Narrator Point of View
Daniel woke up as the light pushed through the gaps of the trees and traveled through the windows hitting his eye lids. The morning dew still lingering on the petals of the daisy that were planted by his grandmother long ago. He only watered them because it was in her memory he decided to keep them. He was a game console creator and worked mainly from home. When he bought his house, that was the first thing his grandmother planted. They were her favorite flower. Simple and common in his opinion, but her favorite.
Since he spent most of his days indoors, he didn't get much exercise. That's why on the weekends he would go on hiking trails and sometimes he would take a few weeks off to reset his mind. That is when he would travel and camp to see new places. He had traveled to Japan once to hike Mt. Fuji. The place was full of vibrant colors and views that would take your breath away. It was worth the expense to see the horizing in the morning and the sunset in the evening. The culture was rich and had a picturesque charm.
This year he wanted to hike the Appalachian Mountains to witness its mysterious allure. He had come across stories of its wonders and had seen pictures taken by the hiking trail. It brought out his sense of adventure, when he thought of potentially coming across some of the things that were unexplained in the forest.
Daniel's Point of View
I was so excited for my trip that I woke up two hours before my alarm went off. This was the first time I was going to take a trip not just to reset my mind, but to explore the forest like a child seeking a mystery. I had asked my parents to visit my house and water my daisies. My mother was always willing to do it because she also wanted them to stay alive. I don't have a dog because with my line of work, having a pet would force me to take a break and care for it. I'm not that benevolent to take care of another living being if it's myself or my parents. It's probably the reason I'm still single or it's my lack of social environment.
Last night I was up reading and going through videos of the unexplained things that happen in the Appalachian Mountains. I guess the people who live there are sort of gate keepers. I do enjoy a good RPG game which is why I got into coding to build consoles and on the side game apps. We just recently launched the virtual reality goggles with a built in surround system that was light around the ears but effective. You couldn't tell whether the noise was coming from the system or outside. They were that good. The body suits were still in production, but I already had the prototype to test at home. It's what gave me the idea of taking this trip. I want to experience each feeling and sensation. So I can replicate it into the body suite.
It was still dark outside and most of my things were packed. My pantry only has non perishables in stock. I had dropped off the rest of my food at my mother's house. I didn't like to waste food and even though this trip was for two months, it would just be sitting there. My best friend Kyle texted me last night that he had to back out from our trip. It was a bummer because he's the one who kept insisting we take this trip and now that we finally get a chance to, he bails. But I can't be upset, his wife dropped a bomb on him, she was going to leave him if he left for two months. At first she was okay with the plan, but as we got closer to the date she switched it up. She told him that she was giving him the opportunity to figure it out for himself if it was right or not. I guess we failed, because I even thought it was fine. But then again, I don't have a social life or even a girlfriend. Am I really that terrible?
The rich aroma of coffee reached my nose. I looked at my machine and felt like I was leaving my third favorite item behind. I packed a travel size one. It's not going to be the same though. Looks like everything is packed and ready. Windows locked and secure. The house alarm system company was given notice. I dropped off the prototypes at my office for safe keeping. This way I'm not liable if someone breaks into my house. I get into my truck and start my engine. It's going to be one heck of a road trip. I also pulled a few thousand in cash just in case I come across places that don't take credit or debit cards.
Narrator Point of View
Daniel gets on I - 94 to drive in the direction of the Appalachian Mountains in West Virginia. He would then have to go through the I - 90 and a few other roads to get to the trails he wanted. After four hours of driving , he pulled over to get some gas and food to eat. He forgot to eat something before he left, but it was better for him. This way his mother didn't have dishes to wash. He got to the cashier who asked which pump he needed to use. When Daniel said the fourth pump, the cashier looked over in that direction and noticed there was camping gear on the truck. The cashier asked, "Are you going camping?" Daniel nodded and handed him his debit card. "Where to?" asked the cashier. Daniel looked at him and then at the register, then asked, "I'd like sixty dollars on pump four." The cashier flinched in surprise and said, "Oh, sorry, I was just curious." Then the cashier continued to enter his order. Daniel said, "I'm not a very good multitasker either. I'm headed to the Appalachian Mountains in West Virginia." The cashier's eyebrows went up. He then stuttered when he said, "wow, that's brave. I've been seeing stories on my reels. It looks interesting" Daniel chuckled and said, "we're probably following the same people." The cashier dug into his pocket and took out a key chain book. Then the cashier handed it to Daniel and said, "if you ever get lost or feel you're in the dark, read this. You might find the light in the process." Daniel took the book and looked through the pages, he squinted his eyes to read the first sentence. "Was this made for pixie fairies to read? It's so small," said Daniel. The cashier shrugged his shoulders and answered, "some old lady gave it to me once with a magnifying glass, but I lost that. So I haven't read it. I keep it in my pocket because I feel it's like a good luck charm." Daniel smiled and placed it in his pocket as he said "thanks."
The next four hours went by in a flash because Daniel was listening to an audio book, The Last Server King: Legend of Great Eden. He got to the chapter that the author last posted and he felt like he would have to wait an eternity before he could finish the book since he felt he wouldn't have access to wifi once he was in the mountains. He pulled over at a truck rest stop to use the bathroom and get something to drink. Perhaps a cola, so he can stay up a little longer.
As he picked up his drink, a driver walked up to the vending machine, but kept his distance to give Daniel his space. Daniel stepped back and gestured for him to go. He said, "Thank you for waiting for me and not invading my personal space." The truck driver chuckled a little and said, "no worries. It's also a safety precaution. The road is full of crazies these days unfortunately." Daniel opened his drink and took a few gulps before saying more. "I barely leave my house, so I wouldn't know any better," said Daniel as he drank some more cola. The truck driver took his energy drink from the vending machine and responded, "yeah, that must be heaven. Sometimes ignorance is bliss. Stay safe on the road, lots of spooky stuff happens too. I wish I could talk more, but I'm on the clock. I need to get paid," said the truck driver as he walked away.
Daniel stood there for a few minutes as he observed the man drive off. Then he decided to walk back to his truck when bumped into a man. "Oh, excuse me. I didn't see you there," said Daniel. The man was in a black suit and he wore a top hat. The outfit looked old-fashioned and the man looked thin. He had pale skin, thin long hair and a vintage watch on his left hand. The man didn't say anything to him. He just stared at Daniel. Daniel said under his breath, "not creepy at all." Then he walked away slowly, not taking his eyes away from the man in the suit. When he got in the truck, he locked his doors. As he fidgeted trying to find his key, he dropped it. Daniel said, "butter fingers," then reached to grab the keys. When he got up, he looked in the direction of where he last saw the man, but didn't see him. He put the key on the ignition to turn on the truck as he said, "I've seen this movie before, not today man." He placed his car in reverse and looked at his rear view mirror to see the reflection of those same sunken eyes staring at him from the back seat. Daniel jumped a little as his hands made a fist to punch the man, but when he looked at his back seat, he didn't see anyone. Daniel pulled away from the rest area and drove off in a hurry. Then he turned on his radio to drown out what he just experienced.