'll probably be wanting to go to bed," he observed and I nodded.
"Ah, yes," I admitted. "Where should I sling my sleeping bag?"
"The couch will do. Before you do that you may want to use the facilities. That door."
He indicated the leftmost door. I thanked him and gratefully went inside and used the facilities. Quite a neat little bathroom he had in there. Better than the one I had at home.
"Finished?" he asked when I came out and I nodded.
"Yes, thank you," I said and headed over towards my sleeping bag and the couch.
I didn't make it. I took two steps and he picked me up and slung me over his shoulder in a fireman's carry. He took two steps and we were in his bedroom, the door closing behind us courtesy of his kicking it closed. It was a very nice bedroom, thoughtfully decorated, spotlessly clean, and having a king-size bed which must have been hard to bring up the mountain.
For all that he had a nice bedroom I was not impressed. Alright, I was impressed but that was irrelevant. I didn't want to be in his bedroom. Neither did I want to be casually tossed through the air to land on the bed with a bounce. (A really comfortable bed I was willing to bed.)
Ever since he first grabbed me I'd been yelling at him, struggling, and hitting at him with my fist. The yelling he ignored, I don't think he even noticed the struggling, and the hitting probably hurt my fists more than him. As soon as I bounced on the bed I caught myself, turned, and went to dive off the other side of the bed.
What other side? The bed was flush against the wall. He must have a hell of a job making it. With the head of the bed also flush against a wall that left two sides, the right and the bottom, neither of which were any good to me. He was standing at that corner.
"What do you think you're playing at?" I demanded. "I insist you let me go."
"Do you? How strange. As to what I'm playing at I'm not playing at anything. I am however going to do something. Do you want to make a guess as to what that is?"
