Wanderlust dangers? Just Ask Kevin [story]

[Originally posted this fictional story on a secondary blog I started but will be rolling back in to mindescapes.net]

The tracks continued on, running ahead through a tunnel of growth, obscurring what lay ahead.

Good., Kevin thought to himself. I enjoy the suspense of an untravelled trail the most.

Though his journey had already surpassed his planned timeline, he continued on, his pace heightened by the unknown lying just out of sight. He knew he would have to head back soon but gripped as he was by wanderlust he forged ahead.

As he entered the tunnel under the growth he could feel the hair on the back of his neck rise, a creepy feeling settling into his gut. He looked around warily, searching for the cause of his reaction but nothing stood out.

The breeze rustled the leaves all around him, adding to his sense of unease. Kevin continued on, more cautious than before, eyes and ears alert for any danger.

He looked ahead to the light streaming into end of the tunnel some distance away. Seemingly the same distance as when he looked ten minutes earlier. He did not understand how that could be and decided he had better turn back after all, the tunnel longer than he had expected. Turning around, the entrance seemed every bit as far. Kevin began to panic and started running toward the entrance. An entrance he would never reach.

The djinn laughed, satisfied with the curse he had laid upon his latest victim…

[The End.]

Did you like this story? Fortunately the danger here was only fictional. There are dangers present with any hiking adventure however. Here are five things to promote safety on your next hike:

• Be aware of your surroundings at all times – failure to pay attention leads to many accidents, some severe
• Know your limitations – trying to tackle terrain beyond your ability is a good way to get stuck
• Only go where you are prepared to go – trying to free climb a cliff because you didn’t bring your gear is a good way to fall
• Always let someone know where you are headed and when you expect to be back– if you do end up in trouble this is a likely source of help finding you
• Take a friend – hiking alone can be very dangerous, having a friend along provides another set of hands, eyes, brains to deal with any troubles, it also can make the hike more fun!

Special thanks to Torfi007 for the tunnel image!

2018 – James Sponseller – mindescapes.net