#sldfjljfa

[full-tiltboogiearc]

"Really? Back home, our coyotes were, like, murderers. They killed people's dogs all the time."

Such was life being in the Upper Peninsula. While still technically considered the Midwest, it was somewhat more lawless: vast amounts of untouched forest where wildlife could roam free in ways that it simply couldn't when it was near suburbia. The downside, however, was the occasional slew of animal attacks. Coyotes were often the number one culprit. Hell, maybe they were wolves, and neighbors weren't smart enough to give accurate accounts.

They stopped for a moment, Noah nodding her head toward a cluster of brush. "There," she said, pointing her flashlight at a particular vine tangled within the bottom half. A bright green three-leaved plant reflected shining white underneath the flashlight. "Did you know that the plant itself isn't actually poisonous? It's just called that because our human skin gets an allergic reaction from the oil that's on the leaves. But animals, like deer and raccoons, eat poison ivy all the time. Even a dog or cat won't get affected by it if they touch it."

It might have seemed strange for a girl like her—this 'aspiring Hollywood actress'—to know what she did about nature, but she spent a lot of time trekking the woods as a kid. Try as she would to shove it aside, Noah was a full-on UPer, more outdoorsy than she'd like to admit. It had its ups and downs: She could make a fire or build a lean-to, but other little girls her age were buying Barbies and going to the mall. (She could blame her dad for that one.)

She gave Ramy another moment to examine the leaves before moving forward. At his words, she snickered. "Then maybe a simple, 'Hey Noah, let's get outta here,' might be better for you. I guess I didn't realize that marshmallow could relate to, like, making s'mores out in the wilderness or something. What an oversight.

"But I'm glad you're having fun. The chances of there actually being a Bigfoot out here is just���" The sentence was so ridiculous she didn't finish it. "Anyway, thanks for coming out with me. I needed this break."

Eventually, the path became large enough for them to walk side-by-side, which Noah always liked better than one person leading the way. Each step they took, leaves and gravel crunched underneath their shoes. Her flashlight had wandered to their feet a bit and she lifted her brows in surprise. "Hey, cool shoes. Did you just buy those?"

Suddenly to their left, in the same long trail of brush that she'd pointed out the poison ivy in a ways back, leaves rustled. She stopped in her tracks. "Did you... hear that?"

ramy felt sort of stupid about the whole thing once they were separated, though no more than if she'd suggested they go elk hunting or something. he'd never been outdoorsy and his family wasn't really either. none of his family would be caught dead camping in back country. he wasn't opposed, obviously--since he was going, but he didn't like feeling stupid or like he didn't know anything. and he did feel stupid because he didn't know anything.

fortunately, he had some extra money from the con appearance and was able to grab an uber to a not-so-entirely-out-of-the-way rei to ask about some hiking boots (were converse going to cut it? not according to blaze, the bro in patagonia, whom ramy suspected must work on commission). so now he had a flashlight, some weird packaged electrolytes or something, a couple of cliff bars, hiking boots, and a multi-tool he'd been suckered into buying by blaze. overall, he felt phony. so he ended up wearing the converse anyway, a flannel he'd brought for the weather, which he wore over a pullover hoodie, and stuffed his water bottle and the snacks into a municipal waste fanny pack he packed in case he went somewhere like the zoo or something. he brought the multitool as well, because it seemed useful and put the receipt in his wallet in case he wanted to return the boots before the trip was over.

when he saw noah, he was glad he'd forgone blaze's recommendations. and, especially glad, he didn't buy one of those over-the-top puffy coats for the rain. he didn't know if she was more seasoned in hiking or bigfoot hunting, but she certainly seemed like it.

the trailhead was so innocuous that they might've been berry picking or bird watching. blueberry lane sounded idyllic. it was the kind of place that noah would've been killed on screen in, which seemed sort of ominous if it was celluloid instead of real life. real life bigfoot hunting. maybe it was ominous.

"i've never seen a coyote that didn't just eat trash." now coyotes he was actually used to, but the la kind that scavenged out of dumpsters. "but uh, never come across poison ivy actually." he was looking forward to the blueberries though.

"what about if i feel more weird saying marshmallow out of context?" ramy smiled at her. well, this was at least better than another night of con after parties at shitty seattle bars. "but i'm not really feeling weird. i mean, maybe silly, but this is actually really nice."