The Nightmare

Running out of time, he thinks about moving for heavier cover hearing the men pursuing shouting. It sounds as if they are moving west away from him. Is it possible he gave them the slip? He keeps moving into the denser evergreens.

Terror struck hearing the steady thumping of the helicopter rotors the dense evergreens would conceal him,from those looking down. He moves undercover watching for the helicopter, using a zigzagging pattern definitely hunting him. He listens for voices, hearing nothing the helicopter passes overhead. He is heading east toward the Ranger Station. The helicopter is moving north. He was briefly safe.

The forest was dense the terrain rough making moving difficult. He continues east listening watching over his shoulder. No longer hearing the voices, he refuses to relax. The sounds of the helicopter rotors are steady and rhythmic the thumping getting closer. The helicopter south of his position, he watched its zigzagging through the air. He could see the silhouette of man in the doorway. He suspects he is using binoculars. He moved under the heavy branches waiting for the helicopter pass overhead.

Rain threatened all morning it started he held his head back catching the refreshing rain satisfying his thirst. He slows his pace needing to preserve energy, if his pursuer changes' direction and pick up his trail. He found a plastic bag in one of his pockets it becomes a water catcher. He stops briefly catching water dripping from the evergreen branches.

He comes to logging road heading east and west stopping listening, not hearing the voices. The road would make traveling easier and faster, but expose him to the aerial surveillance. He crossed the road cautiously changing direction headed south he continues for approximately a mile, turns east the rain continues harder. He needs to avoid gully's flash flooding occurs often here. The Rangers always warns hikers about flash flooding in Sequoia.

When attacked earlier he lost his equipment, he carried a large Gerber folding knife on his belt and compass. He had fishing hooks and line in one pocket a small first-aid kit, his wallet and few other items. People carry when hiking.

He stops an eerie silence settled over the forest alerting him to possible danger. The rain had stopped the helicopter rotors not heard, the shouting nonexistence the birds grew silent. He turns 360 degrees searching for signs of danger not seeing or hearing anything. He senses pending doom. His pace quickens, his paranoia running rampant.

Stopping staring at what he believes a Troll with a stone war axe rested on his shoulder. The Troll stared back briefly before walking away. He was terrified unable to speak watching the giant troll disappeared. He probably wouldn‘t have called out, but he was too terrified. He thought the Troll imagined. Possibility from exhaustion and dehydration the rainwater did not replenish his systems water supply.

He shakes off the appearance and disappearance, assuming the Troll imagined. What next dragons, fairies, and elves he thought. He laughed checks his compass continues walking east knowing the Ranger Station, campgrounds, and his vehicles were there.

He estimated the campground three miles away give or take; during his flight, he traveled in many directions to avoid detection. The killer’s nasty individuals with automatic weapons why they attempted to murder him a mystery. It was doubtful he could identify them. It happened so fast scaring him senseless.

They reacted violently when stumbling into his camp, while he washed at the stream. His absent from the campsite saved him. Since the first encounter with five dangerous armed men, he has run or walked. Now they had a helicopter searching. Who were these idiots, why did they want him dead? He had no known enemies.

He stopped dead in these tracks seeing the two white Unicorns playing in the clearing. He closes and opens eyes shakes his head the Unicorns remain. Their horns golden; deadly if the Unicorns felt threatened, he thought. They sense or heard him disappear quickly into the forest as the Troll had.

He sets downs leans against a tree trying desperately to explain the strange sighting of the Troll and two Unicorns. Hearing a noise above, he looks up staring down the strangest horrible lizard-like creatures. He jumps up runs down the path. The Unicorns disappeared.

He glanced over his shoulder expecting the lizard creature with clawed hands, razor-sharp teeth, and red glaring eyes to give chase. The lizard creature did not. He slows checks his compass. He had mistakenly been heading south changing direction heading east again. He watched the forest for lizard creatures, Troll, and Unicorns. He considered briefly that he had lost touch with reality hallucinating, or losing his mind. He shook those thoughts away and continued his journey to the Ranger Station, wanting to put the nightmare behind him. He would report the armed men trying to kill him. He would omit the Troll, Unicorns, and lizard creature when reporting the incident. He didn’t want the authorities to think him an insane lunatic.

When leaving Ranger Station, he took the northern trial west for an experienced backpacker. When he encounters the killers earlier this morning, he ran south to escape before turning east toward the Ranger Station. He did not have GPS or any way of measuring distance traveled. He believed he should reach the Ranger Station anytime. He did not cross any hiking trails, seen signs of other hikers. This was strange he continues walking watching for monster and creatures.

He checked his watch and the compass. He still traveled east it was nearing 3 o’clock he should have reached the Ranger Station he thought. He didn’t think he bypassed the Ranger Station. He changed direction and headed south for higher ground needed a fix on his position. He might see the Ranger Station from taller ground.

Forty-five minutes later, he reached the summit looking down into an unfamiliar valley a large river wind through it. He stared in stun silence knowing north of Silver City California in Sequoia National Park. No large rivers ran through the National Park, only small streams having hiked this area numerous times.

This river was as large as the Colorado, Mississippi Rivers. Nothing moved in the valley or on the river. He checks with his binoculars. He dropped like a rock. He thinks the river and valley another hallucination as the Troll, Unicorns, and the lizard creature.

He feels like crying dark shadow passes overhead startling him. He looks looking at the large bird. It wasn’t a freaking bird; it was a dragon with a spiked tail. He moves under a rock ledge suspecting the dragon searched for food. He certainly did not want to become the dragons' dinner.

Checking the sun estimating the time, it matched his watch nearly 4 o’clock. He watches the draon disappear over the horizon. He could not believe seeing strange creatures and seemingly transported to an unfamiliar place. The landscape appeared the same as Sequoia but different the river should not be there.

He was unable to reach a logical conclusion, to his predicament. He starts his descent needed water, starved not having eaten anything today. Searching his pocket, he found a protein bar it tasted terrible, he ate it anyway. Checking his pockets again, he found his propane lighter. He would have fire tonight. No other protein bars found in the multiple pockets of his vest and cargo pants.

Minutes later, he found a small spring, drinking his fill. He washed, continued his descent. He saw familiar animals throwing rocks at rabbits and squirrels, not coming close to hitting them. He would probably go hungry tonight having given up finding the Ranger Station. He doubted it existence in this strange foreign place.

He heard the unfriendly rattle of the rattlesnake. He froze listening intently until he located the snake. He eased back a few steps picking up a large rock. He eases forward the rock held ready. The rattling intensified, he stopped hurling a rock, a direct hit. He would not go hungry tonight. He removed the snakes' head, cleaned it, and continued his descent.

He was unable to reach the river before the sunset. He stopped near a small stream built a fire started cooking the snake. He was sharpening a tree limb making crude spear thinking. He probably needed it for protection.

He jerked awake his underwear and sheets soaked in sweat from the nightmare recurring every night for the last five years never changing. He always was lost in Sequoia National Park chased by killers. He was mysteriously transported to a strange mythological place how this could was possible he didn't have a clue. This mythical land had Trolls, Unicorns, lizard creatures, and dragons. He always awoke making a spear out of a tree branch while the rattlesnake cooked.

Every night the same dream occurred; it started five years ago today. Exactly, 1825 days the nightmare started and never changed, since his incarceration in Huntsville prison for manslaughter. The prison psychiatrist theorizes the nightmares' psychological punishments for his killing a man, during a bar fight. He never intended to kill him. It was accidental the court sentenced him to five to seven years for manslaughter.

John Harrison is eligible for parole next month the psychiatrist thought if parole granted the nightmares would stop. He does not agree with the psychiatrist. He believes it is a vision; of something horrible, that will happen in his future. He intends to stay in Texas and never travel to California and the Sequoia National Park.