Romantic Weekend Away

This was from the 2nd last class of my fall session of my creative writing class, the purpose was to add some physicality - so describing physical sensations.  This came to me.

It was fun because I can see how this could be expanded (though I won’t be the one writing this story).  

I even left it at a bit of a cliffhanger - what do they see when they turn the corner?  A view, a bear, a parking lot?  

Let me know in the comments what you think they see.

Romantic Weekend Away
The straps of my pack dig into my shoulders painfully, the weight slowing me down.   I’m only a mile in and already I’ve lost Eric who seems to have bounded up ahead.

               When he mentioned wanting to take me for a weekend away, this isn’t exactly what I was expecting.  I immediately said yes, picturing a fancy boutique hotel in the city.  Days spent exploring, evenings dining at fancy restaurants and having drinks on some rooftop while we watched the sun set over the skyscrapers.

               Imagine my surprise when we ended up at an outdoors store to get me “kitted” for a weekend backpacking trip.

               “Don’t worry hon, I’ll carry the tent and cooking gear,” he assured me.  “Your pack will weigh practically nothing.”

               Yes, my pack is half the weight of his, but it’s still twenty-five pounds and I’m not one to go for a short hike never mind a three-day, two-night trek up in the North Cascades Mountains.  I’m a city girl through and through, but I really like Eric.  Could maybe even love him.  He has a great job, he’s good-looking and he’s actually really nice, not like any of the douches I seem to constantly attract.

               It’s slow going through the woods.  It isn’t like sidewalks where you only have to watch out for gum or dog poop.  Here I have to contend with tree roots and rocky terrain.  That combined with hiking boots that I’m not used to wearing and the heaviness of the backpack. 

               “Doing all right there Han?”, Eric asks as I stumble out of the woods to find him waiting for me with an offering of water, though I have something called a hydration bladder.   “You seem to be huffing and puffing there, I thought you were in great shape?”

               “I’m in excellent shape, I’m ranked in the top 100 of most of my Pelton rides, I’ll have you know,” I snap, “excuse me if I’m not a mountain goat like you, prancing up and down mountains whenever I have time.  Besides you left me, you just took off.”  How dare he. 

               Eric puts his hands up in defense, “sorry, I was just joking!  You’re doing amazing for your first time, and I’m sorry I took off.  I’m just so excited to share this all with you.”

               “Then share it with me by staying with me.”

               We set off then, him in front bouncing all the trail like a 5 year old with energy to spare, me struggling to catch my breath.  It hardly seems fair.

               “You’re going to love it Hannah, I just know you will.  Completely
unplugging, it’s only 8 miles to our first campsite at the alpine lake.  You’ve never seen water so blue.  Waking up in the mountains is like nothing you’ve ever experienced.”

               “I’ve been to Nice, Hawai’I and Bahamas.  Beautiful blue water.  And indoor plumbing and fine dining.”

               Eric chuckles as we begin to climb.   It feels like I’m set on fire, everything from my calves and thighs to my lungs burning.  I’m cursing Eric and promising myself that I will be dumping him as soon as we get back.

​               Then we turned…