They decided to continue south into the Utah desert when they were eating at a little roadside diner in Pocatello. The drive from Idaho to Moab took seven hours, and by the time the three vans pulled into the parking area of Canyonland’s Upheaval Dome trailhead, it was four o’clock in the afternoon. It was still hot, but the highest temperatures were fading, and the sun painted everything in a perpetual golden hour glow that accentuated the red and orange rocks.

Ryan was expecting a crowd but was relieved to find only four other cars in the parking lot, “Okay everyone, grab your packs and make sure you have snacks and both your water bottles,” he said, as the other vans’ passengers climbed out and gathered behind his vehicle.

Denise stepped forward and addressed the gaggle of fidgety students, “So, in the last twenty-four hours we’ve gone from hiking in mountains with snow on the ground in July, to this desert where even this late in the afternoon, it’s still over 105 degrees. Make sure you drink water and keep an eye on each other. If anyone starts to feel woozy or stops sweating let one of the adults know immediately. Try to drink at least one bottle of water before we leave out of here. There are snakes in the area, and a few poisonous insects. I doubt you’ll see any, but if you do, just step away and leave them alone. Stay away from the ledges. We don’t want anyone plunging over a cliff. A picture on social media isn’t worth your life, so don’t be stupid.”

Ryan looked to make sure the twenty-students were nodding their head, “Okay, as far as the chaperones go, Jason and Denise will bring up the rear, I’ll be in front with Phil. Kim and Heather will be in the middle. The trail is short, and we’ll be back before it gets dark, but you’ll see one of the most amazing overlooks in the entire state of Utah, so start drinking that bottle of water and let’s get going.”

The trail they took ran along the top of a massive bowl that was created by erosion and the impact of a large meteorite. Most of the trail was marked with cairns placed along the rock face that were connected by sandy patches of soil tucked between boulders where pinyon pine and juniper trees crowded together in short, dense clumps. The bright sun glowed through broken white clouds and highlighted the division between stone and earth. Shadows from the clouds dotted the cliffs and accentuated a large, white salt dome in the center of the crater several miles wide. Ryan briefly thought about telling the kids all of this, but he was sure none of them would care.

The hike to the overlook was uneventful and took a little over an hour. After posing for photos, the group started back to the parking area. They had walked less than a mile when they came to a small ravine where a man and woman stood, peering over the edge. Watching Ryan and the group approach, the man came up holding his cell phone.

“Do you have a cell signal mate? We need to make a call?” he asked in a heavy Australian accent.

Pulling his phone from his pocket, Ryan checked, “No, I’m sorry, the cell service out here stinks.”

“We just saw an old bloke stumble into the bushes in that ravine. He was saying something in French. We couldn’t make it out. I think he’s in trouble.”

Ryan and Phil walked over to the edge and listened for any movement but couldn’t hear anything, “How long ago did you see him?”

“Just a minute. He was stumblin’ round like he was lost or sumthin’.”

Ryan had spent time in the Army and understood how to navigate and survive in the desert. Jason flew helicopters in the Marines and had experience working with fire and rescue in the civilian world. His wife, Denise, was a nurse and worked in an emergency room back home. The decision to help find the old man was immediate.

But their priority was to make sure the students were safe. He looked at the other chaperones, “Phil, would you, Kim, and Heather care to take the kids back to the parking area while Jason, Denise, and I stay here to help search for the old man for a few minutes?”

“Not a problem,” Phil answered. “We’ll try to contact the rangers. Do you want me to leave Trent here? He’s experienced in the outdoors and big enough to help carry someone if it comes to that.”

Looking at Phil’s son, Ryan agreed. Trent was a good kid and looked like he could handle himself, “Okay, Trent stays with me. You, Kim, and Heather take everyone else back to the parking lot and wait there. Contact the park rangers and let them know what’s going on. Hopefully, they’ll send help.”

As the rest of the group headed back, Ryan walked over to where Denise and Jason stood alone, scanning the ravine, “Where’s the Australian guy?”

Jason looked back at the trail, “He said he was going to go find some help. Kinda weird how he just took off.”

“We could have used him. How do you think we should go about this with just the four of us?”

“Denise and I will move up here to our left and start working our way down to the bottom of the ravine to the right, you two stay here and guide us.”

Something moved in the bushes below them. A man with thick white hair, wearing a blue t-shirt, cargo shorts, and running shoes came stumbling out of the junipers and fell to the ground. They ran to him and rolled him over. Feeling his forehead and cheeks, Denise spoke to him in the same way she had countless others in the emergency room, “Hey there. How are you feeling? You’re lookin’ a little rough.”

“Lina, Lina, at bottom. Lina at the bottom,” the old man said in a heavy French accent.

“Lina is at the bottom?” Denise asked in a loud voice, “Who is Lina?”

“Yes, yes. My wife, Lina.”

“What is your name?”

Struggling to sit up he looked around as if he was just realizing where he was, “I am Arthur,” he answered after gulping down water from a canteen that Jason handed him, “Lina is at the bottom.”

Ryan and Jason looked at each other and walked over to the edge of the ravine, “She’s down there?” Ryan asked Arthur.

“At the bottom!”

Looking back and forth between Jason and Ryan, Denise stood above Arthur as he continued to drink, “He’s dehydrated and may be in mild shock. Do you think his wife is down there?”

“That’s what the man says,” Jason said as he scanned the sky and looked at his watch, “We need to go look before it starts to get dark. If she is hurt or something, she could develop hypothermia when the sun goes down.” Leaving Arthur with Ryan and Trent, Jason and Denise began sidestepping down into the ravine.

Pointing to a small pine near the trail, Ryan held Arthur’s right arm and started lifting him up, “Trent, help me move Arthur over to the shade.”

The old man was able to move mostly without assistance. The water was helping, but his skin was still clammy and pale. Ryan gave Arthur his last bottle of water and looked out across the desert. Dark storm clouds were forming in the distance but were still far enough away it was possible they would blow in a different direction. But the thought of being trapped on a bare rockface with a weakened old man and a sixteen-year-old kid in the middle of a lightning storm caused him to reconsider the current plan. Walking over to the ravine he shouted down to Jason.

“Jason, it looks like there might be a storm coming. We should probably get off this cliff.”

Jason stepped out from behind a juniper and Ryan could see him clearly about fifty feet below. “The trees and bushes down here are thick. There’s only so many places she could be. There’s no sign of her. We’re going to climb up the other side and walk down the opposite trail a bit.”

“Okay, hang on. I’ll tell Trent to take Arthur back to the parking area and I’ll go with you guys.”

Ryan walked back to where Trent was standing over Arthur, “Arthur, can you walk?”

Arthur shook his head and muttered his wife’s name, “Lina, Lina.”

Kneeling and making eye contact with the grieving man, Ryan pointed to the storm clouds in the distance, “Arthur, look at me. My friends and I are going to find Lina, but you see those black clouds out there? That’s a storm that could blow on top of us in just a few minutes. We can’t be sitting on a giant rock at the top of a canyon with no cover when that gets here. It’s not safe. Do you understand?”

Arthur nodded his head, “Lina.”

“Yes, my friends and I will look for Lina, but I need you to go with Trent. He will take you back to the parking area, okay?” Glancing at Trent and then back to Ryan, Arthur nodded.

Ryan helped him stand and looked at Trent, “So you know the way, right? It’s less than half a mile from here. Just follow the same path we took on our way out.”

Trent’s look was concerning but he agreed, “Yeah, I can do it.” He took Arthur by the arm and started walking up the rockface to a cairn that marked the trail. Ryan watched as Trent looked to his right and left, took one step back toward the overlook, paused, turned around, and then walked in the opposite direction before pausing again.

“Trent,” Ryan called out, “You have no idea how to get back, right?”

“No, sir,” Trent said, somewhat relieved his secret was so plainly obvious.

“Stay there.”

Ryan went back to the ravine. Jason and Denise had climbed out and were standing next to another trail on the far side, “Jason, change of plans. I’m going to take Arthur and Trent back to the parking area. I’ll grab more water and meet you two where you’re standing in one hour. If I’m not back by then, meet us back to the parking area before it gets dark.”

“Roger,” Jason shouted.

Ryan took the lead and started back. He could hear Arthur breathing heavily and every few steps, checked to make sure the old man and Trent were keeping up. They stopped a couple times to let Arthur catch his breath but made it back to the vehicles in less than twenty minutes. Without saying a word, Arthur walked to his car, collapsed into the driver’s seat, started the ignition, and cranked the air conditioner. Ryan thought it was odd that he didn’t check his phone or even ask what he could do to help find his wife.

Phil, Kim, and the students were huddled in a shelter by the vehicles, playing a game. Heather walked over to the van where Ryan was fumbling for his keys.

“I see you found the guy. What’s going on?” she asked as he opened the back door, pulled a water bottle out and started gulping it down.

“He says he left his wife at the bottom of the ravine.”

“What?”

“I know, right? Jason and Denise are out there looking for her now. It looked like there might be a storm blowing in and I thought it would be best to get Arthur and Trent back here. I need to collect as many full water bottles as I can and go back to help them. Did anyone contact the rangers?”

“We still don’t have cell service. Phil and Kim drove down to the nearest station, but there was no one there. The Australian man and woman said they’d go to the park headquarters.”

“Park headquarters is forty-five minutes away. So that’s an hour-and-a- half travel time to go there and get back. You must figure it will take the rangers at least twenty to thirty minutes to pull together a response team,” doing the quick math in his head, “that means it’ll be at least nine or nine-thirty before they get out here. We are going keep looking for the wife while it’s still light outside. The rangers may not get here until after sunset, and there’s no one else around to help. We can’t just leave her out there.”

“What about him?” Heather asked pointing to Arthur, “Is he going to be okay?”

“I think so.”

“Did he say anything more about what happened?”

“No, he just kept saying his wife is at the bottom.”

Heather watched Arthur as he sat motionless in his car with his eyes closed, “Are you just going to leave him here?”

“He’s in no shape to go back out there. Why?”

Heather stepped a little closer and spoke in a whisper, “What if he murdered his wife and left her in the desert? Do you think it’s a great idea to leave him here with us and a bunch of kids?”

Ryan looked around to make sure no one was watching, went up to the driver’s door, reached under the front seat, and pulled out a Glock 19 handgun. Checking to make sure it was loaded, he handed the weapon to Heather, “If he gives you any problem, either hold him a gunpoint until the rangers get here or shoot him.”

Heather took the gun and tucked it between her waistband and the small of her back, “Okay.” The issue was settled.

Ryan filled his pack with close to a gallon of water bottles and set off back down the trail to where Jason and Denise were supposed to be waiting. It was seven o’clock and the shadows were starting to extend further and further from the trees and cliff walls. The first part of the trail was the same one they had used going out and back from the overlook. But a short distance in, it forked, and one path went to the left of the ravine. He had never been on this trail, but he was hoping that it would lead him to Jason and Denise.

His mind was moving quickly, running through different scenarios, but his thoughts were not racing or imprecise. There was something about doing things of importance that have significance to other human beings that propelled him, aware that he was playing a role in a larger drama that might end in tragedy. This filled his mind with a certain sense of self-importance that, after thinking about it as he walked, conflicted with the moral purpose of trying to save Lina.

“Is it wrong of me to be enjoying this?” he thought, too embarrassed to say the words out loud, even when he was alone. “Because I do. I haven’t felt this alive in years, and it’s all because this woman is having what might just be the worst day of her life. And I’m enjoying it!”

Jason and Denise were waiting at the same spot on the far side of the ravine where he had left them. He handed them bottles of water from his pack and looked up to see where the sun was in the sky.

“Did you find anything?”

“Nothing, there is absolutely no sign of her. I don’t think she’s down there. Did you guys make it back to the parking area okay?”

“Yes, we had to stop a couple times to let him catch his breath, but he was fine. He was sitting in his car when I left. Let’s look little further down the trail to see if we can find anything.”

The three moved down the sandy path that curved around the base of a large wall and led to two giant boulders that had fallen together to form a narrow passageway. Removing their packs and carrying them by their sides, they slid through the narrows and emerged on the edge of a precipice that dropped beyond sight. The trail, shorn from the rocks on the side of the cliff wall, formed six switchbacks before leveling off. It was then that the truth dawned on them.

“Arthur wasn’t talking about the bottom of the ravine,” Ryan said, “He was talking about the bottom of the canyon.”

“Oh s--t. So, what do you want to do?” Jason asked, “There’s no way we can make it to the valley floor, look for the woman, and be back before dark. We don’t want to get stuck out here ourselves.”

Ryan checked his watch, “It’s seven thirty,” as he pulled his phone from his pocket to check for a signal, “maybe we should try to get a hold of 911 again?”

The three of them each looked at their phones and Jason held his up above his head, “It looks like I have one bar. Maybe I can text 911?” he said tapping away at his phone. A moment later, he received a response. “Woah, it worked! What do you want to tell them?”

“Tell them where we are, and that we’re going down into the canyon along the trail a little ways. Denise and I will go. You stay here at the top and maintain communication with them. We’ll shout updates up to you if we find any sign of Lina.”

“Don’t go too far. I’m serious man, we don’t want to get stranded or lost out here and become part of the problem.”

“We’ll climb down for about twenty minutes and then turn around. Now that we know the way, making it back to the parking area from up here in the dark won’t be a problem. It’s well marked, and I think we’ll have a full moon.”

Denise, followed by Ryan, carefully began working her way down the switchbacks. The first two-hundred yards were the most treacherous, where a trip could result in a deadly fall. But after ten minutes of careful steps, they reached a relatively flat spur that extended further down into the gorge at an easier slope. Ryan turned and shouted up the trail, listening to his voice echo against the rock wall behind him, “Jason, can you hear me!”

“Yes!”

“We’ve reached a flatter section that will make the going a little easier. Denise will stay here and relay messages up to you.”

“Okay, It’s going to be dark soon.”

Ignoring Jason’s second warning in fifteen minutes, Ryan checked his watch and looked at Denise, “I’m going to keep walking for another twenty minutes. I’ll give a shout every five to let you know I’m okay. If I’m not back in twenty, or if you don’t hear from me, climb back up to Jason and go back to the parking area. Sound like a plan?”

“It sounds like a plan but not a very good one. You shouldn’t even be thinking about staying out here after dark. You saw how steep that first section was. If you take one wrong step, you’ll probably die.”

I’m going whether you two like it or not. “I understand. I just need to find this woman. If it looks hopeless, I’ll call it off and we’ll climb out together. Agreed?”

“Okay. Be careful Ryan. Remember, don’t become part of the problem.”

Ryan nodded and started making his way down, stepping around large rocks that dotted the way, thankful the switchbacks were gone. Every fifty steps, he would stop and call out Lina’s name, but the only response was an echo reverberating throughout the canyon. Ten minutes later, he arrived at what he thought he was at the bottom, but it was just an extended plateau and there was still no response to his calls for Lina. Where are you woman? Where did you go?

The sun was beginning to turn the upper reaches of the cliff walls to bright orange as it dropped deeper in the western sky. With each step, Ryan became enclosed in a greyish light, but could still see a hundred yards in every direction. Turning around, he called out, “Denise, I’m going to keep looking. I’ll meet you and Jason at the top of the cliff, okay?” There was no response, but he kept going anyway. Lina had become his mission, and he was determined to find her, no matter the risks.

He continued his descent into the increasing darkness and came to another large drop off. Crawling on his hands and knees to the edge, he looked down and saw he was still at least eight-hundred feet from the floor of the gorge. D--- it, I thought I was close!

Sliding back from the ledge, he pulled his pack off, sat down on a flat rock and drank some water. He was now more than one-thousand feet below the canyon rim and the intensity of the sun on the highest walls was other-worldly. The rockface where they first encountered Arthur was glowing bright orange now, absorbing the brilliance of the sun. A line of unbroken shadows ran flat across the entire length of the canyon wall, making everything below subdued. The farther down he went, the darker everything became.

Stuffing the water bottle into his pack and slinging it across his back, Ryan stood and resumed his search. He soon reached a small patch of boulders, where he had to balance carefully while hopping from stone to stone. It was more difficult than it should have been. The stress and physical exertion of the day had taken hold and as he made the last jump, Ryan felt himself slip and fall sideways. He heard his head strike a sharp rock and felt something warm begin to stream down his face before everything went black. Oh my God, what… have… I….

When his eyes slowly came open, he did not move. The warmth of the orange cliff walls was gone, replaced by a cold bluish glow that gave everything an eerie luminescence. At first, he did not know where he was but realized that he had been lying there long enough for night to come. When most of the blurriness faded, he sat up and a surge of pain washed over him from every part of his body. Lifting his left arm to feel his throbbing head, he experienced a searing agony unlike anything he had felt before. His forearm was no longer strait and had assumed a grotesque inward angle, the shattered bones protruding through the skin about three inches above his wrist. Struggling to maintain consciousness, bile surged into his mouth and without even trying to roll away, he vomited into his lap.

Blood was still streaming from the left side of his head above the ear, but much of it had congealed into a gooey mass in his hair. Still trying to clear his head, he sat there for a moment gathering his thoughts. Use the IFAK in my bag. I gotta stop the bleeding.

Using his good arm, he unbuckled the quick release on the left shoulder strap of his pack and slung the bag to his right where he could get inside. Every movement made the pain worse. He pulled the individual first aid kit out, held it up to his mouth, unzipped it with his teeth, and removed a small green package that contained an Israeli bandage. Struggling with his one good hand and his teeth, he was able to loop the cloth through the tension clip and slide it over his head, placing the large gauze pad over the wound. Pulling it tight, he wrapped the rest of the fabric around his head several times and secured it with the Velcro at the end. Everything held in place, he appreciated the success and leaned back to rest for a moment. Little steps. Survival requires little steps.

He removed another bandage and a sling out of the IFAK and applied it to his forearm but did not pull the bandage tight. When he lifted his left arm to slide the sling underneath, Ryan thought he was going to pass out from the pain and leaned back against the rock and exhaled several times. After two more tries, he was able to get his arm into the pocket and raise the strap over his head to properly hold the injured arm in place, repositioning the bandage inside the pocket to properly cover the protruding bone. Satisfied with what he was able to accomplish, he took a drink of water and exhaled. I’m okay. I’m okay.

He pulled his phone from his pocket and for the first time, realized that he had been unconscious for close to an hour. There was still no cell service, and he began fighting against the emotions that were trying to force their way out. How did I get myself into this? Idiot! What were you thinking? I’m going to die out here. I’m going to die in the depths of this desert canyon trying to save a woman I don’t even know. What a waste! What a waste!

Everything about where he now existed, especially the complete and utter silence, created a place where he could not escape his thoughts, and as the moon rose higher a deep sense of humiliation welled in him. He was now in the same situation as Lina. He was now part of a problem that others must solve. Anyone who came upon him would look at him with shock and pity after seeing the poorly applied bandages, dried blood, bile stains, and layer of dirt and sweat covering his body. They would see him as a pathetic and weak fool, humbled and shamed by his own stupidity. The only way to avoid that was to continue; to find Lina and be seen as her wounded savior.

Ryan tried to stand, but the nausea and dizziness forced him to sit again. Pulling the next to last bottle of water from his bag, he drank and sat for another thirty-minutes. He took two deep breaths and pushed himself to his feet. Taking small, unsteady steps, he continued his decent into the darkness below.

Other than a few sections where the steepness forced him to steady himself with his good arm, the trail itself posed no further challenges. With each step, his mindset improved, and it became easier to work through the dizziness and pain. In the military, he learned just how far he could push himself and had known people who had been shot multiple times, suffered terrible injuries much worse than his, and continued to fight. Some even walked themselves to the medevac helicopter afterwards. A broken arm and a bump on the head would not keep him from reaching the bottom.

After another hour, he finally discovered the level ground of the canyon floor. The moon had risen near its apex and provided more than enough light to see except for the areas closest to the walls. In a weakened, dry voice that was barely strong enough to create an echo he called out, “Lina? Lina are you out there?” There was no response. The canyon dead-ended immediately to his left, so he went right for what seemed like a long time before he came to her.

Dressed in a bright green t-shirt, shorts, and running shoes, she sat motionless with her back against a small rock, slumped forward, her head hanging unsupported, chin against her chest. Ryan moved to her as quickly as he could and fell to his knees beside her, “Lina? Lina? Can you hear me?”, but she didn’t move. Using his good hand, he gently raised her head until it flopped backwards, the moon reflecting in her vacant, lifeless eyes, locked open and searching in death.

* * * * *

The compact blue rental car pulled into the busy parking lot around eight o’clock in the morning. Arthur and Lina looked at the trail map they had picked up at the park headquarters and considered their options.

“Which trail should we take, my love?” Lina asked.

“Not sure. The overlook?”

“That’s too short? I’d like to do something with a little more distance. We’ve been driving for hours.”

“How far do you want to go?”

“Here’s a trail that’s about eight miles. It’s a loop that starts here, goes around the base of the dome, and up the canyon. I bet we can do it in four or five hours.”

“This is the desert honey. It’s hot.”

“I know, but we will probably never see any place like this again, certainly not in France.”

“I’m not sure we have enough water.”

“There’s a machine right over there. We’ll buy a couple bottles. That should be fine.”

“Okay, darling.”

It was their first time in Canyonlands, and they came looking to experience the American West just like the cowboys of old. They had flown into Salt Lake City the day before and, eager to get started, driven to Moab that morning. Arthur was a fan of the western movie classics, and this place looked like something out of a favorite John Ford movie. It was perfect.

He and Lina were both accountants who worked in the same office building in Leon, France. They met each other late in life and took-up hiking five years before to spend time together away from the city. The trails in the high mountains of the French Pyrenees were a favorite. Once they crossed over into Spain to visit the amazing Bardenas Reales for a day. It was that visit that inspired their trip to the United States.

Two twenty-ounce bottles of water fell down the hollows of the machine and bounced in the dispenser below. Lacking a backpack or shoulder bag, Arthur stuck both in the cargo pockets of his shorts while Lina looked at the trail map to get her bearings.

“Have you chosen the way dear? Arthur asked as he watched her rotate the simple, hand-drawn document that was neither accurate nor to scale.

“I believe if we move up this trail here, and keep to our right, it will take us down to the bottom of the gorge. Once we’re there, a single trail will take us around the dome. It’s called the Syncline Loop. There’s no way we can get lost.”

“You always know the way,” he said and gave her a peck on her cheek.

The trail followed the canyon rim for close to three miles and was deceptively easy. Leaving their hats in the car, without noticing, the heat and bright midday sun started turning their foreheads and faces pink. Both were sweating profusely but did not notice as the dry air wicked it away, leaving white salt stains on their shirts. Enjoying the moment, they stopped from time to time and took in the view, drinking out of the first bottle of water with little concern.

As they continued on, the decent was much more difficult than anticipated, and they lost the trail several times. Nearly two more hours passed before they reached the canyon floor. Lina pulled the map from her pocket and looked around, trying to find their exact location. They had finished the first bottle of water several hours before and took turns taking regular drinks from the second.

“I think we are about here,” Lina said, pointing to featureless spot on the map.

Having always relied on her for navigation, Arthur leaned over to see, not really knowing what to look for, “How far do you think we have gone?”

“According to the distances on this, it looks like we have about three miles more to go.”

“This is taking a lot longer than what we thought.”

“Yes, but we are well past halfway. The shortest distance back is forward.”

Looking at the now half-empty bottle of water they had left, Arthur was concerned but did not say anything, “Okay dear, lead on.”

The path through the canyon was even more difficult and confusing to follow. Several times, Lina mistook dry creek beds for the trail, taking them through meandering detours that required backtracking and long searches for the correct way. In one instance, they walked more than a mile in the wrong direction before coming to a dead end. By the time they found their way back to the trail it was almost three o’clock in the afternoon and the water was completely gone.

They walked on, silently, feet dragging and stumbling over small rocks and dips in the trail. Lina had stopped sweating hours before, and even with the sunburn, Arthur saw that her face was starting to turn pale. When they arrived at the base of a cliff where the trail ascended out of sight, Lina stood perfectly still, staring up at the wall. Taking a labored step forward, her legs wobbled, and she collapsed to the ground.

Arthur came and leaned her against a nearby rock, tossing several stones away so she could sit more comfortably, “How much further do you think we have?”

Barely able to speak, Lina pointed up the cliff, “I don’t know dear. It’s that way.”

Arthur looked up the canyon wall and held Lina’s clammy hand in his, “We must keep going. We must be close.”

“I can’t darling. I can’t move my legs. But I’ll be better soon. I just need to rest.” Her voice quivering and weak.

Arthur felt her forehead and touched her wrist. Her heart was racing, “Okay darling. If you think it’s not much farther, maybe I should go find help?”

“No, please don’t leave me here alone. I can’t be here by myself.”

“I must get you help. I think you are having a heat stroke. We have no water, and you look very weak. I’m scared for you.”

“I don’t care. I will be better soon. I just need to rest for a moment,” she said as her eyes began to glaze over, vacant and confused. “Please don’t leave me. Please don’t leave. It always snows here in June. What about the dogs? Please don’t leave.”

Arthur looked at her and slowly shook his head. She was hallucinating. Tears came to his eyes, and he gripped her hand tightly, “Look, my love, I must get you help. I am going to run up this hill and find someone who can save you. I’ll be back shortly. I promise, love. I promise.”

A panic washed over Lina’s face unlike anything Arthur had even seen, and the unbridled fear gave power to her voice, “Don’t you leave me! Don’t leave me!” she sobbed, “If you love me at all, you will not leave me here!”

Arthur held her one hand with both of his and kissed it, pressing it forcefully against his lips, “I will be back, I promise.” He rose and started up the trail, walking slowly at first, second guessing as Lina screamed at him.

“Don’t! Don’t! Please! Please Arthur, don’t leave me here! Please!”

The echoes of her screams continued for several minutes as he climbed the cliff, but eventually fell silent. The sound of her crying never left Author’s mind until he came to a ravine at the top of the cliff and heard someone talking above.

* * * * *

Ryan sat next to her for a time, silent. His arm was throbbing, and small droplets of blood seeped from beneath the bandage on his head. Reaching up, he pressed it against the wound and felt blood run down his face like water from a saturated washcloth. For a second time, he thought about the possibility of dying. Reaching into his pack, he grabbed the last of his water and drank it down. More time passed, and despite his best effort to stay awake, he succumbed to the exhaustion and blood loss, his eyes drifting shut as he looked out at the moonlit landscape.

More time passed. It was the brightness of the headlights that woke him. The side-by-side all-terrain vehicle stopped a few feet away and he saw three shadows climb out and run towards him. One of them tilted his head to his shoulder and spoke into a microphone fixed on the shoulder of his vest.

“Yes, we found them. Have the helicopter standby, we’re going to need a medevac.”

* * * * *

The park rangers and local sheriff arrived just after dark, and the noises from their radios chaotically betrayed what was otherwise a calm and organized scene. A tall sheriff’s deputy wearing a cowboy hat and boots came to get a statement from Arthur. He told him everything as it happened, except for when Lina pleaded with him to not leave her alone to die in that terrible place. After the deputy nodded his head in acceptance of Arthur’s facts, feeling much older than he had that morning, Arthur went to his car and sat with the air conditioner blowing in his face, trying to erase Lina’s screams from his memory. He watched the helicopter fly over the parking lot and disappear into the blackness, and even though he did not fully understand all the English words coming over the police radios across the way, he could tell by the looks on the faces of the men they had found his beloved wife.

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